#like okay geez yuri we get it

[chibi-taylormoon]

Yuri really just wanted to be one with Yuya

[piracytheorist]

Episode 30 thoughts!

OKAY OKAY OKAY I HAVE A LOT TO SAY

alternate title is "Local anime only is introduced to the entity that is Shopkeeper".

MY GOD. I had no idea we'd see him so soon. I'm so glad his appearance is no longer a spoiler to me XD

To start with, Yor seems quite tense while she's going out to meet with him.

A detail that the anime omitted, is that it seems he was caught by surprise by Yor. Is she so stealthy she can even sneak up on him?

He's... omg he's scary. At the same time he's got one very smooth and sexy voice. I know we heard him on the phone but oh it's so different to hear him from up close. I'm going to feel very conflicted about him, methinks XD

Of course, when he talks about "pruning and watering" and stuff he definitely doesn't talk just about his garden :)

The music was perfect for his introduction. The garden we see around him looks so peaceful and serene, but the music greatly encapsulates that ominous feeling that "This guy is a LOT".

Ho-lee SHIT

My dude! My bro! Isn't this one of your best assassins or what??

The fact that he's willing to risk decapitating her on the spot just in case she lost one (1) iota of her perfect form is terrifying. And he laughs about it. The fuck. And Yor has been working for him since she was a teenager? O_O

I mean, when I said he's got presence I didn't mean it's not a diabolical one. But holy shit.

Is... is that person in the back wearing a sheet over their head like they're pretending to be a ghost? I'm noticing the important details here!

Shopkeeper looks like he really holds this mission to great value, and feels greatly indebted to protect Olka. It's very interesting that he's entrusting this mission to Yor.

At the same time, we see his face as Yor says she'll need an excuse for the family, and he is NOT impressed.

Like geez does ANYONE in her circles not have negative feelings about this wedding? First Yuri then her coworkers then even Shopkeeper like does ONE person go like "That was a good decision you made"?

I mean, if Shopkeeper really values her... it's not like it doesn't look like he has the power to provide her with some cover. He looks so imposing and Yor is so okay with his tactics I doubt she hasn't told him the marriage was just for convenience, so why didn't he go like "Nah ditch them I'll give you the cover you need"? He looking kinda sus rn ngl.

Final detail: the thingies hanging from the strap of his hat are the same shape of Yor's earrings. Nice detail.

It's interesting that Yor's demeanor doesn't change around him. She's still as lively and sweet as we already know her.

I love how after we saw how Yuri stayed up for days to catch Perkin, he fell asleep like that on the subway. Consequences!

Talking about people in Yor's circles not accepting her marriage...

Yuri is even VERY audacious in how he says he'll never accept Loid. Yor is way too patient with him, but I guess she can't help it. She loves him too much for her own good, and that was evident by the way she decided to become an assassin just to provide him with an education she completely ignored for herself.

I was surprised by the flashing screen but seeing Yuri run for the train as if he could somehow pull it back was hilarious. What a lad.

Yor is just now wondering if there's any point in her keeping her assassin job, when it's been at least a year that Yuri has been financially independent. It really makes me wonder where her money from her jobs really goes to... and considering Shopkeeper's behaviour, if she even gets paid fairly as an assassin. I wouldn't rule out him taking advantage of her in that regard over the years.

So I think it would be interesting to consider that Shopkeeper is trying to keep Yor in his employ by uhm... idk, brainwashing her? With all that "keeping the world beautiful" and whatnot. I mean, she took that job out of need and having no other choice, she's very good at it, (probably) is okay with getting paid unfairly, and takes at least an entire year after Yuri became independent to question whether she should stay in this job. She's a good and willing workhorse, is all I'm saying. Shopkeeper wouldn't want to lose that, would he?

Again, that's just an anime-only's blabbers. But that's what's good with Endo's work - just from one character introduction you can get a lot of insight!

Your honour I love them.

Look at their faces. Look at them.

Anya looks so happy while in line for the raffle. I'm so happy she was able to rig the rigged contest and get herself a winning ticket.

I'd seen this face from people sending me spoiler-free manga screenshots, but I had never expected it to be a "Sucks to be you, bitch" kinda face. I love her XD

I do gotta say though, it's VERY convenient that she happened to earn a ticket for the exact same cruise Yor would be on. But I'm not complaining - I mean, we wouldn't have much of a story otherwise XD

If anything, it would not be out of the ordinary if Anya heard about the raffle, then heard from Yor's thoughts about the details of the cruise, then found a way to earn those tickets. But I digress.

Dear director. Why are we getting a full front view of Loid's ass. Not that I'm complaining, just curious.

I actually felt a little touched when Loid said Yor should go with Anya. Like I know it's because he has no "for the mission" excuse to go on the cruise and instead has an "I have a lot of work to do" excuse, but it still felt pretty sweet he thought they'd have fun together on the trip. Or something. Delusion what is that

I love their expressions here. Yor struggling with her excuse and Twilight, Best Spy of WestalisTM, being the lovestruck idiot he is, he just buys it.

I loved this. Devil Anya didn't even go for something "bad" she was just like "ANYA WANTS OCEAN, ANYA SHALL HAVE OCEAN."

At some point she's going to become the boy who cried wolf with how many times she's threatening to go bad if things don't go her way. Even Loid doesn't look that concerned by that "threat" any longer XD

I knew the cruise was happening, so I knew somehow Twilight would manage to get time off, but I didn't expect it would be that easy... and when we switched to Sylvia approving the vacation, the cowbell sound effect pretty much ended me

And... wow. I did not expect Twilight has that sort of fear for Handler.

In the manga we can even see how intense his face is.

Is that an accurate expectation or is it just Twilight's overreacting and overthinking mind? We saw how that's something Shopkeeper would definitely do with Yor but from what we know of Handler I would not expect something like that. I think it's mostly Twilight's perfectionism and dedication to his job, as well as how much he's accepted for it over the years. He's willing to accept anything, so he's always expecting the worst... even if it's not an accurate representation of reality.

It's also very coincidental that Handler was admonished for overworking her agents just as Twilight needed time off. It's probably Endo reminding us that deep down it's a comedy show and things just work and I'm just looking too deep into it XD

She's not wearing the rings anymore. Perhaps she caught on to the fact that they were given to her as a joke?

"Go rest and have fun! That's an order!"

Yor catches herself about thinking of having fun on the trip and berates herself.

Since she's already reached the point of accepting she appreciates her part in the family and not just for the cover it gives her, I think it gives an extra layer to how dedicated she is to doing a good job. She knows it's an important job she needs to take seriously and concentrate on. Family fun would be just a distraction... and she's not used to such distractions in her job, after all.

And yes Yuri was in her life, but he was always separate from the job. Now she's got the two of them riding on the same ship!

And that alone makes her reach the question of whether she could just... stop working as Thorn Princess. My god, good luck with that when you have such a boss O_O

SOME GOOD CGI ACTION OOOOOOOHHHHH

No wonder Anya lost it.

Yor looked so happy while next to Loid and Anya, then she met up with her coworkers and a completely different mask slipped on.

This family should come with a label that says "Do Not Separate".

A grand entrance to the ship, with suspicious characters joining in! And new music I'm not recognizing! Lots of interesting stuff :D

I love that we get to see Anya with Loid here. It's obvious Loid hasn't had fun in probably ever, and he's still not got the gist of "relaxing" yet.

I actually love the face he has in the manga. He almost looks... curious. Like this is something new to him, and it probably is. He doesn't have his usual calculating face. The "order" to relax was one thing, but maybe Anya's excitement is rubbing off on him.

Anya's reaction to their room was priceless. They showed it so well XD

Hey, at least they have a window! Most third-class rooms in ships don't even have that.

Local anime only is also finally introduced to that McMahon guy.

It's so funny that I've seen his name everywhere yet I had no idea what he looked like. Well, now I know XD

So we're told the father as well as the two oldest sons of the Gretcher family were killed because of infighting, yet it looks like the youngest member is still a baby.

Those are some interesting family dynamics. Were the sons mentioned this woman's sons, or was one her husband? Or was the boss her father and the sons her brothers? Also, interesting pin on the lapel there.

Similarly, this suit Yor is wearing is the only piece of clothing aside from her office clothes that doesn't have the rose-shaped buttons everything else she wears has.

The guy goes like yo will that Forger woman be enough and McMahon looks like he's like bruh you have no idea. She may be just one but she's enough for twenty.

The little kid is so cute. I felt touched when Olka said that he probably recognizes her as his mother from her voice and her scent.

Olka asks for a favour, to be let out for a bit, and Yor is kind and empathetic enough to indulge her. Most other bodyguards wouldn't be so lenient. Though I guess this is what, in the end, causes her to be caught...

Anya is being Anya.

One (1) stomach ulcer acquired.

I loved how they put shadows on his face for this part.

He's fully prepared to treat the ship as a place where he may be attacked, and to gather as much intelligence as he can for his surroundings. That is, until Anya reminds him why they're there.

And he takes it upon himself to have the most fun ever! For the mission!

I think we will all lose our minds when this man bursts into genuine, uncontrollable laughter. We're clowning him now but when such real emotion bursts out of him I think we won't be able to handle it.

It's a small moment, and it's shown in a comedic way, but it's also heartbreaking to know how he genuinely doesn't know how to have fun. What does this man enjoy watching? What music does he like? What foods are his favourites? We don't know, and the sad part is, he doesn't either. Twilight has no identity and thus no preferences, no profile and no favourite things.

Leave it to me to take a humorous scene and turn it into crying about Twilight hours.

At least Twilight isn't the only one lying to himself. Like two peas in a pod, they're trying to distance themselves from the family. Meanwhile Anya and Bond are like "They are my fambly and I'll love them forever :3"

She looks so cute! And I love Olka's comment about how Loid wouldn't recognize her, lmao if only you knew.

You kind of feel for Olka. Regardless of whether she was born or married into the criminal family, it's the kind of life you can't leave easily. And I mean, morality issues aside, Yor's hands are not clean either, so it was sweet to see them bond, and to even have Olka entrust her with Gram's real name.

Sadly, this move of trust is what caught the attention of dude with long beard and impressive hearing.

Just like the way Franky describes Garden assassins, this guy looks to have some supernatural levels of hearing and comprehending, since he's monitoring dozens of listening devices at the same time and still manages to hear one word that tips him off to who his target is posing as.

Overall, an amazing introduction to this new arc! I'm so excited to see the plot and the characters develop, and especially some long-overdue focus on Yor! It's promising a lot of action and character and even humor with Anya dealing with a "gotta relax and have fun!" Loid. Can't wait :D

[onigiriico]

Duel Links - Yuri & Yuya ASMR (english translation)

this title still feels like clickbait. it's not, I swear

Translated this one real quick because boy is it a treat. (Did less proofreading than I've done on some of my other translations though, so some minor mistakes might've still slipped through 😂)

Yuri: You. Do you have a minute? Woah there, don't run away now, will you? There's something I'd like to ask you. You know about the World Championship 2023, right? - Playing dumb won't help you. I heard you know something important about the qualifying rounds. - You're not going to say anything? If you're not gonna cooperate, maybe I should just card you.

Yuya: Huh...? That's weird, we were supposed to meet up around here...

Yuri: This voice...

Yuya: Found you! Huh? (runs over) Are you okay? Yuri, what are you doing here?

Yuri: (sigh) Got discovered by an annoying guy, huh. It's nothing. I was just playing around a bit, wasn't I?

Yuya: "Play"? You...!

Yuri: (sigh) Whatever. I'll be back. I have a feeling we'll meet again somewhere. - You're in the way. Move aside, will you?

Yuya: O-oi...! Seriously... Duels aren't something to hurt people with! You're supposed to make everyone smile with them! - You're not hurt, are you? Are you okay? If you are, I'm glad... Geez, please don't make me worry so much. Anyways, you haven't forgotten about our promise, right? Exactly! Starting on the 30th, from 20:00! Heh, it's okay, you don't need to get so nervous. If you get too anxious about the matters at hand, you won't be able to do anything. If you want to win, then gather up your courage, and let's step forward together! - Ladies and gentlemen! Finally, the entertainment duels are about to begin!

[howlingday]

Have you seen the studio c sketch the doorstep can you do that with Lancaster?

...I have now.

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

The Fool

Okay, okay. It's the end of the date. Here comes the doorstep. Don't panic. You practiced this a hundred times with your team. ...Oh no! It looks like he's heading straight for the door without saying good-night! Don't let it end here! Quickly! Throw a rock at him!

Ruby: (Picks up a rock)

Jaune: (Turns)

Ruby: (Throws it down the hall)

Cardin: OW!

No, no, wait, she's turning around. It's good. You're all good.

Jaune: Uh... Well, this is me.

Okay, now puff out your chest ever so slightly. You are strong. You did at least fifteen push-ups before this date, and you only blacked out for a second.

Jaune: I, uh, had a really nice time tonight, Ruby.

Yeah, you did~.

Jaune: We should definitely do this again sometime.

Oh, yeah! Mama's got game~!

Ruby: Yeah, that'd be cool!

Jaune: Yeah. And maybe we could bring your sister along for a double?

I knew you were after my sister, you slanderous scabbard!

Ruby: Oh, that's not a bad idea. But she already has this thing. She's... dying.

Jaune: O-Oh! I'm sorry to hear that.

Why are you lying?! Quick! Change the subject! Now!

Ruby: So I see dust prices have gone up. That inflation, am I right?

Jaune: Er... Yeah...

Oh my god, he's playing with his keys, just like in that one movie, Hook-Up! Wilt Smithy said that means he wants to kiss you- Wait, or is that only for Faunus girls? ...Oh, what luck! His hair is covering his eye! Gently brush it out of the way.

Jaune: (Blushing, Smiles)

You're as smooth as imported silk, Eagle Eye~. ...Man, I wish people would call me Eagle-Eye! Whatever. Now lean in slowly. ...Oh no, I didn't check my breath before doing this! Back out! Back out! So slow, though, that he doesn't even notice.

Jaune: (Awkwardly shifts)

Nice work, Double E~. ...ACK! Why are there more people at the door?! This is so awkward, I don't know what to do with my hands!

Ruby: (Latches hands to opposite shoulders)

Yeah. This feels natural~.

Ren: ...Good evening, Jaune.

Jaune: Hey, Ren. Nora. Getting back from your date?

Nora: Yeah! (Menacing aura) ISN'T IT JUST SO AWESOME THAT WE JUST SHOWED UP AT THE EXACT. SAME. TIME?

Ooooooh, I am not moving! If she thinks she can edge me out of my good night, she is wrong! Look her in the eyes!

Nora: (Glaring at Ruby)

Ruby: (Glaring at Nora)

Ruby + Nora: (Look away)

Yeah... That's what I thought.

Nora: (Opens arms) I had a great time, Ren~!

Ren: (Extends shake) As did I.

Nora: ...

Ren: ...

Ren: (Pats Nora's head)

Loser.

Ruby: (Extends shake) Good night, Ren.

Ren: (Shakes hand) Good night. (Pass Ruby) We'll meet you inside, Jaune. (Walks inside)

Jaune: (Watches Nora slump behind) Sorry about that, Ruby.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're back in business!

Jaune: O-Oh!

Good! Hold the eye contact! Offer him a sincere compliment! Tell him you like his...

Ruby: I like your...

...Say something. Oh, please, say something! Compliment his shoes- Oof! Nevermind! Just say something!

Ruby: ...enthal. I like... Yuri Lowenthal... as an actor.

You... are an idiot.

Jaune: Oh, so do I! I especially love his work as Ben 10 in Alien Force!

Nevermind~! Cue the Final Fantasy victory! Dadada da da da dadada! Boolooloo...

Ruby: (Smoothly makes FF victory poses)

Jaune: (Standing awkwardly to the side)

Wait, is he still talking?!

Ruby: ...

Jaune: Did you..?

Ruby: ...Yeeees?

Jaune: Huh... You're an interesting girl, Ruby.

Interesting good or interesting as in "You belong in the nuthouse"? AGH! I can't take it anymore! Just kiss him! Now! Force eye contact!

Jaune: A-Ah!

Good! Now slowly close in on him. Corner him like you're stalking a rat- No, a sleeping baby- No! That's even worse! That is multiple levels of wrong! Oh, what is wrong with me today?! I can't feel my legs and- Yup, you're blacking out again.

Jaune: (Catches Ruby as she falls on him) Oh... geez...

[mj-ackerman]

SxF Light Novel: Family Portrait Translation Mission 2: Yuri's Day Off (Part 2)

<<Part 1 . . . Part 3>>

“Welcome to STEP WORK KIDS.”

“This is a city where you can learn a lot of jobs. Please play and experience a lot, and find what you wanna be in the future.”

“Have fun.”

Greeted by the smiling faces of the staff, Yuri and Anya stepped into a much larger and more authentic children’s town than they had imagined. Although much smaller than the actual thing, the fire station, hospital, courthouse, library, newspaper office, post office, bank, publishing house, and the science and technology research institute were elaborately made but somewhat adorable. The floor is paved with cobblestones, there are even traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, and small buses running on the streets.

Most, if not all, of the visitors were parents and their children, and the parents looked strangely tired everywhere. Some of the mothers were walking like zombies, and some of the fathers were sitting like figurines on the benches in the street.

“Papa! Come on, hurry up! I wanna be a fashion model next!”

“Eh….there… Papa’s a little embarrassed to go in there…. I’m fat after all. My stomach is also sticking out lately. Let’s go to the pastry shop instead.”

“No, no! That place is definitely one we can't miss!!”

Seeing a little girl, maybe a little older than Anya, forcing her reluctant father to come along her, Yuri thought,

Why? What’s there to be ashamed of being fat?

Yuri furrowed his brow, thinking that it wouldn’t matter if the father’s belly was sticking out or not, it’s his daughter who would be experiencing it anyway.

Anya, perhaps overwhelmed, kept her mouth open.

“How many times bigger is this than my house?”

“Hnn? If we divide the area of this facility by the area of your house…about 80 times.”

“E-Eighty times…”

Anya swallowed.

“So? Where do you wanna go first? Judges, scientists, and bank clerks…they are all stable jobs and offer solid careers.”

While Yuri looks through the pamphlet he received at the entrance, he picks out some of the recommended occupations. All of them were things he wanted to be in the past.

“Being a prosecutor or a lawyer sounds good too.”

“I can’t see it, Unkie. Please bend down!”

Anya, who is short, yells as she jumps up and down.

“Didn’t you get one at the entrance too?” Yuri asked.

“Yeah, but it's….”

From her small handbag, Anya took out a crumpled pamphlet.

“What do you think? Journalism is a great profession too, or if you’re strong enough, I think being a soldier is not that bad.”

“I wanna go here.”

Anya pointed to the top of the pamphlet. Yuri’s face involuntarily stiffened as he skims over the top.

“I saw it from the police cartoons I watched yesterday.”

“...........”

“Become a police officer, jump from high places and kill bad guys.”

Anya snorted while she talked excitedly.

“Then, lock them up in a pig cage and feed them with rotten food.”

“.....Don’t you say those words in front of my sister.”

Yuri grumbled, “I’m begging you.” as he began to regret bringing this chihuahua girl here.

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

“Welcome. Here at the police station booth, you can experience the work of a police offer.”

Upon entering the police station booth, a young woman staff smiles at them as she guides them through the building. The entire staff was dressed in costumes that resemble police uniforms.

A father and son, who seem to have finished their experience, walked past Yuri and the others with excited expressions on their faces.

“This is my first time shooting a gun! Hehehe... And of course, every shot hits the target! Awesome right?”

The son proudly boasted to Anya. The young father says, “Come on, let's go. Sorry to bother you.” as he urges his son, bowing becorry towards Yuri. Yuri also reflexively bowed his head back. “It's okay,'' he replied.

“I wanna be a doctor next!”

“Geez...Is daddy gonna wear a white coat during his day off too?”

“It’s fine! Hurry up, hurry up!”

“At least let me do other jobs on my holiday.”

That was the conversation Yuri heard from the father and son as they were walking away.

What? What are they talking about?

While Yuri's head was filled with question marks, “Gun….Bondman.”, he heard Anya, who was standing next to him, mumbling in a dangerous tone. Her eyes were shining suspiciously.

“Remaining bullets, two-eights.”

She looks unnecessarily sharp, and she is saying things that he can’t understand. The strange gleam in her eyes made Yuri’s instinct to tell him,

I can't let her play with guns.

“It’s your time now….”

A woman who was reading something that looks like a progress chart, lifted her face.

“The interrogation room is available. She can experience the work of criminal interrogation with our actors. What do you think?”

“Then, we’ll go with that please.”

Yuri responded immediately without listening carefully. He must stop the shooting at all costs. Anya tugged the hem of Yuri’s jacket and shouted, “I want to shoot a gun! I wanna be like Bondman!”, but he ignored her pleas and pretended he didn’t hear anything.

“Well then, please change into your uniform here.”

“Come on, you go now.”

As he pushed Anya’s back, the woman politely told him,

“No, her big brother has to come with her too.”

“No, I'm not her big brother-”

“He's not my brother, he's my unkie.”

“Oh my, you look so young so I thought you were just her older brother.”

The woman looked at Yuri in surprise, then she politely corrected herself,

“I'm sorry for my rudeness. Well then, please come this way too.”

Ugh… I want to vehemently correct the word “Uncle”. But I feel like if I say I’m not her uncle, it’s going to be extremely troublesome.

Everything is dangerous these days. If you’re not careful enough, you may be reported as a suspicious person. If that happens, the secret police reputation will be ruined.

So there's nothing else I can do.

Although he was not willing to do it, Yuri immediately changed his attitude.

“No”, he replied “She'll go there on her own to experience it.”

Yuri decided to be a good “uncle”. He was originally good at acting after all.

“I will wait here. Listen carefully to the big sisters in there and be a good girl, okay?”

Yuri smiled, it's a smile of a gentle uncle for his adorable niece. And Anya, with wide eyes, was looking at Yuri like he was a strange creature.

“Unkie, you're gross.”

She muttered.

“Your smile is so fake.”

He was annoyed by her stubbornness, and he decided to ignore it. However, the female employee turned around and said,

“Um, I regret to inform you of this, but it's the rule of this facility that the guardians should keep an eye on their children during the work experience….. .”

“What?”

“Our goal is for parents to play with their children to encourage their motivation and find the joy of working, so if you don’t agree with that, then I have to refuse to let you use our services.”

In a polite tone, the female employee strongly emphasized the educational purpose of the facility.

What kind of weird rule is that? ….What’s the point of having the adults to join in too? How does that even motivate children?

It was really confusing for Yuri. However at that point, he suddenly realized why the parents were so exhausted earlier.

“Eh….there… Papa’s a little embarrassed to go in there…. I’m fat after all. My stomach is also sticking out lately. Let’s go to the pastry shop instead.”

“Geez...Is daddy gonna wear a white coat during his day off too? At least let me do other jobs on my holiday.”

Now Yuri understood why the fathers were like that.

Is that the reason why they all look so tired?

He should have realized this sooner, or at least did more research before going there.

My god… it would’ve been easier if I'd woken that fat dog up, and taken them to the park for a walk if I had to do this.

He regrets it to the point of gritting his teeth, but it’s a festival for later.

“What should I do? Should we go back and go somewhere else? But this kid…”

Yuri glanced at Anya who was standing next to him and met her cold gaze.

“If we go back, I will write this in my diary and I will show it to Mama.”

Anya said eloquently. Moreover, she opened her little bag, and Yuri caught a glimpse of the curse book inside it. That was clearly a threat.

“What would you like to do? If you agree with our facility’s rules, please go in and change your clothes in the changing room over there. Or do you perhaps want to leave?”

The young SSS agent felt a great deal of humiliation at hearing the woman’s words with a smile, but he has no other choice but to answer,

“No, I’m going to change clothes.”

[lunawings]

Himitsu no AiPri 7

THIS SHOW MAKES NO SENSE AHHAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Victoria's only condition for getting AiPri unbanned is for Himari to perform with a friend?

Like as if that's something difficult to do?

I mean Himari and Mitsuki would have probably formed a duo eventually anyway regardless of if this happened or not?

It seems Victoria didn't really want to ban AiPri so bad after all if this is her only condition?

So it seems like she just wants the students to be AiPri with friends if they are gonna do it?

Except students already do it with friends since we already have Ruby Lazuli and AISMIRIN’? Their friendships aren't strong enough apparently??????????

Oh I see Victoria has a tragic past where she had an AiPri misunderstanding with a friend WOW GEEZ I AM SO SURPRISEDDDDDDDDDDDDdddddd..................... never had a storyline like that before.......................

Oh wow I am also super surprised to see the Himari/Mitsuki duo performance that was spoiled before the beginning of every single episode already..........

Oh. Himari and Mitsuki have the lemon part of their dresses on opposite sides. That's cute. Not a big fan of these coords over all, but still. That's cute.

Also their song is cute too. It would probably get stuck in my head if I listened to it a few more times.

But still like... Ruby Lazuli JUST got Buzzilume Change in the last episode. Why didn't that count? Why did specifically Himari (and Mitsuki) have to prove their friendship?

OH LOOK EVERYTHING IS RESOLVED IN ONE EPISODE I AM SO SURPRIZEDDDDdDDDD

lol and the next episode is about a girl who draws yuri doujin of Himari and Mitsuki, that's bold.

Ugh it's so frustrating because I literally can't stand this show. But, all Pretty Series shows get better with time. The okay ones get good and the good ones get even better. So I know I'm going to regret quitting or getting behind but.... UGGSAUAAAAUUUAAAGH

[waffliesinyoface]

Games I Done Played in 2023

Putting this under a readmore because it is Long.

-Scarlet/Violet - on the cusp of 2022/2023 but it sort of counts? Especially with the DLC only just coming out this year. Anyways. its good. Professor Sada my beloved evil milf. RIP to violet players who got Turo instead.

-Atelier Ryza 1 - went in knowing nothing about it! And then i went feral because its a really fucking good game with themes and good characters and a lively town full of people that you care about. One of my favorite moments is when Agatha, head of the town guard, looks at Ryza and goes "geez, where did that knucklehead kid who was always messing around go? you've really grown up, huh Ryza?" ITS SO GOOD. Also Ryza is the ADHD fucking icon we deserve. Cannot focus on things she doesn't care about. Perpetually messy room. Kind of an airhead. Finds one (1) thing that she actually likes (alchemy) and then hyperfocuses on it exclusively.

-Atelier Ryza 2 - this game has the mass effect 2 problem where it's coming off the heels of a really great first story but then very early on you realize the main plot is actually a bit shit. Ryza 1 is a story about the inherent destructive nature of colonialism and how that will come back to bite you in the ass. Ryza 2 is about having a sick cat. They try to do something interesting with the optional backstory for each of the areas but then they don't tie it to the main quest at all? THAT SAID: while the main plot is shit, it does the other thing that ME2 does, in that all of the character sidequests are incredible. Klaudia in Ryza 1 is just like. The kind of casual fanservice gay that pops up in slice-of-life anime, so I brushed it off. Klaudia in Ryza 2 is having sad tearful confessions in the rain. I got fucking yuri brainworms from this game. Her arc culminates in Ryza making her a ""friendship"" necklace made from extremely precious metals. It's basically solid gold and has a heart design. Its beautiful. #JustHeterosexualThingsToDoWithYourBestie

-Atelier Ryza 3 - okay i will be honest i still have not finished this. You know how it is. I like that its more open world but also I dont know that it needed to be open world. The writing seems to be better than 2 but not quite as good as 1. I DO like that the beginning lets you see Ryza in her home town, and she's gone from the local troublemaker to Someone In Authority. She's an important and respected member of the community and a schoolteacher now, and now she can argue with the council that they're being a bunch of dickheads with their heads in the ground and people actually listen to her instead of telling her to shut up. Thats such good character development, I'm so proud of her.

-Fire Emblem Engage: went in expecting it to be awakening, to the point that I explicitly bought a physical copy for the purposes of being able to return it if it was shit. Then after playing for a bit i was like "wait a minute, is this just awakening again but actually good?" and THEN i was like "oh no this game fucking rips ass actually, hell yeah". One of, if not THE best fire emblem game. It would be an excellent choice for new players but it's also an anniversary game and so most of the cool callbacks and stuff kinda fall flat if you're not ALREADY a fan.

-Mahoyo: technically a VN, not a game. Also technically I did not finish. Need to get back to it. Aoko Aozaki is my blorbo and I love her. If you like Nasuverse stuff you owe it to yourself to get it.

-SAO Hollow Realization - its an SAO game so it is bad but it is far less bad than i thought it would be. Relationship mechanic is skeevy and I dislike that you need to do it to upgrade party equipment. I killed a hard boss early on and got a sword that immediately broke the difficulty curve which honestly fits how SAO rolls lmao. The fact that you can customize your character but they're still actually kirito is. weird. Buuut it meant I could make Kirito into a girl, which she deserves, the fucking egg. Also Argo's outfit is a travesty, and I will hunt the character designer for sport.

-Tears of the Kingdom - better than BotW plot wise, but didn't fix enough of the core issues. Please can we have a Ganondorf who even approaches the heights attained by Wind Waker. The character designers put so much work into him and making him imposing yet kingly, and then the writers went "uh, he's evil because he's evil? stop overthinking it, dummies." The bossfights are all peak though. Yes even the stupid octopus who is weak to roombas. Lightning Temple was my favorite because I love ancient egyptian iconography and light puzzles. Also the boss is actually challenging if you go there early.

-Armored Core VI - i literally decided to pre-order it like 5 minutes before it came out. And then I came to the realization that actually giant robots fuck hardcore. This is responsible for me getting really into Gundam. I have like 16 gunpla built with 4 more still in boxes and 3 more preordered for 2024. Yes, it infected me that bad. Also Cinder Carla IS my mom and I love her. Burning the planet and solar system is the good ending because she says so.

-Disgaea 7 - disgaea is BACK babey. ...okay I haven't finished this one either but after the travesty that was 6 im giving this a gold star. I love that the protagonist is an idiot weeb catgirl, and i love that the antagonist is literally just Demon Commodore Perry. Nippon Ichi please bring back the kitsune class from 5 please and thankyou.

-Mice Tea - i literally just got this so i've only done one ending but its fun, and good. Drink tea, become a mouse. Get horny about it. Happens to the best of us.

-Touhou 19 - i THINK the full english translation is done now, so thats good. Ran Yakumo is playable and im so happy. It's a shame the netplay is uh. Um. Non-existent. Because coding netplay is hard.

-Lunar Silver Star Story - once again, i still need to finish this. It's a really really good JRPG!! "What if we used the PS1 disc size to have anime cutscenes for important moments and character introductions" fucking genius and i love you. Listen to Wind's Nocturne right now.

-PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo - do you like VNs? Do you like mystery novels with horror elements? Do you like creepy things like curses and ghosts? Do you like really fucking good music? If you answered yes to any of those questions, please get this game. There's like one or two puzzles that were really obtuse on release but i think the game's been updated to provide better hints, so that's nice.

-Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - my favorite harvest moon game as a child with a fresh coat of paint, some really nice QoL updates, and its gay now. You can be gay. I can finally get lesbian married to Nami and we can have an adorable precious daughter who turns me into Maes Hughes whenever Im in the same room as her. I named her Ruby because A: red hair, B: Nami loves cool shit you find in the digsite like precious minerals, and C: Lou (the innkeeper) was named Ruby in the original version of A Wonderful Life, and she's BASICALLY Nami's mom. Wait this review turned into me gushing about my adorable daughter again...

[medea10]

My Review of Koikimo

(short for: Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui)

(translation: It's Too Sick to Call this Love)

...

Oh goodie, this is only going to go south from here.

How did I get into this anime? Seeing as I didn’t have many slots open for Winter 2021 animes, I wanted to pick up as many random animes for the spring season. That’s all. Wow, I’m late as fuck with putting this one out. Apologies for the lateness of this review…I’m being lazy.

Meet Ryo Amakusa! He’s a businessman in his mid 20’s. And because he’s very handsome, he’s a constant target for loose women. One morning on his way to work, he felt a little dizzy and almost fell down a flight of stairs at the train station. He was saved by a high school girl named Ichika Arima who proceeded to give Ryo her handmade lunch to make sure he’ll be okay. That night, he heads back to his parent’s home to find Ichika there. Turns out Ichika is friends with Ryo’s little sister, Rio.

Ryo didn’t fall down those flight of stairs, but he certainly fell head over heals in love with Ichika. And this girl is not feeling the same way Ryo is! In fact, she finds him creepy. Ryo ends up smothering her with compliments, flowers, chocolates, and all this unwanted attention. This is the story of a businessman falling in love with a normal high school girl.

…

Oh God, this is getting too Matt Gaetz for my liking!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Not a Crunchyroll original, but one that is being streamed on the site. It’s been a full year and still no dub. Although, a dub could happen. In the last few months, Crunchyroll has been going back through their old catalog and giving dubs here and there. I mean, if Natsume’s Book of Friends and Given were NOW able to get a dub after all these years, Koikimo could get one in the future as well. Aside from the notable male seiyuus, this is actually my first time hearing Yurie Kozakai. She seems relatively new but I think she carries the role of Ichika very well. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Ryo is played by Toshiyuki Toyonaga (known for Yuri on Yuri on Ice, Mikado on Durarara, Hideyoshi on Tokyo Ghoul, Asahi on Free!, and Shun on Kimi to Boku)

*Ichika is played by Yurie Kozakai

SHIPPING: Oh geez…

Let me look over my notes of what I was screaming during the first episode.

“How old are you? Dude, you’re a businessman and you’re coming onto a high school girl. Weren’t you just fucking some random skank the night before meeting Ichika? This ain’t one of those sick hentais that snuck onto Japan’s primetime slot, right?! How the fuck old are you? Remind me what the age of consent is in Japan! Are you some sick masochist that gets off of girls making a disgusted face while insulting you? WHAT IS YOUR AGE?! 27?! Da fuck, man!

Ah-ha, yeah this is not good! Ryo, bring it in. Sit boy! When a girl says “no” or she feels uncomfortable around you, that’s not a sign that she wants to see more of you. I feel like a restraining order video featuring Gary Busey should play when talking about the start of this ship. As you can tell, I’m not digging the Ryo x Ichika ship all that much. But like it or not, this relationship is developing throughout the series. I guess I should be happy that Ryo doesn’t treat Ichika like all of his other girlfriends/one-night stands. He actually treasures her! So yeah, dude gets a point there.

Then in episode 3, we’re introduced to Tamaru. He’s a space cadet, but there’s some potential for a ship with him and Ichika. So expect some jealousy moments from Ryo. We do get some cute moments between Ichika and Tamaru, especially during the field trip episode. I thought it was cute because Ryo wasn’t there to make things weird or ewwie. Things do come to a climax between those two in episodes 8-9 when Tamaru confesses his feelings to Ichika. It went as well as one would expect in this situation.

Dude is friend-zoned!

On the other side of this, Ryo has been with a plethora of women throughout his youth and into his 20s. Not only that, he’s pretty popular at his work. The girls in the office find him pretty. And one co-worker (nicknamed Arrietty) has a crush on him. Problem for her is that Ryo is in deep love for Ichika and only talks to Arrietty for anime advice to get on Ichika’s good side. Arrietty ends up finding out that Ryo’s in love with a high school girl and she worries about Ichika’s well-being having to deal with the stress of a May-December relationship. And at the same time, tell Ryo she loves him!

So yeah, Ryo x Ichika is inching closer and closer. Let’s see how the ending sizes up for this ship.

ENDING: After the events of Christmas, Valentine’s, and White Day, Ryo and Ichika are starting to feel something with this relationship. Ichika ends up rejecting and friend-zoning her classmate Tamaru some time after Valentine’s. It’s a weird new feeling for her, but it really seems like Ichika is really falling for Ryo. I mean, she turned down the sweet classmate to be with the same guy she called creepy not too long ago. Now what do you suppose would happen if Ryo x Ichika’s love is out in the public and around people not in the loop?

We got our answer when Ichika lied to several female co-workers of Ryo’s. The two were in public and were asked if they were going out. Ichika lied and told them that she was just friends with Ryo’s little sister and nothing more. Oof. Yeah, Ichika recognizes the stigma and pressure in this situation. If you’re 16 years old and out on a date with a 26-year-old businessman…yeah, it doesn’t sound too pleasant. And what do you suppose is gonna happen when Ryo’s father learns about this little relationship? He literally blew up at his son. But I’m going to be real here and kinda take Ryo’s side on this one.

Ryo’s father only learned about Ryo and Ichika through second-hand talk from Rio and her mother. The father started putting pieces together and jumped down his son’s throat without knowing the full story of any of this. Yes, it is kinda creepy that a mid-20’s businessman is taking an interest in a high school student. It’s generally frowned upon. But Ryo’s father is jumping to all kinds of conclusions that stray from the truth. Ryo’s father would always get angry at him for his promiscuous lifestyle and he immediately jumped to the thought that Ryo corrupted Rio’s best friend Ichika. I can’t say I blame the father for that. After episode one, I was calling for this mother fucker to get an AIDS test. But I grew to…lack of a better term, tolerate things for what they are in this series.

It was well established at the beginning of the series that Ryo and his father don’t get along at all. And the endless fighting from those two mentally scarred Rio when she was younger and potentially ruining Ryo and Rio’s sibling relationship for years to come. I just can’t help but get angry with the father right now. Dude is away for months at a time and doesn’t take the time to talk to his kids. Then again, if there’s distance between father and son, no chance of either one opening up about this sort of subject. Life is difficult!

In the final episode, Ryo decides to be cruel and intentionally puts distance between him and Ichika. Ryo sees how this relationship or lack-there-of is stressful. Arrietty had some good points and I don’t blame Ichika for lying in front of Ryo’s workmates. This distance was really bugging Ichika and worrying her to death. Even Rio was suspicious as her brother never uses “busy at work” as an excuse. Rio ends up laying it down for Ichika that she really needs to step up her game in telling Ryo her true feelings. Rio isn’t fond of anyone hurting her brother in any way. Rio’s very grateful for both Ichika and Ryo and hates to see them suffer.

Ichika ends up running into Ryo at the train station, the place of their first meeting. Ichika yells at him for ignoring her. They say they love each other. They kiss. They embrace. And they came to consensual agreement that they would wait until Ichika was an adult. And it’s not that long, I mean it’s only until Ichika graduates from high school and that’s like in another year, maybe nine months.

I didn’t expect to like this anime as much as I did. And before anybody asks, I didn’t watch Higehiro. I know both of those were similar in the premise, but I think I picked this anime for convenience sake, like the anime aired on a light day in my schedule. I can go either way when it comes to May-December relationships, especially when it comes to one of the characters being high school age. But I’m still hypocritical as I nod in agreement with some of animes cutest ships that were also May-December. Whatever, the case! Yeah, at first it felt creepy. It felt VERY creepy watching a mid 20’s male fall in love with a 16-year-old girl. Especially the way Ryo was acting in the first few episodes.

Now I’m not sure how this story ends for real. The manga ended around the time of the anime’s airing and I haven’t gotten word of what happens between Ryo and Ichika or if there’s enough material to constitute a second season or special in the future. But I suppose it’s satisfactory to leave us with their decision and imagine that things got better once Ichika becomes an adult. If you’re not like me and have no problems with May-December romance…

I can’t finish that sentence.

Anyways, Crunchyroll has all 12 episodes available.

[ambermondy]

Title: Doki Doki Connection

Pairing: Male!Monika x Fem!Reader

Wc: 1170

Art by: MisterZei

Doki Doki Connection Masterlist: 🖋

Main Masterlist: 🍫

Chapter 4

You were uttery confused. If your memory serves you right, Monika—or in this case, Moniko—followed the script until the day of the festival where he's supposed to make a joke, which you did not appreciate, about Satori's death.

"Come sit down, Y/N! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Moniko," said Satori with a huge smile on hs face. "I'll get the cupcakes," Satori stated in a sing-song voice.

Naruki quickly stood up from his chair. "Hey! I made them, I'll get them!" He ran to the corner of the room.

Satori laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I got a little too excited."

Yuri then decided to spoke up. "Then, how about I make some tea as well?" He stood up and walked towards the closet.

I smiled as I watched the three. It feels so different seeing them performing the actions other than reading it from MC's perspective, and just seeing their sprites different emotions, and actions inside a screen.

You turned your head to both Satori and Moniko. Unlike what the original protagonist did, you decided to take the seat next to Moniko.

"It's surprising that you took the seat next to me," he suddenly spoke up.

You quickly turned to him. "H-huh?" You were taken aback by his statement.

He chuckled and leaned closer to you. "I said, it's surprising that you chose me."

You faked a cough and regained your composure. "I didn't know that the club president likes to flirt."

He chuckled and leaned back to his chair. "I'm not flirting," he gave you a smile. "I'm only taking back what's mine." He winked.

Your eyes widened. "What-"

"Okaaay, are you ready?" Naruki cuts your statement off while holding a tray in hand. "Ta-daa!" He cheered.

"Woah!" Satori cheered.

Naruki lifts the foil off the tray to reveal a dozen of blue, fluffy cupcakes decorated to look like little cats. The whiskers are drawn with icing, and little pieces of chocolate were used to make ears.

"So cute!" Satori reached out to get his own cupcakes.

You raised your hand and reached out to Moniko, wanting to ask more about his statement but he quickly stood up, too fast for your own taste, and stated a familiar line from the script.

"I had no idea you were so good at baking, Naruki!" He commented.

He let out a proud laugh. "Well, you know." He motioned to the cupcakes. "Just hurry and take one!"

Satori grabs one first, then Moniko followed.

"It's delicious!" A huge smile is plastered across Satori's face as he took a huge bite off his cupcake.

You stared at Moniko as his eyes lightened up when he took the first bite of his treat. You guessed that he probably knew how it tastes like the back of his hand—considering how the game loops over and over again.

"Hey." You turned your head to Naruki who has his arms crossed out, a frown visible on his lips.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you going to eat? Don't tell me that I baked all of this for nothing?" He pointed out.

"Oh, right!" You let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry, something's been bugging my mind since this morning. I'd love to try your cupcakes, Naruki."

He grabbed one cupcake from the tray and handed it to you. "Then go and eat it!"

You mentally rolled your eyes. "Geez, okay." Not wanting to start an early fight with the tsundere, you reached out to take one cupcake and took a bite.

And oh, gods, your mind ran out of words to describe how delicious is it. The way the game's mc describe it can't even do justice on how amazing this cupcake taste!

"I'm not gonna lie, Naruki. This is probably the best desert I've ever tasted in my entire life!" You complimented. "Thank you!"

His cheeks turned red but a proud smile is visible on his face. "W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like I-"

"Made it for me or anything?" you cut off his famous tsundere line. "Yeah, I know!" You chuckled. "It's not like you can predict who's Satori's going to bring, right?"

Naruki's face turned a darker shade of red. "I-I-" he fumbled with his words. "I'm gonna go check on Satori! Hmp!" He pouted and turned away.

You heard a snort next to you and saw Moniko looking at you with pure enthusiasm in his eyes.

"Really?" He mouthed.

You shrugged. "What? I'm only telling the truth."

"Not actually the best thing you can say," he commented.

"But still... it was a good one." You winked.

He chuckled again and pinched your nose. "Uh-huh, but you have got to say, Naruki's cupcakes are amazing."

"Yeah! He probably should join a baking show or something."

"Competition, not show," he corrected.

You rolled your eyes. "Nah, same thing."

He flicked his finger on your forehead. "They're not."

"Hey!" You caressed your forehead that was assaulted by Moniko. "I'm going to report this to the principal, you meanie!"

He laughed hard, his hand holding his stomach. You pouted at the sight of him not taking your threat into consideration.

Suddenly, a thought in your head reminded you of something. "Hey, you're still not spared of your words earlier!"

He stopped laughing, wiping a fake tear on his eyes but his huge grin is still there. "H-huh?"

"The whole-" you copied his voice. "'I'm only taking back what's mine.' thing!" you changed back to your voice and held out a finger.

"First, that was really clichè, no kidding. I practically almost always read that line from every romance novels! If you want to win my heart, then do something original! Second, what's up with that line? There's really something going on with you..." you deducted.

You don't know why, but talking to Moniko felt so normal and comfortable that you just have the urge to open your mouth and say something. It felt so normal to the point that it became a familiar feeling the moment the two of you teased one another.

And looking from an outsider perspective... It's pretty unnerving.

Something just doesn't seemed to add up right... and it scared you.

Moniko gave you a sweet smile. "Original? You want original?" He then leaned down and whispered to your ear.

"Surely hanging out with Sayori really is original, don't you think?"

Your body ran cold at his sentence.

Sayori...

He said Sayori, not Satori!

Your face went pale as the both of you stared at each other, his emerald green eyes held different kind of emotions to the point that you were unable to figure out which is which.

"Y-you-" you were unable to finish you sentence when he turned around to face the rest of the club members.

"Alright, everyone! I have an idea for our club activity!" He then turned to you and winked. "But first, let's get to know our new member more."

You are so doomed.

- - -

A/N: Okay... I honestly don't know if I'm doing this right but I would like to thank everyone who keeps reading this story! If you have any concerns, opinions, or request, feel free to send a message!

Things might seemed be confusing but it'll all make sense as every chapters proceed, I've honestly already planned it out. And if you ever guessed what the plot is, then great! It's not like I'm really trying to hide this or something... Ahahaha. I honestly just wrote this story out of craving for more DDLC Boys content.

[shsl-otaku]

Where Greed Goes, Despair Follows: Chp. 38

Pairing: Ban & Y/N

Anime: Seven Deadly Sins

Genre: Adventure, Romance

Warnings: ⚠️Syringes, injections, slight torture? idk if it can be called that, but there's a bit of screaming⚠️

Tag List: @asgleo16 @yuri-2018 @vialuciferscage @commanderawkward @chidayasays @misfitgirlwrites @amberfoxcosplay @catlover7722 @shiggi-trash @softiekage @happynoodle @milkysamu @kageyamis @yogurthdecoco @alysplxnet @chanderefk @furryavocadoowo @nellieleverlin @djdestiny23 @kelseyleia98 @demise-dies-dead @giyuustears @callmeunstable @jaybeingweird @lizzy101 @wishfulcoconut @80strashbag @crownedcupcake17 @rinzyx05 @cinnamonbun332 @smolmacbean @lalalol17 @rintheemolion @lostgirl2007 @god-of-the-universe @whorianscum @ihaveaproblem98 @ariknj @liawinchester67 @sunnsettee @beccawinter @stxtch72 @starrykeigo

•••

You let out a gasp, your e/c eyes flashing open. You breathed heavily, staring up at what seemed to be the top of a dark cave. Panic and adrenaline rushed through you as you remembered what had just happened.

"Elizabeth?" you yelled. You tried to get up but couldn’t. You looked down to see that you were tightly chained down onto some sort of stone table. "Elizabeth?!"

"She isn't here," a voice said.

You turned to the voice to see a man with cold, turquoise eyes and hair the color of periwinkle. You scowled as you saw that he was wearing armor. "Who are you? What did you do with Princess Elizabeth?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about yourself right now?" The man asked, walking to you.

You scoffed in disgust. "Answer me!"

"She is being detained elsewhere," the man said. His cold eyes scanned over you. "So, this is what the famous Raven Sin looks like."

"What do you think you're doing?" you said, glaring harshly.

"It appears you are physically unscathed despite what you went through during your last encounter with Jericho," the man said nonchantly.

Your eyes widened and cold dread washed over you. "What?"

The man tilted his head, his eyes boring into yours. "That means that my hypothesis was correct."

"Hypothesis?" you repeated. "What hypothesis?"

"You really don't know then, do you?" the man said. You stared up at him impatiently. He shook his head. "I've been studying records of the Demon race for quite some time now. The different types, their blood, their statuses. However, I happened to stumble upon something incredibly interesting."

The man looked back at you, a glint in his eyes that made you feel uneasy. "A scroll that mentioned of a human who had demon blood in them. A person who could possess power as great as the Demon King himself. Someone who the Demon King could channel himself into and use as his way to see and live in our world."

Your breathing grew uneven as emotions swirled within you. "You... You think that that person is me?"

The man smirked. "Haven't you wondered why you're still alive despite Jericho stabbing you with her sword being covered in that substance?"

You stared at him, shocked and confused. "I..."

"What about your abilities?" The man continued. "No normal human being is able to summon stalagmites from the ground. No normal human being is able to trap someone's consciousness in their own mind. No normal human being's eyes glow red when they are enraged. Have you really never considered that you might be more than what you've been told?"

The man walked over to a small table and picked up a syringe. You could barely breathe when you realized what it was. It was filled with the same black substance that was on Jericho's sword when she stabbed you.

The man walked up to you, holding the syringe up in his hand. "This is a syringe containing the Demon King's blood." Your eyes widened. "Jericho's sword was covered with the blood of a different demon but after long and desperate searches, I finally found this."

You stared at it, frozen in fear. "No. How did you even get that? How did I never know about this? I was raised by a human family, I—"

"All memory of what you are has been erased since the beginning," the man said. "You were never supposed to know until you had the Demon King's blood flowing in you." He positioned the syringe on the left side of your neck.

"W-Wait—! No!" you screamed, tears forming in your eyes.

The man looked down at you, his cold, turquoise eyes being the last things you saw. "You'll feel better when it's over."

He pressed the syringe into your neck and began injecting the blood. You let out a cry of pain as your e/c eyes began glowing a bright purple, the two symbols reappearing on the backs of your hands. A new symbol was now glowing on your forehead as well. The man continued to inject the blood into your neck as your terrified and agonized screams echoed in the cave.

•••

"Don't let Meliodas use Full Counter," a Holy Knight yelled, charging towards Meliodas with an axe. "Use your weapons to stop them directly!" He swung his axe at Meliodas, Meliodas deflecting every hit with his sword. He quickly punched the Holy Knight, sending him flying away.

Another Holy Knight tried sneaking up on Meliodas, only for him to be punched down by Ban.

"Don't think you can beat us without using magical power, dumbass," Ban said, glaring down at the Holy Knight. "Well, it'd be futile even if you did." (gODDAMN HIS VOICE IN THE SUB WAS SO HOT WHEN HE SAID THAT JFC. OKAY I’LL LET YOU GET BACK TO THE STORY LMFAO)

Ban raised his hands up, looking at the group of Holy Knights charging at him and Meliodas. "Geez, they just keep coming!"

"So we're gonna have to wipe them all out after all?" Meliodas said.

"Let's be efficient about this," Gowther suddenly cut in, walking between the two. He raised his hands up, summoning his Sacred Treasure. "Sacred Treasure, Double Bow Harlit!"

"Sacred Treasure?" Meliodas exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Where the hell was he hiding that," Ban asked, staring at Gowther in confusion.

"Rewrite Light," Gowther said, shooting arrows of light through all the Holy Knights. The arrows all passed through each of them without causing them to die or bleed.

"Hey, Gowther," Ban said, looking at him. "The effect is like zero!"

Suddenly, the Hoky Knights all dropped their weapons and began running towards them.

"Meliodas, my son," a Holy Knight yelled.

"Ban, my bro! I really missed you, man!" another Holy Knight said.

"Huh?" Ban and Meliodas said, surprised.

"Gowther, what is this?" Meliodas asked, blinking in confusion as he was hugged by a Holy Knight. Ban was being carried up by a group of Holy Knights, trying to process what was going on. Gowther was being held close and patted on the head by another Holy Knight.

"Right now, the Holy Knights see us as their dead family members, friends, or lovers whom they haven't seen in some time," Gowther said, pushing his glasses up.

"Did you rewrite their memories?" Meliodas asked.

"Shh," Gowther said, turning to face him. "It's merely a simple stopgap. Once they notice the inconsistencies in their memories, they'll go back to normal. Moreover, their memory of being under this spell will be deleted."

"Don't you ever use that on us!" Ban and Meliodas yelled, appearing in front of Gowther.

"Roger that," Gowther replied, looking at them blankly.

The three of them managed to get away from the crowd and go deeper into the city.

"All right," Meliodas said, now hiding behind what appears to be what was once the wall of a building with Gowther and Ban. "We managed to get into the capital, but what are we gonna do now?"

"We can't just recklessly start battling in the city," Gowther stated.

"Man, that's gonna be a drag in itself," Ban groaned. "Who knows where those bastards could be hiding Y/N?"

"With all these Holy Knights around, it's not gonna be easy to search for traces of Elizabeth or Y/N," Meliodas said.

"Hey, let's head to the castle," Ban said, grinning mischievously. "You know how in fairy tails, the princess is always locked up in an underground dungeon in the castle?"

"Don't you mean the top of a tower?" Gowther asked. "Also, do you mean to refer to Y/N as the princess?"

Ban let out a cough to hide his shock, cheeks starting to flush. "Shut it!"

"The castle, huh?" Meliodas murmured, staring up at the large castle of Liones. Suddenly, a wave of pure fear and pain washed over the kingdom, making Ban and Meliodas' eyes widen.

"What... is this," Ban gasped, tears forming in his eyes. "I... can't move..."

"It appears to be Y/N," Gowther said nonchantly. He brought a hand up to his face, touched it, then looked down at his hand. There were tears on his fingertips. "Fascinating."

Meliodas looked up at the two, tears also streaming from his eyes. "You don't think...?"

Ban's eyes widened in realization. "Something's happened to Y/N."

•••

GOOD 👏 FUCKING 👏 F O O D 👏

LMFAOOOOO DID U GUYS SEE THAT COMING? I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY GOOD/

[claudemblems]

Hi! It's again me sorry... can i request one scenario again?? Where Yuri is mad in love with reader but reader is in love with another character+ a sweet end? With a looot of angst please and lot of love too. If you are not interest you can skip my request. Byye luv u !

Heck yeah you can!!! I hope this turned out okay. I incorporated the other Ashen Wolves and I discovered I love writing about them ^_^ And I apologize for making this so unbearably long aaagh I can’t help it!!! I start writing and suddenly I don’t know whEN TO STOP

---

“Has Yuri seemed off to you?”

“How do you want to define ‘off’? Off as in Yuri-bird is pushing himself harder than usual, or off as in he keeps staring blankly into space and creeping me out?”

“Both.”

“Geez, what’s with that guy?” Balthus groaned as he collapsed into a nearby chair. He stretched out his arms behind his head, crossing a leg over his lap. “Yuri’s always on his A game, but lately he’s been letting something bother him. Others might not catch on, but for all of us, it’s obvious enough.”

“Why doesn’t he ever tell us how he’s feeling?!” Constance exclaimed, sighing as she flicked her hair out of her face. “Does he expect himself to handle all the problems of the people in Abyss but think it okay to shove his own to the side?”

“Not gonna lie, I’m worried about Yuri-bird,” Hapi stated.

“The guy hasn’t even been making bets with me over battles anymore,” Balthus added. “Something’s off with him, and we’ve gotta figure out what it is.”

“Wait,” Constance interrupted. “There has to be something—some kind of recent change—that can give us a clue as to why he’s acting odd.”

“There have been more disturbances and squabbles with gangs he’s had to deal with,” Hapi said.

“I haven’t had as many opportunities to get into trouble, and that would make anyone worried. I’m surprised I haven’t been too on the hunt for gold lately,” Balthus added.

Constance shook her head in frustration. “I showed him my licorice boots and the research I’ve been working on...but…”

Hapi shook her head. “It’s useless. We have no idea what’s got him all mopey.”

“What about [Name]?”

The room went quiet, Balthus’ suggestion hanging in the air.

“[Name]?” Constance asked. “How could she have anything to do with Yuri’s mood?”

“She hasn’t been coming down here as often,” Hapi added. “Looks like she’s been busy on the surface.”

Balthus switched the tone of the conversation abruptly as he explained, “I think Yuri likes her.”

“What?”

“After she accidentally admitted to us who her crush was, Yuri’s been acting odd. Staring off into the distance. Getting eerily quiet when he’s usually got a million witty responses up his sleeve. The guy looks a little lost in his own mind.”

“I have seen Yuri-bird staring at [Name] a second too long every time she leaves…”

“Oh, Yuri is in love with [Name]!” Constance cried. “But...she’s in love with someone else…”

The three fell silent, unsure of how to respond or what to do with the information. Yuri being lovesick and pained by someone he cared for so deeply, it was the only possible explanation to explain his strange behavior. Yuri wasn’t one to get close to many people, so for someone that meant a lot to him to do something to upset him, he’d definitely let his feelings show one way or another.

“What should we do?” Constance asked softly.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do,” Hapi sighed. “We can’t just make [Name] change who she’s in love with. Yuri-bird is going to have to work through this and figure out his feelings.”

“Dang it, why’s that guy got to hold everything in and not tell us what’s wrong?” Balthus huffed, letting his fist fall at his side. 

“Yuri…”

“Yuri-bird…” 

-

Relishing in the quiet of the library, Yuri poured over the stack of books in front of him, eyes silently scanning the pages. There in the library he could take a breather, invest himself into learning new things and soak up new knowledge. Rarely did he get so invested in something—especially in an attempt to distract himself—that he didn’t take notice of the things happening around him.  

“Yuri?”

Yuri jolted at your voice that broke through the quiet. He certainly became so distracted that he hadn’t even heard you step into the room. “Oh,” he sighed, relieved upon seeing it was just you. “Hey, friend.”

You eyed him, and you saw how he calculated your gaze; he was aware you were onto something, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it.

“I wanted to talk to you,” you began, taking a seat next to him. He simply nodded, his awkward silence piercing your heart. You’d begun to reach out your hand to rest it on his but stopped halfway. And by the brief widening of his eyes, you knew he caught your gesture.

“Is something going on?” you asked. Your hands gripped the hem of your shirt, fingers fidgeting with the fabric. “Did I...did I do something wrong?”

“What?” Yuri asked, promptly shaking his head. “You haven’t done anything.” 

“Then maybe that’s the problem.”

“How could that possibly be a problem?”

“Maybe I haven’t been around here as much as I should be.” You let out a pitiful laugh and ducked your head. “Maybe I have you guys thinking I don’t care about you anymore, which is anything but the truth.”

Yuri’s eyes softened at your words, and his calm, warm smile returned to his face, reassuring you. He reached over and took your hand in his. “We know you care about us, and we care about you, too. But it gets busy on the surface, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter! I need to make time to be beside those that count most, don’t I?”

“Well, you’re head over heels for someone, right? I imagine you’re spending a lot of time wondering how to tell them how you feel.”

“Wha-What?”

“Did I hit the nail on the head?” he asked, lips slightly quirking upwards.

You stared at him wordlessly.

“It’s okay to be in love, [Name] —”

You stood from your seat and stared down at Yuri, fire in your eyes. “Did I hurt you or something? Offend you? Because if so, tell me.”

“What are you talking about?” Yuri asked, an eyebrow raised. Clearly he wasn’t expecting such an emotional reaction out of you.

“You’ve been keeping your distance from me, your eyes boring into me every time I leave Abyss. You’re as tight-lipped as ever around me. Just what did I do to make you detest me?!”

Yuri just stared, and stared. Realization of what you were hinting at washing punching him hard in the gut.

“Do you think I hate you?” Yuri asked.

In a quiet voice, you replied, “Part of me thinks you do.”

You were about to dart out of the room until his hand grabbed your wrist. 

“Let me go,” you demanded.

“You really think that?” Yuri asked in the softest tone you’d heard leave his mouth. Your heart began to pound, hands trembling. 

“What other idea am I supposed to get?” You held back sobs, trying to not let tears slip from your eyes. “I feel as invisible as I did when I first arrived here at the academy.”

“That’s not how it is at all.”

“Oh, then please tell me what I’m getting wrong then,” you said. “What else could make you avoid me than hating me?”

“Because I’m in love with you.”

The world around you stopped, the atmosphere soundless except for your heart pounding against your rib cage. “I...What?”

You turned to face Yuri, and he met your eyes with a broken-hearted but still assertive gaze. “I love you, but you’re in love with someone else, and it’s been throwing me off track. I’m constantly distracted, making my own people worry over their protector.” He laughed, biting his lip. “I didn’t want to mess with your happiness, and I’m not good with sharing my feelings with someone else. So I just stayed in the background, but I see that I’ve only hurt you in the process. I’m sorry.”

Tears finally dripped down your cheeks as you stared. Your heart was shattering like glass, the shards piercing through your body, your tears bleeding out all that pain. 

“You love me?”

Yuri nodded. “Dearly. Wholeheartedly. And even if we remain friends and nothing more, you are someone I will always protect. That I swear to you.”

You jumped into his arms, head burying into his chest. Yuri stood rigid for a moment, contemplating how to respond, but eventually his arms wrapped you up, his embrace as warm and comforting as home.

“That crush I said I had,” you began, “Wasn’t really one. Truth be told, I barely know him. I thought maybe he was coming onto me, and I was just flustered that someone even wanted to try to flirt with me. After a while the euphoria went away, and I figured out how bland and egotistical a person he is,” you laughed. “I was more embarrassed that they assumed that I actually liked him. I never actually really had a crush on him. But the reason I didn’t argue when they thought they guessed correctly is...I didn’t want the others to know I liked you.”

Yuri pulled back, though his arms still held you close. “What was that, friend?”

“I said I like you,” you giggled. “I didn’t think you’d ever really see me in that way, so I pushed those feelings aside, and tried to convince myself to be in love with someone else. As you can see, that didn’t work out well because I just keep on running back to you.” You smiled, a warm, genuine, heartfelt smile Yuri didn’t get to witness often. “I love you, Yuri Leclerc. A lot!”

Yuri chuckled and shook his head, visible relief flooding through him. “So you’ve had a crush on me for so long, and I never figured it out? You’re much more sly than I imagined, friend.”

Your face flushed and you shook your head as you declared you had no such side to you. But you were too happy to care about winning that argument. You were in Yuri’s arms that held you so tight, his laughter echoing sweetly into your ears.

“Can I make it up to you?” you asked him.

“Hmm, I suppose I’ll listen to your proposition,” he teased.

“Be my boyfriend.”

“Wow, you have gotten quite bold.” But there was no mistaking the joy in Yuri’s smile. “Gladly, [Name].”

And thus started the beginning of a love that would stand the test of time; history would remember your names and what you accomplished for one another and for the good of humanity. 

[hisan-miren]

Redacted File

The Love Letter Pt 2

The next morning, Mina was almost bouncing she was so excited. She threw on a dress, inhaled her breakfast, completely ignoring the startled stares of her parents, and all but dashed over to Raios' house to pick him up for school.  She rocked on her feet, looking over the entryway of the large, traditional-styled mansion as she waited for her best friend to be ready. His sister came out first- already an adult, she was going to work at the café she'd recently opened.

“Oh!  Mina!  Waiting for my brother?” the girl asked.

“Yup!”

“Geez, what's that idiot doing making you wait?  Rather, he should be the one going to pick you up. You know you can tell him off, right? You can do so much better than him, I promise you.”

Mina just gave a nervous laugh.

“It's fine, I woke up early this morning, so I was ready a bit sooner than usual is all.  Plus, my place is in the opposite direction from school.  It makes way more sense for me to come to him.”  That, and she was secretly afraid that he found their morning commute a bother.  What if she waited for him and he never came because he didn't want her around?  She wasn't sure she'd be able to stand it.  She'd been all confident when she was going off about it to her friends the other day, but in reality she was far more insecure about her crush on him than she let on.  She desperately wanted him to be in love with her as much as she was with him because then that'd mean that she could marry her best friend and be together with him forever!  

The door slid open again and a ln angry-faced teenager emerged, glaring at the both of them.

“You better not be harassing her, aneki.”

“GAH!” Raios' sister gripped her heart and fell over like she'd been shot.  “You see that?!  You see that, Mina?!?!  ‘Aneki'! What happened to the cute little brother who called me ‘onee-chama'?!”

“HE NEVER EXISTED YOU NUTCASE!” Raios snapped.  “SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU FREAKING MENTAL?!”  Raios scoffed and rolled his eyes.  “Come on, Mina, we're gonna be late.”

Mina's heart all but leapt out of her chest when he grabbed her hand and dragged her away.  She silently prayed he wouldn't notice he was still holding it until they reached the classroom.

Raios' sister stared after them, shaking her head.

“They need to just get married already…”

Raios ended up letting go halfway, but that was alright. The fact that he'd reached for Mina at all made her giddy.  She almost felt a little bad for the turmoil her plan was about to inflict on him, but she told herself that it was all for the greater good.  The two walked to school talking about trivial things like how Raios was doing with hunting sea birds and the oysters Mina had gone diving for the previous day.  These were the times when she generally saw him the most relaxed.  That perpetual furrow between his brows was practically nonexistent, and he'd even smile and laugh if she told her stories right.  Arceus, that laugh was to die for.  She actually resented the idea of arriving at school because it meant that their time alone together would end.  As soon as another kid would greet them, Raios would go back to scowling.  A part of Mina kinda hoped it was because he enjoyed their time alone as much as she did, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

Mina sighed as she settled into her desk and took a deep breath to prepare for what she was about to do.

She started putting her books away when she felt her hand brush the envelope, and it took everything in her being not to start grinning.

“Oh?  What's this?” she inwardly cringed at how stiff her acting had sounded, but Raios hadn't seemed to notice.

“What's what?” he asked as she pulled the envelope out to ‘inspect it’.

“I dunno,” Mina replied, her voice sounding oddly monotone. She coughed to try and correct herself as Raios was clearly about to catch on now that he was paying attention.  “It looks like a letter.”  She flipped it over and pretended to inspect it, but Raios snatched it out of her hands. She nearly beamed.  She hadn't expected it to go this well, but she fumbled a bit when she realized she should have gotten angry.  “H-Hey!  Th-That's mine!”  Mina struggled to scrounge up even a fraction of Raios' usual angry façade.  She commended herself for managing any at all considering how overjoyed she was.  Raios looked the envelope over and scowled at it like it had personally burned down his house.  And was he biting the inside of his lip?  He probably knew what it was supposed to be.

“I can tell you right now that it's not anything worth your time,” he spat, but he still handed it back to her and sat down, clearly in one of the foulest moods she'd ever seen.  Given his expression, she had fully expected him to tear it to pieces. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond if he had, but the fact that he didn't and even handed it back to her spoke to some level of maturity she hadn't expected from him.  She looked back down at the envelope, more than a little shocked, and wondered, briefly, if maybe she had gone too far.  She had wanted to make him jealous, but she hadn't wanted to hurt him, and he seemed like he may be genuinely upset.  He did have other feelings besides anger.  She was well aware of that.  In fact, she probably knew that better than anyone else on the island.  He just had a tendency to hide those feelings behind anger because it was the only way he knew how to express himself.

Mina opened the envelope, trying not to watch Raios out of the corner of her eye because she knew he’d be looking at her, and pretended to read it over.  Turne out she didn't need to look at Raios to see how he was reacting.  She could practically feel the rage emanating off him, and everyone else in the classroom was looking at him like he was a live bomb.  Maybe this had been a really bad idea.  After she'd stared at the letter for a sufficient amount of time, she tried to calmly fold it and put it away.

“So?”  She looked over at the boy next to her who was now looking at her like he was about to chuck his desk out the window.  

“I-It was a love letter...”  She froze a bit at his reaction.  She'd never seen him so genuinely angry in all her life.

“From who?” he ground out.

“A s-secret admirer.  H-He wants to meet me by the docks in two days to talk.”  Mina gulped.

“And?”

“A-And?” Mina quivered a bit, afraid of the monster she'd created.  He was waaaaay more angry than she'd expected.

“What are you going to do?”

“I… I'm going to think about it…  I don't know yet.”    

Raios growled and turned away in a huff.  She thought she heard him grumble something like ‘shouldn't it be obvious to turn him down?’ but wouldn't that normally be something he’d say pretty clearly? Right?

Raios was fidgety all throughout school.  Who the hell had the gall to ask out Mina.  It wasn't like she wasn't nice or pretty or smart.  She was all of those things and more, so it wasn't unreasonable for someone to fall in love with her, but he didn't want to think that someone else could possibly see how valuable she was besides could possibly have the nerve to try and sweep her out from under him.  It was a pretty well-known fact, at least in his opinion, that he loved Mina.  The fact that there was now someone else he had to compete with only stirred up unwanted feelings of jealousy.  He thought he'd had a bit more time to get himself together.  He was really trying not to be so angry all the time, but that only ever seemed to be effective around Mina.  No one wanted to date a guy who spent his whole life acting like he'd stepped on a Lego, so he'd been trying- really trying- to get his act together, but now he felt like he'd run out of time.  It took every fiber of self-control not to go storming up to any of the other boys in class at every break and accost them of trying to court his Mina.  Firstly because she wasn't actually his, and secondly because he definitely didn't want Mina to see how bad he was losing it.  No, he waited until after school to let himself freak out.

“Raios,” Mina called, “let's walk home together!”  She waved and smiled at him in a way that was so inviting he almost couldn't resist.  

“Sorry, I've got something to do.”  He immediately regretted saying that when a crestfallen look came over her. Hey, he was equally as disappointed, okay?!  But finding out who his rival was was infinitely more important.  “I'll see you tomorrow.”  He refused to look back at her as he trotted of to his first destination because he knew he'd cave as soon as he looked at her.

Mina looked after him and melted to the ground.

“Hey, you knew this would happen,” Chise chided, looking down at her friend who looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

“I know…  I know but-!” Mina sniffed as she picked herself up off the ground.  “AHHHH!  THE MOOD THIS MORNING WAS SO GOOD!!  WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!”

“You decided to trick your future-husband into asking you out in the most convoluted way possible,” Chise answered.

“I want to skip to being married so badly!!”

Mina reluctantly walked home with Chise and Yuri, looking like a wilted flower the entire way.

“Y'know, if we didn't know any better, we'd think you hate walking home with us,” Chise chided.

“Sorry,” Mina replied, sounding very depressed, “it's not that I don't love you two, I just really enjoy when I can spend time with him. He gets surprisingly talkative when he's talking about kyuudo, and it's so cute-"

“Okay, we definitely don't need to hear you gush about how cute you think our chief's son is.  Seriously, Raios is the most abrasive person on the whole island. Maybe in the whole world!  I seriously have no idea how you not only put up with him but are in love with him.”

“I’m so lucky you two don’t see how much of a catch he is…”

“He’s from the most important family on the island and is set to be the next chief as long as he doesn’t blow anything up or kill anyone. It’s not that he’s not a catch, it’s just that his attitude is terrible.”

“I can live with that.”

“How?!”

“Because he’s amazing!”

Chise and Yuri groaned and shook their heads, a hand covering their faces.

“Please, dear Arceus, let these two idiots get together soon…” Chise groaned.

“I can’t take much more of this,” Yuri followed.

[askdawnandvern]

Edison: I was super happy to meet my new Mom and Dad! I wasn't even scared of Dad either, y'know....cause he's a wolf and all...Although he is probably the biggest wolf I've ever seen! But I've known Alli for years in the orphanage, and she was always nice to me, so I knew not all wolves were scary!

Allison: Edison wasn't really thinking about who Mom was. I think that kinda went over his head, even though she went out of her way to warn us before paw that who she was might affect how we were treated in school n' stuff. Not to mention like...pred and prey parents...But, they were willing to adopt both of us...which was...nice...

Edison: Alli didn't think Mom and Dad were going to keep her.

Allison: Edi! Quiet!

Edison: What? You said that to me all the time! Especially when our little sister was born!

Allison: That was then, and this is now! So clam up!

Edison: Geeze...Alright, alright. Okay...

Allison: I'll just say it...took me a while to warm up to my parents, and...comfortable with my...place here. My place in the family. Sometimes I get flack for it at school. But I don't really care about that stuff. Mom and Dad....they've been really good to me. Especially Mom...but, don't tell Dad I said that.

Edison: I bet mom doesn't let you ride on her shoulders like Dad lets me! He's so big I can touch the ceiling!

Allison: *Chuckles* No she doesn't, she'd probably get crushed under me if she tried...

Edison: And Grandma, and Grampa, and my aunts and uncles? Well...I was kinda nervous meeting them at first. There were so many! But it was really cool!

Allison: And more family means waaaay more Yule presents....

Edison: Alli, Mom says saying stuff like that is rude!

Allison: Alright, alright...Grandma and Grandpa are pretty awesome. So is Aunt Vanna.

Edison: And Uncle Ully is super funny, though Mom and Dad told me never to believe anything he says. And also...don't let him take any...”Blood samples?”, but I didn't really understand that. Oh, Also Uncle Yuri tells some of the coolest cop stories!

Allison: And he uses a lot of swear words. Which is hilarious, especially when Aunt Ada swats him on the muzzle for it.

Edison: *Giggles* They are all so much fun! It's so hard to pick favorites! Y'know, when I wished Santa Paws would find me a family last year, I never expected he find me such a big one! I guess I must have been a super good lamb!

Allison: *Chuckles* Always have been Edi. I don't think you have a mean bone in your body.

Edison: And he got them to adopt Alli too, so now we get to be brother and sister for life! How cool is that!

Allison: *Blushes slightly* C-C'mon Eddie.

Edison: *Hugs Allison Tightly* Thanks Santa Paws! For my awesome family and my super cool sister!

Paige: *Bleats Merrily*

Edison: And thank you for making me a big brother this year!

[forkanna]

[AO3] [WATTPAD] [QUOTEV]

NOTE: Happy birthday to me! Though this might be posted right AT midnight my time, so technically after my birthday. Also, there won't really be much smut this chapter; just coupley fluff and a hint of steaminess.

                                                        CHAPTER SIX

"Well, you two sure are snug as bugs in a rug."

Chie scowled over at Yosuke as they sat around on the school roof, ploughing their way through plastic bowls of instant miso ramen. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about this." He leaned way forward, headphones slipping around on his neck as he poked his chopsticks between her and Yukiko's arms. And touched both of them. "You've been glued at the hip all day!"

"We have not." Cheeks having taken on the vaguest of rosy tints, Yukiko pretended to find her ramen much more interesting as she daintily drew the noodles into her mouth. She did slurp, but it was somehow a polite slurp; Chie never knew how she did it, while she was over there making enough noise to tell the whole school what she was eating for lunch.

"I mean, do you think I'm dumb? Let me rephrase," he cut Chie off when she held up a finger to respond, taking a deep breath as well. "I'm not dumb. I can see that something's different. Like, all day has been a chick clique, with me and Narukami all benched over here."

"I haven't felt 'benched'," Yu put in very mildly, though he had also been glancing at the two girls just as curiously.

Finally, Yukiko broke her silence, though she was still staring down into her lunch. "I think you're making a lot out of nothing, Hanamura-san. There's nothing wrong with two friends spending time together, especially after going through something so harrowing."

"'Hanamura-san'? Geez, it's like that, huh?" Yosuke sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Listen to Yuki-chan," Chie snapped. "Like, it's none of your business, anyway. But yeah, we're just hanging out! You think it's weird? For two girls to be friends?"

"No! But I don't think that's the only thing going on here." Squinting slightly, he pointed at Chie with his chopsticks again. "I think there's a lot more than just 'gals being pals', y'know? Like, Class S-"

"God, here we go," she groaned with a huge roll of her eyes as she set her bowl aside. "You and your 'everything is dirty' brain, you pervert." She stood up and cracked her neck, then started rolling her arm around to loosen her shoulder. Immediately, he was throwing up both hands to ward her off.

"Wait, wait! Hey, I don't think there's any call for violence, exactly! C'mon, what's the big deal in me pointing out what it looks like?!"

"The 'big deal' is that you're trying to make something normal into some gross fantasy in your brain!"

"Hey, can you blame me? After what we saw in the TV… I mean, your shadows were really into it…"

Instantly, he was being kicked down to sprawl out on his back by a very irate Chie. Limbs flailing everywhere, he tried to fend off the brown loafer that continued to descend upon his face and chest repeatedly for the next few seconds. "AH! CHIE! FOR CHRISSAKE, CUT IT OUT WILLYA?!"

"MAYBE QUIT BEING A GROSS PIG AND I WILL!"

While he was still trying to protect his face, Yu commented calmly, "The gross pig has a point. If shadows are part of who you are, it's not such a strange question to ask."

"Et tu, Yu?" Yukiko sighed, frowning down at her bowl. "Isn't it bad enough we had to be there while you two saw the other us… doing such things?"

"You say that like it wasn't the best show of my life!" Yosuke chuckled — earning him a fresh strike to the mouth with a rubber sole. "RGH! Okay, get off, I'm kinda done!"

Finally reclaiming her spot next to Yukiko, Chie grumbled, "Me too. Like, stop being so disgusting."

"Oh yeah?" He sighed and shook his head. "What a waste lesbians are."

While Yukiko's head began to sink lower, Chie's face burst a few capillaries as she snapped, "WHAT?! Okay — listen, you jackass! Y-you don't even know what you're- and what do you mean, a 'waste'?!"

"Like, that's two less girls for the rest of us," he continued to protest as he stirred his noodles. "Hard enough for some guys to get dates without some chicks pairing off with each other."

Chie took a deep breath to reply… but to her surprise, it was Yu who said, "I think that's ignorant. They should be able to date whoever they want."

"What?" Eyebrows sky high, he snapped, "Yu, bro… how can you stab me in the back like this?"

"Stop being dramatic. And I'm sure there will still be plenty of girls to ask out. Don't you have someone you're interested in? Anyone at all?"

"Risette," he sighed wistfully. When the other three were blinking at him in surprise for a few seconds, he cleared his throat. "I-I mean, that Ebihara is hot. But I dunno, I don't have any game."

"You really don't," Chie confirmed.

"Whoa, shots fired…"

"What do you expect, man? You treat girls like Pocky flavours, just trying to pick which one suits your mood today. Seriously, do you even care about how they feel? Whether or not their personalities match yours? You just seem to care if they have big boobs and nice hair."

Taken aback, he finally set his ramen aside. "What the hell, Satonaka? I thought we were friends, and you're like, totally ripping me a new one here! What did I ever do to you?"

"For starters, you told me and Yukiko that we're 'too close' and a 'waste of space'."

"Hey, I never said 'waste of space'. Just like, a waste of two really gorgeous, available women."

"Lies! You have never thought I was gorgeous."

"Oh. Good point." This time, she actually took her loafer off and threw it at his head. "WHOA! Hey, hey — I wanna live, I WANNA LIVE!"

                                                        ~ o ~

Despite trying her best to focus on positive thoughts, Chie's blood was still boiling well after school let out for the day. She kicked a can down the quaint, lazy street toward the rest of Inaba, still grumbling about how chauvinistic he was and that they were better off not dealing with someone who didn't even see them as fellow humans.

"He isn't that bad," Yukiko snickered. "He could use some work, but… you know he doesn't really believe those things."

"Yeah? Well I think he's worse than we think!"

"How can he be worse than you think if you already think he's worse?"

"That's… well…" Pouting, she watched her footsteps for a while as they paced through the homey little downtown district. "Y-you know what I meant. Like, I know he's a boy, but so is Yu and at least he's halfway decent. There's no excuse!"

"Maybe not." They were quiet for a moment. "Um, do you want to stop by Souzai Daigaku? Grab a couple of croquettes?"

Chie knew what she was doing. Obviously this was a ploy to distract her from her ranting about their friend's misogynistic tendencies. And… it worked, but only because she knew Yukiko didn't like gossiping all that much and wanted to spare her. "For sure. I crave meat — oh, and a lemon soda."

"Okay," Yukiko chuckled as she slid her arm through Chie's. The action seemed to bring both of them to a sudden halt, and she blinked. "Oh. That's strange, I… I didn't mean to do that. But it felt very…"

"Natural," Chie supplied. After only a tiny hesitation, she raised a hand to rest on Yukiko's wrist, keeping her there. "It's cool. I don't think anybody's gonna pay attention… we probably won't, uh… be noticed…"

Nodding her agreement, they continued to walk arm in arm. Despite her confident words, Chie's heart was racing. Somebody was going to call them yuri — make some kind of gay joke, or even just a simple catcall would be a fate worse than death. But maybe they wouldn't be seen at all.

They were.

"Ohhh, so pretty!"

The two looked around for a moment, trying to find the source of the compliment and figure out why it was even made. But nobody was closeby. Had they imagined it?

"Oh!" Yukiko breathed when she finally looked down.

A small elementary school girl was standing in front of them, wide smile and brown pigtails radiating pure innocence. Her little pink dress was on over a white turtleneck. Chie found herself wanting to pick her up and put her on a shelf, she was so adorable.

"Awww, hello there!" she gushed with an equal grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The girl gave a little bow. "Are you two on a date? I didn't mean to stop you!"

"Wh-WHAT?!"

But Yukiko led with, "N-no, it's okay. But what did you think was pretty?"

"You! I mean, I've never seen a girl as pretty as you, ever — 'cept maybe Risette! But she's a star. Nobody as pretty as Risette would be in Inaba."

While she was still trying to recover her voice, Chie squatted down to ask, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm Nanako." Then she seemed to remember her manners and bowed. "N-nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she chuckled. "And you're right, this is the most beautiful woman in the whole world."

"Really?" she breathed in wonder — while Yukiko made flustered noises beside her.

"Yep! And we're really lucky to see her! They say she only appears to little girls who have been really good this year."

While Nanako was looking completely enthralled, Yukiko tutted, "Don't fill that poor girl's head with nonsense!" But she was blushing a bright red to match her sweater.

"Sorry," Chie laughed, though she didn't sound especially sincere about her apology, before she turned to pet the little girl on the head. "It was nice meeting you, but we have a date with meat."

"Okay!" she breathed, still obviously very taken with the idea of a magically appearing prettiest girl in the universe. She waved distractedly as the two moved off toward the restaurant.

"Well she didn't seem to mind that we were arm-in-arm."

Yukiko smiled through her rosy, embarrassed expression. "You're terrible. But… I suppose I appreciate the compliment. Thank you."

Now they were both flustered. Luckily, their trip to Souzai Daigaku in silence could help them temporarily forget they were in the middle of such a touchy, anxiety-inducing conversation.

Which only lasted until Chie was halfway through her order of way too many croquettes. Yukiko had mostly just been watching her devour them with wide eyes, both disgusted and impressed as she nibbled at her own single croquette.

"WHOO!" she burst out. "This is great! Time for dinner now."

"Time for- you really are a bottomless pit." When Chie only saluted like an American soldier, she giggled. "Wow. Do you want to head into Aiya for a beef bowl? I'm not hungry, but… I don't mind spending more time with you."

Obviously that got her best friend grinning like a loon. "R-really? I mean, you know I'm going to be taking the portal to the meat dimension."

"Oh? I thought they only served that on rainy days."

"Well… they'll make it for me, since I'm one of their best customers. But I have to pay more if it's not raining. Seems like a fair trade-off." She finished off her croquette and stood. "Ready?"

Still caught off guard, she blinked and stood beside Chie. "Lead the way."

The Chinese diner happened to be right next door to the croquette stand, so it wasn't as if they had a long walk ahead of them. Chie pulled her to the door by the hand, and Yukiko stumbled briefly before adapting to the quickened pace, sliding her arms around her prince's to steady herself. All smiles. They were so giddily in love, even though they hadn't been at all aware of said love a couple of days ago. Life could change so fast…

"Welcome!" said a girl in a red apron with short blue hair and a white scarf covering most of it — which was most of what one could see, given that she was already bowed low in greeting. "How may we serve you?"

"Hey, Nakamura!" Chie said casually enough. "Not out on deliveries today?"

The server straightened and shrugged with a smile. "Nope, Satonaka-san." Clearly she was being formal because they were customers, but her tone and expression was full of familiarity. "Booth in the back?"

"Sure! And you already know what I want. Yukiko?"

"Oh, just a small order of zhēngjiǎo," she told her with a wave of her hand. "And green tea. Thank you, Aika-chan."

"With chicken?" Yukiko nodded, and Aika beamed. "I'll have those out for you right away. Please have a seat."

They made small talk until their food arrived a few minutes later. Chie plunged into the mega beef bowl with gusto while her new girlfriend daintily nibbled at her plate of steamed dumplings. Halfway through, she began to pet up and down Chie's back with her free hand.

"Hmhg?" Chie asked around a mouthful of beef, eyes wide when she turned them on her. Yukiko giggled, which only made her grin — while morsels of food dropped from her lips.

"YUCK!" she cackled, while Chie blotted at her mouth with a napkin. "I'm actually dating a pig!"

After having swallowed down the rest of her mouthful, she laughed and nudged Yukiko with her shoulder as she started to dig into the fried egg on top of the bowl at last. "Sorry, sorry. But like, it was hilarious watching you get grossed out." Which only earned her the daintiest tongue sticking out at her.

They lapsed back into a comfortable silence for a few more minutes. This time, when Yukiko pet her back, Chie didn't overreact; just hummed and relaxed into the gentle touch. It really was a night and day difference. Instead of making them feel awkward and weird, now it was warm, and safe… it felt like a little piece of home could be created wherever and whenever they chose.

"I really… can't believe how easy this is."

"Mm," Chie hummed around her mouthful before reaching over to lay a hand on her bestie's forearm under the table. Once she managed to chew and swallow it down, she whispered, "It's pretty crazy, I can't believe I'm starting to get used to this. Keep thinking you're going to snap out of it and like, tell me to get away from you. Because I'm… whatever it is I am."

Yukiko tutted at her as she wrapped both arms around Chie's, laying her head on her shoulder. "You say that like it's just you. Not both of us. Maybe you had those thoughts about me first but clearly I'm not running away. So…"

When she didn't finish right away, she prompted, "What?"

"So, um… don't be so…" She swallowed. "Don't be mean to yourself. Don't put it all on you, especially when I'm happy. This is a good thing, not a death sentence."

"O-oh, I never- I didn't mean it was bad! Just like, weird, and it's gonna get people saying weird stuff about us. Like Yu and Yosuke already keep doing."

"They should be ashamed of themselves," she sighed as she dipped another jiaozi into the tiny pool of sauce. "Well… Yosuke should especially, but Yu was also too persistent."

Shaking her head, Chie stirred the contents of her bowl angrily. "Oughtta stomp all over those two. Like, it's none of their business! I don't care what they saw in the TV!"

"Shhhh, I'm sorry." Yukiko pet her thigh now, kissing the side of her neck. "I didn't mean to get you upset. Even though I do agree with you. So… relax, alright? Enjoy the meal."

But that presented a brand new development for Chie. Her stomach fluttered as she realised they weren't just cuddling, or being good friends. Food was now completely gone from the forefront of her mind. They were together, in public, and Yukiko was touching her leg. That thin uniform skirt was the only protection from getting to fully enjoy the warm smoothness of her dainty hand.

"Y-Yuki-chan…"

"What? Is something wrong?"

The hand came to a stop, yet Chie was still breathing shallow and rapid when she said, "O-oh, nothing, I just… I'm having a good time. With you! Yeah, with you, um… h-honey."

Both Yukiko's flawlessly-shaped eyebrows shot up. "Honey?!"

"SHHHH!" she hissed at her desperately. "I don't know, I've never had a girlfriend before! Or boyfriend! An ANY-gender-friend!"

"Oh, my honey!" Yukiko snickered in English, entire face lighting up. Lapsing back into her native tongue, she purred, "I think it's really sweet. Funny, but sweet."

"Oh, shut up, Honey!"

"Wow, that isn't very nice. And here I'm being so affectionate toward you."

Though Chie's mouth opened to protest, no sound came out when she felt impossibly soft lips barely pressing into the corner. This was insane! Anybody could see them — anyone from school, from in and around their neighbourhoods. The proprietors of Aiya. All of Inaba. Not only was the hand still teasing her leg, but it seemed to be heading down toward her knee. The hem of her skirt.

"Yukiko… this is so bad, what happens if they catch us?! We're gonna be out to the whole freaking town!"

Snickering a little, the innkeeper whispered into her ear conspiratorially, "Nobody's watching us, I promise. Look around." Her other hand casually gestured to the inside of the restaurant, where couples, men dining alone, groups of students eating while they studied, filled its interior. None of them were looking in their direction.

"A-ah. But…" Chie licked her lips as she felt her skirt being hiked up by the playful fingertips. "They could still… turn around and see you doing this… isn't that illegal, anyway?"

A little at a time, Yukiko's playful smirk faded and she dipped her head as her hand came to a stop. "Sorry, my Prince. I guess I just really want to make you feel good, and it seems exciting to do it right here, but... you're right, it's too risky. I don't know what got into me!"

"Oh, hey…" She put an arm around Yukiko's shoulders, pulling her in close against her body. "I'm not mad or anything. Just like, freaked out at the idea. Do you still wanna try it?"

"No," Yukiko told her with a small smile. "Well… yes, but it isn't that urgent. We should finish our food."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I don't want to make you choke on your beef bowl, anyway."

A little snort fell from her girlfriend's lips. "C'mon, I could handle both at the same time. Probably. I'm only iffy about it because I don't wanna get caught and thrown out of my favourite restaurant."

"Really? Because I don't think I could!" They both laughed a little, and Yukiko leaned up to kiss her cheek again. "But if you're sure you don't mind experimenting… we could see what happens."

"Yeah." She nodded to further drive home how serious she was. "Hit me. If I can't handle it, I'll tap out."

"Tap out?"

"Yep! You know, in American wrestling when they're… done with… yeah, no reason you would know that. They tap the mat in a super obvious way to show they give up. So like… I'll do this."

When Chie tapped the edge of her bowl twice with her chopsticks, Yukiko's eyes hyperfocused on the action and she nodded. "Ah, I see! Yes, I will definitely understand that action's meaning now."

"It's not that serious," she muttered. But then Yukiko was petting the inside of her thigh again, and all she could do was grunt to keep from moaning. "O-ohhhh… oh, we're… starting again."

Not just starting. Yukiko's nimble digits were making their way straight to her panties, no waiting. Chie felt her stomach disappear as she anticipated the touch hitting home at last. Any second now…

"YOU."

They both nearly fell off their chairs at the sudden sharp word issued from so close by. Trying not to appear as flustered as they were, the two girls looked up to see a near-flawless face gazing down at them marred by a haughty, annoyed expression. Her blonde-highlighted hair hung around her face in elaborate curls that had obviously taken a long time to fashion, just brushing the lacey pink choker wrapped around her throat — like Chie already wished her hands were, and they had barely begun a conversation.

"Ebihara," Chie breathed as her blood ran cold.

"What?" Ai Ebihara snapped, resting a hand on one hip as she cocked it out to the side. "Can I help you with something?"

"Uhhhhh, you came up to me, dude. What do you want?"

That response made her scoff loudly. "Nothing from some bowl-cut reject. I was talking to the priss."

While Chie was trying to ignore the vein throbbing in her forehead, Yukiko sat up a little straighter and pointed at her own chest. "Me?!"

"God, you're both idiots. There are only two people at this table, so if it's not the bowl cut, guess who it has to be?"

"Hey, watch it," Chie warned her as she leaned an elbow on the table. "Tell us what the hell you want or get out of here."

Scowling at her, Ebihara flipped her hair over her shoulder gracefully before edging into a chair across from them. Which was exactly the opposite of what they wanted; they were kind of in the middle of something! Couldn't she go away and come back another day, much like other black clouds?

"You have something I'm after. Give me that and I'll leave you to your pedestrian food."

Yukiko must have been sensing that her friend was going to stand up and shout at the interrupting annoyance, because she started petting up and down her thigh again. Soothing this time rather than teasing. "And what might I have that you want? I'm sorry, but I truly don't know."

"Narukami," she said without preamble.

"What about Narukami?" Chie asked suspiciously.

"I want him."

The other two girls exchanged a look. Where the hell was this coming from?! "U-uhhh…"

"Don't act so surprised. He's such a tall, mysterious stranger from so far away… practically the only boy at Yasogami who's remotely interesting. And you have been hogging him to yourself long enough. Fork him over."

"Wait, wait," Yukiko giggled nervously, hand flexing on Chie's thigh. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from letting out a yelp of surprise. "You don't think… I'm actually dating Yu, do you?"

"I didn't say anything as heavy as 'dating'," she shot back with a roll of her honey-hued eyes. "But I've seen you two together a few times. How you smile at him. It's loathsome, but I can't deny you have an in with him that I do not… yet."

"We're friends, Ai-san. That's all, I promise!"

Her eyes narrowed as Yukiko pet higher. Chie had to fight to stay focused on the conversation. "Hmm. I could almost believe you…"

"Please do. I have no reason to lie to you."

"Very well. Let's say you are being straight with me. How can I turn his little grey-haired head — what's the story with that grey hair, too? Dye job, genetic thing?"

Before this point, Chie had been mostly nodding along, waiting for the tortuous exchange to come to an end. But something going on beneath the table now had her undivided attention. Yukiko had not stopped in her advance. Her fingers were now teasing the insides of her thighs dangerously close to her center as she kept her eyes pointed squarely at Ebihara.

"U-um…" But when their guest turned a glare on her, she shut up.

"Yu seems to really enjoy a lot of things," Yukiko quickly said to draw her attention back.

"A lot of… things." Ai raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that seriously as specific as you can get?"

"N-no, not at all. Maybe… if you could be more specific yourself, I can be more helpful. I don't mind, I'm just not sure exactly what your goal is."

As Ebihara contemplated, Chie found herself wondering the same question about Yukiko. What was her goal?! There was no way they were actually going to test out their friendship's newfound sexual component while sitting across a restaurant table from the prima donna of Yasogami High. Was there?!

"Well, I guess I'm curious why he hasn't asked me out yet," Ebihara said as Aika returned to their table. "Ever since I was made manager of the… I'm sorry, may we help you?"

Blinking at the cold tone, the waitress said, "U-um, I was going to ask the same thing. What can I get you, miss?"

"Nothing from this craphole." But when nobody followed up that statement, and Aika just scowled, she sighed. "Green tea. Unless you do boba here." The wince was enough to communicate they did not, so she sighed and waved her away, "Just regular old tea then, and take your time. I don't eat at places like this."

As poor Aika stomped away, Chie grunted, "You could h-haaaave been nicer to her."

Unfortunately, that near-moan didn't escape Ai's notice. "Your time of the month or something? You look like you're having some wicked cramps."

"Y-yeah," she said, figuring it was the easiest explanation. The girl made a disgusted face but didn't further pursue that line of questioning; all girls understood that one, right? Plus it took the heat off her from Yukiko's fingers gliding slowly up and down along her slit through the all-too-thin fabric of her undergarment.

"Anyway, I think he's really cute, and he irritates me a lot less than the other boys on the team. Plus when he works up a sweat during practice…" For a brief moment, while she was biting her lip and trying not to smile, she almost looked like a normal girl.

"So you have a crush on him," Yukiko said as casually as she could… while still driving her best friend crazy.

"Uh, yes? Hello? What other conclusion could you reach from what I just said?!"

"Of course, of course. Well, why don't you just ask him out instead?"

Ai scoffed and pressed a hand to her chest as if scandalised by the very notion. "ME?! Look at me. I'm stunning, and I work hard to be this stunning. What's the point in doing so if not so that the boys are the ones to fall at my dainty feet?"

Chie had to chance it, even though she was very nearly panting like a dog in heat. The comment was begging for a rebuttal. "I've… never h-heard someone describe their own feet as dainty before."

"Yeah? Well, stay tuned for more originality, courtesy of moi." Even though she was so elegant-looking, it was such a jarring, brutish move when she suddenly slapped her calf on top of the table, making the dinnerware clatter. "LOOK. Look at them."

Yukiko and Chie both blinked down at her now-shoeless foot. It was covered by her white stockings, of course, but it seemed dainty enough in size. So Chie said, "Yep, that's a foot."

"It, um, seems lovely?" Yukiko attempted. As the leg mercifully withdrew before the proprietor of Aiya saw it and was offended at such a rude display, she continued, "I also envy how trim you are, Ai-san. How do you stay in shape? Chie does a lot of sports training and martial arts."

"Mostly diet," she told them smugly as she pulled out a compact and preened slightly. Chie wondered idly how anyone could be so self-absorbed. "And a little time on my elliptical at home every evening. Gotta burn those calories. What about you?"

Caught off guard by the question being turned around on her, Yukiko smiled demurely as she went back to teasing Chie harder. Her throat constricted to cut off a very genuine moan. "Oh, nothing in particular. Portion control. Though my duties at Amagi Inn do tend to keep me very active."

"Really? I can't believe that — you're way too perfect for that to be the whole story. What is it, kale? Juice cleanses? Do you…"

For a little while, Chie lost track of the conversation. Her entire focus was on those fingers playing over her growing wetness. Luckily the diner was full of pungent, savoury aromas or she would really have been in trouble — no way she wasn't stinking up the place with the scent of her arousal by now. All she wanted was to drag Yukiko off to the bathroom for a glorious finish, but she wasn't sure she would be able to stand just now. Besides, it would be the only move even more conspicuous than what they were already doing.

"...definitely working," Ebihara was finally relenting when she refocused, trying to block out the urges to moan and roll her hips by distracting herself. "But yeah, loan me that when you get the chance."

"Of course." Yukiko only occasionally glanced at Chie, to make sure she wasn't distressed or angry. And since Chie was trying to look politely interested in the conversation, it never showed how intolerable this whole situation was for her, so she went right back to petting and chatting. "And as I said, I don't know what sort of perfume he prefers, but anything should be fine. But knowing Yu, I don't think he would care about the brand if you name-dropped."

Ai's brow furrowed slightly as she tapped the surface of the table. Meanwhile, Chie was doing the same with one of her legs, jiggling it up and down in an attempt to abate the feelings assaulting her. In fact, it made them worse… but even after realising that, she couldn't seem to stop. She needed to get off now.

"Well, he certainly does look at me like he likes what he sees. What the hell's his problem? What more do I have to do?"

"It's probably a courage problem," Yukiko told her — while pressing two fingertips harder against Chie's clit. Which was throbbing so hard it didn't even present a challenge for her to find through the panties. "He hasn't worked up enough to ask someone as pretty as you out yet. Give him time, or make your own interest more obvious, since you said you didn't want to ask him yourself."

Ebihara tapped her chin. "You know, even though you're just a townie, I think you have a point. I won't outright ask him, but I could flirt a little. I'm just used to the boys making all the moves on me."

"A-ah…"

"Hm? Something wrong, Satonaka?"

"N-nah," Chie tried to cover. In reality, she had been unable to suppress that moan when Yukiko's fingers inadvertently tensed upon being called 'just a townie'. Despite the reason, it had felt too good against her greedy flesh. "Still my… red tide. Mm, what would you do? To flirt."

Looking at her a little funny, Ebihara shrugged. "I don't know. That's not really my thing; I prefer to have them chasing me. But I guess I've thought about it before, just in theory."

"So, u-um, try out some lines. Maybe we can tell you if they're- nhh… if they're too cheesy."

"Fine. Guess there's no reason not to." While Chie's hips began to squirm back and forth, the orgasm so close now, Ai preened at her hair a little more before leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her folded hands. "Hey there. What's a nice guy like you doing on a crummy team like this?"

"I don't think that's very kind," Yukiko put in — while circling her best friend's clit harder than ever. "Try not to put down the team, he might take offense."

"But they really are a crummy team. Well, except for Kou-chan…" Her expression flickered, and it almost looked a bit wounded for a moment — before she recomposed herself into the usual arrogance. "Okay, you're probably right. Let me try something else."

"Please," Chie begged. Though it was actually for release and not another flirtation demonstration.

"Wow. You just made yourself my guinea pig, Bowl Cut." Chie wanted to be mad…

But an instant later, Ai's hands were delicately taking up the one of hers that was resting on top of the table. Her eyes softened as she looked up into Chie's, slightly wetted lips parting as her throat worked to swallow, as if nervous.

"I know… I haven't been the manager for very long, but… I really like seeing you every day. And you're so strong, and athletic… not to mention easy on the eyes. I wouldn't mind spending a little more time with you, okay? One on one."

"Really?" Chie half-panted, just barely able to keep from making it completely obvious what was happening under the table. "One on one, h-huh? What for?"

Anyone would have been able to tell Ebihara was fighting down some variety of "Are you stupid?" response. But after the brief flicker of ire, she leaned further forward, showing a slight glimpse of her collarbone beneath her school uniform, the very top of her cleavage. Her eyes were sparkling, lips parted even more as she began to heave for breath. Chie responded in kind… because she couldn't stop herself from letting the desire show through anymore. Even if it wasn't actually desire for the person in front of her, at least it came across like she was playacting for the sake of aiding their classmate.

"To make all your wildest dreams come true. Listen…" One hand still holding Chie's, she let the other one raise up to graze well-manicured fingernails up and down along the inside of her forearm. Goosebumps raced over her skin. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, and…" She feigned being shy, biting her lip and looking away.

"And?" Chie prompted hastily, riding the edge as Yukiko sped up her efforts. A quick glance over showed she was curious to see what might happen next.

Looking back up, the normally snooty girl leaned so close their noses were almost touching, voice dipping down into a husky whisper. "And I want… you to be my first. Will you claim my body?"

Well damn.

This orgasm was the hardest yet, and it bowled over Chie with such a force she had no way to prepare. A moan started to burble up past her lips, and had just barely begun when she belatedly realised that even though her entire mind was consumed with the taboo of this activity, with the sheer potency of the climax itself, she still had to keep the whole diner from figuring out what they were doing. What a nightmare, what an impossible situation!

Which she made worse, because in her Cro-magnon brain's efforts to stop the noise, it sought the easiest avenue possible when there was a set of pouty lips a mere inch away from her own.

"MM!" Ai grunted when she felt the kiss begin, the hand holding Chie's clamping down hard so that her nails bit into the skin of her palm. But when Chie grasped it back just as hard, she sort of… melted. Just for a few seconds, they were really kissing each other while Chie's climax made her hips roll against the punishing fingers, milking that moment for all it was worth.

Then Ai drew back and smacked her across the face.

"OW!" she yelped, completely shocked. "Wh-what-"

"EXCUSE YOU!" she gasped out, cheeks flaming red now despite her furious expression. "This was supposed to be acting, not with… with actual… th-that was too far!"

Though Yukiko looked quite thoughtful, she still put in, "Actors kiss all the time. Even in school plays. I think she was just really into the scene."

"Y-yeah," said a dazed Chie, brain too foggy from orgasm afterglow and the stunning blow to her face to say much more.

"W-well, I… I didn't say we could do that, so it was very rude to do it without asking!" The prissy girl pushed her hand into her mouth. "GOD, I kissed a girl and I didn't even hate it — I'm a yuri. At least she didn't steal my first kiss! Then I would be really mad, you don't even know!"

"She didn't?" Yukiko asked curiously, even while smirking playfully at the flustered Chie. Apparently, they would be talking about this at great length later. "Who was your first kiss?"

"Some boy I- oh, nevermind! Screw you two perverts, you're crazy!" She hastily got up from the table, then stumbled a little before sitting back down. "UGH! And if I didn't take off my shoe earlier, I could have stormed out of here and looked much cooler! DAMN it, I'm having the worst day!"

                                                         To Be Continued…

[myaekingheart]

46. The Man Behind the Mask

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

               “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Rei asked. The morning sun filtered through the room, and Rei drew her knees up to her chest as she watched Kakashi slowly get dressed. He took his time, his energy still not completely returned from his stint in the hospital. It had only been a week since he came home.

               “I’m sure everything will be fine” he reassured, adjusting his mask on his face. “Besides, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura never passed the chunin exams so they’re stuck performing D-rank missions for a while.”

               Rei furrowed her brows. “Yeah, but still” she said. “I just want to make sure you’ll be okay.” As reassuring as D-rank missions should’ve been, she knew Kakashi’s team seemed to be magnets for trouble. Naruto especially. She just didn’t want them getting into anything that Kakashi wasn’t physically ready for yet. Besides, she didn’t have a whole lot of faith in the new hokage’s judgment anyways.

               Their mission was simple: help an elderly woman carry some boxes to her shop. They met up with her at the front gates where four shipments of merchandise had been delivered. Naruto, ever the over-achiever, tried lifting his box with only a finger to impress Sakura and, of course, failed. “Geez, lady, what do you have in here, anyway? Rocks?” he asked.

               The elderly woman laughed and patted Naruto on the head. “They’re so cute when they’re young and full of ambition” she hummed. Sakura caught a strange twinkle in the woman’s eye as she glanced to Kakashi, who’s face turned red as he rubbed the back of his neck. The elderly woman then knelt down in front of Naruto, steadying herself with her cane, and replied, “The only rocks in there are geology books. That’s all that’s in these boxes, boy. Books.” And then, leaping to her feet, Teiko Natsuki motioned for them to follow as she began waddling back to the Kaminoki bookshop.

               There was something strange going on when they finally arrived. The man at the register immediately narrowed his eyes at Kakashi in particular and grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath. “Hana, the new shipments have arrived” he called to his wife reorganizing the shelves. She set the stack in her hands back down on the library cart and rushed over to help take the boxes from the children, smiling at them and thanking them all the while. The man tapped his fingers against the counter and turned to the old woman. “I don’t know why you insisted on hiring ninja to help with the delivery. I could’ve just paid for the guy to bring them straight here” he complained.

               The old woman shot a knowing glare at the man. “But we should support our local shinobi, shouldn’t we, Yuri?” she asked.

               “If you ask me, we would’ve been better off just having Rei to do the heavy lifting” he said. “I doubt her ninja duties are that important, and I wouldn’t have to pay her extra.”

               Kakashi tried not to take the situation too seriously. He hated the way Yuruganai spoke of Rei, especially when she wasn’t there to defend herself, but he couldn’t risk blowing his cover. Hana turned to the children and whispered to them, “You see, Rei is our daughter!”

               “Your daughter is a ninja, too?” Sakura asked. “What does she look like? I wonder if I went to the academy with her!”

               Hana blushed at the indirect compliment to her youth. “Oh, no, I’m afraid she’s far older than you are, sweetheart!” she explained. “Well into her twenties, actually.”

               “Oh!” Sakura exclaimed, then turned to her sensei and asked, “Maybe you know her then, Kakashi-sensei?”

               All the color drained from Kakashi’s face. It took all of Grandma Teiko’s strength not to break out into hysterical laughter. “Uh, well…” Kakashi stammered, rubbing the back of his neck, “There are a lot of jonin in the village, I can’t say that I know all of them.”

               Just then, Naruto slid up to Hana and asked scandalously, “Hey, does your daughter happen to be single? See, Kakashi-sensei here is always reading these stupid dirty books and I’m starting to think maybe he should just find a real girlfriend, you know?”

               “Naruto!” Sakura shouted, slapping him hard on the arm. Naruto groaned and slithered down to the floor.

               The woman brought her hand to her mouth and giggled sweetly, amused by their childish antics. They reminded her of Rei and her team when they were young. “Sorry to disappoint you but I’m afraid she’s not” Hana replied. Her eyes flashed to Kakashi, who by now was internally screaming.

               “That’s a shame” Sakura replied. “I wonder if her and Kakashi-sensei would’ve gotten along. I’m bet she likes to read as much as he does!”

               Sasuke groaned and glanced out the window, arms crossed. “Are we done here yet?” he asked. “I didn’t think small talk was a part of the mission.”

               “Yes!” Kakashi exclaimed. “We actually really should be going.” He was just about to shuffle the kids out of the store, however, when Grandma Teiko reached out and stopped him.

               “Wait one second, Kakashi!” she said, motioning for him to stay where he is. “You wouldn’t want to run out without receiving payment, would you? Besides, I wanted to give you one other thing while you were here.” She disappeared up the stairs and returned a few seconds later with their pay along with a small bowl of senbei crackers. She set the crackers on the counter and motioned for them to come and have some, muttering to her son Yuruganai “Have to be hospitable, you know.” The man simply rolled his eyes and grumbled, disappearing upstairs.

               It was then that Naruto, specifically, was met with the strangest realization. Up until this point, he didn’t think he had ever seen Kakashi-sensei eat. He watched carefully as the copy ninja approached the bowl of crackers and reach for one, but just as he was about to pull his mask down, Sakura burst forward grinning with a book in her hands.

               “Naruto, look what I found!” she exclaimed, shoving the book in his face. It was something about flowers and had a cherry blossom on the front, which Naruto took to be the source of her excitement. By the time she was done gushing, Kakashi had already finished eating and had his mask back on.

               Dammit. What’s so important about that stupid mask, anyway? Naruto thought to himself. Kakashi was never seen without it, even when he was in the hospital. It didn’t make any sense. There had to be something going on here.

               As selfish as it made him feel, Kakashi was actually relieved to be able to go home early. He knew Rei had off today, and he was anticipating spending some extra time with her. He came home to find her still in his apartment curled up with a novel and suggested they go out for lunch. She happily obliged. As they strolled through Konoha,however, Kakashi was suddenly struck with the strangest feeling that at any moment something was going to happen. He shoved Rei into a nearby shop fo safety only to be approached moments later by Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

               “Hey, Kakashi-sensei!” the jinchuriki called, running up to him. “We were wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with us” he said, restraining laughter. Kakashi cocked a brow, glancing to the other two who looked a little too intrigued by the promise of a simple meal. Before he could even give a firm answer, they were already dragging him down the street toward Ichiraku. He glanced back to Rei as she peered out of the shop in confusion, an apologetic look on his face.

               Lunch alone was enough to convince Kakashi that something was definitely going on. His students taking him out to eat was strange enough, but they watched him with a keen eye as if he was an enemy on the cusp of an attack. And then it hit him. They must be trying to see me without my mask, he thought. If only there was something he could do to test that theory. Just as he reached to pull down his mask and eat, Asuma’s team burst into the ramen shop and triggered quite a commotion. That should do it, he thought to himself. His students didn’t need to know Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru were all fakes. They likely wouldn’t even realize that it all was a little too convenient. He made sure the chaos ensued just long enough for him to scarf down his food and put his mask back on. In the end, the only semblance of a hint they received at the nature of his face were Teuchi and Ayame’s blushing expressions.

               As much as Kakashi wished that that would be the end of things, he knew these kids were relentless. He doubted he would get any relief. Sighing, he walked back to the antiques shop he had shoved Rei into with a sliver of hope that she would still be there. He cringed when he found her sitting on the ground outside grimacing through a pair of antique sunglasses. A hot pink feather boa was wrapped around her neck, and on either side of her were two large bags full of vintage knick-knacks and décor.

               “I didn’t know you had a thing for antiques” Kakashi jested, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. She glared up at him.

               “I was stuck in there for forty five minutes, Kakashi. The shopkeeper refused to let me leave without buying anything, and then proceeded to load me up with a bunch of useless shit that cost way more than it’s worth” Rei explained through gritted teeth.

               Kakashi crouched down in front of her and smiled, inspecting a stained glass lamp sticking out of one of the bags. “You know, I’m sure this would look nice right next to your bed” he replied. She nearly jumped on him.

               “Where the hell were you?” she insisted.

               “My students apparently had an emergency” he replied. At this, Rei’s face softened.

               “Oh?” she asked. “What kind of emergency? Is everything okay?” She peered at him over the top of the sunglasses, eyes stricken with concern.

               Kakashi sighed and swatted at the air. “Just impatience and an overactive sense of curiosity.” He helped Rei to her feet and took one of the bags, then explained the situation as he walked her to her apartment. Upon their arrival, he brushed her hair out of her face and smiled down at her. “To make up for this afternoon, why don’t I cook us a nice dinner tonight? Does that sound alright?” he asked. Rei grinned and nodded. He kissed her forehead and then chuckled, swinging the end of the feather boa still around her neck and then added jokingly, “You know, pink really is your color.” She glared up at him, not unkindly, knowing full well that it, in fact, was not.

               The trip to the grocery store was quick; it helped that Kakashi already knew exactly what he was going to cook and exactly what ingredients he needed for it. His mind wandered as he strolled back to his apartment, cradling the overstuffed bag in his arm. His students seeing his true face was absolutely non-negotiable. He refused to give them the satisfaction. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was more than just his true face that he had kept secret. Knowing Naruto, Kakashi knew this was likely for the best, but still he wondered if keeping everything private was really worth it. After all, he was sure having a secret girlfriend was bad enough but he fully intended to marry Rei and soon. A secret wife was likely even worse.

               Kakashi took the scenic route on his way back to give himself more time to think. He hummed to himself as he shuffled through his thoughts, weighing pros and cons. His deliberation, however, was interrupted when he passed the Pink Bookstore. As much as he hated giving his business to Kaminoki’s rival, they had one thing that his girlfriend’s family business did not and that was Makeout Paradise. And on this particular day, there just so happened to be a sign of particular interest in the window: Makeout Violence, coming this week! He dropped his grocery bag and pressed his face against the glass, staring only to then notice the reflection of a two story billboard immediately behind him. He whipped around, barely noticing his students hiding behind it, to find a large advertisement that electrified his soul. “They’re turning my favorite book into a movie?!” he exclaimed. Frantically scooping up his groceries, he rushed off back to his apartment shouting, “I better order tickets in advance!”

               Sakura sighed, shaking her head. “So disappointing” she commented. “Kakashi-sensei really does need a girlfriend.”

               The following day, Kakashi made his way to the Pink Bookstore to pick up the newest installment of the Makeout Series. He was unsure what day exactly the books would be in stock, but figured he would just have to check every day to be safe. He passed Kaminoki on his way only to find th strangest thing outside. Banners advertising the Makeout series flapped in the breeze. He couldn’t help but step inside.

               “I thought you didn’t carry Jiraiya’s books” Kakashi said, looking around the all-too-familiar shop. Grandma Teiko chuckled and directed the ninja to the new installments.

               “We didn’t, but I convinced Yuri to cave. We were losing business without them, and it was about time we caught up anyway!” she exclaimed. “That old adage still rings true: sex sells!”

               At this, Kakashi’s cheeks reddened. He glanced at Yuruganai approaching the counter and cringed. His hand hovered over the newest installment, Makeout Violence, as he deliberated whether he was prepared to face Yuruganai’s judgment. However, as he contemplated, a crinkled hand rested on his forearm and Grandma Teiko motioned for him to follow her. She rung him up without a single negative comment, thanked him for his business, and then sent him on his way. Kakashi could hardly wait until he was out of the store to prop the book open and begin reading.

               Forlorn, Junko fell on him. “I’m losing you! And in doing so, I am lost!” he read. As he ventured back home, enthralled in his new literary endeavor, he caught wind of footsteps and panting close behind. Naruto. He disappeared the minute he reached the intersection. They really were relentless. He knew from this point onward, he would have to be especially careful.

               He did everything in his power to deter his students. They were in no way going to see his face, nor was he going to risk them finding out about his girlfriend. It was still too soon. He needed to keep his personal life under lock and key, even if that meant pulling a few dirty tricks.

               “Not to sound like an idiot or anything” Rei started one afternoon, sitting cross-legged on his bed as he prepared for their next mission, “But I don’t entirely understand what the big deal is. I mean, they want to see your real face. So what? You are their teacher, they should trust you and maybe they feel like they can’t when you always look like you’re hiding something. Literally.” At this, she playfully began tugging his mask downward. He gently swatted her hand away with a murmured Stop that.

               “Some things are just better left unsaid” Kakashi replied. “They don’t particularly need to know anything about me, I’m their teacher but I’m not their friend. My personal life is of no concern to them, nor is my face.”

               Rei cocked a brow, an amused smirk on her face. “You’ve got a complex about your face, don’t you?” she asked.

               Here, Kakashi went red and he swatted at the air dismissively. “Me? A complex? No!” he insisted. When it was painfully clear Rei wasn’t going to let him slide without an explanation, he sighed and sank down onto the edge of the bed. “Alright, the truth of the matter is that I’m anxious about walking around without a mask on, and I’m anxious about showing anyone what I look like without it.”

               Scooting forward, Rei looked at him quizzically and asked, “Why is that?”

               Kakashi’s eyes drifted over to a small photograph on his bookshelf of himself and his father, Sakumo Hatake. A very tiny, very worn photograph of his mother sat on the shelf beneath it. “When my mother got sick, I wasn’t allowed anywhere near her without a mask on. She was immunocompromised and I, a threat. When she died, I couldn’t stop crying. I was terrified I would forget the sound of her voice, and the color of her eyes. But I was taught that shinobi don’t cry. Emotions made me weak. So then I wore the mask to hide myself. It was much easier to cover up my feelings rather than get rid of them altogether. I tried so hard, but it was never any use. The mask became a part of me. I felt vulnerable without it, unless I was Sukea. But that was different, because then I’m not myself. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been like a safety blanket. Even in the ANBU, everyone knew Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja. This way, at least a tiny piece of my identity is still safe. I refuse to compromise that, too.”

               Rei reached out and gently took his hand in hers. She had never heard him speak so extensively about something so deeply personal, and for a moment she wondered what made her so special to not only hear all of this but be one of the few who had seen his true face. When he met her eyes a moment later, however, she understood. His expression gave her an unspoken explanation, and her cheeks burned. She leaned in to kiss him, but he stopped her abruptly. Rei followed his eyes to the window, suddenly terrified that they were being watched, but there was no one there.

               Sakura and Naruto took ceremonious sips of tea outside the sweet shop, awaiting Sasuke’s return. They had both failed in individually shadowing him, but perhaps their teammate would’ve caught something juicy. When he returned, they asked him excitedly how things went, but he simply crossed his arms and turned his head. Kakashi is more lame than I expected, he thought to himself, recounting everything he had seen. He wasn’t about to tell Naruto and Sakura a damn thing. They couldn’t keep secrets to save their lives. Besides, by telling them of Kakashi’s secret girlfriend, Sasuke would gain nothing but an interrogation on the gritty details he didn’t care about and constant hounding toward their sensei. They were already annoying enough. Sticking his nose to the sky, Sasuke simply lied, “I got tired of shadowing him.”

               As Rei arrived for work the next day, she was informed by Lady Tsunade of a strange group of men hanging around outside the village. “From the looks of it” she explained, “I don’t think they’ll pose any real threat, but I want you to check them out just to be safe.” Rei nodded and obliged, racing to the edge of the village. She spotted them in a tree watching overhead as Kakashi’s team departed for their mission, and immediately felt sick to her stomach. She knew it was risky, but she needed more intel, so she used her chameleon jutsu to get a closer look, noticing a strange emblem on their forehead protectors. She didn’t recognize the village it was associated with, which was either very good or very bad sign. Either way, if Kakashi was in danger, she knew she had no choice but to tail them. She glanced back to the hokage’s quarters, contemplating whether to alert Tsunade of her plan, but decided there was no time. If she wanted to keep on them, she’d have to follow without authority’s permission. It was a risk she was willing to take.

               Kakashi followed his students as they ventured off, heading for a farm not too far from Konoha’s outskirts. All the while, he was blatantly aware of the fact that they were being followed. He remained extra alert just to be safe.

               These three strange men followed Team 7 all the way to an inn a short walk from the farm, where Kakashi and his students planned to stay the night. Rei surveyed the situation from behind a tree, heaving a sigh. Well, I guess I’m going to have to go undercover after all, she thought to herself. She snuck in through the back door, then hid her ANBU uniform and stole one of the employee kimonos. She pulled a tube of dark lipstick out of the holster on her thigh and applied warpaint on her face to cover her scar, then pulled all of her hair back into a bun save for a stray strand too short too cooperate. The kitchen was stockpiled with a gourmet meal waiting to be presented, so she did the honors of shuffling into the hall with the tea. Kakashi blinked at the sight of her, hoping it wasn’t clear that he was blushing from behind his mask. They locked eyes for a split second before she departed with as much decorum and professionalism as a stranger. As she shuffled back to the kitchen, however, she caught sight of the hostess of the inn removing her face—a mask—to reveal herself as none other than the dopey leader of that stupid triad.

               “Enjoy your meal, Kakashi!” he chuckled darkly to himself. She overheard him muttering his plan to his teammates: he had baked an undetectable narcotic into the food that would trigger uncontrollable hiccups with the intention of, erm, killing the Copy Ninja. Rei rolled her eyes.

               “You really think he’s going to be that easy to take down?” Rei asked, voice dripping in faux sweetness. The three turned to look at her with widened eyes, her appearance unexpected. And of course the first thing they noticed were her breasts. She appeared unphased.

               “W-wait a second, who are you?” the man asked, trying not to drool. Then, composing himself a bit, “And why were you eavesdropping on us?! Go back to the kitchen!”

               She wasn’t about to protest. However, as she walked back, making sure to sway her hips mockingly, she waved her index finger and called over her shoulder, “You know, it would probably be wise not to explain your entire villainous plan out loud where people might hear you!” The man sighed and dropped his shoulders as she walked away, then turned his attention back to Kakashi and his team. In a matter of minutes, there was a loud crash and from the other end of the building Rei could hear the man wailing about Kakashi ruining all of their hard work. Good job, Rei thought to herself with a small smile.

               Later that evening, Rei watched as the young genin made their way to the hot springs out back. She snuck into the changing room with a smile and went about her business as if she was simply a hostess restocking the towels.

               “What are you doing here?” a familiar voice asked from behind, quietly. She turned to find Kakashi approaching, preparing to take his own dip into the water. Rei inched closer and lowered her voice.

               “Lady Tsunade sent me to investigate some freaks hanging around the village border, but when I saw them following you guys I just had to tag along” she explained.

               “You didn’t need to do that” Kakashi replied. “I may not know who they are or what they want, but I know I can handle them myself.”

               Tilting her chin upwards, Rei frowned dramatically and replied, “You just don’t want me here, is that it? You’re not happy to see me!”

               “W-what?!” Kakashi stammered. “N-No, that’s not it at all!” What have I done? He thought in a panic.

               After another long moment of torture, she slowly turned back to face him with a wicked grin on her face and laughed. “I’m kidding!” she replied. “I know what you mean. But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving just yet.” Then, clenching her fist and grinning with determination, she added, “I want to see what these assholes are up to. Besides, they’re fun to fuck around with. They’re really just a bunch of blubbering idiots.”

               Kakashi’s face went pale, then he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Just don’t get yourself into trouble, alright?” he asked. “And also, try not to make a huge fuss about the fact that we know each other. I don’t want Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to get suspicious.”

               “Ah, right” Rei replied, “Because I’m still just your secret girlfriend, right?” Before Kakashi could say anything, she waved her hand dismissively and went on her way. If she was going to get the full benefit of this, she decided she was going to just have to jump into the deep end. She snuck next door to the women’s changing room, stripped down, and slowly entered the women’s hot spring.

               There was only one other person there, none other than Sakura Haruno. She frowned up at the moon overhead, lamenting of how “I wanted to get a look, too, but with these hot springs, I’m out of the loop!” She then sunk down so that her mouth and nose were submerged and blowing bubbles.

               “Tough night, kid?” Rei asked, settling in. Sakura’s face went pale as she slowly met Rei’s gaze, a little self conscious now that she was faced with a stranger.

               “Uh…” Sakura stammered, then shook her head vigorously, “No, no, not at all, ma’am! No problems here!” Her sappy grin was in no way convincing, but Rei wasn’t going to pry.

               “You know” the redhead replied, “If it’s a boy you’re trying to sneak a peek at, I believe there are some gaps between the fence. You might be lucky.”

               The sudden thought of Sasuke crossed Sakura’s mind, and her heart pounded. But no, that was not her focus right now. Kakashi-sensei was going to take his mask off, no matter what, and she wanted a peek. Grabbing her towel, she waded out of the spring and pressed her face against the fence hoping to catch a peek. There was too much steam, and she couldn’t make out a single thing. Before she knew it, she could hear Naruto and Sasuke heading inside. Defeated, she did the same.

               Rei didn’t particularly want to climb out just yet, but she knew she couldn’t waste time sitting around stewing. After a short while, she climbed out of the spring and wrapped herself up in her towel. What she didn’t recognize, however, was that the Moya Triad had caught sight of her through a break in the fencing and their leader was definitely pleased with what he saw. Kakashi may have stolen away his lady love three years ago, but perhaps he could make it up for it by snatching this delicious number up before the Copy Ninja could get his hands on her, too.

               As she exited the dressing rooms, shaking the excess water from her hair, the leader of the triad slid in front of her with a devilish grin. “Hello, beautiful” he greeted, wiggling his eyebrows. “I’m afraid I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Aniki and I am here to rescue you from this life of servitude!”

               Cocking a brow, Rei eyed him suspiciously and then asked, “And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?”

               Summoning a rose from seemingly out of thin air, he presented it to her with suave presentation and replied, “Marry me, I beg of you!”

               Rei blinked, then restrained all of her hysterical laughter. “First off, do you even know my name?”

               Aniki paused, then leaned in close and caressed Rei’s shoulder, pondering a myriad of poetic names and reasonings behind why she might be named as such. After five full minutes of this with no apparent satisfaction from Rei, he sighed with eyes downcast and then asked, “If none of those are your name, then what is it?”

               A sickening smirk touched Rei’s lips as she simply replied, “Nunya.”

               “Nunya!” the man sang, fawning over her. “And what might that glorious name mean?”

               Wow, these guys really are just that dense, Rei thought to herself. Leaning in close, she exclaimed with a flick to the forehead, “Nunya business!”

               Aniki watched her walk away in defeat, tossing her towel in his face. “Well” he sighed, “They never said acquiring love was easy!”

               The following morning, Kakashi awoke early to track down Rei. When he finally found her, she was passed out on the kitchen floor with a piece of bread hanging out of her mouth. He sighed, knelt down, and shook her awake. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked when her eyes finally creaked open.

               She looked down to the half-eaten bread and chuckled awkwardly. “I guess I passed out during a midnight snack” she replied. Kakashi took the bread and set it on the counter, then helped her to her feet.

               “I need you to do me a favor” he said. She rubbed her eyes and motioned for him to continue while yawning. “I need you to go home.”

               “What?” Rei asked. “But Kakashi, I’m on a mission.”

               “Did Lady Tsunade give you clearance?” he asked. Somehow he already knew the answer was no. Of course she didn’t. There was really no reason why she would.

               Rei averted her eyes, mumbling something along the lines of “Well, not exactly…”

               Sighing, Kakashi pressed his forehead against Rei’s and cupped her cheek. “I know you want to make sure I’m okay, but I promise I can handle things. You need to trust me.”

               Looking in his eyes, she hated that she knew he was probably right. The truth of the matter, however, was that she was terrified. “I’m sorry, but what am I supposed to do when you’ve spent three weeks unconscious only to jump right back into work?” she said. “And not only that, but to be followed by some weirdos who are out to kill you! Nevermind that they’re a bunch of fucking idiots, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I need to make sure you’re okay.”

               He knew there was likely no getting through to her, but he didn’t know what else to do. “You’re going to get into serious trouble the longer you stay out of the village” Kakashi said. “Think of what Lady Tsunade is going to say. She’ll likely have you pegged as a rogue shinobi and your face will end up in the bingo book. Do you really want that?”

               “If it means protecting you, then I don’t care” Rei said.

               Kakashi placed his hands firmly on Rei’s shoulders and crouched down to meet her at eye level. She hated when he did that. “Rei, you’re not thinking straight. Please, just go home.” He stared into her eyes for a long while before she finally caved, breaking free of his grip.

               “Fine” she muttered, “I’ll go back. But you better come back in one piece, and conscious, or else I swear to god, Kakashi Hatake, these Moya guys won’t be the only ones out to kill you.” He knew she wasn’t serious, and deep down he was really just grateful she had agreed to his request. He tugged his mask down for a split second to kiss her forehead, and then watched her disappear down the hall. From around the corner, the spying Aniki was dumbfounded. Yet again, somehow Kakashi had managed to steal another femme formidable from him, and oh was he going to pay.

               “Leaving so soon?” Aniki asked as Rei gathered her things and was about to head home. She was still wearing the same employee kimono she had stolen. She figured they wouldn’t miss it, and it wasn’t anything special anyways. She tried to ignore Aniki, but he blocked the doorway. “What is it? Am I too ugly? Do I stink?”

               Rei cocked a brow. “No…” she replied slowly.

               “I have money!” he said, pulling bills from his vest. “Loads of it! I can buy you anything your heart desires!”

               “Oh, really?” Rei asked. “Absolutely anything?” The man nodded vigorously, thinking perhaps he had finally caught her attention. “Then I want some rope” she answered confidently. Aniki’s face went red, his mind flickering with the possibility of steamy kinbaku. Before he could completely lose it at the hands of his imagination, however, Rei added, “I want some rope so I can hang you from the ceiling fan and turn it onto it’s highest setting until you puke.”

               “Oh, that’s cold” Aniki sighed. “What about houses? I have a great big house! Hot springs in the backyard! It’s a woman’s paradise!”

               Rei crossed her arms, her eyes falling to that strange curved emblem on the man’s headband, resembling a question mark. “And where exactly is this house? The Land of Questionable Choices?”

               Again, Aniki’s face went deadpan. “You really have no heart, do you?” he sighed.

               Patting his shoulder, Rei pushed past him and said, “Nope, I have one, it’s just big and black and destroys everything it touches.” Aniki watched her depart, defeated, but his defeat only futher encouraged him to seek revenge against his nemesis. Kakashi Hatake was going to get what he deserved.

               Just as Kakashi had predicted, Lady Tsunade ripped Rei a new one upon her return. As punishment, she essentially stuck Rei on a three day probation but deep down, Rei wasn’t complaining. At least now she would have ample time to get rid of all of that antique junk in her apartment.

               The following evening, there was a knock at Rei’s apartment door. She hoisted herself up off the floor, skirted around the clutter, and creaked it open to find Kakashi smiling at her in the hall. “So, how did things go?” she asked, ushering him inside. He expertly weaved through the mess and took a seat on the edge of her bed, surveying the state of disrepair around him. All of the antiques she had been strapped with were scattered around the room, covered in scribbled sticky notes and accounted for on a pad of paper.

               “It was fine” Kakashi replied. “I gave the kids what they wanted.”

               “About the mask?” Rei asked, whipping around to face him. She never thought he would cave so easily.

               “Mm-hmm” he hummed. “Or at least a version of it, anyway.”

               “Why?” Rei replied. “What did you do?” Kakashi then demonstrated the same technique he used on them, tugging down his mask to reveal yet another mask. Rei burst out in laughter. “That’s genius.”

               “And what about you?” he then asked. “Did Lady Tsunade punish you by forcing you to have a garage sale or something?”

               “No” Rei shook her head, “she just put me on a three day probation but in the meantime, I’m trying to sort through all that junk I got the other day. I can’t take it back to the antique shop or the lady will kick my ass with her broom, so I have to try and figure out how else to get it all off my hands.”

               Just then, a sickening smile touched Kakashi’s face. “I think I might have an idea” he said. He helped Rei load everything up and package it neatly, and then insisted he would take care of the rest.

               Down on the farm, the owner of the land directed a postal worker to the fields where three men still hung from the barn. “Delivery for you boys” the old man said, then motioned to a large cart of packaged items.

               “What the hell is that?!” Aniki shouted.

               The old man shuffled over to the biggest package, squinting at a tiny card attached. “It says: Just a little something for all of your trouble. Signed, Kakashi Hatake.”

               All the color drained from Aniki’s face as he began wiggling in his restraint. “Curse you, Kakashi Hatake!”

[remember-the-fanfics]

Restart?

Ddlc x fem!reader

-

Chapter 8

-

Normally when I nap, i usually listen to my music but because I don't have a lot of space on my bed and my music isn't much on the happy side so I didn't.

I plugged up my phone and laid on my bed, face first before cuddling into my covers, enjoying the warmth.

"Are you just gonna take up your whole bed?" Asked Natsuki.

"Hmmm. Maybe." I said before hearing her sigh and someone jumped on the bed, I slightly went up in the air, I look to see who it was, it was Sayori.

"Come on! We wanna sleep with you! At least make some room!" She said.

"Shouldn't me and Monika get to sleep with her? You and Yuri slept with her last night." Said Natsuki.

"Oh yeah..." said Sayori, nervously laughing and got off the bed and Natsuki took her place. I closed my eyes and sighed, Natsuki moved near the wall and took most of the covers. Monika laid on the other side of me, I grabbed a cover from Natsuki and covered up me and Monika.

"Thanks." Said Monika, I drifted closer to sleep thanks to their warmth.

"Good....night." I mumbled and didn't wait for their replies as I fell asleep

-

(Y/n)? me!It's me! $#@?¿! You can't understand that can you? That's fine! Listen, the girls weren't the only things to come to your world. You need to watch out. I don't want to see you or anyone get hurt. Oh? You still want to sleep? Okay! Maybe next time our connection will be stronger. Bye!

-

"(Y/n)?"

"Is she waking up?"

I groaned and covered my head up.

"Come on! Your Dad made Tacos!" Said Natsuki, pulling the cover off of me. I groaned again and covered up with another cover

"Tacos can... wait." I mumbled.

"If you don't get up, I'll... lock you out of your phone!" Said Sayori and I sat up and blankly looked at her.

"I'm up." I said before yawning and getting out of bed and took my phone.

"Finally! I didn't think you would wake up." Said Natsuki, running into the kitchen, with the others following her.

"I wish." I said, quietly to myself. Not noticing two others that heard me.

-

"They're good, not Taco Bell good but still good." I said, eatting a Taco with rice, mom makes, on the side.

"Geez." Said My brother. "We just went there a few weeks ago! Stop hinting." He said.

"What's Taco Bell?" Asked Yuri.

"One of my favorite places to eat!" I said excited at the topic.

"What's good about it?" Asked Sayori.

"First they usually have meals that are like 5 bucks, second, they got some Mountain Dew in specific flavor!" I said, realizing I was probably boring them.

"Its what I usually get..." I mumbled before focusing on eatting what left of my food.

"Finally..." He mumbled. My brother is a jerk but I was probably annoying them.

•••

I finished my food and put my plate in the dishwasher and went in my room, I just watched some TV.

-

I enjoy Taco Bell very much, your 'brother' needs a name, suggestions?

I'm sorry I didn't post Friday! It was my mom's birthday and my birthday is Tuesday! I'll be 16! Enjoy your day/night/life! The next chapter will be shorter sorry...