#miyuki being unsettling

[yazzydream]

[vickyvicarious]

thinkin’ bout an ATLA daemon AU, and I think daemons would probably all be real-world animals, similar to the spirits, since there’s something of a link there. Your daemon is your own personal spirit/soul, after all.

Some headcanons on this line:

Iroh - A very rare case of a daemon changing shape as an adult. He previously had a hawk; when he returned from his travels after Lu Ten’s death, he was accompanied by a... I wanna say maybe capybara (nurturing herd animal, intelligent, selective with which leaves they eat, scandalously semi-aquatic for a FN royal). There’s speculation in the FN that a spirit did it to him, but it really was just a result of his own internal change. This actually comes in very handy when he has to enter Ba Sing Se as a refugee later on, and just in general in staying under the radar.

Hakoda - A sea otter; not an unusual daemon for SWT. He fairly well exemplifies the clever, playful, family-driven yet still powerful opponent when riled.

Kya - A penguin. Very at home in the water, a doting parent willing to make extreme sacrifices for their young.

Bato - A wolf. Another common WT daemon for its social nature, pack-based life and hunting style, and associated often with excellent warriors of the tribe.

Bumi - A duck-billed platypus. Despite never seeing it as a ‘normal’ animal in the wild, people are often suspicious it’s not his real daemon because it sure doesn’t look like one pure spirit the way most of them do. Mole-like which fits with his bending but also definitely weird and not a typical mole just as he isn’t a typical earthbender.

Ozai - Black mamba. Snakes and lizards are common/well regarded in the FN as being linked closely to dragons and thus a sign of Agni’s favor. His aggressive, deadly daemon reflects his belief in his superiority and inherent greater right to rule than his older brother. Azulon also had a snake, a comparison which he always took pride in.

Ursa - Cliche says bear but I actually want to go with meerkat or mongoose. Both are social animals that actually hunt venomous snakes and take an active role in raising and teaching their children, which seems fitting for her.

Azula - tries not to change often, and lots of people believe she’s actually already Settled as a snake, but if they paid attention they’d notice changes in species every so often. Remains unsettled throughout the series, though she heavily favors snakes and spiders. I like to imagine her one day Settling as a saltwater crocodile just for the images but honestly it’s a long way off for her to Settle.

Mai - Unsettled but favors very small daemons that can remain hidden in her clothes such as small insects, lizards or snakes. Very rarely ever shows itself to anyone, let alone for any length of time.

Ty Lee - Settled when she was in the circus; something that Azula resents slightly and so she tries never to draw attention to. Her daemon is probably some form of smallish monkey though I’m not sure exactly which; very cute and quite intelligent as well as surprisingly nasty when angered.

Sokka - Unsettled for a long time, though often in the form of sea otter like Hakoda, or a wolf. Eventually starts adopting more variety the longer they travel, particularly in order not to stand out too much (or to try and stand out, depending) and by the end of the show Settles as a raven. Very intelligent, curious, problem-solver with a bit of a penchant for mischief and a long memory.

Katara - Almost always stays in an aquatic or arctic animal in stubborn loyalty to her culture and identity as the last waterbender of the SWT, notably often becoming a leopard seal or polar bear during combat. She still hasn’t Settled by the end of the series but has been tending strongly towards arctic fox. Sokka has secretly always taken comfort in her not Settling yet despite the motherly role she’s taken on. In fact, before Aang arrived he’d begun to worry because she had stayed a penguin for several months straight... but Aang brought out her youthful side and her daemon changes more around him.

Aang - the Avatar is linked to the spirit world so completely that I want to say they don’t have a daemon. Instead they often tend to bond with an animal guide of their native element. Obviously this changes how they learn they’re the Avatar but I think it makes sense. When trying to be incognito, he pretends Momo is his daemon, and mostly gets away with it due to not many people recognizing his species, but (not super) secretly he feels that Appa is practically the same as his daemon.

Toph - her daemon is blind just like her and switches all the time. Tends to favor either large ferocious beasts, moles, or lizards. Absolutely never a bird, although one time they do try out being a bat. She has shown no signs of even considering Settling by the end of the show, and in fact has recently been switching between hippo and cricket a lot.

Zuko - doesn’t Settle until the Day of Black Sun. He also tended to switch around a lot as a kid but became extremely frustrated with himself and ashamed of still ‘being a child’ during his time in exile. He became convinced he’d Settle when he regained his honor and remaining Unsettled after returning home increased his deep sense of shame/lack of satisfaction. When confronting his father his daemon takes the form of a large cat... I wanna say jaguar. They don’t even realize they’re Settled until later at the Air Temple.

Yue - Already Settled by the time we meet her. A malamute dog, her daemon shows not only loyalty and a strong work ethic/duty, but also a more down-to-earth and sometimes playful side that she rarely gets to openly express. Her and Sokka’s daemons get along famously, a lot of cheerful wrestling in wolf form.

Suki - I kind of want to say she Settles as a horse. Can’t quite articulate why for some reason but I like the idea a lot. That or a tiger.

Hama - An octopus. Very intelligent, sensitive, adaptable predator skilled at hiding in plain sight.

That one healer lady - Everyone thinks her daemon is Miyuki the cat, but no, Miyuki is an actual spirit. Her daemon is a frog.

Cabbage Man - A fainting goat, probably.

[tetsuwan-atom]

Holy Grail War - Unraveling

(So, this is basically something I’ve been meaning to write for weeks. It’s in a specific verse about a specific event that had unfolded, that was plotted out between a few people. I have decided to give this event a bit of a ‘conclusion’ from the perspective of my muse and canon, to show how the story could have gone, how it could have ended.)

~~~~~~~~~~~

It really was like hell.

It looked like it, felt like it, like this was the most evil place, in all of existence.

Another dimension, another world but not at the same time. An experience that would burn into the retinas forever. A world in a world, like you had stepped into the end of it all.

And it really did seem like it was the end, of it all.

You never expected the Holy Grail to look like this. A beacon of such evil, of apocalyptic catastrophe. The very symbol that brought such chaos, time and time again, feeding upon the greed, the selfishness, of those who sought to use it to it’s truest potential.

But this individual wasn’t here for that.

This person had fought through the war. He had faced countless forces, foes, enemies. How many had to die? How many brought no other option to him, despite his attempts to make it out of the war without bloodshed?

A wishful outcome, that was doomed to perish.

The many he did save, those who joined him on the cause. Those he had to leave behind at the very end. Despite the pleas of those who tried to remain, he knew, he had to take care of this himself.

Because, there can only be one.

And here he stood. He stared evil right in the face, like it was his destiny to face this. There could have been others that would have taken his place, the sibling princesses, the spiky haired schoolboy, the Sorceress Supreme, but in the end he took his objective right to this moment.

He knew he had to take care of this himself.

Bowen Chuuno, The Mighty Atom.

He stared at the embodiment of the Holy Grail. He knew of it’s power, it’s energy, it’s deceit. How it calls out to him even now to turn back on all of his goals and make a wish he so deemed to come right from the heart.

But he knew better than to give in.

Hands gripped his IDND, a step forward in stance. He’s ready. He’s about to take the matters into his own.

To put an end to this.

For goo-

“Oh! There you are!”

Eyes widen in surprise. The male hesitates, stops, lowers his device. He’s not alone after all.

There is someone else here.

A voice, he recognises. A man he knows.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Adachi Shiro.

A supposed detective of the National Police Agency, sent to Academy City to investigate the concerns that were happening literally during the time of the Holy Grail War. A very strange coincidence. One that the male took with quite a bit of suspicion at that, despite his cheerful character.

He only turned his head, to the man in question.

“What are you doing here, Adachi? How did you get in?”

“What do you mean? I just walked through. I was asking your friends where you were and they pointed me here. I gotta admit they were all acting strange. They didn’t want to let me pass, but I needed to see you. They can’t just interfere with police business like that.”

Adachi had been Bowen’s ‘sidekick’ throughout the war. Of course Bowen couldn’t hide it from him when the fighting started getting bad. Even he knew better than to lie to a cop.

“I’m busy. What you require of me can wa-.”

“Hey.” The man interjected. “Is this the ‘grail’ you’ve been looking for? Kinda looks odd for a piece of metal, doesn’t it?”

In case your wondering, yes, this man does get on Bowen’s nerves... especially right now, though he knew to remain calm.

“...........Yes. This... is the Holy Grail.”

“Aahhhhhhhh! Well done! I knew you would be the one to make it! Them bad guys got nothing on you, huh?”

His smile is just... why does it irritate him so much?

“...I guess...”

“So, what you going to do, huh? You said it grants a wish, right? I bet you planned this right from the very beginning, what you wanted out of it. I can’t believe I’m here to witness a man’s dream finally being granted!”

“I’m not going to give it a wish, Adachi.”

“You’re... not?” He looks surprised, for sure. “But you came all this way. I was there as you kicked those guys butts for the good of the world. Why would you come all this way if you weren’t going to make a wish? Weren’t you going to do something for mankind? Weren’t you going to save it?”

Bowen hadn’t told Adachi of his intentions, because he didn’t feel the man needed to know. But now, right at the last moment, when he couldn’t hide it anymore, there was no reason to lie.

“I am going to do something for mankind, I am going to save it.....”

The blonde grips his IDND, as if readying himself a second time.

“....By destroying the grail for good..”

“....”

There was this... pause. A silence, an awkward silence. How long did it last for? Probably a good ten, fifteen seconds, before some form of response was found from the arrival.

“Hmmmmmhmhmhmhmhm...”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!”

...That was an unexpected reaction, one which actually brought the blonde to turn around and face the other, still serious, but with confusion now mixed into his features.

Why the hell was Adachi... laughing?

“You, you really think I’d actually let you destroy this artifact of grand power?!?”

“What... are you on about?”

“Come now. You’ve got a good brain, you can figure this all out. Am I really a cop? Why did I actually hang around you of all people while this shit was going down, huh?”

“......”

”You know. I found it really weird that you showed up out of nowhere right at the start of the war. Then when things started heating up you reeeeallly didn’t act like I’d expect out of a cop. It was like you weren’t too caring when people were driven to death. You were also acting very strange when certain things were going on. I had a feeling you were in this war all along.”

There was this pause, but in that moment, the expression on Adachi’s face began to change... no his FACE began to change. It turned.. paler... in colour.. and his eyes.. they were turning yellow. A sort of... sickly... unsettling yellow.

“....”

“Well it doesn’t matter in the end, does it? I got exactly what I wanted. I played you to ensure you were the one at the very end. Nobody else could match up to you anyway.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Don’t play coy with me! You know exactly why. Your reputation precedes you far more than what you understand about it! While everybody else was distracted I kept my eye on the real threat. They were so worried about that dumb boy and that girl.. and then the others. They were all so useless. ”

The man then begins to circle the blonde, in conversation.

“Right at the beginning my eyes were on you. But it was quite a ride, wasn’t it? You were so good at minimising the work we had to do, putting people on side, finding some way to drop them from the war without killing them. But man everybody was making it hard, wasn’t it? I almost took advantage of that situation when the lucky kid got sent away. Can you believe it, a fake marriage just for the war! I knew it meant shit at the end of the day. More people, more mess, a whole Kingdom trying to get in on the war, those two princesses asserting their dominance. Remember how you reacted at first? You didn’t like them intruding, didn’t you?”

“...I don’t like getting others involved. But they were here for the same goal. As long as the initial plan was followed there wouldn’t be any problems.”

“But the younger one was such a real bitch about it! Making it out that it wasn’t all about you. You didn’t want to be playing second fiddle as others meddled in your objective... I can relate, for they were meddling, in MY affairs!”

“I had to take a breather after all that. I left Academy City for a bit while you cleaned up the trash. Some ‘fighter’ chick caught me talking to myself one day. I tried to downplay it cause I didn’t want more people coming into it but.. the stupid bitch nearly got sucked into it! It would have been soooo funny, seeing a tourney fighter getting wrecked by some loaded-ass Servant! More junk for the janitors to mop up!”

“But then too... I was laughing at the beginning. You got paired with Stacia Sequenzia! An ‘Atomite’ helping another Atomite! The irony there is laughable! You even tried to put her on the sidelines too, but you know, Servants are there to help their masters! I wonder if you ever had to perform a Mana Transfer on her!”

A laugh escaped the man. He wasn’t looking for an actual answer.

“Then there was that guy who just muscled in just to fight everyone, he wasn’t even IN the war. What a waste of fuckin�� time. And the Makiris, the Einsworths. Those fools were all bickering and bitching and making a mess of things. I nearly lost my cover when the war was to move to England.. but I got to pull some... strings and keep it here where I wanted. They were all so concerned about the lucky kid. I was ‘lucky’ I didn’t get to see Violent Violet or that Crowley moron come around to the war. I got to focus my efforts on you while the families shat on about their supposed ‘vessel’.”

“...Vessel... you mean... Index?”

“You dumb piece of shit. Index. Please. Everyone looks at her like she’s a fucking meal. No. She is not their ‘vessel’. Come on, think. Think reeealll hard. Do you remember a girl that the idiot took under his wing?”

“Her... you mean.. Akatsuki Miyuki?!”

“Mmm! Strange isn’t it? They were going to use her as a vessel. Too bad it wouldn’t have worked. I wasn’t interested. I don’t give a shit about humans and homunculi anymore. None of them lived up to my expectations. I wouldn’t have even used your girl either. No, I only had one person on my mind. I got what I wanted in the end, didn’t I?”

“....That’s... me... isn’t it?”

“Oh. No duh, what do you think? Of course I mean you. The Mighty Atom! The one with the power to change it all! It had to be you. The boy would have just been a candy bar. Those two princesses? I would have just killed them the moment they tried to walk through into my space! It was ME that made you an initial participant, it was ME that got you through right until the end. I knew you weren’t going to risk the suffering of those around you because maybe deep down you knew it had to be you, that anyone else would have died one way or another. They all underestimate my power... even those influenced by gods.. but not you. You knew what I can do... you knew it had to be you.”

“....But then... what are you... if you wanted so much.. out of me?”

“...Do I need to spell it out for you, boy? I AM the Holy Grail!”

That.. that was a bombshell.. he didn’t see that coming at all.

“...Y..you...”

“Yes. Me. But I’m rather an extension of the beast, allowed to roam in a body that people could lower their guard around. Nobody ever expected the beast would grow intelligent, to form a mind of it’s own. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen how greedy and malicious humans can get, for peace and for power. I was never surprised by how much they wanted to take over everything for themselves... I always enjoyed it when they were the ones losing right at the end. And then there’s those that want a ‘utopia’, but still kill, still maim, like any life is a sacrifice for the good of others. And then I kill and maim them, an eye for an eye, along with many many others. I loved playing on their wishes, lulling them in, bringing out their true nature, leaving them vulnerable right at the moment I strike! In the end they all get absorbed... ready for the next war. But.... no matter how powerful they are, it’s never... ever enough..”

“I’m bored of this game, this charade. I’m sick and tired of prancing around in a shit body. It’s still fun to prey on the gullible but, I have always yearned for something far... far greater. What I am... what I really, really am, they never suspect what I can really, really do, what they were playing with from the start. The power they were using. They thought they could play god... for their sick, twisted gains! Through their sick, twisted means!”

“But now I’m actually going to become one... thanks to you.. I’m going to be born, properly born! I’m going to burst forth as the being I should have become in the very beginning. Humanity will crumble as I consume anything and everything. Mark my words this will be the last Grail War because of you. You soul will be used to complete the process... it will make me... me! There was truly no vessel greater than you! Even now I’ve been slowly draining your energy away to grow, to develop... oh isn’t this exciting! You’re going to be a part of multi-universal history, the end of everything! Nobody will get in my way! Your power will make everything happen at once! You, responsible for the end of it all. The beginning and the end, death for life, the rise and the fall! Everybody shall die, your friend, your girl, your family, everything and everyone... and you will be the sacrifice that starts it all! It’s inevitable, boy. You cannot fight what has already happened, what was lead to happen. The game of cat and mouse is over. This is your fate. This is my fate. The less you struggle.. the easier it will be, for both of us!”

...Boy... this was a lot to take in. A LOT to take in.. and he didn’t even have the time to process it all, not when he was actually being affected right now. Inhale, exhale, carefully, gently. Remain composed.. then face the man head on.

“Adachi.”

"You know, as well as I do, I'm not going to willingly give in to you and just let this happen. You know what I am, what I do.. and what I'm going to be doing right here, right now. Your words have further influenced me in the belief that the Grail must be destroyed. And it will be destroyed. I made that promise to everyone, to Camellia, to Academy City, to my world, to Touma... to my beloved. I had an inkling I might have been targeted, that if I wasn't the one doing it, I'd be made to do it. I always had this feeling in the back of my mind that if I let others try ahead of me that they were only going to die in the end... turns out I was right."

His eyes began to glow. The usual process, close the eyes, then open them with sparks flying.

"So rather than causing more death, rather than beating around the bush, I'm going to take the matters as I was always planning to do. This was always my fight, because I was always the target. You wanted me. You have me... but man I'm not going to give up until I have no breath left. I have done so much for the multiverse, for Academy City. I never thought I'd be in a position where it all hinged in the balance like this. I know the stakes... I know what I must do. Whatever it takes, you will be destroyed for good, so that nobody can use you... so that you... can no longer use anybody. I won't let you live. I will not bring your birth. If I have to erase your very soul and existence to end this, then so be it."

“.... Well, so much for making this easy. I had a feeling your resolve was too great to kneel before me. No matter..”

“....But then there is no harm in having one last bit of fun before the next stage of life! And it would be better to wear down your.. rambunctiousness to make it easier for me to devour. Do not underestimate me... either way.. this.. will be your end!”

...And as the darkness swelled, the blonde readied his IDND again, at the man, at the embodiment of the Holy Grail. If this was to be his final fight, so be it.

This... would be the very fight that decides the fate of everything.

Of Academy City, of the multiverse, of everything.

So it shall be.

Game on.......

[asknagito-official]

Miyuki laughed a little. "Hey now, don't apologize. It's okay to be angry." She held his arm with a smile and pulled him along. "Let's check out as much as we can, yeah? Then we can meet the others later."

Miyuki and Kazuichi ended up looking at the large Monokuma factory.. it was unsettling to see that many Monokumas being mass produced like this, almost sickening. The bear did appear just to be spiteful as well however they ignored him.

After a few hours they met up with the others in what looked like to be some kind of street food area, it was weird seeing it empty of life but still have food.

Chiaki noticed the two and tilted her head. "Hey hey, have you guys seen Nagito? No one's seen him since breakfast.."

Miyuki shook her head. "I haven't, I thought someone would have ran into him by now."

"That's weird... Wouldn't he usually be one of the first ones to insist he investigate a new island? It's really weird that he hasn't shown up yet..." Kazuichi murmured. Nagito wasn't one to just skip out on important information and clues like finding a new island.

Sonia sighed, nodding before she said, "Has anyone found clues toward the traitor yet? It is quite strange that we haven't found a clue if there's a traitor. I've been thinking... Is there even a traitor in the first place? What if Monokuma lied to us?"

"How disappointing... All of you are just going to run away from the problem instead of facing it? Aren't you supposed to be the symbols of hope?"

"That weakness fills me with so much despair."

"AHH!" Kazuichi jumped, letting out a very undignified scream.

"The hell? When did you get here?" Kazuichi demanded, regaining himself slightly. Everyone looked just as shocked and bewildered. They hadn't even noticed Nagito walk up.

[leonasbitties]

Deyanira Thanas

Name: Deyanira Thanas

VA: Miyuki Sawashiro

Aliases: Poison flower, Nee-San, Nira, Dey

Age: 18

Height: 5’4

Birthday: April 16th

Star Sign: Aries

Year: 3, Class E, Seat 28

Origin: Isle of Lamentation

Personality: Mean, big sisterly, fun, flightly, implusive, disobedient, apathetic

Hobby: Being in a band

Likes: Gossip

Dislikes: Being told what to do

Twisted from: The Mortality Potion from Hercules

Dorm: Ignihyde

Unique Magic: In progress...

Quote: “Even those we love most can be poison to our souls”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Deyanira is childhood friend with both the Shroud boys as they live near each other. Although you would think that when you first meet her as her personality is in stark contrast to the Shroud boys. She’s pretty mean at times and doesn’t beat around the bush although she has a soft spot for Ortho.

She teases bullies Idia for being weak and never leaving his room and often drags him places. She’s harsh when it comes to Idia but she sees him as a brother too and in reality she wouldn’t sell him for just a corn chip. She’s much more tender and kind with Orthro and would murder someone if they so much as lay a finger on him. Overall she’s harsh but her intentions are rooted kindly mostly.

She’s also quite the beauty guru and like makeup and fashion. She dresses with a lot of leather and harnesses and chain. Her style is very recognizable persay. She also has quite the habit of showing a lot of skin although she quite likes it. She like to show off in the name of body positivity! She’s very comfortable with her looks and should you berate her on it she’ll simply say she’s rocking what the gods gave her and she’s going to keep it that way.

Deyanira grew with to a widow as a mother, her mother loves her very much but when her father died she dumped all the love she had for her husband onto Nira. Because of that her mother loved her a little... too much per say. Nira grew up spoiled but on the contrary she was rather quiet and unsettling as a kid. She would just... stand there, no words just staring. Her mother grew to have many boyfriends but the all left because of the odd child that was Deyanira. Her mother didn’t mind because she loved her daughter more then anything in the world. The problem was Nira’s real father wasn’t her mother’s husband. It was the god of death Thanatos (possibly pending). Hence her last name Thanas. Because of this she’s alway had a different view on mortality then her peers. It’s hard to believe she’s the same person as she was when she was a kid sometimes. She’s also physically always had an immunity to poison.

Nira ended up in not the greatest place when she was about 16. Because of her view on life and the way she lived it she was shunned and classified as a misfit, because of this she got mixed up with the wrong crowd and end up doing things like drugs and drinking. Unfortunately it got her hooked and she tries her best to abstain from them but not doing what she wants tends to contradict the personality she’s made for herself and often can’t help it. She’s gotten a lot better according to Idia but it’s left lasting effects on her. She’s said she quit smoking but she can often be found behind the building with a black lipstick stained cigarette in hand.

Note: Her hair peice and the curl of her bangs are in the other side of her head but I drew them on the wrong side for the sake of seeing them.

[foxstens]

time to talk about totono (beware the spoilers)

i knew it was a masterpiece from the very beginning, and i guess the reason for that is the atmosphere. i have never come across a vn that builds atmosphere so effectively, whether it be through the use of music or it’s absence, or the beautiful but ever-so unsettling art, or a mix of all of those. but that very atmosphere is probably what made me want to continue reading even if i was terrified of what was ahead of me

and yet, i only gave it a 7. there’s a few reasons for it. such as the fact that the music, though it works very well within the vn, there’s only one track i really like on its own, and in fact there were times even during the vn that i found the music annoying.

then there’s the protagonist who i won’t really elaborate on bc he barely has a role in the story, and he’s so ugly even though he doesn’t even have a face. i hate him with a passion and he doesnt deserve to be part of such a great story.

then there’s its structure i guess. like going in i was excited bc it’s listed as being a medium-length vn but it only has two love interests so of course i expected both of them to get equal amounts of focus and development. yea no.

other than the atmosphere aoi was hands-down my favourite part of it and i was so looking forward to her route, to have quite moments with her and fun moments with her and for her to get to change and become a /character/ instead of a plot device.

but i never quite got that. because she just doesn’t get enough screentime. like her personal quirks and her opinions and her speech patterns and the way she wears her uniforms and her life /in this world/, they’re all so interesting and i wanted to find out about those. i wanted her to receive character development in other ways than being a love interest.

and even her being a love interest could’ve been done so much better. i just didn’t feel it. when the big dramatic part of her route hit i didn’t feel as attached to her as i should’ve, and i wasn’t rooting for her relationship with the mc at all. tbh most of the emotions i felt during the confrontation scene were just because of how well that scene is done in general. 

so i was very much prepared for aoi to become one of my favourite female characters but it didn’t happen because the story decided that the other love interest deserves so much more screentime.

which brings me to the third and biggest reason that i can’t give this vn a 10. miyuki herself. 

i hated her from the first time  i saw her; i didn’t like her face or the colour of her hair or eyes or her hairstyle or her voice or anything. but i kept going, scared shitless, waiting for her to kill the mc or for me to warm up to her.

and i did warm up to her a tiny bit once i got onto aoi’s route and she acted all nice and  shit. but then the ending happened and i was so happy because i had called it from the very beginning.

and then it cemented itself as a masterpiece even more with how terrifying that ending scene was. and i loved it.

BUT THEN IT KEPT GOING. the entire vn getting messed up and being unable to save and having lost all my saves and not knowing what was happening and her talking directly to me at times - that was all fun. it became considerably less fun when i was stuck in this endless loop replaying the same scenes making slightly different choices at times, using the ctrl button more than i ever have in my entire time.

in real time i probably didn’t spend more than 3 hours in that hell but looking at her face all the time not knowing when it’d end going to the cat shopping a million times was incredibly aggravating. and when i looked up a walkthrough i found out this was called endless loop #1 and there’d be some plot happenings when i managed to choose my way out of it but then there’d be an endless loop #2 waiting for me. 

so after i got out of loop #1 i looked up its various endings on youtube then promptly deleted it. i appreciate so many things about this vn and it definitely feels like it’s a classic already, but the focus on miyuki really breaks it for me, and i can’t help imagining just how much better it would’ve been had aoi received even a fraction of that focus. D:

language-wise it felt quite easy i think. the fact that aoi’s lines are only written in kana is a bit unusual but personally i found it helpful because oftentimes what she says is repeated by others and written in kanji, which i really liked. she does use a fair amount of onomatopoeia which you might love or hate, but other than that the language is pretty simple as far as i could tell. i didn’t understand even close to half of the narration but i never felt like i was lost or missing out or something (except that one time i did a high skip and a new choice popped up without any context whatsoever lmao). i definitely feel like i learned a lot.

[shrapnelsong]

@museguided​ asked: "Sakura-senpai." Eijun's hushed as he leans into her space, brows drawn together with trepidation. It's been on his mind since they left the stadium, the way she looked as if she saw a ghost. He can't help but worry and he wants to remind her that he's here. "What happened back there? Who'd you see?" cont. 

     It’s the familiar cut of a sharp suit. The color scheme he seems to favor. Even the ever present elegant pinstripes. All the gentle laughter that had been filling her at her adorable underclassmen’s exasperation with being guided back to the bus leaves her in a rush as her body suddenly halts all function. He can’t be here. Why is he here? Was he told to keep track of club activities too? Is he going to report back?

Her duties as a manager fall away from importance as her undivided attention goes to keeping track of that man. She can hardly breathe until she finally gets a glimpse of his face and confirms that no, it’s not him. A wave of relief washes over her, yet a touch on her shoulder almost makes her jump out of her skin. And when she snaps back to reality, Alice finds Sawamura-kun looking worriedly at her. It takes a moment to place herself again, and the answer to his question slips before she can compose herself. “I’m sorry, I thought I saw-”

Just the thought of him has her eyes searching the area again, needing the added reassurance, but whoever that had been, they’d long melted into the crowd. It’s enough for her to suck in a breath and force the anxiety away the best she can, smiling apologetically at Sawamura-kun while noticing how wrong it feels for him to be looking so concerned. But then he’s grabbing her hand and stepping up to do her job, tugging her along as he heads back to where the rest of the team is waiting. “That’s right.” She manages to say in a quiet voice, in awe at the fact that having him holding onto her like that could ease the panic inside her almost to the point of making her feel like crying.

By the time they’re back in the bus, she’s calmed down and looks normal again, reporting to the captain that the first years could be trusted to get themselves back from now on with a smile. Taking her usual seat a little more to the front, she busies herself with reviewing the scorebook and writing down the statistics. Or so she tries. She can’t help tapping out of her phone’s calculator and opening the calendar instead, double checking the next date when she’s actually supposed to meet him.

Even after reassuring herself that they didn’t have a meeting scheduled anytime soon, she can’t focus enough on the task at hand. It’s okay. It wasn’t him. She doesn’t want to mess up the calculations so she stops, but leaves the scorebook open on her lap as a deterrent. The team will probably fall asleep soon and she won’t have to keep herself so tightly reigned in. Quietude falls over the bus, and that’s when Sawamura-kun takes the seat next to her. His hushed tone as he calls out to her already feels wrong, and seeing so much worry in his face makes her feel even worse for burdening him with this.

Anyone else and she would have been able to talk her way out of it. Even Miyuki-san might have left it at something too personal to ask about, despite his curiosity. But Sawamura-kun wears his heart on his sleeve, and she would never want to be the reason why that beautiful heart of his gets weighed down in the slightest. “That must have been surprising, huh..? I’m sorry.” She apologizes again with a small smile, finally closing the scorebook but still holding onto it atop her lap just to keep her hands busy. A deep intake of air for courage and a quiet sigh and she answers truthfully. “I thought it was my father’s assistant.”

Toyotomi Shigeru-san, an inscrutable business man of his own accord, but made even more by virtue of being Sakurazuka Nobuyasu’s right hand man. She can’t imagine what her father’s schedule is like, and the fact that he would ask his personal assistant - who is just as busy - to check up on her should be reassuring. Only it isn’t. She could never get a read on the man, and knowing he is the one who ultimately holds her immediate future in his hands makes every meeting with him absolutely unsettling.

“You know I live alone, right? My father worries, so he has Toyotomi-san meet with me every now and then, to make sure I’m well and that everything’s going okay at school.” How much should she tell him? The whole truth of this matter is not something she’ll disclose to anyone if she can help it. But she wants to ease Sawamura-kun’s worries first, and keep him from asking more questions second, if possible. “I... am not very comfortable with him.” An understatement, but she can’t say more without needing further explanation. “I don’t know what he thinks of me.” Much like everyone else in her father’s family, he probably sees her as an annoyance at best or a liability at worse. “Our meetings take up time he must feel could be spent doing better things. So, when I saw someone who looked like him at the stadium,” She panicked. “I thought he’d been asked to keep an eye on what I do at the club too.” 

Her gaze falls to her hands and Alice forces them to ease up their tense grip on the book, having not realized they’d been clenched. “I don’t want to trouble anyone...” A whispered, earnest confession that escapes despite herself. Peeking at the sweet boy sitting next to her, she manages a smile. Much less you, Sawamura-kun. “But it’s okay. It wasn’t him. I can’t really see Toyotomi-san being a fan of sports.” She muses with a chuckle, sounding more like her usual self and hoping it’ll be enough to soothe his concerns.  

[animemangasoul]

I’ll Catch You If You Fall

Summery: Okumura’s creepy former coach makes Miyuki uneasy. 

Characters: Miyuki & Okumura

Miyuki didn’t get the kid. Didn’t understand why he was the way he was, and he didn’t know why he found the brat so damn amusing, but he did.

Okumura Kouchuu was hilarious. The poor idiot didn’t know that of course, but ever since they’d been roomed together, Kazuya had slowly started to entertain himself by snipping little pieces of criticism at the blonde, and seeing him trying so hard not to lash out? So worth it.

The way his shoulders would hunch up, how he would scrunch up his nose and that tiny baby growl, it was all Miyuki could do not to burst out laughing right then and there.

Truth was, that amidst all his mild bullying of the younger teen, Miyuki was fond of him. Okumura tried very hard not to show it, but innocence practically oozed of the kid. He was a good egg, Miyuki could tell. And he knew after he was gone; try as he might not to think about it, that his dumb pitchers will be in good hands. The brat still had much to learn, but he would get there, of that Kazuya was sure.

Grit, determination, and sheer will power shone through those pale blue eyes when their gaze locked, so Miyuki was sure nothing; come hell or high water, would ever shake the kid.

He’d thought.....

Yeah, he’d thought...

Scared, it was the first word to flash through his mind on a bright Sunday morning as his gaze unexpectedly connected with his roommate across the street. Okumura Kouchuu looked scared, no scratch that. He looked downright terrified.

Blinking back in surprise, Kazuya halted in his attempt to shove the overflowing grocery bags into his actual bag. “Okumura?” He muttered to himself, words coming out slightly confused, as his teammate and fellow catcher stared openly back at him from the other side of the street. 

There was something quite unnerving in his gaze, something dull and--

Miyuki swallowed. What was going on? 

Fumbling with his belongings, he finally managed to awkwardly wave at the blonde, and the action must have stirred something awake in the other, because his eyes narrowed and he glared.

‘Ahh,’ Kazuya thought, a ghost of a smile curling around his lips. ‘That’s the wolf boy I remember. Thought something was wrong with you for a second.’

Gone was the weird fear that had practically been oozing out of the kid and now all Miyuki was left with was the familiar hostility. He grinned, ignoring the strange sense of relief that spiked through his heart. 

It was short lived relief though, for just as Miyuki had managed to shove his bought items into his bag, Okumura tensed, and in the next instant, a large man came to a stop beside him; too close for comfort and a giant unsettling grin on his face.

Miyuki frowned. What was-

Okumura looked terrified again and now he wasn’t looking at him at all. Fists clenched and pale blonde locks hiding his face from view. Miyuki didn’t like this, he didn’t like it at all.

Cars were still flying in between them and Miyuki had yet to move from his awkward spot-

But just as he’d decided to call out to the other, the large man suddenly threw a beefy arm around Okumura’s shoulder and brought him close to his chest, a booming laughter shaking his entire frame as he carefully and painfully slow ran his fingers through the teens hair.

Miyuki stared.

The affection looked so casual,so normal, one glance and it would come off as a father and a son hanging out, having a good time, but-

Okumura looked scared. Okumura looked more scared than Miyuki had ever seen him in his life, and this man, this random weird looking man, was making him feel that way.

He doesn’t think about it, doesn’t even take time to contemplate it, before his bag is dropped on the ground; eggs breaking on impact and he’s running across the street. Cars honk loudly at him, panicked screams and startled pedestrians ring all around him, Miyuki doesn’t care. And the second he sets a foot on the other side, his arm is shooting out, grabbing Okumura and forcefully pulling him away. 

When the the shaking body collide with his own, Miyuki sees red. “What do you think you’re doing?” he snapped; arms coming up to circle around his teammate. Somehow Okumura had managed to tuck himself into his side; his grip so tight, Kazuya felt as if he was being chocked to death. Still- “Who the hell are you?”

At this point they’d attracted enough attention that the smiling man was shifting around slowly in place; eyes squinting at the small crowd that just formed. “I can ask you the same thing child,” he said going for a mild tone, but his voice sent chills down the catcher’s spine, and by the way the silent blonde flinched against his side, well, looked like he wasn’t the only one.

“Okumura is my friend,” Kazuya said slowly, arms tightening even more around the kid. “What were you doing with him exactly?”

The man fell silent for a split second, before his grin grew even wider and he chuckled. “Ah,” he said; sending one of the passerby's an amused smile. “I’m so happy you’ve made so many new friends Kou-chan,” he said, and nop, no way, no.

Muyuki took a step back, dragging the blonde with him.

Frowning, The giant man followed them. “There is no need to be wary,” he said, pointing at his baseball training attire. “I was Kou-chan’s previous manager. We were just catching up, isn’t that right Kou-chan?”

Miyuki could practically feel the other teen swallowing thickly before he answered. “Yeah,” he said, just loud enough to be heard. “Yeah, catching up.”

“See,” the coach said, sending Kazuya a reassuring smile. “Now, you must have places to be, so why don’t we-”

The catcher took another step back. “You know what,” he said; voice loud and with an edge of coldness behind it. “I forgot. We have extra practice today so.... yeah, sorry but I’ll have to cut your visit short.” Looking down at the blonde teen, he frowned. “Let’s go Okumura. I need to buy some new groceries anyways.”

Not sparing the former coach another glance, Miyuki began to lead his fellow catcher away, the sound of the man speaking calmly to the onlookers making his skin crawl. It was creepy how easily the creep was reacting to this whole thing, sounding reassuring and amused as if it was Miyuki who was overreacting. He swallowed thickly. 

“Hey Okumura?”

The kid was still walking as close to him as possible, but the more distance they put between themselves and the creep, Okumura seemed to step further and further away. “Yeah?”

Running a hand through his hair, Miyuki frowned. “You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to, you know that right?”

The blonde scowled, slowly coming back to himself. “It doesn’t work like that between us,” he snapped. And-

Miyuki’s stomach dropped, but before any other horrifying thought could invade his mind, the blonde punched him lightly on the shoulder. “It’s not like that,” he said, voice low and frustrated. “At least not y-” he coughed. “It’s just... He knows my parents and I don’t want to tell them and-”

“It’s going to be ok,” 

Raising his hand, Miyuki patted Okumura’s hair. “We’ll fix this. It’s going to be ok, I promise.”

Okumura Kouchuu. He was a good kid. Not quite as naive as he’d assumed, but-

“It’s going to be ok. That man will never bother you again.”

Miyuki Kazuya was very much fond of the brat, and hell would have to freeze over before he’d ever let that man anywhere near his successor ever again. He would fix this. It was a promise.

The end

@merry-kuroo Done with the small miyuki & okumura drabble if you wanna read it

[tiny-smallest]

the sun’ll come out tomorrow

Rating: G Characters: Tallest Mikyuki, Dib, Membrane Warnings: none Description: Mikyuki takes her charge on a little field trip, reflecting about her current situation along the way. On the way back, something catches the toddler’s eye…

Also on AO3!

———

She really didn’t like the rain. Being the empress of an entire planet somewhat spoiled her, she’d admit. The blue eyed Irken squinted up at the sky from her seat at the window, scowling at the drops of water falling from the sky. Back at her old position as Tallest, should such an offending substance threaten her from a planet’s skies, she would have no less than a dozen Irkens at her side immediately with a number of things that could be used to ward off the downpour, and at least one would offer to atomize the planet for her.

She’d refuse, of course, but it was the offer that counted.

All right, in light of that, maybe she’s a lot spoiled. Even so, she can’t understand what anomalies this planet must produce so that acid falling from the sky would be a frequent occurrence. Or, perhaps even more unsettling, that its inhabitants—sentient and nonsentient—would be completely immune to its effects. Professor Membrane had nearly given her a heart attack the first time she’d seen it rain and he’d stepped outside into it; she was so sure based on that kitchen incident with the sink (that she would be taking to her death thank you very much) that he was going to melt. She had to admit she was jealous over his immunity to the water’s effects after she’d stopped fuming over him scaring her half to death. It didn’t look like she would be leaving this planet anytime soon. Her ship was far too wrecked; you could barely even tell it was a ship at some point. She’d be surprised she survived it, if not for the fact that she was a Tallest. Genes this good, she figured, gets one out of a lot of things.  

Apparently it even helped you survive a planet trying to punch you in the face with its gravity. Whatever. Miyuki was alive, that was the important thing. She was alive, and she had found an ally. She was forced to help him develop a smeet of his species so that she’d have an ally, but she had an ally.  

It’s better than nothing, and he was perfectly reasonable about it, and continued to be. The fact that she could and should skewer him should he become unreasonable was irrelevant and she refused to think on it anymore. Right now, she should probably be thinking more about the small creature tugging at her leg. Miyuki’s gaze turned from the wretched weather of this awful planet to the doe eyed toddler pulling on her skirt. She was silent for a moment; he was too short to see without looking up that he has successfully gotten her attention, and he had not looked up because he was too interested in the metal plating of the skirt. He poked at it with a tiny finger, scratching at it with the pitiful excuse that humans had for claws.  

It’s when he went to lick it that she cleared her throat and he, smart enough even at this stage of human development to recognize the sound for what it is, moved his eyes from the spot he’d selected for tasting to her face, tongue still out. “I am not food.” He squeaked. “If you are hungry, I will make something.” He tilted his head to the side. She sighed. “What is it that you want, Dilbert?” As an answer, he pointed to the digital clock in the cable box by the television. She raises an antenna in surprise. Membrane had said that thanks to his Irken genes Dilbert would evolve much, much faster than the average human smeet, but she had not expected a creature whose vocabulary was currently limited to “I,” “bottle,” “binkie,” and “dad” (she will ignore for the moment, as always, that the total words in his vocabulary are actually five) to be able to recognize the time, much less correlate the time with a specific event. Like the event that is supposed to be happening now but that Miyuki was entirely reluctant to do because of rain. “Dilbert, I think we will forgo our walk today.” A plaintive wail sent both antennae back. “No, it is raining. I do not like rain. It… hurts me. We will not venture out in it. Stop yelling.” The wailing continued. Blasted human smeet. Regular smeets could be irritating but at least they didn’t cry. They couldn’t. Human smeets, though, very much could and dear Irk please shut up.

Maybe agreeing to help his father make an heir was a mistake.

(Even as she thought it, something within her quailed at it.) Membrane was not here to help, Miyuki reflected with a frown. He was out for the day, at his laboratory, working on a new sort of teleportation technology that intrigued her and would very much like to pick apart sometime. Right now it was just her and the smeet. She would have to do something quickly if she wanted to keep herself from doing something she’d regret-

Wait, there was noise absent. Her eyes flicked from the crying child on the floor to the window. The patter of the rain was what had been missing for the past two minutes, and she had failed to realize it because of her focus on the much louder, much more annoying of the two sounds. Well then. The rain was gone but there would still be puddles. She scowled again, ready to reaffirm that she would not go outside today, but it turned into a grimace. 

No, she didn’t want to go outside today. But the human smeet needed sunshine and fresh air to grow properly—part of the requirements brought on by his human heritage—and now that it wasn’t actively raining, it would be prudent to give him what he needs.

Especially because it would make him shut up. “Fine, you win.” His sobs faltered and slow down some, and Miyuki shook her head, wagging a finger at him. “But only because it stopped raining. Wait here; I will go get ready.” She took swift strides to the doorway, and he followed on his clumsy little legs like the insolent creature he was. Typical. Something bubbled over in her chest and she let out a low laugh, shaking her head as she looked around the little bedroom that was hers now, so much smaller than her quarters at home. 

She, the Tallest, ruler of an entire planet, the greatest planet of the known universe, was playing smeetsitter to a hybrid that did not belong in existence, that was probably breaking about thirty Irken laws simply by being, and that could never and would never be accepted by either race should anyone learn what he truly was. All because she crash landed in the middle of universal nowhere and had no other way to return home but to suck up to the single creature on all of this backwards “Earth” planet that could help her so that he’d help her fix her ship.  

“I wonder,” she said to the toddler as she reached into her dresser for some Earthling clothing, “if someday you will also grow up to manufacture something that will try to eat me. I’ve had that experience once; I’m not…” Her throat tightened slightly  “… Keen on reliving it.”

His face remained in her head, however much it hurt that it did. Those big, eager eyes, the color of Vortian (and also, apparently, Earthen, which was just a delightful discovery) raspberries. That giant smile. Chirping voice that could turn to loud crowing at the drop of a hat. So very, pitifully small for an Irken, the smallest Irken on record; he should have died years ago when he was first hatched, or in training, but he didn’t. So enthusiastic and eager to please, so ready to prove himself, that he did everything and asked questions never.

The entire point of his job in weapons manufacturing was to keep him out of trouble, out of harm’s way. Far from a drone service, but as close to an Invader as possible. And he still found some way to screw it up, all in the name of…

“It’s for you, my Tallest! This is just a prototype, the real one will be much more deadly, much more worthy of being used by the Irken Armada! But, it, eh, felt like a waste to just throw it out, and it’s soft and squishy, and you like soft and squishy things, and it nuzzles and makes little chirpy happy noises, so I thought you’d like to keep it!”

Making her happy.

She looked over to Dilbert, now sitting on the floor, amusing himself by drawing patterns in the carpet with his little, round fingers.

He doodled when he was bored, too. 

Ugh. She had to stop torturing herself like this. Would he even be alive when she got back?

He survived this far. The brutal training, the initial activation, despite being too small… The Control Brains keep missing him entirely, even after talking with him directly…

Yes but he also has a penchant for disaster, and you’re no longer there…

Her insides squirmed. Dilbert was squirming. She shoved the thoughts from her mind and retreated into the bathroom with her things. A few minutes later she pushed the door open again, picking with distaste at the cloth and at the necklace around her throat. A simple blouse and matching skirt would ensure she blended in easily, and the jewelry added an extra touch of human normalcy, but she was still not entirely sure she liked wearing them. The clothes felt too light on her body, too loose. Still, dealing with clothing that felt oddly was much better than, say, being captured and dissected. Or being forced to flee for her life. She would put up with it.

Dilbert, mercifully still quiet, scrambled to join her at her side, taking hold of her skirt with one tiny hand. She scooped him into her arms, wincing at the human scent she still wasn’t used to, before carrying him from the room. He squirmed in her arms, cooing quietly, and didn’t resist when she set him down in his stroller. Kneeling beside him, she fastened him carefully into place and reached up to her necklace, pressing a button. 

The heat the hologram disguise generates tingled unpleasantly along her skin, but it protected her. At least in that way it was more useful than the clothes. And it was blue, too. 

She opened the front door and flinched when a blast of wind greeted her. Dilbert squinted his eyes at the sunlight peeping through the clouds, but showed no visible signs of distress, thanks to his father’s efforts to get the boy outside frequently.

She, however, was never going to get used to this ‘weather’ thing. Sure, sunny days she can manage, but wind tugged at her antennae and scattered scents! How was she supposed to get a read on her surroundings if she couldn’t pinpoint where anything was coming from? Then there was rain- rain was an abomination that doesn’t deserve to exist. Fog stung her face and whatever else wasn’t covered, and she didn’t like the sound of this ‘snow’ business. Or ‘heatwave.’  Apparently the snow thing would be coming soon, too. Ridiculous planet.

The air smelled sharp and the wind chilled her slightly. Maybe she should give up on this after all… No, no, think rationally. Did she have anything to deal with this? She did have a sweater, but she doesn’t like the feel of it- wait, yes she does! The coat! How did she forget about the coat!? It was only her favorite piece of clothing on this ball of dirt that calls itself a planet! Miyuki wheeled the child inside and, ignoring his cries of protest, left the living room to dart into her bedroom and fetch the black trench coat Membrane had purchased for occasions such as these. She grabbed the coat from the closet and pulled it on as she left the room, returning to the stroller and pushing it out the door. A quick pause to lock the door behind her. Not that she needed to with the intense amount of security, but might as well. And they were off. Finally She pulled the collar up around her mouth, using her other hand to steer the stroller around a puddle while hissing her hatred at the liquid. The sky was clearing, so more rain was highly unlikely, but even just the presence of puddles made her skin crawl. Stupid, Miyuki knows this; she was wearing boots and no water can get in. But still, who willing stepped in collections of acid even with protective gear? It took a little longer to reach the park and her steering had to get really creative occasionally, but eventually they left the sodden sidewalk behind for… soggy grass, mud, paths that are pocketed with more accursed puddles, and a playground that’s completely unusable due to how soaked it is. No, don’t shake a fist at the sky; you’ll look insane. Letting out a deep breath instead, she rolled the carriage back and forth slightly as her eyes closed, letting out a low hum. Well, the park wasn’t an option today. Was there anywhere else to take him where the little hybrid could spend at least an hour outdoors without too much water?

… Not… really.  The Irken groaned. Fine. Back they go.   Stupid Earth weather. With a huff she turns the wheels and starts pushing on the stroller. Dilbert was whining again, little arms reaching back towards the playground as he twisted in his seat, and her antennae shift back, a growl rising in her throat. If he was so smart, why couldn’t he see the water on the playground and recognize that it would be unwise to let him run about on such a slippery surface? “Be quiet,” she eventually snapped. He responded with actual tears, and her guts twisted slightly. Just great. Some children flew by on skateboards, bicycles, and scooters, nearly splashing her and the Dilbert in the process. She hissed before she could stop herself and yanked her body and the stroller back to avoid them, and just in time; one of the girls clipped the stroller with her scooter and almost fell off, having to hop off before the primitive devise could throw her from it, run awkwardly beside it, and then leap back on. Thankfully the water missed Miyuki, as the girl was going too slowly by the time she went through the puddle to spray it very far.

“Watch where you’re going, smee- CHILD!” Human vocabulary was strange and still refused to roll off the tongue with any ease. “Next time I swear I will take that toy from you and wrap it around your skinny little throat!” It’s was late; they were too far for their inferior human ears to hear her. Damn them to the deepest depths of the farthest black hole. Snarling, the Irken carefully righted the stroller, which she had pulled back in such a way that, had it not been for the straps, would have dumped its precious cargo onto the concrete. Dilbert was whimpering, little hiccups leaking out with big, fat tears. Blast it all. “Shhh, it’s alright.” Well, her tone wasn’t sharp, at least. “They are gone now, and should they return I will make them very sorry they did.” She watched as he scrubbed his knuckles into his eyes, chewing on her tongue. Perhaps if she had some candy, that might work, but she didn’t think to grab any before leaving the house. Which was a stupid move, she reflected, since the human smeet was the most accident prone person she’s known since him and candy was usually a quick fix anytime Dilbert gets a bump or scrape. Her antenna flicked. He was quiet. Why? Quickly she glanced down; he was staring at something. Blue eyes rose, and found his were locked onto a tiny black trench coat a mannequin in the shop window was dressed in. His little mouth was hanging open like he just discovered the answer to the meaning of life. “… Well then.  We’ve lingered here long enough.” Her hands returned to the stroller’s handles, and he cried out.  

“Want!” Of course he’d add another word to his vocabulary right now. It’s not like she was eager to leave or anything. Miyuki raised a hand to her face to place her fingers against her forehead, then moved them to her temple. Well, he’d seen it and he’d pitch a fit if she tried to leave without it. It’s small, right? It can’t cost too much, and I do have monies on me. It wouldn’t take long, either… “Fine. Let’s go see it.” She wheeled the carriage inside. Dilbert insisted on having that exact trench coat, and it was a hassle to convince the store clerk to take the coat off the mannequin, but Miyuki was nothing if not persuasive, and eventually she conceded and took it down for them. Then it was off to the tiny dressing room in the back, where Dilbert refused to allow her to accompany him into the room to help him into the coat. 

The toddler sure was a willful one, and Miyuki can’t help but wonder if this was a normal thing in human smeets, and if she should be proud or annoyed. She settled for a mix of both, the former somewhat begrudgingly. “Tah-dah!” She glanced up from her seat to see the tiny human-Irken hybrid in front of her more or less drowning in a coat made for someone twice his height. His eyes were closed and his smile was huge, showing off all his strange human teeth, and he had his hands on his hips, sleeves falling far past them. The sight was so weird and so amusing she couldn’t help but smile a bit. “You look stunning.” He beamed brighter. “Come, we should be leaving.” She went to remove the coat and he frowned, pulling back and hugging himself to keep the coat locked in place, making grumbling noises. She shook her head and took hold of his arm in a loose grip, carefully pulling him along with her until he moved his hand to hold hers, as she looked for the clerk. The woman allowed them to buy the trench coat—two hundred monies is ridiculous for such a tiny piece of clothing and Miyuki wished she could just steal the thing, but that would be a terrible idea—and they returned home, finally. Dilbert refused to take the coat off, and she allowed him to leave it on while she got supper together for the three of them.  

A Tallest, cooking. Really, now the universe had seen everything. Or would, if this hick planet was near anything resembling the civilized universe.

Membrane returned home, and laughed at the sight of his son, ruffling the little one’s hair. “That’s a great look for you, son!  What gave you the idea?” Neither of them expected an answer, but he surprised them. The tiny boy flashed Miyuki a giant smile and pointed to her. “Just like Mommy!” She almost dropped the plate she was carrying to the table. “… Son?” Membrane does not look nearly as shellshocked as his Irken companion; he’s merely confused. “… The coat.” Miykui’s eyes widen slightly. “Oh, he means the coat you bought for me in case of cooler weather; I’ve been wearing it a lot for the past few weeks but not the past few days… he must have remembered me wearing it frequently…” Dilbert nods. He looked so pleased with himself. “Like Mommy!” “Yes, it’s good to be like your mother.” Membrane patted his head before carefully peeling the coat off and setting the fussing boy in his high chair. “Now now, take it easy,” he cut in above Dilbert’s protests. “You can have it back when you’re all done with dinner.” They started supper. Miyuki for a few minutes stared silently at the meal. Just like Mommy. The way his face lit up when he said that… Maybe she was more ready for that other word in his vocabulary than she thought she was. Mommy. It wasn’t not such a bad word, really. The twitch of her lips went unnoticed as she began to eat.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Grudge 2 (2006)

This sequel to 2004’s The Grudge utter lack of confidence squanders all of its potential - assuming it had any. When it isn't answering questions no one asked, The Grudge 2 simply repeats what we’ve seen before, either in the original Ju-on or in the remake.

The film follows three separate stories. The first concerns Aubrey (Amber Tambly), whose sister Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is recovering from the ordeal she went through in the first picture. The second has school girls Vanessa (Teresa Palmer) and Miyuki (Misako Uno) tricking another schoolgirl, Allison (Arielle Kebbel) into entering the home where Kayako Saeki (Takako Fuji) was murdered years ago. Finally, a young boy named Jake (Matthew Knight) sees strange figures around a distraught woman who has just returned home to her parents.

Once again directed by Takashi Shimizu, this movie has nothing to do. We briefly explore a couple of new concepts, like “what would happen if you were being followed by an onryō and you traveled to America?” But the answer's not worth 108 minutes, which is why we follow three stories whose links are not immediately apparent - though I bet astute viewers will figure it out easily. It’s a shock to see Sarah Michelle Gellar again but her role is basically a cameo. When her sister and a Chinese journalist (Edison Chen) start digging into Kayako's past, you perk up a little. We know the rules but maybe writer Stephen Susco (whose only worthwhile work came 12 years later in Unfriended: Dark Web) has something clever at the tip of his pen. He does not.

Nearly every unsettling or spooky image is ruined by the film’s score, which reminds you constantly that you're watching a horror movie by playing loud noises. There’s nothing inherently wrong with jump scares if used correctly but The Grudge 2 has no other tools in its arsenal. It gets real old, real fast.

While some might find the various plot lines confusing, anyone who's seen Ju-on will “get” what the film’s up to immediately. In the original, the various crisscrossing storylines and mixed up chronology added to the experience and made everything feel otherworldly. Here it feels like a gimmick.

If you saw the theatrical version and hoped the unrated cut would be better, it isn’t. The cheap titilation as various characters walk around in changing rooms or showers are not altered to show any nudity, the gore is virtually unchanged. The only differences are a couple of extra seconds or alternate shots here and there.

There’s little - if anything - that allows The Grudge 2 to validate its existence. It’s nothing but a cash-grab that was green-lit solely because the first made money. There was no vision here and little ambition to expand the lore. It’s yet another reason to stop watching after 2002's Ju-on: The Grudge. (Unrated Director’s Cut on DVD, January 6, 2020)

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 4)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

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RDG is officially back on a biweekly schedule. The school year is off to a great start, and I have a wonderful class this year! But readjusting to my work schedule (necessary prep and grading means that I’m generally at school from 7AM to 5PM most days plus whatever I take home on the weekends--don’t let anyone tell you grade school teachers work 9-3) means that I won’t have much time for translation for a while. Right now, by the time I get home, all I want to do is take a shower, have dinner, and crawl into bed. XD Give me a month and my stamina should be back up.

As a beginning of the school year gift to myself, I purchased RDG on DVD. Keep an eye out for screenshots here on Tumblr! The animation really is gorgeous.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Disappearance Part 2 (2 of 2)

Holding her world history textbook and notebook, Izumiko walked through the door of the audio-visual room to find Mayura smiling and waving at her from the first row of tiered seating.

“Did I hear that Sagara is back? Did he seem better?”

“Yeah. Better enough to be bossy. Sorry about this morning.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you made it to sixth period. I didn’t think you’d come to anymore classes today.”

Izumiko sighed as she sat down in the seat next to Mayura. “Sagara demanded I go study. He said he’d be going to the rest of his classes today, too.”

“That sounds like something he’d say. He’s probably just hiding his embarrassment over the fact that he got pulled out of school.”

Looking around her, Izumiko noticed that she didn’t see Manatsu. She thought he had chosen the same classes as her this term.

“Huh? Where’s Manatsu?”

“He was upset that you were upset, and ran away from the classroom building. He’s an idiot.”

“Uh… What should we do? We should go after him.”

Mayura shook her head as Izumiko cringed. “There’s no point. He hates school, and there’s nothing we can do about it. I have a feeling he’s already started his duties for the riding club. Don’t go after him. Your studies depend on you being here, so just do what Sagara said.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve just been thinking of myself,” Izumiko responded, looking down.

Mayura snickered. “That’s not true. Wouldn’t you say it’s more like you’ve just been thinking about Sagara? It seems to me that you’re just not using his name.”

Izumiko began to protest, but then she realized there was no point in denying it. Her chest felt so much lighter now that Miyuki was back.

When it became clear that Izumiko wouldn’t respond to her words, Mayura said in a carefree voice, “Anyway, this helps to settle one issue. I’m glad Sagara’s okay, too. Now you can go on with your life without becoming a shut-in, and we can get back to the way things were before the festival.”

“Yeah… That’s good.”

Izumiko was able to smile back at her. She still felt a little upset over Miyuki’s disappearance, but all the same, what Mayura had said was still correct.

Seeing as I didn’t go with Masumi, and I stayed here in the present at the school, I should really make sure I don’t regret my decision…

With that in mind, Izumiko threw all her effort into returning to her normal, everyday life at Houjou Academy.

At this point in time, the one thing Izumiko was most worried about was showing her face in student government.

Mayura had told her that President Kisaragi wasn’t angry, but that wasn’t enough to comfort Izumiko. She had heard talk of how all the electronics had stopped working in the middle of the festival, and she knew how difficult that must have been for the staff working then. The other concern that weighed heavily on her mind was what it must have looked like to the other government members when she had run off and abandoned her station.

“Manatsu and I totally disappeared on them that day too,” Mayura said in an attempt to cheer Izumiko up. “Ask Sagara. We skipped out on work just as much as you did. If everyone here was pissed off at us, they probably wouldn’t let us come back, but here we are. Let’s just go in there, bow our heads, and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ We’ll apologize together.”

Mayura’s reasonable tone reassured Izumiko.  

I’ll give Okouchi a serious apology first. From there…

When Izumiko and Mayura reached the second floor where the student government room was, they found the two second year students Yoshifumi Okouchi and Ryouta Hoshino standing with Miyuki. All three of them were chatting happily. After working herself up so much, it all felt very anti-climactic. When they did finally notice the two girls, the big and little bespectacled duo simply looked at them with expressions that said, “Oh, you’re here,” and continued on with their ridiculous discussion without pause.

Reading the atmosphere, Mayura forewent apologizing and simply joined the conversation. Izumiko decided to follow her lead and skip the apology as well.

I wonder what excuse Miyuki made to the older students. Why did they let him start palling around with them again so quickly?

Izumiko thought about this as she looked around. Miyuki was still in his blazer with the necktie tightly cinched around his neck. It didn’t seem like he was trying to impress the older students. His tone was light, and he laughed along with Okouchi and Hoshino, but he added his own thoughts and comments to the conversation as well.

Izumiko was reminded of her trip to Tokyo in the third year of middle school. After she and Miyuki had run away from the Municipal Government Building, she had been sure that her teachers and classmates would lecture her on her actions. However, the whole event had seemed to disappear into obscurity while she wasn’t looking. Both the Sagaras, father and son alike, seemed to have some secret ability to manipulate any situation into going the way they wanted it to.

Now that I think of it, Mr. Sagara and Miyuki probably got together and had some sort of talk after the school festival…

That concerned Izumiko. The things Yukimasa had to say were generally alarming. Miyuki had said that he had chosen to take the tests at the hospital, but the fact that he had gone to there at all was still unsettling to her. Miyuki’s health concerns were most likely larger than he was letting on.

I haven’t thought about that until now. They must have found out something from all those tests and measurements they’ve taken of me…

For all those years, Yukimasa had taken her to the university hospital for testing. As much as she hated to admit it, they had most likely been gathering data on her each time. The ascetic monks, hiding from the modern world as they did, would certainly have people in places like a hospital to do such things.

They’d do it—I’d be dumb to think otherwise. I mean, Dad works at a computer company in Silicon Valley…

As she considered this in the depths of her mind while vaguely following whatever silly story Hoshino was telling, she, and most of the student government, assembled in the club room. Besides Manatsu who had given the riding club priority, they were all there. This was their first time meeting since the school festival, the biggest affair of the year, had ended.

Jean Honoka Kisaragi, along with second year Rena Akinokawa, was the last to appear. Once the student government president was in attendance, the group quieted down.

“Sorry that I’m late. Let’s get started.”

Honoka clothed her delicate frame in a boy’s uniform, and wore her dark blonde hair in an extremely short style. While she had been busy with the festival, her hair had seemed to grow longer than it usually was, but judging by her appearance now, she had visited a salon since then.

Rena, who was taller than Honoka, styled her long hair in pigtails and wore a skirt. As a result, when they stood next to each other, there was a certain impact to their duel appearances that even members of the student government hadn’t gotten used to yet.

The student president looked around at the group with her brown eyes, and then proceeded with the meeting.

“Good work on the Warring States era school festival. It was a shame that we ran into some unpredictable trouble over the two days and things couldn’t go exactly to plan, but the staff pulled together everything they had, and I think everyone could tell that we made it work. I personally think we can boast that we did a great job all the way to the very end. The chairman thinks so, too. We attracted a lot of visitors, and there aren’t many people who would say the festival ended badly.”

Honoka’s tone might have been flat, but words she spoke were from her heart. The government members listened quietly as their president continued after a moment’s pause.

“Please be thorough as you fill out the personal questionnaire. You can reflect on your experience and any problems you ran into on it. Now that the festival’s over, there are just two more things I want to check in with you about. The first is do you think that the student government accomplished as much as you expected it to during the festival? And the second is, what exactly was the accident that happened during the Warring States game? The first year student government members who disappeared during the game, clue us in on this.”  

Without thinking, Izumiko ducked her head. Mayura and Miyuki sucked in a quiet breath as well. The rest of the first year members did not react.

The second year bespectacled duo zeroed in on the unpleasantness of what Honoka had just said.

“President,” Hoshino said quietly, “we promised you wouldn’t bring that up.”

“Promised?” Honoka retorted coldly. “Who did you promise that to?”

When Hoshino could not answer, Okouchi responded instead. “It didn’t affect the outcome of the festival, so wouldn’t it just be better not to get into that right now? We all know there must have been reasons for their actions, after all.”

Honoka crossed both arms over her chest.

“You two. Were you bribed? If you were, Sagara’s definitely the one behind it, isn’t he? What was the bribe? Figurines? Comic books?”

“Uh… Well…”

As Okouchi stuttered, Miyuki raised his hand a few inches, and then made his own statement. “You’re right, President. I asked them not to bring it up. In return, I promised them a new book that’s coming out this winter.”

After hearing this surprising information, Rena looked back and forth between the bespectacled duo.

“He seriously swayed you with that? What great principles.”

Honoka cleared her throat, and said, “I can understand why Sagara would want to avoid the topic. Up until now, it’s not something we’ve discussed together as an entire group. But now that everyone’s together, I think it’s time to bring light to what happened at the Warring States era festival.”

As the president turned her eyes to her, Izumiko found herself opening her mouth to speak without knowing what she was doing.

“I’m sorry. Um, I really do think it was wrong of me to leave my post. I meant to apologize right away. I’m sorry for not saying anything from the start.”

“If the first years didn’t get all their work done, then I’m as much to blame,” Mayura said smoothly from beside her. I joined the game, and didn’t do any of my kuroko duties. The festival went beyond anyone’s expectations. It couldn’t really be helped, wouldn’t you say?”

“Um, Mayura ended up becoming a really important part of the festival, and I think it would be wrong to say she didn’t do her job,” innocent looking Wataru Shimamoto added. “Tamura and I worked really hard, and wasn’t Izumiko really cool at the end?”

At this, everyone silently stared at Wataru. Wataru blinked, and then blinked again.

“Ah. Um… Should I not have… said that?”

Honoka let out a large sigh.

“Sorry. My wording was wrong. I had planned to ask Izumiko and the others who disappeared from their positions about what happened, not interrogate them for information. You’re all right. I spoke too harshly,” she said. Her expression was stiff as she placed both hands on the desk. “I believe that the people assembled here are all necessary in some particular way. Therefore, we all have a right to know when something happens. So before we continue, I have to tell everyone that I am not the true student government president.”

“Honoka. Is this a good idea?” Rena asked sharply.

Honoka nodded back at her. “It’s fine. My term is over. Houjou Academy’s student president has been the same person since the school was founded—Hodaka Murakami. I’m not going to hide that anymore. I think you’ll be seeing President Murakami around here from now on, too.”

No one said anything, their expressions mixed. After looking around at everyone, and seeing this, Honoka added in a small voice, “It looks like that lie isn’t news to anyone here, huh? That’s why you couldn’t talk freely with me, isn’t it?”

“It does seem like you were lying to us, but… could you tell us why you decided to announce it here?” Hoshino said in a halfhearted voice. “Are you planning to tell the rest of the student body?”

“Um, uh, I hadn’t heard…” Wataru shared in an even smaller voice than before.

Honoka smiled at him. “Then it looks like I have a reason to change my ways and share the story.”

Izumiko, Miyuki, and Mayura had all been very much aware of Hodaka Murakami, the shadow student government president. Izumiko and Miyuki had met the young man himself. He was also a kabuki actor, and while he was technically enrolled in the school, he could almost never be in attendance. Unfortunately, there was no way of telling if Honoka actually planned to explain the reason Hodaka hid in the shadows.

The student government members sat stiffly, waiting attentively to hear more.

After explaining how Hodaka was a kabubi actor, Honoka went on. “But until Hodaka can truly appear as our representative, he’s had someone else sit in for him and let people think that this other person was the real president. There are things even Hodaka can’t do from afar, and this arrangement has kept that private. Once it becomes known that Hodaka is a “chosen person,” plenty more people will probably want to work for him though.”

This raised questions from a number of student government members.

“Chosen person?”

“What is he a chosen person for?”

Honoka answered. “He is a judge of people. He will choose one person with the greatest powers from among the students here at this school. While there are many unique students here, if there really is one who excels above everyone else, they’ll stand out here. That is the main objective of Houjou Academy. You could even say that this is the whole reason why it was built.”

“You’re saying that this is a school to find the person with the greatest magical abilities?” Okouchi said disbelievingly.

Honoka nodded, her expression serious. “That’s what the chairman based it as. Because of that, when the accident at the Warring States era festival happened, a number of different theories sprung up. There was excitement over such great proof that the person they were looking for was out there. It was a good result. And seeing as there were students who had disappeared at that same time, everyone now knows that they were at the center of the strange event.”

Izumiko felt ice run through her body.

“President Kisaragi, what will be done with that information?” Miyuki countered, his voice loud. “Isn’t this the same thing as an investigation? Even though Hodaka has been supposedly hidden away, what you’re saying now about him choosing a student doesn’t follow that.”

“Anything could happen at this point, Sagara,” Honoka responded coolly. “The tables have turned. President Hodaka plans to reveal himself to everyone, and now that he’s made his choice, he’ll receive active support in that decision. This isn’t a bad thing.”

“But…” Wataru said, his eyes wide as he stared at Miyuki. “Are you saying that Sagara’s the person he chose?”

The effect was instantaneous. Miyuki fell silent.

“What if that’s right, Sagara?” Mayura murmured.

Just then though, Okouchi broke in slowly. “That’s not it. It’s probably not Sagara. I have a feeling that I know who it is. I noticed something weird before the festival, but now, I can’t say that it’s weird at all.”

The two other second year boys, Imai and Shibata were heard murmuring quiet me too’s. Izumiko clutched her hands together on her lap.

I can’t hide it anymore… Everyone knows…

Honoka gazed at Izumiko who sat there, unable to raise her head. “Don’t worry,” she said softly. “Nothing’s going to necessarily happen. It just means that all the groups involved who have been hiding and feeling each other out are going to actually make themselves known. That’s all. I think I’m right to consider that we have bonds as a student government. We could become a powerful group if we combined our strengths. And now with the school festival over, it’s time to start thinking about what this group’s going to look like next year.”

“Woah,” Hoshino broke in, surprise evident in his voice. “We’re already moving onto that? Choosing next year’s student government officers?”

“This year’s staff was full of talented people, so it will be hard to choose next year’s.” Honoka’s expression was serious and unsmiling. “Ichijo Takayanagi is in your year.” She looked towards Miyuki and the others. “Have you given him any consideration?”

Keep reading!

[yafaemi-but-gone-fishing]

| the spookiest night of the year

Summary: tonight is important for two reasons, and Aurora is intent on making sure that it’s enjoyed to the fullest. Everyone else is in for the ride, whether they want to be or not. :) 

________________________________________________________________

The knock on the door was the first sign that the night was not going to be as peaceful as Oliver was hoping for. 

Actually opening it was the confirmation. And when he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Aurora jumping out from the hidden side of the balcony, caked in what looked like blood and decked in tattered robes. “By the gods, Rory, what is wrong with you!?” 

She cackled. Not even a laugh, it was a full on cackle. “Come on, it’s All Saints Wake! This is the perfect time to scare your friends out of their wits! Gods, that face you made was priceless, Oli! I’ve never heard you yell that loud before!” Doubled over into herself, odd eyes nearly crossing in her unending laughter. 

“By the Fury, I could hear you all the way from the other side of the house. What seems to the--” Amandine stopped dead in her tracks, halfway in the hall. Oliver ignored the stifled snicker she made when she spotted Aurora. “I see.” 

It took several moments for Aurora to compose herself well enough to even speak. Let alone anything else. She wiped away a tear carefully, making sure not to disturb the fake blood saturating her face. Then, with a passably serious expression, she looked up again. 

“We have two things we’re doing tonight,” she explained with a grin, brushing past Oliver into the house. He followed after her silently, letting out a shaky breath as he closed the door, “Scaring random people that are walking around somewhere dark, and celebrating Miyuki’s nameday.” 

“...Pardon?” 

“Wait, how did you even find out what his nameday was?” 

Aurora waved a dismissive hand, saying, “He mentioned something about it earlier to me, when I asked if he was free tonight. He’ll be here in a half hour, I think he said. I gave him directions. Hope you don’t mind.” 

For some reason, it appeared as though whether or not Amandine did was irrelevant. Given the fact that Miyuki was already on the way to begin with, anyways. There was no way to retroactively take the information back, unless she hit him over the head and gave him amnesia.

She shrugged halfheartedly, “I suppose I can let this pass.”

“Awesome. Ok, so, we need to get you guys some costumes.” When neither Oliver or Amandine replied, Aurora gestured to herself with a pleased grin. “I’ve got mine, and Miyuki already dresses like a voidsent trying to pass as a mortal, anyways. Do you guys have any, like… ruined bedsheets, or something? Oliver’d make a good ghost, so that’s his costume already set up.” 

Of all the things that could have happened tonight… this was probably not even the worst. Not by a long shot. Scaring people and dragging along someone who was barely even their acquaintance, at that point? What was it about All Saints wake that always made Aurora so intent on causing trouble? 

“I was a ghost the last year we spent in Radz-at-Han, though, Rory. That would just be unoriginal, now.” 

He’d known her for too long to bother questioning it, even if it was a bad idea. If you can’t understand them, join them, or whatever it was people always said. 

“Hmmm. Bat, maybe? I don’t think we’ve dressed up as bats in ages.” 

“If we might pause for a moment,” Amandine interrupted them, causing the attention in the room to stop short of actual costume making, “What exactly is going on here? I seem to have lost track of the conversation.” 

The way that Aurora sighed made it seem like she was inconvenienced by this. The slightest hint of Amandine’s violet eyes rolling to the back of her head made Oliver shrug in mute sympathy. “We’re trying to think of Oliver’s costume, so that we can go out and scare people.” 

“Very well. However, if I might ask another question: why?” 

“Why not?” 

That seemed to make Amandine sigh. She crossed her arms, “Why do you think, Aurora? This is not exactly your everyday spontaneous decision.”

Technically, she was right. Though technicality was likely one of the things Aurora paid the least attention to in her decisions. It was a fun idea, something to do, and celebrated two events in one sitting. In summary, an absolutely perfect way to spend the night. 

Whether or not everyone else agreed could be considered later. Besides, they would come around eventually. Likely in the far future, where the night's events would be a hilarious story that ended in chaos. 

At least they were fun nights. “Believe me, Mandi, this is more or less normal for Rory. I thought you knew that already,” Oliver said with a shrug. Then with a small grin, “Plus, the last time we did this, we all went to the Bismarck and got the sandwich platter.” 

“Ooooh, I remember that!” Aurora turned to him, giving him a light shove as she nodded. The grin was splitting through her makeup. “Gods, those pirates were something else, weren’t they?” 

Amandine looked suddenly less impressed, but at least a hint amused. “Halone forgive me for this. I’ll follow along with whatever insane plan you have brewed for tonight, Aurora. But I swear, if we end up gallivanting with pirates, I am leaving. With or without you, Oliver,” she added. The attempt to sound stern failed quite miserably when the teasing smile broke onto her face. 

“Good!” Aurora clapped her hands together, grin only getting wider. Oliver smiled despite himself, watching as Amandine rolled her eyes once more with a smile of her own. “You won’t regret this, I promise. Go and find something suitably spooky to put on, alright? Or just, like… dark. Maybe you could be like a voidsent’s mistress, or something?” 

Half a chuckle escaped her lips, and she turned down the hall, saying, “Mhach itself will bow down to my otherworldly charms.” 

“That’s the spirit!” 

________________________________________________________________

Miyuki had arrived while Amandine was preparing. 

“You actually came!” Aurora bounced up from the couch the second Miyuki entered the living room, followed closely by Oliver. Looking as unenthusiastic as ever. “Thanks a lot, Yuki. I mean it, this is going to be awesome.” 

“Miyuki,” he corrected with a single righting of his glasses. “It’s Miyuki.”

“Uh huh.” Aurora ignored him, more or less. As she usually did. “Amandine’ll… probably be out in a minute. She’s getting ready. I think. Or she just climbed out of a window to avoid having to go with us.” She shrugged, then glanced towards the doorless entrance that went out into the main hall again. 

Miyuki brushed his dark hair to the side, then nodded once. “I envy her. Really, I do.” 

“Hey, this is your nameday we’re celebrating, here. What’s the fun if it’s not with the old man himself?” 

“Aurora, I’m literally three years younger than you are. I’m not old in the slightest.” 

It took half a moment for her to respond. Aurora squinted her eyes at him, raised an eyebrow, then said, “...You’re only 21? Gods, I thought you were older. You act like it, anyways.” 

Oliver blinked. “Ya… I didn’t think I was older than you. Only by a year, but… that’s cool! Happy nameday anyways, Miyuki.” He didn’t mention the confusion on the fact that Miyuki’s hair was definitely longer the last time they’d spoken. 

“You don’t act your age either. We’re even.” 

Aurora snorted. “Hey, I act my age. When I have to. Otherwise, what’s the point in always being serious other than boring yourself to sleep?” Something caught her eye behind Miyuki, from the way she paused. And the second after when she went to speak, her voice seemed to fade away, leaving them only with a weak, “...Oh. Wow.” 

Amandine had, apparently, returned. Decked in a long, flowing black coat, with silver engravings running down the entirety of it. There was a running slit that went up her leg, stopping midway up her thigh. “I pray this isn’t too formal for your ridiculous antics? I wanted to play the part.” 

“No, that’s… that’s cool. You look really nice.” Aurora swallowed, then finally scooted her eyes from the long slit in the dress. She got up, stretched, and then smiled at the group, “...So, are we ready to go now? We’ve got a long night ahead of us.” 

Oliver nodded once. He’d slipped into something suitably bat-like in the time that Amandine had been preparing, and Miyuki arriving. At least, he hoped it was suitably bat-like. Aurora’d given him a thumbs up about it, if nothing else.

“I’m leaving you to your fates if this gets us into trouble with the authorities,” Miyuki remarked, moving his small braid to the side of his shoulder. He ran a hand over it, then let it drop back. “I’m not getting arrested on my nameday.” 

There was a snicker from Amandine. “Well, I suppose since Miyuki has taken what my witty reply would have been, I’m prepared as well.”

“Good. Then let’s get out there, and make this an All Saints Wake-- and nameday, too-- that we won’t forget!” 

________________________________________________________________

They’d developed a very good system, for scaring people. 

Aurora would most often be the first one to jump out, being that she looked the most like a zombie that had wandered into a city. Often followed by Miyuki, who would then apologize for his minion’s inability to control herself. Even if his lack of utter enthusiasm often made the joke fall slightly more flat than intended. 

And the fact that Aurora would break into laughter far too easily at the unsettled faces of the victims. 

Then again, that was until one rather interesting scare. 

“...at which point, the cast would be far easier to use lightning aspected aether. Yet that is simply easier said than done, unless you’re in a place highly saturated with it,” Amandine explained, with a simple shrug. She and Oliver were settled comfortably behind a bush, in a rather empty spot in Gridania. Their turn to scare a few people had come and gone once more, of which she was most grateful. 

“I think I understand what you mean. I guess some magic is just sort of impossible to cast without like… a focus? Is that what you call them? Or just… something that has what you need…?”

“There are various ways to call such things. Though, your best bets are--”

She was cut off by thundering footsteps, and Miyuki suddenly bursting through the bush. Slightly out of breath, by the long pause he took before even regarding them. Oliver and Amandine looked up with surprised expressions as he gathered his breath, and said, “Aurora is in trouble.” 

Without another word, Oliver was up and leaping through the bush. It sounded like Amandine was on his heel, yet he hardly bothered to glance back.  

He hardly took the chance to even slow down from a reckless half-sprint until Aurora came into view enough to discern what was happening. From the seem of it, she was… hardly in any danger to begin with. Simply standing there, and with what looked like a slowly forming grin. 

Miyuki walked right past both he and Amandine, then went to stand by Aurora. He looked at her, then to Amandine and Oliver, then-- in the most surprising twist of the night, in Oliver’s own opinion-- smiled. 

...And right then and there, it hit Oliver what had just happened. “...Rory, are you actually serious?” 

Then Amandine’s voice cut in, cold as ice. “Aurora Rivers, if the Twelve do not strike you down someday, I swear I will do it myself.” 

Aurora nearly screamed out in sudden bouts of laughter. Nearly falling over, one hand going to catch herself on Miyuki’s shoulder as he let out a soft snicker. Though, he did brush her hand off. “Seven hells, that couldn’t have been any better!” She let out a gasp, nearly tripped on her own feet, and righted again. It was the front door all over again, suddenly. Oliver crossed his arms. “Hah, give me a second... that was too good!”

“You tricked us!” 

“And you seriously fell for it!” Aurora let out another laugh, this time falling over onto the ground. “...Seriously, you should’ve seen the looks on your faces! That was too good!” There was a moment of silence, and she finally sat herself up, pushing a mess of black hair out of her face. Some of the strands were still stuck into the makeup. “Ok, to be fair, that... “ she took another pause to breathe, “That was Miyuki’s idea.” 

He shrugged at the collective glares from them both, the smile going a hint smug. “You’re all terrible influences. Your glaring has no effect on me.” 

Aurora got herself up, brushed off her tattered clothes, and did a half-hopping skip over to Oliver and Amandine. She caught Oliver in a hug, still stifling down giggles as he only let out a long-suffering sigh. “Aw, c’mon, at least admit it’s sort of funny! You’re gonna make me feel bad.” 

“I’ll admit it when I’m not upset. Does that work?”

With a slightly more soft laugh, Aurora shrugged, “That’s fair. And, well… I think Amandine’s planning my death now, so I’m not going to try and ask. Happy All Saints Wake, though…?” She glanced over at her, offering a raise of her shoulders. 

“They’ll find your body in time for the next All Saints Wake, I assure you.” 

“Oh. Well, that works, at least!” 

Oliver spared her a glance. He offered at least one half of a smile, then said, “Mandi, please don’t kill my sister. You can take a limb, though..” 

“Hey, c’mon! I need my limbs.” For emphasis, she waved around her arms, glancing between the two of them. “This isn’t a game of halfsies here. All or nothing. I’m not a coward.” 

“He’s bartering for your life, and you’re trying to give her a reason to take it anyways.” Miyuki came up behind her, then stood at her side with crossed arms and a raised brow. He pushed up his glasses again, “That makes sense.” 

“You’re just jealous that she wants my life, and not yours.” 

“Oh, absolutely.” 

When Amandine’s forehead went to rest in her palm, Aurora let out another laugh. “Alright. How about, as an apology, we go and get some food? I guess I can pay as an apology. At least Oliver’ll forgive me?” She looked at him for confirmation, and only received a shrug as an answer. “Close enough. Come on, guys. I know a great restaurant in this area. They even serve free cake for your nameday, so we’ll all get a slice because of Miyuki.” 

“It had better be a vanilla cake.” 

“...Nevermind, the cake’s not worth it anymore. Chocolate or go home.” 

“Then you’re not getting cake at all, because I’m going home.” 

Amandine scoffed. “Forgive my forwardness, yet for the part you played in this trick, you are not leaving until I have received the finest slice of cake this restaurant has.” 

“I’m with Mandi. You two owe us cake,” Oliver said with a nod. As Aurora, Amandine, and Miyuki started off, he added, “...And besides, you’re both wrong, anyways. Ice cream cake is way better.” 

[swanfrcst]

fool’s gold

fandom: daiya no ace | kuraryou

summary: Kuramochi's never met someone quite like Ryousuke before, but he rises up to the challenge just because he can. 

notes: canon compliant, that basic ™  fic about kuraryou first meeting but hopefully with enough of my own style, i fucking love krry | word count: 2.7k

insp. 

ao3 || ffn 

Kuramochi's never been the type to sit still, stay quiet, out of trouble and out of mind. When he wants something, he goes for it, plunging in head first; no questions asked. This is, he likes to think, the product of a childhood filled with scrapes on his knees from alleyway fighting and callouses on his hands from baseball - both driven by fire and passion and leave little room for doubt.

In the same vein, Kuramochi is not used to being careful. 

He is not used to watching where he places his hands and feet or what words slide off his tongue. It's served him well enough in baseball – the satisfying swing of the bat, base-running courses paved through instinct and experience. In middle school, Kuramochi would have been hard pressed to meet someone who could keep up with his sharp tongue and fast legs, the whirlwind of his laughter and unpredictability of his fists too much for most to handle.

At Seidou, Kuramochi meets someone who takes one look at him and spits on everything he thought he'd had.

"You suck," the second year says, out of the blue, danger glinting off his small, sardonic smile. In fact, he doesn't even look at Kuramochi - his eyes seem to slide right past him, as if the boy were talking to the air next to Kuramochi's head.

Kuramochi inhales sharply, grimacing at the taste of dirt in his mouth and glares.

Everything about the boy - Kominato Ryousuke, Kuramochi learns - projects blaring warning signs to anyone in his vicinity. Do not approach, his posture says. If you waste my time I’ll cut your tongue out, his smile suggests. Kuramochi could've sworn he'd actually heard Kominato say that to a third year, but he can't be sure.

If Kuramochi had any common sense, he'd keep his head down and quietly, steadily work his way toward the level of the Seidou first-stringers.

Unfortunately, Kuramochi's got no self-preservation to speak of and a bursting temper honed through years of backstreet alleyways so the next time he's on the field with Kominato and after being subjected to a torrent of insults and mocking comments Kuramochi draws himself up and snarls, "So, what's your problem?"

Kominato pauses, deliberately letting silence fall between them before turning around and tilting his head slightly, very much like a hawk considering its prey.

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you," Kominato says, voice honey smooth, "but unless you step up your game, you're going to be sitting in the bleachers for the rest of your high school career with such a pathetic skillset."

By this time, some of the other upperclassmen have paused in their practice, noticing Kominato's broken focus. Kuramochi very suddenly feels the weight of many, many judging stares burning into his back.

"You could - "

"End of conversation, first year." Kominato cuts him off and Kuramochi notices the flashes of irritation that cross the other boy's face. "You're holding up practice."

After that, Kuramochi shuts up, embarrassment burning low and hot in his belly. But he can’t help stealing quick glances at Kominato’s small frame, watching how every step he takes is full of power and full of purpose, as if he is declaring to the world – this field is mine, this base is mine, and no one will trespass on its grounds.

Kuramochi knows that you shouldn’t fight fire with fire, that Kominato’s sheer determination probably burns hotter than his own. But he has also never been one to back down from a challenge, especially one stated so plain and clear. In a pause between reps, Kuramochi stretches his arms and laughs quietly to himself, grinning as his new resolve kick-starts a sort of excitement he hasn’t felt in a long, long time.

He doesn’t notice Ryousuke’s eyes on him, calculating, discerning.

“Ryousuke,” Jun says over dinner a couple days later, “Shouldn’t you be a bit easier on that Kuramochi kid? We don’t want him to self-destruct before he gets his bearings.”

Almost instinctively, Ryousuke’s gaze slides over a couple tables to where Kuramochi and Miyuki are sitting, courageously picking rice grains out of their too-full bowls.

“I think he’ll be fine,” he responds nonchalantly, “He’s not the type to give up just because his feelings are hurt.”

A pause, then Jun frowns.  “If you say so. Sometimes he looks like he wants to knife you, but maybe that’s just me.”

Ryousuke simply smiles mysteriously and continues eating.

Over time, Kuramochi begins to mess up less, hit more consistently, and run faster than he’s ever run before. It’s fun, such exhilarating fun that Kuramochi almost forgets his pseudo-grudge against Kominato and his resolve to get the upperclassman to compliment him, just once.

Unfortunately, Kuramochi is rudely reminded of it when tournament season begins and he finds himself in the bleachers, looking down at the tiny figures running about. Miyuki, the bastard, is sitting in the dugout – the only first year to be on the first string. Kuramochi comforts himself over the fact that Miyuki is still a reserve and probably won’t get to play often, until the third years retire.

(Much too soon, Kuramochi will be proven wrong. But for now, he sits and seethes, wishing with all his might that he could be on the field, playing his heart out.)

The first time Kominato says something that isn’t an insult or an order to him, Kuramochi almost fumbles and drops the ball he’s holding. It’s after a set of particularly rough fielding drills, in an unnaturally humid spring morning, said so out of place that Kuramochi could’ve sworn he’d misheard it.

“You’re going to catch flies if you keep your mouth open for too long,” Kominato finally says, breaking the silence.

“But – you just – “

Kominato, the bastard, asks, “I just what, Kuramochi? Have you never been complimented before?”

Not by you, Kuramochi wants to yell, but Kominato’s smile just widens. Fuck – Kuramochi is definitely being laughed at.

“Well,” Kominato hums, “I suppose compliments are off the table then. I’ll take note of that.”

Wait, no – Kuramochi is absolutely internally screaming now, but Kominato is already walking away, hands clasped behind the back and no tension in his shoulders, like he’d just commented about the weather instead of decidedly ripping Kuramochi’s coherency to shreds.

Maybe he’s being a little dramatic, but Kuramochi pinches himself out of his stupor and swears under his breath that he will manage to make Kominatio acknowledge him. One day.

I’ve got fireflies where my caution should be.

There is a certain method to the madness that is Seidou baseball, and an even more mysterious method to the enigma that is Kominato Ryousuke. To be honest, Kuramochi has never considered trying to actively seek it out the answers; his current life consists of baseball, baseball, baseball, and maybe a little bit of actual school.

In the end, it hardly matters, because as time goes on, Kuramochi finds himself spending time with Kominato even outside of practice. He’s there in the evenings, after dinner, swinging away with the rest of the first string underneath the soft glow of the indoor practice shed. Kuramochi, being a second-stringer, is forced to find his own plot of grass behind the dorms to practice in. But he passes by the building, eyes drawn to flashes of pink before it falls out of view. Kominato begins to show up in the weekly (turning into nightly) rendezvous in Miyuki’s dorm, mostly sitting near Jun-san and Tetsu-san and watching smugly as the first years are forced to make vending machine runs. Maybe Kuramochi is unconsciously looking for Kominato now (a preposterous idea), because he now has a running tally of times he’s seen Kominato during the school day. (Once before first period, walking up the staircase with Tetsu-san and Jun-san; once in the cafeteria, but never again, as Kominato doesn’t seem to have the same lunch period as him; once in the hallway as Kuramochi is walking to class – but Kominato turns a corner before Kuramochi can open his mouth; once…)

So it’s not his fault when one day, during practice, Kominato catches a particularly tricky hit and his first reaction is to yell, “Nice one, Ryousuke-san!”

Kominato freezes for a moment, almost forgets to step on base to tag the runner, Miyuki, out. Thankfully, Kominato is not a fool like Kuramochi, and snaps out of it quickly, perhaps stepping on second base with more force than needed.

One knowing smirk from Miyuki is enough to shut Kuramochi’s brain down. As the snickering catcher jogs away, having been tagged out, Kuramochi tries to apologize. He can’t seem to form proper words, and ends up coughing instead.

Luckily, the next batter is already stepping up to the plate, so Kominato’s sharp, unsettling stare lingers over Kuramochi for only a few, tense moments before he turns back to face the batter. Thankful for the distraction, Kuramochi shakes himself out of his stupor and resolves to forget about the whole damn thing.

“So, Ryousuke-san, huh?” is the first thing Miyuki says to him after practice, shit-eating grin forever present on his face. Kuramochi instinctively crushes his water bottle in his fist.

“None of your business,” Kuramochi snarls, already feeling his face heat up. “It was an accident.”

Miyuki looks positively delighted at this new development. “Of course. Just an accident.”

In response, Kuramochi contemplates the pros and cons of murder.

(Instead of slowing down, I just shine brighter.)

As the team moves into the heart of competition season, the tension rises exponentially. The first string practices intensify, leaving little time for experimentation with promising second stringers. Kuramochi spends most of his time outside of school slaving away on practice field B and swinging away until it feels like his arms are about to fall off. More often than not, he drags himself to bed and immediately passes out from exhaustion.

All of this is excellent distraction from the Kominato Ryousuke problem, as Kuramochi goes days with seeing Kominato maybe once or twice throughout the entire day. They haven’t spoken a single word to each other in that time.

Of course, this false sense of security is quickly shattered.

After dinner, the evening before the first match of the summer regionals, Kominato very decidedly blocks off Kuramochi’s exit and says, “Kuramochi, meet me near the vending machines in ten minutes.” Unsurprisingly, it is less of a request and more of an order.

His knee-jerk reaction is to say ok, sure, what’s wrong? because his mama didn’t raise a savage, but one look at Kominato’s carefully blank expression and he bites down on his cheek so hard he tastes blood.

“Um,” Kuramochi eloquently replies, suddenly feeling very small, even if Kominato is at least a head shorter than him.

“Good. See you then,” Kominato turns on his heel and glides out the door, leaving Kuramochi to stare after him in a dazed stupor.

He’s rudely knocked out of it by a stinging slap on the shoulder. When Kuramochi whips his head around, snarling defensively, he is met with the sight of Miyuki wringing out his hand, wincing at the pain. Kuramochi glares, mentally screaming GO AWAY; but of course Miyuki can’t hear him.

“Dude,” Miyuki says, shoulders shaking as if he is holding back laughter, “Stop freaking out. He’s not going to do anything terrible to you.”

“Yeah, like you would know,” Kuramochi snaps.

“I practice with him. Every day. Kominato-senpai’s not as bad as he seems, I promise.”

Miyuki waves a lazy goodbye as he leaves the cafeteria, leaving Kuramochi to stew over his choices. He could turn tail and run, avoid Kominato for as long as he possibly can – but Kuramochi isn’t a quitter, and he most certainly isn’t a coward.

Besides, Kuramochi realizes, feet moving toward the door, he’s been a little lonely the past couple of days. To avoid Kominato, he’d had to skip out on the nightly gatherings, spend as little time outside of the classrooms as possible, and pointedly ignore practice field A and its constituents. Now, underneath the night sky, with nothing but the white noise of nature surrounding him, it’s as if Kuramochi’s mind has suddenly cleared, and he’s finally realizing how goddamn stubborn he’s been –

He ends up in front of the vending machines before he knows it; the soft glow of them don’t register immediately, and Kuramochi doesn’t see Kominato until he steps out of the shadows and tosses Kuramochi a can.

Reflexively, Kuramochi reaches out and snags the can (green tea). It’s almost like an infield pass on the diamond, except Kuramochi’s fingers curl around the can in all the wrong ways, and condensation slides across his skin.

“Hi, Ry-Kominato-senpai,” Kuramochi manages to stutter out, hoping that Kominato doesn’t catch the slip of his tongue.

“You can call me Ryousuke, you know,” Kominato says, tell-tale smile curling up his lips. “I don’t care that much for formalities.”

“I – “

“What I do care about,” Kominato (Ryousuke) says, “are your pathetic attempts to avoid me.”

Then, Ryousuke falls silent, as if expecting Kuramochi to speak up and defend his honor. But Kuramochi’s still wrapping his mind around you can call me Ryousuke and can’t do anything but gape.

As if expecting this reaction, Ryousuke laughs, startling Kuramochi out of his stupor.

“Wait,” he blurts out. Ryousuke raises an eyebrow and pops open his can of juice. “Wait.”

“Yes, Kuramochi?” Ryousuke says, looking wildly amused.

There are a million and one things running through Kuramochi’s head right now, but of course he has to sputter, “So you don’t hate me after all?”

Ryousuke pauses, can pressed against his lips. He regards Kuramochi with an odd look, one that borders on amusement but straddles incredulousness. Kuramochi gets the distinct feeling that he is being ridicules in Ryousuke’s head. When Ryousuke doesn’t respond, Kuramochi feels his face getting progressively redder and decides to run away to Hokkaido and never come back.

“Hmm,” Ryousuke says, after he’s flustered Kuramochi to an acceptable degree, “I wonder.”

“Ryou-san!” Kuramochi cries out, covering his face with his hands, green tea forgotten on the bench beside him. “Stop messing with me, please.”

“Oh, so it’s Ryou-san now? You sure move fast.”

Kuramochi chokes, brain finally catching up with his mouth.  Now he’s blushing something fierce, running his hands through his hair, excuses caught in his throat. It feels a bit like he’s back in junior high again, unafraid of the consequences his words might hold, unafraid of plunging through the aftermath of the trouble he gets himself into.

Luckily, Ryousuke doesn’t seem to take offense at his new nickname. Instead, he looks even more entertained, possibly more from Kuramochi’s internal suffering than any sort of affection.

“Like I said,” Ryousuke says, steps forward smoothly to chop him on the head, ignoring Kuramochi’s yelp of pain, “I don’t really care what you call me. So let’s return to the topic at hand, yes?”

“Yeah, of course,” Kuramochi blurts out, wiping his hands nervously on his shirt. He doesn’t remember what Ryousuke want to talk about, and it must show on his face because Ryousuke whacks him lightly on the head again.

Ryousuke shakes his head. “Stop trying to avoid me,” he says, “It’s pathetic watching you tiptoe around.”

Being cautious is not like you, Ryousuke doesn’t say. Instead, be laces his fingers behind his back and smiles up at Kuramochi, waiting for a response.

Weakly, Kuramochi laughs. “You could tell?” he asks, even though he already knows the answer. “I guess I was overreacting.”

“You were.”

“To be fair,” Kuramochi retorts, tension draining out of his shoulders, trademark smile back on his lips, “You’re pretty scary, Ryou-san.”

Ryousuke raises his eyebrow. “Good.”

The next day, Kuramochi walks next to Ryousuke as they head to the practice fields, struggling to keep a big, stupid smile off his face. Ryousuke only glances at him once, but seems content to listen to Kuramochi prattle on about anything he can think of.

When they reach the fork in the road that split to the different practice fields, Ryousuke pauses in his step. Kuramochi, already in the motion of heading toward practice field B, looks back to say goodbye, but Ryousuke beats him to it.

Only, instead of saying goodbye like a normal person, Ryousuke says, without much bite, “You better work hard, or you’ll be stuck on second string forever.”

Kuramochi hears – you better catch up quickly. We haven’t got all the time in the world.

He laughs, bright and sharp, and the early morning sunlight catches on the edge of his smile so, so beautifully. “Sure Ryou-san, whatever you say.”

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/19

Animeta!, Vol. 1 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Nineteen-year-old Miyuki Sanada never had anything to be passionate about until she encountered a certain magical girl anime. Now, she’s managed to get hired at the studio that created it, but training is grueling and the pay is abysmal (and her fellow new hires are jerks). Her skills aren’t great, but Miyuki’s a heroine with enthusiasm to spare and already makes some progress in this first volume. I really know very little about how anime is made—particularly nowadays, where digital technology plays a part—so all of that information and the handy flowcharts were fascinating. Miyuki is somewhat of a cipher as a character, but for now I’m okay with that. I look forward to seeing her skills develop and learning along with her. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 16 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – This always seems to end up on the end of my list of Viz when it comes out, but it’s a credit to the title that it still remains riveting regardless. Yuzu dominates this volume, finishing the concert by leaping into the audience (giving their handlers a heart attack), and then asking the band to go on hiatus for a year so that he can sort out his family issues. We also hear about the fate of his father in greater detail, and see that he and his mother have essentially been pushing at each other without listening. That said, when a band takes a year’s hiatus—especially one not that famous yet—it’s the kiss of death. The solution? Get the new single to number one. This is ending soon, and it’ll be a race to the finish. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 22 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is a flashback, as the cover might indicate. Still, we also write out Shiemi in this volume, at least for now, and as she’s realized that maybe she does like Rin romantically after all. I’m not sure I trust her in the hands of her family, however. Meanwhile, Rin and Mephisto are going back into the past to see about Father Fujimoto’s past, as well as that of his mother, Yuri. It’s the classic combination of “asshole” and “plucky,” and is quite interesting, despite Mephisto continuing to point out that, being a tragic backstory, there’s only tragedy ahead. I’ve heard this flashback lasts a number of chapters, so next volume should delve deeper into Fujimoto and Yuri’s story. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 1 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – Years ago, my husband and I were watching Freaks and Geeks when we had a realization: it was undeniably excellent, but it was simply too effective at portraying the shitty things kids do to each other to be fun. The Golden Sheep is like that. Tsugu Miikura has returned to her hometown after six years away to find her former friends much changed. Yuushin has become a delinquent who regularly beats up Sora, who feels like he deserves it for abandoning Yuushin during a time of family crisis. Asari acts on her spiteful jealousy when Yuushin pays attention to Tsugu, leading Tsugu to be ostracized by the rest of the class. It’s painful for readers and characters alike, but mercifully there’s a surprise change of venue at the end of the first volume. I hope everyone’s able to move past their adolescent trauma in the two volumes that remain. – Michelle Smith

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 7 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – It appears “once a year” is the new schedule for this title, so it’s probably both good and bad that it ends on such a cliffhanger. Before that, though, we get the introduction of a new character (she’s on the cover): Kaoru, a kijimunaa who allegedly can read people’s minds. She’s had standoffish relationships with her prior classmates, which she thinks is because of this but also may be due to her misreading them entirely. No matter, there’s no way she’s not going to be accepted by this group. Meanwhile, she can also see that Tetsuo and Sakie are very much into each other, and this nudges the dullahan girl into a confession that he pretends not to hear—at first. Excellent title, but man, long wait to get here. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 27 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – For the most part, I quite enjoyed this volume of Kaze Hikaru. It mostly centers around Kamiya serving as Hijikata’s attendant and following his orders to pretend they are in a relationship in order to discourage Councillor Ito, who has gone into full-on predatory homosexual mode. While I’m not fond of this characterization, I do like that the situation forces Kamiya to get to know Hijikata better. As she witnesses some of his vulnerabilities and moments of supririsng humility, her hatred of him begins to fade. I’m glad of it, as this mindset has led her to make too many impulsively foolish decisions in the past. Alas, Ito turns out to have something more substantial on his mind than bedding Hijikata, and we’re reminded that the collapse of the Bakufu is just around the corner. Too bad it’ll be another year before we get the next piece of the story. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 18 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Perhaps being told that it’s time to wrap this up, Toyama finally comes through after a couple of substandard volumes and gives us an excellent one, mainly driven by Yukina finally getting up the nerve to a) tell Hisame to get bent, and b) tell Shigure that she’s written her book using their own romance as the basis. This stuns him, naturally (his mother collapsing during the filming does not help), but I suspect he’s going to take it pretty well, especially after he reads it. Hisame, meanwhile, is acting like an immature brat, as literally pointed out by Mami, and Yukina’s actions end up driving him to his own writer’s block. I’m, actually looking forward to the nineteenth and final volume. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – A new arc begins in this volume, and because various things are set into motion, it feels a little disjointed at times. Emma and the others make contact with a supporter in the human world and wait for further contact, but it never comes. Meanwhile, they continue their search for the Seven Walls and suddenly, a year and seven months have passed since the destruction of Goldy Pond. I liked getting a glimpse of what’s been going on with Phil and it was neat seeing some human antagonists, too. I also like that Lucas and Yugo have come to care about the kids so much that they’re willing to sacrifice themselves so the children can get away when the enemy finds them. I guess I’m just a little bummed about the time jump and all the clever strategizing we didn’t get to see. Still, this remains a really good read. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 5 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Given that she’s had probably the least development of the heroines to date, it’s no surprise that this volume leans heavily on Yotsuba, who also gets the cover. She shows off a few sides that should be surprising but aren’t really, notably a tendency to put the needs and desires of others ahead of her own needs—does this include her feelings for Futaro? And then there’s the girl from his past, who is clearly a Quintuplet but the hair and false name make us wonder which one. (Honestly, she reminded me of Teasing Master Takagi-san, and it distracted me). Compared to other shonen romcoms like, say, the one I’m reviewing further down, this fires on all cylinders. Well done. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The resolution of the kiss on the nose actually ends up being the lightest part of the book, as we introduce what amounts to the series’ first serious villain. Takane’s cousin Yakumo is back in town, and determined to ruin Takane’s life. Oddly, merely exposing he’s engaged to a high school girl never seems to occur to him. Instead we end up with kidnapping, blackmail, and attempted rape. This left something of a sour taste in my mouth, though the sheer ridiculousness of the helicopter did end up distracting me so that I forgot about it. Sadly, I doubt we’re finished with this guy, and I want to get rid of him and get back to Takane and Hana snarking at each other. It’s what the series does best. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 6 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Reading this at the same time as Quintessential Quintuplets is probably a bit of a mistake. Magazine has always done better romantic comedy/dramas than Jump anyway, and this is definitely a weaker volume for We Never Learn, as it has no drama to speak of. Instead there are gags about confusing Rizu’s test score with her cup size, a “whoops we’re all naked in the same bathhouse” chapter, and an introduction to Kirisu’s sister whose highlight is that she doesn’t seem to fall in love with Nariyuki—yet. Again, I have heard that the teacher is by far the most popular character in this manga, which worries me—teacher/student romance is not how I want this to end. Maybe a figure skating ending instead? A weak entry. – Sean Gaffney

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – Out of all of the manga series currently being released in English, The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe is consistently one of the most striking in both storytelling and illustration. I was therefore very excited to see more of Nagabe’s work licensed. The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms is a collection of eight short BL stories featuring anthropomorphic animals who either attend or teach at an academy for wizards. The stories are largely independent from one another, although they do share the same setting and there are a few recurring characters and events as well. Tonally, Nagabe has achieved a remarkably effective balance between lightness and darkness with these tales. There are moments of levity and endearment, but the narratives frequently also have unsettling undercurrents to them. The result is a collection that can be both delightfully charming and subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) ominous. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl (Week 30)

Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

It’s official! We’ve made it to the end of Red Data Girl 4, World Heritage Girl! Thank you so much for reading this far in my translation project! I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do! I can’t believe I’ve translated two thirds of a six book series already! When I began this project, I knew I wanted to aim for translating the entire series but it was hard to imagine finishing all six books. Now, the finish line is almost in sight! It’s an incredible feeling. I feel so accomplished! I’m even beginning to think about what I want to translate after RDG… although I’m probably getting a little ahead of myself. I still haven’t begun translating the last RDG book. (Haha.)

Some of you may know that I’ve been hard at work on RDG 5 for a while now. (At the moment, I’m about a third of the way through.) I’ll begin posting the next book in two weeks on June 18th and will continue posting RDG on a biweekly schedule. I’m looking forward to posting the next book for everyone!

Translation Notes:

There are two books mentioned in this week’s RDG. The first is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. The second is The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon.

Red Data Girl: World Heritage Girl By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 4: Boundary Part 3 (2 of 2)

The first day of the school festival was approaching before their eyes.

At first, Class 1-C had been working with a front line battle rations idea for their food stand. The menu they had come up with was comprised of onigiri wrapped in bamboo skins, grilled mochi, red bean soup, and so on.

And then something happened.

Furuta, one of the boys in the cooking group, said one word and the plan began to shift into something different. He mentioned that he had made cotton candy at a festival booth before and that he could borrow a cotton candy machine from his family’s home. When the members of 1-C heard this, they began discussing sugar colors and setups and then all anyone could talk about was doing a cotton candy booth.

In the end, this became their main attraction. They decided to call it “winds of change cotton candy” and sell at the stand.

Seeing as they were now selling cotton candy, they decided they might as well sell yakisoba too. Following the new concept for their stand, they called it, “coup d’état yakisoba.” They were steadily forgetting the reason behind what they were doing.

While talking with Karin Hasegawa about this and that, Izumiko learned that the girl was taking chemistry. She was also a casual member of the chemistry club and stopped in for a meeting here and there when she could.

“What’s Mr. Morozumi like?” she asked, the question unplanned.

“Mr. Moro? His classes are pretty interesting. His lab reports are tough though,” Karin said. Her voice was straight forward and to the point. She sounded just like the judo player that she was.

“Will the chemistry club be presenting anything during the school festival?”

“Yeah, they will. They said they’ll be launching a hot air balloon.”

This surprised Izumiko a little.

“Huh? Did they run that by the student government? I didn’t hear that going around the organization’s room.”

“That’s because they decided to do it last minute. They’re all over the place. Up until now, their plans have been pretty disorganized.”

Karin let out a loud laugh and then continued.    

“But that’s the way school festivals are. There’s really only three or four students in the chemistry club but because Mr. Moro is their advisor I think they can get everything together in time.”

…I should probably assume they’re up to something, Izumiko thought.

“Takayanagi in 1-A’s in the chemistry club, right?”

“He is, he is. He’s leading our rival food stand as well. He’s definitely not going to let anything about 1-A’s plan slip out so I’m keeping our secrets too.”

After saying this, Karin looked worried all of a sudden. She began to search her desk in agitation.

“Oh no. I left the file in the cooking classroom. This is bad. The yakisoba recipe’s in there. I need to get that right away.”

Without thinking, Izumiko followed after Karin as she rushed out of the room. This was a good chance for her to go into the cooking classroom for a reason, she thought.

“Wait! I’ll come with you.”

The cooking classroom was on the second floor at the end of the hallway in the special classrooms wing. Karin did not use the building’s main staircase. Instead, she walked to the breezeway on the first floor and went up the north staircase. It wasn’t a route Izumiko usually took.

The north wing of the school building, not usually trafficked by many people, was less of a passageway and more of a temporary closet for festival related items. Even the north staircase itself was covered with props and scenery for class plays.

The students were scattered across campus, doing their afterschool work. Plenty of voices could be heard from outside the windows. The hallway was the opposite of that—there was no one to be seen walking by. However, as there was still evening light visible, it didn’t make the hallway feel too unsettling.

Karin looked behind her at Izumiko in amusement.

“So what is it? Are you interested in the chemistry club’s balloon?”

“No, not really.”

“Then you’re interested in Takayanagi.”

“You’re wrong.”

Izumiko decided not to answer further. Strictly speaking, Karin’s statement was correct but not in the way she had meant it. Izumiko knew that much.

“He’s not really my type. Pale, weak boys don’t hold much charm for me,” powerful looking Karin stated bluntly. “But there are definitely a lot of girls interested in him. He’s popular with the exchange students for some reason, too. I was surprised when that popular girl, Angelica came to say hi to him. She’s that French girl who looks like a porcelain doll.”

The two of them had come to the cooking classroom’s door. There was a relatively big cooking prep room next to it.

Karin opened the sliding door to the prep room. The inside was dim.

“Are you coming in? It’ll just take me a second to find where I left the folder.”

Of course Izumiko followed after her. She stepped over the threshold.

In that instant, Izumiko felt as if she was being bathed in a flash of light. However, there was no light. She couldn’t sense anything for a second. All she could think was that she had been cut off from something. She was left blinking for a few moments.    

Huh?

Izumiko looked around. She had stepped into a bright, open classroom with large windows making up one of the walls. The desks had been pushed to the side. Wooden chairs and easels were arranged haphazardly around the space and there were canvases lined up against the well-lit window sill. The group of students who had worked so hard to paint the art stood by them. The room was full of the unique smell that came with oil paintings and even though Izumiko had entered the room, none of the students turned towards her.

Did I come to the art room for some reason?...

Izumiko vaguely considered that there could be another group participating in the school festival that the student government didn’t know about. That must have been the reason why she had come here. Still…

Somehow, she didn’t think whatever was going on had to do with art. A forgotten part of herself was shocked by the situation at hand. She shook her head as she turned around to exit the door and try again.

No sooner had she taken a step towards the door when everything went white around her.      

Izumiko might have had made the sudden decision to go back but now even the door she had stepped through was gone. There was nothing to the left or right of her, nor was there anything above or below. She couldn’t see anything, almost as if her eyes were covered by white mist.

Her first thought was that she was suffering from anemia again. She recalled the dream she had seen in the nurse’s office. An invisible spiral of wind had raged around her and she had felt it against her body. That time had carried the same feeling as where she was now although there was no wind this time.

As this was her second experience, she had an idea of what would happen. Soon, she would hear the sound of women’s voices—They would go around and around in the wind.

“My lady…”

No, I’m wrong. This isn’t anemia…

Izumiko bit her lip. She couldn’t stand the way she was being led on. She was sure there was something she was supposed to remember.

She couldn’t see her hands but she raised the pointer and middle fingers on both of them and put them together in the way that would call up the protective seal. Her heart would calm as long as she could do this. Once her hands were in position, she began the lattice shaped movements and recited the chant Miyuki had taught her.

When Izumiko made the last resolute line through the air, her sight instantly cleared. She saw that she was standing in the hallway and was almost relieved. But then she realized that didn’t make sense either.

This… How?…

“Huh. You’ve gotten a lot better,” came a voice from behind her.

Izumiko turned around to see Ichijo Takayanagi standing in the hallway behind her.

So he’s showed himself, Izumiko thought.

Her suspicions hadn’t led her astray. Half of her was confused by what was happening right now but her other half wasn’t surprised by what he had done.

Takayanagi wasn’t particularly tall. His narrow eyes grew narrower as he smiled, standing there. His nose was also small and fine. His features were very traditionally Japanese.

“Izumiko, you’ve become very different in these past few months compared to who you were when you had just entered this school. I’ve never seen such a person who could change so quickly. The way you’ve improved so dramatically somehow reminds me of Algernon. Do you know him? Algernon?”

“I don’t.”

“Flowers for Algernon. It’s my favorite novel.”

She had never heard of it. Refusing to comment on something unnecessary, Izumiko ignored the topic. He had spoken of who she had been right after arriving at the school and this made her angry. Right now, she didn’t want to think of the time where she had been so frightened of Takayanagi that she hadn’t even been able to step into his presence.

“What is this?” she asked. “It’s got to be magic. Is there something you don’t want people to see in the cooking prep room?”

“It’s not hidden from the normal students. It’s only a problem if one of Mayura Souda’s posse sees it.”

“So you’re using dangerous magic again,” Izumiko said, glaring at his pale face. If there was one thing that made her angry about him, it was that he looked like her former familiar, Wamiya. Even now that Wamiya had changed, it was still something she could easily admit to.

“Why are you calling spirits to the school? What do you get out of showing people ghosts? I don’t understand you at all, Takayanagi.”

Takayanagi listened to Izumiko’s criticism calmly.

“That’s because I don’t want you to understand me,” he said. “It’s nothing dangerous. It only becomes so if you interfere with and try to counteract it. I don’t understand you either. What is the point of you working with Mayura even though I clearly invited you to join me? I don’t want to see you go through anything painful. I’ll let you join me even now.”

“Before, did you mean that it would be alright if Mayura saw what you’re hiding?”

“She isn’t very perceptive.”

Takayanagi’s manner suddenly became spiteful. “I knew from the beginning that she and I would be incompatible. She’s come so far but I guess I have to let those two brothers of hers ruin her. I think humans who are smart but still can’t see what’s in front of them are truly pitiful. But I suppose it was inevitable.”

Izumiko did feel the urge to shrink away. She didn’t care what he said about her but she couldn’t forgive him for speaking ill of Mayura.

“Takayanagi, I don’t think you’re in a position to pity her. There’s almost nothing stronger than Masumi. Even I know that for sure. He’s the one who’s dangerous to interfere with. You realized that before, didn’t you?”

“Izumiko, you’ve lost your chance,” he responded coldly. It sounded as if he had already made up his mind long before this. “Even if you throw yourself at me and beg, it’s too late.”

“I’m not going to beg.”

“Hey, how are Mayura and I so different? The magic we use is awfully similar to each other’s. Are you really under the impression that Mayura alone remains guiltless?”

His tone changed as he asked his questions. He sounded amused but also genuinely curious. Izumiko was lost for the right words but all the same, she opened her mouth to respond.

“You really did kill your pets to make shikigami, didn’t you? Mayura says that’s unforgivable. I think so too.”

Takayanagi’s eyes narrowed into threadlike slits. Now he truly wasn’t laughing.

“I’ve always loved animals. But I wonder how you and your friends will interpret that fact to your benefit. Algernon was the mouse’s name in the book. No matter how many times I read it, it’s still a good story.”

His voice did not waver even a little. However, Izumiko took this as an indication of what Takayanagi had done. It would not have been strange for him to have started something already.

Preparing to defend herself again, Izumiko felt somewhat bad about what she had said. She could sense that she had hurt his feelings. She had said everything she had because he was so arrogant, but maybe she had said a little too much.

Takayanagi lowered his arms which had been crossed tightly over his chest until now. The fingers of his dominant hand were moving ever so slightly. Izumiko’s breath caught for an instant and then a third voice broke through the silence.

“Hello! I’m trying get by here.”

Karin Hasegawa was standing in the hallway. She brought the retrieved folder up to her mouth and said to Izumiko, “I’m going to go back to the classroom. Don’t forget to keep our secrets. Remember, what we were talking about before.”

Izumiko was surprised but Takayanagi seemed to be even more so. His expression was disbelieving. His narrow eyes widened. Judging from her behavior, Karin had not seen what was going on in the hallway. Izumiko guessed that there was some sort of magic involved.

Karin had already turned around and was hurrying to the stairs. Izumiko didn’t even have the time to tell her to wait.

At the edge of the stairs, the girl disappeared in an instant, revealing Miyuki in her place. He leisurely made his way back down the hallway. His expression was calm and suggested that he wouldn’t even hurt a fly.

As Izumiko responded in shock, Takayanagi let out a frustrated sigh. “What was the point of that?” he asked Miyuki. “Did you get yourself confused with some random girl?”

“Even if I had joined the fight, you wouldn’t have stopped. It’s possible that my actual appearance could have stirred things up more than necessary.”

Miyuki’s tone was composed. He stopped and gazed at Takayanagi. “Now that there are three of us, don’t you think your bad temper will be a disadvantage for you?”

Takayanagi paused for a moment but then his manner relaxed. It seemed as if it took a great effort for him to act in such a way.        

“I didn’t know you could do something like that, Sagara. I see now. You two are steadily increasing your powers.” After regaining his composure enough to smile, he said, “Thank you for informing me of this before the game begins. In a way, you are allowing me to make preparations. I know that the two of you aren’t normal students but I think you should be a little smarter about what you do.”

Without waiting for a response, Takayanagi walked away from the cooking preparation room.

Izumiko and Miyuki watched him walk down the main staircase, presumably to return to Class 1-A. They did not move until he was out of sight.

After a moment, Izumiko asked Miyuki, “...How did you know I was here?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it but it felt like Wamiya could sense what was going on,” Miyuki answered somewhat grudgingly.

So that’s why he didn’t want to talk about it, Izumiko thought.

She took this as a statement saying that he was still unwilling to accept his connection with Wamiya. Because of this, she felt as if she couldn’t say she was happy he had come. And she knew it would have been out of character for Miyuki to say he was glad she was safe. Unlike when it came to talking with Yukimasa, Izumiko had an idea of what his son likely wouldn’t say.

Far from looking concerned, Miyuki currently looked annoyed.

“Hey, Izumiko. Don’t be so easy to take advantage of. His last threat was definitely real.”

Admittedly, Izumiko thought she had been reckless as well. The last thing she had said to Takayanagi had definitely been unnecessary.

“We didn’t know this but the chemistry club is planning to launch a hot air balloon. When I went to check it out, I went through a door and I think I triggered some sort of spell…”

“Takayanagi was pretty surprised too, wasn’t he? But he’s been doing a good job keeping a low profile all this time while he’s been working,” Miyuki said. There was no optimism in his voice. “Now that this has happened, let’s make a plan. We can’t be unsure of where we stand in all of this. I think it’s safe to say that he’s declared war on us. On top of that, we can’t disguise ourselves as powerless anymore.”

Izumiko couldn’t say anything. Instead, she asked, “Do you know the book, Flowers for Algernon? Takayanagi said it’s his favorite book.”

“So he’s the kind of person who’d read that book, huh,” Miyuki said. His voice sounded strange. Izumiko automatically raised her gaze to his face at his quick reaction.

“Have you read it too, Sagara?”

“It’s a pretty old scifi story. I think it’s by Daniel Keyes.”

Izumiko absently wondered if the two boys had more in common than she and Miyuki did. It was an odd feeling. She wanted to say that she would try reading the book but she couldn’t bring herself to put together the words. Miyuki would probably misunderstand the sentiment after what had just happened.

“…We haven’t talked about what sort of books we like before now.”

“Are you saying it’s an important topic?”

“I found out what Takayanagi’s favorite book is today. But I still don’t know what your favorite book is.”  

“You’ve never said what your favorite book is,” Miyuki quickly countered. “What’s your favorite book?”

After pausing to consider this, Izumiko replied, “Um… The Pillow Book maybe, I guess.”  

Miyuki was silent. He remained quiet.

He might have been almighty when it came to exams but it was becoming increasingly clear to Izumiko that he didn’t read the classics.

Giving up, Izumiko sighed and said, “I think I understand a little why Takayanagi and the people working with him summoned the spirits to the academy.”

Miyuki looked at her, his gaze sharp. He might not have been able to comment on Sei Shonagon but he could understand what she was saying now.

“Tell me.”

“I think they’re trying to make an alternate reality like in Togakushi. If they managed to do it, wouldn’t there be some overlap between realities after they made one?”

Continuing to gaze at her, Miyuki summed up what she had been trying to put together. “In other words you’re saying that they brought the deceased spirits from the Hachioji Castle ruins here to act as summoning objects in creating the alternate dimension?”        

Izumiko only nodded. Even she felt overwhelmed by the clarity created by Miyuki’s words. Still, it was most likely the truth.

“This definitely seems to be turning into a Warring States event where anything’s possible,” Miyuki whispered, his voice quiet.

The two of them were keenly beginning to sense that things could never return to the way they had been before. Regardless of what was planned, Houjou Academy’s school festival would not be uneventful. 

Continued in Red Data Girl 5: My Longest Day of School