#prompt: festival/tanabata

[soranihimawari]

Summer Breeze

Inspired by this dialogue prompt.

On the eve of the local Tanabata Festival, you are called over to the house of one of your former classmates. The Miya house has seen it's fair share of arguments, fights, and to balance that out, there were movie nights, game nights, etc. It's the summer after high school graduation and to be honest, the time to act before university comes to separate the old band of friends has arrived.

This will be the last summer you spend with your friends since the fourth grade. Sure, you've prepared yourself and even cried a little with Aran and Kita leaving to pursue their dreams elsewhere, thus entrusting their team of unruly foxes to a person whom could keep them in line. You were voted in by the team as the manager for this past year and you did your job well. You fulfilled your duties by breaking up many a sibling squabble, scolded SunaRin for wanting to post the *most* unflattering pics of the team on their social media page, and quite frankly you stood up for the guys when you heard other teams underestimate them. You might have not played the game on a court in person before, but hell hath no fury like you when you overheard some would be losers badmouth the boys who dedicated themselves to not leaving any memories behind.

As you pass by the familiar campus grounds, you see there are some kids from the middle school next door practicing some passes and bumps in the now empty courtyard. You mutter to yourself they ought to enjoy what team bonds they do have because before they know it, three years will go by in a flash,

"It most certainly did for us," you mumble with a smile.

A few minutes later, you hang a right to the familiar neighborhood several bus stops from yours. You see the familiar hanging plants of the Miya matriarch hanging off from the side of the porch. To be honest, you were surprised Osamu was the one to call you over. Then again, you remember hearing whispers of Atsumu finally going on that date with Nakamura-chan from the drama club.

Luckily for you, it was just Osamu at home for the hour since his mom did step out for some grocery shopping. You walk up to the door and knock, surprised to see Osamu with a cross expression. It seemed you weren't there in time to break up another sibling squabble.

"Are you ok?" you ask, tilting his face this way and that, making sure all cuts or scrapes are with a bandage. "Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"Because I didn't want you to ask, don't ask," he says gruffly.

"Fine, fine, I won't, but holy shit," I let his face go. "How many hits did you get on Atsumu if you look like this?"

At that remark, Osamu chuckles. "He asked me to hit him where his date wouldn't be ruined, so I popped him in the ribs before I tackled him to the ground."

"Attaboy," I chuckle. "So...you called me over? Do you need help changing the bandages?"

Silence fills the air as Osamu, who usually has a smart remark, stays relatively quiet. He says he's appreciative of your concern, yet if you could hear how loud, how fast his heart is beating, you might think he'd have a conniption.

“Osamu? Are you disassociating again?”

Your voice pulls him out of the space he’s staring off into and he clears his throat to apologize.

“What’s gotten into you lately? You’ve been spacing out for seconds, minutes at a time, then when you come back, you can’t look me in the eye… did I do something?”

Modesty isn’t a thing most Miyas knew about, so Osamu just blurts out:

"I can't stop thinking about kissing you."

For a moment, you give him this curious look. It’s as if you couldn’t believe he just blurted it out, but you remember who you’re talking to. Smiling you tilt your head to one side and walk up to him. Looping arms around his shoulders, hearing his breathing stutter a little, you coyly ask:

“And what are you going to do about that that?”

Hearing him chuckle before he caresses my cheek signifies there is hope for us yet.

[taki-yaki]

If you’re still taking prompts: Tav was abducted from wildspace, maybe she was a crew member of a spelljammer, maybe she was a passenger or a merchant, either way she’s not from Faerun. She falls for Astarion, but after the brain is defeated she has to return to wildspace. Perhaps staying in Faerun drastically shortens her very long lifespan, and her realm isn’t safe for Astarion, but she vows to return every so often, like once a year (e.g. origin story of the Tanabata festival in Japan). They essentially become immortal star-crossed lovers.

Hi Anon, my inbox is always open, unless stated otherwise on my pinned post as the first thing you see.

I haven’t really read much on dnd spelljammer stuff so this finally got me around to reading it. For this Tav though, I’ll make them an astral elf as I found their culture to be interesting.

Astarion x Astral Elf Tav/Spell Jammer Headcanons

You are an Astral elf, known for exploring the wild space cosmos for over 150 years of your life, as a part of a crew of spell-jammers. Being one of the younger members of the crew, as a gifted aristocrat, able to channel the power of sunlight through your magic that courses through you.

Despite your bounty of skills at your disposal, the only weakness you face is leaving that plane seemed to shorten your lifespan making you bound to the astral plane for your entire lifetime. But after the mind flayers snatched you from your ship, the tadpole inside seemed to have gifted you a normal lifespan, allowing you to survive in the land of Toril.

But exploring the land of Faerûn seemed to be a short-lived dream, as your new goal was to rid yourself of the guest who has now taken up residence inside your head, wishing to transform you into a mindflayer.

The Githyanki in your group, who’ve you known to be hostile in most of your encounters in the astral high seas, seemed to have both united over a common hatred for the mind flayers who put you in this position in the first place.

However, you weren’t the only one who realisation that having these tadpoles isn’t for the best in the long term. Astarion, who you thought at a glance was a variant of astral elf himself, was a vampire. Now able to giddily enjoy the glow of the sun without having to feel as he describes “the wrath of biting ants all over your skin.”

Most of Faerûn’s customs are unfamiliar to you, from the ritual the priest makes you go through in the goblin camp to the gifting of wild floral plants to ones you care deeply for. 

Another struggle that you face is your lack of elvish language knowledge. Growing up, you only ever saw the need to learn common and celestial. 

Astarion would notice your lack of elven knowledge and try to teach you some basic phrases, although most of his classes would involve him trying to teach you flirty phrases to say under the pretence that it’s a common greeting.

Despite his teasing, you would attempt to return the favour by showing him simple celestial phrases, with the surprise that it doesn’t set his throat on fire after speaking in a holy tongue.

During the nights in the shadow-cursed lands, when the warmth of the sun can’t reach, you use some of your solar magic to replicate the feeling of warmth on his skin.

One of these nights on the road towards Baldur's Gate, the two of you are star gazing in silence, until you point up at the sky at two lone stars in the inky darkness above you. “In my culture, we believe our people get carried into the astral sea and turned into stars, I think those two are like us.”“Really, just some little lights in the sky?”, you turn to meet his gaze, “Well you have ‘star’ in your name right?”.

Astarion even suggests going through with the ritual, before having to stop him stating that even if you were made immortal, your soul is still bound to the astral realm and immortality would make you nothing but a husk of a person over time. But you make the promise to visit him one day every year, by opening a portal to the realm of Toril.

During the weeks leading up to fighting the brain, you gift him a small wrapped parcel. “Hmm? Darling, what’s this?” ”Something special, just open it” Looking back at him with a grin, upon peeling off the wrapping, revealed a smooth carved stone with an odd pattern on it. 

He looks back at you, slightly confused as if you’ve got mad “Darling, this is just a rock”, “Not just any rock silly”. You pull out an identical stone to the one he’s holding and quietly mutter some words into it, for the one in Astarions hand to parrot back what was just spoken.“It’s for when I have to go, we can still speak to each other through it, but for now I prefer to hear your voice from you.”

He lets out a soft sigh “You’re always thinking a few steps ahead my sweet, but obviously my voice sounds better coming from my throat than some rock” letting out a smile.

After the defeat of the netherbrain, the tadpole now destroyed, you feel the effects of your lifespan being shortened after being outside your realm for so long, knowing that it is your time to leave, Astarion runs to you carrying you into the safety of the shadows to avoid himself from burning up. “I’m sorry, I want to stay with you, but I have to go now ”

Astarion holds you as tight as he can, uttering the phrase “Ai armiel telere maenen hir.” "You hold my heart forever.” as many times as he can count before you climb onto the dragon, to return to the astral plane, home.

Every night after he would visit the surface from the Underdark at night, looking up into the stars, muttering into the sending stone, message after message, all in Elven tongue, “I love you so much” “I’ve been doing well with the other spawn” “I’m thinking of you every day my love”. He’d wait with bated breath to hear your response back in return.

However, when the day arrives when the two of you are reunited only for a day every year, you stay in each other's embrace, practically bound together, before having to return home to the astral plane.

[kakagaievents]

KakaGai Day is celebrated on July 7th every year, inspired by the tradition of Tanabata: The Star Festival. In Naruto SD, Kakashi and Guy represent the pair of lovers of this legend. 🌠🎋

Prompts

✯ One and only / Reincarnation

✯ Codependency / Folklore

✯ Fireworks / Protective instinct

✯ Wedding / Sexual tension

✯ "It's you and me against the world".

✯ "I love you in every universe".

✯ "Touch him, and I'll kill you".

✯ "Don't you trust me?"

Guidelines

Use the hashtag #KakaGaiDay or #KakaGaiDay2023 in your works or mention @kakagaievents

This event is open to all types of works! Fanarts, fanfiction, gifs, original edits, playlist, hcs, fancams, etc. Everything is welcomed!

You can choose one or more prompts/quotes, combine them or not use them at all—it's up to you! These are just a few suggestions to make your creativity flourish.

NSFW is allowed. Just tag it properly.

Have fun! ✨

Reblogs are appreciated, thank you!

@narutoborutoeventscalendar @narutoevents @narutoandborutoevents @faneventshub

[josuyasuweek-2024]

Day 2!

Today's prompts are:

Sleepover

Festival/Matsuri

Childhood friends

Fun fact! Did you know that Sendai, the real-world town Morioh is based on, is famous for its tanabata festival?

We can't wait to see what you've all done with today's prompts!

[elyonholic]

ICHIHIME WEEK FIC RECS prompt: Tanabata / Previous lives

— Hi everyone! We're on day one of IchiHime Week! Last year's ichihimemonth was so much fun that I've decided to participate in IHweek as well, and try doing this fic recs. now onto the prompt, happy reading! 🍓🍞

A Date in the milky way by twix10 “It took him near the end of the tale to realize that she was actually weaving the tale about the Tanabata festival.”

be my love in the Rain by tragicomedy “It rains on Tanabata but the stars align and Orihime still gets to be with the one she loves. Wait, not that Orihime.

Five lifetimes, One love by zabiume “Orihime would fall in love with the same, kind soul—five lifetimes over.”

Only One Night by rairakku hana “I know when I leave, the distance will keep us apart. But distance, no matter how far, can't change these feelings in my heart.”

Romance: An Occupational Hazard by rochelleteentitan “In five different cities, with five different jobs, she falls in love with the same person five times.”

The Distance by alice hattercandy “one hundred fifty eight million, three hundred seventy thousand million miles. 25 light years away. That's how far she is.

Under a Starry Sky by crystal dawn “On her way home from the store to pick up her bamboo arrangement, Orihime gets caught in a summer storm; who is this mysterious man with the umbrella.”

🍓🍞 All The Credit to these Authors:

Alice hattercandy Crystal Dawn / Marshmallowbirb (ffnet // ao3) Madamevelyn / Rairakku Hana (tumblr // ffnet) Rochelleteentitan Tragicomedy / Fictionaryplace (ffnet // tumblr) Twix10 Zabiume (tumblr // ao3)

[xxxcrimsondreamsxxx]

Unveiled feelings - BakuDeku

This is my contribution for Deku’s birthday, since I won’t get my Ao3 back until July 20th. I’m posting this here.

PROMPT: Apprehension

Rating:  Teen And Up Audiences (Because Bakugo says the “F” word once or twice idk)

Relationships: BakuDeku

Word Count: 5,9k

Tags: Jealousy, Post-Kamino Incident, Love confession.

Summary:  Class 1-A celebrates Tanabata. Bakugo feels jealous, Izuku is uncomfortable; both feelings clash against each other. Izuku's wish is to get along with Bakugo, however, he loses hope that this wish will come true.

As the Class 1-A chat group buzzed with excitement for the upcoming Tanabata festival outing, Bakugo's eyes narrowed as he read Izuku's message.

I'm going with Todoroki-kun 😊

A flash of annoyance crossed Bakugo's face. He quickly composed himself, refusing to let it show.

His fingers hovered over the screen, contemplating whether or not he should respond. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the thought of Izuku spending time with Todoroki or anyone else. They had become close friends, but Bakugo couldn't help but wonder if there was something more between them. And that thought irritated him, for some reason.

Just as he was about to dismiss their plans, an invitation from Kirishima appeared on the screen of his phone. Bakugo's frown softened slightly as he read the message. Kirishima was inviting him to join his group for the Tanabata celebration.

Bakugo hesitated for a moment, his pride at war with his desire to be close to Izuku. Finally, he complained to himself and wrote a reply, accepting Kirishima's invitation. He couldn't let Izuku think that he was upset by his plans with Todoroki. Bakugo was determined to show that he didn't care.

The day of departure arrived, and the students of Class 1-A gathered at the designated meeting place. Bakugo arrived early on purpose, wanting to be there before Izuku and Todoroki. He leaned against a nearby tree, pretending to be engrossed in his phone, while he stole glances up the path that led to the meeting place.

Finally, he saw Izuku and Todoroki walking towards them, deep in conversation. Bakugo's eyes narrowed and a wave of possessiveness washed over him. He didn't like seeing Izuku laugh and smile with someone else. He wanted those smiles reserved just for him.

As the group chatted and headed to the festival, Bakugo grew increasingly frustrated by Izuku's interactions with Todoroki. He couldn't understand why he felt so furious about it. But seeing Izuku's attention focused on someone else, it bothered him terribly.

Throughout the day, Bakugo found himself instinctively gravitating towards Izuku, wanting to be close to him. He joined in on the conversations, throwing in his own witty and snide remarks, determined to win back Izuku's attention. He wasn't going to let Todoroki steal the spotlight.

Little did Bakugo know, Izuku had noticed his subtle actions and the way his eyes lingered on him. He felt a mixture of confusion and curiosity, wondering if there was something else behind Bakugo's behavior. And somewhere deep down, Izuku couldn't deny the pang of happiness he felt knowing that Bakugo cared enough to be jealous.

As the evening sky darkened, lanterns were lit and wishes were written.

Bakugo looked at Izuku out of the corner of his eye, frowning. “What are you looking at?”

Izuku smiled. “It's nice to share this moment together.”

"What the hell are you talking about if you spent all day with the half-half? Did he get bored of your nerdy gibberish and that's why you come here to bother me?”

Bakugo took a corner to write his wish. Izuku sighed.

The two heroes-in-training began to write their wishes on the strips of paper. Bakugo wrote in his fast and energetic handwriting, while Izuku wrote with calm and concentration. Once they were done, they hung their wishes on the bamboo, watching them sway gently in the wind.

"What did you wish for, Kacchan?" Izuku asked curiously.

Bakugo crossed his arms, avoiding looking directly at him. "That's none of your business, Deku. Is personal.”

Izuku nodded in understanding and began to think about his own wish. He looked at Bakugo and then at the stars that were beginning to appear in the sky. “My wish is that we continue to grow together, Kacchan. As friends and as heroes.”

Bakugo glared at him, as if Izuku had just said the most offensive thing.

Izuku continued speaking.

“I think All Might is right, we should try to work as a team. We already proved that together we can be invincible, so if my wish comes true, well, I know that if one says the wish out loud, maybe not…”

Bakugo burst. "Do you want to know what my freaking wish is?! Shut that annoying nerdy mouth and get out of my life forever! You are the most irritating person I have ever met!”

Bakugo's harsh words hung in the air as Izuku absorbed the impact. Izuku, usually resilient and forgiving, felt a pang of pain deep within him, but decided to mask it with a stoic expression. He had always known that Bakugo had a way with insults, but this time he felt differently. This time, he hit too close to home.

"Okay," Izuku replied quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't bother you anymore"

His shoulders slumped slightly as he turned around, leaving Bakugo standing there, feeling a mixture of guilt and confusion.

As Izuku walked away, he fought back tears, trying to understand why Bakugo's words affected him so deeply. He was hoping to have an honest talk, to bridge the gap between them, but it seemed that Bakugo wasn't willing to face his own feelings. And at that moment, Izuku couldn't take the weight of Bakugo's constant insults anymore.

Determined to enjoy the rest of the festival, Izuku joined Todoroki and Uraraka, bringing a smile to his face. He joined their conversations, laughing and joking as best he could. But there was a lingering sadness behind his eyes, a pain caused by Bakugo's rejection.

Meanwhile, Kirishima, always perceptive of his friend's emotions, noticed Bakugo's discomfort. He gently pushed Bakugo away and tried to divert his attention.

"Hey man, look at that game over there! Let's try it!” Kirishima pointed to a shooting gallery, hoping it would distract Bakugo from his turbulent thoughts.

Bakugo looked away from Izuku and forced himself to focus on Kirishima's suggestion. He nodded, grateful for his friend's attempt to get him out of his own head. He followed Kirishima into the game, trying to push away the guilt that gnawed him.

As they participated in the shooting game, Bakugo's mind went back to Izuku. He couldn't help the feeling of regret that settled in his chest. His realization hit him like a ton of bricks: he didn't want to push Izuku away. He didn't want to be left alone while Izuku laughed and joined the others. Bakugo wanted to be the one to make Izuku smile, and he couldn't deny the growing pain in his heart.

But the question remained: did he have the courage to face his own feelings? Did he have the strength to admit to himself, let alone Izuku, that there was more to their relationship than just rivalry? Bakugo's fists clenched as he wrestled with his own inner turmoil, the weight of his emotions overwhelming him.

He remembered his words and wondered why did he said something like that. He couldn't even think of wishing Izuku out of his life. Maybe years ago, yes but now... That thought hurt too much to want it.

Unbeknownst to Bakugo, Izuku glanced in his direction throughout the festival, his eyes filled with a mixture of longing and resignation. He hoped that one day Bakugo would find the courage to confront his feelings and open up. But for now, Izuku had decided to protect his own heart and keep distance.

Izuku couldn't help but watch Kirishima and Bakugo interact, their easy camaraderie sparking a pang of jealousy inside him. He hid the pain with a forced smile, reminding himself that he couldn't let Bakugo's rejection get to him. Instead, he decided to counter Bakugo's indifference by laughing openly with Uraraka and Todoroki, hoping to allay his own feelings of jealousy.

Bakugo, however, was far from ignorant of Izuku's actions. He gritted his teeth, a snarl escaping his lips as he saw Izuku laughing with the others. His anger simmered beneath the surface, fanned by the sight of Izuku apparently enjoying the company of anyone but him. He continued to play the shooting game with a new intensity, his actions becoming more aggressive.

Just when the tension between them seemed to reach its peak, Iida, who had been observing the scene, walked over to the game. With the usual air of command, he invited Izuku and Bakugo to join.

"Why not have some friendly competition, gentlemen? It might lighten the atmosphere,” he suggested, his voice edged with concern.

Izuku felt a wave of shyness wash over him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to engage in a competitive game with Bakugo, especially given the undercurrent of animosity between them. But before he could decline, Bakugo's anger got the better of him. He turned to Izuku, his voice filled with contempt.

"What's wrong Deku? Too cowardly to face a challenge? Or are you just a hypocrite, pretending to be strong when you're nothing but a weakling?"

The harsh words hit Izuku like a physical blow, but his determination flared in response. His eyes narrowed, his voice firm as he accepted the challenge. "Okay Kacchan. Let's do this."

The atmosphere turned tense as the two rivals faced each other, their gazes locked in a battle of wills. Iida set up the game, creating a makeshift target for them to shoot at. As the first round began, their movements became fast and aggressive, and their competitive spirits drove their actions.

"Maybe spending too much time with the half-half made you more useless than you already are," Bakugo teased.

"That has nothing to do with this, and you don't stop putting Todoroki-kun in, is there something you want to say, Kacchan?" Izuku observed, receiving a rather aggressive shot in response. The cork they fired hit his arm and the impact was painful but wouldn't do any serious damage.

Suddenly, Bakugo was aiming at him.

"Why would I want to say anything to someone like you?"

With each shot, the tension in the air grew denser, but it was no longer just the game they were playing. It was a clash of emotions, a chance for them to throw the truth at each other, raw and painful as it might be.

“You always push me away, Kacchan!” Izuku's voice trembled slightly, but he refused to back down. "You never let me in. How can I be your friend when you constantly push me aside?"

Izuku had already left the game, only receiving cork shots and dodging them without difficulty.

Bakugo's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and vulnerability. He loaded another round into his gun, his voice dripping with bitterness.

"Who said that I want to be your friend, you useless?! You think you're so perfect, Deku. Always playing the victim. Why you don't fight back? All you do is dodge me!”

Bakugo was thinking of Izuku's back a few moments ago while his smile was directed towards Uraraka, Todoroki and his other friends and his anger increased.

"Don't accept the challenge if all you're going to do is walk away!"

Words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken truths and pent-up frustrations.

"I'm not the one walking away!" Izuku's voice trembled, covering his face with his arms. "You're scared too. Afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of letting someone in. But you can't keep pushing everyone away forever!"

Bakugo's face contorted in anger, he dropped the weapon with a thud and lunged at Izuku to hit him. “I don't need anyone, especially you, Deku!” he spat out, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and pain. "I've come this far on my own. I don't need your pity or your help!"

It was then that, after the incident with the Villains League and his kidnapping, after having ruined All Might, everyone approached him with pity.

Izuku no longer looked at him the same way as before. He didn't want that either... he didn't know what exactly he wanted from Izuku.

The fight had escalated to a level where the friends of the rivals began to intervene without being able to stop them. The space that Iida prepared for the supposedly peaceful competition was set aside so there were no people in danger in the wild fight but it was shameful behavior for two heroes in training.

They didn't know how far it would escalate their fight but they didn't want to find out. Iida was going to get between the two but Kirishima stopped him.

"Bakugo won't do anything that causes major damage."

"That's no relief! They're fighting for no reason!" Iida argued.

"For now, this is their way of discussing. Midoriya won't make this a quirk fight and if he doesn't, neither will Bakugo" explained Tsuyu.

As the fight escalated, it became clear that their match had transcended the game. It had become a physical manifestation of their emotional turmoil, a battle fueled by their unspoken desires and frustrations. Izuku's thoughts swirled through his mind, a jumble of conflicting emotions, as the intense fervor of the moment consumed him.

"Even so..." Tsuyu continued.

Both Tsuyu and the others were fed up with the tension that those two had created and didn't want to continue making a fuss so Tsuyu used her tongue to tangle Izuku's foot and make him stumble just as he was about to hit Bakugo.

Caught up in the adrenaline, Izuku found himself on top of Bakugo, gripping the collar of his shirt tightly. He didn't wonder the reason why he stumbled.

Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, the world around them seemed to fade away. Izuku's heart was pounding in his chest, the intensity of their proximity causing a surge of forbidden thoughts.

"It's not pity, Kacchan..." Izuku gasped, "I never felt sorry for you."

In the midst of the chaos, he considered the idea of kissing Bakugo, to silence the tension between them with a moment of undeniable connection.

But just as quickly as the thought arose, Izuku's mind snapped back to reality.

He remembered Bakugo's harsh words, the insults that cut deep to his core. Bakugo had made it clear that Izuku was the one who bothered him the most. The weight of that realization fell on him, shattering the fragile fantasy he had briefly held.

Izuku released Bakugo, his grip loosening as he walked away, the fire in his eyes dimming. He released his rival, the silence between them stifling in its intensity. Realization of what they had just done washed over him, bringing with it a wave of regret and uncertainty.

"Sorry," Izuku murmured, his voice filled with a mixture of apology and sadness. "Sorry, everyone."

With a heavy heart, he turned away from his friends, from the festival that had once held so much promise. The weight of unresolved emotions and the pain of rejection felt like an unbearable burden.

His footsteps echoed against the emptying festival grounds as he pushed through the shadows. His mind was filled with confusion and doubt, questioning his decisions and wondering if there was a way forward from this tangled mess.

Izuku's departure left his friends in shock, their gazes following him until he was out of sight. The lingering tension in the air was palpable, a stark reminder of the consequences of his unresolved emotions. It was a bittersweet reminder that actions taken in the heat of the moment could have lasting repercussions.

The festival continued around them, but the once vibrant and joyous atmosphere was overshadowed by the weight of their shattered friendships. The remaining students of Class 1-A exchanged worried glances, unsure how to proceed or repair the crack that had formed.

Bakugo stood there, his eyes locked on the retreating figures of Todoroki, Uraraka, and Tsuyu as they chased after Izuku. Guilt washed over him, mixing with a sense of self-loathing and helplessness. He felt pathetic, knowing that his own actions had driven Izuku away.

Before he could think further about his feelings, Kirishima approached him, concern etched on his face. He grabbed Bakugo's arm gently and pulled him away from the scandalous scene, seeking a moment of privacy to talk.

"Hey Bakugo, what the hell just happened?"

Kirishima's voice held a mixture of concern and determination. He knew something eating away at his friend, and he wasn't about to let Bakugo push him away this time.

Bakugo initially resisted, his pride flaring. But Kirishima was persistent, understanding his friend's tendencies. He kept going, urging Bakugo to open up.

"I know something's been bothering you lately. You've been different, more nervous than usual,” Kirishima said, his voice soft but firm. "You can trust me, Bakugo. I'm your friend, right? Tell me."

Bakugo's defenses faltered under Kirishima's unwavering support. He sighed, shoulders slumping as he finally relented. "Fine, damn it," he complained. "I can't stand seeing Deku with someone else. It... it bothers me."

Kirishima's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly covered them, nodding in understanding. “So are you jealous?” he asked, smirking.

Bakugo's face flushed red, a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "Yeah, damn it! So what?! Are you picking a fight?!"

Kirishima couldn't help but laugh at the shock. “Okay, okay. Calm down"

"I never thought I would feel like this. But seeing Deku laughing with the others, being around them... makes me feel like trash. And I took it out on him, on everyone."

Kirishima listened intently, his empathy radiating from his expression. "Bakugo, it's okay to be jealous. It means you care. But taking it out on Midoriya and everyone else isn't fair. You have to face those feelings and talk to Midoriya about it.

Bakugo's eyes shifted, his fists unclenched. “I don't even know what I want, Kirishima. I'm a mess,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kirishima placed a comforting hand on Bakugo's shoulder. "You must be honest with yourself and with Midoriya. He deserves to know how you feel, even if it's complicated. It's the only way you'll find a solution.

A mix of frustration, guilt, and relief washed over Bakugo's features. He finally met Kirishima's gaze, his eyes filled with a new determination.

~°~ The room was cloaked in darkness, the faint glow of the moon filtering through the gaps in the curtains. Izuku lay on his bed, the weight of recent events bearing down on him. The echoes of the festival still reverberated in his mind, each moment a painful reminder of his shattered hopes.

He replayed the confrontation with Bakugo over and over in his mind, dissecting every word, every action. Raw emotions swirled inside him, leaving him lost and overwhelmed. His heart ached, weighed down by the weight of unrequited feelings and the sting of rejection, plus guilt over the mess he'd caused.

Tears welled up in his eyes, falling silently down his face as he fought the suffocating sadness.

Thoughts of what could have been, of the possibilities that seemed to be within his grasp, haunted Izuku's mind. He wondered if he had misread the signs, if he had deluded himself into believing there was something more between him and Bakugo. Uncertainty ate at his soul, leaving him feeling vulnerable and exposed.

The silence in the room was deafening, amplifying the turmoil within Izuku. He felt a sense of isolation, as if he was trapped within the confines of his own emotions.

The soft knock on the door interrupted Izuku's contemplation, causing him to raise his head in surprise. He yelled, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Uraraka," said the sweet voice from the other side. “Deku-kun, we are all worried about you. Please let me in."

Izuku hesitated, his instinct telling him to keep his emotions hidden. But Uraraka's lingering concern reached deep within him, and he opened the door, allowing his friend to enter.

Uraraka walked in, her eyes filled with concern and empathy. She offered a kind smile, sensing Izuku's inner turmoil. She refused to let his feigned calm fool her.

"I'm sorry for ruining the festival. I promise it won't happen again.”

"It's true that you gave us quite a scare, maybe later you can apologize to everyone properly, even so, you're not like this." Uraraka said softly, her voice full of true care. “We saw how you left the festival and we know that something is bothering you.”

Izuku's defenses weakened at Uraraka's sincerity. He sighed, realizing that he couldn't keep his feelings bottled up any longer. With a mixture of vulnerability and relief, he began to open up.

"It's Kacchan," Izuku admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… I… It bothers me… I want to be with him, I want to be able to talk normally with him but I can't. I don't know what to do. Then, Kirishima-kun…”

Uraraka's eyes widened, a flash of recognition crossing her face. She took a step closer to Izuku, her voice soft but resolute. “What's the matter with him?”

Izuku realized what he was about to say and covered his mouth. “Nothing! It’s nothing!” Izuku drowned out his voice in his hands.

"Deku-kun, we know that the way Bakugo and Kirishima-kun get along so well bothers you a bit." Uraraka smiled, and sighed. "You're too obvious."

“Too obvious?!” he yelled in shrill surprise. “I mean, I have nothing against Kirishima-kun and I'm happy that Kacchan has friends,” he muttered “I just want to be as cool as Kirishima-kun to be with someone like Kacchan.”

Uraraka opened her mouth and then closed it. This feeling that Izuku was expressing was all too familiar; she felt the same for Izuku, that admiration and that feeling of distance that she managed to silence. “I understand, I think I feel something similar.”

Confusion crossed Izuku's features as he processed Uraraka's confession. His mind reeled, trying to capture what she said.

Uraraka smiled, showing a vulnerable yet determined expression. “It's hard and it hurts, but keeping it in won't bring any resolution. You deserve to find clarity, as I did,” she said. “First, ask yourself if it is love or admiration.”

Izuku felt a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. "I... I... Uh..." he began to play with his fingers, "But what if Kacchan doesn't feel the same way?" Izuku asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Uraraka gently placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, her eyes filled with compassion. "We won't know until you talk to him, Deku-kun. Repressing your feelings will not lead to any response. You deserve to find closure, and Bakugo has to give himself the chance to understand how you feel. Be honest, even if it's hard.”

Izuku took a deep breath, his heart heavy with a mix of emotions. Uraraka's vulnerability and understanding gave him the courage to face his own fears. He nodded, gratitude shining in his eyes.

"Thank you, Uraraka-san," Izuku said, his voice full of appreciation. “I appreciate your honesty and support. I'll try... I'll try to talk to Kacchan.”

~°~ The halls of the academy were silent and dimly lit, silence hanging in the air. It was in this silent atmosphere that Izuku and Bakugo came face to face as everyone went to sleep. The weight of their unresolved emotions is palpable between them. Izuku took a deep breath, his voice hesitant but determined.

“Can we talk?” Izuku's voice trembled slightly, a mix of hope and apprehension evident in his eyes.

Bakugo sneered, his pride still evident in his stance. “Talk? What is there to talk about, Deku? Do you think that a simple conversation can fix everything?”

Izuku's heart sank at Bakugo's dismissive response, but he refused to be pushed out. “Kacchan, please. We can't keep avoiding this. We need to address our feelings, confront the truth.”

Bakugo's frustration boiled over, his voice filling with exasperation. "That's your problem, Deku! Always so damn naive, thinking that everything can be solved with a sincere talk. Well, breaking news, life is not that simple!”

“Did we resolve something with the fight we had there?” Izuku didn't want to give up, but he was afraid that this discussion would escalate into something similar to what happened at the festival.

“And what do you want to solve with all this talk?”

Izuku pursed his lips. What could he say now?

"No, you're right. Life isn't that simple with you” Izuku muttered in frustration, looking to get out of the conversation he got himself into.

Bakugo took his arm. "Where do you think you're going? Are you running away like a coward again?”

“It's not that, Kacchan!” Izuku answered desperately ”It's just that I can't find a way for us to understand each other anymore. I want…”

To be at your side.

Izuku wanted to say that. He spoke it in his mind, in his heart, and his mouth yearned to say it.

But it was too much bravery that the One For All heir hero was not willing to have. So he faked a yawn and said, "I want to go to sleep. I'm very sleepy.”

"You bastard!" Bakugo yelled at him indignantly. Izuku had managed to get his attention but if Izuku didn't make the first move, Bakugo didn't know how he would make it.

“But I'm serious, when I'm tired I say a lot of nonsense, Kacchan” he laughed nervously “So let go of my arm and let me go to sleep, please?”

Bakugo tugged on his arm and looked into his eyes.

Izuku swallowed heavily. "Kacchan, let me go."

If Bakugo kept looking at him like that he would be doing something crazy.

The tension in the air grew. It was as if the weight of their unspoken desires, the tangled web of their connection, spilled out with each held breath from both.

"Did you cry?"

Izuku flushed red at Bakugo's sudden question. "N-No! Why would I do that?”

"Don't play the idiot, idiot. You cry so hard that it always shows in your ridiculous nerdy face.”

Bakugo was looking at him as if he were inspecting him. Izuku was no longer thinking about how embarrassing it was for him to know that he had been crying, but about how dangerous it was for his impulsive heart that Bakugo approached his face so nonchalantly.

"Kacchan... I didn't..." he tried to excuse himself but Bakugo kept getting closer, "Kacchan, please, let me go to sleep, Kacchan…”

"Now I'm the one who won't let you sleep?! You were the one who said we had to talk! And so far I haven't understood shit about…!”

Izuku couldn't stand it and drowned out Bakugo's screaming with the kiss that he was resisting. It didn't last long but Izuku took all he could taste in this opportune situation.

He already did. He dared.

Now he wanted to commit to memory the adorable Bakugo’s surprised face. He even made him let go of his arm.

But then, Izuku's pride stopped feeling like a victory. Bakugo moved away from Izuku.

Izuku's heart felt tight in his chest, he believed that he had finally screwed it over. Maybe Bakugo wasn’t only not interested in him but he wasn't interested in men either, maybe what little he had left of Bakugo was lost in that kiss.

He was so gross right now.

"K-Kacchan..."

“Don’t talk to me! Go away!”

Bakugo stopped looking at him, he looked agitated. Izuku had a choked voice but he did his best to get closer to Bakugo.

“Kacchan, I'm sorry. I’m so stupid!" He began to mumble nervously, "You don't have to feel obligated to anything! I should have gotten away from you like you wanted so much! But it's your fault because you keep taunting me and calling me out, you even just grabbed my arm to stop me and I thought you really cared that I was here! I warned you, Kacchan! I told you to let me go but you…!”

Amid Izuku's nervousness, Bakugo's voice faltered, his expression betraying a hint of vulnerability.

"Can you shut your damn mouth already?! I just don't want you near me, Deku! You drive me crazy! I want you to disappear!” he admitted, “And I can't deny it anymore. I... I feel something for you. And I can't stand it because I don't know what to do with it! So…! You wanted to talk?! Tell me what to do! What am I supposed to do now?!

Izuku's eyes widened, his heart lurching inside his chest. Confusion washed over him, his mind struggling to comprehend the sudden confession amid the chaos of his argument.

“What? Kacchan, I... I don't get it” Izuku stammered, his voice a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

Bakugo's pride flared again, the walls of him snapping back. “Forget it. It doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything,” he replied, his voice filled with a mix of defensiveness and doubt.

But Izuku couldn't just dismiss Bakugo's confession. The whirlwind of emotions inside him refused to calm down, his heart yearning for clarity in the midst of the confusion. He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, wanting to close the gap between them.

"No, Kacchan. It does matter," Izuku said firmly, determination shining in his eyes. “I need to understand. I need to know what this all means.”

The halls were silent, silence hanging in the air as the weight of his unspoken desire lingered between them. His plot lines blurred, replaced by a tentative vulnerability.

Bakugo hesitated, his gaze locking on Izuku's. Slowly, he lowered his defenses, his pride giving way to a moment of unfiltered truth.

“I don't know. These feelings... are new to me. But what I do know is that not seeing your stupid face…it hurts.” he sighed “I can't stand seeing you with anyone else, but I can't stand the idea of losing you either.”

Confusion still clouded Izuku's mind, but the sincerity in Bakugo's words struck a chord within him. It was a tide of passion, frustration, and a vulnerability he had rarely seen in his rival. His heart faltered, caught between the lingering pain and the new hope.

In the midst of his confusion, Izuku knew one thing for sure: they couldn't go back to the way things were. They had reached a tipping point, a juncture where they had to confront their emotions head-on and discover the true depth of their connection.

"I-I don't get it, Kacchan, but you said that you wanted me to stay away from you."

"Well, that was…”

Bakugo looked up at Izuku only to realize that the boy was already deep in his own thoughts, swimming in his sea of theories and muttering nonstop.

“I thought I had misunderstood the signals, on the one hand you kept looking at me and I thought I was bothering you or that perhaps you wanted to tell me something. You constantly approached me during the festival almost as if you wanted to get my attention. On the other hand, when I approached you, you sounded sincere in asking me to stay away and you seemed genuinely happy with Kirishima-kun.”

Izuku spoke of his unrequited feelings for him, his confusion over Bakugo's actions and how he had misread so many signs along the way. The weight of it all hung heavy in the air, leaving him feeling vulnerable and exposed.

But before Izuku could finish his rambling, Bakugo silenced him with an unexpected and bold gesture. He leaned in, capturing Izuku's lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

Time seemed to stop as their lips melted again, their unspoken desires finally finding release. The fervor of the kiss said a lot, their lips moved in perfect harmony, not like before. They were conveying the depth of their emotions better than words.

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind scrambled to catch up with the sudden turn of events, his confusion giving way to a surge of overwhelming sensation. In that moment, everything fell into place and the complicated puzzle of their relationship began to make sense.

Suddenly, he felt that he could hold Bakugo's feelings with his own hands; he felt that he was the only one who could understand Bakugo.

As his kiss dragged on, the tension between them began to dissipate, replaced by a new understanding. It was as if the kiss contained a thousand unspoken apologies, a million revelations, and a shared recognition of the love that had simmered beneath the surface for so long.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless and wide-eyed, a sense of clarity washed over Izuku. He looked into Bakugo's eyes, now filled with a mixture of vulnerability and determination. It was as if Bakugo's kiss had swept away all of Izuku's doubts and fears, leaving only the truth.

"Kacchan…" Izuku whispered, his voice filled with a newfound certainty. "I never imagined... I didn't know... that you felt the same way."

Bakugo's lips curved into a tender smile, his eyes reflecting the depth of his emotions. "Deku, I've been a jerk, okay? I pushed you away because I couldn't collect my thoughts.”

“Kacchan…” Izuku stared at him “Hit me”

"What the hell is wrong with you now?!"

"This is too good to be true! It has to be another one of those dreams that keep me sleeping in late!”

"I'll seriously beat you up if you keep saying such creepy things, you fucking idiot!"

"Then it's not a dream. Oh! What a relief~”

"Are you kidding or what?!"

Izuku was actually relieved. He was so happy that he couldn't just believe it and accept it, maybe he would go a long time without finishing believing it.

"No, Kacchan, I would never make fun of you." Izuku hugged Bakugo's chest now that he knew he could do it.

Bakugo still couldn't process this being affectionate, but it felt good to have Izuku hug him like this.

Izuku felt good in his arms, like he fit right in.

"And now what shall we do?"

"What the hell am I supposed to know? Do you want something else?”

Bakugo knew what Izuku was asking, but what happened tomorrow didn't matter to him. If Izuku wanted to shout it from the four winds, he might die of embarrassment, but he would feel proud to be the one Izuku presumes to be his boyfriend. Especially in front of the half-half.

“We could start by writing an apology to everyone for the mess we made.”

Out of nowhere Izuku pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

Bakugo stared at him in disbelief and then released him. "Luck writing that, nerd. I'm going to bed.”

"W-Wait, Kacchan!"

"I'm not going to write that apology! The only person I cared about forgiving me already did!”

Izuku pursed his lip, showing concern. "Are you talking about Kirishima-kun?"

"I'm not talking about him, idiot. I'm talking about you!”

Joy returned to Izuku's face. "Oh! Kacchan!” He stuck to him again, not letting Bakugo escape.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Are you going to let me sleep?”

"Yeah, but first write the apology."

“Fuck off!”

"Kacchan!"

Izuku was nearly throwing the paper and pen in Bakugo's face as Bakugo tried to shake him off.

"Kacchan! If you don't apologize now… you'll have to do it in person.”

“Over my dead body!”

“Then…!”

"Leave me alone, Deku!"

Nothing had changed, the weight of Bakugo's confession hanging in the air, a testament to the transformative power of their shared kiss. The confusion and uncertainty that had haunted them both seemed to fade away, replaced by a new connection and an undeniable truth.

[crystal-in-nagasaki]

another year of english boards

Last year around this time I made this post about the various English boards I had put up in my junior high school throughout my first year in Japan. Since another year has gone by and I update my board monthly, I wanted to make another post showing off this past year's boards as well. So without further ado, here are the boards from April 2023 to April 2024!

In April of 2023, we (my co-ALT from Jamaica and I) focused on two themes: spring and outer space. We had one section telling about various spring festivals in countries around the world. Since it was the beginning of a new school year, we did a flower garden themed free write where students could write what kind of school life things they wanted to enjoy this school year, like making friends, joining a club, going on a school trip, etc.

For the outer space portion, we talked about space flight, had students try to name the different planets, a space-themed word search, and a poll asking if students believed in aliens.

Next, for the May 2023 board, we used the themes of Earth Day, sign language, and Children's Day. For Earth day, we wrote about ways to help the earth, connecting it to Japan's Greenery Day, and had a poll asking if students would rather enjoy nature by climbing a mountain or swimming in the sea. We also included a word search with nature-related terms.

For the sign language section, we talked a bit about sign language, and showed some of the differences between American Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language. Then we had an activity where students could guess which hand signs represented which English letters.

Lastly, the Children's Day section talks about the various holidays around the world that celebrate children. This section had the free write, which was designed to look like the carp streamers that Japanese people put out for Children's Day. They look like this:

The prompt for the free write was "what's your favorite childhood memory?" I wrote an example which said "watching Spongebob Squarepants," because I enjoyed that as a kid.

For June 2023, we used the themes of the ocean, Pride month (for the second year in a row), and healthy eating. For the ocean section, we had students learn and match the names of various endangered ocean species like sharks, whales, and turtles. The poll was "would you rather fly in the sky or breathe underwater?" It was a bit close to our last prompt, but I was having trouble coming up with something else, haha.

For the Pride month theme, I wrote an informational section showing the different flags and what they represent, and recommended a manga that teaches about LGBT people.

Lastly, for the healthy eating section, we wrote a little bit about the US food pyramid and connected the free write by prompting "how do you be healthy?" and gave example answers like "I play soccer," "I sleep 8 hours every day," and "I drink water every day." One student wrote that she's vegan, which surprised me because it's very hard to find food without meat or animal products in Japan, and also because all students have to eat school lunch (which always has meat) unless they have serious allergies. It was really interesting to learn, and I wish them luck in navigating Japanese food as a vegan.

For the July 2023 board, the themes were constellations, peace, texting, and the Japanese holiday Obon. We talked about constellations since July is Tanabata, the Star Festival, so we had a section where students could match constellations to what they're meant to be the shape of, like the Big Dipper.

Since Nagasaki holds memorial events every year in August to remember the atomic bombing, we also did a peace section where I tried very hard to explain concisely and in a child-friendly way about the peace movement in the US in the 1960s and 1970s. Many Japanese people love using the peace sign, but don't know where it came from, so I thought it might be interesting to them. We connected the prompt of the free write to this by asking "how do you create a peaceful world?" with examples like "I'm kind to everyone" and "I help people." We connected the design of the free write to the texting theme by making it look like a message screen with speech bubbles. We also connected the texting theme to the poll, in which we asked which social media students use the most.

The texting section had information about the history of texting and had texting lingo like "btw," "idk," and "asap" for the kids to try to guess the meaning of.

The last section talked about various festivals around the world similar to Japan's Obon which celebrate and honor one's ancestors who have died.

Because of summer vacation, which lasts for almost all of August, we skipped making an August board again, and the next board was in September of 2023.

Because of the coming of new ALTs, some school assignments were shifted around, and my Jamaican co-ALT switched to a different junior high school. So for this board, there was a goodbye section for the leaving ALT in which students could write her thank you messages, as well as a welcome section for the new ALT from New Zealand, with information about him. The other two themes were reading month and moon viewing.

For reading month, we recommended various English books and asked students to share their favorite book genre in the poll. We also asked them to match the names of famous book characters to pictures, like Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and Alice in Wonderland.

For the moon viewing section, I wrote about moon viewing in Japan and how people used to write haiku poems about the beauty of the moon. So for another free write, I asked students to try to write English haiku, but obviously that was very difficult, so barely any students interacted. I knew it was a stretch, but I really like haiku, so I wanted to try it anyway, haha.

In October, we focused on the themes of Halloween, pumpkins, witches, and Maori people, since my new co-ALT is from New Zealand. I tasked him with writing the text sections and they ended up being very, very long this month, so the board was a bit text heavy, with not so many activities.

The poll section asked if students think they would survive a zombie apocalypse. And the huge section on the left was a big haunted house choice story game that I created. You start with a choice to enter a haunted house or run away, then you continue making choices that lead you down various paths to an end result. There were encounters with various monsters like witches, ghosts, vampires, and zombies. Based on your choices, you either end up losing (usually by getting caught by a monster) or winning (by getting away.) It was ambitious, but I think the kids liked it.

The November board was also pretty text heavy as my new co-ALT and I continued to try to work out a new board routine together. If you haven't noticed, I tend to ramble on a bit too much and my old co-ALT usually edited down a lot of my information when she wrote the text sections. So the fault was mostly mine when my new co-ALT came to my school, because I wrote too much and he just copied down what I wrote without editing it down like my old co-ALT did. So I had to learn to edit myself a bit better, and the boards started to improve again.

The themes for this month were Thanksgiving, No Shave November, Black Friday, and Diwali. We kept Thankgiving as short as we could since we had repeated it before, and used the theme as the prompt for the free write, which was "what are you thankful for?" The design of the free write was a man's bald head, in which you wrote your response on a lock of hair and taped it to his head, to coincide with No Shave November. It was a really fun idea, but ultimately the pieces of paper were too big and the students covered his entire face with the paper, so it looked really crazy by the end.

I think there was supposed to be a matching activity for Diwali, but I got the board up late (I had been moved to one day a week at this school and didn't have nearly as much time), so I had to forego it. Instead the only other activity on the board was the poll, which was linked to the Black Friday theme, asking if students preferred to shop online or in a store. I was surprised to see that many of them preferred a store, since I personally prefer online shopping, haha.

For December 2023, we focused of course on Christmas again, as well as the pagan holiday of Yule, and Krampus. Again, as you can see, it's pretty text heavy. We get better, I promise!

For Yule, I printed out tiny slips with QR codes on them leading to a Japanese recipe of a Yule log cake for students to take home and try. I ended up getting an email from the QR code service later saying that my code expired, which sucked, so I don't think any students were able to access the recipe. :( But at least they got to learn the history of Yule logs lol.

It's a Christmas tradition to eat Christmas cake and Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas in Japan, so for the poll, we asked students which one they like better.

For the free write, I made a bunch of tiny snowmen in a snowglobe, on which students could write what they wanted for Christmas.

The last thing which I was really excited to make was Christmas omikuji. Omikuji are fortunes that Japanese people pull at shrines each New Year that tell them what kind of luck they'll have. I made maybe 50 or more individual fortunes shaped like little Christmas presents, which had varying levels of luck written on them, and fortunes like "you'll meet someone new," "you'll pass an important test," "you'll lose a sports game," and stuff like that. According to my Japanese coworker, it was a huge hit and the kids took them all, which made me really happy.

January 2024 was a bit less polished than usual because I didn't have a lot of time and made the whole thing in one day (which I'm proud of actually because I was able to make a lot despite the time constraints!) The themes were New Years, braille, and exercise. And finally we got the text heaviness a bit under control!

For the New Years section, my co-ALT and I each put up a section about our winter holiday and what we did. I went to Singapore and Thailand (which I plan to share about in future posts, so stay tuned for that.) Keeping with a Chinese New Year theme, I used a lot of reds in the overall design and used a fire-breathing dragon motif for the free write since it's the year of the dragon. The prompt was New Years Resolutions!

For the braille section, I gave some information and put a coded message in braille for students to try to decode (which said Happy New Year). I really wanted to spend some time creating some kind of real, raised braille letters using a laminator, but I didn't have enough time, so I'm a bit disappointed that I had to rely on a visual for something that was supposed to teach about something hearing impaired people use to read.

Lastly, since many people make New Years resolutions to exercise, I included an exercise section, with a diagram of muscles in the body and the English names for them, including some simple exercises you could do to work each muscle. Following this theme, the poll asked students which kind of exercise they prefer out of biking, swimming, and running.

For Februrary 2024, we again did Valentine's Day with a new spin, the Super Bowl, and Carnival.

My first Valentine's Day board in 2022 was pretty basic and based around standard romantic love. Then for 2023 I focused on Galentine's Day and love between friends and family (and how people show love in different love languages). So for 2024, I decided to focus on self-love! I gave tips on how to care for yourself, and the free write asked students to give themselves a compliment, which is of course very hard for people to do. But I was surprised to see many students participating, which made me really happy. For the poll, I pandered a little and gave the kids what they really wanted, asking if they prefer a cool and smart type partner or a cute and nice type.

For Carnival, I talked a bit about Carnival in Brazil, including the popular samba dance, so I did a corresponding activity where the students could match the English names of various dances to pictures. I learned some interesting tips about interactive boards from a support teacher at my new small school (who makes some really cool informative boards). She taught me that I can use magnets for sections of the board with moving parts, which was a huge game changer. So this is the first board where I used magnets to create the matching activity, and it made the whole thing SO much easier and neater.

Lastly, I did a section about American football and the Super Bowl. I included a section on the various positions and explanations of them (which was very hard because I don't understand football at all LOL). But I hope my sporty kids enjoyed it!

For March 2024, we used the themes of the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska, the North Dakota Winter Show (aka talking about rodeos and cowboys), and veganism.

The dog sled section was mostly just a text section, but we tied it into the poll with the rodeo theme by asking "would you rather ride a dog sled through a blizzard or ride a bucking bronco?"

For the rodeo section, I made a cowboy who you could dress with cowboy attire, with little text sections about each piece of clothing and its use. I made this using my newfound obsession with magnets and it was really fun, so I hope the kids liked it!

For the vegan section, I made an interactive activity where students can put various non-animal-product foods in order by how much protein they have in them. This was to get students thinking about meat and animal product alternatives, since it's helpful for the environment and animals.

Lastly, we had a free write section in which I made a cherry blossom tree and students could write their spring break plans on little cherry blossoms. I wish I could've made the tree a bit bigger, but I was running low on time, so I'm just happy I got it up at all!

Finally, in April of this year, we used the themes of World Art Day, Earth Day, Passover, and money.

We had an activity involving matching famous paintings to their English names for World Art Day. The poll asked students which art form they like best, between choices of paintings, books, movies, music, buildings, and food. The free write tied in with the money theme, with students writing their answers to the prompt "what would you buy with 100 million yen?" on papers that looked like coins dropping into a piggy bank.

I found myself with some extra time and ambition this month, so for the passover section I created a big laminated scene of Moses splitting the Red Sea when he led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. I set it up so that you can pull the two pieces of sea apart to open up a pathway that the little laminated people can slide through. I've been having a lot of fun making interactable things for the board like this and the cowboy section from the previous board!

Okay, we should be all caught up on English boards now for the school year of 2023-2024. I hope you enjoyed my most recent year of boards. It's really cool to look back over each board and see the ways that I've improved in the design and materials (but let's not talk about the Text Wall Fiasco of 2023...). I'm really proud of my boards, and how much more fun they've gotten since I first started. It's a nice way to engage my kids outside of class, and a nice creative outlet for me when I'm not teaching. I hope you enjoyed them too! Thanks for reading :)

[cryysiswritesthings]

A Summer of Lifetimes | Week 1: Festival/Tanabata

Fandom: Inuyasha Rating: PG Warning: N/A Prompt: Festival/Tanabata 

Festival/Tanabata | Heat Wave | Fireworks | First Kiss | Star Gazing | Hugs from Behind | Free Week - Destiny | Free Week - Reunion

Find it on: Tumblr | AO3

Collections: Sparks Fly in July Tumblr Tags: #kogkag #inuyasha #a summer of lifetimes #sparks fly in july #kogkag event 2020 #prompt: festival/tanabata #prompt: festival

The bright sun illuminated the colors of tents and stalls, the smells of cooked meat and fried dough wafting in the air. The laughter and calls of the Parisian people were backed by chords of music from anyone with an instrument. Merchants shouted their wares to passerby, and entertainers donned costumes of every shape and size. Paris's Festival of Fools was in full swing.

Wrinkling his nose, Kouga tried to blink the sweat from his eyes. Right now, the only perk of being Captain of the Guard was not having to stand on his feet playing crowd control. No, instead he got to sit on the back of his horse playing bodyguard to a corrupt Minister. That the men were giving him sympathetic looks when they had the more grueling work only made things worse.

But he tried not to let it distract him. He may dislike the bastard he'd been assigned to, but no one would ever say he wasn't dedicated to the job. 20 years of fighting in crusades and wars proved that well enough.

There had been peasant shows throughout the day on the makeshift stage, and an announcement of a performance by one of Paris's best dancers at the day’s end. Considering the crowd and what he’d seen so far, he wasn't exactly optimistic.

A flash of pink and bright green gleamed in the corner of his eye, and he automatically turned his head to follow the distracting colors. When he got a good look at who was wearing them, his eyes almost bugged out of his head.

Long black hair curled and framed a heart shaped face, bright cinnamon eyes standing out against olive-toned skin. The green fabric clung enticingly over her slim frame, its pink accents drawing the eye to every voluptuous curve.

It was the street dancer from yesterday.

His hands tightened on the reigns, body pulled like a magnet towards the woman hiding among the crowd. But his horse had other ideas, shaking his head against the tugging direction of his master.

Kouga blinked, coming back to himself. What the hell was that? He'd never reacted to a woman that way. It didn't matter how beautiful and enchanting she was. He was on duty.

But it didn't stop him from following her every move with his eyes.

A line of entertainers moved in front of her, blocking his vision. He scowled automatically, but an errant cough pulled him to attention.

Naraku was staring right at him. And if looks could kill, he'd already be dead.

Clearing his throat, he bowed his head to his superior. The Minister's glacial expression shifted from him, and Kouga risked a glance back to where he'd seen her.

Damn. She was gone.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to concentrate. While he didn't expect any kind of attack at a peasant festival, it didn't mean he could let himself be distracted. 

Now if only he could get the image of her out of his head.

~

It was getting late in the day, and the festival was finally coming to an end.

He was unendingly glad--much more of this, and he’d have probably gone insane. Not the festival itself, as for all his non participation it had actually looked like fun. No, he was tired of sitting on his horse in the damnable, unforgiving sun.

And he hadn’t seen his street dancer again since, dammit.

He kept his disappointment internal. It was probably for the best. Whatever it was about her, there was no doubt she’d been a distraction. The Minister hadn’t looked at him since first noticing his straying attention, so who knew what that bastard thought of the situation.

The cleared stage brought with it a chorus of relieved sighs. The soldiers were feeling it too. There was just the single dance left, being held in the Minister’s honor. It’s completion would signal the end of the festival. After that, they could all go home.

He could already picture it. First thing he was doing when they got back to the Palace was taking a long, hot bath. Clean up, wipe off all the sweat. Body odor encased in metal did not make a good combination.

Who Kouga assumed to be showrunner took the stage, hands sweeping in dramatic gestures. A new kind of music started up, something subtle enough to warm a man’s blood. Drums pounded, great gongs of sound. His heart jumped in his throat, restricting his air. Something crashed, the firing of a cannons in the distance--

Son of a bitch!

There was a flash of brilliant light, and in a colorful burst of smoke the showrunner vanished and his dancer appeared.

Just like that, the rest of the world fell away.

The hallucination that had begun to form drifted from his mind the longer he watched her. Battle cries and explosions faded from his ears, his heart slowing to a normal rhythm.

Sheer pink ribbon flickered through the air, forming circles around her as she spun. Her dance was liquid motion, drawing the eye with every dip and twirl. She was a vision, perfection personified. He couldn’t turn away from her even if he tried.

Kouga exhaled and sucked in a shuddering breath. That had never happened to him before.

Not the sudden onslaught of nightmares coming to life around him. No, that had happened to him over the years often enough. It was the shock of being drawn back to reality. Of not waking screaming from night terrors and scaring the shit out of the other soldiers. Of not being forcefully restrained when the illusions didn’t let him see friend from foe. Of not coming to at the end of a battle, surrounded by bodies from both sides and covered in blood.

She had no idea what she’d just done for him. What she’d saved not just him, but the innocent bystanders around him from. How the hell had she done it? What about her had pulled him back?

He needed to talk to her, but he couldn’t look for her after the festival. He’d have to wait until tonight or tomorrow. He wanted her name, if she’d be willing to tell it to him. He wanted to know everything he could about her. Maybe work up the courage to ask her to have dinner.

The exclamations going up around him when she bowed to the Minister told him it was the end of her performance. Cheers, applause, whistles, everything the crowd could manage. Gold pieces flew through the air to the stage, landing at her bare feet. His horse shook its head, nervous at the small objects flying so close to his ears. Kouga patted his neck, whispering reassurances in his ear.

When he looked up, workers had taken her place on stage to collect the thrown coins. She had disappeared. 

Naraku glanced significantly towards his Captain, forcing Kouga to straighten in his saddle and clear his expression. The last thing he needed was the Minister to start looking at him in any kind of suspicious manner. The threat of what he’d done to the last Captain of the Guard was enough to have him sleeping with one eye open.

Shouted orders pushed the soldiers into action, driving them toward the Minister and his carriage. As the peasants started clearing the area, Kouga spotted the assumed showrunner speaking to someone off to the side. Before he had the chance to change his mind, Kouga motioned one of the guards to direct him over.

The black haired male looked mildly surprised at the approaching guard, but answered the unusual summons. Kouga took the chance to clear his throat, fighting back a sudden bout of nerves.

“How can I help you, Captain?” The other male didn’t seem disturbed at having been called over. If anything, he looked deceptively passive. But now wasn’t the time for Kouga to worry about that. He only had a few minutes at most to spare.

“The dancer,” he started slowly, glancing back towards the stage. “Does she... “ Dammit, how the hell was he supposed to ask these questions of a complete stranger?

The showrunner only barely suppressed a frown. “She does not give private dances if that is your inquiry, sir. She is not a whore.”

“I would never imply such a thing about her character!” Kouga snarled, hands tightening on the reigns. “I only wondered if she spent time somewhere nearby. I… I wanted to introduce myself.”

Surprised, his eyes lost their hard edge. “Might I ask why, Captain? Beautiful as she may be, men of your… caliber,” he seemed to choose his words carefully, “hardly give attention to our people unless they want something.” Dark blue eyes slid to the Minister, but quickly returned.

Kouga followed his gaze, but chose not to comment. “I mean her no harm. As I said, I only wish to introduce myself to her. To talk, if she’s willing too.”

The showrunner looked thoughtful. After a long moment, he spoke. “I will inform her of your desire for an introduction. If she is willing, then in three days time you’ll find her selling wares at the alley next to the bakers. If not,” and here his dark eyes went hard, “then I suggest you give up. We are very protective of our friends, you see. Especially one such as her.”

Taking the warning for what it was, Kouga bowed his head in acknowledgment. “You have my thanks. Forgive my abrupt departure, but I have duties to attend. Excuse me.”

Miroku watched the Captain trot over to the Parisian Minister, dark eyes following him until the entourage left the courtyard. He and the others had heard of a Captain being called back from the wars in order to serve at the Palace of Justice. If he had been anything like that one, Miroku would have denied all knowledge of knowing the girl. But this one seemed genuine enough.

Off to the side, a heart shaped face also watched the retreating soldiers. She’d been hard pressed to hear the men’s conversation over the crowd, but what she caught intrigued her. There was no way for her not to notice the Captain’s reaction to her as she’d danced, but to request a meeting? It wasn’t unheard of, but still unusual.

Knowing Miroku, he’d have given the man some excuse to give her time to escape the city. It wouldn’t be the first time someone of rank had taken an interest in one of their people. Those few days of notice gave them time to gather their belongings and vanish into the night. If she was smart, she would do the same.

Still though… she couldn’t forget the look in his eye when he’d seen her on stage. He’d looked… captivated. Like he’d never seen someone like her before. Like… like she’d given him hope when he’d long forgotten it.

No one had ever looked at her that way before.

Decided, Kagome returned to her tent to dress back into her street clothes. The Palace of Justice was easy enough to find, crawling with soldiers or otherwise. 

It would be dangerous, and she’d get in trouble in more ways than one if she got caught. But she wanted to meet him. She wanted to understand.

To see if maybe… she could recreate that look in his eyes.

[loganelfreeces]

Tododeku Fic Rec Month - Week 1

So, initially I was just only going to celebrate on Discord, since I don’t have a Twitter account to participate in the event. But then I decided I would share my stories for Tododeku Fic Rec Month on Tumblr so hopefully lots of people can enjoy them! And since I have more room in a Tumblr Post than in a Tweet, I’ll be doing 5 fics for each prompt!

The first prompt is: "it’s your power, isn’t it?!” the fic that started it all for you. once you read it, there was no looking back. your heart was set ablaze and you were a tododeku in an instant.

"Paint the Town" by hanwritesstuff (hannahkannao) https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252801 The very first Tododeku fic I bookmarked, it's a late night at the office dealing with paperwork for Shouto and Izuku. But the two get through it together and enjoy a quiet walk home. Domestic and soft, I have no regrets

"Plant Boy" by clebletref https://archiveofourown.org/works/12220038 A simple flower shop AU, Shouto shows up at the flower shop Izuku works in and is immediately smitten. Short and sweet, a little old but more than deserves the love.

"Midoriya's Pissed" by LunaLavenderSkies https://archiveofourown.org/works/12181086 When Class 1A move into the dorms to have some fun, Endeavour shows up to ruin it and Izuku is really mad about it. As someone who's been screaming "Fuck off Endeavour" from the start, I really love this story.

"Sweater Weather" by crispykrimi https://archiveofourown.org/series/802680 A series of domestic shenanigans between many of the Class 1A students, mostly focusing on Shouto and Izuku's budding romance. A long standing classic in the Tododeku community, Sweater Weather is adorable.

"my voice is yours" by venusviews https://archiveofourown.org/works/12153399/chapters/27578892 In a world where Shouto is selectively mute and Izuku knows JSL, the two quickly become friends even without a dramatic clash at the Sports Festival. My absolute favourite on this entire list, I can not recommend this story enough. It's a really soft and beautiful fic, featuring Autistic Trans Shouto, along with ADHD Trans Izuku. It's really special and if you're looking for something beautiful and gentle, look no further.

The second prompt is ooey gooey a fic so sweet, it could rot your teeth, but that’s what makes it so good. 10/10 dentists may not recommend it, but you certainly do.

"coconut kissed curls" by summertodoroki https://archiveofourown.org/works/35831446 When Shouto finds out Izuku feels insecure about his hair, he calls up Mina to learn how to take care of it. Super, duper, soft domestic fluff with lots of hair care products, 10/10 for softness.

"Wishes Among the Twinkling Stars" by livinglittlelie https://archiveofourown.org/works/25791037 Izuku and Shouto go to the Tanabata festival together, as a couple. I love the Tanabata festival and their banter is really good here, 10/10 for cuteness.

"Alarm Off" by multifascinate (talkativelock) https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224555 An alarm after 2 hours of sleep ruins Shouto's dreaming, but Izuku manages to turn it off. Super soft, groggy morning fluff for our favourite Pro Hero couple, 10/10 for realism.

"catching kisses" by chibistarlyte https://archiveofourown.org/works/21378079 Shouto gets banged up during Provisional Licence training, so Izuku bandages his wounds and Shouto tries to kiss him in thanks. Slightly sleepy fluff, 10/10 for calmness.

"of a smiling heart" by viinas https://archiveofourown.org/works/12027615 Shouto feels safe at the dorms, able to smile much more often than he used to and it sends his heart racing when Izuku notices that. Soft study date, 10/10 for domestic fluff.

The third prompt is “where are you looking?” a fic with low stats (<2500 hits) that deserves so much more attention. in fact, it has to be seen by everyone. it's a hidden gem and you’re so glad you found it.

"Behind enemy lines" by surveycorpstddk (Faded_BlueEyes) https://archiveofourown.org/works/33977044 Shouto is convinced the cute delivery boy is a Villain, but the truth is a bit more complicated than that. I can highly recommend anything surveycorpstddk writes and this is no exception.

"The one where there are evil doppelgangers" by Aethelar https://archiveofourown.org/works/32491003/chapters/80581465 A fun two shot series where "evil" copies of Class 1A are running around doing Villainy and Shouto has the hots for Izuku's evil copy. I'm a sucker for the Super Powered Evil Side trope or any excuse for a morality switch, so this is fun.

"Bakugou Katsuki Is Not a Relationship Expert" by Pink_raspberry https://archiveofourown.org/works/30379446 Bakugo just wants to have one normal fucking day, not to deal with Icyhot being suspicious of fucking Deku's Quirk. A hilarious one shot featuring a very oblivious Todoroki and a Bakugo 100% done with his non-sense.

"it's a first love thing" by delta_trevino https://archiveofourown.org/works/30249396 A sweet 5+1 story where Shouto and Izuku are hesitant to have their first kiss and all their friends are encouraging them to go for it. A true gem, hiding in the stats, please give this story all the love it deserves.

"Your Dog Knows How to Play Dance Dance Revolution???" by GreekyGeek https://archiveofourown.org/works/34959451 When Touya becomes a Hero and Shouto lives with him, they end up adopting a dog even though they don't have the time to care for her; enter Midoriya Izuku, toy maker, dogsitter, everything Shouto's ever dreamed of. Another amazing author, read their other stuff!

I hope you enjoy these stories!

[hananenetanabata]

Hello, tumblr!! Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the prompt-selecting poll! I've tallied up the results. After taking into account how many of the winning prompts were prompts last year, I settled on what I think is a good list of prompts with just a bit of old and mostly new! After gaining some final approval from my wonderful server, here are the winners, and the official prompts for HanaNene Tanabata Week 2022, which will again be July 1st-8th!

DAY 1 Friday, 7/1: Festival + Dance

DAY 2 Saturday 7/2: Summer + Sweets

DAY 3 Sunday 7/3: Heaven + Earth

DAY 4 Monday 7/4: Eternal + Mortality

DAY 5 Tuesday 7/5: Moon + Stars

DAY 6 Wednesday 7/6: Hope + Tears

DAY 7 Thursday 7/7: Wishes + Fireworks

DAY 8 Friday 7/8: FREE DAY/Longing + Legends

The Bonus prompts, just like last year, were based on things you all put in the short answers when I asked for additional prompts to consider!

Thanks again for voting, everyone. I hope the prompts have got you hyped like me, and as I said before, if you'd like to help me with making graphics or anything, please let me know. I'll try to have the official announcement graphic up by the end of the week, both here and on Instagram!

Love you all, and see you soon! 🎋🌌💕

[shinranweek]

🌸 ShinRan Week 2021 Prompts 🌸

Thank you so much for all your wonderful suggestions! After taking them into account, we are happy to present you the prompts for ShinRan Week 2021!

Day 1: Childhood & First Meetings Day 2: Seasons & Long Distance Day 3: Fairytales & Black Knight and Princess Day 4: Time Travel & Missing Scenes Day 5: Antagonists & Power Duo Day 6: Domestic & Wedding Day 7: Outsider POV & Creator’s Choice

Prompt descriptions are under the cut!

❧ DAY 1

Childhood Growing up can be a pain. Growing up can be sweet. Growing up together is irreplaceable. From nighttime adventures to study sessions, let’s get a glimpse of Shinichi and Ran’s pre-canon life!

First Meetings First meetings often create lasting impressions, from our couple’s Sakura class encounter to their brush with the Akai family. What happened when young Shinichi first met Eri? When Ran met Agasa? What if they hadn’t known each other all their lives? What would that meeting look like?

❧ DAY 2

Seasons Winter skating, spring cherry blossoms. Fireflies and festivals in the summer, changing colors in the fall. Ran and Shinichi, year-round. (—And if you don’t want that “season”,  you can always give it another meaning.)

Long Distance Out of sight, never out of mind. For two yearning souls, distance is nothing and everything at once. The joy and ache of minute-long phone calls? The suffering of waiting? The fear that absence will make the heart grow colder? The much-awaited reunion? Ran did say, “I don't mind waiting for people. Because the longer you wait, when you do meet... You'll be happier.”

❧ DAY 3

Fairytales Are they the doomed lovers of Tanabata reincarnated and given another chance? Does Ran pull a Janet and hold on to Shinichi through hell and high water? Is Shinichi a sulky sultan and Ran his Scheherazade? Does Shinichi turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight? A brand-new story featuring a prince and a princess? Let fairytales of all kinds inspire your ShinRan imagination!

Black Knight and Princess We saw them as the Black Knight and Princess in the school play, and we want more. What was going through Ran’s head when Shinichi broke from the script? What would a Black Knight alternate universe look like? One more thing: We all want to see what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted.

❧ DAY 4

Time Travel Time is but a concept, especially in Shinichi and Ran’s universe. Shinichi and Ran blasting to the past or traveling ten years into the future? One or both having the power to rewind ten seconds back and evade danger? Want to do a piece inspired by feudal Japan or Prohibition America? This is the prompt for you.

Missing Scenes Can’t stop thinking about That One Scene in the manga/anime that was not within aired material? Like Shinigami Shinichi bandaging Ran’s wounds in the Murderer, Kudou Shinichi Arc? Or the conversation between Shinichi and Sonoko before he ended up in the Black Knight costume in Desperate Revival Arc? Or Shinichi’s internal monologue while he puts a blanket over Ran and eats her chocolate in the Truth Behind Valentine’s Case? Go ahead and bring these missing scenes to life!

❧ DAY 5

Antagonists Shinichi and Ran are Holmes and Moriarty. An FBI agent and a Black Org operative. Academic rivals. Opposing business owners. A “good” angel and a fallen one. Petty people who simply cannot get along. Whatever the case, sparks fly.

Power Duo Strong individually, stronger together. What is the result when you pair a brainy soccer-ball-kicking detective with a sweet-but-deadly karate queen? Answer: A badass power couple saving (or wrecking?) the day — and each other — together. (Battle Couple, Partners in Crime, Bodyguard and Celebrity, Girlboss and Malewife… yeah, we know you want these.)

❧ DAY 6

Domestic All we ever wanted is to see these two living their everyday lives in peace and bliss— baking sweets, cleaning the house, sharing a bed, grocery shopping, adopting a pet, planning a date, all of those. Oh, and engaged or married life. That, too.

Wedding It all boils down to this. Will Shinichi cry once he sees Ran walking down the aisle? What songs are played in the reception? Are they attending a friend’s wedding? Do they catch the bouquet and garter? What happens on the Big Day? On the Big Night?

❧ DAY 7

Outsider POV You are Sonoko. Yukiko. Kogoro. Eisuke. Heiji. Kazuha. Satou-keiji. Someone. Anyone. A complete stranger. People ask you about Shinichi and Ran. What do you tell them?

Creator’s Choice Have a ShinRan creation in mind but can’t quite fit in any of the prompts? Now is your chance to share it!

In the end, these are all just examples to keep your gears churning. You are definitely free to think outside the box, content creator! ;)

[clotiweek]

A big thank you to the amazing @hugo-the-starving-artist for the gorgeous illustration!

Date: Nov 14 - Nov 21, 2020 Hosted by: Final Heaven (@finalheaven)

🍂 It's here! Cloti Fall Festival 2021 will run from Nov. 14 - Nov. 21 with a set of Main Prompts and Alternative Prompts!

🍂 Our theme for this year is heavily inspired by Japan’s Star Festival, Tanabata. The stars will always lead Cloud and Tifa to reunite under that same night sky. 

🍂 Anything goes — gifsets, graphics/edits, fanfic, fanart, videos, headcanons, meta/analysis, playlists, etc. Celebrate the Cloud/Tifa relationship & community the way you want. 🧡

🍂 Please tag all Cloti Festival 2020 content with #Cloti Week, #Cloti Fall Festival 2021, or #Cloti Reunion or ping @clotiweek so we can reblog. Late posts are still welcome!

🍂 If you have any questions, our ask box is always open. Have fun! We look forward to everyone’s contribution.

Visit us on twitter as well @clotiweek!

[artkaolinite91]

(53/365) Zutara Week 2020: Day 4- Celestial

So for this prompt I somehow got the idea to draw Katara and Zuko as Orihime and Hikoboshi from the Tanabata story.

And as for the style, I wanted to mimic the old chinese painting so it would be similar to Oma and Shu arts from ATLA.. but even though it looks simple, that simplicity was actually really difficult to draw.. 😅

BTW, did you know Tanabata?

"Tanabata or Japanese 'Star Festival' is celebrated to commemorate the romantic story of two lovers represented by the stars Vega and Altair who are only allowed to meet each other once a year as long as the skies are clear"

Which is basically a story about star-crossed lover, just like our Zutara and we could say that Zutara Week is kind of similar to Tanabata festival..

For more of Zutara art please check my #zutara tag in my artblog~ thank you!!

Tag: @zutaraweek

[gwwwt]

Finally posted an Odazai fic!! Took me awhile, but I’m really proud of it. Written for Odazai Week 2022 on Twitter, based on the Day 1 - Tanabata prompt. Lots of references to the myth of Orihime and Hikoboshi, so please read about that first!

Odazai Week 2022 // Day 1, Tanabata

He sends a love poem on a wind, and focuses to make a wish in his hands. As he interlaces and takes his chance with faith, his heart beats against the waves, only a star to light his way.

OR

Atsushi is Dazai's newest attendant. As he helps his master weave wishes for others the days following up for the Tanabata festival, he notices a small sadness in him that never seems to go away.

[natshigweek]

NATSHIG WEEK 2021 | JUNE 13th - 19th

Welcome all Jocks, NEETs, Geeks, and Athletes to the 2021 NatShig Week! 

What is NatShig you ask? Why, it’s the most ridiculous crack ship to actually have an AO3 tag in BNHA! As with most weeks, there will be prompts for all 7 days! You can participate in as many or as few as you want! 

We accept fic, art, animations, playlists… anything that celebrates this crusty pairing! 

The prompts for this year are: 

Continuous Encounters // Vaccinations

CEO Son x Gangster AU // Message Board Friends AU

Figure Skater x Gamer AU // Ranch Hand x City Boy AU

Fairy AU // Medieval AU

Tanabata Festival // Seasons

Regency AU // Pirate AU

Free Day 

Make sure to @ us and tag your post with #natshigweek2021 so we can reblog your creations!

 *please note that prompts need not be followed to participate!

[bevioletskies]

we'll never have to say goodbye again

summary: Kazuma never expected to visit his own grave right before Tanabata - or really, to find himself looking at his own name on a gravestone to begin with. When Susato insists on bringing him there so they can pay their respects, Ryunosuke can’t help but suspect that it’s bothering him a little more than he’s letting on.

word count: 2.9k | read on ao3

a/n: For @asoryuu-week, day six of seven (prompt: "festival"). This fic takes place post-Resolve; mild spoiler warning for Adventures and Resolve, where events may be alluded to but not described in detail. All names and honorifics are taken from the official localization, with the exception of Haori, Sherlock, and Iris.

Fic title is from the song We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again by England Dan & John Ford Coley.

“I must say, it’s a little morbid to see my own name written on a gravestone. I’m not sure how to feel about it.”

Ryunosuke raised a pointed eyebrow, one that Kazuma pointedly ignored. “...only a little morbid?”

“Oh, dear,” Susato sighed, shaking her head. “Kazuma-sama, this isn’t exactly the reaction I was hoping for when I suggested we come visit your...burial site. I thought we’d treat the occasion with a little more ceremony, perhaps a few solemn words before we replace the wilted flowers my father laid at your grave over a month ago.”

Kazuma scoffed derisively. “I mean no disrespect, Susato-san, but...who exactly would these solemn words of yours be for when I’m standing right here?”

“You have a point, Asogi-san,” Haori piped up from where she was standing - by Kazuma’s side, like she often was when the four of them were out and about together, her arm interlaced with his. “And, er...Susato, no one else seems to be around, so I don’t think we need to keep up this pretense any longer.”

Susato cast one last wary glance over her shoulder before nodding, deftly slipping her arm out of Ryunosuke’s grasp. “Yes, you’re right. Shall we?” After a few practiced side steps around one another, almost a dance of sorts, they were back to where they wanted to be, with Susato and Haori arm-in-arm, and Ryunosuke and Kazuma hand-in-hand. “Much better. Naruhodo-san has been...perspiring all day.”

“...thank you for announcing that to everyone here, Susato-san,” Ryunosuke groaned. Kazuma snickered, playfully squeezing his partner’s hand. “Anyway, if Kazuma doesn’t see the need to pay our respects, maybe we could make this quick so we don’t miss the rest of the festival. I’m feeling rather...er...”

“Hungry?” Kazuma suggested with a smirk. “You hardly need to tell us that. We’ll be sharing sōmen and monjayaki, I assume?”

“Sharing? Hardly,” Ryunosuke said, chuckling. “Did you not hear my stomach growl just now?”

“Naruhodo-san, Kazuma-sama, please,” Susato said, leveling them with a sharp glare. “Let me replace Father’s chrysanthemums with some semblance of dignity.” Haori tried - and failed - to hide her own giggles behind her sleeve.

“My apologies, Susato-san,” Kazuma replied, clearing his throat. “Carry on, please.”

“Well, now that the mood’s spoiled, I don’t think I’ll be able to find the words I was originally going to say,” Susato sighed, carefully crouching down to kneel in front of Kazuma’s gravestone, taking care not to let the ends of her sleeves graze the dirt. “But I can do this, at the very least.”

As Susato laid down the fresh flowers she’d brought with her, Kazuma leaned over to whisper exaggeratedly in Haori’s ear. “I do hope she brings you flowers as often as she brings them to me.” Haori and Ryunosuke snickered; Susato, on the other hand, looked just about ready to bury Kazuma herself.

“I could tell Naruhodo-san every last thing you said about him when you first met, Kazuma-sama,” Susato suggested, straightening up so she could smooth out the front of her hakama. “Especially the parts you’d rather he not hear.”

Ryunosuke frowned. “I can’t imagine Kazuma being embarrassed by - ”

“You wouldn’t,” Kazuma hissed between clenched teeth, eyes narrowing.

Susato looked almost smug as she looped her arm through Ryunosuke’s once more, pulling him along with a gentle, but firm tug. “Shall we go?” she said, smiling innocently. “Like Naruhodo-san said, we don’t want to miss the rest of Tanabata.”

Kazuma’s mouth twitched. “...after you.”

“Should we be worried?” Haori whispered to Ryunosuke, just before she accepted Kazuma’s proffered arm. Susato unceremoniously yanked Ryunosuke away before he could answer, practically dragging him all the way back down the hill. Sighing, Haori trailed after them with Kazuma still seething silently by her side.

It wasn’t long before they were back in the heart of their hometown, where the streets were filled with festival-goers and stalls selling food and other wares, the air filled with the distinctive scents and discordant sounds of Tanabata. Every single one of their senses were instantly overwhelmed, what with the loud music and noisy crowds, colorful decorations and abundance of paper lanterns, and the rich smells of kabayaki and tonkatsu everywhere. Kazuma had to reach out and catch Ryunosuke by the arm before they could be separated by the rush of people.

Ryunosuke turned briefly to look at him. “Kazuma?”

“Just making sure we don't lose each other,” Kazuma said, tangling their fingers together. “Now let’s go find some food before you get the urge to eat those wilted flowers Susato-san took with her.”

“I can still hear you, Kazuma-sama,” Susato called over her shoulder.

The four of them eventually managed to find somewhere rather cozy to eat in peace, keeping a good distance from the crowds so they could have a conversation without shouting over one another. Kazuma had finally convinced Ryunosuke to share his food, reminding him it would be the best way to get more variety between the two of them. Susato and Haori, on the other hand, had already decided to evenly split everything.

“My feet hurt; I think my shoes are too tight,” Haori groaned, reaching down to loosen the laces of her boots. Susato gave her a sympathetic pat on the leg before refilling her tea. “Oh, but this could be the perfect opportunity for all of us to go shopping for new clothes before the seasons change!”

“Good luck convincing Ryunosuke that he needs new clothes - he practically wore nothing but his Yumei uniform during the entirety of his stay in Great Britain,” Kazuma teased, affectionately ruffling his partner’s hair. “But I could definitely use a new coat, maybe a scarf. What do you think, Ryu?” Ryunosuke merely shrugged, unable to respond through his mouthful of rice.

“Haori and I will also need to make preparations for our trip next month,” Susato added. “So if you’re not too busy, Kazuma-sama, maybe next weekend?”

“Your trip?” Then, Kazuma nodded slowly in recognition. “Ah, right. The two of you are accompanying Professor Mikotoba on his tour of Japan’s universities to see their respective faculties of medicine, aren’t you?”

Haori nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll be assisting him with his lectures and demonstrations, yes. Susato decided to come with us so she could spend some quality time with her father - and with me as well.” She then squeezed Ryunosuke’s arm. “I hope you won’t be too bored without us, Naruhodo-san. Or too busy, for that matter, since you’ll be the only defense attorney at your office.”

“Yes, I’ll have to tell people that my cousin Ryutaro went to look after our sick grandfather or something,” Ryunosuke hummed, thinking. “Or maybe I’ll just close up shop for a little while so Kazuma and I can go on a trip of our own.”

“As much as I’d like that, the backlog of cases I have to deal with is too big to ignore,” Kazuma said with an apologetic grimace. “Ever since Prosecutor Auchi went on an...extended vacation, let’s call it - well, you already know. I’ve barely been home long enough to see you.”

“All the more reason for us to take a nice long break once you can,” Ryunosuke suggested. “In fact, all four of us have been working non-stop since we returned to Japan. Perhaps after Susato-san and Haori-san come back, we should spend a few weeks at a faraway onsen or something so we can really relax.”

“Ooh, that sounds lovely!” Haori breathed, her eyes wide. “Though...can we really afford to be away for that long? I’ve been spending a lot of my savings on books lately, so...maybe I should start selling them so I can save up again!”

“Please don’t do that, Haori,” Susato said with a soft laugh. “If it comes down to it, I’ll pay for a portion of your expenses. And Naruhodo-san, that really does sound like a wonderful idea. Do you think you and Kazuma-sama could start planning for it while we’re away?”

“And by ‘you and Kazuma-sama’, I suspect you mostly mean just me,” Kazuma said dryly, smirking when Ryunosuke flicked a few rice grains at his face in protest. “But we’d be happy to, Susato-san.” He then got to his feet, stretching luxuriously. “Not to rush you all while you’re still eating, but we probably should get going soon if we want to partake in the rest of the festival before it gets dark.”

Once Susato and Haori finished their food and Kazuma promised Ryunosuke they’d go looking for dango later, they went on their way, navigating the busy streets and tripping over one another’s feet until they finally reached town square. Naturally, it was the most crowded place of all, with what felt like the entire country’s population surrounding them, boxing them in, and what felt like an entire forest’s worth of bamboo trees lining the sidewalks, colorful tanzaku fluttering gently in the early evening breeze. Ryunosuke and Haori found themselves constantly distracted by all the little trinkets and wares that were being offered for sale in every which direction; Susato had to constantly yank both of them back by the necks of their kimonos before they ended up spending all of the money they were now meant to save.

“You two are hopeless,” Susato sighed, shaking her head as she passed out their tanzaku. Haori offered her a sheepish grin and a brief peck on the cheek once she’d made sure no one was looking. “I suppose it’s no mystery why I’m the one in charge of office expenses. If it were up to you, Naruhodo-san, we’d be eating out every day and buying new plants for our office every week.”

“...I’m not that self-indulgent, Susato-san,” Ryunosuke groaned, slouching defeatedly. “Anyway, it’s about time we finally write our wishes. Have you all decided what you’re going to put?”

“I would always write something about love and friendship ever since I was a little girl,” Haori confessed, her cheeks rosy with mild embarrassment. “But now that I have all of that...I don’t know; wishing for good health always seems so...so normal. And boring. And uninspiring!” She turned to consult Susato, only to find that she’d already finished writing hers - in her perfect handwriting, of course.

“My wish is to share unforgettable memories and experiences with the people I love,” Susato stated solemnly; she then smiled. “Along with my father’s lecture tour and our onsen trip, I’m very much looking forward to visiting London again, hopefully in the near future. I know we were just there six months ago, but still...I do miss Mr Holmes, Iris, and Gina terribly. Exchanging letters just doesn’t feel the same.”

“Agreed,” Ryunosuke said, nodding wistfully. “What about you, Kazuma? It looks like you’re done as well.”

“Mine’s a bit like Susato-san’s, only even more cliché,” Kazuma replied, holding his tanzaku up with a flourish. “Longevity, or to be specific...to grow old with the one that I love.”

Ryunosuke’s face immediately softened; Susato and Haori audibly cooed in admiration. “Oh, how romantic!” Susato exclaimed, clasping her hands together with joy. “I wasn’t expecting you to be so sensitive, Kazuma-sama.”

“Have you moved on from making fun of Ryunosuke to making fun of me now?” Kazuma teased, lightly nudging her before loosely draping his arm around Ryunosuke’s shoulders. Unlike Haori, he didn’t bother looking around before kissing Ryunosuke on the forehead. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten your threat from earlier; you better not tell him anything.”

“What on earth were you saying about me to Susato-san when we first met?” Ryunosuke said, half-amazed, half-afraid. Kazuma merely shook his head, then gestured towards Ryunosuke’s tanzaku, motioning for him to read his wish for everyone to hear. “Oh, er, mine’s nothing special. It’s the same thing I put every year - good fortune and good food.” Kazuma and Susato groaned in unison while Haori nodded along in overenthusiastic agreement.

“You’re so predictable, Ryu,” Kazuma sighed, now wrapping his arms around Ryunosuke’s waist from behind, his chin dropping to rest on his shoulder. “But I can’t say I don’t like that about you, that’s for certain.”

“Have you decided on yours, Haori-san?” Ryunosuke asked, patting Kazuma’s clasped hands. “I think wishing for good health is perfectly fine; people often underestimate the importance of good health until they get sick, if you ask me.”

“You’ve actually inspired me, Naruhodo-san,” Haori replied with a mischievous giggle. “Good health, good fortune, good food - and a cat!”

“It seems like our recent visit with Soseki-san has inspired you as well,” Susato commented, chuckling. “Now that we’re all done, we should hang these up. Kazuma-sama, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“I’m not as tall as you think, but if you say so,” Kazuma shrugged, carefully taking everyone’s tanzaku and hanging them on the highest possible bamboo tree branches he could reach. They took a moment to step back and admire their handiwork, with Haori taking a few photographs with the camera she’d brought with her, before the four of them slipped out of town square once more, away from the bustling crowds. “Where to next, then?”

“I thought we’d take a walk along the river before returning home,” Susato suggested, reaching for Ryunosuke’s outstretched arm while Haori took Kazuma’s. “There shouldn’t be too many people there at this time of night, so we can talk a little more...freely.”

Ryunosuke smiled bittersweetly, knowing exactly what she meant. “Please, Susato-san, lead the way.”

Once they were on the outskirts of town entirely, the four of them were happy to find that Susato was right; the riverbank was relatively quiet, though some families were also out and about on an evening stroll, with young children laughing and playing by the water and sending paper lanterns floating down the river. Ryunosuke found himself mulling over a rather unexpected question he was afraid to voice out loud as he walked, his fingers loosely tangled with Kazuma’s. In front of them, Susato and Haori were arm-in-arm once more, Haori’s head on Susato’s shoulder while they talked about nothing in particular.

“You’re unusually quiet,” Kazuma commented, affectionately knocking his hip against Ryunosuke’s. “Is something wrong?”

“Longevity,” Ryunosuke said before he could stop himself. “Er, well...I-I suppose I was just thinking about your wish, and how we’d only just gone to see your grave earlier...it’s silly, but I guess I was wondering if they were related somehow.”

“...oh.” Kazuma swallowed thickly, averting his gaze. “Let’s just say...more than I’d like to admit. I might’ve found it funny at the time, but it still reminded me of the fact that I came very close to dying before I could fulfill my life’s mission. Before I could do the things I’d been desperately hoping to do.”

Ryunosuke squeezed his hand just a little bit tighter. “I don’t like thinking about what happened or what could’ve happened, either. I...sometimes, when you’re working late and haven’t yet come to bed, I find myself worrying about you all over again, thinking something must’ve gone wrong, how you must’ve gotten hurt or worse and I just have to go and check on you, and then - a-and then you come into the room before I can. You always look exhausted, but otherwise completely fine, and I...it’s silly, I know.”

“Not at all,” Kazuma insisted, smiling faintly. “But at least I now understand why you keep tackling me to the ground before bed. I just assumed you were wanting something else entirely.”

Ryunosuke rolled his eyes. “I’m serious, Kazuma. It’s like when Susato-san goes out of town with her father sometimes, and they come back a day late because of bad weather or a scheduling delay, and I just...I can’t help but feel nervous every time. I used to think nothing of people being late, but now, after spending so much time thinking and talking about how people have lost their lives or lost each other...” He trailed off, shuddering.

Kazuma came to a halt, reaching for Ryunosuke’s other hand so he could pull him close, so they would be standing toe-to-toe. “There isn’t much I can say or do to comfort you, I’m afraid,” he said quietly. “I still have memories of the time in which I didn’t have any memories, and it...it scares me. To think of how little I had to anchor myself during that time, aside from that voice in my head. And when you work late, or you’re out late with friends, I can’t say I don’t experience similar fears as well. That I might wake up and find out this newly perfect life of mine was all just a dream...or find out that something bad happened to you, and that I’m now living a nightmare.”

“Kazuma,” Ryunosuke murmured; his heart ached for him.

“But...I mean it, Ryunosuke.” Kazuma lowered his head, resting his temples against Ryunosuke’s, their clasped hands in the small space between them. “All our worries aside, I’d love nothing more than for us to grow old together. To be with you, to celebrate these sort of things with you every year.”

“I’d love nothing more, too,” Ryunosuke said softly, his expression relaxing. He took a quick, cursory glance at their surroundings, then leaned in to kiss Kazuma, his fingers tangled in the folds of his kimono. Kazuma wrapped his arms around Ryunosuke’s shoulders, pulling him in close. “And I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Kazuma mumbled against Ryunosuke’s lips, sighing happily. Eventually, he pulled away, his mouth twisting into a sudden frown. “Wait, I’ve only just realized - weren’t we supposed to get dango?”

Ryunosuke’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re right! But it’s too late, isn’t it?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Kazuma said, tenderly cradling Ryunosuke’s jaw in one hand before leaning back in once more. “We have time.”

_____

a/n: Welcome to my sixth entry for Asoryuu Week 2021! Part of me wanted to dive a little deeper into Kazuma's angst, not to mention Ryunosuke and Susato's angst, but I also wanted this to feel more celebratory and slice-of-life and bittersweet, rather than just plain ol' bitter. Also, as I write more and more Asoryuu/Susahao, I kind of want Ryunosuke and Haori to be chaotic besties with poor impulse control. I'll definitely have to explore that sometime in the future!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and I hope you're all safe and healthy and doing well ❤️