#ship: the tale of a delinquent and the top student

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

~~A Message Home~~ (Saucy Song Warning!)

So even though the Star's been saved, Princess Rebecca of Rosenfield wasn't too eager to simply return to her home. It wasn't due to any duties or fears, but rather a dire dread within her core...

She had one wish for those who chose to not meet her in Eorzea, simply stay true! Yet there was one man who wouldn't, one who couldn't. Then to add salt to the wound of the bleeding heart, he went to every source who'd listen and said the princess wasn't capable of satisfying his physical desires like his new arm candy...

Rebecca couldn't care about how said man saw her but to tarnish her reputation as a royal? Well, she'd HAVE TO have a say of her own!

Let's just say that the men behind the camera would have to disagree with their rival's comments! Well, they will when they pick their jaws off the floor...

(Was this mainly an excuse to join the Rabbit Hole trend??? ...Mayyybe... BUT I'M OBSESSED!! Plus I have been bouncing around a break-up arc soo WORTH IT!! Obviously I don't own the song it's Rachie's cover of DECO*27's Miku song!)

Taglist: @cosmic-kaden @disneymarina @floweringforgetfulness @nyandereneko @goldenworldsabound @singingdeepinme @kylars-princess

[mrsmarymorstan]

Now Furuba S2 is over, what now?

I’m already seeing a lot of people asking for recommendations now the S2 Sub is over; so this is a list of series that I think you’ll enjoy if you like Furuba! 

All platforms listed are true for the UK, but might not be for other residences. More viewing options may be available in other territories. 

Unless specified, All Manga/Comic recs are available from regular bookstores and EBook Stores. If you’re in the UK I’ll suggest checking out Hive, which is an online store where a potion of each sale goes towards a Local Independent Bookstroe of your choice! They also have flat-rate free shipping! 

Okay, so the actual recs! (I got lazy in some places and used the official synopisis) 

Romance

Convenience Store Boyfriends Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Six high school boys hang out at a local convenience store where they talk about their daily lives. Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are first year students looking forward to the high school experience. Alongside them, there’s Nasa Sanagi, the only member of the cooking research club. Natsu Asumi is a loner but has third year students, Mikado Nakajima and Masamune Sakurakoji, looking out for him.“

Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 - Crunchyroll, Funimation (Sub) S2 Funimation (Sub/Dub) 24 eps - Ongoing Manga: 18/20 volumes available in English 

“Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. And everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. Pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?”

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun Netflix (Dub/Sub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 12/12 volumes available in English 

“High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki. When she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says she wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Sakura discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shōjo manga artist working under the pen name Sakiko Yumeno. She agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga Let's Fall in Love they encounter other schoolmates, who assist them and serve as inspirations for the story.”

Snow White With the Red Hair Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total Manga: 9/22+ volumes available in English. Anime ends Vol. 8 

“In the kingdom of Tanbarun lives an independent young pharmacist named Shirayuki. Shirayuki is a plain girl, save for her shock of beautiful apple-red hair. Her stunning mane gets her noticed by the prince, but instead of romancing her, he demands she be his concubine. Shirayuki chops off her lovely locks, and runs away to the neighboring kingdom where she befriends a handsome stranger.”

Tsuruedure Children Funimation (Dub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga (Ebook only) 12/12 Volumes available in English

“Short and charming comedic vignettes offer a quick glimpse into the unique and funny situations, misunderstandings, and all around confusion that can happen in a high school romance. For starters, there’s a story about a delinquent girl and the student council president, and one about a stoic boy confused about an emotional girl. Relive the charm of high school romance!”

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Amazon Prime (Sub) 11 Eps Total Manga: 4/9 volumes available in english 

Looking for a slice of life romance but you’re an actual adult now and don’t want to read about teenagers? Try Wotakoi! It combines office romance with childhood friends-to-lovers. Narumi is a Fujoshi who doesn’t want anyone to find out the truth of her ways, Hirotaka is a Game Otaku who doesn’t care what anyone says about it, together they go about the ins-and-outs of dating as an adult. 

Coming of Age

BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt, so I’ll max out my defence Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Ongoing 

“She may be new to gaming, but Maple has found the secret to invincibility! Just put all your skill points into defense until you can't even move. That works, right? She doesn't want to experience any pain in the VRMMO game she started playing, and somehow it works better than anyone expected. Now she's got followers??”

Brand New Animal Netflix (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Set in a world where humanoid animals (known as beastmen) inhabit Earth, the series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who one day suddenly starts turning into a tanuki beastman. Running away, she seeks refuge in Anima City, a city built for beastmen to be able to live peacefully as themselves, and ends up meeting a wolf beastman named Shirou Ogami. Together, they investigate how and why Michiru became a beastman, becoming mixed up in even stranger events in the process.”

Hyouka Funimation (Dub/Sub) 23 Eps Total 

“A worthy addition to any animation fan's collection, Hyouka is a stunning masterwork that spins a charming tale of high school romance and mystery. After disenchanted student Hotaro Oreki joins his school’s Classic Lit Club, he meets Eru Chitanda, a kindhearted and inquisitive girl with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting him caught up in all sorts of trouble.”

Koto Oto Tomara! Sounds of Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total 

“Down to its last member, the koto club will accept anyone who is interested in the traditional Japanese instrument. But when a delinquent and a prodigy player sign up, finding harmony isn’t going to be easy—especially not with ensemble competitions looming around the corner. With enough time and some incredible skill at the strings, perhaps this motley crew can strike a chord with the judges.“

O Maidens in your Savage Season HIDIVE (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 7/8 volumes available in English (8th available for pre-order) 

The series follows a High School Literature club as they make their nervous first foray into the nature of sexuality. What is the difference between sexual attraction and romantic attraction? Does watching porn mean wanting to have sex? What are these strange feelings I am having down below? Why are boys so gross and girls so pretty? Each girl undergoes their own journey and finds their own destination, a brutally honest yet heart warming look at teenage female sexuality. 

CW: Sexual Assault, pedophilia (both portrayed as BAD AND TERRIBLE things) 

Our Dreams at Dusk Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English 

IF YOU ONLY CONSUME ONE THING ON THIS LIST MAKE IT THIS!!!!! The series is the VERY DEFINITION of “It Gets Better”. 

After his classmates discover some gay pornography on his phone, Tasuku Kaname contemplates committing suicide. Just as he’s about to jump, he spots a mysterious figure parkouring down a mountain. Shocked out of his moment, he decides to go and investigate what’s happening and finds an LGBT+ Drop In Centre. The series follows the lives of the people in the drop in centre, from Haruko who wishes to marry her closeted girlfriend, to Misora who is still trying to figure out what their gender is but has the threat of puberty hovering of their shoulder. 

It’s very clear that Kamatani-sensei has written this story FOR the Queer Community. It’s a truly beautiful story. Please give it your money if you can, so that Kamatani-sensei can actually earn some money, and so that Seven Seas know that there is a viable audience for these stories! So that we may get more content!

Reverse Harem 

Fruits Basket is NOT a reverse Harem, but i figure there’ll be some fan crossover. 

Kiss Him, Not Me Cruncyroll (sub) Funimation Dub available on DVD etc. 12 Eps Total Manga 14/14 volumes available in English

“Kae Serinuma believes one thing—princes belong together! As an avid boy’s love fan, she loves nothing more than fantasizing about faux relationships between the boys at her school. But when she loses weight due to the stress of her favorite anime character dying suddenly the boys want…her?! From pretty average to prettiest girl, Kae just wants these boys to date each other, not her!”

Sub uses an irritating “Silly Fat Person” voice that the Dub doesn’t. CW for Sexual Assult, though it is depicted as a BAD thing and used for Kae to question why she is so into it when reading BL, when IRL it is terrifying? 

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

A TRULY Bisexual harem! After bumping her head, young Katarina Claes awakens with all the memories of her past life... and promptly realises she’s been re-incarnated as the antagonist of her favourite Otome Game! Determined this time to live past the age of 17, Katarina starts to make plans to turn all her enemies into allies through the power of kindness and understanding! Throughout the series, she tries harder and harder to avoid her doom flags... without realising that she’s turned those doom flags into romance flags! 

Katarina lives out the fantasy of going to magic school and eating cake as all the pretty people fall head over heels for her. A pity she’s too dim to notice.

Ouran High School Host Club Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 eps total Manga: 18/18 volumes available in english 

Set in the high class elite private school of Ouran High, the Host Club exist to provide entertainment for the ladies of the school. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi Fujioka, stumbles across the Host Club and in their haste to leave they knock over an ¥8,000,000 vase. Now she must earn that money back by working for the Host Club, all the while disguising the fact that she’s a girl. Not that she ever felt much like a girl before hand anyway. Along the way, she gets to know better the Cool Kyoya, the flamboyant Tamaki, the Mischievous Hikaru & Kaoru, the Strong and Silent Mori-senpai and the adorable Honey-senpai. Comedic Hijinks ensue! 

Slice of Life

The Emperor and I Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English on Shonen Jump App 

One day Kaho returns home from school to find an Emperor Penguin in her fridge. He quickly becomes a beloved part of the family, but a secret to the rest of the world who would want to take him away from them. Hijinks ensue. 

Kakushigoto Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

Doting single father, Kakushi Goto, is determined to hide the fact that he writes echhi humour manga for a living. He couldn’t bare it if his daughter were to ever find out the truth, the shame of his profession only alienating her. A laugh out loud series that will suddenly cut you deep as it explores the nature of grief and familial love. 

My Brother’s Husband Manga: 2/2 volumes available in English 

“Yaichi, a stay-at-home single father, lives with his daughter Kana in suburban Tokyo. They are visited by Mike Flanagan, the widower of Yaichi's estranged twin brother Ryōji, who has traveled from his native Canada for three weeks to learn about Ryōji's past. Kana is fascinated by Mike and is immediately accepting of him, though Yaichi is hesitant to accept Mike as family.

While Yaichi is not overtly homophobic, Mike suggests that his tacit discomfort over his brother's sexuality drove a wedge between them that led to their estrangement. Mike's interactions with the family and neighborhood over the subsequent three weeks prompt Yaichi to confront his own prejudices around sex and sexuality, as his growing tolerance and eventual acceptance of Mike parallel his overcoming of his own homophobia.”

Whilst the trope of “the gay brother dies and the heterosexual brother learns not to be homophobic” might be over done in western media, the same is not true for Japan. It’s a heartfelt and honest look at grief and acceptance, as well as how the nature of family is changing all around the world... but attitudes are maybe conservative attitudes aren’t as quick to catch up. 

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 

So apparently everyone went “this show is undubbable! It relies too much on puns and untranslatable humour!” and then Howard Wang said “hold my beer” and did it. A bizarre comedy series set in a high school. It’s probably best known for the ongoing fight between the deer and the principal.  

Way of the Househusband Manga: 4/5+ (ongoing) volumes available in English  

After he meets and marries the career driven Miku, Tatsu AKA The Immortal Dragon decides to give up his life of crime to commit to being the worlds’ best husband. You’d be surprised at the transferable skills between a Yakuza enforcer and a house husband. From knowing how to efficiently cut up a slice of meat, to how to perfectly clean a bathroom of all evidence. Hilarious and heartwarming, Taki and Kyoko would be best bros. 

Slice of Life + Supernatural 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K S1 Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 episodes Netflix S1 (Dub/Sub) S2 & 3 (Sub) 50 episodes total 

“Saiki Kusuo is a typical 16-year-old high school student… except he has psychic powers. He can use them to get whatever he wants, but he also knows everything that people are thinking. Everything. No surprises, no secrets, no normal human experiences. He’s kept his powers in check since childhood, but with the temptations of high school now on his mind, he’s bending the rules—and spoons.“

Sabrina The Teenage Witch (2019)

Writer Kelly Thompson wears her magical girl influences on her sleeve in this new take on the Archie Classic. Sabrina is your regular teenager, except she is also a witch and so are her aunts. Hijinks (and Card Captor Sakura References) ensue. 

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 eps total Manga 13/13 Volumes available in English 

“Kamome Academy is rumored to have many mysteries, the strangest of which involves the mischievous ghost of Hanako-kun. When occult-loving high schooler Nene Yashiro accidentally becomes bonded to him, she uncovers a hidden world of supernatural beings. Now the two of them are conspiring to keep the peace between student and supernatural—that is, if they can only stay out of trouble themselves.“

Jughead (2015) 4 Volumes total

Bought to you in various parts by the creators of Squirrel Girl, Jughead combines slice of life with spy thriller, time travel and the joy of a good burger. Hilarious and heart warming, this run holds a special place in my heart as the one where Jughead was confirmed as canonically asexual and continues to express various aro/ace moods throughout the series. There’s a REASON my friends say I’m a Real Life Jughead.... 

Weathering With You - available digitally/physically 28th Sep. 2019

In June 2021, first year high schooler Hodaka Morishima leaves Kōzu-shima in order to get to Tokyo. When his ferry to the city is hit by a rainstorm, he is saved by Keisuke Suga, who runs a small occult magazine that’s looking for an assistant. As Hodaka becomes broke and struggles to find work, he meets Hina Amano, an employee of a McDonald’s restaurant. She takes pity on him and gives him food. After agreeing to work with Suga, Hodaka learns about the legend of the “sunshine girl” who can control the weather! It turns out that the newly unemployed Hina is a sunshine girl! And with her little brother, they start up their own business to bring sunshine to the never-ending rain of Tokyo. 

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Episodes Total Manga: 22/28 volumes available in English 

After tripping on the stairs, School Bad Boy Ryu Yamada and Top Student Urara Shiraishi discover they can swap bodies with a kiss! They then learn that they’re not the only ones with magic powers in the school, and with the help of the Supernatural Studies Club they begin to track down the identities of the 7 witches of Suzaku High. 

This series really stretches my limits on fan service, but at least it does proceed to get a little even in terms of gender. It’s still a really rather sweet and romantic series, once you get past the boobs and panties. 

Your Name Netflix (Dub/Sub) Spin Off Manga “Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound” - 2/2 volumes available in English 

A modern take on the Red Sting of Fate mythos, Mitsuha and Taki are two teenagers tied together. Three times a week, Mitsuha will wake up in Taki’s body and live the life of a Tokyo School boy. In turn, Taki will wake up in Mitsuha’s body and learn what it is to be a Rural Shrine Maiden. A look at the bonds that tie us, and how fate won’t let two young people fall apart before they can meet. 

Also the animation is BEAUTIFUL and it made me cry. Like a lot. There’s a spin off manga called “Your Name: Another Side” that follows the same story but from the POV of Mitsuha’s friends and family. It really brings new light to the events and made me very emotional.

Mental Health 

Green Lanterns: Rebirth (2018)

Jessica Cruz suffers from PTSD and severer anxiety, seeing her utalising her will power to overcome those problems and harness that energy to help save the universe is so incredibly powerful and moving. 

Hawkeye (2012-2015) 4 Volumes 

The Fraction/Aja/Wu/Hollingworth Hawkeye run is widely considered one of the best superhero runs of all time. Fraction and Aja perfectly capture “functional depression” at its finest, and we watch as Clint Barton slowly burns all his bridges before being forced by his friends to sort his shit out and put them back together again. There’s also a whole issue that’s primarily written in sign language too. 

My Roomate is a Cat Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 eps total 

“Mystery author Mikazuki would rather live in total isolation than deal with others. Getting a roommate is the last thing he’d ever do, until a stray cat sparks an idea for his next novel. After plucking the little killer off the streets, this four-legged muse inspires Mikazuki in ways he would have never expected. And for the street-wise cat, this human just opened the door to a whole new world.”

A Silent Voice (Manga/Movie) Movie: Netflix (Dub/Sub) 

“A former class bully reaches out to the deaf girl he’d tormented in grade school. He feels unworthy of redemption but tries to make things right.”

CW Attempted Suicide, bullying

Please watch the dub. Lexi Marman Cowden, who voices Shoko, is an ACTUAL hard-of-hearing actress. It makes for a more real and vulnerable performance that avoids the mild ableism of the Sub hiring a Hearing Actress and robot-ising her voice. 

Yuri!!! On ICE Crunchyroll (Sub) Funimation (Dub) 12 eps total 

“Yuri Katsuki makes his way to the Grand Prix ice skating competition as Japan’s top representative with his eyes on the prize. However, instead of celebrating, Yuri walks away defeated and ready to retire for good. But a run-in with champion Viktor Nikiforov and rising star Yuri Plisetsky ignites a new fire within him. With the two of them close by his side, Yuri will take to the ice once more.”

Yuri’s defeat sends him into a very relatable spiral of lack of self belief that he slowly starts to regain thanks to the help of Viktor. Part sports anime, part love story, all full of feels. 

The Dub is considered hit or miss depending on whether you like accents or not, but honestly it’s worth it for Sabat’s Christophe giacometti. Ayame walked, so Christophe could strut. 

Generic 

I’m gonna start by recommending the Shonen Jump App, it’s £1.99/month and gives you access to all their recent publications as well as their back catalogue in English! So you can read all of Boys Over Flowers, Nisekoi, Naruto, One Piece, Haikyuu, Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia etc. for a fraction of the cost of buying the physicals! SO much manga at your finger tips! No, they don’t sponsor me but i wish they would. 

Astra Lost in Space Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 5/5 volumes available in english, available on the Shonen Jump App

A group of teenagers on a school trip become Lost In Space and quickly discover a conspiracy is a foot. Part thriller, part comedy, saying anything more about this series would count as a spoiler given the number of plot twists throughout. 

Radiant Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 42 eps total Manga: 13/13+ volumes available in english (ongoing series)

A french manga turned into a Japanese Anime.

“Seth, a sorcerer destined to find Radiant, sets his sights on Caislean Merlin for answers. He’s desperate to find out what the Knight Sorcerers know, but can he trust them? In the wake of all that is unknown, he digs deep within himself for the wisdom and confidence to control his powers. And as the world around him continues to grow with more magic and power, he gains strong new allies.”

The series has BIG Saturday Morning cartoon vibes. My 12 year-old self would have been ALL OVER this.

Batman Ninja (Netflix)  

What if a Japanese animation studio asked DC if they could make a batman movie? And then just threw a Japanese history book at it? What if there was time travel? What if the main batman villains were all feudal lords in Japan? What if everyone were Samari? What if Damian had a small animal companion he could communicate with using a flue? What if Jason’s hood was made out of wicker? What if Penguin had a penguin shaped mecha? 

A wild ride from start to finish that makes no sense but really, do you care? 

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 10/28/20

SEAN: BOO!

Cross Infinite World gives us the 2nd volume of Another World’s Zombie Apocalypse Is Not My Problem!, which surprises me, as I thought it was a standalone.

Dark Horse has the 6th volume of Mob Psycho 100.

ASH: While I’m not quite as taken with the series as I was in the beginning, I’ve still been enjoying it.

SEAN: There’s a triple dose of not-quite-porn from Ghost Ship, who have Destiny Lovers 4, Parallel Paradise 3, and To-Love-Ru Darkness 17.

J-Novel Club debuts a new manga, Campfire Cooking in Another World, based on the light novel of the same name.

They also have Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On? 4, Der Werwolf 9, When the Clock Strikes Z 2 (a final volume, I think), and The White Cat’s Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King’s Lap 3.

ASH: I haven’t actually read that last one, but that series title is great.

SEAN: Kodansha is still making up for lost time, so get ready. Print Debut #1: Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (Kawaii Dake Janai Shikimori-san) is a Magazine Pocket series that seems to be part of the “girl teases the guy she likes” genre, though in this case they’re already dating.

Print Debut #2: The Witch and the Beast (Majo to Yajuu), an action-adventure series from Young Magazine the 3rd that seems to run on being really cool.

MICHELLE: It really does look very cool.

MELINDA: I like cool.

SEAN: Also in print: Cells at Work: Code BLACK 6, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest 5, The Heroic Legend of Arslan 13, If I Could Reach You 5, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight 11, Love and Lies 9, Sue & Tai-chan 2, and UQ Holder 20.

ASH: I’m not actively reading too many of these, but I am really glad to see the print titles picking up again.

SEAN: Two digital debuts. The first is another Shaman King spinoff, Shaman King: Red Crimson. This one started AFTER the artist moved to Kodansha, so ran in Shonen Magazine Edge. It’ll run 4 volumes.

The other is When We’re in Love (Hana-kun to Koisuru Watashi), a Betsufure series featuring a model student and a delinquent. Sure, throw another shoujo on the pile.

Also coming out digitally: Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 5, Atsumori-kun’s Bride to Be 5, Cells at Work: Platelets 2, Kounodori: Dr. Stork 17, the 7th and final volume of Love Massage: Melting Beauty Treatment (I assume she has now melted and man and puddle can live together as one), Maid in Honey 2, My Best () Butler 2, Orient 7, and Shaman King: Flowers 2.

MICHELLE: I couldn’t even make it one volume through Abe-kun. I am, though, happy for more of Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be!

SEAN: Oh yes, and 12 more Drops of God volumes hit digitally, 22 to 33.

One Peace has a new debut: Farming Life in Another World (Isekai Nonbiri Nouka). This series from Fujimi Shobo’s Dragon Age is… exactly what it sounds like, but there’s more sex than you’d expect.

ASH: Huh. The farming aspect vaguely interests me, but…

SEAN: Seven Seas has two light novel debuts, one print and one digital-first. The print is ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword!, which I reviewed when the digital version came out. It had a lot more horror than I was expecting, but should also satisfy yuri fans.

The digital first is Berserk of Gluttony (Boushoku no Berserk), a dark-sounding light novel about a man who’s lived his life always hungry finding out that he can feed on BLOOD AND SOULS! Not Elric of Melnibone, I’m sure, but close.

Also out from Seven Seas: Buck Naked in Another World 2 (mercifully the final volume), Classroom of the Elite 7 (early digital), Dance in the Vampire Bund: Age of Scarlet Order 3, The Girl from the Other Side 9, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear novel 3, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka 9, Mushoku Tensei 7 (novel), Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World 3, and Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn 13.

ANNA: I’m ashamed at how far behind I am with The Girl from the Other Side but I fully intend to get caught up.

MICHELLE: I think I have read through volume seven, but I also have a little catching up to do.

ASH: The Girl from the Other Side is still one of my top series; Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World is really wonderful, too.

SEAN: Square Enix has NieR:Automata – YoRHa Boys, a novel based on… well, take a guess.

They’ve also got Hi Score Girl 4.

Tentai Books says they’re releasing the 2nd volume of There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?.

Vertical has the 3rd volume of Owarimonogatari: End Tale, which wraps up the Monogatari series… OR DOES IT?

Yen On gives us four more light novels to round out the month. There’s I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years 8, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle 2: Episode Freya, KonoSuba 12, and Strike the Blood 16.

Yen has two manga debuts. Heterogenia Linguistico is a Young Ace Up series that looks like it does for monster research what Delicious in Dungeon does for monster food.

MICHELLE: The covers have a similar aesthetic, too.

ASH: I am intrigued.

SEAN: Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan is a LINE manga title based on some obscure movie, and deals with Leia’s teenage adventures.

ANNA: I’m a little curious about this.

SEAN: Yen also gives is Happy Sugar Life 6, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years 3 (manga), Kemono Friends a La Carte 4 (final volume), Our Last Crusade 3 (manga), and Restaurant to Another World 2 (manga).

Are you scared?

By: Sean Gaffney

[shufa1982]

One year of Drawing with light-September 2016

“Shadows of the moon”

Since the beginning humans have noticed the dark and the light, the night and the day, the moon and the sun. Before human begins everything was darkness… or light. Nobody knows, no one was there to testify. Our descendants used words to pass on heritage to new generations on the way of myths, tales, songs and stories.

Fire brings to our lives the possibility to deconstruct darkness, and fire gave us the chance to name the unknown, those things we were unavailable to describe because of our blindness. Like fire brought light to our lives, knowledge scratches ignorance that covers our eyes.  Ultimately, knowledge dressed as science or art develops our thoughts.  

Most of the artists, scientist and geniuses were enchanted by night, by the moon and things under the wings of darkness. Poets, painters, photographers, physicists and even in the Middle Edge psychiatrist and doctors were influenced by the moon. For example The Stultifera Navis, was a European ship when people with mental illnesses and delinquents were abandoned to the sea for months, and when the ship returned to land, the survivors had to be healed by the power of water and solitude, by the influence of the moon and darkness.    

Another example is the famous poem by Li Bai “Drinking Alone under the Moon” one of my favorites poems:

Among the blossoms, a single jar of wine. No one else here, I ladle it out myself./Raising my cup, I toast the bright moon, and facing my shadow makes friends three,/though moon has never understood wine, and shadow only trails along behind me./Kindred a moment with moon and shadow,  I've found a joy that must infuse spring:/I sing, and moon rocks back and forth; I dance, and shadow tumbles into pieces./Sober, we're together and happy. Drunk, we scatter away into our own directions:/intimates forever, we'll wander carefree and meet again in Star River distances.

The moon is regarded as the poetic and the soul, the unanimated and the mysterious.  The moon is always watching us, a satellite for some a God for others. This piece of rock suspended on the universe can affect the water of the oceans and the magnetism of the earth. It’s a fact.

In September, Asian countries are blessed with a clear and brighten moon even in daytime. The Full moon or the bright waning crescent could shine through our thoughts. (Below another tale regarding to the moon…)

  Mid-Autumn Tale.

A long time ago, a Chinese traveler almost 90 years old, who liked to collect ancient pieces of art, was traveling in Inner-Mongolia, by mistake, he ran into a street market and saw a set of teacups that he liked very much. He bargained with the owner and ten minutes later the set of tea belonged to Mr. Zheng. A few days later he arrived to his house in Zhejiang Province, he opened the teapot and inside he found a small parchment with a story written in traditional Chinese. The quality of the ink surprised the antiques experts, who valued the piece of paper in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately Mr. Zheng passed away when the document was in the hands of the antiques evaluator. These days, the piece of paper should be hanging in a museum in China, telling us the following story:  

The flowers change into cactus, the grass into brown dried pieces of garbage, the animals were dying all over the world. Nobody can resist the burning sun, plants, animals and people were burned by the unbearable ten suns. Some people say that in those days they used to live inside of caves, or maybe they dig holes in the land and lived inside, nobody knows what kind of living were those times. We just know it from our grandparent grandparent’s and the same way they knew the story. Could be caves or houses, or holes, the fact is that in those days existed ten suns that were heating, I can say burning the earth.

The world was a place where the dead walked at night, like living corpses rolling in the nights, all of them below the moon, like shadows without soul, waiting for the death to touch their cheeks, or some of them, thus who still had a little hope, they were waiting for a miracle to happen.

And thanks to heaven, a strong and gifted man, who was the best archer in the universe, saved the earth from being burned by the intense heat, he climbed the highest mountain and from there destroyed one sun. The other nine are still burning us! The villagers shouted. Huo Yi came back to his cave and prepared one of his special arrows. The next day, strong and brave, he returned to the same mountain and shot the second sun. People saw amazed how the big ball of fire disappeared in front of them.

Day after day Hou Yi prepared his special arrow, day after day he climbed the same mountain for the next six days, until just one sun illuminated the earth. By the last day, Hou Yi was lying in his cave, exhausted, just with enough strength to eat. After three days,  Wangmu, the goddess of Gods, came to earth and gave him a bottle with the eternal elixir, this liquid had the power to make humans immortal, said Wangmu, drink it and you will feel better. While he was delusional because of the extreme fatigue, he saw the face of a beautiful woman in his dreams, a woman who took him into her arms and took care of him. In the dream he felt in love with that woman, and once he was awake he promised himself to find her. So he didn’t drink the liquid, he wanted to spend his whole life with her.

He became a famous person, and people from the nearest villages came to meet him, to see him, to prove with their own eyes that the living myth was real. With time, his village became a mecca of knowledge, villagers, farmers, warriors, and all kinds of people came to look for knowledge, to be taught by the great Hou Yi.  But he was still deeply in love with that woman, he began to believe that the woman just existed in his dreams.

Days passed like the fluent rivers, like the winters and summers and autumns. Until one morning, when Hou Yi went to the village to buy food, he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before. She was buying food too. They looked at each other, and Chang’e knew that their souls had been created to be together. They met the next day, at the top of the highest mountain and talked for hours until the end of the day. After a few months they got married. Huo Yi continued sharing his knowledge with others.

One day he and his students went hunting, except one student that stayed at home, arguing some illness, so he took some rest.  That afternoon this student went to the master’s room where Chang’e was lying in the bed, the evil student tried to steal the immortal beverage from his master, the one that made immortal that who drunk it.. After a few minutes Chang’e realized she had no chance to win the fight so she drank the liquid and became immortal.

Hou Yi and Chang’e lived together until the day Hou Yi died. After that, Change’s sadness and painfulness took Wangmu’s attention and she made her an ambassador of the moon, since then she looks at the earth from the moon, and in September we can see from earth the shape of a woman lying on the top of a mountain.

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Royalty S/I and Background

Basics Name: Rebecca Grace Ann Stinheart Age: 20  Origin of Birth: Born in Clearflower Hospital to a couple out of wedlock  Current Location: Rosenfield Castle Education: An Honors Sophomore College Student Occupation: Princess of Rosenfield (And Part-time cashier for her own spending money)

Appearance  Height: 5 Feet Body Type: Petite yet curvaceous Eye Color: Brown Skin Type and Tone: Smooth, pale cream Hair: It does change rather frequently, but as of now, it is a short, stylishly messy maroon bob with teal roots and auburn highlights Fashion Sense: From Gowns of the finest silk to paint-stained shirts and ripped-up pants, Rebecca will wear whatever she sees fit for the occasion

Background To say that the Aster-Blossom empire is well-known would be an understatement. The tales of the empire’s establishment and the fledgling years were lost amongst the withered petals of time. Yet how it has grown in size, populace, and way of life is a topic that many people, both well-versed and those unaware of its exact location, discuss rather openly in the current day. 

Unlike other empires that have had rulers both hated and revered, the most topical ruler within the history of the Aster-Blossom is the current empress Alys. She is known for having taken the throne at such a young age. Then with her power, she practically reformed the empire from a warmongering and iron-fisted tyranny to that of a blossoming haven for those seeking refuge.

Among the many feats that people discuss when it comes to Empress Alys, they commonly bring up her adoption of a lowly street child instead of having her own or taking in a noble ally’s child.

This choice for a singular common-blooded heir was a high debate, an excuse for skepticism, and critique by other royals, nobles, and commoners. They all wondered if this was no more than a publicity stunt. Perhaps the child was being used for darker motives that the masses dare not even speak of when it came to their empress. Yet when these opinions would reach Alys, all she would do is a nod in understanding and maybe even laugh. She then professed that fate had brought her and this child together, so she thanked the holy ones for granting her such a light.

But what child, especially one of bastard blood and urchin origins, could have struck such emotion into such a powerful woman? Well, that is what many people asked whenever they interacted with a young Rebecca. When it came to appearances, she wasn’t much. One could argue she was at a disadvantage because of the condition that sent trembles through her already weakened body. That is partly why her birth parents had given her to the Black Rose orphanage ten years into her life. She wasn’t of any use! Yet what the empress and many others came to see was her spirit. Despite being scorned by other children and even by those who had brought her into the world, the young girl did not succumb to vile emotions.

It was during one of Empress Alys’ visits to the orphanage that she told the empress when she was asked if there was anything she could want: “I’m grateful for the little and simple things since that’s enough to make me happy, and I want to use my time to try and make others happy because, in the end, that’s all anyone will ever have.”

After that exchange, and seemingly overnight, Rebecca went from pauper to princess. She was overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Her world went from being filled with constant fighting and belittlement to affections, kindness, and cooperation that was sincere. There were a few ‘growing pains’ as the girl tried to get used to a life that was too good to be true. But through the proper treatment of her mother along with friends and professionals that helped her work through her past and focus on her future, Rebecca truly blossomed into an ambitious but sweet rose of the court!

Currently: With her commoner background, as well as her mother wanting to grant her the ‘average’ childhood that neither had, Rebecca’s still taking time to figure out her life path. She mainly goes to college with her friends. She also works at a shop in the capital city Rosenfield to earn her wages for fun stuff, and meet with her people without the pomp and circumstance. If one were to see her in the day-to-day, it’d be pretty easy to forget about her royal ties. Her mother still loves to spoil her but is happy to see that throughout everything Rebecca is still the sweet soul that she found and nurtured. 

Though that doesn’t mean things in the Rosenfield castle are quiet, in fact, they rarely ever are. Alys handles political tactics and threats, while Rebecca seems to be an expert with diplomacy and the morale of the people.

But even the greatest diplomats can be threatened, so to mix that knowledge with a mother’s protectiveness, was a bit much for the Empress now that her daughter had grown and was so eager to explore and aid every nook and cranny of the world. So Alys had amassed the greatest fighters from all lands and lifestyles to protect her daughter. (It was also to fluster the young royal since it was so cute to see many of the men come to pine for the princess… But an empress never tells such vital secrets…)

Crownsguard Members (Thinking of a unique name like ‘RozenGuard’ or something with thorns… STILL THINKING!)

Alyssa (Ace) - Ace is Rebecca’s best friend from even before her time in Black Rose. Ace is extremely protective of the princess, to the point that she’d break several rules to visit and check in with Rebecca when the two were still young girls. Her spitfire personality reminded Alys of herself, and the two became close when Ace finally learned she could just come into the castle and check in on Rebecca rather than climbing through windows. Ace is the closest person to a second child that Alys has, considering how she and Rebecca are practically inseparable. She even extended the offer to Ace after making sure Rebecca was okay with it. But Ace politely declined, remarking that princess stuff wasn’t her thing and just wanted to be the princess's guard.

Raiden - originally sent to the Aster-Blossom empire as a refuge after being used as a child soldier for another kingdom, he had met Empress Alys in Rosenfield when they were both budding adults. The two had become close to the point they were sparring partners frequently to keep their defense up but let their personal guards lower. So shortly after Alys had adopted Rebecca, he was the first one she could trust enough to protect her child.

Nero - Alys had met the young half(quarter?)-demon a few years after adopting her daughter. She had to do a double take when the boy stalked closely behind an old friend and current contractor of hers, as she wondered if the man had a kid of his own. But she couldn’t help smiling when she saw Rebecca bound up to the younger man and hugging him as if they knew each other. She learned this wasn’t Dante’s kid, but family nonetheless, and that this boy looked out for Rebecca in Black Rose and was someone Rebecca had looked for since. Upon learning the reason he had followed Dante was to check in and make sure her daughter was alright, Alys allowed Nero to continue to see Rebecca. When she saw that, despite his stand-offish nature, he cared deeply for the girl and was capable of handling himself in a decent fight, Alys extended an offer to him.

Gladio - The Shield to the prince of Lucis was someone that Alys had met briefly a few times when the prince and his father visited on matters of diplomacy before adopting Rebecca. She never thought too much of him until she had caught her daughter sneaking glances with rosy cheeks his way. When she caught the young man flirting with her daughter, she had to bite her tongue to keep from asking the King of Lucis to keep the Shield away so that she wouldn’t pummel the kid. But she did manage to pull the young man aside and quietly explain that her daughter wasn’t a toy like he may have thought other girls were, and if anything harmful happened to her that he was the cause of, he’d need someone to protect him. Now that both Rebecca and Gladio are older, whenever Lucis and Aster-Blossom have overlapping diplomatic visits to attend to, Rebecca and Ace will tag along with the prince and his guards…

Robby - Yet another one of Rebecca’s friends before her adoption, Robby was the third member of the little gang Rebecca had. While he wasn’t as brunt as Ace was, he’d still sneak in to keep in contact with Rebecca… At least for a little while. But after a year or two, Robby seemingly vanished. That is, until a few years later when he and Rebecca were both 16. The town guard had brought him before Alys with charges of several petty crimes. Alys recognized the boy and was both impressed but disappointed by his actions. Though she could see that he wasn’t bad at heart, just misguided… Rebecca happened to come in during sentencing and vouched she’d pay whatever Robby owed from her personal funds if he got a second chance. The act was so sweet that Alys agreed to go easy on him, but she’d be keeping an eye on him. This worked out for the best though, seeing how in the right environment with the right encouragement, the young man got his life together.

Yagami - After learning of a man who had one hell of a hand in fixing the reputation and overall atmosphere of one of the most ‘prestigious’ academies in the capital city, Alys had decided to take a look into him. Her daughter may be pursuing independent studies now, but that doesn’t mean she’d have to handle her test anxiety on her own. So after arranging a meeting with the man that so many students gawked at and gushed about, Alys sort of understood the hype. He acted as an advisor to countless clubs and unions, acted formerly as a lawyer, and wasn’t a total tight-ass? Perhaps this gig would be even better than all the pompous tutors Alys had hired, plus for a quarter of the charge! Yet with such a chill nature, messy hair, and a leather jacket to boot, who knows what the princess may really study…

Kaito - For many years, Masaharu Kaito was quite well-known within Aster-Blossom's underworld of crime. In fact, he was climbing the ranks of one of the biggest anarchy families. But little did he know how the exiled wanted to do more than exile him... But that all changed when he had run into Rebecca one evening. He didn't know that she was a part of everything they told him to hate, so when he saw some lesser members of his clan harassing her, he stepped in. Rebecca was so shocked that this man didn't expect a reward or want one when she offered, that she insisted she should take him home to at least heal him. Alys knew of Kaito's ties and was wary but considering that Rebecca was safe and nothing was stolen when he bid her goodnight, she let this man leave with his life. But only days later, his clan had staged an incident to kill Kaito or kick him out if he managed to live. It took Kaito a bit to process everything. In mere days, he learned that the clan he swore his life to saw him as exposable and the ones that they hated seemed to be the exact opposite of all he learned... With nowhere else to turn, he returned to the castle and pleaded with Alys to let him keep protecting the princess and turn over a new leaf.

Jack - A knight from a kingdom unknown to anything but forgotten memories, Jack has spent many years wandering the world and hunting a looming entity only known as Chaos. Rumors of such a being are the only reason why he’d find himself in Rosenfield. He meets with Alys and very bluntly demands that she tell what she knows. Alys is a bit pissed, seeing as she doesn’t take that crap from anyone, but if this poor idiot wants to go die then she won’t stop him. But to have her vengeance she decides to string him along just a bit. Despite them both acting to get their own needs fulfilled, this game turns out to be mutually beneficial. Yet one of the times that Jack is returning to Alys, he bumps into Rebecca. The young princess seemingly sparks some sense of emotion within the brash, self-serving man. This spark only intensifies when the princess notices his injuries and insists to treat them so that this tireless man actually gets a moment of rest! Alys can’t say that she enjoys this man getting close and how he seems fixated on her daughter, but she can admit that it is a sight to see this man figuratively dance around her. Maybe keeping him around while he’s useful won’t be so bad…

SIDENOTE: All of this is like a basis for just your standard, happy, royalty AU! I definitely do wanna introduce some form of magic even though the world in my head is basically like FFXV in the sense that it’s modern and everything! With that being said, all of this was written at like 3-7 AM without sleep, so any feedback is appreciated!

Tags: @disneymarina @canongf @singingdeepinme @hadesgoddess @jellyfish-ships @ignited-lovers @floweringforgetfulness @goldenworldsabound

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Daddy Issues

Title: Daddy Issues

Word Count: 670

Warnings: None really! Despite the title, it's fluffy!

Ship: The Tale of a Delinquent and the Top Student (Robby x Myself)

Summary: So Robby opens up and wants to forgive his dad for never being there when his dad finally goes to him. Even though Rebecca's happy for her love, she can't help but envision a similar end to the one she had with her father... So even though she fears the repercussions, she wants to let her partner know all the things that she wished someone had told her...

"So yeah, my dad and I actually had a talk. A lot of things were said, but I really do think he wants to be there for me!" Robby explained, the smile on his face was as wide as it was genuine. It had spread so far that it even made the corners of his emerald eyes crinkle.

To hear such a joyous tone from the usually troubled man wasn't unusual for Rebecca. But hearing such a tone while the conversation was in regards to her boyfriend's father had been nonexistent up to this point. It warmed Rebecca's heart to hear her partner have such an open-minded and forgiving perspective, yet his joy couldn't fully stop the gnawing feeling in her frail bones that something wasn't quite right. Though she didn't want to be a cynic or ruin his mood with her own bias, so all she responded with was a soft smile and an even softer response of, "That's great, Robby."

Perhaps it was from how long they'd known each other, or maybe the fatigue engulfing Rebecca had eclipsed her usually superior acting skills, yet Robby saw right past it all. With his grin faltering and his hand planting itself on the small girl's sloping shoulder, Robby questioned what was on her mind.

Rebecca bit her tongue for a moment, while her mahogany gaze burnt the wood porch beneath her. But she felt another sensation of warmth caressing her cheek. Looking up and seeing the concerned shimmers across her lover's gaze blazed through Rebecca's being and caused the young woman to melt under his touch.

With a sigh, she finally spoke, "I want to be happy for this revelation, I do. But I guess you can see that something isn't sitting right with me..."

Rebecca paused, her gaze flickered to meet Robby's once more, searching for any signs of hurt or anger. Yet there was only worry and contemplation amidst Robby's furrowed brows and other sharpened features.

"You, of all the people I know, deserve all the love, affection, and attention from anyone. But your parents, especially your dad, have never given you what you deserve. So this may be my own bias from my own daddy issues speaking, but I'm worried. I hope your dad is serious about finally stepping up and being there. I do. But I guess what I'm trying to say is be careful. You know my father would promise me the world time and time again, hell, he even would show vague signs of progress! But time and time again, he'd break those promises and my heart. In the end, he couldn't even keep a promise to walk me around the block... So please, just be careful with him. And god forbid, my fears of this not working out turn out to be right, don't blame yourself. And please, don't let yourself get wrapped up in the vicious cycle of hope and heartbreak as I did, okay? There are many people who love you, and I'm only saying this because I love you..."

Tears pricked the corners of Rebecca's eyes as she took a step back. She took a sharp inhale and held her breath, waiting for the anger that Robby had to have been feeling to bubble over. She waited for the storm of emotions between the two to overcome the shaky silence. Yet, the chilled evening breeze continued to blow and the choir of crickets continued to be heard. The only indication that Rebecca had of their two souls not being paralyzed in their spots on this outdoor stage what when Robby's toned arms wrapped around the maroon girl's stature and crushed her against his chest.

At that moment, Rebecca's flushed cheek was pressed right against the thunderous beat of her partner's chest. A sharp inhale had been taken from the wind, although it hadn't been Rebecca who had taken it this time. Robby's arms trembled ever so subtly as his fingers traced along with every detail of Rebecca's back.

"I love you too, Rebecca... I love you too..."

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Skater Boys

So Robby is canonically a really good skater. Canonically as well Samantha is the pretty, popular girl who keeps her best interests above all else. SO OF COURSE, My friend is like "Hey remember Avril Lavigne's song Skater Boy? It's literally you and Robby. Though it also fits pretty well with you and Nero or even Gladio..."

So now I'm sat with the blessed but also cursed AMVs in my head...

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

First Welcomes!

So after I move everyone in, I set up my own apartment! So my simself is all alone in San Myshuno! She lives in the art quarter in a 2 bedroom apartment since her childhood friend Robby and his dad had found it after a handyman job they did! After the pair said their goodbyes, Rebecca got down to work filling out the proper forms for uni! Still gotta keep humble beginnings!

Though in the evening, Rebecca wandered through the city for some air only to be in awe of who'd she'd meet!!

While wandering, Rebecca took a shortcut only to find herself lost in the alleyways! Plus she didn't take her phone with her so she couldn't look up directions! Luckily she ran into a lovely person named Kaden! (@maskedanarchy-ships) who had been by the docks with her husband and was willing to show Rebecca the way back to the main city!

Jack Garland was the last one she met and since it was well after dark, he walked her home! So Rebecca offered him a drink before he leaves!

So with friends new and old, everything sent off to uni, and tons of new people who now knew her face, who knows what'll happen!

Taglist: @disneymarina @canongf @floweringforgetfulness @hadesgoddess @singingdeepinme @goldenworldsabound @nyandereneko @ignited-lovers

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Rosy In Retail

Title: Rosy In Retail Word Count: 1,480 Warning: None, just fluff! Though if you need anything tagged let me know Ship: The Tale of a Delinquent and the Top Student (Robby x Myself) Summary: Working in retail sucks, but working with someone you love can make it bearable and can even lead to some rosy moments.

Drops of water pelted the ground harshly outside. These minuscule but consistent crashes sent the liquid debris onto fleeing people and into flooding puddles that grew deeper by the moment, despite only being created by dreary droplets. Yet inside one of the many buildings of the suburban strip, everything from the flooring to the atmosphere was dry. The headache-inducing fluorescent lights shone down onto shortened indigo tips, revealing a silvery tint to the style that was caused by a fading dye job.

That could only be observed when the lady possessing these lavender locks stood relatively still. A task that may seem inherently simple for her co-workers seemed like absolute hell to her. Within her little cubicle for cashiers, Rebecca shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. She paced the three to four steps that the cubicle allowed. She leaned against the short back wall for a second, only to stride forward and rest her body on the hardwood counter instead, all in a matter of seconds. If no customers were in sight, she even strode down the small aisle of cubicles, gathering tags and discarded hangers to organize later.

Yet since she had been in this position for so long in life and for so long already just that day, the restless routine she created had become just as monotonous as asking careless customers how their experience was or being vehemently denied when simply fulfilling her job's legal requirement of asking them to get a credit card.

One thing that made suffering through the eternities of her shifts more bearable was the fact that Rebecca's boyfriend often worked alongside her. It was nice to have someone to drone to when the store lie dead, and to have someone else witness the audacity that some customers had during the holidays. But the best part of it all was having someone who understood her past the cheery sale pitches and college discussions, someone who she could head home with afterward.  Having that, along with a relatively supportive group of co-workers and bosses, made the psychological horror that was working in retail a little less horrific.

Cocoa-coated irises flickered from the sales screen before them to the depths of forested green that belonged to her partner. Within the unnatural glow of the overhead lights, they seemed to shimmer with a sense of joyous affection, an unspoken sentiment of the worth Rebecca had to him, all while the couple tended to suburban socialites, PTA parents, and the elderly alike. When they finally had another drop in customers, Rebecca's smooth skin slid over to Robby's counter as she reached out to grasp Robby's hand.

"So, where were we in our conversation before the last customer rush?"

The corners of Robby's lips twitched upwards in an amused smirk while he intertwined their fingers. "Let's see, you were telling me the gory details of the latest podcast episode you have on. That led to you wanting to ask me something. And then we got interrupted by that ass slamming his cart full of stuff on your register."

"Oh, right, thank you! I swear I'm so braindead between finals and work today... ANYWAYS! I was gonna ask if you were coming over for dinner tonight?'

"You got that question during your episode about cannibalism?" Robby retorted, an inaudible chuckle escaping his lips which were only evident by the rise and fall of his shoulders.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and head before melting into a fit of giggles. "No! I mean the mentions of all the food reminded me, but it wasn't the deciding thing. The timing just sucked! I promise we're not having people for dinner nor am I luring you into being dinner." Rebecca paused, her eyes glancing around to make sure that no one else was around. "At least I don't think anyways..."

"Well then, what are you having for dinner?"

"Mom said something about hamburger alfredo when she took me in this morning, but I don't know if we'll have it tonight. If not, I was gonna treat to take-out!"

Robby tilted his head for a second to give the illusion that he did have to ponder the choice. This small gesture earned him some more giggles from his girlfriend since they both knew that Robby was more than happy to spend time with Rebecca in her home, rather than in the apartment he shared with his mother and her countless partners or his father and his girlfriend who just happened to be the mother of his worst rival. He then affirmed that he would be joining her for the evening and leaned in to kiss Rebecca's forehead.

As much as the two longed to last in that quiet moment or be released from their shift, reality and their boss came crashing in as their naturally booming voice questioned if either of them had gotten a credit. The two simply shook their heads. Robby took a more nonchalant tone to his answer. Rebecca's tone, on the other hand, conveyed a sense of remorse that even Robby believed for a moment before he caught a glimpse of her mischievous smile when their boss turned their back.

"Well, there's always tomorrow. You're both scheduled in, right?"

The couple affirmed that they were to show up tomorrow which led to their boss remarking on how the two had never been separate in all their time working there. But before anyone could dwell on that fact and have a moment to change it, another coworker strode down the aisle and into Rebecca's cubicle.

"Conn, long time no see! I take it you're my relief and my ticket home?"  Rebecca excitedly pondered as she took a step back from the computer.

Conn, who was a man in the same age range as both Robby and Rebecca, laughed as he patted her shoulder to calm her bouncing. "That I am, no need to thank me."

"FINALLY!" Rebecca exclaimed, earning a scolding look from her boss before he simply sighed and let the younger group continue their antics. "I swear you're like the best guy on the planet for this!"

"Best guy on the planet?" Rebecca's boss questioned with an entertained inhale.

"You heard the woman, Boss" Conn replied with a grin.

Robby only watched as the three went back and forth on Rebecca's standards. He knew that his girlfriend made friends easily and was highly complimentary towards everyone, but that rationale couldn't entirely keep the tangled barbs of jealousy from wrapping around Robby's heart. He still wanted to be the best man for her with no exceptions or competition.

But before a pouty scowl could even completely form on Robby's face, Rebecca's delicate grasp had squeezed his hand and began to drag him towards the breakroom. He looked down at her with a gaze widened in surprise yet was only met with a beaming smile in return.

"Now you know while Conn may be the greatest guy for being my relief, he's still a random guy. You, honey, are the most spectacular boyfriend, my best friend for over ten years, and the greatest sweetheart to ever exist! I'm surprised that the team hasn't come to you asking if you can shut me up yet!"

And just like that, those sharpened twinges of poisonous negativity recoiled and retreated to the depths of Robby's core. He was left grinning like an idiot while the heat rose up his neck to dust his cheeks. "Wait, you're serious? And so were our coworkers? I thought they were just being motherly when they told me how much you talk about me..."

"Of course I am, I never shut up about you to anyone when it comes to praising you! That's how much you're on my mind. I like sharing some sweetness with others so that they feel appreciated too! Or else I'm pretty sure Donnie or Mary-Lee will put duct tape over my mouth at this point while I work..."

Rebecca shuddered at the thought of her intimidating bosses and getting on their bad side. But Robby couldn't help but bring their walk to a halt to bring the lavender-locked lady into his arms. This sudden pause made Rebecca rosy-cheeked in turn before she quickly nuzzled herself closer into his embrace. The two shared a quick kiss in front of the breakroom and when Robby pulled away, he wanted to reaffirm just how deep his feelings for Rebecca were and no one made him feel as special as she did.

However, once again, their sweet moment was interrupted by their coworkers. "You two can kiss and cuddle after you're done with work!"

So much for sweet moments when working... But there'd be plenty of time later for Robby to properly convey his feelings since he was planning on not letting his special little lilac go anytime soon when they got home...

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Mom's a Matchmaker?

So in my life, I have my biological mom. She's the one who I usually vent about on the blog, especially when I was younger for a multitude of reasons. The main one is that she wasn't really there for me emotionally, she still isn't but she's a lot better than she was.

But I was lucky enough to meet a woman who was more than happy to play that motherly role when I was younger. She really helped me grow in a lot of ways. Communicating my feelings, setting boundaries for myself and others, seeing myself in a more positive light, coping with my depression before it got treated, you name it and she probably had a hand in helping me in some way. Hell, even just a few weeks ago, I went to her and showed her that I was top of my class in college just because she was the only constant adult figure who shared in my enthusiasm, rather than just being an expectation.

You're probably wondering why I'm gushing about my mom on a selfship blog. Well, that's because all the main loves you see me rave about was because of her! No joke, one of the ways we bonded, especially when I was just a poor kid, was by watching things and playing games she had!

So she introduced me to Devil May Cry through the anime and when she saw my interest, she showed me DMC4 next since she had a guy who was just for me in Nero

She and I watched Yona of the Dawn where I fell for Son Hak (So mad that there's not a second season)

Then she got Final Fantasy 15 and we had both laughed at the boyband jokes online in vids we'd watch, so she wanted me to join her proper on the adventure. By the end of the first session... I was mad that I fell for Gladio... HE'S CUTE AND SWEET SHADDUP!

She's always been a fan of Yakuza and would play 0, Kiwami, and the remakes while I was sick. I found them funny but often passed out or would rest so I didn't fully link with the characters. But when Judgement came out and she played it in English... By the end I was googling if Yagami died because I had a massive crush on him

Then when Cobra Kai came out she legit "forced" me to watch it with her because there was a guy she was sure I'd like... By episode 5, I was head over heels for Robby...

Even though I was pining for Kaito low-key since the first Judgement, she played through Lost Judgement's Kaito Files, while I was busy with college. But since I was dying to know I had her fill me in and BAM, FELL FOR KAITO!!

The only love she didn't make me fall for was my original hubby Raiden! But when she saw how flustered I get when she'd simply say his name, she found it adorable. So I'm pretty sure that's why she got me all these loves because she loves to 'tease' me about them, but it's all nice and reassuring. So moral of all this is I may begin incorporating my mom figure into my work since she's always so supportive!

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Sometimes I write eloquent stories about my loves and further develop our relationship, dynamics, world, and so on... TODAY, however, I see pictures of Kaito and Robby just to go "Oh, they're so cute!! I love them and I'm mad!" Please send them my way so I can kiss them senseless!

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Does anyone have like scenario music videos with their f/o(s)? Like I'm vibing to "Why Do I?" by Set It Off and here's what I mean:

"Sometimes I write you letters that you'll never read" - I imagine Nero hunched over a desk, only to lean back defeated and throw his latest draft into the growing tower of trash.

"When I get to drinkin', I get to thinkin' I wish you were thinkin' about me (why do I?)" - I imagine the scene shifting to Kaito lying on the couch at the Yagami Detective with a few bottles of booze scattered nearby and he's staring at his phone lock screen looking sullen.

"Sometimes I look for girls that look the way you do So fucking stupid, started to do it When I saw you with someone new (why do I?)" - I imagine Gladio in the Crown City flirting with some girls who share my style only to trail off as he catches sight of me laughing with another guy friend.

"It's been ten months and 20 days... I'm the last thing that's on your brain So why do I still wake up, two in the morning, Cold sweat, screamin' your name?" - Cue Raiden waking up in his dark apartment, wide-eyed, frantically patting the bed in a desperate attempt to find me

"Why do I get drunk and look at your pictures? Why do I feel this way?" - The scene switches then Yagami at the bar Tinder with an empty shot glass as he scrolls through our pictures and my social media

"Why do I do this to myself? And why do I even try? You don't, you don't So baby, why do I?" - It then transitions to Robby angrily fighting a training dummy at the Cobra Kai dojo, only to pause and take a step back. As he looks out the window, he sees me coming out of a shop with ice cream while holding hands with some other guy. He sighs, looks down, and shakes his head before landing a hard kick on the dummy.

I COULD GO ON ABOUT THIS WHOLE SONG BECAUSE BOY DO I WISH I COULD ANIMATE THIS ALL, but I cannot draw... Plus I don't wanna make a mile long post that annoys everyone! But I just love the ideas of my boys yearning hard for me and had to share

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

I STOLE MY BOYFRIEND'S SHIRT!!

(So irl I actually discovered they sell this where I work! So I got one! The smallest size they had was a Big&Tall Men's Large, so this is a dress on me!) But canonically, I stole this from Robby while he was training! I'm too cute in it to let him be anything but flustered~!

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Our Own Little Box

So my brother showed me this song 'cause it got stuck in his head. Now it's stuck in mine and I hate him. But for some reason my brain just went to thinking about my f/os! Like at a glance when they're at their best, you could see Yagami as a lawyer, Raiden as some corporate drone, Robby and Nero working on their degrees, Gladio taking a year off after university before taking over the family business, and me as the part-time student and part-time worker.

Yet, we're not. And in a way, no matter how close we may be to that picturesque world, it'll always remain foreign to us in some way. Something that, try as we might or want, we'll never be able to fully grasp. It creates a barrier and isolates us from those who claim to love and only want the best for us...

But then through some twist of fate, we find our ways to each other. We've all been through some horrors that the others can only imagine. They butt heads, bicker, and will full-on fight if some of them are left unattended with each other for too long. While I'm left shaking my head and having the others help steady my shakes from playing mediator without any self-preservation or care. Yet amongst all the chaos, there's a sense of understanding and care. Even if some of them would rather die than ever admit it. We may not be the same, or ever lead lives that others would want to but at least we're not alone.. At least at the end of the day, we've got a little box of our own now...

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Disappear

Title: Disappear

Word Count: 1,472

Warnings: Very vague mentions of violence, other than that just fluff!

Ship: The Tale of a Delinquent and the Top Student

Summary: A lot has happened within the past few months. But unlike Rebecca who wanted to share her experience with her partner, Robby did his best to keep his love away from it. Though as the two finally come together, Robby realizes what a mistake that was and begins planning a way to change that...

--

Twinkling stars littered the velvet sky above while wary streetlamps below flickered in measly competition. The result of this shimmering battle only led to a glare against the darkened window panes that resided between them. Emerald irises glanced over at the window, absentmindedly noting how the dimly lit overhead light from inside reflected the glass in such a way that it still blocked any true vision of the outside. The owner of the precious gems that granted vision then cast his gaze towards what he viewed as a much more important matter resting before him.

A young woman with a vivid scarlet sunset painted into her hair laid across several cushions of the couch. Despite the space she took, her stature was curled up as if she was trying to be as close as she possibly could to the small screen in front of her. The calloused young man strode up behind her, slightly surprised when his keen gaze wasn’t met with the sight of her dark hickory ones. His fingers, which were covered with the stinging crimson of fresh cuts and the faded blues and purples of old bruises, tangled themselves into the young woman’s hair.

He saw how the woman’s body went rigid for a moment before slumping back into its relaxed state. He then felt, with a crescent of a smile playing on his lips, her soft skin brushing against the palm of his hand as it fell to caress her cheek.

“That interesting, huh?” The young man questioned with an amused breath while his thumb traced the contours of her face.

As the picturesque stillness of the moment they shared had passed, a widened smile spread across the lady’s face. Her cherry-colored strands cascaded down her face when she finally leaned back slightly and tilted her head to gesture to the seat beside her and nodded in response to the question her partner asked.

“Yeah, Robby, it is!” She beamed as she rewound the footage that had enchanted her a few seconds back. “I knew you could do kickflips but doing a backflip is totally different.”

Robby ruffled his girlfriend’s silken strands once more as he strode around to his seat beside her. “I thought I showed you when I finally pulled it off.”

Before his partner could reply, Robby’s grip was firmly planted on her waist to cage her against him. A high-picked squeak blended with an airy giggle burbled from her lips before Rebecca squirmed into her boyfriend’s lap so that she could get comfy. It was only after her body had shifted, the blanket over them had been redraped, and a kiss had been stolen from her did Rebecca speak.

“I wish! You’ve been so busy with the dojo, helping Tory, training Kenny, and getting back at Sam that we haven’t had time to really hang out other than a few lunch dates. Though if all that’s amounted to you becoming even more badass, I can’t blame you.”

Even though Rebecca’s tone held nothing but understanding admiration, her words acted as a sharpened edge against Robby’s heart. He had been busy these past few months, but that wasn’t a valid excuse in his eyes. Rebecca had been just as busy, if not more so, with work, school, and other self-imposed responsibilities and she still made several offers to just be with him. Yet instead of taking her out to celebrate her achievements and his luck of being able to bask in that joy, Robby took that time to shoot down a stray Hawk and to emanate envy into the girl who had everything.

His lips pursed into a tight line while his jade orbs narrowed in on his past self. His past self donned a snarling expression of primal satisfaction in an attempt to deem himself as the top predator to his surrounding competition. Although Robby’s current expression would have been enough to scatter the crowds and send his past self’s heightened sense of pride shriveling up. Biting down on his lip to calm the rising anger inside him, Robby pressed the girl in his arms further against his chest and buried his face in the softness of her hair.

“None of it was worth it if you ask me. In the end, it’s just a bunch of bullshit between assholes and old men who’d be better off dead.”

Rebecca couldn’t help from stilling her stature once more. A sharp inhale caused her chest to rise for a few moments before Robby displaced it with another roaming caress. Chocolate irises warmed under Robby’s gaze and from the golden luminesce overhead. Resting her head against the tense muscles of his upper arm, Rebecca continued to stare at her partner as she innocently pondered what he meant.

“Everyone’s in this for themselves, just like I am. Any alliances or relationships that people say they have are just gonna crack when people start to slip up and others think that they’re being held back.” Robby explained this as perfect examples such as Sam and Miguel or Miguel and Robby’s father flashed in his thoughts. Even though his voice was soft, the tone of his voice was venomous. It was a detail that he only realized when he saw how Rebecca’s sights fell to her knees and her weight started to shift again. Leaning forward so close that the couple’s noses were almost touching, Robby cupped Rebecca’s ivory cheek once more. “I mean, just look at how all this shit got in the way of what’s right in front of me, Bunny.”

Rebecca’s cheeks grew warmer by the second as she melted beneath Robby’s rough fingertips. She stammered out a line of how it wasn’t a big deal or even important at all. Robby only took the time to completely close the gap between them by pressing his lips to the sweet peach ones of his partner. When Robby pulled away moments later, he was met with the beautiful sight of Rebecca’s cheeks blossoming into a rosy tint and a shy smile quirking her lips upward. Robby then ran a finger under her chin so that she was forced to meet his eyes once more.

“I almost lost you because I was desperate to get back at and prove myself to people I shouldn’t care about. Even now, you’re the one person I wouldn’t even blame if you chose to walk out on me. Yet here you are saying that it’s not a big deal that I placed them above the one person I want in my future, the one person I love… I’d have to be an actual idiot to believe that.”

Averting her gaze once more, this time due to being overwhelmed rather than nervous, Rebecca buried her face in the crook of her boyfriend’s neck. She could hear how his pulse hammered against his being. She could feel the heat of his breath grazing her rocketing heartbeat. But all she could do is keep herself clung to his side.

“I love you too Robby. There is no reason to feel bad though, I just wish you weren’t wrapped up in all this– that we weren’t caught in a war that doesn’t even concern us… But if we were to go out now it’d be impossible not to get harassed by some group of assholes in some way or another… I just… I don’t know. If only we could just disappear until all of this disappears…” Rebecca wistfully mused as insecurities began to rise in regards to the future laid out for them.

But what seemed like nothing more than a depthless fantasy to his partner was transforming into a reality within Robby’s mind. He still had the cash that Silver had given him directly, plus he could easily get his hands on what Silver had given his mother. That, along with the convertible that could easily be hotwired, would be more than enough to care for his girl. They could start a new life away from all of this and they could finally be together without constant harassment or problems planting themselves in the way as an attempt to tear Rebecca away from him. Robby rolled his eyes as the memory of Tory taunting him as someone who’d only run played in his mind. But this time he wouldn’t be running or hiding. His priorities were clear now, he’d make sure Rebecca was well first and foremost. He’d make their home one where Rebecca would stay forever. But then, he’d come back. It wouldn’t be to make nice with anyone, aid in a fruitless battle, or claim a worthless title. This time, no one would be able to stop him from getting what he deserved, especially if that meant he had to get a bit more blood on his hands for everyone else to just disappear…

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Practice and Make-Up

Title: Practice and Make-Up

Word Count: 1,285

Warnings: Some cursing, themes of jealousy, but it's all fluffily resolved

Ship: The Tale of a Delinquent and the Top Student also some The Storyteller and her Shield themes but they're not the main focus

Summary: After how everything went down at prom and the tournament, Robby really wanted to show off how he'd dance with me. What better way than at a class? It'd just be us, and none of his rivals interfering! If only it was ever that simple...

-

Warm amber eyes, a piercing forest green gaze, and a young strawberry-stranded woman caught between them both. A heated atmosphere flooded with tension so thick that those within it could easily forget to breathe. Amongst the twirling twosomes and other dancing duos, it seemed that a fight was bound to break out.

All it would take is the large hands residing on Rebecca’s hips two grow a bit firmer. It could be brewed from a few more sweetened smiles shown to her dance partner. Then one final whimsical whirl that would leave Rebecca’s lips centimeters away from her partner and their darkened gazes melting into each other. That’s all that it would take for the searing envy to burst through the seams of Robby’s veins.

When his scowling face was lightly smacked with the sunlit ends of Tory’s hair while he mindlessly twirled her, Robby was temporarily broken free from his trance. His dance partner’s ruby lips mouthed something along the lines of a question of if he was alright, but all the dirty-blond punk could focus on were the faded sunset tendrils belonging to his princess as they flowed so freely. All he could hear were the soft-hearted giggles that left her lips as the brute who acted as her partner pressed the woman against his chest.

Narrowing his emerald sights on the pair, Robby took a moment to admit, somewhere deep within himself, how much he loathed the scene in front of him. A voice in the back of his mind played devil’s advocate. It said that this was just a dancing class and nothing more. They didn’t choose their partners, the instructor did with the basis of what they felt would be best. Rebecca’s unmatched radiance was only because of the fun she was having, not because of who she was paired up with. But still, even with all these rational explanations running through Robby’s head, he couldn’t help how his muscles tensed to the point that one wrong move felt like it’d break him entirely.

“Ow! Robby, what the hell?!” Tory exclaimed while she wrenched herself out of his stone cast grip.

Blinking a few times, he had to take a moment to process just exactly what he was doing. Releasing himself from the statuesque stature that he had placed himself in, Robby lowered his clenched fist and muttered a few thoughtless apologies that couldn’t mask the rising heat within him. But as the chocolate irises that he’d come to adore curiously landed on him for a moment and he was shown even a glimpse of the sunny smile that had become the center of his world, his hardened core melted to a lovesick mess of mush. That was until the owner of all these things was whisked out of sight once more, and replaced with a much-too-tight black tank-top that barely hid the ever-expanding eagle tattoo which belonged to who Robby realized should’ve been his real rival all along.

Suddenly, the music stopped. The prancing had paused, and the frolicking seemed to finish. The instructor then spoke. He commended everyone for coming, complimented all the different styles and forms, and finished by informing all the participants of the next class’s date. Yet, Robby couldn’t comprehend a single word. He was too anxious to be released from this studious state so he could finally rip his rose away from the scarred monster that trapped her within his bulky embrace for the past hour. When he finally was dismissed, he wasn’t met with the confrontation that a part of him hoped for.

Sure, he had his fake date Tory still trying to interrogate him. Not to mention the fact that Robby could feel the intense glares of his ex-girlfriend and who he thought was the rival who had stolen everything from him. But none of that mattered when his real love, Rebecca, had already closed the gap between all of it and pressed her peachy lips to his cheek.

“Hey,” She beamed with a breath of a laugh, “You looked great out there!”

Robby was quick to pull the small woman to his side. He was almost far too eager to press kisses across the side of her rosy face and on top of her head until he remembered that all the others could still see him. Despite that, Robby was drowned too deeply within the cacophony of his feelings to even seem as if he could care.

“Please, I could barely focus on the lesson enough to do anything major. I was too focused on you.”

Rebecca giggled, her rosy cheeks blossoming even brighter than before. “On me, why? Was I that bad? I know I was sometimes stumbled but–”

Robby then stepped in front of his girlfriend and crashed his lips against her for but a mere moment. When he pulled away, a smirk spread across his face while shadows of his rivals, past and present, lingered past his peripheral vision while his beloved’s flaming face took up the center.

“You were far from bad, sweetheart. Your partner, Fabio, sure was lucky to have you so close and that I didn’t come and kill him after…”

“Gladio,” Rebecca corrected while her eyes rolled in a teasing manner. “But hey, dancing is all just an act. That is what I told myself when you got put with Tory again… Though to make you jealous, I gotta be a good actress!”

Now Robby’s features were the ones being set alight. “I wasn’t–!! I’m not–!! Alright, maybe I was and still kinda am… But that’s because this dance class was meant to be my way of making up for prom, yet all the assholes from the dojo AND that instructor keep trying to separate us… Put you with someone better… when they know damn well you’re the only one I’m good with.”

Rebecca looked up at him wide-eyed, before smiling and petting his slicked-back hairstyle. A quiet coo of affection escaped her lips before she could stifle it. “Aww, sweetie, you know you’re my only match, whether that’s for dating or dancing! I never meant to make you jealous!”

“It’s not you. You’re just having fun, and you deserve it. I just want to be with you, not flirty hook-ups, pretentious exes, or dad-stealing dicks…”

“Well unlike them, you should know I’m more than happy to choose you every time I can!”

Once again another kiss was shared. Yet this time, Rebecca was the one who had leaned forward and ever so softly let her lips collide with those of her aching partner’s.

“I love you,” Robby softly stated, leaning in for more when the two broke away. “I really do love you so much…” Rebecca could only reaffirm the devotion as she rested her head on his chest and pressed another kiss over his heart. When the moment passed, she pulled back slightly only to look into the glimmering green gaze that lit up her world. “How about we go get some boba– my treat– then we can go back to your place and have our own dance?”

Robby chuckled and nuzzled her cheek before pressing one more kiss to each. “Sounds like a plan, princess. But there’s just one thing.”

Rebecca tilted her head with a raised brow and slight pout. She silently prayed that there wouldn’t be an interruption to their day now that they were finally together. But Robby only let out another chuckle.

“I’m gonna be the one treating you, and next week– I don’t care what that instructor said– I’m gonna be the one holding you close, got it?”

Rebecca could only share another sunny smile while enthusiastically nodding. “Well, then we got a lot to practice!”