#shuukura

[patchimlikit]

Shuukura voice drama was so good 🥹

[arcanarix]

To this day my roman empire is still contestshipping. Drew is the original simp. The ultimate rizzler, or whatever these kids are saying now. like who else can come up with that iconic ✨ it’s 4 beautifly ✨ line. he deffo is the master of sweeping may off of her feet.

[witchofanguish]

[problematic-yuri-poll]

can anyone who's read shuukura (story about buying my classmate once a week) past where the fan translation on wordpress goes help us give it content ratings?

for each of the following categories: sexual content / gore / violence -

rank it on the following scale: none / low / medium / high

(if you need a reference point, we've rated the manga murciélago as "high" in all three categories)

[roxalicious]

do you like yuri? do you like slow burns? do you like when girls are incredibly repressed and somehow lacking in self awareness despite being clearly psychosexually obsessed with each other in ways that i frankly wish they would go to therapy over? well then, have i got a story for you!

the name is Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week (yes, i know, unfortunate title but stick with me here), or ShuuKura for short. let me introduce you to our players:

Shiori Miyagi: at school, she sits not exactly at the bottom of the school caste, but pretty close. her mother is gone, and her father is always busy with work to the point of rarely being home. he probably feels guilty about this, which is why Miyagi is left with an allowance that's frankly excessive for a high school student. living in a mostly empty house for most of her formative years has really done a number on this girl, let me tell ya

Hazuki Sendai: according to Miyagi, she's not quite at the top of the school caste, but pretty close. she's not close to her family, even though they're close to each other. her parents will only bother to talk to her to nag her into following her successful sister's footsteps, and otherwise won't even reply "welcome back" when she comes home. she comes across as neat and proper at school, but it's not necessarily something that's in her nature, rather she goes out of her way to present this way to make life easier on herself. to her own admission, she's a people pleaser

their story begins in a bookstore, with Sendai attempting to buy a magazine she doesn't care about because her friend and local Cool Kid does, except she has forgotten her wallet at home, as she realizes once at the register. unfortunately for her, Miyagi is there to save the day and buy it for her (with a trusty 5000 yen bill!) before she can refuse. Sendai really doesn't want to accept the money, and Miyagi really doesn't care about getting it back. so they reach a compromise: Sendai can just work for it.

what was supposed to be a one time thing soon turns into a whole system. once a week (though it's actually more "whenever she has a bad day"), Miyagi will call Sendai over, give her a 5000 yen bill, and in exchange gain the right to order her around for the afternoon until it's time for dinner, at which point she will ask her if she wants to eat together, Sendai will say no, and they'll each go their separate ways. at first that only means making Sendai read manga out loud, or do her homework for her. Sendai doesn't mind, and she'd rather be in Miyagi's room than her own house anyway. until one day Miyagi issues a new order: to lick her feet.

from this point onwards Miyagi's orders swiftly change in nature, and though at a much slower pace, so does their relationship.

some things to keep in mind:

there's two translations out of this webnovel. one of them is frankly not good and i do not recommend it, but iirc it's almost caught up with the og. the other translation is good, but there's only 36 chapters out. still, it updates very frequently, so i do recommend it over the first one if you're patient

when i say slow burn, i do mean slow burn. while the physical intimacy and intensity of feelings grow relentlessly over the course of the story, these girls are not good at talking to each other. like, it took Sendai six months of being served soda every time she came over to finally decide it was time to tell Miyagi she doesn't like it. she gets tea from then on

the initial stages of the relationship are very much transactional in nature by design. Sendai doesnt need the money, nor does she even intend to spend it, but it's still their main way of connecting with each other for the longest time. it's very much just a way to obfuscate what's really going on here, but if the idea puts you off this might not be for you

[gkgnynsm]

[cast-a-cast]

ITS ! SHUUKURA DAY!

[iloveyourcruddy]

caught up to the fan tl of shuukura (the mtl is unreadable to me) its soooo good i wasnt expecting it to like it as much as i do holy shit.. excited for the manga adaption

[the-goldsmith]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last ten people who reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals & followers!! <3

oh shoot 5 whole things uuuh ok in no particular order

my dog (i miss you babygirl... i'll visit soon for easter <3)

my hometowns cuisine (very italian of me, i know, but we did go off with busiate and our version of couscous)

yuri, but especially the slow stuff most people hate that takes forever to get the main characters together and lowkey rewires your brain in the process (shuukura...)

honestly? being a bit of a hater. not at people who would mind, though, just as a way to stretch the muscles that remind me what i like (and don't like) in media

getting a haircut and the gender euphoria it provides (i.... really need one rn 😭)

[patchimlikit]

(Commission) Sendai & Miyagi

[witchofanguish]

A story about two girls towards gay sex while maintaining the whole time that they have no interest in women is pretty much the best way you can tell a story about homophobia

[arcanarix]

all talk, no game. || DREW X MAY / SHUUKURA

cw // it's been a long time since i thought of these two. literally my first real fandom ship--contestshipping! brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. <3

ao3 || ffn

Drew has never admitted to being a perfect creature (yes he has), so yes, he has a few drawbacks and vices here and there. For one, even he has had a rocky beginning to his coordinating career. Soledad never fails to remind him of that, just to keep him a little humble.

For the sake of another example, he's not great with crowds in spite of how well he composes himself on stage. His stage persona versus his true persona are completely removed from each other. He hates crowds--absolutely detests them.

Oh yeah, another vice--he's bad at conversation. He may act like he's this cool drink of water, but that's just socialite conditioning from having a brilliantly privileged background. That's all essentially a requirement, along with ballroom dancing lessons and vocal lessons and all that other upper-upper class BS. Without that to cushion his otherwise full-on awkwardness, he's just like any other troubled teenager.

Harley does love to troll him about that, too.

"Say, when are you going to stop dicking around and do something about your feelings for our precious gingerbread cookie?" Harley confronts him, each and every damn day at this point. he's lost the record, not that he keeps track. It’s become so normalized it's not necessary. It’s the first question before "how many ribbons do you have" or "how have you been?"

Gingerbread cookie? Drew has forgone commenting on Harley's quirky nicknames for them a long time ago. for soledad lately it's been 'pinky pie.' or 'my little ponyta.' For him? Eh . . . a little less flattering. He’s been fond of calling him anDICK. AnDICK Gayden. Because he's the pinnacle of maturity.

He's also one to talk, considering his own orientation Harley's loud and proud about, which Drew commends him for actually. It's never been a secret of course, given his entire brand . . .

"Who says I have feelings for her?" Drew counters, although everyone knows what reaction he's going to be met with after asking that--

"--literally everyone," Soledad cuts in, sliding into their table with her own tray of a bountiful breakfast. "Good morning, guys. I see you started breakfast without me or may."

"You guys take forever, snickerdoodle," Harley sighs, "Besides, you're not missing out on much. Drew's just about to admit that he radiates small dick energy hence my favorite nickname for him--!"

"--Harley," Soledad groans, "you don't need to tell us the origin of that name, thanks. it's not even that creative."

Harley gasps theatrically. "Hey!"

"Is May up yet? The Pokemon Contest starts . . ." Drew glances at the clock. "Oh, never mind. We have plenty of time. It gives us time to prep and perfect our routines a bit more. I guess I didn't realize how early it was. Especially for someone who likes to sleep in like May.”

"Do you want me to go get her, if you're getting antsy?" Soledad teases.

Drew fails to conceal that brilliant rosy blush on his face. He hates how easily he's read by everyone in this room--which right now is just them and Nurse Joy and her blissey.

"No, she deserves rest. She's been working hard, you know."

"Awwww, look at Andick all fawning over her and giving her credit where credit is due,'' Harley gushes while wraggling those caterpie eyebrows of his.

"Shut up!"

"But he does bring up a good icebreaker, Drew," Soledad admits as she bites down on her bagel, filled to the brim with cream cheese. how she keeps her figure so slim in spite of her dietary choices, the world may never know. "I know we poke and prod all the time, but watching you trip over her is starting to get . . . well, old. Do something about it. We're here to support you, you know."

"Well I appreciate that, but I don't think there's any rush. As much as I love and respect her, I doubt she's even noticed," Drew laments, "and I've been dropping tons of hints."

"The roses? That's not enough!" Soledad swears this is all hopeless but she's trying for him. "Drop stronger hints."

"What's stronger than friggin' red roses? A kiss on the hand or forehead?"

"That's . . . a bit bold, but you can try. I doubt she'd shy away."

"I don't know soledad. Many girls may flock to me but I don't know how to talk to girls. at all."

"We know," Harley and Soledad say in unison.

"Believe us, we know, we watch you interact with May," Harley goes on, "And she's the easiest person to talk to in the world, honestly."

"Awww, now look who's getting all sentimental about may," Soledad teases with a grin.

"Shut up," Harley huffs, "I'm just saying that she’s come to mean a lot to me."

“We all share that sentiment about her. I never had many girl friends, so it’s nice to have one.”

“But back to the main and the only interesting topic of discussion, how the hell is Drew going to make the move?”

“He did claim he was going to make the bold move and kiss her.”

“On the HAND, Soledad.”

“But what if May finds that weird? All Drew ever is is mean to her most of the time–!”

“--He’s living up to the classic ‘he’s mean to you because he likes you’ bullshit. Which, by the way Drew, what in Mew made you believe that’s the best approach–?” 

“I–!” Drew’s about to defend himself, because where in Mew’s name does he deserve all of this slander and roasting. They continue for much longer and he’ll become a cooked staraptor. 

“Okay, okay, look. I get it! I get it alright.” He tosses his hands up in the air nin defeat. “I’m all talk, no game. It’s just I don’t want to compromise anything between May and I. She’s become more than my rival in many obvious ways. I just never expected my feelings for her to be this strong after all of this time. We’re roaming through the Unova region, and at each contest I enter, I hope to see her. She’s a bright, bubbly person. A big ball of sunshine. She illuminates my entire life. She’s skilled, even if I won’t admit that to her face literally ever. I might subtly point it out though. It’s just, we’re friends now, and I don’t want her to get the idea I became her friend just because I had feelings for her because that’s not true and–!” 

Harley raises an eyebrow with a little smirk playing on his lips. Soledad seems to be making an expression that tells him to slow down and maybe cease all talking unless he wants to make a fool of himself. 

May’s standing there, with her classic dumbfounded, puppy-like expression. She’s just rolled out of bed, and she’s ditched the bandana today to let her natural glossy hair flow. She’s got her tray of breakfast gripped in her hands. 

“--she’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?” Drew finishes. 

“I didn’t realize it was May Appreciation Day,” she chuckles as she joins them at the booth, sliding in next to Drew. “Just because I’m here doesn’t mean you should stop singing praises to me, though.”

Oh Drew does concur.

“I think I should stop, otherwise it’ll inflate your already oversized head. You don’t want to get as egotistical as me, hm?” 

“It was so much more than just him singing praises to you, May,” Soledad chimes in with an amused twinkle in her eyes. 

“Yeah, if you were here just moments earlier–!” Drew mimes slicing his throat with his finger, and Harley shrugs. 

“--anyway, we should finish up and get ready to head to the Contest Hall. Can’t leave our fans waiting~” Harley sings. 

“You have fans?” Drew deadpans, to which May quips, “All of us do, Drew.”

They finish their breakfast together, and just as Drew tosses his leftovers away Harley approaches him and whispers in his ear. 

“You really are all talk and no game. Otherwise, you’d have fessed up like a man back there.”

Harley returns to the booth, and Drew stands there before placing his empty tray on top of the trash bin. He hates that he’s been roasted yet again by Harley, but he has a point. 

From his spot, he watches as May and Soledad exchange a conversation he can’t make out, focusing on the way her eyes crinkle a little when she smiles that big and wide. Even if she’s not a morning lark, she still has that bucket of pep to offer when she blesses anyone with her presence.

Drew stuffs his hands into his pockets, debating whether to leave first and have them meet him at the Contest Hall. He . . . is due for some self reflection and accountability. 

He steals another glance of her when he hears her adorable giggle, this time at something Harley says, it looks like. 

One day, he’s definitely going to tell her. 

Just maybe not today.

[witchofanguish]

main problem with the shuukura manga so far is that sendai has strong facial expressions going on way too early. she shouldn't be comfortable enough to drop the mask yet.

[roxalicious]

"I just wanna see what will happen if I kiss her" <- extremely straight thing to say about the girl that's been making you lick her feet once a week over the past few months

[arcanarix]

The Plot Thickens! // CONTESTSHIPPING / SHUUKURA

AO3 || FFN 

Harley taps onto the mic and cringes from the sharp feedback. “Testing, 1, 2, 3! Testing, 1, 2, 3! Ugh! This sounds awful! Someone fix–!” 

–his wish is granted, as the sound check folks do their jobs. One of them casts a thumbs up as a queue for him to start over.

He clears his throat, eyes scanning the impressive size of the crowd. If he has to guess, the amount of people who have arrived for this heist may fill up the entirety of the Indigo League stadium up to five times! Might he be exaggerating–he often is–he doesn’t really know or really care. This is not just a publicity stunt, you see. As always, there are ulterior motives in the world of Harley Davidson. 

“Excellent!” For emphasis, he clears his throat once more, shielding his mouth with a balled fist. “Welcome to the Slateport Grand Heist! I know the Ribbon Cup season has ended for the Hoenn region yet again, and things have gotten far too quiet to our liking. So let me set the scene–you are all cordially encouraged to embark on a scavenger hunt for a rare breed of a shiny Zorua. Its beauty is unmatched, and it’s a perfect addition to your team if you’re needing a new teammate! Not only are you going to win that Zorua to add to your party, you also win a delicious sum of cash! Don’t miss out! Sign up here! And please welcome my dear sponsor, Maybella Maple!” 

He gestures wide, loud, and proud to her as she steps onto the podium. Behind her, a huge projection screen to showcase her true ethereal beauty. She has grown well into herself in the last decade, establishing herself as a five-time Ribbon Cup winner and even upstaging Soledad and Drew! In this moment, she looks like a Queen gazing down at her subjects with a softness in her eyes, and a twinkle of that fiery, lively energy she has always possessed in her soul.

She has never dimmed in her light–not even when Harley tried to before.

Harley can’t help but respect that now.

May beams at the crowd as they roar and cheer, even earning a few wolf whistles which makes her blush just a bit from embarrassment. She lowers the mic to her level. 

“Hi everybody! If you do decide to enter this exciting heist, then we’d be more than honored to have you here! This Heist is also here to help fund for future Ribbon Cup seasons and local Pokemon Centers in the region. We hope to enhance the experience for new and old coordinators and the care which is provided in Pokemon Centers which has helped us for centuries! This is a great cause, and we wholeheartedly accept any additional donations!” 

As she steps away, Harley takes the spotlight once more, not without mouthing a ‘thank you’ to her as she gives him the space he requires to spread his arms out wide, like he’s giving the crowd a big bear hug for showing up for them. 

“We sure hope you’re ready! Sign up ends at 5PM sharp! The scavenger hunt for the Zorua begins tomorrow morning at 7AM sharp! Don’t miss out on the fun! Toodles~!” 

Harley steps away and takes in the applause, as he’s always lived for it. That’s the whole reason behind becoming a coordinator for him–the applause! The adoration! The admiration! The fame! It’s all important to him to a certain extent. It’s not as prominent of a desire now, but he still loves to gloat and showboat whenever he gets a chance to soak it all up like a sponge.

The roaring of the crowd dies down and soon they are dismissed to take care of sign ups and registration, which are held at the Pokemon Center here in Slateport. It’s good to be home. He’s forgotten what peace and relaxation is like. But he’s reminded every time he relaxes at the local beaches here. 

Harley and May retire to the back of the stadium, where they share some of the confection foods available. 

“Thanks for doing this for me, sugarplum,” he says from the bottom of his heart. This time, his sincerity is genuine. Well it has been for a long time. They’re no longer enemies or frenemies or whatever the heck people call it. “I can’t believe people actually showed up.”

“Well, why not? You’re a hot shot,” May teases, “It’s not like you to play humble.”

It’s not like her to be that observant . . . Harley only hopes she hasn’t figured out another underlying scheme of his. He may have spread a little rumor to the male identifying coordinators that winning the Zorua and the money also includes a date with this four course meal and dessert just before his eyes. If she isn’t going to date Weed Hair, then he may as well try to up the ante a little by forcing them into a little tight spot. Drew has refused to confess his feelings for the last decade or so of them all knowing each other and Harley’s grown exhausted from all of the dancing around the rosy bushes between them or whatever.

He’s had to take matters into his own hands. This time as a friend and not as some insecure POS who can’t accept there’s always going to be someone better or more talented than he is. Yes, he friggin’ says it! Leave him friggin’ be. 

Bringing a powdered donut to his lips, he hums in agreement. “No kiddin’. I’m not! So who do you think will be joining the heist?” 

“Probably everyone and their mothers,” May laughs earnestly. “It seems so fun too. I kind of wish I could enter to win that Zorua, but that doesn’t seem right since I’m helping to sponsor this event.”

“You’ve already got a golden team, hon. But I can always find a way to get another one of those Zoruas from a breeder if that’s what you want.”

“You don’t have to, but I appreciate the offer.” May sighs, bringing her glass of water to her lips. “I can’t believe how far we’ve come together. I’m really glad we became friends, Harley.” 

Harley lifts his own drink, offering a toast. “To us, hon.”

She giggles, raising her glass as well. “To us.”

Their drinkwares join together and clink, the sound seemingly reverberating through the room like a windchime. Maybe a spell has been casted–a blessing. This friendship is a blessing to them both.

Drew does learn of this Heist Harley’s hosting. He has to admit his interest is piqued. If not for any other reason, than the fact that it’s someone like Harley hosting it. 

Anything involving Harley is often a prescription for disaster in Drew’s world. He doesn’t trust that someone like him can change. Call him a skeptic. Call him a hard-ass. He doesn’t give a single crap. He’s always going to have May’s and Soledad’s back, and he’s always going to keep Harley at something much longer than an arm’s length. But no amount of space between them will ever be enough. 

Anyway, what leads him to sign up is because he’s been brought to light by an underlying motive in Harley organizing this event. Because that’s how he’s always operated before, and he’ll continue to operate that way for the rest of his life. Drew’s been raised on the philosophy of trusting patterns of behavior over someone’s words. 

Words themselves don’t sell someone’s character, after all. Anyone can say anything they want. 

Everyone with even the teensiest bit of critical thinking ability can come up with that conclusion on their own. 

Unfortunately, upon learning May is assisting him in sponsoring this event, and given May’s history of often giving Harley the benefit of the doubt in spite of knowing better . . . no one can blame Drew for wishing to investigate this event further. He’s putting on that tin hat. There’s never a pure reason behind Harley’s intentions, and those suspicions have been confirmed on his way to the Slateport Pokemon Center!

“I can’t believe Harley admitted we can ask May on a date if we win,” one contestant exclaims as he walks with his group of friends, just within earshot of Drew, who happens to be scrolling through his news feed. 

‘Old habits die hard,’ he thinks, scowling. Does he really have to rescue May AGAIN?

“Yeah, it’s not an official event but who cares? Gal’s single, gal’s famous, gal’s hot . . . “ Jackass #2 numbers off the merits of dating someone like May with those grimy probably oily as fuck disgusting fingers of his, and Drew can’t help stewing in pure agony at the thought of someone OTHER than him dating May. 

Especially if they don’t know how to treat her or appreciate her! 

“Whatever helps advertise the heist, I guess,” Jackass #3 comments, “I might decline, if I win, though.”

May not be that much of a jackass, with a little inkling of common sense and dignity! 

“Hello Drew. Good to see you again. Are you here to register?” Nurse Joy greets upon approaching the counter. 

“Yes, I’d like to enter the Slateport Heist.”

“Excellent. I have you all set up. If you’re looking for your friends, they are staying here, so you’ll run into them soon.”

Drew nods. “Thanks.”

He accepts his token and retires to his cabin. 

Yes, let the games begin, indeed. 

7 A. M. the following day comes along, and everyone’s gathered around the small stadium the city put together for Harley’s event. In the center, a medieval inspired gong, which Harley strikes to initiate the beginning of something either grand or something anticlimactic. 

Watching the contestants scramble around like headless chickens for the Zorua has been nothing short of entertaining for the Cacturne trainer, and he sits back and enjoys the show while May’s fucked off elsewhere for the time being. She monitors other areas of the city to make sure no one’s up to mischief. 

Speaking of May, she’s giggling at the prospect of all these younger trainers arguing over who deserves that Zorua. With its perfect IVs and fully trained EVs, its shiny new color, its cloaking ability . . . Zorua’s likely hiding in plain sight and these trainers are too busy arguing to see what’s right in front of them. 

She strolls through one of Slateport’s main streets and swears under her breath when she catches a familiar flash of green. A particular mossy shade of green. 

Approaching him from behind, she addresses him. 

“ . . . Drew?” 

Whipping around, Drew’s eyes widen for a brief moment before they soften immediately upon realizing that it’s her. Perfect. Just the girl he’s been looking for all of this time since the heist began. 

He needs to get her away from Harley’s scheming, grimy hands! 

“I take it you’re here because you really want that Zorua.” 

“An excellent guess, but no,” he replies, and May can’t help picking up on how his usually tense expression fades into one of pure softness. For her? Why, though? “I’m actually here for you.”

“Me?” May’s tone indicates incredulousness. Even after all of this time!? “What do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Um, why are you working on this with Harley?” 

May frowns. “We’ve established that we’ve outgrown that weird frenemy stage we had. We’re really good friends now, Drew. What’s going on?” 

Drew sighs, deciding against telling her the truth. Collaborating with Harley–or even being within Harley’s proximity–is never any good. He offers her a rose from seemingly thin air, which May graciously accepts.

“Never mind. Anyway, what’s in it for you?” 

“Nothing! It just seemed like a fun way to raise money for the Ribbon Cup.”

Things fall silent between them, but it’s comfortable. They decide to look for that Zorua together. 

They find themselves near the Slateport beach, close to where they first met. Drew looks off at the private beach area where he found May, and he can’t help but chuckle to himself. 

“What’s so funny?” May then picks up on it. “Oh. You’re thinking about how we met, huh?” 

“Yeah. On this very beach,” he says, “Hard to believe how far we’ve come.”

“Hard to believe we can stand to breathe the same air as each other.” 

Drew splutters, “I more than can just tolerate breathing the same air as you.” 

In fact, he dearly wishes to be with her for the rest of his life. He’s damn sure of it. He’s not going to admit that to her yet because he doesn’t want to scare her off.

A splash of salty water on him catches him off-guard. He turns to ese May with a mischievous grin on her face, and Drew shakes his head. 

“You rascal,” Drew teases as he joins her by the water, splashing her back. 

Suddenly, in the sand, Zorua pops out from hiding under it. Once he notices it, Drew’s mouth falls open. 

“Oh! There’s the gorgeous Zorua!” 

Zorua hops right into Drew’s arms upon recognizing him. 

Drew and May exchange a look. 

“Uh . . . do we go back to the stadium, then?” May inquires. Drew nods and they walk off, ignoring the icky wetness of their damp clothes. 

Eh. They’re going to dry off, they think. 

When they arrive back at the stadium, Harley’s relaxing on a lounge chair and enjoying the sun shining down on him. His goal must be a tan, as he’s angling a mirror to have the sun hit on his body. 

He hears the rustling of their footsteps, and he raises himself from his seat, resting his sunglasses over his head to get a view of them. 

“Oh! Excellent! Just as planned, Randy, you found Zorua!” Harley exclaims. “Well, I should say Zorua found you guys. I told it not to appear to anyone else except Drew. No one was going to be able to find Zorua by the end of the event.”

“Huh?” May cuts in, placing her hands on her hips. “Then what was the purpose of this heist anyway?” 

“Yeah,” Drew adds, “Why were you getting the male winners the opportunity to ask May out if they won?” 

“What?” May glares at Harley. “You conveniently left out that little detail! What in the world?!” 

“Sounding a bit envious there, Randy,” Harley snorts, “If you must know, I knew you were going to sign up for this heist if I put May in a jeopardizing situation. Of course nothing life-threatening. She’s just been single for too long after that jackass Brendan dated her. Lo and behold, you do enter the hunt, and not only do you earn the Zorua and the money, but you’re the one getting to ask May out on a date.”

“What were you going to do if the winner was a girl? This wasn’t well thought out,” May says, “Which is a first, coming from you.” 

Harley steps back, striking a defensive pose. His tone does indicate some sincerity but there’s no telling with Harley quite literally ever. 

He shakes his head as he vehemently disagrees. 

“I only told the men about that little addition. No girl was going to ask you out. And by the way, it wasn’t going to be a bunch of random guys, just the winner of the heist,  and I orchestrated everything so that Drew would win anyways. Like I already said, Zorua was not going to be found. Not easily. Zorua’s great at keeping itself hidden. Everything’s worked out in favor of you two finally biting the bullet and just going out already. We’re sick of you two dancing around the bush.” 

“I–!” Drew can’t even begin to express himself at that moment. He has to admit–he’s been fooled. Maybe Harley has changed for the better, in some aspects. In others, that’s still up for debate. 

Despite this, Drew may never completely warm up to Harley. 

Not even the fact that he’s dating Soledad. 

“So, Randrew Gayden, aren’t you going to finally roll for initiative like this is DND and finally give May the lovin’ on she deserves?” 

“Uhhhh . . . “ Drew’s brain may have short-circuited at that point. Picking up on that little brain fart of Drew’s, a rare moment for him indeed, May takes charge like the woman she always is because she always feels like she has something to prove. 

“Drew,” she begins, twiddling the rose he gifted her just moments prior to this interaction. “Will you take me to dinner?” 

Yep. That brain fart then escalates to a complete meltdown. His circuitry is failing him. There’s probably steam out of his ears from that system overload. 

System overload! 

May’s forehead creases. “. . . Drew? Do I have to do everything around here, or do I have to drag you to the nicest restaurant in this region?” 

“No! No, I, uh . . .” Taking a deep stabilizing breath, he finds that confidence he works so hard to fake the majority of the time. Yeah, you hear him right–fake. He’s not the sauviest of the suave, he has come to accept that. 

Especially if he can’t ask the most beautiful girl in the world out and she has to make the move first! 

He clears his throat, and meets her eyes, careful not to get too lost admiring how much those sapphire eyes resemble the deepest depths of the sea. 

“Yes, I’ll take you to dinner. Only if you let me spoil you rotten.”

Harley grimaces. “Damn, you really are living up to the name, Randy.” 

“Stop calling me that,” Drew counters.

“Over my dead body!” Harley then approaches May. “Don’t I get a thank you, hon?” 

“I’m not sure if I should thank you or slap you, but I’ll let you get away with it this time. Thanks, Harley. Now if you’ll excuse us, this is long overdue.”

“Of course, of course! Have fun ye hooligans! Farewell now!” 

Drew hooks May’s arm around his. “Where to? We’ll take a ride on Flygon.”

“I can go for something exotic and new, so surprise me, Mr Fancy Pants.”

“Anything for you.” Drew casts a dirty look at Harley over his shoulder, as if to say, ‘I’ll deal with you later.’ 

For now, he’s going to enjoy a wonderful date with a wonderful girl. 

[witchofanguish]

ms. yuri warrior: are there any particular lesser-known novels/manga you would recommend on merit of strong character work? i do trawl the mangadex shelves but i grow weary of the hunt...

Gonna try to keep this focused on series that I think are good mainly because of strong character work, since otherwise I would just say every series I like (and trying to keep it to stuff I haven't mentioned *that* much before, besides yuri espoir):

Yuri Espoir

ShuuKura/Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Omoi no Kakera

Ebisu-san to Hotei-san

Warikitta Kankei Desukara

All good stories that I thought had a really good grasp on their characters' psyches.