#the only announcement i would ever be more excited about would be if yen press rereleased the drrr novels cuz volume 8 damnit

[threadmonster]

Discoteck is releasing the Digimon Movie in HD, and also the original three movies that Fox Kids mashed together! In original audio with subs as well dubbed versions???

I have like... Bootleg versions of I think all the Digimon movies? But this? THIS??? Holy shit

[imagineabrighterworld]

{Four Hundred Thousand Yen} Tamaki Amajiki x Reader

Tamaki had a lot of questions in life, but the list was reordered the moment he was chosen for the date auction of 3-A.

Why me?

Why was my name in the bid?

Why did no one look surprised?

Was this rigged?

His last question was answered fairly quickly, the class did in fact rig the polls. It was a tie between him and Mirio, but after some convincing from Mirio and Nejire, the class had filled the ballot box almost entirely with Tamaki’s name.

“Why would you do this to me?” He mumbles into his desk as he bowed his head to keep from seeing his traitorous best friend. Mirio was standing next to his desk with a huge smile on his face. Tamaki couldn't see it, but he could hear it in his friend’s voice.

“It’ll be fun! Don't sweat it, you're gonna be great!”

“I-I can't even- go on stage..” Tamaki lifts his head to show his lips were trembling as he was on the verge of a breakdown. The thought of being on stage for people to bid on- what if no one wanted him? What if it was just silence and he wasn't picked at all? How embarrassing would it be when he left the stage without a single bid? “What if no one picks me? I-I would be humiliated.”

Mirio pats him on the back. “Trust me, there are plenty of girls and guys waiting to bid on you, I did a poll!”

Tamaki’s face burns red. “You what?” He squeaks out.

“Well not an official poll, but I asked around the school and everyone was pretty excited to hear you might be in the auction.” Mirio rubs his chin. “I’d say you had a good seventy percent of the students I asked.”

The wheels in Tamaki’s mind stutter as he focuses on the thirty percent that must have said no. He groans and stands up from his seat. “I'm going to the workshop..”

“3-H?” Mirio asks.

“Yeah..” Tamaki slides out of the classroom with his head ducked low. His face was still a bright pink when he entered the third year’s workshop. It was enormous compared to the first year’s space. It had gear and tech that the first years were not yet trusted with.

He walks around the empty room, looking at the half built suits and the observation window that separated the testing room from the rest of the space. It was a special glass that was essentially bomb-proof, nothing could break the glass, which made it essential for testing costumes that needed to undergo massive damage.

“Tamaki!”

He turns around to find you dragging a massive robot by a thick metal chain. You were covered in scuff marks and grease, but you had a light in your eyes that made him smile. His thoughts were briefly distracted by the date auction and instead directed towards you. You were one of his friends since his second year when he needed an update in his costume. He still got shy around you, but talking with you became easier the more he visited you.

It was a small miracle that you didn't mind his silent days. You both would listen to your radio while you worked. You didn't push him, and it was greatly appreciated. Sometimes he needed a break and you were there to take it with him.

“Whatcha doing here Tama-chan?” You release your grip of the chain, unbothered by the loud boom as the heavy chain falls to the ground. It was startling sometimes to remember that your quirk was strength based. You lifted gear so easily, it looked weightless to him. “Got a problem on your mind? You look like a shrimp.” You brush your gloved hand over his flushed cheek.

Tamaki rubs his face while looking to the ground. “Iwasvotedinforthedatingauction..” He whispers quickly.

“What was that?” You tilt your head. “You lost me at I.”

He takes a deep breath and speaks a tad bit louder. “I.. Was voted in for the dating auction..”

“Oh. … Oh.”

You both stand in silence, listening to the ticking of the clock in the room.

You're the first to break the quiet. “Mirio was behind it wasn't he?”

“And Nejire.” He adds softly. His best friends other than you, both ratted him out. They knew he had trouble with the spotlight, with his.. His self image.. He couldn't do it. “I think I'm going to call in sick. Mirio is more popular than me anyway, he’ll definitely get bids.”

“I think you should do it.”

He startles. “What?”

You smile down at him. With your work boots you were a good few inches taller than him. “You're really sweet Tama-chan, you're underestimating yourself again.” You tap him on the forehead. “Think of this as a mission. The goal is to get to the finish line. Don't think about how much you earn, think of getting to the end of the auction.”

“But I can't handle crowds-”

You put a hand on his shoulder. “Tamaki.”

He looks you in the eyes, his heartbeat racing as he sees your normally nonchalant expression turn serious.

“You're Suneater, an amazing hero that always gets the job done. This is just another job. And you're going to rock it.”

He gulps.

Just a job. Not a game, not an auction, just a job. Another mission that needed finishing.

He nods his head reluctantly. “Okay.”

“Good.” You pull him in for a side hug, completely forgetting you were covered in grease. “Now help me figure out what the hell I'm doing.”

-

The day of the auction was hectic. It was a festival, which meant that the class was divided into doing different jobs, a sixth went to preparing the auction with the other classes while the rest went on to handle food stands and games.

Mirio was in charge of the money earned during the bids while Nejire was the announcer.

Which left Tamaki alone behind the stage with the other “volunteers”. Some of the students actually did want to participate, but he could see from some of the faces that some where plucked forcefully by their classmates.

At least I’m not the only one. He thinks to himself.

He mourns quietly as the students file in line. The first to go were the first years, then the second, then the third years. Which meant he was the first of his year to go onstage.

So far the highest bid was for Todoroki of 1-A who got fifty-one thousand yen.

I'll be lucky if I get one hundred yen.

Tamaki fiddles with the cuffs of his suit. It was black with gold sun cufflinks. If it were a different occasion, he would have liked the suit. It was comfortable and completely black, allowing him to blend in rather than stand out. But in this situation he would have no choice but to stand out.

He squeezes his eyes shut as he hears his name called out.

“Next up, Tamaki Amajiki from Class 3-A!” Nejire cheers from beyond the stage.

With a small pat on his shoulder from the boy  behind him, Tamaki steps through the curtain and walks on stage.

Faces. So many faces.

The crowd was bigger than he thought, it was full of people-

“Remember, keep your head up, eyes to the sky, it'll be over before you know it. Trust me.”

Your words ring in his head as he walks down the catwalk, his eyes on a distant tree as he tries to keep from folding over in shame as numbers are called out.

Ten thousand yen. Thirteen thousand yen. Fifteen thousand yen. Thirty thousand yen.

He stops at the end of the stage and keeps his hands clenched at his sides. He felt like he was going to collapse-

“Two-hundred thousand yen!” A familiar voice chimes from the crowd of people.

Tamaki’s gaze snaps to Nejire who had floated off the stage and was staring at Mirio with a look of wonder. Who- What? What! Who would bid that much!

No it had to be a mistake!

“Four-hundred thousand yen!” It was the same person. “You're twisting my arm here Nejire!”

Tamaki scans the crowd for the voice.

No, it has to be a joke-!

You stand in the center of the crowd with one of the bidding panels in your hand. You were grinning widely. “Neji, I could go on forever, just give him to me.”

The crowd parts around you as they whisper the number incredulously.

Four-hundred thousand yen.

Tamaki didn't even expect to get a percent of that!

Nejire lands on the stage with a small thump. Her smile was nearly identical to yours. “Any other bidders? Going once. Going twice?” The crowd was talking but no new bid came up. “Tamaki Amajiki, sold for four-hundred thousand yen!”

-  

After the auction, Tamaki finds you with Mirio, a thick stack of yen in hand.

He runs to you. “Wait!”

You look back at him just as Mirio tucks the cash into the metal box full of bids. “Yeah?”

He stands across from you, frazzled and in desperate need of a good cry. He almost ran off stage just to keep from collapsing in fear.

“How could you- why did you-” He stumbles over his words. “Why did you bid on me? Why so much?”

You smile as you zip your wallet shut. “That’s easy Tama-chan. I knew you wouldn't feel comfortable going on a date with a stranger, so I paid an amount I knew no one would be able to beat.”

“But, it's your money..” He squeezes his hands into fists. “You can't just waste it on me, I’m not worth that much..”

You step away from Mirio and stand in front of Tamaki, fixing his crooked tie from running. “I'm an engineer. I know how much each part costs and the cost of the overall product. You're worth more than I could ever buy Tama-chan.” You press a small kiss on the tip of his nose. “And I couldn’t pass up the chance of getting dinner with you in that suit.”

Finally, Tamaki collapses in a fit of pink.

You look at Mirio.

He laughs. “He's all yours!”

His plan went just as expected.

[stark-tony]

tododeku fic recs

* = incomplete

meet you again someday (after we take the long way ’round) by theroyalsavage

summary: Midoriya Izuku's life is saved by a boy with the strongest Quirk he has ever seen. 

Eventually - inevitably - he falls in love.(An AU in which Todoroki never attends UA, they never clash at the sports festival, but they come together all the same.)

pairings: tododeku

tags: hurt/comfort

warnings: none

that is just the way by celestialfics

summary:  Shouto has his first sleepover.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff

warnings: none

what is right and what is easy by theroyalsavage

summary: Midoriya Izuku is not chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament. He does not slay a dragon, or rescue innocents, or brave a maze of dark magic. He does not win accolades, or fame, or glory.

Instead, Izuku meets the son of the greatest dark wizard of the age, a Durmstrang student with hair like a sunrise and eyes like a war. And maybe, he just might win something else.

pairings: tododeku, kiribaku, tsuchako

tags: fluff, angst

warnings: none

First Time For Everything by kazzarole

summary: Midoriya is the catalyst of many of the 'firsts' in Shouto's life--it just makes sense that Shouto should share his first kiss with him, too.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff

warnings: none

alone together by celestialfics

summary:  Five times when other Class 1-A kids notice Todoroki and Midoriya in their own world.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff

warnings: none

A Simple Warmth by patster223

summary: “I’m trying to make Todoroki a sweater for his birthday, but…” Izuku pokes at the tangle of yarn. “It’s more complicated than I thought it would be.”

In which Izuku sucks at knitting, his classmates are eager to help out, Todoroki finally gets to be cozy, and knitting is a vector for romance.

pairings: tododeku

tags: 

warnings: none

Conventional Taste by WowBoring

summary: He didn’t think it would matter if Midoriya were taking him to a sewer convention; it was probably still going to be the highlight of his Golden Week.

In order to avoid a visit from his unpleasant grandparents Todoroki attends a hero convention with Midoriya, and learns a few things along the way.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff

warnings: abuse

pls respond by Esselle

summary: 'Midoriya: UR SO CUTE

Shouto chokes on nothing. How is he supposed to respond to that? Is he supposed to respond at all?

Midoriya: Look at your big head aaaaaaaaaaaaah Midoriya: *Image Attached*

Oh, Shouto thinks. He was talking about Shouto's Nitotan, which is now smashed to one of Izuku's cheeks in the image Izuku just sent, as Izuku squeezes it joyfully. Even if Izuku wasn't talking to him directly, the butterflies in Shouto's stomach feel a bit joyful, too.

He types out: I wish I were that Nitotan right now. Then he snorts, and erases it.'

--

Izuku has a wide variety of special moves, but his Key Smash might be the most powerful of all.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

i can keep a secret, could you? by handcrusher (ameliafromafairytale)

summary: The last thing Todoroki wants is for his father to figure out that 1) he's gay and 2) he's dating the boy he's supposed to overcome as a hero. So, he and Midoriya devise a plan.

Just how long can they keep it up?

pairings: tododeku, tsuchako, momojirou

tags: 

warnings: 

hold on tight by lunalou

summary: "What are you doing?" Shouto asks.

"Hugging you." Midoriya returns in a patient voice. His arms tighten around Shouto's waist and he presses his forehead more firmly against his back. "You know it's a hug, Shouto-kun. Don't play dumb."

or, five times somebody from 1-a hugs todoroki and the one time he hugs them first

pairings: tododeku

tags: 

warnings: 

If I'm Being Honest.... by I_dont_know_man

summary: Midoriya scrunched up his nose in confusion. “Uh, Shouto, why are you glaring at me like that?”

“I-” Todoroki began to lie, until nausea slammed him like a door to any room that Bakugou entered. “I--” Todoroki grit his teeth, and glared daggers into the wall behind Midoriya. Goodbye, friendship. It had been absolutely divine while it lasted. “Because you’re very attractive.”

They say honesty is the best policy, but it sure as hell had a knack for Todoroki making a complete and utter fool of himself. 

  In which Todoroki is placed under a mysterious truth-telling quirk and suffers, Uraraka laughs at him, Midoriya is confused but smitten nonetheless, and Twitter is the thirstiest site on the planet.

pairings: tododeku, kiribaku

tags: humor, fluff

warnings: 

Guiding Light by furihatachlookie

summary:  It was his mother's idea to enroll him at the local elementary school. His father believed a private tutor was better, but nobody can argue with a mother who's made up her mind, and a balanced exposure to kids his own age sways his father's judgement enough to agree and sign the papers.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, angst

warnings: 

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu's Elite Study Club by hanwritesstuff (hannahkannao)

summary: “Well, as I see it, we have two options.” Shouto holds up two fingers. “We can either ignore this and pretend it never happened or... not.” He doesn't know which one he wants. “What does not entail, exactly?” Yaoyorozu asks. “...I don't know.”

In which Todoroki accidentally learns something about Yaoyorozu, Yaoyorozu accidentally learns something about Todoroki, and they spend a considerable portion of their study sessions... not studying.s

pairings: tododeku, momojirou

tags: fluff, humor

warnings:

Do What You Will, If That's What You Want by stanzas

summary: “What do you mean you’re retiring?” Bakugou asks nicely, or at least as nicely as someone like Bakugou can ask. The question is phrased more like a demand.“

Call it a mid-life crisis,” Shouto answers, like Bakugou asked him what the weather would be tomorrow, and takes a deep sip from his coffee. “I’m thinking of changing careers.”

The world of heroes is quick to adapt to surprises, but Pro Hero Entropy’s (very premature) retirement announcement throws almost everyone for a pretty impressive loop.

pairings: tododeku

tags: hurt/comfort, angst, humor

warnings:

extra, extra! by rythyme (pugglemuggle)

summary: Shouto & Creati: ACTUALLY Dating?! by Hitachi Hitomi at September 18, 2047 3:42 pm."Ever since heartthrob 

Todoroki Shouto and the Everything Hero "Creati" made their official debuts, the two 22-year-old heroes have been nothing but professional towards each other. But was this all a sham to cover up the truth?" 

Or: The media thinks Shouto and Creati are dating. Hint: they aren't. A multimedia TodoDeku & MomoJirou fanfic told through news articles, gossip columns, twitter, tumblr, text messages, and more.

pairings: tododeku, momojirou

tags: fluff, humor

warnings:

you broke the dark and my whole earth shook by aloneintherain

summary:  Shouto had imagined himself as the country’s top hero for decades. Endeavour had put those images in his head when he was a child, and they had stayed there, growing like a fungus, until Shouto had reached adulthood. Even now, he was only just beginning to realise he didn’t have to live his life according to almost thirty-year-old decisions made by his abuser. He could do more. Be more. Outside of the hero community.

Izuku gets a job offer in America. Somehow, this brings Shouto and Izuku closer than ever before.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings:

count your blessings, not your flaws by PitViperOfDoom

summary:  Midoriya Izuku has never been asked out, confessed to, or flirted with, except as a joke.

pairings: tododeku

tags: angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: bullying

call the fire department (i'm burning up with love) by Edgedancer

summary:  An (abridged) list of things Todoroki Shouto did not have before U.A.: Loud neighbors. Fire alarms. Friends. Midoriya Izuku.

pairings: tododeku

tags:

warnings:

long nights and daydreams by dreamtowns

summary: According to the public, Pro Heroes Deku and Entropy are an amazing Hero Duo, best friends, and the most eligible bachelors in the world. According to their fans, they’re head over heels in love with one another yet oblivious to the others’ feelings. According to their friends and family, they’ve been in love with one another since high school, but, for reasons unknown to them, refuse to act upon said feelings.

According to said heroes, they have been (secretly) married for six years.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort

warnings: 

extra-salty/twitter-verse series by SportsAnimeRuinedMyLife (KnightOfRage)

summary:  In his third year at UA, Todoroki Shouto works in a burger place, catches on fire and falls in love. Only two of those things are on purpose.

Or...Todoroki Shouto's exciting adventures in customer service.

part one of the extra salty/twitter-verse

pairings: tododeku, kiribaku

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: none

More Than Skin-Deep by Emmeri

summary: It was a fact, really. That he was ugly. Having a scar which takes up half his face kind of does that, in Todoroki's eyes. So why does he overhear the girls call him the class pretty boy?

He'll just have to ask Midoriya about it; he has too little filter to tell anything but the truth.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, angst

warnings: 

Your Biggest Fan by Latios

summary: He opens the bag on the floor to see what could have been left in there-- and promptly freezes, staring at the contents inside.

“Midoriya.” He calls.

“Hm?”

“You bought our hero merch?”

~

Aka, Class 1-A starts to see themselves appear on merchandise in their local stores. Todoroki tries not to buy things, and fails.

pairings: tododeku

tags: fluff, humor

warnings: 

Marry The Mole by Haurvatat

summary: “You're going to break up with him before he can propose.”

The hands went down and the steel wall of Midoriya's entire being went up. “...Excuse me?”

“And in return-” Enji gritted his teeth, “-I will deposit 20 million yen in your checking account.”

-

The gay drama fic based on a tumblr post absolutely zero people wanted to see but YOU'RE GETTING ANYWAY

pairings: tododeku

tags: humor

warnings: 

ascended fanboy by aloneintherain

summary: “I want to honour them,” Izuku said softly. “When I cosplay, I just want people to see how amazing these heroes are.”

Shouto brushed a thumb over his cheek, careful not to smudge his makeup. “They do. I promise.”

Or: Izuku and Shouto attend HeroCon, five years post-graduation.

pairings: tododeku

tags: 

warnings: 

[ficsandcatsandficsandcats]

I’m sorry for the Accidental Pregnancy request. I do love your Jaskier fics with his daughter Sam and if it’s okay, I was wondering if you could write a fic on where Sam would fit in either the punk!au or modern!au bc it would be cute seeing her rooting for her daddy during his gigs! 💕

Fandom: The WitcherPairing: Dad!Jaskier x Sam, Uncle!Geralt x SamWord Count: 927Rating: GTaglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak @whatevermonkey @mynamesoundslikesherlock @magic-multicolored-miracle 

a/n: No worries!

“DADDY!”

A wide smile broke out on Jaskier’s face before he even turned around, already knowing what he’d see. Sam sat atop Geralt’s shoulders, her little arms thrown up in excitement while Geralt kept her legs securely in his hands. In her small hands she grasped drumsticks and Jaskier’s smile faltered a little, only making Geralt’s grow more.

“Daddy look what Uncle Geralt gave me!” she cried excitedly. Geralt lifted her off his shoulders and pressed her into Jaskier’s waiting arms in one fluid movement.

“I’ll see you later little fox, remember to show your dad the song I taught you!” Geralt said, planting a quick kiss on her cheek and then practically running from the room, escaping Jaskier’s accusing eyes. He sighed and made a mental note to warn you about this new bit of sabotage from his bandmate before you came by to pick her up and then fixed his eyes on his daughter.

“Uncle Geralt told me that when I grow up I can be a drummer like him and he said the best way to start learning how to drum is to just start hitting everything!” she exclaimed, rearing back her arms and eyeing Jaskier’s neck with alarming intensity.

“Everything but people, Mitka,” Jaskier said hurriedly and she paused, arms frozen in the air before a confused look overtook her face and she cocked her head to the side.

“He said I should especially hit people,” she explained.

“Goddamnit Geralt,” Jaskier muttered under his breath, “Tell you what! When your mom gets here to get you ready for tonight, you can stop by the parking lot and practice on Uncle Geralt’s motorcycle! Won’t that be fun?”

She looked slightly skeptical but Jaskier was saved by you arriving.

“Hello love,” you said, greeting Jaskier with a kiss the same way you had since all those years before after you started dating. You looked at the drumsticks in your daughter’s hands and gave Jaskier a questioning look.

“Compliments of Uncle Geralt,” he explained.

“Ah, yes that makes sense. Well, are you ready to go get ready for daddy’s big show tonight?” you asked, turning your attention back to Sam.

“Yes! But we have to stop in the parking lot,” Sam said.

“Oh Sam, I was – ”

“Why?” you asked, cutting off Jaskier’s attempt to undo what was already in motion.

“So I can practice drums on Uncle Geralt’s motorcycle!” she explained. Jaskier gave you an innocent smile that you rolled your eyes at.

“Tell you what, kiddo, let’s do that next time. We have to meet your Aunt Yen to get our nails done before she has to come back and practice,” you said, grateful when your daughter seemed more excited by the prospect of seeing her Aunt than beating the hell out of Geralt’s prized possession. You gave Jaskier another quick parting kiss and walked out with Sam telling you excitedly about the lessons she’d be receiving going forward.

—–

Sam had been so determined to stay awake this time.

She usually made it about halfway through the set, eagerly clapping along and cheering for her family when Vicious Mockery performed. She had a pair of bedazzled headphones that had been a gift from her Aunt Aevryn who stopped by whenever she wasn’t on tour herself. Tonight had been a full house with not only her Aunt Aevryn coming by to join you and Sam in the wings, watching as the band performed, but also Valdo who always made a big deal about how big and beautiful Sam was getting, ever the charmer. Sam thought Valdo was wonderful and out of love for his close friend and daughter, Jaskier grinned and bore it as best he could. Sam was certain tonight would be the night she could stay awake, filled with excitement over seeing everyone and getting to practice on the little drumset Yennefer produced (somewhat in apology for Geralt’s drumsticks present and somewhat in cahoots with his ultimate goal of getting Sam to make as much noise as possible at all times). Somehow, though, Sam woke up Jaskier’s arms as he carried her out to the old van they still used to transport the group around when they weren’t on tour. Jaskier strapped Sam in carefully but tucked her up close between the two of you.

“I fell asleep,” she said, tiny voice filled with sadness. Jaskier felt his heart break a little bit every time his daughter showed anything but absolute joy and there were days he feared he would die a brokenhearted man.

“Tell you what, little fox,” Geralt offered, sending her a warm smile through the rearview mirror, “we’ll give you the rest of the concert now.”

Jaskier opened his mouth to protest, to say that she needed to get some sleep, but she got so excited and Geralt gave him a look that challenged him to disappoint her.

“Alright, Mitka, what sound did you hear before you fell asleep?” he asked, looking down into her bright blue eyes.

“It was the one about the wolf,” she announced.

“Of course it was,” Jaskier sighed as Geralt preened happily. Jaskier and Yennefer sang the song as they had on stage, though much quieter, and Geralt joined in for the chorus. It didn’t take long before Sam’s eyes grew heavy and this time when she fell asleep she didn’t wake until the next morning, unaware that she’d been sung to the whole ride through and late into the night by her father who sometimes just couldn’t pull himself away from her side.

[vannahfanfics]

Sora’s Road

Category: Friendship Fluff

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Characters: Sora, Belle

Requested By: cornholio4 (FanFiction)

The air was pleasantly perfumed with the scent of roses as Sora strolled through the wrought-iron gates of Beast’s Castle. At least, he was pretty sure it was the right place, but a shadow of doubt was cast over his mind as he tossed a sweeping glass over the courtyard. What had once been a gloomy, moonlit, ice-frosted tiled courtyard had been renovated into an expansive garden, with the bright spring sun burning in a bright blue sky. Sora’s feet slapped against pristine white tiles as he strolled down the pathway leading to the castle proper, his hands clasped behind his head as he looked back and forth. Whoever the gardener was clearly possessed some talent, as the hedges were trimmed into effigies of various forest animals; Sora saw a regal elk, a pair of prancing foxes, and even a howling wolf.

“Did I get lost?” he wondered aloud as he continuing to inspect the cheery garden. Granted, he hadn’t visited the world since he defeated Xemnas, and so he supposed worlds didn’t stay stagnant forever. Just look at how pretty Radiant Garden was, a far cry from the squalor and darkness of Hollow Bastion. He was feeling a little more sure of himself when he finally came to the great doorway leading into the castle, which didn’t look too terribly different- except it was open to the world, allowing the fresh spring breeze to waft in. “Weird. I wouldn’t think that the Beast would want any regular visitors,” he wondered aloud as he skipped up to the threshold. Not wishing to be rude, he gave a few raps of his knuckles against the wood, which he noticed had recently been given a fresh coat of paint.

“Hello?” he called into the empty entryway. “It’s me, Sora! Um, is anyone home?”

He cocked an eyebrow as he heard the frantic squeaking of what sounded like shoes on waxed floors rapidly approaching. His eyebrow crept all the way up to the roots of his spiky hair when a blonde-haired little boy suddenly burst out of the door he recalled leading to the kitchen to scamper right up to him. The floor actually had just been waxed, because he slipped and slid a little as he careened over to Sora, managing to stop himself in the doorway by grabbing hold of the broad wooden door. “Er, hi,” Sora blinked at the human boy.

“Sora! Long time, no see!” Sora gawked at him in utter confusion.

“I’m sorry; do I know you?”

“It’s me! Chip!” the boy grinned and pulled his mouth open with his fingers to display a chipped front tooth. “Shee? Shee? Ish me!” he insisted before dropping his hands from his mouth. Sora’s mouth hung open as his neurons struggled to process that the little chipped teacup was now a hyperactive little boy.

“Chip! Where are you, Chip?” a motherly voice floated out of the still-swinging kitchen door. Soon a portly woman came bustling out, rubbing her hands on a dishtowel and shaking her head. “So much energy… Chip! Oh, there you are, honey,” she smiled as she spotted her son standing in the open doorway with the still shell-shocked Sora staring stupidly at her.

“Mrs. Potts…?” Sora asked hesitantly as the apron-wearing woman came walking over.

“Why, hello, Sora. How nice of you to come calling.”

“I’m confused. So confused.” He groaned and pressed his aching forehead into the doorframe. Last he had seen, the castle was home to an assortment of live odds and ends, not human beings. He vaguely recalled the magical rose and some semblance of a curse, and the pieces finally clicked into place in his mind. His head shot up with a gasp of epiphany. “Oh, so does this mean the castle’s curse is broken?!”

“That’s right, dear. All of us have returned to our human forms! Master opened up the castle again and has been making right by himself. He sure is popular with the townsfolk these days!” Mrs. Potts chortled as she took Chip by the shoulder and pulled him into her stout body. Chip smiled as he wrapped his twiggy arms around her thick waist. “Life has never been better.”

“I’m glad to hear that!” he smiled genuinely. It did him good to know his friends were doing well.

“How about you, dear?”

“Well…” he frowned and scratched at the side of his head, trying to relate his problems to the kind lady without disrupting the order, because he knew Donald would harp on him about that if he ever found out. “Let’s just say, I had a really important task to do that I bungled real good, and now I’m back to square one.”

“Your friends aren’t with you?”

“I decided to travel by myself for a while. There’s a lot of stuff I need to figure out and do, and I can’t have my hand held, y’know? Gotta find my own inner strength!” he grinned while clapping his hands together. His smile wavered a little, though; it was terribly hard being without his friends, and he really didn’t have much of a clue what had happened to him, either. Just all his powers, gone, just like that. He had been roaming the worlds for a while now, trying to piece together how he had stockpiled all that power in the first place, but it was a terribly lonely process. He had decided on a whim to pay a visit to Belle, because she was really smart and could probably point him in the right direction. “I came to see Belle because she’s read a lot and knows a lot, so I thought she could give me some advice.”

“Oh, well, she is a very smart young lady. At the very least, I’m sure that a cup of tea and a nice chat will do wonders for you! Belle’s in the library. I’ll bring you some refreshments along soon! Come, come, Chip; we have work to do,” the maid smiled as she bustled the excitable boy back to the kitchen. Chip hurriedly learned around his mother’s appreciable frame to wave excitedly in farewell, which Sora returned amiably. The young Keyblade wielder then set off for the great library that Belle pretty much called home.

“Hello? Belle, you in here? It’s Sora!” he announced as he ambled in, hand cupped to his mouth so his voice would reach into the depths of the tall stacks of books. He heard her greeting come floating back and he followed it through the towers of dusty tomes until he came upon her, seated primly at a table with books piled up around her. It always amazed Sora how fast and how much she could read; he had no doubt that those books were ones she had finished, probably for the fourth or fifth time. “How ya doin’?” he asked her jovially as he grabbed a chair and flipped it around to straddle it, arms crossed over the top with his chin resting against his forearm.

“Quite well,” she responded as she marked her page and shut the book to address him properly. She rested her hands primly on her aproned dress, smiling sweetly. “I have to say this is a surprise, but a good one. Your friends are not with you?” Man, I didn’t realize how much people associate me with Donald and Goofy, he thought in amusement.

“Nah. I’m goin’ solo right now.”

“A journey of self-enlightenment?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” he said with a light blush, admittedly having only a surface-level of understanding of the term but not wishing to look foolish in front of the smart princess. “So, the curse is finally broken, huh? Good for you guys.”

“Oh, yes. Adam and I have been making the most of our good fortune.” At his owlish look, she giggled and explained, “That’s Beast’s real name, Prince Adam.”

“Oh.” His gaze dropped to the book she had set down in front of her, and, curious as ever, he picked it up to inspect the back cover. “You really do like adventure books, don’tcha?”

“Of course. The world is vast, as you know, and it’s hard to see it all with your own eyes. Books are a wonderful way to do so.” The corner of Sora’s mouth twitched at the irony that Sora was probably the worlds’ leading expert on vastness, but he didn’t say anything because preserving the order and all that junk. He flipped the book open to rifle through the pages, barely scanning the printed words. “I don’t have much time to read. Y’know, bein’ a Hero of Light and all is a full-time job.”

“I’m sure it is, and a hard one, too. I imagine you’re here because you’ve hit a wall of some sort, yes?” Sora smiled sheepishly at how easily she was able to read him. Man, if he only had half as many functional brain cells as the intelligent princess, he could probably riddle out his problem and scamper back to Yen Sid’s a champion. He set the book down, sliding it back in front of her before collapsing into the top of the chair with a dramatic sigh.

“Yeah, you got me. I sorta lost all my strength in a big blunder on my part, and now I feel like I’m being left behind,” he pouted miserably as he toed the plush rug beneath the table. “I’ve been travelin’ around lookin’ for answers on how to get it back, but so far, I ain’t found nuthin’.” He punctuated the statement with a snort through his nose. Belle smiled sympathetically at him.

“I see. I’m sure it’s a heavy weight on your mind.” She turned to pry a book from within the stack beside her. “Heroes bear the heaviest burdens of us all, I reckon. I’m not versed in heroics, but whenever I feel overwhelmed, I can always find a book that puts my mind at ease. Would you like me to read for you, Sora?”

His eyes lit up and he scooched the chair a little closer, smiling broadly while nodding emphatically. Belle had a pretty voice, so he was sure that whatever she read to him would be invigorating. He could probably read her a recipe and he’d be totally enthralled. Belle smiled serenely as she settled back in the chair and flipped the book open to the first chapter. Sora melted into contentment as he listened to her sweet, honey-like voice. There was something about it that was just so calming and reassuring, telling him that everything was going to be okay. As promised, Mrs. Potts brought them tea and cakes, but Sora was so caught up in Belle reading aloud that he didn’t hardly notice, and just munched on the snacks on autopilot without much savoring of the sweets.

She read him the whole novel. It was actually pretty riveting; it was about an exiled prince who had been stripped of all his power and wealth and had gone on a grand journey to reclaim his throne. He made a lot of trusted friends and was able to win his throne back. Listening to it, Sora felt hopeful about his situation; sure, he had no idea of how yet, but he was gonna bungle along this little road of his until he made it back. If Sora was good at anything, it was not giving up.

“Do you feel better?” Belle asked him as she shut the book.

“Yeah, loads!” he grinned brightly at her as he sat up in the chair to stretch his arms above his head. “I’m gonna do whatever it takes! I gotta get my power back because a lot of people depend on me. I can’t be a burden to them, especially not now.”

“Don’t overdo it,” she cautioned him gently. “Your friends are there for you, too. Take all the time you need and make sure it’s done right. I’m sure you’ll become strong again.”

“Thanks, Belle,” he smiled, then took the teacup in front of him to knock it back and drain the last dregs of the sugary tea from it. “Man, Mrs. Potts makes good tea.”

“Yes, she does,” Belle laughed good-naturedly. “I know you’re busy with things far beyond my understanding, but you’re always welcome here, Sora. I’d always love to tell you a story.”

“Yeah, totally! I’ll bring Riku and Kairi- my friends- one day too!” And Roxas, and Xion, and Naminé, and Lea, and Terra and Aqua and Ventus, he thought, a determined smile inching up on his lips. He had to get stronger soon to save all of them, but like Belle said, at least he could be content knowing that Riku and Kairi were both in good hands at the moment. Sora could focus all he wished in reclaiming his lost powers. Belle eyed him almost sorrowfully as he pushed himself up with his hands and swung his leg over the chair to straighten out his clothes.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah,” he said with an apologetic glance. “As much as I would like to stay, the road’s out there waiting. I better get walkin’.” She laughed and stood to accompany him on his exit. She walked him to the front gate, smiling gently all the while. He blushed a little as he looked back to her, rubbing the back of his head.

“What is it, Sora?”

“It’s kinda embarrassing, but I was kinda thinking that you’re like a big sister I never had,” he admitted with a shy laugh. Belle’s smile grew warm, and she closed the small distance between them to give him a firm hug. Sora returned it gratefully, though his face took on a darker shade of fuchsia. Riku would totally make fun of me if he saw this… After she pulled back, he sniffed and rubbed the underside of his nose, laughing bashfully. “I’m really glad things worked out here.”

“As am I. Things will work out for you, too. Patience and perseverance, Sora.”

“I gotta work on the ‘patience’ part,” he snickered before turning to push open the gate. Belle gave him a wave of farewell as he strolled out onto the path leading to the woods, and he gave her one last little wiggle of his fingers before he whirled around, putting one foot in front of the other with his hands clasped behind his head. There was his road, stretched out before him. He didn’t know quite how it would travel, but he knew one thing for certain: his friends were waiting at the end, both those who had been with him through thick and thin and those he hadn’t met yet. That was all the motivation Sora needed to keep walking.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @deliathedork

[samuraiko]

UPDATED LINK BECAUSE THE MAIN ONE IS BROKEN!

This post is a Public Service Announcement.

I’ll admit right now that I let this post sit in my drafts since last night because I’m probably going to hork off SOMEONE by posting this. But in the end, my conscience wins out, so here it is.

******

I love THE ROYAL TUTOR. I want it to keep going. I want a second season (and more) of the anime. I want stage shows (even if I can’t attend them and I don’t speak Japanese anyway). I want merch and soundtracks and stuff.

And the only way to make sure this happens is if the fandom keeps throwing money at it. So, folks, PLEASE STOP POSTING THE CHAPTERS ONLINE!

Now, I can already hear some people howling “BUT KO~OOOOOOOOOOOO, I DON’T WANNA SPEND MONEY, I WANNA DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREEEEEEEEEEE!”

No.

No no no no no no no.

It’s a DOLLAR NINETY-NINE per issue, people. (For me, $2.16 with WA state sales tax.) Downsize your food order ONCE at a fast food restaurant, and hello, Royal Tutor goodness on your web browser or e-pub reader of choice.

If you are honestly going to sit there and tell me you can’t come up with TWO BUCKS A *MONTH* to support a series you love, I swear to Christ, I will develop telekinesis so I can reach through the internet and smack you in the face with your own keyboard.

A $25 Visa debit gift card will get you several issues (EVEN WHEN THEY’RE DOUBLE ISSUES, THEY STILL ONLY COST $1.99 - HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!) 

And this isn’t me going after folks who post a page or a panel because it’s hilarious or hot or downright ridiculous. Share the covers! Get people excited! Post a panel going “OMG BRUNO LOOKS AMAZING!”

(Coz let’s face it, Bruno always looks amazing.)

Just don’t post the entire godsdamned chapter because THEN NOBODY WILL BUY IT.

But Ko~oooooooooooo, I’m broke!

I have been poor. My parents lost everything, short of our house, at one point. I wore my older brother’s hand-me-downs because my sister’s clothes didn’t fit me. I started unofficially working when I was 10 years old. I raked leaves. I mowed lawns. I delivered newspapers. I babysat. At 14, I started working at the local movie theatre (back when minimum wage was $3.25/hr). Most of what I earned went toward my school clothes and helping out around the house. What was left was mine - I bought books and CDs because they lasted longer and I could enjoy them again and again.

It is not hyperbole when I say that while I was in college, I was starving to death a day at a time thanks to a running battle for control of my own life. 

And yet, because I knew my spirit would shrivel up and die if I didn’t feed it somehow, I scrounged enough to buy used CDs and books and VHS tapes (this is pre-DVD era, mind you) so I could enjoy some entertainment in my miserable life. I typed papers. I did tarot readings. I tutored fellow students. I cleaned apartments and dorm rooms. I worked as a stripper for a while. But that money was mine, and come hell or high water, I was going to enjoy SOMETHING with it.

But Ko~oooooooooooooooooooo, it’s just a few scans, why is this such a big deal?!

Because unlike those fricking juggernaut series like Bleach and Naruto and DBZ and MHA that will likely continue until the sun goes nova, the Royal Tutor market is far smaller. And thus far more vulnerable to the whims of The Important People™ who decide if a series continues based on the dollars (or yen) it brings in.

Now, some of the more astute among you who’ve followed me a while may ask if I ever did the whole looking-for-the-free-online-chapters thing.

In the interest of honesty and transparency, yes. For a grand total of a week, when I first began writing A Noble Soul. I justified it because I needed info while I was writing A Noble Soul.

And then I felt awful. 

Here I was, gleefully squeeing about how much I loved this series, but I wasn’t willing to shell out for it? (Outside of my $5.99/month FUNimationNow subscription?) Especially considering how much money I actually make nowadays?

Nope. Time to stop being a hypocrite, and to put my money where my mouth was. Literally.

So I went back and bought all the paperback releases that were out so far, and the electronic chapters available where the paperbacks stopped at the time. To the tune of a couple hundred dollars. I have continued to buy each new issue as it’s released, and each new paperback. (Speaking of which, Vol 8 goes on sale on Jul 24th, so pre-order that sucker now like I did!)

You can imagine how much better I felt when roughly six months later, I saw the announcement of SOME NEW AWESOME ROYAL TUTOR GOODNESS TO BE ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER 2018! 

I’m not deluding myself here to think my individual purchase history made that happen. Hells, no. *BUT* if enough people throw money at it, and encourage others to spend money on it, Higasa Akai and Yen Press and The Important People™ will see that it brings in money and will keep this lovely series going.

So, to the RT fandom (at least the ones in North America, I think this also counts for Europe)... if you love the manga, this is the specific search page on Yen Press’ website for the Royal Tutor and all its release dates. (Refresh the page periodically to see updates to said page. The publication cycle is generally centered around the 18th of the month, with the page updated a week before that,) If you click on any given entry, it will open the page for that entry and it will tell you all the places you can get it.

I crossed out Barnes & Noble because fuck them for deliberately firing ALL their full-time employees then offering to hire them back as PART-time just to avoid paying them benefits AFTER giving their CEO a multi-million-dollar bonus.

(Side note - as for WHY you see two listings for each entry, I asked Yen Press that exact question at SakuraCon 2018 - it’s because certain distributors require certain file types to be submitted to them for their electronic readers, and it’s easier to just do it this way. A bit more confusing, but easier overall for Yen Press. If it being a slight PITA means more options for folks to buy stuff, I’ll make do.)

Going to any of the sites listed above will allow you to also ‘backorder’ the previously released chapters.

In closing, to quote my dear Prince Bruno von Granzreich...

“Shall we come together to do what is best for our kingdom? Thank you all, for your time and your attention.”

This has been a Public Service Announcement.

[mystical-flute]

Uncharted Waters (chapter 9)

AO3 || Ko-fi

Panic surged through her veins as she burst into the emergency room. She hadn’t managed to get much out of Aunt Kumi over the phone, so she had no idea why Yugi was even here.

“Reika!”

“Téa, Duke, What the hell is going on?” she asked as Téa launched herself into her arms. “Are you okay? Duke?”

“We’re fine,” Duke replied, his face white with fear. “There was a fire… Yugi got caught up in it.”

Reika carefully led Téa back to her seat, then sat down next to her with a frown. “A fire? At school?”

“No, Yugi got swindled by someone pretending to be psychic. He stole the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi chased after him,” Téa explained. “And there was a duel and somehow the warehouse they were in got set on fire. Joey and Tristan said the guy looked like Bandit Keith…”

“Where are Joey and Tristan?”

“They’re being checked over by the doctors. They ran into the fire trying to find Yugi.”

“The doctors said the room was getting crowded, so Téa and I decided to wait out here for you,” Duke explained.

She gave them a weak smile. “Thanks, you two. That means a lot to me.”

“Reika, what have I told you about your posture?”

The new voice had her taking a deep breath and straightening her back as she rose to her feet and forced a smile. “Uncle Takeo. How did you get to Domino so quickly?”

Takeo brushed a piece of fuzz off his suit jacket, then slicked back his hair. “I came back with your grandfather and Kumi. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“I’m sorry the surprise was ruined. It has been quite some time since the five of us were in the same city.” Why weren’t you here when grandpa was in a coma?

“I apologize for that. The government doesn’t run on its own, unfortunately,” Takeo replied, peering around her and looking at the teens. “And you two are?”

“We’re friends of Yugi’s. I’m Téa, and this is Duke.”

“Ah, yes. Yugi mentioned making friends. That’s good. He’ll need them for networking when he becomes an adult and stops with all this dueling nonsense.”

Reika saw Téa’s foot nudge into Duke’s as his hands clenched at Takeo’s words.

If Takeo noticed the sudden tension with the teenagers, he didn’t bother commenting on it, instead turning back to Reika.

“Your grades?”

“Dean’s List.”

Takeo’s brow raised, questioning.

“Academic distinction, Uncle Takeo. I’m surprised grandpa or Aunt Kumi didn’t tell you. I got my grades a few days ago.”

“I’m afraid we were quite busy this weekend. It didn’t come up.”

“Right. Well. Everything is going just as you would hope.”

“I would have hoped to hear that you were transferring to Domino University, or somewhere in Tokyo.”

She couldn't stop herself from laughing. “You’ll never hear that because I don’t want to stay In Japan for school.”

“What about Mr. Kaiba?”

“Long-distance relationships work out all the time.”

“Takeo,” came Grandpa’s voice. “Go sit with Yugi. I’d like a word with Reika if you don’t mind.”

Takeo blinked as if forgetting where they were for a moment. “Yes, father.”

“Mr. Muto, I don’t mean any offense, but your son is kind of an asshole,” Duke said after Takeo disappeared behind the doors to the emergency room.

“Duke!” Téa admonished.

“I’m serious! How did Yugi come from that?”

Grandpa sighed. “I’m afraid Takeo has taken it upon himself to ensure success for the Muto name after Genji disappeared. He was always the more serious of the two. In his heart, he’s doing what he thinks is right, and what he thinks is right for the family… even if that doesn’t always align with the rest of us.”

Reika resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“At any rate, the two of you can go see Joey and Tristan now. The doctors have cleared them for release,” Grandpa said.

“Thanks Mr. Muto!” Téa said, her bright smile back as she and Duke rushed into the emergency room.

Reika exhaled slowly. “What did you want to talk about, Gramps?”

Grandpa led her to a small lounge area. “Your aunt and uncle would like to get to know Seto better. We discussed having a family dinner with him.”

Oh no.

Reika had fought off Marines and bounty hunters. She had trudged through a blizzard and took a sled up a dangerous mountain in an attempt to find a doctor for Nami. She had faced death dozens of times.

But the thing that was making her palms sweat with fear was the thought of Seto Kaiba joining her family for dinner.

All she could think to say was “why?”

“Because he’s… someone you care about,” Grandpa replied. “And he’s been in your life for so long already, and we hardly know anything about him.”

“You just want to make sure he isn’t going to hurt me.”

“You’re my granddaughter, is that not my job?”

I can take care of myself! “I know, I know… I’m sorry, it’s just… Kumi got so angry about me going to the museum with Seto and Takeo suddenly showing up, I just don’t feel like they trust me enough to make decisions for myself.” They shouldn’t.

“If it helps, Mokuba is more than welcome to join him.”

It shouldn’t have made her feel better, but she felt more relaxed at the thought. “This isn’t going to go away until they get their big family dinner, is it?”

“I’m afraid not.”

She sighed. “Fine. I’ll call him. Set something up. How long is Takeo going to be in town?”

“A week. We were going to do it tonight, but with Yugi…”

Her eyebrows shot up. “So this was supposed to be an ambush? Jeez, Gramps!” I should have just stayed in Eturn.

“I was going to warn you before we got the call. Takeo thought that it would be easier to - ”

“Uncle Takeo is an idiot if he thinks he can get the CEO of a multi-billion yen corporation to just - ”

“Reika,” Grandpa’s voice was uncharacteristically firm. “Just call Seto.”

She swallowed back everything else she wanted to say as she pulled out her phone. “Yes, Gramps.”

-----

“Heyyyy Seto.”

Seto was on edge as soon as she drew out the greeting. Reika never did that.

“What is it?” he frowned at the noise in the background, the sound of a cart wheeling by did not go unnoticed. “Where are you?”

“The hospital. Yugi got caught in a fire during a duel at one of the warehouses downtown. Joey and Tristan too, but Yugi got the worst of it.”

He gripped the phone tighter. “Wha - ”

“But that’s not what I called you about.”

Seto’s frown deepened. That wasn’t what he expected. Yugi being in the hospital was probably weighing heavily enough on her mind. What else would trump something like -

“Uncle Takeo is in town. He and Aunt Kumi want to have dinner to get to know you and Mokuba.”

Oh.

A part of him had expected this. Roland and Fuguta had offered advice to him once they’d heard about the relationship. One such piece had been having a good relationship with her family, and considering the rocky start that had gotten off to, a dinner seemed like a logical step.

He heaved out a sigh. “When?”

“Grandpa said they were planning for tonight.”

Seto swore under his breath, prompting a confused look from Mokuba, which he waved away as he glanced at the clock. “Is Yugi going to be discharged tonight?”

“They’re waiting for one last test to come back, but he should be.”

Seto pressed his lips together, taking a slow, deep breath. “Mokuba and I will bring food to the game shop. I can’t imagine your aunt and uncle will have time to cook after Yugi is released from the hospital.”

That prompted an alarmed look from Mokuba.

Reika was silent for a moment. “Are you sure?”

He smirked. “Do I ever second-guess myself?”

He could almost hear her roll her eyes. “No, you don’t. I’ll let them know. How’s seven-thirty sound?”

It was four-thirty now. It wouldn’t give the chefs as much time as they normally would like, but this was out of his hands. “We’ll see you then.”

“What’s going on, Seto?” Mokuba asked as soon as he ended the call.

“We’re going to Reika’s for dinner tonight,” he said, already texting the head chef to alert her to the change of plans.

“Really? So it’s gonna be us, Reika, Yugi, Mr. Muto and Mrs. Muto?”

“And Yugi’s father.”

“Yugi has a dad? What’s he like?”

In truth, Seto couldn’t remember Reika talking about her uncle all that often, except to roll her eyes. “I know he works for the government in Tokyo and doesn’t come here often. That’s about all Reika has mentioned.”

Which probably did not bode well.

“What about Yugi?” Mokuba asked as Seto swept his belongings into his briefcase and switched his computer off.

“He was in a fire at a warehouse while dueling. He will be fine.” He wasn’t entirely sure when Mokuba had decided that he wanted to become friends with Yugi and his ilk, but he supposed it was a good thing, if he were to make a good impression on Reika’s family.

He didn’t particularly care about them, but he would play nice to get them off her back.

“You nervous?” Mokuba asked as they got in the limo.

“Of course not.”

“You’re tapping your knee. You usually only do that when you’re stressed.”

He hadn’t even realized he was doing it, and forced his hand to be still. “I’m fine.”

Mokuba gave him a look, but dropped the subject. “Do you think Reika can play Once Upon a December for us tonight? She’s got a keyboard, doesn’t she?”

“Last I checked. You can ask her when we get there.”

Mokuba smiled. “I think this will be fun, Seto! We never get to eat dinner anywhere other than the Manor or restaurants or boring galas.”

Perhaps that should be something he changed. Was it right for Mokuba to not be able to eat dinner at a friend’s house? But on the other hand, if he did allow that, how could he be sure that Mokuba wouldn’t be poisoned by someone who hated him?

At least this food he would be able to trust, even if they weren’t eating it at home.

Three hours later, they arrived at Kame Games. Mokuba all but bolted out of the car in excitement, while Seto carefully picked up the pot of yakisoba and followed him into the shop. Roland was close behind with the spring rolls as they trudged up the stairs to the apartment, where he could hear low voices and music.

“Reika! We’re here!” Mokuba announced, knocking on the door.

Instead of Reika, a serious-looking man answered the door. If the tri-colored hair was anything to go by, this must have been Takeo Muto.

“Mr. Kaiba. Welcome. Please, come in.”

“You must be Takeo. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Seto said calmly, crossing the threshold and handing the pot to Kumi. “We brought spring rolls and yakisoba.”

“Where would you like them?” Roland asked as Takeo led them into the kitchen. “I’ll just set them down and leave you to your dinner.”

“Oh, nonsense. We have a spare seat for you!” Kumi said with a smile.

Roland stuttered out an agreement, taking a seat at the small table with its mismatched chairs. Only five of them looked like they came from the same set. The other three were folding chairs. The table didn’t have enough space for the eight chairs to fit comfortably, so three - including the one Roland had parked himself in - were at awkwardly placed angles. The dining area led out into the living room, which was stuffed with too-comfortable looking furniture and a TV. Photos decorated the walls and coffee tables.

It was a stark contrast from Kaiba Manor.

“The tea will be ready soon, why don’t you and your brother relax in the living room for a moment?” Kumi suggested.

Seto nodded, his throat suddenly dry as he found space next to Reika and kissed the back of her hand.

“It was really nice of you guys to bring dinner,” Yugi said. He looked exhausted, bandages covering his hands, and one on his cheek.

“Reika said you were in the hospital. How are you feeling?” Mokuba asked.

“I’m tired, but I’m glad to be home,” Yugi said. “I just can’t believe Bandit Keith joined a cult and ambushed me like that.”

Seto raised a brow. “The American duelist from Pegasus’ tournament?”

“Yeah, he tried to steal my puzzle and said he was a part of something called the Rare Hunters.”

So the Rare Hunters were already in Domino, before he’d even announced his tournament. Interesting. Very interesting.

“That’s stupid,” Mokuba said, frowning. “Your puzzle’s just a puzzle.”

Yugi laughed a little. “Yeah, I agree. It is pretty stupid.”

“Our tournament is going to be much better,” Mokuba said with a smirk.

“Mokuba,” Seto said sharply. “We were supposed to give Yugi the invitation first, remember?”

Mokuba reached into his vest and pulled out the invitation. “Oh. Oops. Here you go, Yugi.”

Seto noticed the way Takeo’s jaw twitched at the mention of a tournament, but luckily, Solomon spoke up first.

“Is that what those ‘Duel Disks’ I got this morning are for?”

“It is. I’ll have a demonstration with them tomorrow night,” he explained. “I expect you’ll be there, Yugi.”

“In the plaza, huh? Yeah, of course I’ll be there,” Yugi said with a smile. “Another tournament sounds like fun!”

“Are you sure you want to have one of those? Isn’t Duel Monsters just a silly card game?” Takeo finally found space to say.

Seto felt his jaw clench. Reika’s hand carefully squeezed against his thigh, forcing him to relax just slightly before speaking.

“While Duel Monsters is a card game, these tournaments are a way to keep my company and our technology on the cutting edge of greatness, Takeo,” he explained carefully. “The card game as a whole promotes international relations when politicians fail. It’s a… genius move played by Pegasus.”

He wanted to vomit after saying it, but Takeo’s gaze, while still critical, seemed to soften just slightly.

“Battle City is a way for duelists the world over to come together and celebrate a game we love,” Seto said. “And everyone wants a chance to duel the King of Games.”

God he hated that title. Hated that Yugi was the one to have that title.

“Will this tournament be safer?” Kumi suddenly asked. “I hated that I couldn’t get in touch with Yugi during Duelist Kingdom.”

“Battle City takes place here. Yugi will be able to come home whenever he needs,” Mokuba said with a wide grin, before his eyes moved to Solomon. “And you’ll be able to go watch duels too!”

Solomon’s eyes widened in delight.

“Well, I can’t wait!” Yugi piped up. “And I can’t wait to see what those Duel Disks do, Kaiba.”

“Remember, you can’t open the box until next week,” his eyes glanced over at Solomon, who had soured at the warning. “That’s when the tournament begins. We wouldn’t want to give our champion an unfair advantage, after all.”

“I wouldn’t feel right about having one,” Yugi said, looking at Solomon with uncharacteristically serious eyes.

Kumi cleared her throat. “The tea is ready if everyone wants to wash up for dinner. Here, Yugi, I’ll help you get settled in.”

Mokuba plopped into the seat next to Yugi, Seto next to Reika, and dinner was quiet, the earlier tension having dissipated.

“Reika?” Mokuba suddenly asked.

“Hm?”

“When we’re done with dinner, d’you think you can play Once Upon a December like you promised last time you were at the Manor?”

Solomon, Takeo, and Kumi all froze, but Reika simply shrugged. “Sure, if you help me move the keyboard out here. I keep it in my room.”

Mokuba grinned and nodded in agreement.

“Reika, I thought - ” Kumi began.

“All due respect, Kumi, if this is about Noah, Mokuba and I are aware of him,” Seto said. “Reika told me not long ago.”

“She did? I’m surprised… Gozaburo was so firm about that threat,” Kumi said, before shrugging. “But he’s gone now, so I suppose it makes sense she’d tell you. But still, she vowed never to play that song again after Noah’s accident.”

Seto looked at Reika, raising a brow.

“Anastasia was Noah’s favorite cartoon,” she explained. “We had a waltz set to Once Upon a December. We were supposed to perform it at a gala.”

He hated that his mind was doing it, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened had Noah never died, and he and Mokuba got adopted anyway. Would he still have been a part of the “Young” program Gozaburo had started?

After dinner and dessert, while waiting for Reika and Mokuba to grab the keyboard, Seto picked up a photo that caught his eye.

A young Reika, and two people he could only assume were her parents. They were standing together in front of the shop, which had been decorated for Tanabata.

They wore their traditional yukata, and Seto couldn’t help but smile slightly when he noticed Reika was missing a tooth.

Genji looked almost like a clone of every other Muto man, tri-colored hair and violet eyes. Though, where Yugi and Solomon (and even Takeo, to lesser degree), had their hair in spikes, Genji’s was tied back into a ponytail that hung over his shoulder.

Miaka had wavy red hair, warm brown eyes that sat behind large, round glasses, and a smattering of freckles across her face, much like Reika.

They looked so happy, so normal, and it killed him to think it would all be taken from her.

“That was taken about two months before they disappeared,” Takeo said, the gruff, seriousness of his voice now gone.

Seto put the picture down. “I’m sorry. Is Genji older or younger than you?”

“Four years older. He’s the cool, relaxed older brother, but somehow, he had a brilliant mind for engineering and was a serious hard worker. I couldn’t understand how he could be so relaxed and yet still work so hard at the same time,” Takeo laughed softly.

“You would get along with him, Seto,” Solomon said. “I’m sure of it.”

“Hopefully I will have the chance to meet him,” Seto replied. It had been a decade though, so he knew the chances of that were extraordinarily slim.

“Mokuba, be careful with that,” Reika said softly as the two emerged from the hallway, Mokuba carrying the legs to the keyboard. “Put them in front of the chair.”

Mokuba did so, then plopped down on the couch next to Seto as Reika adjusted the keyboard and stand.

Reika sat at the keyboard like it was the world's most expensive piano, her fingers gliding over the keys as Mutos adults watched with a mix of pride and disbelief, and Yugi grinning like an idiot. Seto smirked as he wrapped an arm around Mokuba and exchanged a glance with Roland, who was giving him an approving smile.

He didn’t know why it felt so damn good.

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Seto!” Mokuba exclaimed when they were back in the safety of the limo. “We should do family dinners with them more often!”

Seto wasn’t quite sure how many of these he could take, so he simply acknowledged Mokuba with a grunt as his phone chirped.

I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to charm the least charming man in Japan.

I charm myself everyday.

Very funny.

For what it’s worth, I had a good conversation with Solomon and Takeo about your father.

Oh?

Yes. Solomon said he would have gotten along with me. I figure that’s the highest compliment you can give someone. Your father sounds like a good man.

You’ll meet him one day. I know it.

Come with me tomorrow to the plaza. I think you’ll enjoy what I have planned.

I’d love to.

The next night, they soared over Domino in his helicopter. He felt anticipation building as Reika stared out the window, taking pictures here and there.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked with a smirk.

A hum. “Is it that obvious?”

“Let’s just say you should never play poker against me.”

Reika rolled her eyes. “You should know that I don’t back down from a challenge, Mr. Kaiba.”

He smirked and kissed the back of her hand. God, he loved this woman.

“Mr. Kaiba, we’re ready for you.”

Seto nodded, grabbing the duel disk and sliding it on his wrist before pushing the door to the helicopter open and dropping onto the ladder below, ignoring Reika’s startled cry of his name.

He could see Yugi with the usual herd, plus Valentine. Good. Everything was going as it should.

“Don’t forget to register and pick up your duel disk. Exactly one week from today, my Battle City Tournament begins!” he shouted over the whirling blades above him.

One week.

One week until he reclaimed his title of the world’s best duelist.

[murasaki-murasame]

Thoughts on Dreamin’ Sun v1

Now that I’ve finally read this [after having dealt with the nightmare of originally getting an incredibly damaged copy and needing to wait an extra two weeks for a replacement copy to arrive], I may as well write down my thoughts. This isn’t really going to be a review, at least not “officially”, though I’ll obviously talk about my opinion on different parts of it. It’ll be more ramble-y and over the place than a proper review. Like with Rakugo, I might just wait until the series is done before doing a proper review of the entire thing, to save on time.

This got really, really long, but it’s mostly because since this is the first volume there’s just a lot to talk about right off the bat to get my initial feelings out. And also because there’s stuff like my whole lengthy point about comparing the art in this version to the original release of the series, which I won’t need to bring up as much later on. Even if I have less to say overall about the later volumes, I’ll still probably try and make posts like this about them even if they’re way shorter.

TL;DR: Basically I REALLY enjoyed this, more than I thought I would. It reminds me a LOT of Fruits Basket, in a good way. But it definitely seems to be going for a different vibe from that series. I like both, though. This might not be anything mind-blowing, especially if you’ve read a lot of shoujo rom-coms, but it seems like it’s probably a good title for people like me who are a bit less ‘experienced’ with the genre.

I’m really excited to see what happens in v2 now. I guess one good aspect of how it took like a month since v1′s release date for it to arrive is that it means there’s now only about a month or so until the next one’s out.

Detailed thoughts under the cut

For a bit of background info, the biggest reason I even checked this out is because I really adored the anime adaptation of Orange when it aired a year or two ago. I plan on getting the English release of the manga eventually, since I liked it so much as an anime. I’d been curious about this series for a while, but then Seven Seas announced their license of it, and I decided to wait for it and hold off on reading the scans online. I’m so glad I chose to just wait for this release, which I’ll explain in a bit. Over the last 6+ months or so I’ve been checking out the covers of the new Japanese re-releases of the series as they got revealed. Which certainly got me hyped for this. Let it be known that I am a complete sucker for beautiful covers, and man are these covers wonderful. They fit all of my aesthetic tastes so perfectly. Even if the series somehow falls apart later on I’m gonna still collect it just because the volume covers are so beautiful. OK, I just needed to lay that out there because these covers deserve to be raved about.

I guess it’s not really related to this series, but I’d also been reading Fruits Basket over the last six or so months via Yen Press’ new omnibus versions. Mostly because I’ve been wanting to read some cute, fluffy shoujo rom-coms for a while, and FB is like the most universally praised manga within that genre. I might still make a separate review of that series later. I’m bringing it up here because, honestly, it’s really hard not to note the surface-level similarities. I keep finding myself comparing the two. But even then, the comparison just makes me like Dreamin’ Sun, thus far, even more. I won’t call one better than the other, but this series definitely has it’s strengths.

To get more into detail about the similarities, both FB and Dreamin’ Sun involve a teenage girl being either voluntarily or involuntarily forced out of her home because of drama and life circumstances stemming from the relatively recent deaths of their mothers. Both protagonists wind up living in an isolated house with two teenage boys who complete the central love triangle, and their kimono-wearing house-owner/landlord who’s in his 20′s. It feels a bit weird to even list this out, since I don’t mean anything negative by it. I’m not saying that Dreamin’ Sun is a rip-off or anything. It certainly didn’t impact my enjoyment of it. It just highlights how even strangely similar premises can be handled in different ways. And obviously those elements aren’t the entirety of the story of either manga. I mean, you can’t really ignore the way that FB is also about supernatural curses and people that turn into animals, and Dreamin’ Sun is very much not about those things at all :V

[Lengthy ramble about comparing the current style to the ‘original stye’ starts here. Scroll down a bit if you want to skip past this]

Before I talk about the actual premise/story, which will take a while, I want to talk about what I said before about being happy that I chose not to read the scanlated version. I didn’t realize it until the author states it at the end of the volume, but for the recent re-releases of the series [that the English version is based on], she actually re-did a fair bit of the art. I spent a while comparing chapter one page by page across the ‘original version’ and the version we got in English. To put it simply, judging from just this one chapter, it seems that about half of the art is redone to some degree or another. It’s a bit complicated. It’s not a complete re-draw, or anything like that. It’s mostly focused on changes to how the characters themselves are drawn, but I noticed a few instances of slightly refined backgrounds and added/edited visual effects, though I wasn’t paying as much attention to that stuff. I can tell that the artist was focusing on fixing inconsistent or anatomically incorrect art, while in general making the art-style feel more consistent. I could tell that a lot of the panels that were left alone were the ones most similar in style to her current art.

It didn’t bug me or anything, but I could tell that there were notable differences between the style of certain panels, especially when it comes to how eyes, and specifically irises, are drawn. Takano’s art style clearly hasn’t changed that much over the years [it’s just gotten more refined and consistent], but she’s obviously developed a specific way of drawing eyes/irises, as you can see from the cover of this volume, which is very consistent across how she draws all of her characters now. It definitely clashes a bit with how she used to draw irises in particular in a more . . . inconsistent way. This is especially notable with Shimana, who used to often be drawn with largely unshaded/uncoloured eyes, and with more shaky lines. But, just to be clear, the difference is so relatively minor that I genuinely thought it was just a matter of her putting more effort into certain panels compared to other ones, and was genuinely surprised to see that there was, what, a 9+ year gap between when these were drawn? Wow. So yeah, she’s notably improved, and there’s still a fair amount of untouched art in this, but it’s not very noticeable at all. It’s actually most noticeable, I feel, with the colour pages [I assume they were originally in colour. This release has absolutely zero colour pages, which is very disappointing since I thought that the official blurb for it said that we’d get at least one per volume]. Something about the way they’re done feels more immediately different to her current style.

But even though the difference isn’t too noticeable just in the context of this version we have now, after seeing the original version and all of it’s art, I’m VERY happy she re-did the parts she did. A lot of panels in the original felt very similar to what she does now, but a LOT of them were noticeably worse, and definitely needed to be updated to make things consistent. She pretty much just took the worst of her old art and re-did it, and left the best parts, which seems like a good way to prioritize this sort of partial re-draw if she didn’t have the time to re-do the entire thing. Her older style definitely has it’s own charm and personality, and is arguably more experimental and expressive than her current style, which could be called overly consistent and ‘safe’ if you wanted to be negative about it. I imagine that there’s probably lots of people who prefer the original art completely, even beyond just basic nostalgia, and that’s fine. But after having been exposed to this new version first, I’m very glad it exists. It might get ironed out quickly [I only read the first chapter in it’s original form], but from that chapter alone it definitely felt like Takano sometimes struggled with keeping facial structures and hair-styles perfectly consistent between panels. Her handling of it’s better than a lot of other artists, but there were obvious examples of faces seeming a bit too flat at the side, or eyes being oddly sized/spaced, or foreheads being too large. The characters also have more realistic and consistent hair-styles, which is nice. It was especially noticeable with how Zen’s hair felt more wild and fire-y originally [and his hairline seemed too high a lot of the time], but is more specific and rigid now while retaining the spiky look [I really don’t know how to phrase this], and how Taiga’s hair felt more messy originally, with lots of strands/tufts on the top part sticking out more wildly. His hair’s a bit more tidy and flat now, but not entirely so.

[Art comparison ramble ends here]

Also the fan translation used for the scanlation I found was TERRIBLE, holy shit, but that’s not a point against the story itself obviously.

In general I love the art-style of this manga. I’ve been a huge fan of Takano’s way of drawing her characters ever since I watched Orange. I’m never good at praising visual types of art, since I never know how to put my thoughts into words about it, but her style is just really nice. It all feels very soft and consistent. She has a way of drawing hair and eyes in a way that captures a nice middle-ground between looking ‘realistic’ and looking ‘manga-y’, if that makes sense. They have a nice sense of depth and visual complexity to them. She’s also really good at drawing outfits, but really I’m just envious of anyone who knows how to do fabric folds at all. It might annoy some people that her modern style is more soft and subdued and clean than how her art used to be, but it never bothered me.

I guess there’s not too much to say in terms of the “story” of this, if we ignore the romantic elements. But I do want to say that I actually think I prefer this variation of the “girl leaves her original home and moves in with a group of guys”  set-up to how it was handled in Fruits Basket. It’s a bit of a meaningless comparison though because I love them both for different reasons. FB was taking a way more comedic and silly angle for a lot of it, while Dreamin’ Sun handled it in a relatively more serious and reasonable way than I expected. Aside from the vague contrivance of Taiga immediately guessing that Shimana is looking for a new home, I really liked how everything else about it was handled. For one thing, Taiga’s an actual landlord who’s already renting out parts of his house to other teenagers, so it makes everything feel way less sudden and unprepared. It also explains why Taiga so readily presented her with the option. Which helped make it all feel way less creepy than it could have been. He also gave her every chance to back out of the choice if she wanted, while also being rather responsible in telling her what to do if she actually wants to commit to it. I greatly appreciated how he wanted to make sure that Shimana cleared things up with her parents and got permission from them, and it was nice seeing him go with her to more or less negotiate with them. It was cool seeing him back Shimana up and make a reasonable case about how she deserves to have some freedom of choice while she still can. And I really love that she didn’t cut herself off from her family entirely, or anything, and is going to stay in regular contact with them. They even gave her some money to help her get settled in. In general what I mean is that the story put WAY more effort into making the entire moving process more reasonable than it necessarily needed to be. I could have dealt with it being hand-waved more easily, with nobody caring that much about the gravity of the situation. So it’s nice that it went out of it’s way to do all that. [I just realized that the way Taiga stood up for Shimana and made a case for her choosing to stay at his house is probably reflective of his family’s connection to law. Huh. I never quite put two and two together on that]. It’s also worth noting that the updated art-style also made Taiga seem notably less creepy in chapter one. It actually surprised me how outright sinister and unnerving he looked at times in the original, whereas in this version he’s mostly just sorta snarky and deadpan. It’s especially notable how sinister he looked originally while commenting on Shimana’s bag at the end of the park scene, whereas in this version he just looked mildly curious about it. It’s stuff like this that also went a long way to making him and his living situation proposition feel more reasonable.

On the topic of things being reasonable and different to what I expected, this may just be because I don’t read much shoujo, and/or because I just recently finished FB in particular, but holy shit did I appreciate the openness Shimana displayed with her emotions. She actually talked about her feelings with people instead of just bottling them up! Obviously she hasn’t really confessed her feelings to Asahi yet, but honestly who can blame her. And even then, she still outright asked him during the test of courage if he has someone he likes, and then when she saw him with that other girl, she plainly asked him if she was his girlfriend. A fucking plus for characters talking to each other about stuff and not just making assumptions and sitting on them for chapters upon chapters that lead to misunderstandings and drama. And it’s just kinda refreshing to get a protagonist like Shimana who is relatively open in talking about romance-related topics, while still not being super confident and forward, and still having relatable insecurities. I also have to respect Asahi for being similarly open about things. I love that he was completely open about saying that even if they’re not dating, he has a crush on that girl. I would have been fine with him hiding it since that’s realistic, but it’s so refreshing to see him be clear and unambiguous about it. This should help minimize any future drama. It was also cute seeing him ask if Shimana wanted to eat lunch with the two of them. Even though I also get why she tried to back off due to not wanting to be some sort of third wheel. Also, I can’t QUITE remember since it’s been a day since I read this, but I remember there being a scene where she talks to Taiga and Zen about her crush on Asahi, and about her wanting to learn more about his preferences and so on. It’s just so nice seeing characters like this who can talk about such things without anyone getting weirdly shamed for their feelings. I also really hope that the story is going where I think it’s going, with the emerging topic of the value of appearance vs personality. Please let this send a message about how being a nice, loving person is more important and valuable than just being pretty. That’d be wonderful. Also, just to fit it in here, I really love Zen’s brand of tsundere, where it mostly comes across as him and Shimana just being close friends who can rib each other back and forth about stuff. He even apologized for one of the more shitty things he said to her as soon as he saw how much she’s going through. I prefer this brand of tsundere to the more rough and violent and edgy kind.The characters in general probably aren’t super unique or memorable for the genre or anything, but they really appeal to my tastes. I love that they’re all just really nice, reasonable people who know how to get along and have fun, while also having some wonderfully snarky back and forths. And obviously I like it when characters lean more toward talking to each other about stuff instead of being moody and quiet and holding onto misinformed assumptions and grudges and so on. I already kinda love Shimana as a protagonist. I get why some people might not like her, but she hits all the right notes for me. Especially since the awkwardness between her and her family, and her angst over all that, has basically been cleared up. I love that she has her own fun, vibrant personality, and can be as much of an active part of conversations as the guys. I like how her torn-up feelings over her mother’s death are portrayed, even though I expect it to never be explored quite as deeply as in something like Fruits Basket. And I already just love her dynamics with all the guys, which I guess I’ll get into when I talk about each one.I’m not even gonna lie, I ADORE Asahi already and I really hope that he’s the one that ends up with Shimana. I mean both ‘options’ are totally fine and I love them both, but I certainly have my preferences. To be blunt, my tastes in romances like this are SUPER vanilla. I know that a lot of people often dislike characters like Asahi who are near-perfect, kind, mellow, smart, etc, and the one that the protagonist already likes from the start with no ‘build-up’, but I’m a sucker for this. I just really like love interests like him. It’s kinda hard to deny that part of it’s because he’s genuinely my type and so I can totally get why Shimana likes him so much. I vividly remember seeing that one panel of him with glasses when the black hair goes away and my reaction was basically just “be still, my beating gay heart”. I will defend this precious boy with my life. But I do also like that we might start seeing a more frustrated, cold side of him as he interacts more with that other girl. There’s some nice contrast going on there. I also really like that he’s studying to be a lawyer, if only because it’s an interest/academic field that I’ve basically never seen a character like him have before, and I’m interested to see if it becomes more important later. [Also I really like his fashion sense. I have a *weakness* for guys wearing ties]Even though I love Asahi a lot already, Zen is just the most adorable thing in the universe. My sweet panda-loving child. I love him. I immediately fell in love with his character design as soon as I saw the cover of volume three. I love that he has a lot of traditionally masculine traits, like his punk aesthetic, his interest in martial arts, etc, but he has absolutely no shame about carrying a plush panda around even in school. The guy has a goddamn full-body panda bear pajama suit. It’s amazing. His plush panda itself is also wonderful in it’s own right. I love how in the new version of the art, there’s a few examples of Takano giving it cute little facial expressions to match Zen. It’s so fucking cute I wanna die. I can totally see why it’s sort of the mascot of the series. Anyway, as said above, I really click with his brand of tsundere. He knows how to treat Shimana like a good friend. I like that his ribbing isn’t just a one-sided thing that she meekly and silently endures, and that she can also poke him right back if she wants. I love that be immediately, profusely apologized for calling her useless once he learned about her family issues. I love that he didn’t even really poke much fun at her for her crush on Asahi. And obviously I love that he never does anything worse than verbal teasing, and I can’t see him doing anything much worse. In terms of his position as the secondary love interest, I’m down with it. He clearly has no chance of being the one she ends up dating, though, so I’m probably just gonna spend this whole thing feeling bad for him. Thankfully it won’t be quite as harsh as Suwa’s entire situation in Orange and how much that poor guy sacrificed for the sake of his friends. I hope that, if he can’t end up with Shimana, he at least finds someone else he can find happiness with.Most of my feelings on Taiga can be summed up with what I said above, about being really refreshed and surprised by how reasonable and non-creepy he is. He’s pretty wonderful thus far. There’s not a whole lot to say thus far, but I’m curious to see how things go as we explore his family situation and his history with Miku. It feels like there’s a lot left to discover with him. Just to get it out from the start, I REALLY hope the story never frames him as a love interest. It hasn’t thus far, at least. And obviously it could be totally fine if it’s executed well. But the power imbalance of their current situation, not to mention their age gap, bothers me a bit too much. Hopefully things just stay the way they are now. We’ll see. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.I don’t have much to say about Miku thus far since she only showed up near the end of the volume, but I can already tell that she’s going to be great. Hopefully she remains a part of the main cast, even if she doesn’t live in the same house [I’m pretty sure that she doesn’t, and that she was just visiting, but I forget]. It’d at least be nice to have a prominent female character for Shimana to befriend. I guess this is also on the note of characters, but it was . . . surprising, to say the least, when I got to the end of the volume where there’s an omake that literally introduces some of the other cast members who have yet to appear. It even specifies which volume they’ll first appear in. Which is really goddamn weird. I don’t dislike it, but it’s weird, and I could see it bothering some people. It’s at least fine by me since I’ve already seen these characters on the later volume covers. But in general I don’t care much about whether or not a character’s general existence is ‘spoiled’ for me. Though seeing Zen’s brother was a surprise since he doesn’t actually seem to appear on any of the covers. So that was new. There’s not really much to say about them all since it was such a short little bonus thing, but I feel like I might dislike Shuu, and I could see myself really enjoying Miura so long as he isn’t a complete asshole. [Also I might just feel silly about saying this if I get ‘proven wrong’ when he appears, but his comment about Taiga’s dad being a stud is making me REALLY hope, in the depths of my gay heart, that he might be bi. I’ve been burned before, though, so we’ll just wait and see].I don’t really have any predictions or anything for where I think things will go. There’s kinda not a lot to go on, which is how these things tend to be. There’s less of an over-arching story/mystery than there was in Fruits Basket, that’s for sure. We’ll just see what happens when it happens. All in all, I pretty much loved this from start to finish. It was pretty damn wonderful. It’s at least nice to read something light and fluffy. I’ve been really needing something like this lately.I’m certainly a bit afraid that, even with my almost entirely positive feelings toward this first volume, there might still be a chance of things crashing and burning later. I’ve definitely heard mixed/ambivalent things regarding this manga, but I’m hoping it’s just a matter of this being a typical shoujo rom-com that lacks the narrative hook and emotional depth of something like Orange, or Fruits Basket, or whatever. Because I’m totally down for ‘typical shoujo rom-com’. That’s what I’m here for. [[I also wouldn’t be surprised if the original art played a part in people preferring Orange. So that shouldn’t be an issue now]]Just to end this off, on the topic of my comparison between this and Fruits Basket, I feel like the best way to describe it is that I feel like Dreamin’ Sun is going to be more ‘consistently level’ than FB. It’s not going to have all of the really good parts of FB that made it such a core staple of the genre that stands the test of time, but it also definitely looks like it won’t have the same issues that I had with FB. So it might not have the same high peaks, but it should avoid some of the pitfalls that caused be to kinda sour on FB a bit by the end.P.S: This is a really subjective and personal point of mine, but at the very least, if there’s any one thing I want, it’s for this manga to avoid actively negative portrayals of queer themes/characters. I really don’t mind if nobody in this is queer, or even if the very concept is never discussed or shown at all, so long as it’s not negative about any of it if it DOES come up. Nothing negative along these lines has happened yet, at least. I’ll say so if anything bad happens later, though. I’d be fine with a base level of silent neutrality, or whatever, but I’d certainly appreciate something a bit more than that, and as I kinda said above, there’s at least one faint glimmer of potential representation, but I’m certainly not going to hold my breath, and if it doesn’t happen, then that’s fine.