#the other problem is that every time i take a break from umi after the miracle occasions i manage to actually get through some

[certainwill]

help me i am fixating on lambdadelta so bad and i don’t know what to do ;~;

[kageyuji]

shortening his name except he thinks you called him another guy’s name

⤷ oikawa, bokuto, atsumu, suna, mattsun ; [gn!reader]

GENRE/WARNINGS: comfort(?), angst if you squint hard enough, mild swearing

NOTES: i will literally offer my hand in marriage if you reblog. and thank you to @/sugawaaras for giving me the idea for mattsun’s <33

━━ OIKAWA

even though he tried to be confident, in reality, his self confidence sat on a throne built from things he told himself in the mirror and compliments he never believed

so its not a surprise that his first reaction just... isn’t one. he’ll stop and replay it over and over again in his head to make sure he’d heard you correctly

and then his heart breaks — it actually hurts him, makes him feel like he can’t breath, and before he even knows it theres tears in his eyes

of course, he knows you’re never supposed to let the reason you’re crying see you crying

so he attempts to act like he’s more annoyed than that he just had his heart just obliterated

it’s not a secret though. through the pain in his eyes, anyone can see the shattered remnants of what was once his heart

“ru, can you grab my phone for me?” you called to your boyfriend from the couch, remembering that you’d left your phone in the other room.

it was quiet for a moment; not long enough for you to ask if he was okay, but long enough that the silence was odd. you heard heavy footfalls again, then saw oikawa standing just inside the room with a clear look of betrayal on his face.

“what?” you asked him, wondering if he was kidding around. you hadn’t done anything, there was no reason why he’d actually be upset with you.

as he stepped closer to you, you could see the tears whelling up in his eyes, and you were left to wonder what was wrong.

“what’s wrong? tooru, hey, are you ok?” your voice was much softer when you spoke this time. your heart dropped when you saw him step back at your step forward.

“so now you can call me by my name?” you think his voice was meant to be low and hostile, but in his struggle not to cry it came out strangled and cracked.

“what did... do you mean ‘ru?”

“yes! who the hell is that? if you wanted to-“

“no no, babe, your name is tooru. the last syllable of your name is ru. it’s just a shortening of your name, not someone else’s.”

you watched his lips form a smile and he let out something like a laugh, seemingly at his own confusion, and then the tears finally fell.

he’d walked into your arms soon after, with his arms wrapped tightly around you and his face buried in the crook of your neck

“sorry... sorry for not trust- trusting you, i just-” his sentence was cut through with sharp breaths and hiccups, and then finally stopped with your own voice.

“it’s alright, i didn’t mean to scare you. we can cuddle if you want, hm?”

he was already struggling to keep himself from fully breaking down. but when one of your hands came up to pet his hair, a whine left him — you think it was supposed to be an ‘mhm’ to your offer — and his hands gripped tightly at your shirt, his arms around you getting tighter.

━━ BOKUTO

he doesn’t miss a beat, immediately looking up at you to wonder if he’d heard you correctly

it’s just a small spike of anxiety at first, but the more he lets the foreign name resonate with him, the more it makes him worry

he has to build up the courage to ask you who the other guy is, because he can’t do it right away, he’s way too nervous

he looks so sad as well, puppy dog eyes looking at you, seemingly just slightly worried

unbeknownst to you, his heart is pounding in is chest and with each passing second, it runs the risk of shattering

“‘taro!” your voice was a giggle as he left little kisses all over you. they weren’t nearly enough to leave hickeys, just little pecks across your face, your neck, your chest.

as soon as the name left your lips though, he stopped, golden eyes snapping up to look at you with a pain you’d never seen in them before.

you could tell he was definitely upset about something, but you had no idea what it could be. hell, the way he looked at you, it was almost as though you were the reason.

of course, you were unaware that bokuto’s first thoughts went to rintaro, middle blocker from the famed inarizaki. suddenly he was thinking of every time you’d ever spoken about the team, said how many fan girls they had, how many games they’d won.

he wanted to say something. he really wanted to ask what you’d meant. but the words seemed caught in his throat.

it wasn’t long before he couldn’t take it though, and he pushed the words out, despite the alarms going off in his head and his heart immediately jumping to his throat.

“who is ‘taro?” you didnt think you’d ever heard him sound so small. so timid, so close to his voice cracking with the tears he was holding back, so... scared.

“you? who else? i can call you kou if you’d prefer that though. you don’t have to look so upset.”

bokuto smiled then, relaxing the weight on his arms enough so he was on top of you. he supported himself enough not to crush you, but there was nothing more he wanted in the world right now than to be held by you.

━━ ATSUMU

he liked to consider himself a tough guy. he liked to.

but there were times whenever his support fell, leaving his world to crumble in his hands, slipping through his fingers no matter how hard he tried to hold it all together

and when thought he heard a guy’s name that isn’t his own come from you, it felt just like one of those times

he was asking what you’d meant before his mind could even properly register your words

and by that point he didn’t care enough to replay the name in his head, his mind already caught up looking for the things he’d done wrong, the things he hadn’t done.

“oh, ‘umi, if you want to we can go to th-”

“what the hell?”

it surprised you how much venom laced his words, despite the fact that you’d done nothing wrong. the thought that he was being sarcastic or joking with you crossed your mind, but atsumu wasn’t exactly the best actor.

he couldn’t fake the look on his face, couldn’t fake how his heart had seemingly stopped just from the look in his eyes.

“what do you mean?” your voice was soft when you spoke now, no longer so nonchalant.

he lips pressed into a thin line and he set his jaw in frustration. it took him taking a deep breath to finally say, “you called me ‘omi.’ if you like-”

“tsumu.”

“no, i heard you, you called me omi. if- if theres...” he never finished his sentence. there was already a lump in his throat and he knew that if he were to say anything more, he’d cry.

“no, no. i called you umi. like your name just a little bit different.”

his face was drawn in a look on confusion. his eyes studied you, trying to look for any sign of you lying. but he trusted you, of course he trusted you.

he came over to hug you, his arms wrapped tightly around you. you heard him sniff, but you knew he’d deny crying if you asked him.

“i love you,” his voice made him sound so small, it was a level of weak and vulnerable you’d not seen from him.

“i love you too.”

━━ SUNA

the words “stay calm” had never been repeated in his head to himself so much

well, it was more like a string of curse words with “stay calm” thrown in occasionally, but he’d never felt so scared

the look on his face is annoyed at first, but it quickly starts to shift into one with a little more worry

he’s terrified, in all honesty. but he’s already told himself he’s not going to let you see that

“taro, can we stop by a corner store on the way home? i need something.”

your voice had been so calm. so why did it feel like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest?

he knew you hadn’t meant to. but why you’d even slipped and call him by another name in the first place worried him. it took him only a few seconds for his mind to land on bokuto koutarou.

bokuto koutarou, one of the top aces.

“well fuck you too i guess.” his tone may have been confused with one of anger at first, but you could tell that wasnt it. anger is a secondary emotion, you knew in reality he was hurt.

the only problem is, you didn’t know what. from his words you knew it was something you’d done. but there was nothing that came to mind.

“sorry? what did i do?”

suna hesitated for only a second before asking why you’d called him by another name. he took a deep breath immediately after speaking, your silence only breaking his heart more. as though it wasn’t already destroyed.

but your silence was born from shock and confusion, not being caught like suna had assumed.

“taro. like rintarou. like your name. who else would i be talking about?”

“uhm. koutarou? i don’t know, forget about it.” he’d never felt like a bigger jackass before; he never swore at you.

you smiled a little at his words and walked over to hug him. he hummed at that and pressed a small kiss to your temple, then buried his face into the crook of your neck.

“i didn’t mean to-”

“it’s ok, rin.”

━━ MATTSUN

he had to stop for a moment to let it sink in before he could react

after that there were too many emotions rushing through him to do anything for another few moments

in fact, his silence coupled with the distant, betrayed look on his face was somewhat unsettling

it takes him longer than he would like to question you, but it’s because he’s already preparing to collect his shattered heart after one of his worst fears becomes true

“why are you here?” mattsun heard iwaizumi’s voice and he smiled a little to himself, knowing that he must have been talking to you.

he’d been waiting for you all day, it seemed like forever since he’d last seen you. the only thing he wanted right now was to hold you.

“oh, i’m here to see ‘kawa!” you said happily. mattsun could hear the smile in your voice without even seeing you.

you were here for oikawa. of course you were here for starboy oikawa tooru, of course your boyfriend was just a stepping stone.

he was still frozen when you rounded the corner. the look on his face was concerning, you couldn’t remember the last time — if there ever was one — he’d looked absolutely terrified, the last time he looked so hurt.

“mattsun... are you ok?”

he didn’t answer you. it took him a few moments before he could finally speak, and even then his voice was different than it usually was. it was... pained? betrayed? whatever it was, you knew it wasn’t mattsun.

“did you really come here just to see oikawa? what happened to me being your boyfriend?”

it took you a few moments to try and understand what he was talking about. you’d never said that. hell, you always came for mattsun, not once had you ever spared oikawa a thought.

“no, babe. i said ‘kawa’, as in matsukawa.”

he seemed to melt at your words. that expression disappeared from his face, his body untensing. he moved to pull you into his arms, holding you close to himself with a desperation he’d not had before.

him thumb rubbed soothing circles on your back. you could tell he wanted to say something. but then he stopped right before the words left him, instead opting to make a joke to lift the mood.

“good, i was about to kick oikawa’s ass.”

“...we were having a moment.”

[purplecraze]

Fugo how do you think your life would be if you date each member of your little group you have like in different timelines

“uh...mmm. It's a bit weird to think of it like that. I love them a lot, but not in the way how I'd want to date them, I think... doubt any of them would really be up for it, either. Mun has-....” He stares at Umi for a while, looking like he could have known she'd go haywhire over romance talk. “....-a lot. To say about it, though. The floor is yours...”

(ooooooohhhhh!!!! *screams of the rooftops* OOOOOOOOHHHH!!! welcome to golden territory!! FugoXeveryone, oh hell yeah!! (just doing the canons for now))

Bucciarati Bucciarati and Fugo would be an absolute power team, they’d be communicating in a way that’s bringing up speculations on whether they’re actually telepathic. They just naturally feel what the other needs at the moment. Long private strategy sessions, spinning around each other and closing in, that end up in shy hand-holding and kissing. Bucciarati always waits for Fugo to initiate it, to be sure he's fine and ready for it. He's very careful with him. Bucciarati knows how to handle Fugo’s self-destructive tendencies well, without making him feel less or like he’s a trouble to his elder. The problem with them though, is that Fugo would put Bucciarati on too much of a pedestal and would lose sight of Bucciarati’s weaknesses. And that’s not a topic Bucciarati would address. But it would take a toll on their relationship without a doubt. In turn, Fugo would brood in silence over how super social Bucciarati is. He’d easily feel neglected. And there’s the hurdle of transferring from high admiration to equal lovers. will there ever come a time where they’ll be on first name basis? probably not... The one time, Fugo muttered ‘Bruno’ in a small voice and Bucciarati replied with ‘yes, Pannacotta?’ it was just so horribly awkward, it never happened again, EVER. Would it last? Yes. But only in the sense that neither would admit on giving up. they both would be running into complications on it, it wouldn’t make them very happy, but they'd be content enough.

Abbacchio This would work well. Fugo is one of the few Abba can hold a decent conversation with. Fugo wouldn’t condemn him for the saltmine coming loose once they get to deep conversations. Abbacchio isn’t exactly booksmart, so he can’t always keep up with ‘what’s this brat spewing on about now?’, but he loves to just sit and listen to Fugo going on and on about this tidbit of historical knowledge he found. Abbacchio is the best person to handle Fugo’s tantrums. ‘no, not now, think with your head *slap against the back of Fugo’s head*’, his tactic is diversion. just force Fugo to completely focus on something different and the topic of his anger will evaporate. Fugo would bring out the caring side of Abbacchio, without it turning absolutely one sided. Fugo would hear Abbacchio out on his troubles too, without getting pushy on it. he does, however, tend to say a bit too much. he won’t catch on to the moments where he’s supposed to just shut up and hold the other. Would it last? no, not at all. the very instant the both of them get too comfortable, they’ll be like ‘okay, this lasted long enough, let’s not.’ because why would you NOT destroy happiness with your own two hands, in stead of waiting for it to crash and burn??

Mista Oh geez, this would be one hot mess of a dumpster fire! It’s a ride Fugo NEVER AGREED to be in, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. Mista just drags him along like a puppy, saying ‘c’mon, we’re going to have a great time!’ Mista would show him off. everyone needs to know this beauty is his ✨boyfriend✨. even though Mista tends to be flirty, he is super loyal to him. the moment Fugo would as much as make a sound over Mista talking to someone, he’d be like ‘don’t be mad Pannacotta, you know I only have eyes for you~’ It’s wild and intense and overwhelming. Fugo would not quite come to his right in it and it would get kind of suffocating for him on the long run. Guido doesn’t know how to respect boundaries either. Fugo would start fights, one-sidedly, a lot. both in words and fists. Mista wouldn’t easily be taken aback on any of it, though. Almost patronizing, he’d reply like ‘okay well, you do you...’ and take very little of the criticism. Then there’s the entire tetraphobia matter. Fugo would often lose his patience on it. But he’d also try his hardest to be helpful on it. He would look up on the phobia, it’s origin and how to deal with it. He would tell him it’s not an uncommon superstition and throw the theory behind it. Mista doesn’t usually get it. But when Mista’s having anxiety over it, Fugo doesn’t question its bizarrity and searches for ways to snap him out of it by making the topic either 3 or 5. usually 3. because destroying stuff is easy. Would it last? not a chance. Fugo gets mean on break-up. in particularly heated arguments, he’d be the kind of petty asshole who would take every book, text, dictionary around the house and HIGHLIGHT 4 letter words. ALL OF THEM They’re in the type of relationship that goes horribly wrong after a month, but they forgot that happened like half a year later and try again, failing miserably once, twice, 10 times more.

Giorno His relationship with Giorno is a strange one. The events of Man in the Mirror had Fugo starstruck and he thought very fondly of him since. But it came to crash and burn down when he found that he was the mastermind behind usurping the boss. Fugo loathes himself for the decision he made at that day, but a large part of that hate is to prevent himself from blaming either Bucciarati or Giorno. Because he knows Giorno is dangerous if he wants to. All the more as his new boss. At the end of Purple Haze Feedback, they have a very beautiful conversation and Fugo swears loyalty to him. It was the only way for him to move on after everything that happened. But they were also very sincere and shared memories that others wouldn't understand. He's also the only one who ever called him Giogio. They connect well and Fugo is very reliable. Giorno trusts him blindly and appreciates his criticism. Over time Fugo will grow bolder and says what's on his mind, knowing Giogio will take his shit and filter it well enough. Any initiative will have to come from Giorno's side, though. Fugo often feels like it's not his place to do so. But I don't think Fugo would ever forget that it had been Giorno who initiated the plan that had led to his friends' deaths. Forgive, yes absolutely. But not forget. Would it last? 50/50. there are 2 outcomes: they either spend the rest of their lives together, or Fugo ends up killing him. And I think Giorno would have peace with that.

Narancia Oh geez, where do I even start? They're not perfect, not at all. They fight and argue and it's led to many MANY bruises on both sides. But that's just how they are and if you'd ask either of them, they would be ready to die for the other without a shred of doubt at any given time. As much as they fight, there's also a lot of adoration from both sides. Fugo doesn't even have to try, to see stars of admiration in Narancia's eyes. It fills him with pride and makes him feel so good about himself. Narancia needs to work hard for Fugo's approval. but because of that, it makes actually getting it so much worth it. Both of them get horribly giddy on impressing the other.  A new dance, a fun date plan, a mastermind prank. The most important part for both of them is their honesty. Narancia knows that Fugo would never lie to him or hide the truth, like how his father and old friends had. And Fugo can trust that he can say whatever he want, even without filter. They can both rest assured that no matter how big their fights are, the day ends with kissing either way. A part of Fugo wants to better himself for the other's sake, but it weights him down as well, thinking he's not good enough. Narancia isn't the brightest, but his abundance of empathy and sincerity knows how to hit Fugo just right into believing he's good as he is for today. And if not that, Nara reminds him that he's not a saint either. They’d find happiness in a lot of little things. getting to snuggle for 5 more minutes, welcoming the other home, cooking for the other, singing along to the radio, doing the dishes. all those mundane moments are really precious to them. Would it last? Definitely. They'd have some bumpy rides, but neither of them could ever get bored of the other.

Trish The start of their relationship would be so incredibly AWKWARD. They both have no clue what to say and Fugo feels hella uncomfortable. But bit by bit, they start to warm up to one another. Fugo wouldn't want to involve her in any more mafia business. But for Trish, that week together is a fond and priceless memory. She'd want to know what went through his mind when he was left behind. And both of them would want to apologize. Want to start anew. And would want to get to really REALLY know one another. Fugo's anger is just..... it doesn't exist around Trish. She is super calm and soothing and just knows how to convey a certain energy to him which puts him at ease. Both of them don't like to be touched, so they're very careful with one another, asking permission, asking if the other is alright. They both really love music and share their favorite songs. She sings them as he plays the piano. And when the shyness slowly melts away, they both find that the other is super fun to be with. Dumb jokes, running jokes, ironic quoting, shitty puns. They both hadn't ever expected the other to be so entertaining. They learn new things on one another every day. And they try to improve, learn new skills. Trish would want to pick up on baking, Fugo would pick up on girls' fashion, doing her hair or her nails. Would it last? Yes, I think it would. They need time to heal and feel at ease, but I think they could really find peace and a new life in one another. I think Fugo could even come to love her enough to pop the question~)

[surprisebitch]

My 10 All-time Fave Anime

I first wanna get it out there that there is still a lot of anime I plan to watch and have yet to finish. This current top 10 all-time fave list is based from anime I have completed. I am currently watching a lot of anime, so this list could potentially change!

Each synopsis comes from MyAnimeList. Here’s my profile if you’re interested, and feel free to send a friend request!

Anyway, onto the list! This is not in order btw, just 10 titles!

My 10 All-time Fave Anime

1. Given (2019)

Tightly clutching his Gibson guitar, Mafuyu Satou steps out of his dark apartment to begin another day of his high school life. While taking a nap in a quiet spot on the gymnasium staircase, he has a chance encounter with fellow student Ritsuka Uenoyama, who berates him for letting his guitar’s strings rust and break. Noticing Uenoyama’s knowledge of the instrument, Satou pleads for him to fix it and to teach him how to play. Uenoyama eventually agrees and invites him to sit in on a jam session with his two band mates: bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji.

Satou’s voice is strikingly beautiful, filling Uenoyama with the determination to make Satou the lead singer of the band. Though reticent at first, Satou takes the offer after an emotional meeting with an old friend. With the support of his new friends, Satou must not only learn how to play guitar, but also come to terms with the mysterious circumstances that led him to be its owner.

2. Rurouni Kenshin (1996)

In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans.

Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels.

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?

3. Assassination Classroom (2015)

When a mysterious creature chops the moon down to a permanent crescent, the students of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Middle School find themselves confronted with an enormous task: assassinate the creature responsible for the disaster before Earth suffers a similar fate. However, the monster, dubbed Koro-sensei (the indestructible teacher), is able to fly at speeds of up to Mach 20, which he demonstrates freely, leaving any attempt to subdue him in his extraterrestrial dust. Furthermore, the misfits of 3-E soon find that the strange, tentacled beast is more than just indomitable—he is the best teacher they have ever had.

Adapted from the humorous hit manga by Yuusei Matsui, Ansatsu Kyoushitsu tells the story of these junior high pupils as they polish their assassination skills and grow in order to stand strong against the oppressive school system, their own life problems, and one day, Koro-sensei.

4. My Hero Academia (2016)

The appearance of “quirks,” newly discovered super powers, has been steadily increasing over the years, with 80 percent of humanity possessing various abilities from manipulation of elements to shapeshifting. This leaves the remainder of the world completely powerless, and Izuku Midoriya is one such individual.

Since he was a child, the ambitious middle schooler has wanted nothing more than to be a hero. Izuku’s unfair fate leaves him admiring heroes and taking notes on them whenever he can. But it seems that his persistence has borne some fruit: Izuku meets the number one hero and his personal idol, All Might. All Might’s quirk is a unique ability that can be inherited, and he has chosen Izuku to be his successor!

Enduring many months of grueling training, Izuku enrolls in UA High, a prestigious high school famous for its excellent hero training program, and this year’s freshmen look especially promising. With his bizarre but talented classmates and the looming threat of a villainous organization, Izuku will soon learn what it really means to be a hero.

5. Attack on Titan (2013)

Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.

After witnessing a horrific personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the merciless humanoids outside the protection of the walls. Based on Hajime Isayama’s award-winning manga, Shingeki no Kyojin follows Eren, along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlert, as they join the brutal war against the titans and race to discover a way of defeating them before the last walls are breached.

6. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (2011)

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are regular middle school girls with regular lives, but all that changes when they encounter Kyuubey, a cat-like magical familiar, and Homura Akemi, the new transfer student.

Kyuubey offers them a proposition: he will grant any one of their wishes and in exchange, they will each become a magical girl, gaining enough power to fulfill their dreams. However, Homura Akemi, a magical girl herself, urges them not to accept the offer, stating that everything is not what it seems.

A story of hope, despair, and friendship, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica deals with the difficulties of being a magical girl and the price one has to pay to make a dream come true.

7. Hunter X Hunter (2011)

Hunter x Hunter is set in a world where Hunters exist to perform all manner of dangerous tasks like capturing criminals and bravely searching for lost treasures in uncharted territories. Twelve-year-old Gon Freecss is determined to become the best Hunter possible in hopes of finding his father, who was a Hunter himself and had long ago abandoned his young son. However, Gon soon realizes the path to achieving his goals is far more challenging than he could have ever imagined.

Along the way to becoming an official Hunter, Gon befriends the lively doctor-in-training Leorio, vengeful Kurapika, and rebellious ex-assassin Killua. To attain their own goals and desires, together the four of them take the Hunter Exam, notorious for its low success rate and high probability of death. Throughout their journey, Gon and his friends embark on an adventure that puts them through many hardships and struggles. They will meet a plethora of monsters, creatures, and characters—all while learning what being a Hunter truly means.

8. Ranma ½ (1989)

Ranma Saotome is a top-class martial artist and prodigy at the Saotome “Anything-Goes” school of martial arts. While training in China, he and his father meet a terrible fate when they accidentally fall into a cursed spring. Now, Ranma is cursed to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water, and only hot water can turn him back into a boy.

Things are only complicated further when Ranma discovers that his father has arranged for him to marry one of Soun Tendo’s three daughters in order to secure the future of the Tendo dojo. Though Soun learns of Ranma’s predicament, he is still determined to go ahead with the engagement, and chooses his youngest daughter Akane, who happens to be a skilled martial artist herself and is notorious for hating men.

Ranma ½ follows the hilarious adventures of Ranma and Akane as they encounter various opponents, meet new love interests, and find different ways to make each other angry, all while their engagement hangs over their head.

9. Love Live! School Idol Project (2013)

Otonokizaka High School is in a crisis! With the number of enrolling students dropping lower and lower every year, the school is set to shut down after its current first years graduate. However, second year Honoka Kousaka refuses to let it go without a fight. Searching for a solution, she comes across popular school idol group A-RISE and sets out to create a school idol group of her own. With the help of her childhood friends Umi Sonoda and Kotori Minami, Honoka forms μ’s (pronounced “muse”) to boost awareness and popularity of her school.

Unfortunately, it’s all easier said than done. Student council president Eri Ayase vehemently opposes the establishment of a school idol group and will do anything in her power to prevent its creation. Moreover, Honoka and her friends have trouble attracting any additional members. But the Love Live, a competition to determine the best and most beloved school idol groups in Japan, can help them gain the attention they desperately need. With the contest fast approaching, Honoka must act quickly and diligently to try and bring together a school idol group and win the Love Live in order to save Otonokizaka High School.

10. Demon Slayer (2019)

Ever since the death of his father, the burden of supporting the family has fallen upon Tanjirou Kamado’s shoulders. Though living impoverished on a remote mountain, the Kamado family are able to enjoy a relatively peaceful and happy life. One day, Tanjirou decides to go down to the local village to make a little money selling charcoal. On his way back, night falls, forcing Tanjirou to take shelter in the house of a strange man, who warns him of the existence of flesh-eating demons that lurk in the woods at night.

When he finally arrives back home the next day, he is met with a horrifying sight—his whole family has been slaughtered. Worse still, the sole survivor is his sister Nezuko, who has been turned into a bloodthirsty demon. Consumed by rage and hatred, Tanjirou swears to avenge his family and stay by his only remaining sibling. Alongside the mysterious group calling themselves the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjirou will do whatever it takes to slay the demons and protect the remnants of his beloved sister’s humanity.

I hope you find something you like here and will check some of my faves out!! ❤️ Let me know if you do and what you think!!! x

[lonelypond]

Truth Or Dare

NicoMaki, Love Live, 1.3K, 1/1

Summary: Nico and Maki meet at a party. This challenge was to use three words-of-the-day. My choices: laconic, veracity, and tempestuous.

Truth Or Dare

“But you have to go, Umi!” Honoka was practically dragging Umi toward the door, “It’s the funnest party on campus and we just got cool enough to be invited. You can’t miss it.”

“I can.” Umi became solid about halfway to the door.

Maki snorted. She could have predicted this.

“Maki, help me!” Honoka wailed. “This is LEGENDARY!”

“How is Truth or Dare legendary? Middle schoolers play.”

Honoka’s bright blue eyes gleamed, “Everyone signs a platonic contact consent form and the dares are written on cards and everybody picks a random one and Kotori’s meeting us there and you HAVE to go, Umi.”

“No.”

Honoka pouted, “Okay, fine, stay here and study.”

“Maki will go with you.”

“What?” Maki screeched.

“Honoka can’t be trusted so you’ll have to keep an eye on her.”

“Ummm, Honoka and PDA with other people is your problem, not mine.”

“You owe me a favor.” Umi said too quickly.

“Oh, do I?” Maki’s response was laconic, she sensed she had some leverage in this conversational joust.

“C’mon Umi.” With Umi distracted, Honoka managed to drag her six inches closer to the door. “You and Kotori are the only people I want to PDA with.”

“No.” Umi’s arms were folded across her chest.

“Do we have to have a video chat with Kotori?” Honoka had her phone out, Umi had leapt into panic, and Maki was holding back a gale of laughter.

“C’mon, Maki, let’s leave Umi here and have all the fun.”

“I never said I’d go.”

“But you did say you wanted to meet someone cute.”

“I did not.”

“Yes you did, we recorded you last weekend when you drank that whole pitcher of Hurricanes.” Honoka started sweeping through phone apps to get to the video, but Maki’s fingers crushed hers against the screen.

“I will walk you there and you will never mention that night again.”

“Okay.”

“Honoka?” Umi was safely seated at her desk.

“What’s up, Umi?”

“Be careful.”

Honoka shrugged, bopped over to where Umi was seated, kissed her on the cheek, and was pulling Maki out the door before she changed her mind.

###

This was not people’s first party of the evening, Nico decided. So many of them arrived tipsy. Needed some idiot juice before joining the game. Nico was bored. Her dare was too easy, Eli had taken her “share a drink with a mysterious stranger” dare literally and headed with a copper mug full of Moscow Mule for a veiled woman reading Tarot cards in the corner. Leaving Nico to check out the rest of the room.

A redhead at the bar, glaring and gorgeous. Not dressed for show, in a tightfitting t-shirt, jeans, and a satin bomber jacket in the school colors. One hand was on the bar, the other in a pocket, the plum pink lips pursed as if the party were being held in a hollowed out lemon. Nico sensed a storm in the tempestuous temptation offered by a rare pair of amethyst eyes. People kept moving around her, as if she wasn’t taking up any space, but Nico could not understand how the entire room wasn’t rushing to plead for a name, a kiss, a glance, a number. Take a number...there should have been a line, but Nico never minded being the first to seize an opportunity.

Nico strode to the bar, elbow near but not touching Bomber Jacket Girl, smile a sparkling invitation, “Can Nico get you a refill?”

The eyes widened in surprise, blinked twice, and refocused somewhere to Nico’s left. The hand came out of the pocket to twirl a curl. “Not thirsty.”

“Nico respects that. Too many people sloshed their way in here. Not Nico’s kind of party.”

Eye contact. Interest. Bingo. Just a bit of an attitude, “Why are you here then?”

Nico shrugged, not bothered by the kinda cute snarl. “Came to keep an eye on a friend.” Nico glanced behind her, Eli and the veiled woman had pulled the curtain around their booth, Nico recognized Eli’s black flats not quite under the table.

“Me too.” A sigh. “A bottled water.”

“On it.” A quick grab from the ice bucket and Nico was back.

The redhead popped the cap with a graceful flourish and paused to slowly raise the bottle to her lips. Then, after a swallow that took long enough for Nico to plan a Spring Break getaway, an opening. “Maki.”

“Hi Maki. You’re pretty…”

A blush.

“Cute too” Nico did a drum roll on the bar; Maki rolled her eyes.

“So what’s your dare?”

Maki grimaced and shook her head.

“C’mon, tell Nico.”

A mumble, “Kisssomeonetaller.”

It took Nico several seconds to unravel that and she almost laughed. But instead, she put on her most serious face, and in a tone worthy of reading a jury’s verdict, made an offer, “Trade with me.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

Maki stared at Nico, but Nico met her eyes evenly, smile bright and trustworthy, every cell in her body about to sell the veracity of her next statement.

“You can trust Nico.”

“Is your dare worse?”

Nico shook her head, “Nico is just having a helpful night. Nico is always in demand by everyone, but for tonight, Nico has decided to make just your wishes come true, my lady.”

“English major?”

“Theatre.”

“Cool.”

“Well, yeah, it’s Nico.” A nudge, “C’mon, trade with me.”

Maki pulled her hand out of her pocket, card in her fingers, hesitant. Nico snatched it right away, read it, nodded, and then slid in closer to Maki, her arm casually sliding behind the redhead.

“Hey…” Maki sounded startled, but her nervous swallow let Nico know she was having an effect. Which was enough, Nico leaned forward for a quick peck on the cheek but somehow in trying to avoid Nico’s advance and duck out of the way, Maki managed to smash a caress across half of Nico’s lips, a tingling, lingering promise of connection.

Maki’s fingers covered her lips, her stare wide.

“Nico usually has better aim.” Nico’s hand dropped down Maki’s torso, sliding across denim into her back pocket.

“What the hell are you doing?” Maki would have jumped off the stool, but Nico didn't relax her hold.

“You traded for Nico’s dare so Nico is helping you.” Nico slid her card into Maki’s pocket, claimed Maki’s phone, and would have typed but a lockscreen prevented access.

“What’s your passcode?”

“Are you crazy? We don’t even know each other.”

“Check out your dare.”

Maki took the card out of her pocket and read the line of instruction, “Get the number of a cute stranger.”

“I never said you were cute.”

Nico slid even closer, “Fine, Nico will trade back, give me your number.”

“All win for Nico, huh.” Maki leaned back, eyebrow raised.

“Of course. Nico is number one at everything.”

“Arm wrestling?” Maki got into the ready position.

“Sure.” Nico locked in, palm warm against Maki’s, completely unsure where this was going but totally in for the ride.

“Piano playing?”

“Nico can chopstick.”

Maki laughed, “Two out of three, then.”

Nico pushed against Maki’s hand, meeting resistance.

“Nico hasn’t won yet.”

“You didn’t seem to think it would be a problem.” Maki chuckled.

Nico dropped her shoe on the ground and ran her toes up Maki’s calf, dropping Maki’s arm at the same time.

“So what’s the tie breaker?” Nico asked.

Maki flexed her fingers, leaning forward, one hand toying with the silken strands of Nico’s sable tresses, “Twister.”

Nico was impressed. Not that she showed it.

“We need a referee.” Nico glanced around the room.

Maki pulled her attention back with a whispered, “I’ll play fair.”

“I won’t.”

“I figured.” Another wink and a warm palm against Nico’s again. “My place. My roommate owes me.”

“Nico still needs your number.”

A shrug, “Maybe later…”

“Maki....” Nico decided on a late surge of maidenly modesty.

Maki laughed, “C’mon, I dare you.”

To tell the truth, it was an offer Nico wouldn’t dream of refusing.

A/N: It's been a year of quarantining here, how are you?

[oumiyuki]

Seducing The Dense

Summary: Honoka can’t concentrate during math class because of a button that has come off from Kotori’s uniform. 

Pairing: KotoHono

Genre: Fluff!!! (๑>ᴗ<๑) Romance~ (♡´౪`♡)

Words: 1425

Read me at fanfiction.net or Archive of Our Own too!

Author Notes

This is part of my vampire KotoHono series “The Daily Life of Loving a Really Cute but Dense Vampire”. Chapter 26. But I felt like changing up how I post things here~ :3 so have at it! XD

You can totally read it without reading the rest too OwO I’m actually hoping y’all read this and get interested in my KotoHono shenenigans! Then enjoy the other chapters. hehe~ (´∀`)

May you enjoy~!

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It is one of those boring math classes in Otonokizaka High. Honoka seated beside Kotori felt fidgety as she starts feeling a weird, tingly feeling throughout her body. Honoka glances over to Kotori and noticed that one of her button at her chest area has come undone. Honoka gulps as she was unable to pull her stare away. Staring harder, Honoka bores into the sight of Kotori's bra. And attempts to stare harder, wondering if she could catch glimpses of Kotori's breast itself from the small hole.

"Honoka-chan~ Honoka-chan~" Kotori calls Honoka's name in an erotic manner.

"Honoka-chan. Honoka-chan!" Honoka blinks and makes eye contact with Kotori.

"Kotori-chan?" Kotori's tone was that of a hushed shout, nowhere erotic as before.

"The teacher is calling you..." Kotori clarifies.

"...Oh." Honoka looks to the front and as reality registers in her mind, she bounces to her feet. "What?!" Honoka shouts in surprise, in turn surprising the teacher and causing the class to laugh out loud.

After trying and failing to answer the teacher's question, Honoka was sentenced to staying back after class to complete 10 questions. Honoka sits back down with a heavy sigh and her head down so Honoka did not notice Kotori looking her way with a worried expression, wondering what she could do to cheer Honoka up. Kotori's own internal struggle led to her letting out a soft sigh which caught Honoka's attention.

"What's wrong, Kotori-chan?" Honoka already forgetting about her worries as the concern for Kotori easily outweighs that.

Kotori shakes her head and flashes a tiny smile to assure Honoka. Honoka was about to accept that everything is okay, but when her eyes falls back onto the glorious view of Kotori's bra and breast, Honoka's breath hitches and mind stops working. Well, working in the sense that it was filled with “Kotori's bra. Kotori's breast.” on repeat.

"Honoka-chan?" Kotori cocks her head to the side with a confused look. Oblivious to the fact that with how she has positioned herself facing Honoka, gives Honoka a vintage spot of Kotori's front. Feeling the blood rush at her face, probably covering her cheeks up to her ears, Honoka places both hands on Kotori's shoulder and leans into Kotori's ears to whisper.

"K-Kotori-chan..."

"Honoka-chan?" Kotori has her own set of pink shading her cheeks at Honoka's close proximity plus breath on her ears. Honoka gulps.

"I can see your b-b-bra and b-b-b-breast..." Honoka was barely capable of relaying the message without stuttering on the words that start with 'b'.

"Eh?" Was all Kotori could say.

"Your b-button is undone..." Honoka finishes telling the news, takes a deep breath and pulls away from Kotori. Taking an extra second before looking up to see Kotori's current state. If Honoka thought her blush would be able to die down and Kotori would've fixed her button in that extra second, she was utterly mistaken. Kotori just sat looking at Honoka shyly as red painted her face too; though Honoka thinks it's not as bad as her own.

"C-could you...help me fix it?" Kotori asked in a quiet and embarrassed voice.

In the next few seconds, Honoka's mind exploded and reformed. "H-h-help you fix it?" Honoka stared directly into Kotori's eyes for affirmation which Kotori gives through a small nod.

"Mmph..."

Honoka reached over with shaky fingers and four attempts to successfully button up Kotori's shirt. Honoka let out a breath she did not know she was holding and was about to retract her hands, but Kotori held onto her left hand, placing it over her chest. Honoka's hand flinched on contact and her head jerked upwards to question Kotori.

"Thank you, Honoka-chan."

A crooked and nervous smile was plastered on Honoka's face. "N-No problem..." Honoka felt like her heart was going to break out of her ribcage with how fast it was pounding against it.

"Kotori-chan...My hand..?" As reluctant as Honoka was, she knew class was still going on. Okay, who are we kidding? She was more concern for her hummingbird heart than the lesson of a subject she can no longer remember was what.

"Ah, sorry about that Honoka-chan." Kotori equally as reluctant or more as she loved the close contact, warmth, plus the reaction Honoka was giving filled Kotori with hopes that her feelings might be reaching the ever-dense crush she has, but return the hand she must.

Honoka gave a shaky laugh as she moved her hands back. "I-It's no problem really."

The rest of the lesson went by with nothing entering Honoka's head, only reminded of its existence when the bell rang and the teacher came up to her table to remind her of the assignment she has been given. Honoka groaned her response as the class spilled out of the classroom to head home.

Honoka spent the first ten minutes frowning at the paper before slumping over the table.

“You don’t have to wait for me, you know…”

“I want to wait for you.” Kotori had a gentle smile on.

Honoka turned her head to face Kotori. She got into a sitting position with a broad smile when Kotori’s smile instilled some energy into her. The abrupt action and childlike expression made Kotori giggle.

“I might take a while.” Honoka returned her attention to the reason she can’t go home.

“I could teach you.” Kotori whispered into Honoka’s ear which made Honoka visibly stiffen.

“Y-You would?”

“Mmph!” Kotori scooted closer to Honoka on the bench, their thighs literally sticking to each other.

Kotori’s teaching was simple for Honoka to understand, however, Honoka realized halfway that when she asked for explanations or answer checks, she will get to experience a soft sensation on her right arm as Kotori presses her body close to Honoka for a better view of the assignment. With that, Honoka would purposely ask for an explanation for the same question over and over again, her pen have long broken in half under the force of the vampire’s clenched hands but the remaining ink allows for Honoka to still write. It was not a lie when she said she did not understand though, she had a hard time concentrating on the actual words the melodic voice was speaking.

With the assignment finally complete and checked, Honoka turned and glomped Kotori as a show of appreciation and satisfaction. Kotori returned the embrace by snaking her arms around Honoka’s waist to pull Honoka closer. All was fine until Honoka decided to take a whiff of Kotori’s sweet apple scent and open her eyes to a great view of exposed neck. Honoka’s hunger was piqued and a growl sounded.

Kotori giggled into Honoka’s shoulder. “Want to grab a bite, Honoka-chan?”

The giggle vibrated through Honoka’s body and the word “bite” made Honoka instinctively plant her face deeper into Kotori’s nape, mouth opened and fangs starting to grow-

“Honoka.” The door of the classroom opened and Honoka’s blue haired childhood friend breaks Honoka’s trance. Fangs immediately retracted, Honoka pulled away from Kotori in an attempt to regain control of herself. Kotori was slightly upset by the sudden loss of contact and had a small frown.  

“Umi-chan! You’re still around?” Honoka looks up in surprise.

“We need to visit a certain district, Honoka.” Umi emphasized on the ‘chi’ of ‘chiku’ (Japanese for district) referencing blood.

It took a minute before Honoka’s confused expression change to one of understanding. “Ahh! That’s right! I’m, er, done with my assignment now, so…we can go! Sorry, Kotori-chan. I promised Umi-chan, so…” Honoka rambled on before apologizing to Kotori and picking up all her stuff to head out the door.

Kotori barely had time to take in her situation and gave a “Bye bye, Honoka-chan, Umi-chan.” Before Honoka and Umi have disappeared down the halls. Sighing loudly since no one was around to catch Kotori in such an unladylike act, Kotori started packing her bag.

Just when the mood was getting good…

Kotori hugged herself for a moment.

Honoka-chan’s warmth…I think I managed to make Honoka-chan more conscious of me today though…She was staring at me so intently, though it was mostly my chest…With the way Honoka-chan tense up when I press my breast against her arm, I’m guessing Honoka-chan is really conscious about me now. Mm…I should continue grabbing Honoka-chan’s attention with this tactic!

Kotori giggled to herself before leaving the school, happy with her decision and progress made in making the dense Kousaka Honoka notice her. Little did she know, going down the path of seduction isn’t going to be an easy one, when puberty is hitting the young vampire.        

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Author Notes

I wrote this all the way back in 2017 before I shared the first chapter of “The Daily Life of Loving a Really Cute but Dense Vampire”. :P (and now I made some edits)

It’s still undecided whether I would write Kotori attempting to seduce Honoka more in future chapters. OwO But this is rather cute. :P So I thought why not share it! XD hehe~

I hope y’all enjoyed it! :D

Leave comments if you like~ (every review motivates me to write moreeee~ hehe~ *O*)

See ya!

[revengeworld]

My King XI

Kylo Ren x Reader

Words: +2.300

Warnings: blood, poison, angst

MY MASTERLIST - Can be found in my Bio if you´re interested in more of my work!

-

Until the ship would be ready in a few hours, Kylo and Y/N used this time to take a last walk along the beach while Umi was running beside them, chasing birds.

“Is it just me or has she grown just since yesterday?” Y/N asked while she leaned against Kylos arm which she was holding onto.

“She is still young and if she is fully grown she will be reaching your waist.” Kylo explained and Y/N looked surprised up at him.

“I didn’t just bring her to be your companion, she should be able to protect my Queen as well.” Pulling her closer, Kylo pressed a kiss against her temple, which made her smile shyly.

“Since when did you actually consider … marrying me…?” she asked and Kylo smiled for a moment.

“A long time ago… but since I wasn’t sure if you returned my feelings I held back until I heard your words in the cells.” surprised Y/N looked up at him and suddenly slapped his arm with a chuckle.

“You can be such a tease, next time don’t just wait around and talk to me!” she shook her head and he nodded with a laugh.

“I Promise… my Love.” pulling her closer, Kylo leaned down to kiss her, but was interrupted by a call.

“The ship is ready … sadly we need to return.”

Y/N could tell that he didn’t want to, but she placed a few more kisses on his lips.

“Don’t make that face, my lovely King. We have a wedding to plan.”

“Oh we have a lot more to plan.” brushing gently over her belly, she smiled.

“Our little star...”

The return in the palace was calm without Hux immediately coming to nag and Y/N wondered how his stay in solitary might have influenced him.

She really hoped for the better, otherwise she wouldn’t feel safe to have him around her or her child.

Feeling Kylos Hand on her lower back, she cuddled up against his side.

“Do you want to rest first?” leaning his head against hers, she nodded the slightest her hand gently resting against her neck.

“Lydie, could you?”

“Of course, Supreme Leader. Come Y/N I will bring you to your room and make you something against the nausea.” the handmaiden spoke and carefully lead her away.

Kylo watched them leave before he met up with the rest of his knights to get an overview of the current situation.

Nothing major had happened these last two weeks they had been away, but a lot of small things had piled up that he needed to take care of.

Entering the throne room he looked satisfied up the stairs where now two thrones were standing, one for him and one for Y/N.

For now these were the first steps before a third throne would join them and Kylo was reminded again how eager he was to meet his child. After collecting every report he needed, especially from the cell ward Kylo made his way to his and Y/N's room.

As soon as he entered the room a loud sharp chirp from Umi announced the intruder until the feline recognized Kylo and started to purr while laying back down against Y/Ns legs.

His now fiance, was resting in their bed her pad in one hand and a hot tea in the other, her crown displayed on her Nightstand together with the white crystal from the beach.

Throwing a few papers on his desk, he stepped closer to the bed.

“Better?”

“It’s just Morning Sickness, it will be over soon.” looking at the stack of papers, Y/N sighed.

“Will you start working already?”

“Not if you don’t want me to.” he grinned and already climbed on the bed next to her.

“Well I don’t want you to.” laying her things aside, Y/N leaned against his chest while he laid his arms around her.

“But I would like to talk to you about a few things.” Kylo mumbled against her temple before resting his lips against it.

“And what would that be?”

“What kind of crib you want. Where our baby's room should be when it gets older, how you want to decorate it.” he counted the things that were on his mind.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that yet ...” with a loud and dramatic gasped Y/N shook her head before she started to laugh.

“Don’t lie to me, you are thinking of nothing else.” Kylo laughed with her, his hands constantly brushed over her arms or her stomach.

“Who said you are allowed in my head again?” she chuckled before crawling onto his lap and laying her arms around his neck.

“You are allowing it ...”  when Y/N rested her head on his shoulder Kylo started to kiss along her forehead while he brushed up and down her back.

“I would allow you anything… my Love.” when she looked up at him, her eyes were full of adoration and love and Kylo returned it with the brightest smile before he pulled her into a soft kiss.

“Could you feel what it would be already?” Y/N suddenly asked, hopeful and excited but the Supreme Leader shook his head.

“I tried, sadly nothing yet. Have patience...” laying his big hand against her face, Y/N leaned into Kylos gentle touch and closed her eyes before she cuddled back up against his chest. The safest place for her and their child.

The next Morning Kylo and her were woken up early to begin their first day of work after their holiday.

While Kylo was already done, he sat on his chair watching how Lydie was preparing Y/N so carefully until she placed the final piece on her head, the crown.

“Do I really have to wear it now? It seems over the top without you wearing one...” she sighed deeply but Kylo knew she loved this crown, he could see it in her eyes.

“First of all, you are more beautiful than I am so this fits you much better. Besides I don’t need a crown to rule.” walking towards her, he kissed her forehead and she started to smile.

“Come on. Let’s give these old fools a heart attack.” holding out his Hand, Y/N grabbed it and let him help her up.

“So spiteful today.”

“Just in a good mood, my Love.”

Lydie held the door open for them before she bowed. Now that they were back in the palace again she needed to be more polite than back at the estate.

“I will see you later, Lady Ren.”

“What are you guys planning on doing?” while walking through the corridors Kylo laid his arm around her waist.

“Me and the girls will be planning my dress while we watch you train.”

“You don’t have to if you want to focus on your dress.”

“But I always like watching you train.” gently brushing over his cheek, he leaned down so that she could kiss him before they entered the conference room.

The first thing that Y/N noticed was the second chair next to Kylos and she couldn’t contain the smile that was on her lips.

Helping her on her chair, Kylo soon sat beside her before he took her hand in his and nodded towards the old mans in the council who were just standing there with wide open mouths.

“Please sit down, we have a few important things to discuss.” Kylo said coldly and the old Leaders sat down in their chairs while waiting nervously.

“As you can see Y/N has joined us now, for various. The first and most important reason would be that she will be my wife fairly soon and rule with me. Which also means, your council will not be needed anymore. And in other news -” suddenly breaking off with his sentence he looked down at his hand which Y/N squeezed lightly and shook her head barely. She didn’t want to let those people know that she was expecting a child especially after what happened to her and her own mother.

Only nodding to her silent request, Kylo pressed a soft kiss against her temple.

“You … you want to throw us out? You can’t rule without us!”

“Why not? She already did.” pointing at Y/N, who looked surprised until she remembered that he read all the reports and that she mostly didn’t do what the old man and Hux had to say to her.

“If you are not happy with my decision you are allowed to leave the planet. I don’t want you near the palace anyway.”

“A...And where should we live?! You’re taking our home from us.”

“Do i look like I care. You can gather your things until the end of the day and then you will leave this place.” Kylo stood up, which was the sign for Y/N to follow him, but he was already helping her up from her seat.

As soon as they left behind the conference room, both Kylo and her started to laugh.

“You were so harsh to them!” Y/N chuckled.

“Does it matter? They are not our problem anymore.” laying his arms around her waist he picked her up to stare into her smiling and gorgeous face.

“So … your dress, huh?”

“Nooo, I won’t tell you anything and no peeking in my head!” showering his face in kisses, Kylo tried to carefully walk towards the garden.

“I will let you go to your friends now and after that we will present the villagers their new Queen.” Kylo grinned into the kiss.

Letting her down, the Supreme Leader watched his Queen walk with a swing in her step to her girls that were waiting for her at the loungers.

While the Knights and him trained, they heard giggling and laughing from the group of girls. Kylo couldn’t deny that he was curious what they were talking about, but he kept out of Y/Ns head while she had her fun.

In all those years, Kylo never would have thought that another person's happiness would be so important to him or make him this happy himself. But here he was, smiling at his soon to be wife who was just having fun with her friends and wasn’t such a loner like in the beginning.

Kylo was proud to have given her the happiness she deserved while she was the happiness he had needed all his life.

After the training was finished the Knights scattered around the pool to cool themselves while Kylo brushed the sweat from his naked chest with a wet towel before approaching the talking group of girls.

“My King...” Y/N already greeted him, without looking up from the cloth samples the tailor had provided.

“My Queen.” Kylo smiled before turning her head towards him so that he could kiss her, which made the women around them immediately giggle.

“I will make myself presentable for the audience and will pick you up.” he whispered in her ear before he left towards their bedroom.

Returning in new attire, he found Y/N alone waiting for him while she was petting Umi.

Looking up at Kylo she smirked slightly while biting her lower lip.

“You look so handsome my King.” she noticed while standing up from her chair to let her hands brush up his chest.

With a smile, Kylo leaned down to kiss her softly before he leaned his forehead against hers.

“And you are radiating with beauty.”

“Oh shush, you !”

Pulling her towards the big balcony that was facing the market place, where most of the announcements to the townspeople were made.

Before he could even say anything the people in front of them started cheering as soon as they saw Y/N who waved to them.

Kylo might have been their Leader, but Y/N was the one they had chosen for themselves and he was proud and glad about that.

“See, they all love you.” he whispered into her ear while she could only smile by that warm welcome.

“I hope you know what that means, my King. A big celebration feast.” Kylo took a deep disappointed breath, this was something he had not thought about.

Leaning back in his thrones, Kylo let his eyes wander over the ocean of people in the throne room who were celebrating in their name.

Everyone was in harmony, the towns people and even the higher ranked people were standing side by side without a bad word anywhere.

They were all just here to celebrate the engagement of Y/N and Kylo. Something he ever expected in his life.

Not even the General, who was standing next to his throne now, was saying anything. Since Kylo had let him out of his cell, Hux was finally behaving how he should. Obeying without constantly trying to get his own agenda through and he even avoided Y/N after Kylo explicit told him to stay away from her.

Finally it seemed like everything was going his way and that he could finally be happy.

The woman of his dreams sitting right next to him with their child growing inside of her belly.

“How are you feeling, Love? Everything alright?”  he whispered into Y/Ns ear while letting his fingers slightly brush over her side towards her stomach.

“Just perfect, my sweet sweet King.” pressing a almost shy kiss against his cheek, Kylo couldn’t help himself to kiss her soft lips gently.

Enjoying his loving touches for another moment, Y/N suddenly stood up from her throne.

“Hey… where are you planning on going?” Kylo asked and grabbed her by her wrist.

“I will sing for you, like the first day we met. It was a surprise.” laying her hand against his cheek, she grabbed his drink and took a sip while she winked.

When she wanted to step down the long steps towards the dancefloor Y/N suddenly stopped before she quickly turned around to slap the cup out off of Kylos hand which he was about to drink from.

Shocked he looked into her horrified eyes while blood was dripping from her mouth and her legs slowly gave out under her.

-

Tags: @celestiaelisia  @sdavid09  @ayatimascd  @acunningstargazer  @agirlwithlonelymusic  @ev3e

[dekinswritings]

L1-L1 WH80 - Chapter 5, Beer

"Traditionally brewed beer has become a luxury, but this one's pretty close to the real deal..."

VA-11 HALL-A AU. HonoUmi. NicoMaki.

Word count: 5.9k

[Ao3] [FF.net]

“Umi-chan, you’ve been starin’ at the counter for a whole minute now. If you just wanted my company that badly, you could’ve just asked.”

“S-Sorry.” Had it really been that long? Umi had asked Nozomi for a word as they finished opening the bar tonight, but now words failed to come out of her mouth. Where did she even start? Umi did not know about relationships, crushes or anything at all regarding love. Just thinking of the word made her heart run at a marathon pace and her cheeks turn red like Adelhyde.

“Clearly we’re not getting anywhere if you can’t focus, so concentrate and gimme a Mercuryblast,” Nozomi said as she swiped her card for the transaction.

“Right, Mercuryblast.” Nozomi was right, her train of thought was somehow going through several different rails at neck-breaking speeds. A Mercuryblast, one Adelhyde, one Bronson Extract, three Powdered Delta, three Flanergide and two Karmotrine. All on the rocks and blended. Umi stared at the blue mix as she poured it into its glass. Hadn’t Honoka ordered one of these? She even tried to make a dumb joke about it too. The blue also kind of reminded her of Honoka’s eyes, but the color was not quite right, it should be a deeper tone. Why was Umi suddenly so aware of this drink? And not to mention that-

“Umi.” Nozomi’s voice snapped Umi out of her thoughts and handed the drink to her boss. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Nozomi asked as she swayed her drink in a circular motion.

“I-I figured that you might have… more experience about this sort of topic,” Umi started and, to keep her hands from trembling, grabbed the first glass her hands found and started to clean it, the cloth wiping it faster with each stroke.

In other circumstances, Nozomi would have poked fun at the fact that Umi had ran out of dirty glasses and was simply occupying her hands out of anxiety. Instead, she put down her drink and listened intently.

“And even if you don’t have that much experience on it, even a little bit would be sufficient. I-I myself have not experienced it before, and I consider you a good friend and someone I can talk about this. N-Not like Rin isn’t a good friend either! But… this requires a bit more subtlety and I’d rather not have her talk about this to every client she serves and…”

Nozomi simply listened, and she considered a pretty good listener at that, but Umi had started rambling and dodging whatever she wanted to talk about. “Umi,” she called out for the second time.

Hearing her name again almost made her jump. “D-Did I start ramble?”

“Are you gonna have sex? Is this what this is about?”

If the glasses provided by the BTC had not been made as sturdy as they were, Umi’s grip would have certainly cracked and broken the glass she had been wiping right in her hands. “N-No!” Umi yelled, startling both Nozomi and Rin, who was standing on the other side of the bar. “It’s not about sex!”

“Well, what’s got you so worked up then?”

“It’s Honoka-!” The words slipped out of her mouth before she could catch them. Instead of being met with a smug and playful grin from Nozomi followed by a teaseful joke, Umi found a gentle smile on Nozomi’s smile.

“Honoka, huh? So you finally put the pieces together?”

“T-The pieces? What are you talking about?” Umi put down the glass, knowing that it would eventually crack if she kept it in her hands.

“That you like her.”

Umi managed to keep her mouth shut and only made a muffled scream that was tame enough to not make Rin think that someone was getting murdered inside the bar. Thinking about it made her cheeks red, but hearing it from Nozomi heated up her entire face. “Y-Y-Yes, that… was I wanted to talk about.”

“So, what’re you planning to do?” Nozomi asked as she gently poked her drink.

“W-What do you mean what am I planning to do? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!” Umi was starting to regret asking Nozomi for help. Was she not supposed to be wise, or at least a little bit knowledgeable about these kind of things? “I’m at a loss,” Umi said defeatedly.

“Well, do you wanna go out with her?”

“W-Well…” Umi blushed at the fact that now she was imagining Honoka, walking with her hand in hand. Embarrassment turned into a smile when she pictured Honoka smiling. “Y-Yes, I would.”

“Then just tell her,” Nozomi said curtly and began to drink her Mercuryblast.

Had all the time running a bar with marginal profit finally gotten to her boss? Or was she always this crazy? “I-I can’t just tell her!”

“And why not? I thought you wanted to go out with Honoka.” Nozomi only stopped drinking to talk and immediately continued with her Mercuryblast.

“Because what if she… what if she rejects me?” The thought stung much more than what Umi would have liked. “I… I don’t wish to make things uncomfortable. A-And she has a girlfriend already...”

“Oh, does she?” Nozomi raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“W-Well… I wouldn’t say I’m completely sure she has one, but that designer did seem to be her girlfriend,” Umi explained and sighed.

“Umi-chan, oh Umi-chan. You’re lookin’ at your cup half-empty again,” Nozomi shook her head. “A maiden in love shouldn’t be brooding! She should be gleefully happy, with butterflies in her stomach.”

“I do feel like I’m going to throw up,” Umi mumbled.

“Cheer up, Umi-chan. You’ve got nothing to worry about, you’re just overthinking yourself to death as per usual. You don’t have to tell Honoka, but the more time you let pass, the more it’ll gnaw at your head and the worse those butterflies in there will get,” Nozomi explained before getting up and offering her worker the now-empty glass. At least she now had something to actually clean. “Chin up, we’ve got a customer coming. I’ll be in my office,” Nozomi bid her farewell with a smile.

“And hey, if you really want that relationship, in the long run it really is about sex!”

Nozomi had taken refuge in the confines of her office too quickly and the steel shaker bottle that Umi threw in a blink of an eye panged against the office door instead of her boss’s face.

Umi glared at the door for a few moments before sighing and walking out of her station to pick up her shaker. Even if the conversation had seemed short and even moot, Nozomi was right: Umi would eventually need to talk to Honoka about this, her feelings were not going to simply disappear.

Once back in her station, Umi wiped the shaker as she began to ponder. She needed to come up with a plan. First, she should clarify what was the relationship between Honoka and Kotori. As much as it pained her to think that there was one in the first place, it would certainly put a quick end to this ordeal. There are plenty of people out there in Neo Tokyo that Umi had yet to meet after all. Going out to meet them seemed like a pain though, and none of the people who came to Lily White shone as bright as the police officer. Umi cursed internally, she was still overthinking everything like Nozomi had said, and she was not getting anywhere. She was in dire need of a distraction, something to clear her mind. More than ever before Umi cursed the lack of customers in the bar-

“Hello?”

Umi had lost count how many times she had failed to notice people in front of her tonight. Looking up, Umi saw Maki sitting in front of her, her designer clothes halfway hidden by contrastingly white coat she wore over them.

“Oh, um, welcome to Lily White,” were all the words that Umi managed to mutter out. With the way things had gone last time Umi saw the doctor, she was certain that she would not come back ever again.

“Uh, yeah,” Maki seemed almost as distracted as the bartender as she looked around the bar. “Has that Lilim come back?”

“E-Excuse me?” Maki’s sudden question caught Umi off-guard. “Do you know Hanayo?”

“Wha- Hanayo?” The doctor repeated in confusion before shaking her head. “No, I meant the idol. The singing robot.”

“Oh, Nico,” Umi should have realized sooner. “No, you made sure to scare her off.” The memories of that night were still fresh in her mind, of how unnerving it had been to discover that Lilim could be that upset.

“O-Oh.” Maki raised one hand to one of her bangs and started to twirl it. She was not sporting a ponytail this time, Umi noticed. In fact, all of her appearance seemed less taken care of, her clothes had wrinkles under the coat and even her makeup did a poor job to conceal the dark eyebags on her face. “A Sunshine Cloud, please.”

Umi nodded and began to prepare her ingredients. As she poured the halves of Adelhyde and Bronson Extract, Umi decided it was for the best to keep the client sober and refrained from adding any alcohol. “I presumed you wouldn’t be coming back,” Umi commented as the drink blended.

“Work’s been more stressful than usual, so I needed a drink,” Maki explained once the blending process was over.

“It has been getting colder, so I'm guessing more people come in with a cold,” Umi chit chatted as she finished preparing Maki’s drink.

“It’s a private hospital, people don’t come to us just for a cold,” Maki denied Umi’s idea as she took her glass. “I’ve been having problems focusing and concentrating.”

“And you thought coming for alcohol would help you with that,” Umi deadpanned.

“Yes,” Maki agreed and was about to take her first sip before slamming her drink onto the counter. “No, wait, no! That’s not what I came here for!”

Umi was impressed: she had not even started to drink and she was stammering already. “Why do you come to a bar if not to drink then?”

“T-That’s none of your business,” Maki mumbled before starting on her drink.

Umi had never been as good at reading people as Nozomi but years of experience had taught her enough to see through the red haired doctor. She had probably come to offer an apology, to her if not to Nico. It was a shame that the idol never came back, as annoying as she was. She did seem to genuinely care for the things she loved, like her family. Umi had not picked it up at first, but thinking back on those previous days made her realize the small changes in the Lilim’s demeanor when she talked about those things.

“So she really hasn’t come back?” Maki asked again, her glass lying empty on the counter. Her voice showed a cocktail of feelings, one too familiar for Umi when she had to deal with people who had tried to drown their problems with booze, but Maki was completely sober.

“Do I have a reason to lie about it?” Umi asked as she inspected Maki’s expression. It seemed vacant at first glance, but Umi knew better. “No, she hasn’t.”

Maki took a deep breath and let it out with long groan. “Great, I made sure to come early tonight in the hopes of finding her and apparently she’s been long gone. I won’t be able to concentrate fully in my work, I’ll probably have to put off some appointments and…” Maki’s rant grew quieter until her words her an inaudible mumble for Umi. “Grizzly Temple.” Her voice picked up just to order another drink.

Umi could not remember when was the last time someone had ordered a Grizzly Temple without a hint of irony in their voice. According to many, Umi included, it was one of the worst drinks in the BTC menu. Three Adelhyde, three Bronson Extract, three Powdered Delta and one Karmotrine. All blended. Once poured into its glass, Umi handed the order.

“Look, if you really want to apologize,” Umi started as she dug her phone out of her pocket, “she gave us her contact details.” Under normal circumstances, Umi would have never shared private information of her clients to other clients, but she did not want to witness another fight like that again. At least not in the bar.

“W-Who said I wanted to apologize to her,” Maki mumbled defensively before sipping her drink.

“So you don’t want it?” Umi took out a pen and was ready to write on a piece of paper. Taking a sneaky glimpse, she saw Maki staring intently.

“I-I never said that, just give me the number.”

Umi managed to control her eye roll and simply shook her head as she began to write Nico’s contact information.

“Officer Kousaka Honoka, presenting for duty!” Honoka’s loud announcement of her arrival made Maki jump in her seat as she pocketed the scrap of paper. The police officer cheerfully walked to the empty seat next to Maki and waved at Umi. The doctor eyed the officer for a brief moment before going back to her drink. “Evening, Umi-chan,” she greeted with a smile.

“A-Ah, Honoka.” Umi found it difficult to keep her face straight when she felt her cheeks flushing. “H-How are you?”

“Hmm, well, I guess I'm fine. Had a scuffle with a guy who didn't want to take his parking ticket.”  She crossed her arms and shook her head disapprovingly. “The nerve of some people!”

“There's a fair share of people who'll refuse to pay additional fees,” Umi pointed out, “money can come short when basic necessities become more expensive every once in a while.” Umi knew better than anyone else about the importance of saving.

“A parking citation is basically pocket change,” Maki chirped in offhandedly before sipping her drink.

“Wow, you must be some kind of rich doctor.” Honoka’s joke only got a raised eyebrow from Maki. “A Beer please! Oh, and I’m Honoka, by the way.”

Maki inspected the officer once more before presenting herself. “Maki,” was all she said.

“Well Maki-chan, it’s a pleasure!”

“Wha- hey! Who told you you can address me so casually?” Maki asked defensively.

“Well, you only gave me a name to work with.” Honoka laughed and scratched the back of her head. “Would you prefer it if I was rude to you?”

“What’re you saying? You’re making no sense,” Maki mumbled and tried to take another sip before realizing her drink was empty. “Another Grizzly Temple, please.” Umi nodded and started to prepare Maki’s order as she finished Honoka’s.

“Yuck, Grizzly Temple, Beer’s definitely the way to go,” Honoka said to herself as she took her Beer and swayed it side to side like an excited child.

“Excuse me?” Maki turned to Honoka and glared; the doctor frowned even more when she saw how Honoka was too busy happily drinking her Beer to even notice her. “What’s wrong with a Grizzly Temple?”

“Hm?” Honoka put down her drink and looked at Maki in confusion. “What do you mean? It’s pretty awful-tasting, bitter and bland.”

“And you-”

“Here,” Umi interrupted Maki before things got out of hand and placed her order on the counter. “And you should stop,” she said and glaring at Honoka.

Honoka could only laugh nervously under Umi’s piercing eyes. “Sorry.” Honoka’s apology was vague enough to be directed to both the bartender and the doctor. Maki still looked unconvinced but went back to her drink. Umi was just glad she defused the situation before another fight blew up in front of her.

Umi took a deep breath and started to think. She needed to clear everything with Honoka so she could finally sort out her own feelings. Perhaps not in front of the doctor; hopefully she left before Honoka did.

“Oh hell no.”

Umi looked up to see that Nico had just entered the bar, any pretense of a grandiose entrance gone and replaced by a scowl directed to the doctor.

“Oh, Nico,” was the only thing Umi managed to say. Honoka gasped loudly while Maki looked back at Nico and visibly failing to not scowl back.

“The feeling is mutual,” Maki snarked as Nico walked to the counter, taking a seat next to Honoka. Well, rather than next to Honoka, it would be better described as taking the seat that was not next to Maki’s.

“Well, Nico managed to get a day off so she had planned to wrap it up on a happy note with a couple of drinks! So…” Nico flipped one of her twintails and with a mocking smile she looked at the doctor, “why don’t you just leave?”

“Hi! I’m Honoka, big fan-”

Maki frowned and her finger once more began to twirl with her hair. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to see you-”

“Well, Maki-chan! If you wanted to see Nico sooo badly, why don’t you just lift that mug of yours to look at a billboard or something?”

“Excuse me? I go out of my way to come here to apologize and-”

“Oh, now the oh-so intellectual redhead wants to apologize to Nico! Yeah, and while she’s at it, I’m sure she wants to insult her family, just like she did to her career!”

“Umm.. Umi-chan…” Honoka could not help but to have shrunk her shoulders as the women at her sides began to yell.

“Hey! Take that back! I-”

“Well, where’s my apology? Nico’s waiting-!”

“Enough!” Umi slammed her hands on her mixing station loud enough to silence Nico and Maki. “If you’re going to fight, do it outside. Your pointless bickering is scaring the other customers.”

“Pointless bickering? She’s the one who started it!” Maki huffed and turned away from Nico.

“I-It’s fine, Umi-chan.” Honoka laughed nervously and she slowly sat back up.

“Please don’t kick out Nico? She’s really sorry for getting into another fight with a dumb woman,” Nico apologized before glaring at the doctor.

Umi audibly groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. If this kept on going, she would have to remove both of them from the premises and that would certainly kill any sort of mood for talking with Honoka.

“Um… Maki-chan said she wants to apologize, so why don’t you just let her?” Honoka asked Nico.

“Because she insulted Nico! And she’s so arrogant and full of herself-”

“So what? She came here to apologize. Isn’t that good enough for now?” Honoka pressed on.

“N-No! Because-”

“Because what?” Honoka pressed on. The genuine curiosity in Honoka’s gaze made Nico and her pride falter. Nico tried to come up with something to say but nothing would come out of her voice receptors.

“F-Fine, okay! Nico gets it!” Nico threw her arms in the air before turning away and crossing them. After an annoyed sigh, she turned back to Honoka and Maki. “Fine, Nico’s all ears.”

Honoka turned around to look at Maki, who looked back at her from the corner of her eye before turning away. “And?”

“I-I’m not going to apologize to that robot.”

Nico gasped offendedly, but before she could say anything in return, Honoka interrupted her. “Hey! That wasn’t nice. You said you came here to apologize, so why are you insulting her again?” Maki simply huffed in response. “You’re just giving her an actual reason to be angry now, you know? And then she’s going to leave, then you would’ve come here for nothing, and then you’d feel bad for insulting her again and how you’ll never see her again and-”

“Fine! I get it!” Maki quickly turned around and covered Honoka’s mouth. “Shut up, will you! I’m sorry!”

Honoka leaned back and took a quick glimpse at Nico before going back to Maki. “Sorry to me or her?”

“To her! A-And to you too, I guess,” Maki mumbled as she started to twirl her finger in her hair once more.

Honoka looked at the Lilim, and under her gaze she gave in once more. “Fine, okay. Nico accepts your apology.”

“There! Was that so hard?” Honoka asked with a smile. “Bartender! A round of Beers for everyone!”

“I shouldn’t, but fine. Just this once.”

“Nico won’t say no to a free drink!”

Impressed would be an understatement of how Umi felt about Honoka; she had managed to calm both women and reconcile them despite how stubborn prideful they were. She had been planning to talk with Honoka but she found herself at a lack of words again.

“Three Beers,” Umi mumbled as she placed the three glass mugs on the counter.

Nico looked at the beer curiously, inspecting it from side to side and even lifting the mug to look at its bottom side. “I’ve never had a Beer that wasn’t canned.”

“Canned beers aren’t that bad, but these ones are way better!” Honoka lifted her drink and waved it, spilling a slight bit of its contents.

“In comparison to the ones I prepare, canned beers are watered down,” Umi explained.

“Craft Beer’s better,” Maki mumbled before taking a small sip of her Beer.

“Oh, you’re just full of unnecessary comments, aren’t you?” Nico glared at the doctor for a second before starting to chug her Beer.

“Whoah! That’s the way to go, Nico!” Honoka cheered on the Lilim as she petite girl kept chugging and chugging until the mug was empty. “You’ve got spirits, Nico-chan! That’s what I love about you!”

“Oh, you’re a fan?” Nico was all too pleased of having impressed another fan and smiled. She flipped her hair once, took out a marker and placed it right above the empty mug. “Do you want my autograph?”

“Oh, no no no, I couldn’t-”

“For free! For being such a good crowd for Nico’s Beer drinking.”

“No, I couldn’t have it on Umi-chan’s glass. It’s not mine,” Honoka clarified. Nico was left with her mouth wide open, not in her lifetime had she had an autograph declined for a reason like that. “Oh, you could autograph my phone!” Honoka suggested as she pulled out her phone from her pocket.

“Sure, love! Can Nico get your name?” Nico asked before jotting down her signature in Honoka’s phone. Before handing it back, Nico unlocked the password-less phone, something unfitting for a police officer, Umi thought, and activated its camera. “Wanna take a photo?”

“Oh, yeah! You bet I wanna!” Honoka nodded with excitement and placed her fingers just like Nico did.

“Hey hey, redhead! You too, pose! Get in the shot too, Umi!” Nico commanded rather than asked and the sparkling joy in Honoka’s eyes made it difficult for either of the two women to say no. To get everyone in the shot, Nico got off her seat to get a better angle and Honoka wrapped an arm around Umi’s shoulders to pull her close. Umi could feel the heat rise up to her ears and could barely move to do the Nico’s hand pose or even face the camera. Maki reluctantly put her hands like Nico before the picture was taken.

“Wow, thanks!” Honoka said with excitement as Nico handed back the phone once she made sure to send the picture to herself.

“Don’t mention it.” Nico grinned and patted Honoka’s shoulder. “And you, Maki-chan?”

“W-What?” Maki asked with slight suspicion and put the mug of Beer between her and the Lilim when she approached her.

“Gimme your phone number.”

“What? Why would I do that?”

“So I can send you the photo too, duh.”

“Who said I wanted it?” Maki glared at Nico who seemed unfazed by her defensiveness.

“Stop being so stubborn and give it to Nico! And maybe you can invite Nico somewhere to apologize properly and not in some shoddy bar in the middle of nowhere.” Nico finally glared back.

After a few moments of staring down at each other, Maki sighed and pulled out a card and a pen from her purse. Writing down something on it, she began to wave it at Nico. “Here, take it or leave it.”

Nico snagged the card and began to read it “Dr Nishikino Maki… Nishikino Medical Center… wait, this is a business card!”

“And all of my contact information is there,” Maki pointed out and turned back to the counter.

“You’re gonna have the great Nico Nii book an appointment?!”

“I wrote my phone number on the back of the card, idiot.”

Nico flipped the card. “Oh, and so it is,” Nico mumbled and pocketed the card. “Fine, well, Nico got a free drink and a pretty girl’s number, she’d say it’s been a pretty successful night.” Maki choked on her Beer when she heard Nico’s comment. “Well, Nico should leave. She needs to scout out for a nice and expensive restaurant~,” she cheerfully said her farewell and skipped out of the bar.

“I’m going to regret doing that,” Maki groaned and rested her head on the counter.

“Well, at least you’re not gonna regret not apologizing anymore!” Honoka pointed out and gave Maki a thumbs up.

Maki smiled a little bit. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Umi couldn’t help but to wonder how Nico and Maki’s first interaction would have gone if Honoka had been there.

“Ugh... I need to go,” Maki said as she slowly pulled herself up from the counter. “I have work tomorrow and I hadn’t even planned on drinking too much tonight.” Too much, she says. “It was a pleasure, officer.”

“Please, my friends call me Honoka,” Honoka corrected her and smiled before offering Maki a hand to get up. Maki blushed a little but was drunk enough to swallow her pride and take the help, even if she did not need it.

“It was nice meeting you, Honoka,” Maki said once more and waved at Umi. “Um, thanks for the drinks. They were as good as I remembered them.”

“Thanks for your patronage.”

“Bye bye, Maki-chan!” Honoka waved goodbye at the doctor and turned back to Umi once she was gone. Taking out her phone, she gleefully stared at the autograph. “Man, what a night.”

“You could say that again,” Umi mumbled and, without realizing it found herself staring at Honoka. If only more people could be like her the world would be a much better place.

“I got a selfie with Nico! And her autograph too!” Honoka hummed happily. “I’m glad she didn’t ask me to name some of her songs because I don’t remember any of their titles.” Umi would have laughed if she was not the same, but in her defense she had only heard Nico’s songs once.

Now that the two of them were alone, ignoring Rin on the other side of the bar, Umi had to steel herself for now was her chance. Her chance to find out about everything and if it all went well she could have something to look forward to beside Lily White. All she had to do was clear up all the things Umi did not know about and ask Honoka about her relationship with Kotori. What could be the worst thing that could happen-

“Hm? My relationship with Kotori-chan?”

Umi froze. Had she been thinking out loud all this time? The confused look on Honoka’s face was all the confirmation she needed and this was probably the worst thing that could have happened. How much had she even said? Her thoughts were scrambling to remember anything but the pit that she was suddenly feeling in her stomach could not let her think. Was the bar always been this stuffy? Umi could not breathe no matter how air she tried inhale.

She could only hear faint sounds of Honoka as she stepped away from the counter and out the door to the back alley.

Umi just had to ask. How hard was that? Apparently too hard because everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. Nozomi and Rin were right, she overthinks everything and now that had screwed everything up. At least out here she could finally breathe fresh air. Well, at least as fresh as it got in Neo Tokyo, certainly fresher than inside the bar. Umi pressed her back against one of the alley’s wall and slid down just before touching the ground. Hugging her legs, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. Fresh and cold air. Temperatures had been dropping with each day and tonight had gotten to the point where one could see their own breath. Umi left her coat inside, but going back to get it right now… Umi could stand in the cold for a couple more minutes. Going back in there after leaving Honoka like that would be-

“Umi-chan? Are you okay?” Honoka walked out of the bar’s back door and into the alley.

“H-Honoka?” Umi quickly stood up and dusted the rear of her skirt. It was not like she was sitting on the floor, but a fetal position was not one she wanted to be seen in. “W-What are you doing here?”

“Your co-worker told me you went out for your break, and when I asked if I could come out here she insisted I gave you a few moments and then gave me your coat too. Here,” Honoka explained and handed Umi her coat. The bartender stared at it dumbfounded for a few seconds before taking it. “Do you have panic attacks frequently?”

“U-Um… no. Last time I had one was before a BTC test back when I was in training…” Umi said as she put on her coat. She felt a slight shiver from its unworn coldness but it was better than not wearing it. Back then, Rin and Nozomi had helped her calm down in time to take the test she had forgotten to study for and in the end she breezed through the test, something she still felt embarrassed about.

“How are you feeling now?” Honoka asked before pressing her back on the wall too, next to Umi.

Umi took another deep breath and watched her breath dissipate in front of her. “Better. Thanks for asking.”

“Hey, don’t mention it.” Despite the cold temperatures, Honoka’s smile warmed Umi as always. Out in the alley actually felt warmer.

Neither spoke another word, falling into a comfortable silence. Only the faint bustling of the city reminded them that there was a whole world out there.

“Thanks for checking up on me, Honoka. A-And sorry for leaving you like that,” Umi apologized.

“It’s fine, it happens to the best of us.” Honoka’s comment made Umi smile. “Kotori-chan has had them sometimes when she stresses too much.”

Kotori again. It felt like a pang on Umi’s insides, but even so, now was the best time to ask her. Finally be able to cope with her feelings.

“U-Um, Honoka?” Honoka looked at Umi with such attentiveness that it almost hurt to make such a strong question. “W-What is your relationship with Kotori?”

“Kotori-chan?” Honoka repeated with a confused look. “Well… we’ve been friends for a long time. We’ve been through a lot of things together, highs and lows, we've known each other since we were little kids. She was even my first kiss!” Honoka reminisced with a blush and a chuckle.

Oh. Somehow, it hurt so much more than Umi had been expecting. She supposed that deep down she hoped that there was no relationship at all between the two, as awful as it sounded.

“But…” Honoka continued, looking down at the ground and kicking a littered can, “it really didn’t work out, we only dated for like a week or two. Thankfully we’re still friends and hang out a lot. Truthfully, I don’t have much going on my life so having Kotori-chan as a friend has helped me out a ton.”

Oh. Umi had never felt such a whiplash of opposite emotions in a such a short span of time, but leave it to this police officer to make it happen.

“What’s up? Are you interested in her? She’s pretty cute! She cooks the most amazing sweets, has a lovely voice, always looks out for you, she will pretty much give you free clothes if you date her…”

Umi was not sure at what point she had stopped listening, instead having focused on taking a deep breath and steel herself once more.

“No, the one I’m interested in is you, Honoka.”

“And then one time-” Umi had managed to silence Honoka. Whether it was a good or a bad signal she did not know but she tried to not let it get to her. Not now. “I uh… r-really? Me? Not Kotori-chan?”

“I don't know why you keep thinking that I’d want to date her. I barely know her, but I know that these complicated feelings I’ve had since you showed up are about you, and that… t-that I want to… d-date you.” Umi did her best to power through the embarrassment of her words.

“Well, because Kotori-chan is so much better than me. I’m clumsy, dumb, trusting to a fault, and-”

Umi shook her head and took hold of Honoka’s hand tightly. “Then, please, trust me on this. On my feelings. I… I like you, and if possible… w-would like to date you.”

Honoka could not help but to swallow some of her doubts when Umi’s gaze was as serious as it was. She felt heat crawl up to her ears, growing self conscious of how much Umi was staring at her. “Kotori-chan only managed to up with me for like a week, you know?”

“I’m not Kotori.”

“Then… I think I’d like to see you more often. Outside the bar.”

“Are we… not outside the bar?” Umi asked, confused. She could not help but to look around the alley. “Or do you mean-”

Honoka interrupted the bartender by giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I meant on dates.”

It took a couple of second for Umi to realize what had just happened, her face flushing red. “H-Honoka!” she yelled and pushed Honoka away.

“Y-Yeah?” Honoka laughed heartily, seeing Umi’s face as red as it was.

“T-Tell me if you’re going to k..! To…! To k-kiss me,” Umi’s roaring voice quickly turned the meekest Honoka had ever heard Umi talk.

Honoka laughed some more, much to the bartender’s dismay. After wiping away a tear, Honoka took a deep breath to compose herself. “Umi-chan, can I kiss you?”

Umi’s blush only got worse, something neither of them were aware was even possible. “A-Actually being asked is worse. Please don’t ask if you can kiss me.”

“Then… I can?”

After another deep breath, Umi sighed and nodded. “Y-Yes… you can.”

Honoka smiled, and despite her embarrassment, Umi smiled back. Honoka took hold of one of Umi’s hands, their fingers entwining as she leaned closer to Umi. Closing her eyes, Honoka kissed Umi on the lips, this time savoring the moment, her other arm pulling Umi closer.

The sudden noise of the back door sliding open startled both girls, breaking the kiss to find Rin staring with her mouth wide open.

“Oh! Sorry, keep going!” Rin waved at them and backed up. “Nozomi! Umi-chan and the cop were making ou-!” As the door closed, the soundproofed walls of L1-L1 WH80 cut off the rest of the cat boomer’s announcement.

It would also soundproof Umi’s pending fury upon her co-worker.

“Umi-chan, could we stay like this for a bit?”

Well, all of that could wait. She knew that if a police officer ever asked her something, the best course of action would be to simply agree with them.

A/N:  And it's done! Thank you so much for reaching this finish line alongside me. This is my first multi-chapter fic that I've managed to finish, and honestly, it feels pretty great. It also feels like I've lifted a huge weight off my back and can now guiltlessly write other thingies. Some actual Christmas ideas and prompts have taken the back seat this past week so I could finally finish this. All the feedback that I received was a huge motivation to continue this AU I came up with half a year ago, so I truly appreciate all of you.

L1-L1 WH-80 is done! This last chapter came out as the longest one yet (actually each chapter got progressively longer) and I think this is chapter alone is my longest piece yet, coming out at almost 6k. A number not too impressive when compared to others but this is a new benchmark for me, hopefully one that I'll surpass one day. If the ending was disappointing, I apologize for not living up to the expectations. I always wanted to finish it up in the back alley, a setting that was also present in VA-11 HALL-A. The only one I couldn't get a chance to recreate was Jill's apartment, but I didn't want to take the story outside the bar.

Oh hey, and apparently I took so long a VA-11 HALL-A sequel was announced. Yikes!

I would love to revisit this AU and explore other characters and other parts of this setting, so look forward to that at some point in the future :)

I’d like to thank @bcheddar13 @saberin @master-thief-gray-shadow and @grayneigh for helping me out a ton by beta-ing this project for me.

Hopefully I'll get to post something before the 31st, but if not, happy holidays everyone.

[elysianinsignia]

JOURNAL

                                        by: Nerlyn Jane Cardinas

Life isn't worth it, sometimes it will bring people to despair until it becomes useless. All this time I let myself be taken for granted by others until I am empty. Last year, October 1 and 7 days before my debut was a very exhausting and painful year for me. I rushed things up and gave someone the benefit of the doubt, ending myself more complicated. Everything was okay and I was truly happy until that person left me. I don't know why because we are okay and we’re in a healthy relationship. His love fades into oblivion and that hurts me so much since he's the only man I strongly stand and introduce in my family. I was too attached to him that I was distracted so much in many aspects of my life. After that day I was always asking my worth and everything was a mess. He was my peace in war yet I learned to love the hate in him.

It took time for me to accept things, hyperventilate-crying is present every night. I let myself be exhausted in school work, lack of sleep, isolation and not eating at the right time leads me to depression. I was not prepared for the pain he might cause me. I thought Depression and Anxiety is just a display and a word for someone however at that moment I vividly understood everything. I was afraid to tell my parents that I was suffering such emptiness and anxiousness .Financial problems were occurring and problems continued to pull me back to where I should be. All I could feel at that moment was darkness . A person drowning herself in the sea of unknown thoughts inside an isolated gloaming room.

Almost two weeks had passed, I was unable to handle myself and thoughts inside my mind. Near the end of my own life, I was blank, unconscious and couldn't hold back myself anymore but with a miraculous event I immediately stopped and cried. My close friend/ classmate only knows what I do. I decided to take a break from all the thoughts and distract myself so I went to Gensan, however life was so good for me. Almost a month and successfully distract and slowly accept things, my mother’s sister that I considered as my own mother was hospitalized and suffering from a Leukemia and it's just not that cause my father’s prostate gland is dilated, he has also a bile sludge that hinder him to walk properly and in pain every minute. I cannot fathom why these things happened to me. The cacophony of thoughts was in me, I am too tired of these things and pain. I go home after I know about the condition of my father even though I was stuck between helping them to take care of everything in Gensan or help and care for my own father. 

After three months, the whole family was in grief because my umi passed away. Honestly I blindly did not know how severe my umi was, so I expected things might end up like this. However even though I was prepared for these things, the pain is still there and it's Inevitable. On the other hand, I am proud to say I am able to enjoy life with utmost peace in me, understand and love myself more as I could. It was cliché to hear but yes self-love, happiness and self-improving is my priority. According to Sir Jayron “Self-love is not selfish, it is the best love" a statement where I could hold on and mark myself. My father's condition is not okay, having trouble financially that inhibits us from continuing his session. As of now I didn't know how to help financially since I was still studying but I know with the grace of the lord he will provide everything. These are the significant events or battles that I silently fought and continue to fight in my daily life. If I retrospect what happened I can say that it’s all worth It. Life is worth it, you should find what and who you are living for. I may face and feel defeated but with the Lord I always have my Victory.

[alargebear]

There Is No Luck In Love

Summary: Questions, but not fears, lead Umi to an important talk.

Word count: 1.7k

Pairing: HonoKotoUmi

Links: AO3  FFnet

Note: A gift for @jeremydoolzey for the Love Live Secret Santa 2017. I saw you liked HonoKotoUmi and domestic fluff so I tried running with that. Though I’m not all to sure about the domestic part. The title sounds a bit sad but I promise it isn’t. I really hope you like it and that you had a very happy holiday and will have a wonderful New year. 

At first, Umi wondered if they were moving at too quick a pace. There was never a set time frame for these types of things, Honoka and Kotori always made sure she knew that. But, going from childhood friends to roommates, and eventually becoming some odd combination of love they called a healthy relationship seemed so strange. Umi would be the first to admit that she didn’t have a single clue when it came to real-world romance, but what exactly the three had, she had a much harder time pinning down. An odd thought that she couldn’t escape, often wondering if Honoka and Kotori ever thought the same.

It was never a doubt of what they had together. Umi loved Kotori and Honoka more than she could ever come to articulate. That was never the question. Just the odd thought about how they could be so lucky, and what allowed them to live such a blissful life together. She could hear them now, calling her a big sap. Maybe she was.

The tv droned on with some new romance that Honoka and Kotori had gotten wrapped up in. Umi sat comfortably warm in the middle of their sofa, a single blanket large enough for the three of them allowed her to relish in the intimate contact with her two friends.

No. Girlfriends. Umi still had to correct herself at times. A lifetime of friendship would do that to a person.

Uninterested in the show, Umi stole a quick glance toward Honoka. Their faces only a few inches apart, and the first thing Umi could make out, like always, was that exuberant smile. Even in the heat of some drama filled scene, Honoka looked on like she was filled pure joy. None of that was anything new to Umi’s eyes. Honoka always smiled, and when Umi was able to get caught up in that smile like she was, it reminded her of that first moment of realization.

It was one of Honoka’s smiles that was just for her that made Umi’s heart speed up a hair more than usual. That moment a handful of years ago that sparked a desire she didn’t know she had. A love that Umi had been so sure would never come to fruition. It was one of the very few times that she would say she was wrong with so much pride. Being able to see that smile so intimately every single day was a blessing that Umi was so thankful for.

“Are you alright, Umi?” Honoka turned her head and whispered.

Umi tensed and eyes shot back toward the screen. A blush on her cheeks so bright it could be picked out in the glow of the tv. “Everything’s fine.”

Honoka stared for a moment longer but didn’t press. Instead, pressing her weight further into Umi. “If you say so, but you should really be watching the show. This part is super intense.”

Umi couldn’t focus on anything but her warm cheeks and thudding heart. Embarrassment so strong she felt like a high-schooler again. A gentle hand on her back kept her from slipping too far into that embarrassment. She knew from the touch and gentle knowingness that it was Kotori’s. Gentle fingers rubbed up and down in a specific motion only known after years together. A calm that she was sure could never be rivaled.

If Honoka was the brightness that pulled Umi’s feelings out than Kotori was the reassurance that things could turn out alright. That moment in their third year where Umi accidentally spilled her newfound love of Honoka, and it was met with nothing but a smile and encouragement. A moment that could never be forgotten, and so vivid it could be recalled without the slightest hint of hesitation. The moment Umi understood that her love wasn’t, and couldn't be, limited to Honoka.

What made her so lucky that things turned out so right? Umi knew she may never get an answer, or at least one that stopped those thoughts. Never negative, but always filling her with a sense of strange wonder.

“You’re so tense, Umi.” Kotori kept her fingers sliding up and down as the credits started to roll. “What’s wrong.”

Umi kept her head down. Even being squished between two bodies of pure love wasn’t enough to break those habits. The embarrassment came much too easy, and that may never change.

“So something is wrong,” Honoka said, head resting on Umi’s shoulder. “You said everything was okay a minute ago.”

“Everything is okay.” Umi choked out an excuse. “I've just been thinking about us.”

“That’s never good.” Honoka didn’t waste a second.

“Honoka.” Kotori looked to the other end of the sofa before looking back to Umi. “Umi is this about what it was last time.”

Umi sighed, nodding. Nothing ever got past Kotori, and hiding things from Honoka’s smile was a crime.

“I still don’t get what you meant last time you talked about it.” Honoka picked her head up, facing Umi. “You kept asking why we’re so lucky to be together, but I don’t think we’re lucky. I think we love each other a whole bunch and that’s why we’re together.”

“I know that.” Umi’s voice leveled out, the tremble from earlier fading as she could always find courage in being close to Kotori and Honoka. “We all l-love each other and that’s why we are together like this.”

“Than what’s the problem?” Kotori asked. “Because I didn’t get it too much either.”

Vocalizing her concerns was hard, and Umi took a second before continuing. “I don’t understand why we get to be so lucky. Not just two of us, but all three of us got to be with the people we love. How often does something like that happen?”

Kotori kept her hand still on Umi’s back. “Not very often.”

“That’s what I mean.” Umi looked between her girlfriends. “We’re so lucky. I don’t want to take all this for granted. We have a house together and now we spend time together as lovers. It’s all very amazing.”

“It is.” Kotori pushed her shoulder closer into Umi’s, tugging the blanket in tighter.

“But do you really think it was lucky?” Honoka asked.

:”How couldn’t it be?” Umi’s voice was more frantic, less composed. “So many people don’t ever get to be with the one they love, let alone two, and you guys are my oldest and most precious friends to boot. I can’t think of anything other than luck that lead to this moment.”

“Well, then what about that time in elementary school when we climbed that tree and saw the sunset?” Honoka’s smile went from a pure joy to a rare subdued love. “That was amazing.”

“Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with what I’m saying?” Umi asked.

“Oh, or what about that time in middle school when we all had a secret sleepover at Umi’s because Honoka failed a test and didn’t want to go home?” Kotori spoke up, ignoring Umi. “That was the first time Umi ever called her best friends to our face.”

“Or what about when Umi confessed to both of us at the same time with letters even though we lived in the same house?” Honoka chuckled. “I don’t think luck had a whole lot to do with that.”

“What about how she always watches all these shows with us even though we know she doesn't like them at all.” Kotori didn’t miss a beat. “That sounds more like dedication than luck.”

“I don’t get you two.” Umi huffed, tugging the blanket in closer. “What does any of this have to do with what I was talking about.”

“What we’re trying to say,” Honoka said. “Is that none of this was luck.”

“Yeah, Honoka’s right on this one, Umi,” Kotori said.

“How? I don’t get any of this at all.” Frustration took the place of embarrassment in Umi’s voice. Getting outsmarted by Honoka was always a foreign feeling. “You don’t think we’re lucky to have what we do?”

“Nope.” Kotori and Honoka said in unison.

“And you think that because of some random stuff we did when we were younger and that I watch stuff with you guys even though I don’t want to?”

“Yup.” Another group answer.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Umi sighed. “Could you please explain it a bit easier for me, than? Because I never do like having these thoughts.”

“We’re childhood friends who fell in love and do whatever we can to make sure everyone’s happy. We have a history of deep friendship, and now we all try as hard as we can to make our relationship work.” Kotori explained with a self-satisfied smirk. “How’s that for an answer?”

“That doesn't sound like luck to me.” Honoka slid an arm around Umi’s waist. “You always talk about hard work, Umi. Well, doesn't that go for relationships, too? If we all try to make things work, there isn't any luck involved. Because I love you, and I love Kotori, and I want things to stay that way.”

Umi sniffled. All it feeling dumb in retrospect. She could picture all those moments of trying so well. Those handwritten letters that were agonized over for months, all the corny romances she sat through to have something to talk about later, and those late night dinners she’d make when Kotori and Honoka worked late never sounded like work toward making their relationship stable. But, with Kotori and Honoka’s words swirling in her mind, that effort was just that, effort. Years of friendship and months of making their relationship work didn’t sound all that much like luck.

“I love you two.” Umi’s voice was a near whisper as she leaned back, two arms around her waist and heads on each of her shoulders.

Kotori and Honoka shared a look. “And we love you, too.”

There was something odd in the pit of Umi’s stomach as the next episode started. It was full as if things had finally fallen into place. As if she’d found the place she wanted to spend the rest of her life. A tough to describe feeling she would make a reality.

[mackinmacki]

Down By the Water: Purrfect Partners II (Ch. 5 - Assessing the Damage)

Rating: K

Word Count: 2523

Summary: The guardians get their time in the spotlight, with Umi trying to figure out how to get used to this whole 'guardianship' thing.

Links: (FFN) | (AO3)

"I didn't really expect this to be how it went..." Umi frowned to herself, idly parting the clouds beneath her to look at the Earth below. Kanan was still laying on her bed, staring unmoving at the ceiling. She could feel the girl's frustration and guilt pummeling her senses. Her first charge was a tough nut to crack, that was for sure. She hadn't even been able to approach her in feline form because she knew that Kanan wasn't yet ready. Would she ever be?

"That tends to be how it is when it's your first charge." She looked up to find Maki approaching her, taking a seat next to her with a small smile on her face. It reminded her of a random conversation she'd had with Eli some time ago, though time was rather relative when it came to angels. According to the veteran guardian, it had taken quite a lot to break Maki out of her shell. She had been either shy or abrasive, sometimes simultaneously. By the time Umi had joined their ranks, however, Maki seemed much more approachable. She was still somewhat reserved, more than any other member of their little group, but Umi had never experienced any problems communicating with her. Assumedly Eli was to thank for that.

"She's just so... stubborn." Sighing, Umi laid back and stared up at the endless skies of white and gold. "If she just listened to Mari, my work wouldn't even be required."

"At least she keeps you in business, right?" Another voice entered the conversation: this time it was Eli. Chuckling quietly, she took a seat on the other side of Umi, making her quickly sit back up. "I know it's tough to figure out what to do when you can't even really communicate with your charge."

"Without breaking the rules, anyway," Maki chimed in, glancing over at Eli. Eli blushed and coughed into her fist, deciding it was best not to look Maki's way.

"I don't want to give up, though." Umi's concern changed to determination, looking towards Eli. "I want to prove that I'm deserving of my guardianship. Things will work out if Kanan and Mari just talk to each other without all the vitriol. But how will I get them together..."

"You should ask Honoka." Umi looked at Eli with a perplexed expression. The same Honoka who ended up disguising herself as a dog rather than a cat like the others? Not like she was the only one, though... and one person in particular she couldn't say anything bad about."I know it may not seem like it, but Honoka actually comes up with a lot of plans."

"Are they any good?"

"Well..."

"No." Maki was sometimes too blunt for her own good, even now. "But you can just take her advice and modify it so it's... well, better." Ouch. Good thing Honoka wasn't around to hear that.

"Well, it's better than nothing." She smiled and stood up, giving both of them a grateful look. "Thank you, you two. I'm glad I can come to you for advice." She walked off after that, assumedly to find Honoka. Eli caught Maki's eye, smirking at her.

"Wh-What's that smirk for?"

"It sounds like Umi can come to you for advice now, huh?" Eli couldn't stop grinning, patting Maki on the shoulder. "You're a regular senpai now, aren't you?"

"Don't say that!" Maki was blushing rather fiercely, swatting Eli's hand away and beginning to pout. "That sounds so weird." It totally didn't sound nice to be considered a mature senpai that someone could go get advice from. ...Okay, so maybe it was a little appealing. She could get used to this, actually. Not that she'd ever say that out loud, though.

"Maki, you're smiling about it, aren't you?"

"Liar! I've never smiled."

"I still can't believe they fell into the ocean." Honoka burst into giggles after mentioning Chika and Riko falling into the water for the third time. She couldn't help it: it wasn't often that she got to experience something that funny firsthand. Or firstpaw, rather. Plus, Rin was a perfect audience, laughing every time it was mentioned. Kotori would laugh politely as well, but she wouldn't fall into hysterics like the ginger duo.

"You and Maki have your work cut out of you." Rin kept giggling, thinking about the two of them hanging around together. It made sense, since their charges lived next door to each other, but the two of them had such different personalities. Since her own charge wasn't yet ready for her grand appearance, maybe she could spend some time watching the fireworks that were bound to happen.

"It'll be fun!" Oh Honoka, ever the optimist. "We can hang around the inn together, and I can chase her around outside! It's the natural order of the animal kingdom, after all."

"I think she'd claw your face off before that happens."

"How are you going to get closer to her anyway?" Kotori brought up a more serious point, drawing attention towards her. "Chika's family already has a dog. What if they don't want another pet?"

"I've thought of that already." Honoka's face was surprisingly serious, mixed with her usual determination. "I just have to be a guardian for her. That doesn't mean I have to be her pet, as long as I'm there for her. Besides, she's like Rin's charge: she's not ready yet. When she is, though, I'll be there to keep guiding her."

"Aww Honoka, that's so mature of you!" Kotori beamed brightly, pulling Honoka into a hug and ruffling her hair. "You're such a good girl! A very good girl!"

"Kotoriii, I'm not a dog!" Honoka pouted and wriggled around in Kotori's grasp. "...Okay, wait, scratch right there. Oh yeah, that's nice. That's incredible!" A loud cough caused them both to look up, finding Umi staring down at them, one eyebrow cocked up.

"Umi!" Kotori stood up with a jolt, letting Honoka crash down to the ground. Smiling brightly, she bounded over to Umi and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, making her blush. Rin cupped her hands and shouted 'Ooooh!' "How are you doing today?"

"I'm... I'm doing fine." Though embarrassed, she returned Kotori's kiss, which made her smile even brighter. "I wanted to speak with Honoka, actually." Hearing her name, Honoka sat up with a nervous expression.

"I didn't touch Kotori, I swear! She was ruffling my hair, that's all!"

"That... wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about. Though maybe it should be now." Honoka paled at that. She didn't want Umi to try and shoot her with an arrow... again. "Anyway, come on. I need to talk to you." She went over and took Honoka's hand, pulling her onto her feet and away from Kotori and Rin.

"What, over there? Away from any other witnesses?"

"God is the only witness you need." Honoka immediately started praying, shooting one last desperate look at Kotori. All she got back was a simple smile. She was going to die, wasn't she?

Umi took her over to the tables that the original four used to sit at, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Before you say anything, I'm not here to berate you about anything. I wanted to ask you for advice, actually."

"Advice? From me?" Honoka sat down across from Umi, utterly perplexed. Out of all of them, why wouldn't she go to Eli for advice? She'd never gotten the impression that Umi thought she was anything more than the big, excitable dog that Kotori had. "What about?"

"About my charge. I asked Eli, but she said I should ask you. I don't know why."

"Oh, so I was your last resort choice, then?"

"Should I get my bow?"

"No ma'am." Honoka laughed nervously, leaning forward on the table. "So what's going on with your charge?"

"She's hard to handle," Umi admitted, leaning back in her chair and groaning. "I don't get why she's acting like this. When did teenagers start acting so... moody?"

"Since ever, Umi. That's just how teenagers act... and how some adults act too." Honoka laughed, though she still didn't understand why Eli had said she would be helpful. Chika wasn't anywhere close to moody. "You just have to let them talk it out."

"I know, but I don't know how to get them to talk it out. She needs to speak with Mari, but she won't listen to reason. How am I supposed to get near her when she's not ready?" Umi sighed and put an elbow on the table, resting her chin on her hand. "I don't know how to help her."

"Well..." It was becoming clearer to Honoka what Eli meant by her being able to help. She was talking about the plan Honoka had put into action, starting with leading Chika over to Riko. Then that meant there was something similar Umi could do with Kanan. Yeah, that made sense. "What you need to do is not necessarily push yourself into her life. You just need to... guide her."

"How do I do that?"

"There are ways you can make things happen without revealing yourself to your charge. You just need to get Kanan over to Mari, and make sure they keep interacting so that eventually they'll hopefully start talking it out. Oh!" Honoka suddenly had a big smile on her face. "Nozomi is Mari's charge! She can help you with that!"

"Oh... I... could do that..." Umi shuddered thinking about trying to team up with Nozomi. Out of all the members of their group, she was the most teasing, something that Umi was overly susceptible too. Her pride and embarrassment would get in the way, allowing Nozomi to get under her skin. If it was the only way, though... "I'll go talk to her, then..."

"That's the spirit!" Umi stood up to go find Nozomi, with Honoka clapping her on the back for support. She smiled, but it was a strained one. Hopefully they could work together without blowing their covers right off the bat.

"You're incorrigible, really." Nico sighed and did an unnecessary hair flip. It wasn't that she was surprised Nozomi had decided to take the form of a stupid trash cat, but she still felt the need to complain about it. "Everybody's supposed to be a regular cat, you know? I can't believe your charge is crazy enough to take in a wild raccoon."

"Is it really that surprising?" Despite her choice of animal, Nozomi purred like a cat. A devious little minx. "After all, your charge was crazy enough to take you in."

"You eat food from the trash. Don't even talk to me right now."

"We shouldn't argue..." Hanayo twiddled her thumbs nervously, her eyes darting between Nico's glare and Nozomi's smug smile. "Everybody's a wonderful guardian, no matter which animal they chose."

"That's right, Nico." Grinning, Nozomi grabbed Hanayo's face and squished her cheeks. "Panacchi here is a bunny, after all. Do you think her charge is crazy for taking her in?" Despite having a look only of surprise, Nico still felt guilty looking into Hanayo's eyes. She hadn't even been talking about her! That was all for Nozomi.

"I wasn't talking about Hanayo, and you know it." She grumbled and crossed her arms, looking away from both of them. Things were able to settle down after that, with Nozomi releasing Hanayo's cheeks and sitting back down. Soon, her smile was replaced by a look that was more contemplative in nature. It didn't take Nico long to notice. "What's with that face?"

"It's my face, Nicocchi."

"You're about to lose that face." Nico just sighed and rolled her eyes. This was the same Nozomi she'd had to deal with for decades. "Why are you looking so... sad, or something?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about something." Nozomi leaned back on her hands, noticing that Nico was waiting for her to continue. "I really like Mari. She reminds me of me, actually. A little bit, anyway. I feel like there's a connection there, like that's why I was chosen to be her guardian. It's fate, you know?"

"Is it? I didn't really see it like that." Nico shrugged, used to Nozomi's talk of fate and the spiritual by now. "Besides, I'm nothing like my charge, but I'm her guardian, so what does that say?" Nozomi gave her a look. "Don't give me that look. I know what look that is. That's your 'You say that, but you're actually more alike than you care to admit' look, and that's a lie. You go to hell. You go to hell and you die."

"That's a very specific look," Hanayo murmured. She had been thinking about the same thing as Nozomi, though. "I feel the same way, though. Ruby is a lot like me when I was her age, but with a sister. Though Nico was kind of like my older sister at times." That made Nico beam with pride.

"Really? She always looked like your younger sister to me." Her smile and optimism: gone. Wasn't her suffering supposed to be finished when she went to Heaven? She was going to say something back, and assuredly it was something good, but Umi suddenly showed up. Looking at the three of them, she looked somewhat awkward.

"Uhm, can I talk to Nozomi, please?" She looked at Nico and Hanayo. "Privately." Immediately Hanayo's face went red as she covered her mouth. Nico started grinning, while Nozomi pretended to be shocked. She wasn't doing a good job of not smiling, though.

"Oh Umi, I'm flattered, but I'm already spoken for." Umi quickly followed Hanayo in the blushing category.

"Th-That is not what I'm talking about! Just come on! Please?" She knew this was a bad idea. Of course she'd be teased immediately. At least Nozomi didn't pile on any more. She just smiled and walked away from the others, with Umi following her. Usually these kind of talks were reserved for the table that the original four guardians always sat at, but this time Nozomi took her to a gilded bench. She sat down and patted the seat next to her, which Umi took.

"So what's on your mind, Umi?"

"Well, I was talking to Honoka about my charge, and she's... well, really stubborn. I want to help her, because she's hurting herself and her friends unnecessarily, but I can't do it. Not on my own. Since this involves Mari, and she's your charge, I was hoping you could... help me?"

"Oh? You want to team up?" Nozomi smiled brightly, slinging an arm over Umi's shoulders. "I'd love to! I don't even need to know what we're doing. We can be the dynamic duo! The saucy spiritualist and the stoic Sonoda! Ooh, let's come up with a theme song!"

"Who would we even be introducing ourselves to?..." She was going to get Honoka back for this suggestion. Well, if it all worked out, then at least the end would justify the means... right?

"We can get Maki to play the piano, and Nico will be our singer!" Yup, Honoka was toast.

[24hs]

break open, break through

summary: Kotori meant to leave her heart locked after a heartbreak. (Umi Sonoda hasn’t received the note.)

Maki breaks hearts along her way to true love. (Nico Yazawa is hiding her heart, but it gets dragged onto her sleeve.)

pairings: kotoumi / nicomaki

genre: fluff / angst

words: 10 k

warnings: very mild description of nsfw topics ; swearing 

also readable on ao3

please listen to this song for kotoumi and to this song for nicomaki ~

The most striking thing about Maki Nishikino is her hair.

It’s not the most attractive thing, of course - that would be her very pretty, very rare smile, Kotori decides -, but it does catch everyone’s eyes.

Kotori is not an exemption ; when a flash of bright red hair passes her, she’s fallen.

Their kisses are intense, in all kind of ways. Sweet and slow pink, they warm Kotori’s stomach ; hot and fast and red, they make Kotori pull Maki closer.

Their thing - affair, relationship, love, whatever it is - feels right.

(At least to Kotori, it does.)

“Hey”, Kotori places a quick kiss on Maki’s cheek when she arrives in the bar. She doesn’t notice Maki quickly whipping away the kiss’s ghost with a tissue while she’s arranging a chair for herself.

“Have you been waiting for long?”, Kotori asks, sitting down next to her. They’re by the bar, near the exit. The building is pretty empty - besides Kotori and Maki, there’s only a few guys and a black haired girl in it.

“Not at all”, Maki answers, taking off her jacket and revealing a short top underneath. Kotori’s gaze lingers on her cleavage for a moment before getting comfortable on her own.

“Do you want anything?” Kotori waves with a small menu in her hand, and Maki nods.

They order their drinks, and when they’re eventually sipping on them, silence falls over them like a heavy cloak.

“Hey, Maki”, Kotori suddenly asks, “what’s your favorite color?”

Maki kind of chokes on her drink. “Excuse me?”, she coughs, face red.

“Your… your favorite color”, Kotori slowly says, taken aback by her reaction, “What is it?”

“Why does it matter?”

Kotori can’t help but frown. Everything else with Maki comes easy to her, but talking is hard. Kotori isn’t dumb - she can see Maki has problems opening up, not to her especially, but to everyone.

“Maki?”

“I don’t want to be your girlfriend.”

Apparently, Kotori isn’t smart enough to see that Maki doesn’t want to open up.

“I’m sorry”, Maki breathes, “but I’m not exactly… looking for something serious. I’m really sorry.”

Kotori blinks. “It’s alright”, she croaks, ignoring her heart stopping in her chest, “I will just…”

She grabs her jacket with awkward, clumsy movements and stands still in front of Maki for a moment before she hurries out of the bar. (She wishes she hadn’t looked back to Maki. She really didn’t have to see the relieve in her almost-girlfriend’s eyes.)

When Kotori steps out of the bar, she closes her ears and exhales.

She heads to her holiday home, ignoring her stinging eyes and throat and her heart, whose pieces seem to rip her chest apart.

Maki doesn’t have a favorite color.

She chased away one perfectly well, pretty, charming and smart girl because she didn’t want to tell her about her favorite color. (And she doesn’t even have one.)

Kind of reminds her how she broke up with that Rin girl because she bought them matching key chains.

(To be fair, they were two cats with lots of hearts and it was pretty romantic and it made Maki panic.)

Maki has found out that she’s not a relationship person in those past years. (She has gotten tired of hurting people, even if they don’t mean the world - or anything - to her. She does feel kind of bad for it.

Besides that, the plates that are sometimes thrown at her by her ex-lovers are mostly her own and she’s way too lazy to buy new ones after every breakup.)

She sips on her drink, trying to put Kotori’s left cocktail out of her eyesight by placing it on the very edge of her table.

She’s so focused on a mind without the incident from earlier in it she doesn’t notice the black haired girl from earlier sitting down on Kotori’s - former - seat.

Maki stares at her as the stranger grabs Kotori’s abandoned cocktail and takes a sip.

She has big, red eyes and the pink lipstick on her lips is slightly smudged. “Wow, she has a good taste”, she says.

“Excuse me?”, Maki deadpans, still stunned by this sudden appearance.

“I’m talking about the drink.” Pink Lipstick’s mouth turns into a smirk and Maki’s expression changes to a frown.

“I’ve noticed you curving that poor girl, so I thought I should check on you. Are you alright?”

Maki blinks, then she blurts out, “Are you trying to flirt with me?”

The faintest of a blush crosses Pink Lipstick’s face. “I’m not, I swear. Are you alright?”

“Are you trying to be my friend?”

Maki gets stared down, before she gets asked, “you’re kind of blunt, aren’t you?”

Maki leans back on her seat, crossing her arms.

Pink Lipstick crunches her nose. “You just looked kind of sad earlier, but if you don’t to believe that, I can go. Sorry for bothering.”

She stands up, and Maki’s mind goes blank - she panics, and out of an instinct she grabs the girl’s’ sleeve.

“Hey”, Maki says.

(Oh god, Nishikino, don’t go there.)

“I’m alright, I swear, but sit down.” It comes off as an order when Maki wanted it to sound friendly, so she clears her throat and tries again, “I could need a friend right now. Please, stay.”

(Maki’s secret vow not to hurt anyone vanishes slowly into the back of her head as Pink Lipstick sits down again and they start talking.)

Kotori zips up her jacket when she steps out of the car, the sudden cold stinging in her face.

Unfortunately, time passes quickly when you’re doing only thing - grieving, in Kotori’s case, over what could have been -, so the summer was over in the span of a tear falling to the ground. (She would know.)

She glances upon the building, students chattering and laughing next to her while making their way to it.

Kotori sighs and heads to the inside.

She doesn’t tell anyone about Maki. Partly because she can’t bear to spend another thought on her, partly because she feels she’s already over her. Bringing up the whole topic again, having to chew all through it again, it would be useless. (That’s what she tells herself.)

“Kotori! How were your holidays? It sucks that you had no reception in your holiday home”, Honoka greets her, gesturing her to sit down next to her. They’re having lunch, Kotori hasn’t seen her for weeks since she spent her vacation abroad. Also, from what Kotori can tell, they don’t seem to have any classes together. (Which “totally sucks”, as Honoka puts it, since “without Kotori she’ll be falling asleep in class”.)

“I missed you too”, Kotori smiles, sitting down. “How have you been? Did you have to help a lot in the shop?”

Honoka pouts. “You have no idea! I’ve barely relaxed this summer.”

Kotori laughs with her when Honoka complains about making sweets all day, and she does feel a bit lighter. (It’s kind of like the pause in between heavy rain ; in which the grave, gray clouds are still hanging in the sky, but in which there’s also light. In which you can see.)

They’re interrupted by Hanayo hurrying to their table. “Hey”, she squeals, out of breath, and lets herself fall into the chair next to Kotori. “Second years have different lunch times than third years now”, she sighs, looking so miserable Kotori grabs her hand and squeezes it under the table. “You’ll be fine, Honoka and I will just hang out here a little longer so we can spend more time with you.” Hanayo gives her a shy smile, and Kotori beams back.

“I forgot we’re third years now”, Honoka cries, burying her face in her hands. “We’re going to graduate this year, Kotori!”

“I haven’t forgotten”, Kotori chuckles, patting Hanayo’s hand one last time before gently letting go.

“I feel like a lot is going to happen this year.”

They’re on their way home, well, at least to the Nishikino’s holiday resident, and it’s dark and it’s cold and Maki has the time of her life.

Nico’s the name of the girl with the black hair, red eyes and the smudged pink lipstick, Maki has discovered. She has found out a lot of things in the past hours - she knows that Nico is on the island for a vacation job, not for actual vacation, because she has three siblings and no money at all. (Yet they don’t live far from each other, neither on the island nor at home. If Maki believed in it, she would call it fate.)

She learns that Nico likes to make people laugh, she can tell by the way Nico is acting things out, everything slightly exaggerated, and she doesn’t make Maki laugh, but smile a lot. (Maki feels like she hasn’t genuinely smiled in a long time.)

Nico’s favorite color is pink.

They arrive way too early.

“Thanks for today”, Maki says, and she means it. She hasn’t thought about Kotori or the nagging guilt in her stomach in a while, and it’s all thanks to Nico.

“No problem.” Nico bites on the inside of her cheek. “Can I see you again?”

It’s shy, sweet almost, but something in Maki shifts at her words.

“I’m.. no”, she splutters, and Nico raises an eyebrow. (Yet Maki sees the hurting in her eyes. She hates it.)

“I can’t see you again because I can’t allow you to fall in love with me.”

There’s a pause.

“You must really think you’re the shit, Nishikino.” Nico tilts her head, and her usual smirk appears in her eyes again, her eyes not revealing any of the hurt they have portrayed before. “I’m not going to fall in love with you. I promise.”

She pulls out a pen from her bag, grabs Maki’s wrist and writes her number on her hand, in thick black.

Maki glances at the prettily swung numbers, the written out swear Nico has given to her.

“See you, Nishikino.” Nico stands on her toes and gently kisses her on the cheek, but it’s alright, because she promised. Maki trusts promises.

I’m not going to fall in love with you.

Maki believes in promises.

So she pulls Nico into her house, despite Nico having wanted to go home earlier, and they spend the night on Maki’s bed, talking and smiling and being.

Kotori meets the new student right after she thinks of Maki, and maybe that’s why she can’t get her out of her head.

Her hair is of a deep blue, black almost ; it reminds Kotori of the ocean’s color before a storm.

A flash of dark blue hair passes her and she’s-

“Good morning“, the students starts talking after a gesture of their teacher. Her voice is quiet, but stable and calm, and it gives Kotori goosebumps. (It’s kind of similar to mild wind, idly embracing your skin.)

“My name is Umi Sonoda. I’ve attended Otonokizaka so far, but due its closure, I’ll be going to this school.”

Umi Sonoda.

Kotori suppresses mouthing the words ; she knows anyway it’ll sound as pretty as flowers blooming in her mouth.

(Oh god, Kotori, don’t go there.)

Dismissed by their teacher, Umi walks up to the only empty seat the classroom has, in front of Kotori.

(Her steps are firm and quick without looking hasty ; Umi Sonoda has got the characteristics of a panther, Kotori decides.)

They maintain eye contact, and even if it’s only a second, Kotori feels her heart electrify. Umi’s eyes are golden, and combined with her blue hair, Kotori’s immediately reminded of a Van Gogh painting.

(Something beautiful, but you can’t truly put your finger on it ; it’s slipping right through your hands.)

Umi averts her eyes and Kotori can breathe again.

She spends the rest of the lesson drilling her stare into Umi’s back of her head.

“Do you know anything about the student that transferred to us?”, Kotori asks Honoka. They’re walking around in the city, without a specific goal as they had just eaten dinner.

“No, I barely know her, really”, Honoka thinks about it, “what was her name? Umiko?”

“Just Umi”, Kotori breathes, then she nods, shaking off her tension. “She’s in my chemistry class.”

It’s just a whisper, but, “she’s pretty.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Ah, nothing. Hey, do you wanna go to the arcade?”

“Can I ask you something?”, Nico asks. Under different circumstances, Maki’s heart would start racing - or stop, maybe -, but they’re playing Mario Kart and despite never having played it before, Maki has gotten really into it. (Like, really really. She didn’t talk to Nico for a whole lap after same snatched the first place from her.)

“Sure”, Maki mumbles under her breathe before she pans her plastic steering wheel to the left. (Bowser heavily rams Baby Peach and Nico scoffs. “Asshole, I was in first place!” Maki grins victoriously.)

“What happened between you and that girl in the bar you broke up with?”

Bowser crashes into a wall.

“I- really don’t-“, Maki stutters, her remote almost falling out of her hands.

“No, I’m sorry”, Nico quickly adds. “Just don’t. You don’t have to tell me.”

Maki bites the inside of her cheeks. Kotori’s name has been spilled, but she didn’t bother to explain details. (Why she bent and broke her heart like a glow stick, for example.)

“Okay.” They remain playing, pushing buttons, the sound of it echoing in the room. The television’s light flickers, reflecting on Nico’s stoic face in every color Maki can imagine.

It’s nice with Nico, because while she’s demanding (Maki’s time and attention), she’s leaving her alone about things she doesn’t really want to share. (Her parents. Rin. Kotori.)

It’s especially nice because Maki knows Nico is going to leave her if she does eventually.

Nico’s good night kiss is slightly misplaced, not on her cheeks, but rather on Maki’s right mouth’s corner. (Maki doesn’t mind, not physically, and if Nico hadn’t made that promise, she would mind a lot emotionally. But she did promise.)

Maki thinks of this almost kiss for the whole night.

(It’s not an good idea.)

Every time chemistry class is barely over, Kotori wants to reach out for Umi, but Umi is basically out of the room once the bell has rung, so her hand remains lingering.

It’s only the first school week, and Umi is all Kotori can think about (stoic, soaring, stunning Umi), so she eventually takes action.

And signs up for the student council.

Kotori feels guilty for it - who does bureaucratic school work to distract oneself from a breakup that wasn’t even a breakup to begin with? (After all, Maki never said they were exclusive.)

Yuuka, a third year whom Kotori hardly knows and also the head girl, welcomes her with a warm smile to the first meeting Kotori encounters as a member.

Kotori vaguely thinks about how she signed a contract by which she has to stay in this club until she graduates before stepping into the room.

To see Umi Sonoda sitting at the table, staring at her like a deer in headlights.

Kotori exhales and slowly makes her way to the one empty seat left, which is between Yuuka and - of course - Umi.

Clearing her throat, Kotori sits down, straightening the pleats on her skirt. She sees Umi shooting her a look from the corner of her eye, so she gives her a small smile. (Umi quickly averts her gaze, and Kotori’s smirk vanishes.)

“I’m glad everyone could gather today.”, Yuuka starts, standing up. “Everyone, this is Kotori Minami, our new secretary, and this is Umi Sonoda, who will be our treasurer from now on. They’re both third years.” She turns her head to the new members. “I’m Yuuka, if you didn’t know already, and I’m the club president. Koyuki and Yuuri here are the vice presidents.”

She sits down, reaching for the tower of piled paperwork in front of her. “Okay, first on the agenda is…”

Kotori tries to focus, she really does - she even half turns her back to Umi so she can’t even see one strand of blue hair -, but, sadly, it’s not working. She can feel Umi’s breath on her back. (She can’t, but it sure as hell feels like it.)

This was going to be a long, long year.

Maki likes to think that Nico has become her best friend because of two main reasons.

One, they’re close.

Maki wakes up, she’s there, having slept over, mascara still on her eyes. Maki does homework, she’s with her, playing games on her phone, waiting for Maki to be done. When they don’t stuff together, they do their stuff separately, in the same room. In fact, the only times Maki is alone when she goes to school, but even then Nico sometimes waits for her after her last lesson. (She acts coolly, of course, but Maki notices that she has sweat stains under her arms and that her breathe is unsteady, so Maki figures she runs all the way from her near high school. When Maki pointed it out to Nico with the biggest smirk on her face, she just flushed and mumbled something about “working out and getting to Maki simultaneously”. Maki’s flattered and she feels kind of proud. Proud of being worth someone’s else’s time so much they will run to you after class just to catch you in time.)

Two, she’s kind of Maki’s only friend.

And only means best, right?

(Maki tries not to think that by this logic Nico’s also her worst friend. It just reminds her of the fact that Nico is going to leave her, too.)

Being with Nico is extremely comfortable. Maki has never found that kind of amenity anywhere - it was hidden in her piano’s keys, of course, but its effect vanished quickly when Maki noticed the sound echoed hollowly in the empty house. Playing Chopin’s fantaisie impromptu dragged her heart down, so she stopped playing at all.

Nico is Maki’s music - luring her into a mind without problems, a piece of work she appreciates with a heart on her sleeve.

Which is ironic, because Maki isn’t honest, she never is.

But it’s nice to pretend for a little while.

(Maki turns the music louder.)

Kotori’s life gets a little worse when her chemistry teacher divides the class into groups and she’s forced to work with Sonoda Umi for two weeks.

They are allowed to do whatever they want, basically ; because the first chemistry exam was written recently, their teacher let the class have some fun and work on projects they could decide about themselves.

Kotori and Umi sit in silence while every other team has started picking up books, searching for ideas and chatting.

Kotori clears her throat. “So”, she chirps, “do you have any ideas?”

Umi doesn’t look her in the eyes when she answers, “the teacher probably had something in mind that will grab everyone’s attention right away.”

Kotori hums, giving Umi a encouraging smile even though Umi doesn’t see it.

“Maybe something that takes time to develop until it finally breaks out?”

Kotori says it carelessly, without really thinking about the content of her words, but it’s the trigger for Umi looking at her for the first time today. (Hell, the first time in weeks.)

“Like a volcano?”

Kotori blinks before putting up a smirk again. “Exactly like a volcano.”

Umi’s weird, Kotori decides, but she’s not one to judge.

One minute, Umi talks in a quiet, but strong voice, interacts with Kotori and looks her in the eyes ; the other, she avoids Kotori at all means. All the time, she’s kind and thoughtful and calm, and it’s very attractive, no matter how much Kotori tries to deny that.

Kotori has thought about why Umi closes herself off Kotori in those minutes, and she decides it’s because Umi doesn’t want her near. Sometimes Kotori brushes her hand or leg while moving, and she can see in the way Umi flushes she doesn’t especially like it. Kotori feels terrible for it, vowing every time not to put her into distress again, but something in her needs to touch Umi Sonoda, to feel her under her fingertips, and Kotori isn’t sure how much longer she’ll be able to resist.

The first time Maki’s caution slips is also the first time she gets to kiss Nico Yazawa.

She doesn’t think much about it ; it’s kind of a accident anyway. A mess. (But it’s her mess. And when the surprise in Nico’s eyes fades and gets replaced by a soft warmth Maki can feel in her stomach, she doesn’t feel as bad as she should.)

It’s not perfect.

They had taken a run together, and Nico’s bangs stuck to her forehead and she was barefaced - Maki looked as bad -, and because Maki was so happy to had finally finished the lap, she put Nico in a headlock, laughing when Nico halfheartedly protested. Nico pinched her and Maki flinched so hard she falls to the ground. (Nico gasped in worry until she sees Maki’s only laughing harder, so she got down on her knees as well, grinning.)

And Maki’s saw Nico’s pale, greasy skin, sweat on her nose, and a smile bigger than her heart, so she leaned in and kissed her.

It’s far from being what Maki would call a great kiss - Nico doesn’t kiss back instantly and their teeth clash - but it’s Nico. (Everything with Nico is kind of great in its own way despite the thing totally sucking, anyway.)

They don’t talk about it. Maybe if they did, Maki thinks, they wouldn’t walk this path right now.

Maki really wants to make up her mind about all of this - not to ruin yet another friendship-, but Nico has learned how to do things with her tongue and god, Maki can’t think clearly when Nico is moaning against her lips.

Maki wraps her arms around Nico. Music‘s in synch with her heartbeat, throbbing along.

She tries to catch herself before she falls into Nico’s red eyes any further, but she fails.

(Maki starts to think that maybe she does have a favorite color.)

Kotori does a lot of research whenever she’s able to ; in between exams and her bureaucratic tasks, she looks up how to create a classical, chemical volcano to impress Umi. (She has found that Umi is extremely smart, in all kind of areas, from a butterfly‘s anatomy to loanwords. Sometimes Umi looses herself in a flood of information and Kotori listens with her chin resting on her hands. In those moments, Umi turns soft and gentle and Kotori finds herself to be even more attracted to her.)

So Kotori sits in lunch, nodding and humming as an answer when Honoka is talking to her, not even noticing her best friend pouting because she’s looking at instructions for making a freaking volcano.

It’s worth it, though, when Umi looks her in the eye for another second and Kotori feels pride swelling in her chest.

“Do you think we’ll be able to finish this in time?”, Kotori asks after the bell has dismissed them from class, her brow furrowed as they step out of the classroom. Umi gives her a small smile. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.” Kotori nods. They’re making their way to the cafeteria, walking side by side ; and Kotori finds herself in peace, fully embraced in Umi’s steady aura. (She hasn’t thought about Don’t-Say-Her-Name for five days.)

“Maybe we could prepare something at my place?”, she says without thinking. “You know, for the presentation. I make excellent ham rolls.” Umi chokes on air, and Kotori flushes.

“I’m- sorry, that was a joke-“, Kotori splutters, feeling guilt in her guts as she sees Umi in distress, but Umi quickly shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, I was just- yeah, let’s”, she vigorously nods, “do that.“

Kotori notices they’re already in front of the cafeteria when multiple students push them to get through the doors, heading to the buffet. It must be a funny scene, Kotori thinks, the both of them with red heads, blocking the way.

“Then… let’s do that”, Kotori clears her throat. (Oh god, don’t repeat after her like an idiot, Kotori. Oh god, don’t blush harder.)

“Yes!”, Umi says, looking everywhere but into Kotori’s eyes. A second of silence - before they rush into different directions, not without accidentally brushing each other’s hands.

When Kotori sits at lunch, chewing a surprisingly tasty sandwich, she can’t get Umi Sonoda out of her head.

A week has passed and none of them talked about what Maki secretly calls The Incident, and Maki isn’t sure if Nico is actually fine with it. (She keeps searching for signs that she isn’t, but Nico is laughing and scoffing and breathing like she always did. Maki stops looking for those signs when something about making up symptoms, needing an excuse to leave and abandonment issues crosses her mind.)

Nico is laughing and scoffing and breathing and Maki’s a little bit closer to a panic attack with every passing day.

Maki reminds herself that Nico can’t possibly know that ; Nico does, despite her caring and attentiveness and genuine interest, not know her at all. (She doesn’t know Rin or Kotori. She doesn’t know her parents. She doesn’t know Maki.)

And they continue with whatever they have. Maki breathes kisses and Nico gentle touches, and Nico gets embraced. (To Nico, they’re sugar ; unable to hold apart, one and only. To Maki, they’re water and oil ; no matter how much time passes, it’s clear to everyone they won’t merge into each other.)

Slowly, Nico has less and less time for Maki, with her exams and siblings to take care of, and Maki‘s pissed. She doesn’t exactly feel entitled to Nico’s time and attention, but in those past weeks, she’s grown fond of her. (Maki has heard that people obsessing over their partners are usually called overly clingy or utterly possessive. Not that Nico’s her significant other. Hell, no.)

She comes home to a cold, empty house. (Her father is on a business, her mother on a wellness trip. As usual, Maki’s all alone.)

“Welcome home, Maki”, she mutters to herself, slipping out of her coat, “How was your day, Maki?”

She takes a peek at her phone. Nothing. No Nico.

Maki throws her phone on her bed.

Umi’s arriving at Kotori’s house in a second and Kotori is only half dressed, barefaced and almost in tears.

Nothing seems good enough for Umi Sonoda, easily a living art piece, not even Kotori’s favorite dress with the cute ribbons on it. (She wore that dress on her last date with Don’t-Say-h… Maki. Maybe it’s time to make someone else her favorite, Kotori thinks.)

She pulls a heavenly blue blouse out of her closet. It’s not perfect, but for now, it should be enough.

Umi enters the hall with a shy smile on her lips. (Kotori doesn’t see if she had trouble finding appropriate clothing ; in fact, Kotori is so enthusiastic about the fact that she sees Umi Sonoda that she doesn’t waste gazes at her body. They’re all reserved for her golden eyes and small smirk.)

“Hi”, Umi breathes, and Kotori beams.

“Hi”, she squeals, “come in.”

Surprisingly, they have lots of stuff to talk about. (Umi sees Kotori’s collection of recipes, accurately and well-ordered on the shelf, and suddenly Kotori finds herself in a heated discussion on whether cupcakes or cake are the more appropriate choice to bring to a family reunion.

“Cake!”, Kotori frowns. “Everybody loves cake. You can’t do anything wrong with cake.”

“With the right technique, you can impress someone with something as easy as a muffin with a topping”, Umi argues back. “I’d treat my future mother in law with cupcakes!”

“She wouldn’t be your mother in law much longer”, Kotori grins, “Not if you could have brought a perfectly fine chocolate cake.”)

They kind of forget they wanted to bake for their presentation tomorrow.

Kotori tells Umi she’s interested in design and fashion, and even shows her the portfolio she still has to send in as an application for university. Umi clearly has zero sense of those topics and it’s obvious, but she nods and asks further when Kotori’s eyes begin to sparkle. (Umi’s attentive, Kotori adores it so much. She could talk all day to her and wouldn’t mind if her mouth got all fuzzy from it.)

Umi shows her pictures of her archery competitions and Kotori is really impressed, even if she doesn’t quite can get behind the techniques ; but Umi seems happy, so she’s content as well.

And the sun sets and Kotori is happy.

Fall comes and it has become a habit for Nico to drop by after school since there’s no time to meet otherwise. (“Is it okay for me to hang at your place all evening?”, she asked, “like, don’t your parents mind?” Maki shot her a look and despite scoffing back, Nico didn’t ask another time.)

Nico doesn’t exactly notice that she’s never met Maki’s parents, and, to what Maki sees, she doesn’t even acknowledge their sole existence. Not that Maki complains.

When the leafs turn into different shades of Nico‘s eye color, Maki realizes that she’s never had a friend that long. (Rin was her friend for exactly two weeks, then they dated for a whole another one.

Kotori and her spent time platonically for three days before their first kiss.)

Nico and her had a full summer, and the very first time of their first fall. (Their first, Maki thinks, and the words taste sweet on her lips. Maybe she’ll experience another fall with Nico, and another summer. It feels weird ; planning ahead of her time when the future is still getting crafted by dreams only and not facts. But with Nico, it’s right, kind of. Maki’s not sure. But it’s the closest to security as it gets.)

Accidents happen, Maki tells herself when somehow their lips find their way to each other again.

You can survive accidents, Maki tells herself when Nico growls under her breathe and pulls her closer.

Maki thinks about Nico’s unbroken vow she made the first night they met when she gets on top of Nico.

(I’m not going to fall in love with you. Maki goes down on Nico, a grin on her face.

I promise. Nico shudders under her touch, and it makes Maki a little bit addicted.)

Maki trusts in promises. So when Nico comes in her arms, with Maki inside her, she’s safe. Their relationship is safe and everything’s fine.

Umi doesn’t avert her eyes when Kotori gives her a smile the next day, and Kotori realizes how much actual progress they have done in the past week. (Umi talks to her. Umi doesn’t treat her like a leprous person anymore.)

And they present their volcano - without any food to corrupt their teacher - and Kotori’s beaming like a little child. (They even get an A. For teamwork, mostly. Kotori has never been prouder and Umi gives her a low high-five on their way back to their desks when the teacher isn’t looking.)

“Do you want to celebrate later?”, Kotori asks when class has ended, and Umi eagerly nods. “Yeah. I have archery after school, though… maybe in the evening?”

“Sure!”

They had decided to meet up at six, when Umi has had showered and changed into free time clothing, but Kotori was so excited for their meeting she dropped off at the gym, when Umi still practiced.

(When she entered, Umi was halfway shooting an arrow ; but as she saw Kotori, she flinched and it missed. Ashamed, she waved at her Kotori, who just chuckled.)

Kotori watches Umi in awe, follows the track from arrows so fast she can’t even see them until they hit right the target’s middle. Umi’s great at this ; with ultimate grace, she’s able to focus on what’s important for her in this moment. (Straight posture. Eyeing the target. Shooting. Hitting perfectly.)

Like the other three dozen of things that make Kotori’s heart grow tighter at the thought of Umi Sonoda, her ambition is one of them. Her dedication to certain things, as well as the eye for detail and minimalism - those are traits that scream Umi Sonoda. To Kotori, at least.

“Sorry it took so long”, Umi breathes when her team has finished practice, walking up to Kotori. (Walking is the wrong term ; sprinting to her would fit a lot more.)

“It’s alright!”, Kotori chirps, “After all I came early.”

“Why did you, by the way? Did something come up?”

“No, not really, I just…”, Kotori hesitates. They’re almost at the changing rooms. “I just wanted to see you.”

She can’t see Umi’s face - Kotori is behind her as Umi is busy unlocking the door -, but she can see Umi’s ear, sticking out of her long, thin hair, turn red in a second. Kotori smiles to herself.

“I see”, Umi croaks, still facing the door and not Kotori, and finally opens it. “I’m going to shower quickly, can I leave you alone for ten minutes?”

Maybe it’s because they’ve been - physically - exposed to each other, Nico’s become bolder. (She has always been, sure, but not with Maki. Not romantically and certainly not sexually. Whatever that means, Maki thinks, when the line that’s supposed to divide those areas has blurred with their first kiss and was fully erased with the one they shared in bed.)

No, Nico doesn’t grant her peaceful space for herself anymore ; even if she doesn’t ask, Maki can see questions itching under her fingernails.

And then, she does ask.

“Maki?”, she mutters. Nico’s holding Maki’s waist, putting her in between her legs. Maki’s eyes are closed as she’s leaning against Nico, but when she hears the question to come, she snaps them open, suddenly longing for orientation.

“Yeah?”, she breathes, hoping Nico can’t feel her heart beating under her rips.

“Was I your first?”

Maki’s hand slides on Nico’s arm, gently loosening her grip because she cannot breathe.

“Your first what?”, she mumbles, then turns around so she sits on Nico’s lap, basically, to smash her lips on hers. Nico turns her head before Maki can touch her (maybe Nico is just as irresistible to Maki as she is to Nico).

“You know what I mean”, Nico says with a low voice, “I mean, I know there were other girls before me, but…” (Maki’s heart aches when she hears Nico comparing herself to anyone else, because no one can be like her, not in a thousand years.)

“There was”, Maki interrupts her before Nico can talk any further, “no one like you, Nico.” No one, she quietly thinks, the same things, but never with a taste this sweet.

It’s a bland answer, of course, but for the moment, the shallow taste of air seems enough to Nico. (Maki’s glad, but at the same time it feels like trying to bury a time bomb under a layer of glass.)

Kotori finds herself fallen heels over head by the time their second meeting has ended. Umi’s charming, smart and funny in her own, dry way ; she’s attentive and listens and Kotori has never felt more comfortable with anyone, ever. (Not even with Maki. Saying her name now feels freeing, not jailing anymore. Kotori has become an enthusiast with the mere presence of Umi Sonoda.)

Kotori knows she’s swooning all over her, like a child with a silly first crush, but she really cannot help it ; with cautious fingertips, they’re getting closer, and Kotori’s bursting from happiness. (It’s great, to be happy, to have nothing to worry about. The stage in which she isn’t in so deep for Umi Sonoda that it could break her heart to be not loved back.)

These days, she wants to ask Umi out, but she couldn’t bring the words over her tongue, through her lungs if she died. She’s still scared. Afraid that will Umi turn into her old, shy, Kotori-avoiding self again. (Kotori isn’t sure why or how she overcame those characteristics, so she’ll tiptoe around her until she finds out what the factor was.)

So whenever she can silently admire Umi’s side profile - the way she puts her hair behind her ear, the way her lips curl into the prettiest smile she’s ever seen -, the words want to blurt out, with trumpets and fanfares they need to confess Kotori’s true feelings.

Kotori also searches for signs Umi could maybe, perhaps return her feelings - it’s not that unrealistic.

(Kotori hopes, at least. Umi is not Maki, but there’s still an ounce of doubt in the back of her head, even if she’s trying to push it away.)

With a soft glance in her eyes, Kotori gazes at Umi, and her clouded heart is now sunny, shining bright.

Maki feels bad when she makes out with a stranger in the bar, but guilt has been weighing a lot on her shoulders these past months - hell, years -, so it’s not exactly hard to shove the fault to Nico.

It’s not like she and Nico are exclusive, anyway ; and Maki feels the little bit of her heart left turn into something she imagines like a pitch black abyss when she pulls the blonde girl closer (she has forgotten the name ; it never mattered, anyway).

Earlier, Maki had spilled like a bottle of ink, but, to be fair, it was Nico who pushed it from the edge.

(At least, that’s what Maki thinks. Maybe she jumped.)

If Maki’s ink, then maybe Nico is white paper that soaked all of her into herself.

“Please, Maki”, Nico had said, eyes big like a child waiting for candy on Halloween, “tell me.”

Maki didn’t have to ask what she meant, so she started at the beginning. (She isn’t sure what brought her to tell her, spill the ugly truth ; whatever it was, Maki wants it gone.)

Maki remembers the time her parents were still together only vaguely, but since memories are pretty much the only things she has got with her parents she desperately clings onto them. (She even has found a diary from when she was six, but threw it away. She doesn’t need more graphic descriptions.)

Maki matured really quickly. In elementary school, her classmates’ mothers had come up to her, complimenting her on the self made chocolate cake she made for their graduation.

Maki smiled thinly. When she had asked her mother to come to the celebration, she got cut off mid sentence, just to be scolded as her mother “had better things to do” and “no time for silly things like that, anyway”. (She didn’t ask her father for he was at work as usually. If he actually was at home, he usually would shush Maki away so he could read his newspaper in peace.)

So Maki grew up and eventually stopped going to her parents. She was only bothering them, anyway.

One time, they accidentally forgot her at a gas station when they were on their way to their holiday house. Maki had stood outside for about one hour until they came back, realizing they had abandoned her. Sometimes Maki wonders where the line between an accident and a purposefully incident was.

And then they filled in a divorce, Maki was more alone than ever. (Around that time, she hooked up with Rin, she remembers ; then, it felt natural, now it’s a painfully obvious draw to her parents splitting up.)

She told Nico that whenever someone got close (gets close), it arouses some kind of panic in her chest she doesn’t know how to shut off. (Worst thing, Maki hadn’t had a breakdown with tears and all that stuff ; she basically showed Nico her heart with a casual smirk and snorts when she told her about her deepest insecurities. She didn’t even have to look at Nico’s face to see the horror on it.)

And Maki doesn’t the feel the freedom of venting or whatever people say she’s supposed to feel.

(The only thing she feels is the blonde girl‘s tongue in her throat.)

Once Kotori has decided to ask Umi Sonoda out, she’s fallen a bit more. Maybe it’s the admission of genuine, true feelings ; maybe by time, Umi unfolds her beautiful personality with less caution.

Whatever it is - Kotori catches herself humming to songs stuck in her head and look at everything through rose-tinted glasses.

She introduces Umi to Honoka and Hanayo, who welcome her warmly into their little circle, and from this point on, Umi isn’t allowed to miss any lunch breaks. (It turns out both Hanayo and Umi are into drawing, so there’s not one ounce of the silence Kotori had excepted. She’s glad to watch them talk eagerly, chuckling when Umi’s cheeks flush as she’s gesturing wildly, spluttering words coming out too fast for her tongue. Cute.)

They also meet up with Umi’s two best friends from a nearby school ; Eli, a blonde beauty, and Nozomi, whose motherly behavior instantly sticks to Kotori. They ask her a lot, about school and hobbies, but also about Kotori’s past relationships. (When she wants to answer, Eli suddenly flinches as if someone had kicked her under the table, and Umi smiles a very victorious grin, which of course is completely unrelated.)

They’re walking home, almost hands in hands (their fingertips keep brushing each other’s, but neither one is brave enough to take the final step, to finally touch.).

“Hey, Kotori”, Umi suddenly breaks the silence, clearing her throat, “I know we changed the topic earlier, about, um, former partners, but…” She leaves the word soaring in the air, hoping Kotori to get the hit. Kotori does her the favor.

“There was someone”, she says truthfully, “but she’s not important. Anymore, anyway. I’ve…”, she eyes Umi, who doesn’t look back at her, “fallen in love with someone else.”

Umi slowly nods, still dodging her gaze. “You should ask them out”, she says quietly. Kotori’s heart drops. Does she know it’s her? But why does she sound so distressed, then?

“Yeah, I should”, Kotori mumbles to herself. Then, louder (a bit braver), “Umi Sonoda-“ Umi turns her head. “Do you want to go on a date with me?”

Kotori sees at least four emotions in one second.

One, confusion (frowning), two, resignation (“I must’ve misheard that”), three, shock, (“Oh my god, I didn’t mishear”).

Four - absolute panic.

“M-Me?”, Umi splutters, flushing so hard her ears turn pink, too.

“Yes!”, Kotori quickly reassures her, cheeks just as red. Umi looks deadly embarrassed, and suddenly Kotori isn’t sure if Umi even likes her back. (Maybe she misinterpreted, thought too much into it.)

Kotori steps back. Umi’s still dazzled.

“I’m sorry, I’ll just…” Go away. Swallow her feelings again.

Umi blinks. “Kotori.” Kotori turns on her heels, sniffling. “Yeah?”

“I’d love to.”

The words don’t come through instantly, but when they do, Kotori starts beaming.

“You do?”

“I do.”

Maki could have wore a scarf, a choker, anything to cover the hickeys on her neck. (But of course, she didn’t. Provoking her relationships to fail horribly seems almost like a signature move of her.)

In this one case, Nico sadly isn’t an exception.

They’re in bed, Nico somewhat on top of Maki, slowly kissing her neck, when she suddenly stops.

“What is it?”, Maki idly asks with her eyes closed, snatching them open when Nico doesn’t answer instantly. Nico’s staring at Maki’s exposed neck. “You didn’t have these hickeys yesterday”, she says. Maki tries to figure out Nico’s mood, but her voice is stable and her eyes, usually disclosing so many things, lay hidden in the dimmed light.

“Yeah”, Maki mutters, “they’re not from you, so…” She wraps her arm around Nico again only to get shaken off.

“From who?”

It’s just two quiet words, but Maki gets goosebumps all over her skin. “Yeri?”, she tries to remember, “no, it was Eli. Whatever.”

She tries once again to kiss Nico - maybe that’s her cruel streak, to cut people off yet never letting them fully go -, but Nico turns her head and Maki’s lips meet air.

“Are you mad at me, Nico Yazawa?” (A cynic smirk pokes the dragon’s eye.)

“Of course I’m mad!”, Nico explodes, shoving Maki from her and onto the bed. “You kissed someone else!”

Maki bobs up, supporting herself on her elbows. “So?”, she exhales, “it’s not like you’re my damn girlfriend.”

Nico doesn’t respond, and Maki narrows her eyes. “You promised, remember?”

If Maki was an sensitive person, it would have come out soft, maybe even comforting, but she really isn’t, so she says it with mockery dropping like honey from her voice.

Putting a finger in an open wound.

Maki feel herself choking on the silence. In all honesty, she has no idea what she’s doing - sheer teasing, pushing just to pull again, shoving Nico away.

“Yeah, I did”, Nico finally says, getting off Maki - her legs were starting to hurt from the weight, and because of the sudden release they feel weirdly light. Nico slips from the bed and is by the door in a second.

“Where are you going?” Maki hates how vulnerable she sounds. (Who is she to demand anything from Nico at this point, even if it’s just plain information?)

Nico stares at her blankly, before answering, “I don’t know. As long as it’s a place without you.”

Kotori gets a déjà vu from their first meeting (and now, it’s their first date!) when she, again, tries to figure out what to wear. This time she forces herself to wear her former favorite dress - the one with the ribbons -, because, maybe Umi can erase the memories of Maki. Sooth, at least. Kotori believes she can ; because it’s Umi Sonoda. Umi Sonoda can do it all, clean the mess others have thrown in Kotori’s way.

It’s awkward, but Kotori finds herself enjoying every second of it.

First station’s the cinema - such a cliche, she knows, but Kotori has never had a proper first date and she figures Umi deserves the whole way of dating, from the first date to whatever is going to bloom out of this relationship. (A closer, romantic relationship as the best outcome. Kotori’s s excited for it.)

They’re watching a romance movie, and it only shows Kotori that she has so much more things to learn about Umi Sonoda, because there’s pure horror on her face while they’re watching.

(Cringe gives Umi actual goosebumps and if Kotori wasn’t feeling so bad about it, it’d be hilarious.)

Next - dinner. Kotori wanted to eat in some fancy restaurant, but on a Friday evening everything was already reserved for people with a lot more money than Kotori has, so they have a picnic. (It’s not perfect, because it’s winter already - they’re dining in Kotori’s room, on her bed’s blanket, feeding each other with small cubes of cheese and sausages.)

Umi tells her she has never had a date she enjoyed this much.

(“Oh, I thought this was your first date”, Kotori exclaims, genuinely surprised, and Umi flushes. “It is, actually, but it’s also the best one, so…” Kotori has to suppress a laugh and Umi sulks, hiding her face under the scarf wrapped around her shoulders.)

The rest of the evening Kotori prances in her room, Umi Sonoda stays in her heart and fills it with warmth.

Nico’s has got this bad, awful, terrible habit of lying.

It’s not that she doesn’t know the consequences - she just doesn’t always think it completely through.

It’s kind of the same with her and making promises.

Middle school. She vowed her mom she wouldn’t forget to get a turkey for Christmas dinner, but she did, with her exams and all. Consequences were that she “ruined Christmas for the whole family”.

Freshman year, high school. She carelessly told her brother to help him with his history homework, but someone at work did a mistake and left a whole mess for her to take care of. When she came home, late at night, her brother was already asleep, proceeding to ignore her for a whole three days.

First quarter of college. Without thinking, Nico promised Maki Nishikino that there was no way she was going to fall in love with her.

(Of course, she did. Nico Yazawa is always bound to break promises. Maybe that’s her downfall.)

Maybe it’s Maki’s fault.

She is, after all, the most beautiful girl she has ever seen, chances are that she’s an actual angel walking on earth. (The fact that she almost spits fire when she opens her mouth are clouding these chances, but Nico is confident that even angels have their tiny flaws.)

Nico’s never been in love, never truly, so maybe that’s why sly grins and well-aimed touches have spun her head so hard she mixes up up and down and left and right. (At the same time, she’s the only person with whom Nico can breathe freely, think clear.)

When she saw Maki for the first time, she was amused by the girl sitting by herself in a bar, so obviously out of place Nico had to talk to her to put the poor girl out of her misery. Maki was nothing to her but a pretty girl that could maybe, in the future, become a friend.

(Oh, how much more she is now.)

Nico closes the door behind her and gives her a second to breathe with her blocked lungs, because that’s what the talk they had the past minutes did to her body. (Stinging eyes, tight chest, bleeding heart.)

It’s not fair.

It’s not fair that the girl she love with can deal with her so easily, can look into her eyes with a softness Nico has never seen before just to make out with some other girl.

Sometimes Maki Nishikino is an open book to Nico, melting under her touch and being so wonderfully honest with her. Other times, her mood changes in the span of a blink and she goes from clawing Nico closer to her to pushing her away with all she has.

As long as it’s a place without you.

She exhales and starts heading towards her own home.

It’s their second date and everything’s the same as before.

At the same time, it’s so much better. They’re doing baby steps of progress, Kotori imagines their bond like flexible material that’s half knitted, but can be something even prettier when it’s done. Maybe they’re like a blank canvas, the corners already painted with colorful volcanoes, cupcakes and cakes, first dates and vivid hearts. A puzzle whose borders are already built, leaving an ordered mess to solve. While Kotori did their first, Umi’s planned this date - maybe it could become their thing, she wonders dreamily -, and apparently, they’re going to a concert. (Umi likes a clear schedule more than surprises, Kotori finds out, and it’s no wonder, really. It’s quite cute, though, how sternly Umi presents her plans to Kotori while same is trying to hold her laugh.)

The band‘s is pretty unknown, but good nonetheless ; Umi hums and Kotori bounces along and every love song is about them. When the last song has ended, Umi drags Kotori (gently, or course) to a near field.

“I’ve always enjoyed looking at the stars at night”, Umi explains as she lays down, her hair spread around her head like an halo. Kotori quickly gets down as well, carefully slipping her hand into Umi’s. She sees her face blushing and smiles to herself.

“How did you get into it?”

“A girl from elementary school introduced me to it, I believe”, Umi thoughtfully answers, “I don’t remember her name, but she had this habit of baking something every time the class met up.”

Kotori briefly remembers their first baking meeting and instantly dislikes whomever Umi is talking about. (She doesn’t, sure, she couldn’t if she wanted to, but she’s close.)

“Anyway, we had a sleepover once and she showed me her telescope. That’s when I really got into it. Like, I read about all those constellations, for example- see these stars?” She points to a bunch of stars.

“That’s Andromeda. It’s stunning, isn’t it?”

“It is”, Kotori whispers, but she’s not looking at the sky.Umi turns her head when she hears Kotori’s soft voice, and Kotori leans in.

“Can I”, she turns quieter as the distance between their lips gets smaller, “hm, kiss you?”

Umi’s gaze is on her lips. “You may”, she breathes, and Kotori closes the gap, her heart bursting from happiness. Umi’s lips are softer than Kotori expected, and she melts right into it. Umi smiles into their very first kiss and snuggles closer.

Maki hasn’t seen Nico in ten days and nine nights. The days are a little bit better than the nights ; on a scale from 1 to 10 maybe a 100. (A bit better, but the nights are a 1000.)

She has probably called a thousand times already, but Nico won’t answer the phone, or at least she won’t answer Maki’s calls. (One call declined. Whatever, Maki thinks, who needs Nico anyway? One minute passed, she’s on the phone again, because she needs Nico and she needs her now and she cannot be alone in this.)

It’s her fault, that’s worst. If Nico had done her wrong, horribly wrong, Maki could have sulked and made peace with it, eventually. But now? Like this?

Maki begins to think that having Nico in her heart maybe was the best thing to happen to her. (Maki already knows that pushing Nico away was the worst decision in her whole life.)

Maki [22:16]: Hey. Are you alright? If you come over I can cook dinner for you. Maki [22:18]: I mean, I don’t actually know how to, but we’ll figure something out. Can’t be that hard, right? Maki [23:57]: You can come whenever you want, by the way. I know, it’s late already, but tomorrow’s another day. Maki [3:32]: Right? Maki [4:55]: I miss you. Maki [5:12]: Nico, please.

Everything turns awfully bland when Maki realizes that Nico won’t come back to her. The games they used to play have become boring, she freezes in her bed without Nico laying her arms around her, the four walls of her room are stifling any good thoughts that she had left.

The color pink seems to be mocking her. Nico’s silhouette haunts her whenever she tries to forget. Her voice stays in her mind all day, like a lullaby it pulls Maki into her charm. Making sure that Maki won’t ever get over her first ever, true love.

Making sure Maki won’t ever forget that’s it her own damn fault that Nico Yazawa left.

“Can I ask you something?”

Kotori says it with an appropriate gentleness, trying not to scare Umi with her vague words, and she’s glad to see Umi doesn’t even twitch a brow. (She’s so glad to see how comfortable Umi has gotten with her.)

“At the beginning of the school year”, she slowly begins, adjusting her pose ; they’re sitting side to side on her bed, after their third date, waiting for the movie on her television to start, “did you dislike me?”

Umi turns her head and now she does frown, but it seems like she is rather confused than offended.

“Dislike you? Of course not, why are you asking?” She sounds genuinely curious, and Kotori gathers her courage.

“You would always turn your head when I looked at you”, she mumbles, a blush creeping onto her face as she’s speaking because this is pretty embarrassing, who is she lying to, “and before we were on that chemistry project, you pretty much avoided me all the time, so…” Kotori bites on her lips.

“Did you hate me?”

“Kotori…”

“Because, you know, I can handle it! I-“

“Kotori-“

“I’m honest, you can tell me everything, and-“

“Kotori.”

She shuts her mouth and Umi gives her a very awkward smile.

“Kotori Minami, the second I saw you I thought you were the prettiest person I’ve ever seen in my whole life.”

Umi’s voice is stable, but her red cheeks underline the honesty of her confession.

“Oh”, Kotori manages to say, and suddenly she feels very hot. “That’s very sweet from you.”

“Well, you are a very sweet girl.”

And suddenly, Kotori bursts out in laughter. “I really thought you hated me”, she quietly chuckles, snuggling closer to Umi.

“How could I”, Umi answers, wrapping her arm around Kotori’s shoulders and placing a kiss on her forehead.

“I’m so glad I met you, Umi Sonoda.”

Kotori pulls Umi closer for a kiss and her heart is bursting from happiness.

[chilly-territory]

K Case Files of Blue 2, chapter 2 (part 2 out of 2)

The next part of the novel, featuring Munakata’s family.

Case Files of Blue 2 by Miyazawa Tatsuki

Chapter 2 (part 2/2) (volume 2, pages 80-111)

†

On that day, Munakata Reishi had done a nearly unimaginable amount of work with utmost efficiency and maximum energy and, after sowing some hope among his men, left Scepter 4. Munakata, always having an air of composure about him even when he went to visit the ruler of all things on the ground, Kokujouji Daikaku, was now walking with a hurried gait, glancing at his wristwatch worriedly and painting the picture of a terribly busy man.

For he had an appointment he absolutely could not be late to.

"Well now. I hope she will like it."

Nearby, there was a present he bought in a short break between his demanding work - an adorable plush teddy bear wrapped in pink wrapping paper. It was Munakata Ume's birthday, and as her uncle, Munakata Reishi was invited to her birthday party. Last year, due to an emergency matter coming up, Munakata wasn't able to make it to his niece's birthday party which had hurt her feelings deeply. So half a year ago he had promised her that this year he would be there without fail. As far as Munakata was concerned, he wanted to keep his promise no matter what.

Strangely enough, for him, the little girl's birthday party and the Great Cause of protecting the country had about equal weight. Neither was less important than the other. That's why he chose to head home even at the time of what could very well be called a crisis.

The moment the door opened, he was ardently welcomed.

"Uncle, you really came!" Umi was overjoyed as she popped up first.

Umi's younger brother, Kai, approached Munakata timidly and clutched at his sleeve. Although later, next Munakata's mother, then his father and finally his older brother Taishi with his sister-in-law appeared and gave Munakata Reishi a warm welcome as well.

In this house, he was neither a shrewd government official nor the Blue King chosen by the Dresden Slate and possessing supernatural powers. He was just a person, Munakata Reishi, a second son of the Munakata family.

"Sorry I'm late."

Hurriedly done with his greetings, he was pulled into the house where they all sat down around the tea table, and the feast began. The table was tightly packed with croquettes and meat and potato stew that Mrs Munakata whipped up, roast beef and minestrone that Taishi's wife made, beer and authentic Japanese sake that Taishi bought, a chocolate cake that the children had picked and sashimi out of mackerel that Munakata Sr caught - a popular commoners' menu, maybe lacking in class and consistence, but overflowing with warmth.

"Congratulations, Umi!" the present toasted, the adults with beer and sake, the children with juice.

They talked about everything that happened to Umi at her school, about the swimming pool Kai had recently started attending, Taishi brought up a professional baseball discussion, his wife demonstrated embroidery she was into lately, and the senior Munakatas brought a pamphlet about Izu where they planned to go for their end-of-year trip.

When they were done eating, games started - Othello, cards and other typical party games. All the members of the Munakata family were spirited and doing well. After that, they sang the birthday song, cut the cake, and the children ate the cake in utter happiness, smearing their faces in the process.

Full and happy, the children started nodding off, and the older brother's wife took them to take a bath. With them gone, the living room suddenly became very quiet. Quiet clicking of tableware as Mrs Munakata washed it and the rustling of running water were the only sounds filling the room.

Munakata Sr, taciturn by nature, took out the shogi board and, holding a book in one hand, began solving shogi problems. On the TV, its volume muted to be only background noise, a news story about a large-scale typhoon closing in on Japan ran. Taishi was idly lying on the tatami with his hands behind his head.

"What a feast we had today!" He looked up at the ceiling happily.

Munakata sat in seiza, quietly sipping tea.

"Gotta thank you" Taishi suddenly added, "for coming, despite being busy."

Munakata shook his head to that. "Oh, there is no need. I had fun, too. And I'm glad the birthday girl seemed to like my present." "Haha," Taishi chuckled. "You should make kids of your own, y'know. Kids are cute." "Indeed. I shall see what I can do."

The wandering conversation continued, with Taishi mostly being the one to do the talking and Munakata only replying from time to time. But it wasn't like Munakata was being reserved or something of the sort. Time flowed slowly and relaxedly.

It was a curious relationship, to say the least. Munakata Taishi made a living with landscape gardening, had a family of his own, spent his free time watching TV and sometimes going to pachinko, took his children to the local park to play on Sundays, and liked fishing as a hobby. Once a month, he played grass-lot baseball with his old friends. He was much better at manual labor than at mental work, he hardly read any books and wasn't really interested in what was going on in the world around, being the type of wholesome man who could smile, showing his pearly whites, when his close people were healthy and smiled themselves.

Munakata Reishi, on the other hand, was completely and utterly different - not just from Taishi but from anyone else in the Munakata family. From his father, his mother, his brother, his brother's wife, his niece and his nephew. None of the family had ever written a report on Confucius and Spinoza as a grade schooler, taken the first place in mock exams countrywide for many years in a row or served as the student council president from starting elementary school to graduating from university.

Munakata Reishi was a superior being from the day he was born. He outstripped those around in intelligence, physical ability, character and culture. Everyone who he ever came across were under the impression that he had to be a son of a very distinguished family. And when they learned about the actual environment he was raised in, they all couldn't help but being puzzled and amazed how someone like him could be born to an ordinary family like that.

His father was a taciturn man taking pride in his work, with shogi and occasional fishing trip being his hobbies. His mother and sister-in-law, although both women of virtue and good cooks, didn't go in any area past what is considered ordinary and average, and the children they produced, although were quite cute, for now displayed absolutely no ability out of common.

In the Munakata family, only Munakata Reishi was an exception. A child, who insisted on not speaking casually even with his parents and brother, was much too out of place for the family of a mediocre craftsman from the low-lying part of Tokyo.

Truth be told, Munakata's parents must have had quite a bit of trouble deciding how to treat a child prodigy so unlike the rest of them. But it was somewhat different for Munakata's older brother Taishi.

Being unruffled and unfussy about the small stuff, from their childhood years on, he kept treating Munakata Reishi in a way that could be seen either as largehearted or insensitive. While their personalities and nature couldn't have been more different, the two always remained siblings that got along just fine. Munakata held respect for his cheerful and honest brother who had not a prodigious bone in his body.

"Ah, speaking of," Taishi asked, following the flow of the conversation, "how's your work lately?"

Taishi only knew that his little brother was the 'boss' of 'a place that was something like the police'. Being content with only the roughest and broadest idea of things was something that was in Taishi's nature.

Munakata took a pause to ponder before answering, "Well, not very well, I have to say." "Oh?" Taishi let out a surprised noise. "You don't hear something like that coming from you every day, Reishi." Munakata let out a chuckle. "Indeed. I'm afraid I made an enemy of a troublesome person. He is even more resourceful than myself, so I'm having a little bit of a hard time."

Taishi abruptly got up and took a seated position, crossing his legs. "For real? You mean to say someone smarter than you actually exists?" he asked bluntly. Munakata flashed a little wry smile.  "Yes, they do, in spades." "So what? Are you being cornered?"

Munakata simply nodded, without pretense, embarrassment, self-derision or eagerness.

"Whooa~," Taishi elongated, stunned. "That gotta be a first, eh," he remarked, seemingly very impressed. "At least the first from what I know." "No." A shogi piece touched the board with a nostalgic click. "It's not," the two's father, Munakata Jirou, murmured quietly. This time, it wasn't just Taishi who was surprised by their usually taciturn father's remark, but Reishi as well as he gazed at Jirou.

For a while, Jirou only stared down at the shogi board, his back to his sons and seemingly oblivious to the gazes they fixed him with.

"You know, with that substitute teacher that was in charge of Reishi's class for a short while back in 5th grade when their homeroom teacher got injured in a traffic accident."Not changing his cross-legged position, he turned his head to the brothers. "What was his name, again?" "...Mnn..." Of course, Taishi, being as uncaring about details as he was, could only cock his head in puzzlement. "...Right." Munakata recalled immediately. "It was Kasuga-sensei." "Oh, right, that's right." Jirou's eyes narrowed. "The only teacher Reishi couldn't get 100 points from on tests."

Inside Munakata, a spark suddenly flew, and his eyes glinted mysteriously behind his glasses. In a voice, that had the slightest of quivers in it, he asked as he got up, "Father, brother, would it be alright with you if I went to my room for a while? An idea regarding my work has struck me."

Slight surprise crossed the features of Munakata Sr, but he simply nodded, "Mn-hm," and turned to his shogi board without saying anything else.

Taishi lied back down on the tatami, asking with interest, "What, Reishi, something about that guy you mentioned?" "Yes, correct. I just might have the chance to kick his behind," Munakata provided an explanation for his brother, using the simplest and most understandable words he could find.

Taishi burst out laughing. "Good to hear," was his reply.

†

"What I'm doing is actually very simple," Kounomura said after they had finished the driving the advertising van job and relocated to a members-only bar in Nanakamado.

They were in a deluxe room where only a handful of VIPs from even among the members of this closed establishment were allowed to enter. The sofas, the tables and all the other furnishings were stunningly extravagant and posh, but what drew the eye was the masterpiece works of a certain famous maestro. If they were put up for auction, there was no way the price offered would drop lower than a hundred million at worst. In this room, there were 2 such gems that by all rights should have been in possession of an art museum.

Like the regular customer he was, Kounomura came in front of the glass case where expensive Western liquors were on display, and casually took out a bottle of aged whiskey, pouring it into glasses - for himself and for Gouoku. He took a sip, held it in his mouth, then lied down on the floor on the fur spread on it.

'As usual, this man looks so out of place in this kind of furnishings,' Nakamura Gouoku thought. 'Just the other day he was sprawling on mats by the riverbed, slurping up some cheap plum shochu, and frankly, that place fit him perfectly, and certainly a lot more than this one. Though the same could be said about me.'

A penguin-like shortie of a man and a balded giant in a place where only the cream of the crop could enter certainly was a sight to behold. What's more, Gouoku was in his priest's garb while Kounomura had yet to change out of the fatigues he drove the van in just a short while ago. It was pretty amazing how none of the reception staff so much as batted an eye as they took the two such guests to the back rooms.

Gouoku took a gulp of straight liquor out of his whiskey glass - his palm easily wrapping around the thing in its entirety - and chuckled a little. The fact that both of them were completely out of place here still stood unchanged though. If anything, it was probably Munakata Reishi, with his gorgeous looks and commanding presence, who would fit right in.

"Mn? What's wrong?" Kounomura asked. "Ah no, nothing," Gouoku shook his head. "Go on with what you were talking about." "Erm? What was it I was saying, again?" Kounomura asked back slowly and drowsily. "You talked about Munakata Reishi," Gouoku reminded him. "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you for ages," he continued, his interest in the topic apparent. "You may have incredibly exceptional brains, but that Munakata Reishi guy is one hell of a sharp fella himself. So there has to be a reason why your clash is so one-sided so far and you're messing with him however you like, y'know?" "..." "That's something I want to know. Just what kind of witchcraft did you use to achieve this?" "Ah well, it's actually pretty simple. You could say it's 'love', I guess? It penetrates the perception gap between the sense of self, of others and of the world. Umm~m."

Gouoku patiently waited. If he kept waiting, his prodigious friend would eventually give him an explanation in words simple enough even for him to understand.

"Well, let's see. The reason why Munakata-kun is so confused this time is because in a sense he's too smart for his own good." "Meaning?" "Gouoku. When you're so smart that you have no equal, you end up seeing through everything like an open book and forgetting that you yourself, too, are part of this world, as well an influence on it. Well, maybe not exactly forgetting but never even realizing it. Perhaps, picturing yourself on top of a big mountain would be an adequate epithet."

Kounomura slowly rose and put the bottle on the table.

"Munakata-kun is currently here." He indicated the top of the bottle. "And those around him, people and circumstances alike, are this."

He placed a glass next to the bottle.

"In his case, he basically has a bird-eye view of all kinds of life's problems, and he can easily solve any problem by moving it in whatever direction is required or switching something with something else."

The glass was placed in different spots in sequence.

"As it keeps on going, curiously enough, a gap born between himself and his surroundings comes into existence," Kounomura went on, his voice having notes of sadness in it. "Misunderstanding becomes commonplace, leading to creation of an idol molded to people's wishes and expectations without his consent. Those around start to assume things, abandoning all attempts to actually understand and starting to pretty much deificate him instead. All because he is much too capable and outstanding. And yes, he is capable, but there is not a single soul who understands him, and it doesn't cross anyone's mind to even attempt to anymore. Munakata Reishi is a genius beyond anyone's reach. This conviction prevents people from thinking on the matter further." "So they just label him Ubermesch and leave it at that, huh? Just like they do you." "No, no." Kounomura flashed his pearly whites. "I can't hold a candle to Munakata-kun. He's the real authentic elite here. I'm just barely keeping up with him in this competition by making use of all the years I've lived, nothing more."

Kounomura took out another bottle out of the glass case and placed it next to the one that was already on the table. The two were of about the same height.

"That said, it's still probably a first to him, chancing upon someone of his own class who is actually trying to analyze him. And it's due to that unfamiliar experience that the thinking processes of even a genius like Munakata-kun automatically slow down, like a heated swimming pool becoming lukewarm, and the boundary line between himself and those around him becomes blurred. So what I'm doing is simply preventing him from doing his best. Simple as that." "You're sure being some nasty life senpai to him, eh. So basically you turned the supposed-to-be intelligence battle into psychological warfare, is that it?" "It can't be helped, Gouoku," Kounomura laughed at Gouoku's teasing. "I wouldn't stand a chance if I fought a person like that fair and square." "So, in short, it's because Munakata never met his equal that he's now falling for your tricks, or something?"

Kounomura shook his head.

"Not quite. Like I said earlier, the point here is that Munakata-kun is too smart for his own good. Let's use the chess analogy, shall we? He's an impossibly excellent player. He can win in virtually any position, at any point of the game, just after one look at the board, and that's precisely what he's been doing repeatedly. That's why he's accidentally forgotten that he, too, is one of the factors composing the world, one of the elements that determine strategy and tactics. One of the pawns on the board called fate." "Hmmm." "Putting this into even simpler terms, until now he was a chess player who never moved the pawn that he himself is. No one ever presented enough threat for him to, so he naturally leaves himself out of his calculations and predictions. ...No, it's not quite that he leaves himself out, he's just lacking in self-awareness a little, I guess." He grinned. "But that's enough for me."

Kounomura really was a terrifying man, Gouoku reaffirmed once again.

Said Kounomura yawned. "Everyone stopped trying to seriously figure him out. They don't see Munakata-kun's typical thinking patterns, habits and tendencies even though everyone naturally has them, no exceptions. But I..." "But you're seeing through them." "That's right. Because I have 'love' for him. I didn't treat Munakata-kun as an unreachable genius or a monster, I simply tried my absolute best to get to know him thoroughly. And then I made use of the tiny chinks in his armor that I had painstakingly searched for and found. That's all there is to it," Kounomura simply said, but even Gouoku was well aware just how uncommon and outstanding the ability to do that was. Yes, it really was Munakata's disastrous misfortune to become possessed by this man.

Under Gouoku's gaze, Kounomura let out another small yawn and sprawled listlessly on the fur of Russian sable.

"So how is it? Do you feel you can usurp the throne of the Blue King with this plan of yours?" Gouoku changed his question.

Kounomura was silent for a while.

"Hmmm. Dunno. Like I've told you many times before, the nature of the Dresden Slate is too mysterious. After all, even the brilliant Gold King, ruling all things on the ground, Kokujouji Daikaku spent half a century on researching that thing and is still hardly even closer to figuring it out than he was in the beginning." "Speaking of, I wonder what said Gold King wants to achieve through this affair." "Beats me. Maybe he regards us as nothing more than an experiment to advance his research of the Slate. Or maybe it's his way of testing Munakata-kun. Or..." Kounomura paused. "The fact that you became a strain proves that the Slate is responsive to human will to a certain extent. But beyond that, I have no idea." "So even you can't figure out the inhuman Slate, although you could the human Munakata Reishi, huh."

Kounomura didn't reply. He lay curled in on himself.

Gouoku's shoulders shook with laughter. Now he could see clearly the reason why Kounomura was so unmotivated.

"You're such a greedy man, as always. You're gunning for the throne of the Blue King, yet get dejected when the Blue King's not resisting your ususrpation attempt hard enough," he accused in a teasing manner. "You're mistaken," Kounomura denied Gouoku's words, but not hard enough for it to sound convincing.

"Hey, Zen'ichi. Tell me something. What exactly Munakata Reishi can do to turn the tables on us in the current situation?" "Well," Kounomura replied in a quiet sleepy voice. "Since we're striking at the structural flaw that we found in Munakata Reishi as a human being here, he could just remember his own existence - recall who exactly he is. Or..."

But that what all Kounomura said, a peaceful sleeper's breathing being the only sound escaping him anymore.

Gouoku chuckled and took another gulp of his drink. He wouldn't mind drinking in the company of the man named Munakata Reishi together with Kounomura Zen'ichi someday, he thought.

†

It felt like he was drunk, or maybe delirious with fever. But Munakata pushed forward, shivering only slightly.

Ascending the wooden stairs, he headed to the room he used to use as his own. After Munakata became independent and left, his parents kept the room as it was, so he could use it to stay at on the extremely rare occasions when he came to visit them.

It was a straw-matted room, of the size about 6 tatami mats. Out of furniture, it only had a bed, a desk and bookcases. The massive amounts of books from when Munakata was indiscriminately reading during his being a student were mostly gone, but certain materials and albums were still lined up in a strict orderly fashion on the shelves.

Out of them, Munakata took out his grade school graduation album and opened it.

The memories revived with ease.

"Kasuga-sensei."

Munakata's brain was fast pursuing several concurrent trains of thought at once. If the process inside his cranium was to be visualized, it would probably look like a multitude of multicolored lights flashing all the time. The past data stored in the memory field were retrieved, assigned meaning through reasoning and interpretation, linked with the next piece of information and given the unity of a whole.

At the moment, Munakata was engaged in ultra-fast computing of frightening speed magnitudes. That influenced the part of his brain that controlled his body, so he was currently reeling. Or, putting it in layman's terms, he could also be said to be concentrating extremely hard.

'You are an exceedingly capable child, Reishi-kun. No, maybe I should call you too capable for your own good?' his teacher, about to retire, said once with a wide smile.

Munakata's brain reconstructed the details of the appearance of the teacher in question without any problem. His features were like a visual illusion picture meant to form a human face even when turned upside down. He wasn't particularly fat, but the vertex part was prominently rising, some straight completely white hair looking like fuzz still left on his head above his ears. His nose was bulbous, and behind the Lloyd glasses, his eyes smiled with kindness. Like a professor from an old school manga, as one of Munakata's classmates described him once.

Next, Munakata recalled the teacher's personal background. From the scrapes of rumors, Munakata's own investigation and what Kasuga-sensei told them about himself, it was a rather eccentric history for a grade school teacher. From it, it followed that Kasuga-sensei earned a PhD in political science in the USA, got a job with the UN as a member of an arbitration committee for disputed territories and worked there for almost 10 years until suffering severe injuries to his right leg. Reluctantly, he had to resign. He had job offers from several business corporations and research institutes, but he declined them all, becoming a teacher for a public elementary school instead.

"I'm sure where life is concerned, you won't get anything less than 100 points, now or in the future," Kasuga-sensei predicted with the same wide smile.

He really was a strange teacher who would cut a lesson short and take the kids to go watch bugs and flowers outside or would recite poetry non-stop for an hour. But it was during that teacher's tenure that Munakata had received anything less than full marks twice: 95 the first time and 98 the second.

To Munakata, that was completely outside his expectations.

Perfection. That was the undeniable nature inherent of the human named Munakata Reishi, even if he was only alive for a little more than 10 years at the time. On the day when their regular homeroom teacher came back, which simultaneously meant the end of Kasuga-sensei's short substitution, Munakata Reishi, whose features were still those of a young child, knocked on the door of the faculty office with the intention to directly ask Kasuga-sensei the question that needed to be asked, in the boy's opinion.

Kasuga-sensei welcomed him with a smile on his face. Munakata's question was straightforward and clear.

'Sensei, please explain why I did not get the full marks on your test?'

Let's just say that in addition to the question not at all being what a young child would ask, it was also somewhat arrogant and warranting the need for some guidance, from the educational perspective. An ordinary teacher would get angry at that. But Kasuga-sensei only burst out laughing, looking like he really did find it very funny.

'It's only natural that you would come throw this question at me. I'm happy you did, Reishi-kun. But it's only just as natural in a sense that you could not get full marks on that test.' He giggled like a prankster kid. 'After all, I designed that test specifically for you. Through observing you, I drew up all the questions in a way designed to lead you astray and guide you to make a mistake. All of them were a trap custom-made specially for you, Reishi-kun.'

He was not shy about what he'd done in the least.

At the time, Munakata was lost and bewildered.

'But sensei, is that not an inappropriate manner of conduct for an educator?' Clearly, this man's attitude as a teacher was supposed to be the opposite. 'Even if you managed to stike me down, in essence the test would lose its meaning as an educational testing tool, would it not?' 'Hahahaha!' In response to that reproving statement, Kasuga-sensei laughed loudly. 'This too is an educational method, Reishi-kun. Make sure you remember it,' he said and patted Munakata's head.

In all honesty, at that point of time what his teacher was talking about was beyond comprehension even to the prodigious Munakata Reishi. Only, Munakata Reishi still made sure to store those words in the innermost depths of his heart.

Because he had a hunch he should. Because he felt what his teacher taught him might change something in him unnoticed.

'I love you very much, you know.'

The instance those words of Kasuga-sensei's came to mind, a spark flashed in Munakata's brain. Pieces connected, instantly falling in place and unraveling the mystery of the events that until then seemed inexplicable. The riddle stopped being a riddle, becoming nothing more than its real structure instead.

At the same time, the exceedingly simple swindling scheme Kounomura Zen'ichi was running was laid bare before Munakata in pretty much its entirety. It only took mere 20 seconds for all of the above to happen.

But even Munakata Reishi ended up dizzy and unsteady from concentrating and thinking as hard as was humanly possible. Beads of sweat dripped from his brow, and his breathing was rough. That's how intense a thinking process was required.

In addition, at mostly the same instance, Munakata noticed the key that could break down his current predicament. He had understood that for besting Kounomura he absolutely needed to recall who he, himself, was. And once he realized that necessity, coming up with a solution was easy.

Munakata Reishi's obvious reason d'etre.

He got up, straightened his back and said a single phrase then. "I see. I remember now."

Pushing up at the bridge of his glasses with a finger, he whispered with grace and elegance, "That's right. I'm a king."

A flash of a smile that tugged at his lips was that of the Guardian of Order, of the Fourth and the Blue King Munakata Reishi, most clever and most young.

†

Driving his car at high speed, Munakata Reishi hurried back to the HQ. He didn't plan to stay overnight at his parents' house, but even with that taken into account, he left the family gathering a little earlier than expected.

He stayed just long enough to say good night to his niece and nephew before they went to bed.

"Uncle, will you visit again?" the two children asked, rubbing their eyes sleepily. "Of course I will," Munakata smiled and placed a gentle hand on the two's heads.

His brother who came out to see him off wrapped a hand around Munakata's shoulders as he grinned, "Say, Reishi. I made a baseball team with friends, but we don't have enough people. So... are you free next Sunday?" Munakata had to think a little. "Let's see. If I'm finished with my current matter, I might be available." "Great, I'm counting on you then. Let's form a sibling battery while we're at it, 'kay? You'll be the pitcher, and I'll be the catcher. The other way is fine, too. Yeah, now I can't wait!"

Taishi remained Taishi no matter what.

Unusually enough, Munakata Sr appeared in the entranceway to see his younger son off, too. It was anyone's guess what exactly the taciturn craftsman Jirou figured, but he clapped the younger Munakata on the arm and said, "Nm. Do your best." With that he slowly returned to the hallway.

Munakata bowed deeply to his father's back.

He sensed that his father constantly lived with the feeling of confusion when it came to him. And if he was honest, he knew that neither his parents nor his brother could ever gain a thorough understanding of who and what he was. He wasn't disappointed by it or resigned to it, he simply acknowledged it as a fact. At the same time, never once had he doubted the love they offered him.

'A kite has bred a hawk,' was what those around kept saying, and both Munakata's father and mother thought so too.

But still, the kite loved the hawk.

And they did too, in their own clumsy way, but sincerely and unhesitatingly. That's why Munakata could always return to their household as their second son Reishi, without the need to be cautious or anxious.

Before awakening as a king, Munakata Reishi lived his life without truly knowing who he was. His overly superior intelligence, his insight allowing him to foresee every manner of matter, his prodigious physical capabilities and talents... no matter what he did, he did it so well that he ended up eclipsing others as if it was only natural. What was a challenge to ordinary people, to Munakata was like walking a straight flat road, coming as natural as breathing. Not even an obstacle preventing him from seeing dozens of meters ahead. He was someone who surpassed in a heartbeat others' long and painstaking hard work with just his natural talent.

What would it even lead to if someone so superior and reality-defying tried to lead a school life among your average people?

The answer was, exclusion from the collective under the guise of admiration, and alienation from the mass with no even feeling of jealousy involved.

Because Munakata-kun was special. Because Munakata-kun was not normal.

How many times did he have those words, full of understanding on the surface but essentially ruthless and intolerant if you dug deeper, thrown at him?

His superior intelligence let him see through the pretense of respect veiling people's wish to distance themselves from him, and the Munakata Reishi of the past allowed it, resulting in his all-encompassing loneliness.

No matter how much he wished it, no one could stand equal to him. No one could see what he saw even if they looked at the same thing.

Before becoming king, Munakata Reishi was always lonely.

Munakata operated his PDA via voice input as he drove.

During his intense brain storming earlier, he exposed most of Kounomura's scheme, but there still remained a few unclear points. To figure them out, he absolutely needed capable people who could conduct field operation in his stead.

The line connected. Using a hands-free set, Munakata inquired, "Ah, Fushimi-kun?"

As he said the name of the person he was calling, a thought flashed in his head that maybe he head-hunted this person for his organization because he projected parts of his own past on the way the young man lived at the time. Needless to say, their personalities and environment was nothing alike, and unlike himself, Fushimi had a friend he could confide in, but still, the way the two of them felt out of place and alienated by those around them due to how outstandingly capable they were was very similar.

'---What is it?' The voice on the other end of the line was openly annoyed despite its owner talking to his direct superior.

Munakata's lips curved up in a smile.

"I have something to ask of you."

He then explained the contents of his request, keeping it short. Since the order was almost too concise, a normal person would likely fail to see what exactly Munakata wanted to achieve by giving it.

But Fushimi was not normal.

'---Understood,' he answered back after a 2 second silence, sounding like he had grasped Munakata's goal behind the directive in full.

The line went dead almost immediately after.

'He really is capable, extraordinarily so,' Munakata thought to himself from the bottom of his heart.

Afterwards, until arriving to the HQ, as he was driving, Munakata mulled over the topic of the grass-lot baseball game his brother invited him to. He was even humming to himself, an occurrence almost unheard-of for him.

Munakata knew he was in an uplifted mood. His drive and motivation were back.

[ascella-star]

Shades of Blue

Gift for @vkiera for the @mkrholidayficswap.

I hope you like it! Specially since it was because of you that i started to Ship these two.

(under the read more because it got longer than expected!)

 The first time he saw her, he was about to open the art studio where he worked part-time.

 It was a Wednesday, something he remembers just because it is the only day of the week when he comes to work straight from school; he recalls that he was about 5 minutes earlier than usual, but he decided to open the studio nonetheless.

 That’s when he saw her.

 She was wearing a blue-green coat with black pants and a black beanie on her head; any other day, he would not have noticed her, nor what she was wearing; however, just when she was passing behind him, she laughed at something another girl said, making him turn around and see her.

 Her clothes were not exactly the first things that he noticed once her paths crossed. To be honest, the first thing that claimed his attention, was her smile.

 It was a very pretty smile.

                                                       +++

 He saw her again some days later while walking aimlessly through the park. He had been feeling a bit short of inspiration and decided to walk around in hopes of finding something worth painting.

He thought that maybe the sights near the lake could be worth a try, especially since this time of the year, different types of birds liked to fly near its surface.

Once he was near the Lake, he noticed a familiar figure leaning on the railing; she was lost in contemplation, looking at some point beyond the horizon, or maybe at a point on the other side of the lake. She was wearing a pink sweater that looked soft to the touch and a black headband keeping her long blue hair in place.

It was late evening and the sun was just about to set. Its reddish light bathing everything, giving the park a molten look that was just so alluring to keep watching.

Birds were flying around the lake, reflecting their shapes on the lake’s surface and making an interesting play of lights and shadows with the rest of the background.

This went mostly unnoticed, as Eagle’s attention was held elsewhere. He was completely distracted, watching how the sunset light was reflecting on her blue hair, giving it the appearance of it being a few shades darker and lined with gold accents. The wind playing with her long locks and the wistful expression on her face made her look ethereal, like a sunset nymph just for his eyes to see.

A slightly stronger breeze made him turn his eyes away, and by the time he was able to look back, she was already gone.

                                                        ++++

Several days after, Eagle found himself back in the studio playing with his oil paintings. He was idly combining colours, looking for something that could inspire him, that could help him express whatever his mind and heart was trying to communicate.

For some reason, every single combination made, turned out on a shade of blue; and even when he tried to use those mixes to paint something, the things that came out from his brushes were not exactly exhibition material.

They had no shape or order, no semblance of an actual idea. They looked more like prototypes of something… something that was not ready to be out yet.

Giving up on it for the time being, he decided to head out for fresh air and to buy some groceries. He was getting hungry and the weather was starting to get colder. He certainly was not fond of the idea of going out later when the cold would hit full force.

                                                       ++++

When he finally met her, it was by sheer coincidence; not that his previous sightings had been meticulously planned.

He was supposed to meet his best friend’s girlfriend, and since she was going to be hanging out with another girl, they decided to arrange for a double-blind-date between them.

This sounded like it was about to end in a disaster date, but just for Lantis, he decided to take the risk.

He met with his friend outside a cosy café; he was early for a chance and this let him ask his friend for any clue about the girl he was supposed to meet aside from his girlfriend.

Lantis, the beautiful person that he was, just limited himself to offer him an intriguing smile before telling him to “not worry, I’m sure you’ll like her. You’ll just have to wait a bit more”.

Eagle scoffed sceptically; yes, Lantis was his oldest and closest friend, but they tended to have very different opinions on what was good or bad for the other.

He still remembered that time when he tried to pair him with a friend of his brother in law. The blonde girl was pretty, but she kept talking about her purple haired ex-boyfriend to the point that he ended giving her tips on how to get him back as soon as possible.

Yes. He loved Lantis like a brother, but he was a bit scared of how this new acquaintance will turn out.

                                                        +++

The first one to arrive was a very pretty redhead. She came bouncing up to the two men, sporting a huge smile and throwing herself to his best friend’s arms. Eagle had little time to speculate about her identity before Lantis looked back at him with a smile as big as the redhead’s while telling him to “meet Hikaru, My girlfriend”.

The couple didn’t separate themselves after the introductions, which started to make Eagle a little bit uncomfortable; that was when he remembered about their other companion for the evening. As if summoned, another girl approached them; this time, one Eagle recognized even if he hadn’t properly met her.

She was wearing a beige coat and her long blue hair was up in a ponytail. Her long steps were projecting a confidence that her smile was downgrading a little and her eyes, so very blue eyes were shining with a determination to that made him wonder exactly what was going through her mind.

Her smile was still beautiful.

He wanted to see her smiling some more.

                                                          +++

“Umi Ryuuzaki, nice to meet you”

“Eagle Vision, pleasure is all mine”

The smiles they exchanged were a bit insecure, but sincere nonetheless. It was clear that neither of them were sure of what to expect of the evening, but that they decided to go along with this for their friend’s sake.

Once they finally entered the café, things started to get weird. Not because of a supernatural surprise, or because there was something strange happening inside the coffee shop, but because both Hikaru and Lantis were too busy looking at each other, and talking to each other, and basically forgetting that a world outside each other existed.

Both tried to engage their friends in conversation, looking here and there for any topic that may break them out of their spell.

They were unsuccessful. They tried to entice them with food and were ignored again. Soon they realized that they were stuck with an affectionate couple in an increasingly awkward situation.

They decided to ditch them.

Eagle made an excuse of going to the bathroom, while Umi said she was going for another pastry. Their excuses went unheard again, and soon they were outside the café with the whole evening for themselves.

Even though they were eager to leave the couple behind, Eagle found himself reluctant to part from the company of the pretty girl he just met, so he turn around to face her and asked her to go for an ice cream elsewhere, just so they don’t “waste away this beautiful evening”.

The ice cream parlour they chose was one that was near the art studio where Eagle worked. There he learnt that she went to one of the schools that were a couple of blocks ahead from the studio. She was in her last year of high school and about to start applying for college. In turn, he told her he was an art student, working part time on the studio and that he hoped to make a name for himself with his art.

He even offered to show her his last works some other day.

He was delighted when she said yes.

Their evening ended too soon for their liking, but after exchanging numbers, they agreed to meet again sometime, specially since Eagle still owed Umi a tour through his grand pieces of art.

Once they parted ways, Eagle couldn’t deny that of all the smiles he had seen her, the one that she gave him last was one of the prettiest he had ever seen.

                                                         +++

Eagle and Umi continued to hang out whenever they had a chance, their friendship growing stronger with each passing day, with every text sent and with every conversation had.

They got inseparable very quickly, always teasing each other, making jokes at the others expense and listening to the other’s problems whenever they needed it.

Eagle found out that she was not exactly fond of sweets, but really loved to bake them. Umi found out about Eagle’s incredibly sweet teeth, encouraging it with all the things she decided to bake but was unwilling to eat.

Eagle found out about her leading of her high school’s Fencing team, and asked Umi to invite him sometime to one of her competitions; he hadn’t missed one since, and more often than not he found himself sketching her, sword in hand, in one pose or another, sometimes even drawing her in exotic warrior clothes while fighting one monster or another.

Umi found this silly, but endearing.

Eagle found her endearing.

It was then that Eagle realized he had a huge crush on Umi. He decided to risk it and act on it, so the next time they talked over the phone, he properly asked her out on a date.

“For a moment, I thought I’d be the one who had to ask!” was her only answer.

                                                      ++++

They dated for a couple of months without any of their friends realizing it, mostly because they didn’t usually hang out together with the rest of their friends and in part because they were not much into public displays of affection beyond their usual teasing.

Then again, had their friends paid more attention, they would have noticed the lingering touches, the way they saw each other, or even how Eagle’s art recently was too blue centred, always mimicking Umi’s own different shades of blue.

This secrecy however came to a stop when Lantis, being the beautiful person we already said he was, tried to set him up with another girl he accidentally met.

Reaction didn’t come from him, but from Umi who, being the tactful and mindful girl she had always been, in no uncertain terms said to him that “I respect you because you are my best friend’s boyfriend, but if you try to set my own boyfriend up with another girl again, you are going to regret it”.

And Lantis didn’t know why, but he was suddenly sure that she would fulfil her promise in the most painful way if he did not heed her warning.

Once the shock of the reveal had passed, Lantis offered his congratulations, briefly mentioning that now he owed Hikaru a diner since she was certain they had been dating for some time now, even if there was no official announcement about it.

After that, news of their relationship spread around their friends rather quickly, to the point that nobody was surprised that his next exhibition was all in shades of blue, and more than one of those pieces were about the girl on his arm.

And when she announced that she would be attending the same university as him, but for a fashion degree, everybody knew they were in for a lasting and fulfilling relationship.

 [AO3]

[prismofwords]

Day 1: Jealousy

“Alright everyone, take a break!”

Maki tried not to look like an idiot as she all but dove for her water bottle. The dance routine Eli and Umi had come up with for their newest song was really intensive, with Maki feeling like she might collapse for the entire last chorus. It was definitely more demanding than anything they’d done before. Looking at Umi, though, you wouldn’t think it was so tiring. She was definitely sweating, but her breathing was deep and controlled. She was talking with Honoka and Kotori, looking completely at ease as if the last half hour of nonstop practice hadn’t happened, and Maki couldn’t take her eyes away. When it came to Umi, she never could.

At least, until she saw it. Kotori started talking and gesturing wildly, probably telling a story of some sort. Umi’s lips curled into a smile, and then parted as she laughed. Maki felt an ugly feeling rise up in her chest and quickly looked away. She had always considered Umi’s smile to be rather charming, and at some point she had started wanting to see it more often. For some reason though, whenever she saw Kotori or Honoka or even Eli make her smile now, it made Maki upset.

An intrusive thought shot through her head. You’re mine, you know. You’re not allowed to be happy with anyone else. Maki flinched and shook her head to dispel it. What a ridiculous sentiment. She was still confused about how exactly she felt about Umi, but she knew that wasn’t it. That couldn’t be it.

“Maki-chan, are you okay?” a voice asked. Maki turned to the side, bewildered.

“Oh, Hanayo...yeah, I’m fine.” Her gaze drifted again to the second-years, to Umi, and she immediately regretted it. “Just need to go to the washroom,” she stammered out as she stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

Maki could feel Umi glance inquisitively at her as she made her way to the door. But as she was now, she couldn’t bring herself to meet her sempai’s eyes. If this continued, she didn’t think she could meet Umi’s eyes again.

When did this get so complicated?

A week had passed since they’d introduced the new song. Umi took her time putting away her archery equipment as the day’s practice ended. She knew Maki was waiting for her at the music room, and normally she would hurry over as fast as she could, but things had been different lately. Maki was distancing herself from her. At first, it had only been when other people were around. Umi thought she was imagining things, but after a while she was sure that the first-year wasn’t meeting her gaze and only talked to her when directly addressed. It didn’t affect their songwriting, so Umi didn’t comment on it, thinking that the first-year would come talk to her about whatever the problem was whenever she was ready. But now, even when they were alone, Maki refused to look her in the eyes, and seemed uncomfortable when they were sitting next to each other. It was worse than their first few awkward meetings, and the second-year didn’t have the slightest clue why it was happening.

Umi tried not to think too much about it, but if she was being honest, it hurt. She had grown to like spending time with Maki. Their regular songwriting sessions were the highlight of her week, even more than archery. She’d thought it was special for her partner as well. Was it all a lie? Umi needed to find out. As she approached the door to the music room, she made her resolve. It probably wouldn’t be pretty, but she needed to ask. She needed to know.

She put her hand on the doorknob, but froze. Peering inside, she saw two figures. Maki, of course, but Nico was there too. Maki’s back was to the door, but Umi could tell she was crying in the shorter girl’s arms. Umi let go of the knob. So that’s how it is. She didn’t know what they had been talking about, but it was obviously a private matter. It would be best for her to wait outside, somewhere she couldn’t see them. She wouldn’t push herself somewhere she didn’t belong.

And yet...she didn’t move. Seeing Maki crying made her want to run to her side. Venomous emotion rose in her head and her heart. Why was Nico there? Why wasn’t it her there? Umi’s fist clenched so tightly her nails drew blood from her palm. It should be me consoling you, you don’t need anybody else.

And then, as if hearing her thoughts, Nico looked up and saw her. Realizing her mistake, Umi willed herself to turn away, breaking into a run down the hall. She’d have to deal with it eventually, but for now she just needed to get away--

“--Where are you going, idiot?” An ice cold hand grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop. Umi hadn’t heard the music room door open or close, but somehow Nico had already caught up to her.

Umi turned to face her. “I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she spat out. She knew it was overly hostile, but she didn’t care.

Nico for her part, was too baffled to be offended. “What?”

“Shouldn’t you go back to her?” Umi blinked away the angry tears forming in her own eyes. “Since you’re the one she’s crying to.”

Nico’s mouth curled into a small ‘o’ as she grasped the situation, and she softly sighed. “Geez, you kids...what am I going to do with you two? I know it’s probably all new for you guys, but you really shouldn’t take yourselves so seriously.”

It was Umi’s turn to be confused. “H-huh?”

“It’s not what you think,” Nico said, waving her hand dismissively. “Really, I don’t know why she came to me, either. If she could just be more honest about her feelings, things would be a lot simpler.” She stepped forward so that she was beside Umi. “Well, I guess that’s just how she is. Not like you’re much better. But you can get past that, right?”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”

Nico smiled. “Just go to her,” she said, pushing Umi forward. The second-year looked back at her and opened her mouth as if to say something, but Nico shook her head. “Just go. You can thank me later.” Umi didn’t need to be told twice. She nodded and took off running.

It had been five minutes since Nico had abruptly said ‘Wait here’ and ran out the door. Given Maki had been in the middle of venting all her ugly and confusing feelings out, it was kind of embarrassing. Hearing the door open, she looked up. “Geez, Nico-chan, what took you so--”

“Maki.”

The first-year’s eyes widened. “Umi, I...”

The older girl held up a hand. “Nico explained things to me. Er, not really, but I think I have a vague idea of what’s going on. I want to hear it from you, though. Maki, why have you been acting weird lately? Please be honest. I won’t get mad, I promise.”

Maki’s gaze fell to the floor. “Because...I’m no good, the way I am right now.” She almost choked up, but she pushed herself to continue. “I love you, Umi, but I don’t want to burden you with these stupid feelings of mine.”

Umi swiftly crossed the room and put her hands on the other girl’s shoulders. “Maki, that’s not a burden to me. There’s nothing wrong with being in love.”

“But there is!” Maki cried out. “It hurts and it makes me have thoughts I don’t want to have, feel things I don’t want to feel. It’s not fair to you or the others. Whenever I see you with Honoka or Kotori, my chest gets so tight, and I...I...!”

“You wish you could take me away, right? You wish you could have me all to yourself.”

Maki looked up. “Y-yeah, exactly like that. How...?”

Umi met her eyes, and Maki found herself caught in the trap. “Because sometimes I wish I could have you all to myself too,” Umi said. “You’re my prey, and I won’t allow anyone else to steal you from me.”

Maki’s face flushed. “W-what the hell is that?! Don’t just say something so weird like that!”

Suddenly realizing the words that came from her mouth, Umi followed suit, as if they were competing to see who could turn redder. “Aren’t you the one thinking embarrassing things first?!”

“Yeah, but at least I’m not saying them out loud! That’s weird, you know!” The two tomatoes glared at each other, and then burst out laughing. “Geez, no need to go all Cutie Panther on me,” Maki said.

Umi sat down on the piano bench next to Maki and laid her head on the other’s shoulder. “But I mean it, you know? Every word.”

“...Yeah. Me too.”

[lonelypond]

Idol House: Protect All Idols, Ch. I

Love Live, NicoMaki, 2K, 1/2

Kawano Aki's attempts to break up Nico and Maki have caused reprecussions. How will Muse cope?

Coming Up WIth A Plan

Eli frowned, pushing papers to one side so she could double check something on her laptop. Nozomi was studying, but her books weren’t nearly as attractive as Eli biting her lower lip while icy blue eyes calculated possibilities.

“Nico’s right. We’re in trouble.” Eli sighed, leaned back, rubbing her eyes, blonde hair falling loose.

“Nico’s right?”

“Didn’t you see the text?”

Nozomi shook her head, she’d been in classes all day.”

“Internet bullies have decided to focus on harassing Kawano-san. There’s a producer’s meeting tomorrow. Nico wants to walk in with a 𝝁’s plan.”

Nozomi sat up, “What does Maki think?”

“She hasn’t responded to the group text, but when I asked Nico privately, Maki is furious that people are bullying someone in her name.” Eli’s phone pinged, she read, her face hardening, “Hanayo suggests we demand mental health services be offered to the cast, but she believes the producers will balk at the costs.”

###

Nico was pacing, ranting, hands flying. They were on the Otonokizaka rooftop, Nico had met Maki after school and they’d just headed up there for some privacy.

“Nico wants to be thinking about all the things you’re planning for my birthday, not bullies. If Nico leaves the Idol House, people will blame Aki and things will get even worse and Nico had plans. And made promises and…” Nico stopped, looking tiny, worried, and flummoxed.

Maki grabbed Nico and hugged her, “I know you can’t leave right now, Nico. Making sure we protect girls is what’s important.”

“Eli said she was doing some research; Hanayo suggests mental health counseling; Umi suggests finding a way to involve the parents of the bullies.”

Maki was silent for a moment, and then her voice was soft, “Why’d you do it, Nico? When 𝝁’s first started.”

Nico’s face scrunched up, as if she was about to fly into a raging rant and then she sagged, “Jealousy, stupidity, Honoka being so much more successful at recruiting people…” Nico stepped away, staring at Tokyo, “You were all so eager and friendly and attractive and Nico just felt…”

Maki waited.

“Nico just felt out of step, lonely. And like someone who’d memorized the steps to a dance, but couldn’t do them. You glowed with so much talent.”

Maki couldn’t remember Nico being this honest about her initial harassment of Honoka. The Aki situation must really be upsetting her. Sure Maki was angry, but it seemed to be making Nico sad, and not only because it was having a direct and detrimental effect on their future plans.

Maki sat within reach of Nico, back against the roof fence away as Nico blinked away tears.

“We wouldn’t have won Love Live without you.”

“That’s not true.”

“Without you, I never could have composed Yume no Tobira. A-Rise would have won the regional.”

Nico glanced down, Maki was staring up, eyes as bright and trusting as that night in front of the campfire. And Maki continued, determined to convince Nico, “Without you, no one would have been there to push us to develop idol personas, to be idols even when things weren’t going right, without you, Kotori wouldn’t have had anyone to bounce ideas back. WIthout you, our PVs and promotional materials would have lacked professional polish. Without you…” Maki took Nico’s hand, “there would have been so much less joy.”

Nico sat carefully on Maki’s lap, her face hidden against the taller girl’s shoulder. After a long silence, she whispered. “It’s just so hard to see someone being hurt because of me, because of us. I wanted people to love us, because I love you, but...” Nico had underestimated the fans’ capacity for fierce protectivity. It was scary.

“I know, Nico.” Maki carefully smoothed Nico’s hair, “And we’re going to fix this. We’re 𝝁’s. We win.”

“We do.”

“That’s what I want to hear from the Number One Producer in the Universe.”

Nico giggled, “You’re pretty sharp for a trophy wife.”

Maki squeezed Nico, inhaling the fruity shampoo scent she got lonely for, “I love you, Nico-chan.”

“I love you.”

###

Downstairs, in the Idol Club, another meeting was happening. Hanayo had spun her chair away from the dual monitors. “I don’t think Aki would be successful as a single Idol.”

Umi nodded, “No, that is a lot of pressure.”

Honoka bounced in her chair, “But she’s always finding a way to get more attention.”

Kotori frowned, “But, Honoka…”

“Yeah, she seems a bit desperate. That’s probably why people are picking on her.” Rin’s voice was getting louder, “That’s what they do, they find what you worry about and throw it in your face, to make you run away, and hide and they’re just…”

“Rin-chan.” Hanayo said softly, but Rin was staring at the table in front of her, refusing to look at anyone.

“We got through things because we stayed together.” Honoka stated proudly, “She doesn’t have a group, she must be lonely.”

Hanayo squeaked, suddenly kicking into verbal hyperdrive. “Maybe we should only invite groups, when they’re starting out, that’d be a whole new angle, draw in their original fans to build the Idol House fanbase, grow them with more fans, they’d be working together toward success in the Idol industry together not competing with each other, that’s such a great idea Honoka.”

“What’d Honoka come up with?” Nico sounded curious. No one had noticed the door open and Nico stood there, Maki behind her, hand on Nico’s waist.

“Invite groups into Idol House.” Hanayo’s eyes were wide. “We could do that so easily, Nico.”

Maki had noticed Rin’s mood and decided to sit next to her friend. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen, sliding it into Rin’s hand. Rin batted it away again and again, but Maki slowly slid it back every time, poking, until Rin grabbed the pen and threw it down the table, making Hanayo slide out of the way. “Lay off, Maki-chan.”

“Hey, you two are going to hurt someone. Take it outside.” Nico ordered.

“I don’t want to.” Rin seethed.

Umi frowned, after a quick glance shared with Maki, settled her shoulders, “I must agree with Nico. Maki, Rin, take your juvenile behavior elsewhere.”

Rin got to her feet, whining, “C’mon Maki, why’d you have to get us in trouble, You owe me so much ramen.”

“Okay.” Maki said simply as she opened the door, “Let’s go for ramen. Loser has to pay.” And Maki sprinted off down the corridor as Rin roared after her.

“Hey, that’s cheating, Maki-chan!”

“Those two,” Umi clucked her tongue, but her tone was benevolent, “sometimes make Honoka look mature.”

“Hey!” Honoka complained. “I thought we were here to stop bullying.”

###

Honoka couldn’t find Kotori. Umi had gone to practice archery. Nico and Hanayo had headed out to meet up with Rin and Maki, but Kotori had disappeared. She hadn’t said much in the meeting, which wasn’t really surprising, but she hadn’t hung around after while Honoka and Umi discussed what Nico should present from 𝝁’s as investors and co executive producers.

There was one place. Kotori preferred working at home on designs, but she still spent many hours in the home economics classroom. Honoka headed there, running, but a calm run. Umi would understand. Honoka opened the door and Kotori was sitting at the sewing table, stabbing pins into fabric patterns with a painful precision that made Honoka wince. She’d seen Kotori push needles through leather and then failed completely when she’d tried herself so Honoka could imagine the force Kotori was wielding at the pin tips.

“Kotori-chan?”

“Mmmm…”

Honoka quietly knelt next to Kotori, “Are you okay, Kotori-chan?”

Kotori shook her head, she’d been crying. Honoka reached out, pulling Kotori into a hug, “Don’t cry, Kotori-chan. I’m gonna fix this.”

“How, Honoka-chan?” People are so mean.”

“Yeah, I know. But we know nice ones and I bet they’ll help us.”

“Really, Honoka-chan?”

Honoka smiled as Kotori’s honey eyes brightened, “I promise.”

“Oh, Honoka-chan.” All of Kotori’s weight was suddenly in Honoka’s arms and somehow Honoka managed to maneuver them both to the floor, Kotori half sitting in Honoka’s lap, tears and sniffling all over. It would have been amusing if Kotori hadn’t been so sad. Very gently, as if touching a shy puppy, Honoka reached her hand up, fingers caressing Kotori’s downy tresses. She smiled, Kotori nuzzling closer, softness tickling her chin.

###

Maki couldn’t stop watching Nico’s grumpy face. It was adorable. They were meeting Tsubasa and Nico was less than thrilled that Maki was the person Tsubasa was most likely to agree to do a favor for.

“Hi Maki! And Nico. This is a treat. The Idol Power couple together. For me.” Tsubasa had only gotten cheekier with broader fame.

“I’m just here to make sure Maki doesn’t get talked into writing you another album.” Nico crossed her arms over her chest.

Maki leaned in, “No, you’re here as an Idol House producer, Nico-chan.”

“Oh right.” Nico waved a waitress over, pointing to her and Maki’s usual orders. “What can I get you, Tsubasa?”

“An espresso. And a cornetto.”

“Good choice.”

“So what can I do for you, Maki? Honoka’s text was…” Tsubasa fluttered her eyelids, “rambling.”

“We have a bullying problem.”

“The girl who can’t decide between you or Nico. I noticed that was blowing up. Going to drop her from the show? Probably best.”

“It’s not her fault.” Maki snapped.

There was a pause, then Tsubasa whistled, “She makes a play for your fiancée, then you, and you’re here to get me to help her?” Tsubasa glanced at Nico, “Aren’t you both notorious for jealous flare ups?”

Maki blushed, fidgeting with her napkin.

Nico tapped the table to get Tsubasa’s attention off Maki, “She’s a kid. Being harassed. Trying to make it in the biz. You know how rough that is.” Nico took Maki’s hand, “Nobody’s getting between Maki and me, that wasn’t even an issue. And no one is going to be bullied and harassed if we can help it.”

“Well, I applaud the sentiment, but it’s already happened. What can you do?”

Maki had recovered, although she still kept holding Nico’s hand under the table, “We wondered if you knew any group that could fit a new singer in. No one thinks she’s ready for a solo career.”

“You’re going to promote her?!?!?!? After all that trouble?” Tsubasa pushed her chair back. “And how does that help in the future? Aren’t you setting up a victim culture?”

Nico shook her head, “We made a mistake. We’re going to make some changes. Invite groups so it’s not just girls or guys all scrambling to make it, so there’s a built in support system.”

“And mental health counseling.” Maki added.

“Wow. This is serious.”

Maki spoke softly, “𝝁’s was a miracle. We want to use our name and platform to improve the industry.”

“Spoken like a person with power.”

“Yes,” Maki gritted her teeth, “I have money, my family has power, 𝝁’s has popularity. If I can use those things to help one girl not cry herself to sleep, or worse, I will.”

Nico leaned over to whisper something in Maki’s ear, and the redhead replied in the same low tone, her hand falling to Nico’s knee with a graceful ease. Envy pinged Tsubasa at the casualness of the couple moment. Screaming fans and a date with nearly anyone she asked was a thrill, but something about the quiet, private interludes Nico and Maki had always managed, even on stage or in the midst of a crowd, held a powerful appeal.

“Doesn’t Koizumi-san have any leads on groups looking to expand or replace someone?”

Nico shook her head, “None of those really suit Aki-san. We thought you might have heard some rumors.”

Tsubasa smiled at the waitress who brought her espresso, “Not recently. But I can ask around.” A delicate sip, “But you may have to do me a favor.”

“What?” Nico went for daunting.

Tsubaba shrugged and giggled, “I might take my time deciding.”

Nico snapped a cookie in half, while Maki decided to whisper something that made Nico flush a little. The meeting hadn’t gone anywhere Tsubasa expected. Which was a surprise. What would Nico come up with next? And could Tsubasa top it?

A/N: Howdy! Hoodie weather is here, I'm making things up as I go along, and I hope you are all well.

Also, please register to vote and/or make a voting plan if you are an American citizen. Rock the Vote is a good resource; link in comments.