#the way Chisato looks at her

[asticassia]

i think chisato lycorisrecoil might be one of my favorite characters of all time....girl who has the autism that makes you great at killing people but refuses to kill people out of principle. not to mention that shes silly. and gay

[gund-arminc]

now back to our regularly scheduled positivity!

baby animals! warm sun on a chilly day! laughter! women!

[versadies]

EPILOGUE || FOREVERMORE

SYNOPSIS (of chapter). in which it's been three months since your trip to mondstadt.

SYNOPSIS (of series). breaking up with your first love was heartbreaking, but not as heartbreaking as getting invited to his wedding after years of not seeing him. that is, until things seem to be easier when you encounter a certain guest, who could end up becoming more than just a blooming friend to you (or not).

CHARACTERS. diluc ragnvindr, kamisato ayato, and thoma (w/ gn!reader)

CONTENT. fluff/slight-angst, grammar errors (?), cheesy scenes, second-hand embarrassment (?), possible errors in general.

WORD COUNT. 3.5k words

LINKS. EVERMORE MASTERLIST \ MAIN MASTERLIST \ EVERMORE SURVEY

POST-SCRIPT. the end is finally here!! hopefully the ending is satisfying and fulfilling, i've done all i can to make sure it brings the entire series together and give reader the happiness they deserve. if you wish to know fun facts about the series, stay until the end!!

PREVIOUS

3 MONTHS LATER AFTER THE WEDDING.

DECEMBER 11, 2022

It’s been a while since you’ve last visited Mondstadt. 

You find yourself sitting on a bar stool with your drink in hand, wearing a formal outfit suited for an occasion that can happen to someone for once-in-a-lifetime: a wedding. 

True to both you and Diluc’s words, you kept in touch with one another as you two remained friends after your departure from Mondstadt. Though you’re both busy from your work schedules, the two of you make the most of your conversations through sending pictures of food, places, and even your friends – your particular favorite being a picture of his pet bird, Vanessa – in your messages. 

It’s safe to say things are well, and you’re more than happy with the couple’s wedding despite your heartbreak before. 

You mindlessly look around the reception venue with a smile on your face, paying no mind to the conversations between loud guests who are either talking about 1) the newly wedded couple, or 2) the recent buzz of the continent regarding a certain corrupted CEO.

Two months after the wedding of Ayato and Chisato, Shinsuke was suddenly arrested thanks to the newly-wedded couple, who exposed him with numerous charges that shocked the entire public and media.

“Did you hear? Hiiragi Shinsuke has been arrested for his crimes!”

“I know! It’s shocking to hear that it took him this long to be behind bars, and to think that it’s all thanks to his daughter and her husband...” 

“Didn’t they work with that young detective that’s been the buzz of Inazuma’s police force? What’s that detective’s name again?”

“I believe it’s Shikanoin. Apparently he’s been investigating Hiiragi for a long time now!” 

You muted out people’s chattering about Shinsuke, taking a sip of your drink. You’re honestly just glad that he’s finally behind bars now, and you won’t have to worry about him for a long, long tim–

“( Name )! How are you?” You flinch when you hear a particular voice that you haven’t heard for a few months now. When you turn around, you spot Venti coming towards you happily with a skip of his steps.

“Venti!” You greeted him happily, putting your glass down before standing up to come towards him, spreading your arms for a friendly hug. “I’ve been well, thank you. How about you? It’s been a while!” 

Venti giggles, wrapping his arms around you for a warm friendly hug. “I’m doing well, especially with free drinks and free food around!” He cheers. His flushed cheeks and drowsy look is enough for you to know that he’s as drunk as can be. Classic Venti…

“I can tell.” You respond with a laugh, before helping him sit on one of the bar stools that’s next to yours on the left. “You should take a break from all that drinking, your hangover will be the death of you tomorrow.” 

“You’re right.. I should be ready for later..!” Venti hiccups. “How’s Zhongli, by the way? Did he go with you as your plus one again?” 

You shake your head in response. “He’s okay, but no, he’s not with me for this trip.” You replied. “I didn’t bring anyone with me since it wasn’t mentioned in the wedding card.”

“Well then, I guess you’re stuck with me!” He giggles, before ordering the bartender another glass once again, much to both your dismay and the bartender’s. 

As Venti indulges himself with the free drinks while sharing interesting things about Mondstadt, you couldn’t help but glance at the direction of where Diluc and Jean are, who are both chatting quietly to one another as they eat their meals at their table.

It didn’t take long before Diluc felt your stare, and noticed your presence. 

You couldn’t help but smile at him with a wave, to which he responds with an acknowledged nod, slightly smiling towards you before his attention is taken by another guest who came to congratulate the newly-wedded couple.

Your attention is eventually taken as well by another person, who suddenly seated himself right next to you on your right. 

“Thoma!” You gasp in surprise, not expecting to see the blonde-haired man.

Thoma flashes you a smile as he chuckles. “Hello to you too as well, ( Name ). Guess you didn’t expect me to be here, huh?” 

“Of course not, you gave me a heart attack! I didn’t know you were invited!” You exclaim with a smile. You couldn’t help but take note of how neat he looks, wearing a tuxedo with his hair fixed instead of his usual messy hairdo that you’ve grown used to. 

“I didn’t think I’d be invited either until Ayato persuaded me to come to the wedding on his behalf. I’m sure you know how busy Inazuma has been since the… arrest.” He explains, scratching the back of his head with a cheeky grin. 

You nod in understanding, your smile becoming a little strained at the mention of the arrest of Shinsuke. “I’m very aware. Almost everyone’s talking about it here, surprisingly.” 

The blonde man takes note of your strained smile, and he decides to quickly change topics in a jiffy. “How’s your trip here? Did you bring anyone with you?” He asks curiously. 

You lean on the bar counter, though your drink (as well as Venti, who’s still busy with his drinks) is left forgotten. “My trip’s been amazing. I didn’t bring anyone with me though. How about you?” 

Thoma shrugs. “I didn’t bring anyone either. Though if I could, I would’ve brought Taroumaru.” 

“Aw, I miss Taroumaru!” You cooed. You immediately thought about Inazuma once again, becoming more homesick than you thought you’d be. “How’s the little guy? I heard he’s been the talk of the town. He’s getting really famous on the Internet, isn’t he?” 

Thoma chuckles in response, his cheeks turning slightly red. “Yeah.. I honestly didn’t think he’d get famous. There was an idol who came to visit the café and took a picture of him, which was how he got everyone’s love.” 

You nodded slowly, still smiling. “So I suppose business is booming then? I’m sure a lot of people must be wanting to meet Taroumaru.” 

“Oh if only you see how busy it’s been. If it weren’t for the staff my mom and I hired, I wouldn’t be able to come to the wedding in the first place!” He comments.

As you continue to listen to Thoma talking about people in Inazuma, you couldn’t help but miss Inazuma even more. You honestly couldn’t wait to come back. 

“How about you? How’s Liyue been lately after your trip?” Your friend suddenly asks, causing you to wake up from your thoughts. 

You cleared your throat. “Oh, same as always. Though,” You straighten your posture, clearing your throat, “I’ve thought about coming back to Inazuma after what happened.” 

Thoma was taken back by surprise from your words, his eyes brightened. “R-Really?” 

You hummed, your smile growing from his excitement. “Really.” 

The man before you didn’t know what to say, stunned from such good news. “This..." He couldn’t help but let out a laugh, obviously ecstatic from the news as his eyes brightens instantly. "This is amazing news! You have to let me know when your flight is then. I can pick you up from the airport and we can go wherever you want and–”

“Woah, woah, slow down!” You couldn’t help but laugh as well, finding his excitement infectious and amusing. “I haven’t even booked anything yet, let alone ask for a transfer in my job.”  

“O-Oh!” His cheeks turn red instantly in embarrassment. “R-Right.. My bad, I-I was getting too excited.” He stammers, clearing his throat as he fixes his suit tie. “When do you think you’ll come back?” 

You shrug in response. “I’m thinking of.. Maybe after New Year’s Day. It’ll take a while since well.. It’s hard to move to another country, you know?”

He nodded quickly. “Ah yes, of course. I totally understand! You should take your time.” He says in agreement. “Just… Let me know when you’re coming back. I missed you, you know?” 

You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warming up from his words. Thoma was never the type to confess something so affectionate, but perhaps the drinks are getting the best of both of you…

The blonde man was quick to realize what he said though, as he instantly stiffens and starts stumbling on his words. “I-I mean, I-I’m not the only one who misses you– since everyone misses you, i-including me..!” 

“Y-Yeah, I get it. E-Especially since it’s been a long time since I’ve left Inazuma.” You stumbled as well, your cheeks warming even more from the awkward situation that the both of you brought yourself into. “I-If anything, I missed you guys too..!” 

Yeah, the drinks are definitely getting the best of both of you. 

The two of you couldn’t help but laugh once again from the embarrassment, causing the tense and awkward atmosphere to dissipate. 

“Well that was awkward.” He commented, smiling from ear-to-ear.

“No doubt.” You responded, still laughing as you held your stomach. 

As the both of you try to catch your breaths after laughing, Thoma decides to get himself a drink as well as another one for you. “Let’s drink to celebrate your upcoming return then. On me, of course.” 

You snorted. “Thoma, the drinks are free. We’re in a wedding, remember?” 

He blushes once again. “A-Ah.. Right.” 

–

As you walk out of the elevator, you head towards your hotel room with Thoma in tow. 

Long after the wedding finally ended, you decided to take your leave and hit the bed to sleep for the night, wanting nothing more than to lie down on the comfortable sheets of the bed as you snore away. 

To your surprise, Thoma decides to make sure you come back to your room in one piece and escort you back to your room given that the both of you are a little intoxicated.

“You know, you don’t have to come with me. I can go back to the room on my own.” You said reassuringly, noticing how close your hotel room is getting.

“We’re here anyway, so you’re stuck with me now.” He comments, insisting even more as he walks by your side. “Besides, I’m actually staying in the same hotel as you. Though, I’m three floors above.” 

You relax instantly from his words, no longer finding the energy to say otherwise. “Oh, that’s good then.” You stumble around and try to find your keycard, pulling it out from your pocket as the two of you arrive to your room.

“Thanks again, Thoma. I’m glad you had kept me company at the wedding– and for helping me taking care of Venti.” You chuckled, letting your door scan your keycard. 

He smiles, nodding in acknowledgement. “Of course. It’s the least I can do since you’ve given me a good time at the wedding.” 

You smiled in response, and turned around to enter your room that's now opened, but before you could enter, he stopped you for a moment. 

“Wait.” 

“Hm?” You turn to look at him in confusion and in curiosity. “Is something wrong?” 

He shakes his head. “N-No, of course not. It’s just…”

The two of you fell awkwardly silent. 

“...I won’t be here tomorrow, so you won’t see me until you return to Inazuma.” He confesses. “So… If you ever decide on whether you’d visit, move in, or whatever, I’m one call away. Just let me know when you come and visit.” So I can be the first to greet you.

You smiled cheekily. “So you really did miss me, huh?”

He blushes once again. “Can you blame me..?” There’s no one I love but you. 

You then pat his shoulder. “...I’ll call you as soon as I get the date. Just promise me you’ll be by the airport with some cardboard that has my name.” You teased. 

He nodded eagerly. “I’ll make sure it’ll have ‘Welcome back from the Asylum’ on it.” He says, teasing you back. 

“Oh I’d like to see you try!” You laugh, lightly slapping his shoulder as he grins.

“...See you next time, ( Name ).” 

“See you next time, Thoma.” 

You took a few steps to your room and finally closed the door, the last face you saw was Thoma’s flushed face. 

As soon as he’s alone in the quiet hallways of the hotel floor, he lets out a sigh. 

This time.. This time I’ll shoot my shot.

.

.

.

“What are you thinking about, Thoma?” 

The blonde-haired man blinks a few times as he finds himself back in the familiar surroundings of Komore Cafe. 

“Ah, sorry.. I-I was just thinking about something.” Thoma says with a cheeky grin, looking at your direction as you sit by the stools that’s by the counter. “How long have you been watching me?” He asks. 

You smiled cheekily. “Long enough for me to be reminded of how handsome you look.” You responded teasingly with a chuckle.

“Oh really? Am I really that dashing?” He asks, jokingly posing like a model as it causes you to laugh. 

“Very much, but not as much as my guy Taroumaru here.” You pet the Shiba Inu, who makes a “woof!” noise as he happily encourages your affection. 

Thoma dramatically puts a hand on his chest. “You wound me. I’d never thought my own spouse would choose Taroumaru over me! Where is the loyalty?” 

The two of you broke into laughter, amused by each other’s antics.

It’s been almost two years since the time when you two visited Diluc and Jean’s wedding. True to your word, you return to Inazuma a few months after your trip to Mondstadt, officially residing in your homeland instead of Liyue. Thoma has been with you since you returned, and he has been nothing but helpful to you as the two of you make up for the lost time.

It took a while before you eventually started gaining feelings for him, which then eventually led to the two of you in a committed and happy relationship for the past three months. It’s safe to say that you’ve never been happier than ever, and you’re grateful for someone like Thoma to be by your side for so long. 

And he’s grateful that his dream finally came true, happy that he has the honor of being yours, and you being his. He couldn’t imagine anything better than what he has now. 

Unfortunately, the sweet moment between you both ended abruptly when your watch started ringing, reminding you of the time. 

“Ah shoot, I gotta go. Miko’s going to kill me if I end up late.” You said, grabbing your bag and drink before kissing Thoma’s cheek and pet Taroumaru one last time. “Thanks for the drink, by the way.” 

“Anything for you. Stay safe!” Your boyfriend tells you, watching as you run out of the cafe like the wind, leaving him alone with Taroumaru.

As soon as you’re gone, he lets out a dreamy sigh. 

“Come, Taroumaru, it’s time to work.” He spoke to the Shiba Inu, petting his head before heading towards the sign of his café to flip it. 

There’s nothing more to life than spending the rest of his days with you, and he’s more than content with the life he has with you.

It’s safe to say that the same goes with you. 

PREVIOUS.

DAN'S NOTE.

Thank you guys so much for reading Evermore! I honestly have never thought I’d finished this from the very start, and yet here I am, and it’s all thanks to all of you who have spread your love and opinions on this series.

It was truly an honor to write this piece. It really makes me happy to see a lot of you guys commenting on each chapter, sending asks about how much you love Evermore and spit on Ayato as well as Shinsuke, and overall just you guys being interested in something I put my heart and soul to! 

As someone who never once experienced having a lover nor went through a breakup, it’s quite tough for me to write about it in this series since I want the experiences to feel somewhat real, or better yet, not too cliche than it already is. 

Of course, I also want this series to be somewhat a lesson to my dear readers, to those who need to let it all out, to those whose hearts are broken, to those who just need an escape from reality once in a while, and overall to everyone. I hope that whatever you guys are going through, you will get through it! If you can go through a breakup and deal with Shinsuke’s existence in this fic, then you can surely go through anything!

Since I’ve already expressed what I need to express in the previous chapter, I decided to drop some fun facts and trivia here!

This series was made out of spite because of how I lost the 50/50 to Keqing in Ayato’s first released banner on my first 10 pulls and wanted to make him suffer. Fortunately enough, writing this series seems enough to make him come home 80 pulls later b4 his banner ended! 

I also wanted to write a story that’s based on my number one favorite Taylor Swift song from one of my favorite albums of hers: right where you left me! This song is one of the most relatable songs I’ve ever listened to ever since I first heard it in 2021, and it’s been stuck with me to this day as of 2024 (can you believe it? It’s been almost 4 years!) 

And fun fact, I found out that the evermore album was released on my birthday (December 11), so it feels right that I made the series inspired by the album <3 !

The following are some fun facts from my drafts:

Diluc's arranged spouse was supposed to be Donna, but I unfortunately didn’t make that happen since the way Donna would treat the situation wouldn’t be the same way as what Jean would do. 

Thoma wasn’t actually supposed to be a male lead until I started planning for the no body no crime part. I don’t know what made me assign Thoma as the second male lead, but when I did, I didn’t like how my series will be another “second male lead who has no chance with the main lead” so I made him the person the reader actually ends up with in the epilogue soon after!

– below are things that i’ve scraped from this series ! –

Before I started planning each chapter, Diluc was originally supposed to be the reader's plus one. The plot involves how the reader asks Diluc, reader’s friend since college, to be their plus one since he lives in Mondstadt and he reluctantly agrees, and throughout the wedding trip, they slowly fall in love with each other. 

It was such a good plot too if you saw the details I wrote for it ! But I scrapped it off because the plot would’ve been really long, and I want the series to focus on the story of reader finally and properly moving on from their breakup with their first love, Ayato. I’m aware that I could’ve followed this plot while reader moves on with Ayato, but again, I feel like it just wasn't it for me. though who knows, i might make a one-shot fic of it ;)

Another fun fact is there was supposed to be a second part series after Evermore that’s called Folklore and it ends with you dating Kaeya. 

in this series, you first meet Kaeya during Diluc’s wedding and spend time with him. Sure enough, you hate that guy, but you had no choice but to spend time with him throughout your stay in Mondstadt since he’s such a great tour guide. 

You were glad that you’re finally back to Liyue and not be able to see that playboy anymore, so consider yourself shocked when you waltzed into your office and saw him. 

Turns out, the reason why he’s always spending time with you in Mondstadt is not because of how he wants to guide you around mondstadt, but because he wants to get to know the person he’ll be working with in Liyue! 

So yes, this is somewhat an enemies to lovers + office romance story, and unlike Diluc and Ayato, this guy has no chance in getting into arranged marriages and immediately shoots his shot with you ;> !

Extra note: Dainsleif was supposed to be in folklore series as the second male lead hehe 

I was really looking forward to writing this series until chapter thirteen happened. If I have to be real honest, I was disappointed with myself for what happened, and I was afraid that you guys will be even more disappointed with me if i make another series, so i immediately scrapped it off :(( 

But to clarify more, even if chapter thirteen went well, I would’ve still scrapped it off since – as you know, I have a health issue that caused my big hiatus – and I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to finish the second series at all, let alone start it.

Instead of that, I decided to just make it into one of the epilogues of what could’ve been! Feel free to check the folklore epilogue once it’s out! 

I think I can reveal more information with the Q&A from my evermore survey, so while I’m compiling your questions, feel free to ask more right away! 

That's all for this series. Once again, thank you so so so much for giving me the pleasure of writing this fic. I might not make a series soon, but if I ever have the luxury of time, I hope you guys will be there to read it.

Thank you!

Sincerely, your penpal, Dan xoxo

PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @kazu-topia @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii114 @nejibot @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @stareforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @lychme @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @melodyyamino @dudufodd @somberrock @yevenly @lemontum @nghing @elychee @astrxlis @denkineptune @franini @sophisticatedleslie @thedivinepriestress @smashsubs @httpmitsuya @bl6o6dy @cottonkendi (please visit this post if you'd like to be tagged!)

[muffinrecord]

You love Magical Girls... You love Stars... Are there any like... Star Magical Girls in Magia Record? Like... based off a star or something similar?

Himena is based off of Tanabata legend, with her being Orihime-- aka the star Vega! Her boyfriend (Hiko) is based off of Hikoboshi, aka Altair. That said, I can't really say either of them are very "starry"? At least, they don't really scratch the star itch for me. They might fit the legend but not the aesthetic

Yachiyo has the most star-aesthetic design in the game imo, and she even gets two alts that more directly connect her to star stuff. Like, look at this:

Now THIS is a fucking star aesthetic.

Interestingly enough, Yachiyo gets linked to Vega via her Tanabata alt. And by association, that means Tsuyu Mizuna is also linked to Vega, and therefor Chizuru gets linked to Altair. Since Tsuruno and Sana are the magpies that help bring the two together, maybe we can pretend that they're Deneb...?

I dunno what it is with the game and its obsession with Vega, but it's a really cool star! In the future it will replace Polaris as the northern polestar. Another really cool thing is that Vega is a very important star for modern astronomers and is used as a reference when measuring other stars. It's not uncommon to hear it called the "second most important star in the sky," and it's the second star to ever be photographed (after the Sun of course)!

It's not a star, but Mifuyu gets linked to the moon. Curiously enough, Masara also gets linked to the moon in her doppel.

Chisato Shion has a doppel called "Spica" which is also the name of a star! (Pronounced SPY-kuh or SPEE-kuh). Spica is a really cool star from Virgo-- which yes is the "maiden" constellation but also the holder of the the scales/Libra, aka a constellation of justice. Kind of suits her. I wouldn't say that she has much other starry comparisons though.

Rabi is obsessed with stars, though her aesthetic is... regrettable. But I think it's interesting that she hangs around Nayuta (cow) and Mikage (bird, based off her doppel). In some ways she also has Altair elements, particularly the feathers (Altair is an eagle, a vulture, a falcon...). Altair is the cow-herding star in some places, and Mikage brings back to mind the idea of Deneb. Ashes wrote a piece comparing Hiko and Rabi (before we knew definitively that Hiko was a real dude), though regrettably the link seems to be broken.

Touka compares Iroha and her sister to two different stars at one point, but I can't remember what they were. I think it might have been in the Pegasus constellation...? I thought that was odd because I wasn't sure why those stars in particular, but I could 100% be wrong on my memory here.

Yeah! A surprising amount of star stuff in the game, but only a few of them really fit my aesthetic requirements.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Wakamiya, Yukiya and the lady ravens

So far, I’d like to commend the series composition writer Yukiko Yamamuro for reinterpreting Chisato Abe’s novel and patching up the first two volumes of the book series (and the others maybe) into one cohesive narrative while altering some things to make it more comprehensible.

If you haven’t seen the 12th episode, beware of spoilers from here on:

Yukiya

In the manga, he only showed up when Wakamiya asked him to assist him on how to demonstrate the utility of the Ue, their raven suit, concerning Samomo’s death. (Of course, it is given that he might just be in the background the whole time.) While in the anime, he’s become the stand-in for Hamayu. The writer altered the dialogue and scenes to fit to Yukiya, a sort of Jiminy Cricket to Wakamiya. His assistant through and through.

The barriers

Instead of setting up a screen between the Prince and the princesses, Anime*Wakamiya has once again broken the protocol that he can see them and talk to them without the bamboo curtains. (He is allowed to break the rules, but the candidates cannot.)

Shiratama

Honestly, this is the most heartwarming scene in the 12th episode. It is not a big smile, but Wakamiya has done so, perhaps relieved, seeing that Shiratama has finally listened to her heart, while Yukiya is beaming watching his cousin reunited with her lover Kazumi. The bluffing has worked, even though Yukiya thinks it is an overkill while Wakamiya insists they haven’t done the deed yet. Anyway, he has done the scrutiny with so much care and respect. He was not as brutal as in the manga where calling her out was actually a push for her to think of her own mind.

He is exercising his right to be a just ruler here, which he at first was not so sure of how would it turn out.

Yukiya: What are you trying to get out of this choice?

Wakamiya: I wonder. Heaven knows how this will go.

But in the end, he’s begun to weigh both sides, give advices, tell it what it is, and encourage Shiratama and Masuho no Susuki to see what are their other opportunities other than marrying him.

It is true that he also doesn’t have a good opinion on Sakura Blossom Palace due to what transpired and/or is transpiring there. For him it stands for prison, of human follies, a snake pit, of the way humans drag each other down to the point of wishing the other harm, powerful men using young women as mere tools to advance power and influence. He knows it because his own mother had been one.

From the novel:

The wind was fluttering the young master's black hair. His face was white in the moonlight. A handsome, unpleasant person. But affectionate. Yukiya looked at the prince for a long time and spoke cautiously a little later.

“I know that my words will sound cowardly now. But Shiratama from the North House is my cousin... When I found out that Your Highness cares about the hearts of the daughters of the four houses, I felt lighter in my heart. After all, you don't consider them as tools in the political struggle.”

He's wilful, no doubt. Sharp, often misunderstood. But being with him turned out to be not bad at all.

(Note: this isn’t an official EN translation)

Masuho no Susuki

Because they changed so much from the manga, I guess we have to wait what will happen in the upcoming episodes concerning Masuho no Susuki.

(In the novel, she wrote to Wakamiya to personally come to the Sakura Blossom Palace, asked Sumio to find Hamayū and when he did Masuho kept her in her entourage secretly.)

The way Wakamiya asks the candidates if they can foresee a future with him as his empress is devoid of romanticism. He doesn’t mince words nor let them expect heaven when it is not.

One gets the impression that he really doesn’t want to get married. It is just a stupid rule that he must have a consort when he ascends the throne.

Did I say that I love Masuho’s hairstyle? Yes, I do!

Asebi

It is amusing to read the shocked comments from the Team Asebi fans. (Sorry!) The Girl has fooled many with her demure and innocent, yet naive, face.

From Asebi’s VA, Rina Honnizumi:

Asebi is very lovely, and it makes you think, “This kind of child is called a princess,” and has a charm that makes you want to protect her. But when I auditioned, I read the original work and said, “I see, this kind of girl!” The way she looks is quite different at the beginning and at the end.

Many people still don’t want to believe that she is not what everyone thinks she is. Behind this face is a wily young woman ready to crush everyone who is on her way. And we all thought it was Shiratama.

On the other hand, her half sister, Futaba, has entered the list of characters officially. Poor girl, who suffered in the hands of her own sister.

The way Asebi answers Wakamiya, “no matter what the cost,” her cunningness, and her clear discrimination between the court ravens and hill ravens, you cannot simply excuse her ignorance. Neither Wakamiya. He hates her from the bottom of his heart. We will find out more next week the reasons he does. And it seems that it is ominous as the sound director posted on X that they “deliberately left out the music for the preview of the next episode.”

Hamayu

I am curious how will they reintroduce her to the story. Are they preparing for her mini-arc? Will they follow the novel/manga but with a different twist?

The fluttering cherry blossoms

They symbolise two different things and always in tune with the music. They can be flying softly, dancing around the characters (a positive realisation) or hitting them harshly when the wind blows (signals danger, distress).

What a nice touch.

[kamisatomay018]

My Saviour: Part 2

Warning: mentions of emotionally abusive parents, a little slow burn, very fluff!

I’m gonna update this series very soon because I hate cliffhangers and I’d hate to leave everyone reading this on a cliffhanger too haha! Enjoy!

The morning sun shone through the windows, indicating the beginning of a new day, and the day your life would be ruined forever, this time by the hands of a stranger. You hadn’t slept all night, simply staring out at the sea while silent tears had rolled down your cheeks. Whatever had you done to deserve such a fate? Perhaps only the electro archon would know.

An hour later you were sitting on a chair, your eyes dull and lifeless while maids fussed around you, fixing your kimono and hair constantly to make sure you looked like “the perfect noble lady”; an order they had received from your parents.

It was safe to say that inazuma had been shocked to hear about a marriage in the Hiragi clan, some even surprised about the fact that you even existed and were being married off at such a young age. The Hiragi estate was decorated with Sakura blooms and all sorts of flowers. After all, your parents had to make a good impression in front of those noblemen.

You looked up at the door opening which snapped you out of your daze, seeing Chisato walk in. You put up a fake smile, bowing to her as she was the heir of the Kanjou Commission and older than you. Although you were cousins, you both weren’t that close. She was a very kind person though, and you had been delighted to know that she had found love in Kujou Kamaji.

“Your parents are calling for you Y/N, it’s time..” you heard the sadness and pity in her voice, she knew this arrange marriage was against your wishes yet she was helpless, she could not change the decision of your parents. You nodded, taking your fan and took one last glance at yourself. In your eyes, you looked unrecognisable, as if a shadow of your own self. Your eyes were full of sorrow, your dimpled smile could not be seen. At long last, your parents had managed to completely snatch every last bit of your happiness away.

Going downstairs, you saw your parents waiting for you. “Finally you have arrived, have you no sense of time? Such important noblemen are coming all the way here for you. Learn to be grateful!” You heard your father’s harsh voice say, making you look down and bow apologetically. “Forgive me father..”

“Forgive you? Never. Now the least you can do is behave properly in front of them, and keep our reputation intact” You nodded silently in response, not having the energy to say anything back.

He scoffed shaking his head and walked away from you with your mother, as you tried to control the tears welling up in your eyes. Soon, all the preparations were done and you were standing beside your parents, hidden behind a screen through which you could see outside, but no once could see you. It had been just 5 minutes and you heard footsteps approaching. Your heartbeat accelerated uncomfortably, as you took a slow deep breath, once again accepting the fact that this is how your life would forever be ruined.

You then saw a tall and extremely handsome man walk inside the house, guided by the guards. He smiled while thanking them, and you felt as if his beauty had trapped you in a trance. His blue hair fell gracefully on his shoulder from one side, his aura was authoritative yet so gentle at the same time. His attire was elegant and suited him perfectly. His posture was immaculate, his walk was confident and dignified. He looked very young, close to your age in fact. You had never seen him, but Oh Archons, what a strikingly handsome man he was. Was he here to seek your hand in marriage? And moreover, just who was he?

“L..lord Kamisato? What brings you here to our humble abode?” Your mother asked, and your heart skipped a beat, although you kept your composure, now feeling thankful for the screen which hid you. Lord Kamisato was here? Had Ayaka forced her brother to save your life? No, he didn’t deserve such a fate, he was only 25 and had never shown any interest in a relationship according to Ayaka. You had so many questions, yet no answers. You kept quiet, watching him talk to your parents.

“Oh Greetings Lady Hiragi. I came to know that your daughter is interested in getting married through the notices you had prepared. As it happens, I would be honoured to court her and make her my wife.” You felt your heart beat louder hearing those words. They seemed…genuine, but how could you be sure? You had never even met each other, so why was the Yashiro Commissioner taking such a step?

“I..oh! Uhm…we weren’t aware you were interested in our daughter Lord Kamisato..” you heard your father say.

“Why is that Sir? Any and every nobleman would be honoured to have your daughter by their side, after all, her reputation exceeds expectations. Forgive me for being so bold, but why do I sense so much hesitation? Am I to understand that..I’m uninvited here?”

Your eyes widened at these words. No one had dared to talk to your parents in such a manner, and you had never seen your parents look so timid and scared in the presence of another noble. But well, he was the Yashiro Commissioner after all. Honestly, seeing the panic settling in your parents’ expressions was way too satisfying to watch.

“No no! Please forgive us Lord Kamisato, we are honoured that you are interested in our daughter!” Your mother covered for her husband hurriedly, making you chuckle silently. It was a blatant lie, they were not happy that he was here. Ayato was just something else, the way he had so respectfully managed to scare your parents left you in awe.

“Ah, that’s a relief to hear. Then when can I have the honour of meeting her?” You heard him say, and you noticed the way his voice softened, almost becoming tender now. “Oh right away Lord Kamisato! Y/N! Come out now!” Ayato had a slight frown after hearing the way your father called you, because he knew well enough that you were right behind the screen as per the traditions, and your father’s tone was harsh and commanding. No worries, very soon he was going to get you out of this prison.

You composed yourself, opening your fan holding it in front of your face as you stepped outside, and finally after all these years, Ayato saw you in real life. He felt his heart beat in happiness as he looked at you; Archons, you were even prettier than the pictures. He had a gentle smile on his face as he looked at you bowing in greeting.

“Greetings Lord Kamisato, I am Hiragi Y/N. it is an honour to have you at our humble estate. I sincerely thank you for taking the effort of coming all the way to Ritou..” You then looked at him, and removed your fan, letting him see your face.

Ayato was awestruck at the beauty he saw in front of him. You were ravishing, your beauty was unlike anyone else’s. Your voice was soft and melodious, and he knew he was already in love with you. He smiled even wider, and to the shock of everyone in the room, he bowed back to you; a gesture noblemen would rarely make towards a woman.

“The pleasure is all mine Lady Hiragi. You are even more beautiful than the words I’ve heard.” You felt yourself blush a little as you looked into his eyes. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of lavender, and you now realised that his clothes matched his eye colour. He was drawing you in already, his presence was magnetic. But you still were reserved, for you had many questions that needed an answer. He then looked at your parents, and once again you noticed the change in the tone of his voice, which now changed from gentle to authoritative.

“I do hope you wouldn’t mind if I could spend some time alone with your daughter, I would like to get to know her more.” Your parents didn’t dare to deny his request, and he then looked at you again, his eyes and voice so gentle for you as he held his arm out in invitation. “Shall we, my lady?” You smiled, placing your hand on his arm gently, instantly feeling this unknown warmth taking over your body. “I would be honoured My lord..”

[kyogre-blue]

Ayato story quest done.

tbh, it's quite bad, even on the second pass. In Ei's quests, her character writing is actually fine, it's just that the full context of the storyline until then (in chapter 1) and the forced lore (in chapter 2) drag it down as a whole. But Ayato's quest...

It is not about Ayato, to start with. The storyline doesn't have any room for anything meaningfully connected to Ayato himself. As a pretense, they have to shove in him monologuing about his backstory in the second to last scene. The only things it really conveys about him are that he's busy and he's very cool, for sure. Put another way, he's proto-Alhaitham: he doesn't want to "waste" energy on "trivial" things, but at the same time he thinks he knows better than everyone else, so he has to meddle and take control of every situation, while everyone else bends over backwards to shill him. It's not a good look.

At the same time, Ayato's presence makes the story unable to give proper weight to the NPCs either. Kamaji is just a dumbass in love here, the villain has to immediately lose his spine and roll over to show how cool Ayaot is, while Chisato.... ouch. This chapter repeatedly states how marriage means a woman loses her freedom and becomes entirely dependent on her husband, and then it also has Ayato and Kamaji make an entire plan to back Chisato's clan into a corner without ever consulting Chisato about it.

Yup, those sure are statements about marriage!

(And this is all while Ayato says he's so concerned about protecting his family (Ayaka), so what happens when she marries? Oh, I think the answer is that she marries internally? Because Chisato has a line about how the retainer in love with her said he can't stand to see her "live the rest of her life depending on someone else" and I guess the implication is that it's fine if she marries someone of lower standing and remains with her clan (like him)? Or else what, she just never marries...?)

Hilariously awkward and dumb chapter all around, honestly. It's very funny, in a way, to see the writers struggle to write around the need to make Ayato the coolest while creating a tense political situation, and to throw scraps to Chisato while also not addressing what you can read as either their own or Inazuma's latent sexism.

Thankfully, Ayato appears in Genshin's story extremely rarely, so there's less chances for him to annoy me. I'm just going to pretend this never happened.

[miraclemaya]

i'm sorry if asking this is breaking some rule but WHY do you think chisato would be a chaser?

DHDHDHD i love the idea that this would be breaking some unspoken rule where i refuse to elaborate, well anon i love elaborating. to be perfectly clear, i think chisato moreso then being a chaser in particular is someone who would have a lot of internalized homophobia. i think this makes sense if you look at her character and extrapolate a little imo. she's someone who is used to shaping herself in ways to fill desired roles, whether those be the roles she plays on screen, the ones society dictates of her more broadly, or honestly even the roles her relationships require of her. as such, i think she probably has a lot of complexes about her own desires and feelings, and i think given chisato's whole vibe i think her own sexual/romantic desires would be something that terrify her. there's, unless im misremembering/misreading some implications that chisato's mother was the reason she got into acting as a child and you know as well as i what that usually means, so yeah. and also also chisato's initial like distance from her old friend kaoru is interesting to read into given that kaoru is like the closest to being canonically gay of the original cast i think.

anyway why this manifests as her being a chaser is just that i think chisato would view trans women as a more acceptable outlet for her desires. she would view them as women lite and therefore it's okay for her to desire them and want to fuck them as opposed to a normal women and whatever. if you disagree with the idea that she would be transphobic idk, she's been raised in the entertainment industry since childhood and she seems to, at least to me, kind of play off of an appeal of a more traditional femininity and stuff.

[septusuki]

Adulthood was treating Maruyama Aya very well. Fully responsible for herself, going to University, and - of course - getting extra-super-comfortable with her own producer.

Ever since the Higashinakano Nao had become Pastel Palletes' producer, she'd overseen the group's activities with a sharp, but sometimes concerningly leisurely eye - so much so that she seemed awfully obtuse, sometimes. One of her first decrees as producer was that Aya was going to become Pastel Palletes' 'gaining idol'; she'd be the centre, sure, but mostly just at the centre of a titanic, calorie-heavy buffet. As much as she hated it, Aya piled on the pounds, much to her fan's alarmed adoration, and eventually grew to enjoy just how much her new size meant she was pampered - and pleasured. Little to Aya's knowledge, though, she'd gotten a new fan thanks to her expansion, closer than she'd ever imagined possible.

"Ah! I'm gonna be-- Omff-- late!" Stuffing as much of a chocolate-stuffed croissant in her mouth as she could, Aya blushed as cream burst out of the other end, the phallic-looking dessert she'd just forced into her face falling apart as she tried to gobble it up. "Nhh... Not again..." Aya tried to check her phone as the croissant splurted cream onto her cropped sweater-top, squeaking when she realised the time was oh-so much closer to 10:00 AM than she'd imagined. Waiting in line at that last bakery had really done more damage than it was worth.

Slipping her phone back into her terribly-tight leggings, Aya began to sweat as she realised what this meant - she was going to have to run. Aya hadn't so much as jogged in months, and now she was going to try and sprint, all the way to the agency. Patting her slightly-swollen belly apologetically, Aya thanked her past-self who'd made sure it was tucked into her leggings - even if that made the already-tight fabric into a balloon, ready to burst. Pulling down the hem of her sweater, and trying to wipe cream off of it, Aya found she was panting before she'd even started running; just getting ready was tiring her out. "Ugh... Just gotta...!" Aya jammed her eyes shut for a moment out of sheer embarrassment, and then pushed herself forwards as fast as her fat thighs could manage.

Aya was slower than she remembered. Slower than she even thought possible. With every huffing, puffing step, Aya's entire front sloshed about, sagging up and down in the confines of whatever clothing she'd squeezed it into. Quickly realising that she was waddling, Aya wanted to close her eyes again, as if it'd make it any less humiliating. Her soft, fluffy thighs were so wide that Aya couldn't even step properly, having to instead make massive, pendulous movements that the two milkshakes swilling around in her belly definitely didn't like.

Finding that even her third chin was beginning to jiggle, Aya squealed to herself as her entire body reminded her how fat she was with each metre. Moving her arms desperately in something that almost looked like a proper arc, Aya gasped as the sweat she was working up began to ruin her outfit. Her sports bra rode up over her belly, letting her tub bulge outwards and sag downwards, hanging over the hem of her leggings - which were suffering just as much. Any moment now, it felt like Aya's leggings would just slide off, and let her entire belly hang free - all two-hundred pounds of it.

"Unhh--Unhh--Unghh..." Aya moaned as she wheezed away, the obese idol she'd become struggling to even make it to her practice session on time - too obsessed with stuffing her face to be punctual. Mistaking huge gobs of sweat for tears, Aya just pushed onwards, trying to think of something - anything - other than how exhausting and embarrassing her own body was. Nao-chan's face... At the very least, Aya's producer - and feeder - wouldn't be too angry, surely. Chisato was another story, but Nao would just roll her eyes - and probably slap Aya's ass. Nao had started Aya's gaining course off when she was still a minor, but now that Aya was an adult, Nao could be more open with her desires; she was a fan of gaining idols for more than a few reasons.

Knowing that she was in an illicit, indecent, explicit relationship with her own producer was enough to make Aya start drooling on the spot. Every night, she went over her DM's with Nao, kicking her flabby legs - and touching herself - whenever her producer gave her some praise. She sent Nao pics of her fat belly, squeezed into her pyjamas, and got eye-wateringly perfect praise in response. Nao's simple, but always effective praise was what had kept Aya growing - or swelling, by more accurate terms - and right now, it was keeping that whale of an idol waddling. Noa-chan... Nao-chan... I want to see you, Nao-sama...

"Maruyama. You're late, again." Ten minutes later, Aya was greeted by Nao's disapproving face. Everyone else had already started, helping eachother with warmups and stretches. Aya was way ahead of them, for once, surely - she'd just spent ten minutes in the most heart-racing warmup of her life. "Just hurry up and join the others, okay?"

"S-Sorry, Nao-chan..." Aya didn't really have an apology ready. She'd been a total glutton, and missed the timing because she was too interested in seeing her humiliatingly-huge tummy get even bigger. "I-I was... Eating..." Aya puffed out her cheeks, looking down at her chest and moaning in disappointment as she realised the chocolate stain was still there. Panting - and nearly sobbing, too - Aya was just happy the agency had an elevator installed.

"Eating? Honestly..." Nao laughed off Aya's sweaty, stinking apology, patting her on the shoulder once she'd found a spot that wasn't soaked with the stuff. Aya filled up her cropped sweater much like the cream-stuffed crepes and croissants she loved to gorge herself on, and watching her swell through the sizes had almost been entertaining. "Good girl." As Aya passed her by, Nao whispered in the girl's ear, patting her fat idol on the belly.

[vanrougenui]

a very extensive list of bandori four stars and five stars i dont have on my current jpdori account but i wish i had part 1 because damned tumblr isnt letting me add more than ten photos wtf

white day kaoru

OMG I HAVE MISAKI FROM THIS SET BUT THE WAY I WISH I HAD HER TOO OMG OMG WHO SHOULD ONE MURDER TO GET THIS CARD SPAWNED IN THEIR ACCOUNT JSHSHSHE

summer chisato

just her.. look at her.. i have aya but not her and it bugs me a lot A LOT she looks so gorgeous and yummy i could eat her honestly

KAORU AGAIN

idk i dont like the trained of this one BUT THE UNTRAINED DAMNNNNN the horse FIRST OF ALL SECOND OF ALL ITS KAORU ON A HORSE THIRD OF ALL KAORU

halloween arisa

i dont like arisa that much but how she looks in this card SO ROUND LIKE A BUN PLUS THE UNTRAINED HAS ALL POPIPA GIRLS and one thing i like is full band cards i see it i like it i want it i got it or how ariana grande sings it

DREAMFEST KANON

i cry myself to sleep everytime i see this card because i had it on engdori BUT IT JUST STOPPED WORKING RANDOMLY AND I LOST MY ACCOUNT WITH ALL MY PRACIOUS CARDS I WILL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF I LOVE HER SO MUCH AND THIS CARD TOO ITS SO BEAUTIFUL i made this card my whole personality back in 2020 AND IT STILL IS

[arbitrarygreay]

No matter how much people bang the drum about ageism against the old (or from another angle, the fetishisation of youth), the reason that the idol industry persists is that rookie energy is real, and it's unendingly compelling. X Factor charisma distilled. What is rookie energy? It's when a group relatively early in their career still thinks that they can achieve all of their dreams just by working hard, no matter what the popularity politics say. This eventually gets replaced with veteran energy, which means an assured confidence in their performance, but also a keen awareness of the ceiling on their accomplishments, whether in the context of their group in the industry, or their own popularity within the group. For me, personally, the group that got me into idol fandom proper was Berryz Koubou, with their rookie energy lasting through about 2006 or so, and then you watched them know that they were an idol Dark Ages group with an untrendy music signature (but without other subculture cred like Melon Kinenbi), C-ute zooming by, and the frontgirl/"the rest" divide quite stark. There's actually science about this, that competitors who are close to the champion's numbers have way more motivation than cases where the champion has a sizable lead due to hard-to-surmount advantages (which in the case of idols, is usually management favoritism). Looking at Berikyuu again, see how Chisato could just go "welp guess I'll be a frontgirl now" mid-group-career, which was certainly never in the cards for Berryz. Nakki was able to be a late bloomer, too. Anyways, this post is about how I really love Byonz because they are still rocking that rookie energy while also being veterans. Because of how the frontgirl roster has shifted unconventionally over time (Hirai willfully muscling her way to the front and Nishida also sliding in), there's a vibe that the center is still up for grabs. All of the girls still exhibit strong ambitions and think that they can pull them off, too.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Lycoris Recoil: Recovery Days

Author: Asaura

Illustrator: Imigimuru

Label: Dengeki Bunko

Release Date: 8 March 2024

My Score: 4/5

This a new short story collection for Lycoris Recoil. While the title is Recovery Days, I feel like there are only a couple of stories here that really fit that theme...

In the first story, Chisato discovers that Takina doesn't understand the appeal of going to the cinemas and makes it her mission to fix that. It's short and sweet. What's not to like?

In the second story, Ito drags Chisato and Takina in to model for her new manga. I have to say, even though it's been almost two years since the anime aired, Chika Anzai's and Shion Wakayama's performances are so iconic that it was still easy for me to recall their voices while reading their lines. This one had a few fun moments, but also had a lot of descriptions of guns, which I found boring.

I've got to be honest: I did not pay much attention to the next story as it was not Takina and Chisato-centric, and focused on a character who, to my knowledge, has no connection to any existing characters or events from the series. It focuses on a man who has left a yakuza group and is intent on getting revenge on the killer of the head of the yakuza group. The best part of it is an illustration of the girls going undercover in disguises.

The fourth story more than makes up for it in ChisaTaki content. In this one, Chisato gets sick and Takina looks after her. It's so sweet and cute. It is what I imagined when I heard the words "Recovery Days" and is everything I wanted from this collection.

The next story is Fuki-centric (!) and follows Sakura and Fuki on a mission. As excited as I was to see a Fuki-centric story, I have to say this one didn't appeal to me much. A lot of it is gun battles, which isn't something that I like to read in LN format. Still, it was nice to see Fuki again and so good to finally have a story where she's the focus. I'm still shocked there hasn't been a Fuki manga spin-off or something yet.

The final story is similar to the zombie story from Ordinary Days, except this time it's playing with horror movie tropes. Takina and Chisato wake up in a lodge with no memory of how they got there and soon discover they are being chased by a man with a machete. They quickly decide that it's a dream, and discuss various horror movie tropes while trying to survive. There's a weird thing in this story: the black guy dies first trope is not mentioned here. The reason why this is weird is that Mika is in this story, and true to the trope, Mika dies first. It's not even lampshaded. Instead, Chisato and Takina reason that Mika died first because he's the sexiest. I mean, yes, he is, but it's weird that this trope is not brought up at all when it's such a well-known one. Anyway, this one was okay. I don't think it was as fun as the zombie story, but it has some good ChisaTaki moments.

The volume wraps up by going back to that first story, showing Chisato and Takina after they watch the movie. It's cute and a good way to end the volume.

This was a good collection of stories that reminded me of how much I enjoyed the anime and how much of a good pairing Chisato and Takina are. I'm not sure that a lot of the stories really fit the theme of "Recovery Days", but it was a good time regardless. Also, I really appreciated how many illustrations there were in this volume. Every chapter had at least one illustration to accompany it and they were all top quality and well placed. I recently read the Frieren light novel short story collection, where the cover was the only real illustration, so I appreciated this a lot.

[kamisatomay018]

My Saviour: Final Part

Here is the final part of this series! I’ve had so much fun writing this, and I’m so grateful for all the love and support! I hope you all enjoyed this!🫶

The gentle breeze swept past the Grand Narukami Shrine, as the wedding chimes swayed to resonate delicate melodies. The stars shone brightly, and the full moon was blessing the night sky with its magnificence. Sakura blooms were everywhere, along with flowers imported from all over Teyvat, adorning the shrine with their beauty. Fairy lights twinkled along the tree branches, candles and elemental charms added to the magical atmosphere. A grand stage was set up near the Sacred Sakura tree, and chairs were lined up in the area for those invited to the auspicious occasion. Kameras from Fontaine had been ordered specially to capture this heartfelt moment in an eternal memory for generations to witness.

Back at the Kamisato estate, the groom, Kamisato Ayato was getting ready with the help of Thoma and Kujou Kamaji, who had insisted upon helping him every step of the way for a wedding this important. Ayato looked at himself in the mirror, his amethyst eyes twinkling with happiness beyond measure. Finally, today was the day he would wed his love, and make her his wife. It felt so surreal, he finally felt true happiness after all these years since the death of his parents. Today he was so joyful, so excited and elated. Ayato was wearing a grand Hakama, woven with the finest of silk and real gold threads. “My lord, it’s about time we head to the shrine, the guests have all almost arrived.” He heard Thoma say, snapping him out of his trance. He smiles wide, nodding as excitement fills his heart. “Yes, let us head to the Grand Narukami Shrine.”

Inside Yae Miko’s personal residence in the Shrine, you were getting ready with the help of Ayaka, Chisato, Miko and Ei. Ever since the day had begun, the smile on your face had not once faltered. And now, as you watched yourself get adorned with jewels of all kind, your heart fluttered uncontrollably. Today was the day you’d finally become Kamisato Y/N, and become one with your beloved. To say that you were looking ethereal would be an understatement. Upon your request, you had designed your kimono yourself, incorporating within it some precious symbols for your love. Amethyst and blue threads were used over a shining white cloth, along with gold threads used for your sleeves. You wore jewels made of precious stones from all the seven nations of Teyvat, yet they could not outshine your beauty. You let your natural long hair flow freely down your back, only pinned from the front with a few loose strands falling delicately on your face.

“Oh my, I must say, that Yashiro rascal surely struck gold with you. Look at you, such a beautiful girl. Are you sure you still want to marry him hm?” Miko’s sly voice teased you, making you laugh while the others let out an exasperated sigh. “Miko!” Ei spoke, surprised by those words. “Oh hush Ei, you need to take jokes! So yes my dear, my question still stands.” You giggled again, looking at the women in your company. “Yes, I definitely want to marry him. I cannot imagine being anyone else’s wife.” Ayaka smiles so much at your words, coming to give you a big hug. “Im sure brother is going to cry once he sees you! You look stunning!!” You smiled shyly, holding her hands. “Thank you Ayaka, after all the credit for my look goes to all of you! And soon, another wedding will be held~” Seeing the way Ayaka’s face flushed, her cheeks turning pink made your smile brighten. A few days ago, Thoma and Ayaka had admitted to both you and Ayato about their love. The way Thoma had seemed so nervous and scared had made both you and Ayato laugh, since you already were aware of the fact that they loved each other. Ayato readily gave his permission and his blessings to the two of them, and Thoma had then courted Ayaka. Ever since then, their love had only blossomed more with each passing day.

A knock interrupted the joyful conversation, as a shrine maiden’s voice spoke. “Lady Guuji, the groom and his men have arrived, and so have all the guests. The ceremony can start, all the preparations have been done.” Your heartbeat accelerated, as excitement and nervousness overpowered your senses. Oh archons, it was finally happening! “Well then, it is time Miko and I go outside. We will be awaiting your arrival.” Ei spoke, and you watched the two of them leave to start with the ceremony. “Oh my archons, I cannot believe it’s finally time..” you spoke, feeling all sorts of emotions in your heart. Ayaka squeezed your hand reassuringly, her joy being evident. “Oh don’t you worry about a single thing, everything will be absolutely perfect!”

Everyone stood up in respect as the Electro Archon and Guuji Yae entered the place, standing near the Sacred Sakura tree, where Ayato stood. He bowed deeply in respect, somehow retaining his calm composure despite how nervous and emotional he felt at the moment. “You all may take your seats. Today, we will observe the union of two souls who love each other wholly, whose love will be eternal. Today is a joyous occasion, and with my blessings, let the marriage between the Yashiro Commissioner, Kamisato Ayato and Hiragi Y/N commence!” The Shogun spoke, making everyone clap. Miko smiled, summoning her powers to make the shrine glow even more. “Well then, shall we request the bride to come out?” Ayato’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately casted his eyes towards the entrance, wishing to see you.

At that very moment, you stepped outside, with Ayaka behind you, walking slowly towards the altar. Ayato gasped softly, his eyes welling up with crystal like tears. Oh archons, you looked so beautiful, so perfect, so..oh he did not have words anymore. No language could describe your beauty, and he felt himself falling deeper in love with you all over again. Time stood still for him, everyone else disappeared into nothingness as his eyes were stuck only on you. His beloved, his pride and joy, his soon to be wife. He did not care if anyone else saw him cry, because right now he had no control over his emotions. He had the biggest smile ever while tears fell from his lavender eyes, and even his tears shined like diamonds under the moonlight.

As you reached closer to Ayato, you finally looked up at him, and you swore to the celestial gods above, that your heart truly stopped for a moment. He looked so handsome, so ethereal, so elegant. But what made you truly fall in love even more was the way his eyes shone with emotion, tears falling freely while his soft lips were curved into perhaps the biggest smile you had ever seen. You knew people were looking at him, kameras were capturing every moment but he did not shy away from showing his vulnerability and his emotions when you were here. You blushed, smiling as you held the hand he had extended for you, finally taking your rightful place beside him.

“My love, you look so beautiful…words cannot describe how much I adore you..” his deep voice whispered softly into your ears, making you smile even more. “I do not need words my love, your eyes are more than enough to express your every emotion.” Ayato held onto your hand with so much love, never wanting to let go. Ayaka stood beside Thoma, tears in her eyes while he comforted her, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. This day was truly so joyful.

Yae Miko performed the rituals and prayers for the two of you, as you both seemed blessings from the Shogun, bowing deeply in front of her. She placed her hands on both your heads, her voice being soft for you two. “You both have my blessings. May your love be eternal, and fight through all the difficulties that life may present to you both. I give you strength to overcome everything, and hope that your lives will be filled with love and happiness with each other by your side.” You thanked her, and then stood in front of Ayato, holding his hands. It was now time for your vows, and as per custom, it was Ayato’s turn to speak first.

“Y/N, your love gives me hope for a beautiful life, your smile gives me joy…You make me a better man, you see my flaws, you accept them and you love them..you make me happy, you make me feel safe enough to trust you with my life. My life is forever entangled with yours from this day on. I promise to be there to catch you if you should stumble, carry you over every threshold, and fall in love with you every day…my dreams are your dreams, and I’ll build them all around you. Y/N, I love you with all my heart and I vow to love you, and only you all my life. I take you to be my wife, to be my better half for eternity.”

This time, tears flowed down your eyes, as his words filled your heart with so much joy. Seeing as it was your turn, you took a deep breath, looking into his eyes with so much love, speaking each word with utmost sincerity and love.

“Ayato..being with you, having you as my life partner is the biggest honour..every single day when I wake up next to you, I thank destiny for having given me a man as precious as you. My love for you knows no bounds, and I’d do anything to see you smile, to keep you happy. I promise to always love you, to always support you..I will stand by your side regardless of anything, I will hold your hand and guide you out of the darkness just the way you did for me a year ago..you are my first and last love, the only man I will ever love for every life I will ever live. You are my love, my hope, my inspiration, my pride and my honour. I vow to love you forever. I take you to be my husband, to be my better half for eternity..”

Ayato’s eyes welled with tears all over again, as he held onto your hands tighter. Archons, how was it possible for someone to love him so much? He never knew that one day, he’d find a love like this. Even Miko got slightly emotional because of your vows, as she now spoke softly. “Then I hereby declare you both as Man And Wife. From this day forth, you both shall be known as Kamisato ayato and Kamisato Y/N. Ayato, you may kiss your bride.”

Ayato now grinned, wrapping his arms around your waist as he pulled you closer, kissing you ever so passionately. At that very moment, fireworks erupted into the sky, which were custom made by Naganahora fireworks. You relished the feeling of Ayato’s lips against yours, as your love grew stronger than ever. The Sacred Sakura shed its petals on you both, and your visions glowed together, your elemental powers merging together to create a beautiful shield around you both. Ayato pulled apart, and you swore you had never seen his amethyst eyes shine as bright as they were right now. He hugged you tightly, and you could feel his heart beating against your ears.

“I love you so much Daarin, my beautiful wife..”

“I love you too Ayato, My Saviour..”

[kariohki]

BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!! Review

This anime review needs to start with some personal backstory.

I've been a fan of the Bandori franchise since 2018, which by standard metrics means I'm ancient around here. I've seen the addition of two other bands to the original five the franchise (re)launched with, both with their issues in being folded into the story well. When MyGO (I'm not typing out five exclamation marks every time, I'm sorry) was revealed to be the eighth band in this universe after existing for a year IRL with no information where they existed in the franchise, I was extremely pessimistic. When they were revealed to be first year high schoolers (for the most part), I was pessimistic because the franchise just made the large step of graduating its oldest characters into university, opening up the story to new experiences. And shortly before the anime debut, when they were revealed to be getting added to the mobile game, I was pessimistic because the game's writing has been relatively poor in character development and even event distribution and focus for the past two years.

So saying I was going into this anime looking at it with as much dislike as I held for Aqours at the end of the µ's era is an understatement. I didn't expect much - just wanted a decent narrowly focused show akin to season 1, showing how a new band gets formed.

From the first episode, my expectations were met. From the third episode, they were blown away.

The premise written, about a girl, Chihaya Anon, who starts the school year late because of reasons revealed later, wanting to join a band when everyone else is already in one, except for their class "weirdo", Takamatsu Tomori, doesn't even scratch the surface of what happens. From the beginning that shows the result of what happens when a band has a catastrophic break up, how that affects every member involved there, to Anon who walks into this minefield and attempts to navigate it stepping on multiple mines along the way, to what's needed for this band to actually form in the end - it takes the entire season, but the feeling of the the payoff is immense.

On to the characters. Each one of these characters is flawed and human. Tomori can't communicate her feelings or words well in speech, and feels everything that goes wrong is her fault. Anon runs away at the first sign of any extra work needed to succeed. Taki's overprotectiveness of Tomori and initial inability to accept others help cause her to become combative to others. Rana only sticks around when she finds things interesting, later revealing she's been trying to find another place to belong after her grandmother's live house shut down (yay season 1 callback!). And Soyo, who looked at older characters Sayo, Chisato, and CHU2 who were all disliked by the fandom at their introductions and said "hold my tea." Soyo's arc takes up the majority of the middle portion of the series, the threads of her arc being hinted at along the way before her turn, her mask cracking, and her eventual acceptance of what has happened in her life post-CRYCHIC.

And that's only the characters in MyGO proper. This story couldn't be told without five others, the girls that eventually form the group Ave Mujica at the end of the season in the final episode. Sakiko, probably the new most disliked character in the franchise, drives the plot train of "why did she break up CRYCHIC?" that started the series, leading up to the final reveal of her situation in life currently. Mutsumi, her friend, Soyo's friend, someone who has been strung along and used by others. Uika, a popular singer in an idol group, who is also Sakiko's friend, and the one who spurred Tomori to perform again. Umiri, Taki's classmate full of snarky banter, who also gave Tomori her best wishes. Nyamu is the character who just "exists" the most, but her two-faced influencer personality is setting up for trouble.

There are little bits here and there to remind existing fans that this is taking place in the same universe at the current point of the timeline, which I appreciated as it was not heavy handed. Of course the girls would run into Saya and Kasumi at Livehouse RiNG, as both frequent or work there. Of course they would meet Afterglow at a live, be inspired by Morfonica, or see the Roselia posters in the old astronomy club room. The only band to not have any representation is Hello, Happy World!, which while on one hand makes sense with the overall melancholy of the series, but as they are still a band that exists here, some showing would've been nice - Misaki at school, a Michelle sighting in town, Kanon at the aquarium, basically anything grounded for them.

As this is a music-themed franchise, the use of music is of course important. Most importantly are the use of the vocal songs - typically in these series you get the short cut and just assume the groups performed other songs off screen. Instead, MyGO uses multiple full length songs, where some were even re-recorded from the anime to sound rougher if needed - Hekitenbansou in episode 7 being the main example of this. This does make a couple of the episodes be half performance/song, but in the first case it's their first performance as a group and sets up Soyo's arc, and the second case in episode 12, it's their first performance as a true band.

The camera and scenery work is top-notch and a great example of what CG animation can do. Sanzigen levels up with every series they do, and comparing Bandori S2 to D4DJ First Mix to this demonstrates how they've started blending in more 2D for more varied expressions and movement, and improved their lighting in backgrounds. Stand out moments are every time Soyo is framed in slight darkness, the varied spacing and views of characters in rooms to show distance or discomfort, and the entirety of episode 3 being from Tomori's first person POV - the most unique way to do a flashback episode that I've ever seen in an anime.

The only flaws I have with the series are relatively minor - the opening sequence, while a great song, doesn't have too many interesting shots compared to previous Bandori seasons (the second version of Kizuna Music is one of my favorite OPs ever). Episode 13 is more of a victory lap for MyGO, before heading face first into a prologue for the upcoming Ave Mujica anime, which if you're not invested in that group can feel like a non-ending. Additionally, there's a few non-Sakiko related loose ends between MyGO that have probably been saved for the mobile game, which if you don't play that, tough luck, go wait for other people to play it and upload stories to Youtube. For English server players it's an even longer wait as MyGO isn't being added to that server until spring 2024.

This is the sleeper hit of the summer 2023 season, the one that'll be always called criminally underrated and brought up as something worth watching in future threads about animes you love but no one talks about. Which is a shame, as it deserves to stand next to series like K-ON! and Bocchi the Rock that are some of the most frequently recommended music anime. Rating: 9/10

[miraclemaya]

chisato misstepping so badly like that is so real though she'd for real spend an hour in the washroom just looking at herself in the mirror and picking out all the ways she's a monster meanwhile sayo is just fucking staring at the ceiling, thinking that maybe sex isn't for her and that actually maybe she should just give up on relationships and people as a whole

[nian-7]

may i request chisato (bandori) with a gf who loves giving + receiving praise & words of affirmation? 💘 & if it's not too much, can you add kaoru as well? 💕

yep! i hope you enjoy!

Chisato, Kaoru x fem!reader

✧your love language is words of affirmation (receiving)

✧fluff

-Chisato doesn't give lots of praise or show her love towards you with words very often. It's just not how she shows her love. She prefers quality time but, she will occasionally praise or compliment you.

-The compliments are very simple and sweet. Things like "Your hair looks nice." or "You look pretty today." are common and it's honestly quite rare for compliments to happen in general.

-Please just tell her you like them! They'll get a bit more common and she'll make an effort to tell you simple things like "Good job." and that she loves you. It's the least she feels she can do for you since she does love you.

-" Hm? Oh, good job, (name)! "

-Kaoru uses words to convey her love almost always. That's just the way she shows it and so it's a perfect match for you! Gives you lots of pet names and compliments nearly every second she can.

-Obviously, set boundaries if needed and she'll respect them. You comfort is important so if something makes you uncomfortable, she want's to make sure she doesn't do it accidentally.

-No limits to the compliments either. She always finds something to compliment you on and loves it when you break out into a smile after she says it. It makes her glad you enjoy her loving words so much!

-" My love, you look absolutely beautiful. Like a princess, as always. "

please do not repost any of my work without my permission, thank you for reading.

tags: @ridoruu