#this is the second time yuri is watching it the first time he went with his dedushka and Otabek

[blended-ice]

they have plans jsyk

[bones4thecats]

Jamil, Leona, Idia and malleus, with a s/o who is like Loid or Yor from Spy family please (where they talk about what their life was like whether the reader is a spy or an assassin)

Having An S/O Similar to Yor Briar

Type of Writing: Request Name: Having An S/O Similar to Yor Briar Characters: Jamil Viper, Leona Kingscholar, Idia Shroud, and Malleus Draconia Requester: @marinahavik

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for not posting something like this in a while. I’ve been busy with some of my family and friends’ issues. Also, due to this reader being inspired by Yor Briar, there are slight spoilers for the Spy x Family manga and anime. Have a great rest of your days/nights!

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Yor Briar! S/O ; An Assassin for the Al-Asim Family

🐍 You’ve been working alongside the Al-Asim family for multiple years, maybe ever since you were a young tot and needed to care for your younger brother

🐍 As one of their top assassins for any suspicious activity at such a young age, many believed you were weaker than them, especially when it was learned you didn’t know many spells, but you were rumored to have a powerful unique spell

🐍 Due to the power you held with this spell, you were put on a mission to watch over the oldest Al-Asim son, Kalim, and help around with your oldest friend, Jamil, when caring for the youthful boy

🐍 Ever since you first joined the two in Night Raven College, you and Jamil quickly became known as the parents of Scarabia

🐍 You were a terrible cook, even worse than Kalim. And Jamil learned this when he sent you a message and asked if you could put the chicken in the oven and he came back to a load of Scarabia students watching as you panicked and tried putting out a load of smoke

🐍 Many fear your anger. Including your boyfriend. This was shown on two occasions;

🐍 You had been watching your younger brother, who was 10, when a Savanaclaw student had come by and began to harass Yuri. And when you noticed that he tried to swipe him with his claws, you took out your golden stiletto-type weapons and held them to his throat, giving him the hardest glare ever. One that caused Leona to look at you with his ears slightly down and his tail fully down in fear

🐍 The second time was when someone had tried to send a duo of flying-blades towards Kalim and Jamil, only for you to knock them back and tackle them down after knocking them around like a ragdoll, much to Kalim’s admiration and Jamil’s slight fear and attraction

🐍 Jamil knows you prefer to be given missions leading you to harm those that harm others, and he respects you for that. Especially when you had stood up and refused a mission due to the need of harming one innocent person, you really were sweet

🐍 He also enjoys watching you interact the younger siblings of Kalim’s and the children around Scarabia and the Scaling Sands, just seeing how sweet and gentle you were with them versus how you were with others was cute to him

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Yor Briar! Reader ; The Sunset Savannah’s Royal Assassin

🦁 When Leona first met you, you had just begun your teachings from the previous assassin from the Kingscholar family. Your training was hard, but it made you feel good that you were going to protect such important and good people

🦁 Leona had just come outside for a nap away from his brother when he saw you using small bamboo-sticks as swords for your training as your sensei went away for a moment to speak to Kifaji

🦁 Ever since he first approached you and asked what you were doing with bamboo, you were inseparable. You both trained together, becoming stronger with both your physicality and with your magical abilities

🦁 He would rather die than admit this, but Leona loves how sweet you are outside of your job. Many guards are professional both in and out of their job, which bored the second-born prince

🦁 But you? You were very serious and seductive when working away, but you outside of it all was very homey. You would smile at him and make him feel like he gained a glimpse of the heavens at that moment

🦁 He loves to flirt with you, seeing how flustered and embarrassed you get makes him laugh. I mean, you basically kill for a living, yet you're nervous about a comment of how beautiful you were?

🦁 When he first saw you cook, he was scared shitless.

🦁 Leona knew you weren't the best at it, but watching as Ruggie and Jack ran in and out with buckets of water and fire-extinguishers made him look at you with dumbfound. Now he knows not to let you cook for his family at any time unless certain you can do it without any kind of fire

🦁 Leona also enjoys seeing you fight with the other Savanaclaw members. He knows that they're strong, and every-time they challenge him for his housewarden position, he has them fight you to prove they could go against him

🦁 He knows you can knock him on his ass, and you know these pups were no match for him. But nobody was going to voice these out loud, now were they?

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Yor Briar! Reader ; Hunter for S.T.Y.X. and Assassin for Shroud House

🎮 You have worked underneath the Shroud family since you were young. And you always heard from your superiors that the heir to the company was pathetic for locking himself away

🎮 Pushing their thoughts away, you had begun to praise the young Idia whenever you saw him working on a project of his. You had even come across him working on his Ortho-project. And seeing as you didn't judge him, rather you sympathized with him, since your younger brother, Yuri, and you were alone without parents, Idia was shocked

🎮 Idia, as you grew together, noticed that you would go out to gather some Blot-Monsters for S.T.Y.X., and when he asked his mother and father about how dangerous it was one day, they looked at each other and chuckled before telling him about his feelings

🎮 You guys are a very flustered couple. While you are by-far more physically affectionate, whenever your boyfriend had a moment of confidence, you become the ball of red underneath the blanket he gave you

🎮 He adores seeing you try helping out Ortho with his errands, but he also learned to put a piece of memory in his brother's metal brain telling him to not allow you to cook. He doesn't need a massive fire in the tech-filled kitchen again...

🎮 Seeing you go from innocent and loving to dangerous and hostile is something that Idia also loves. It makes him feel like he is worth protecting and isn't a complete waste of space. This also makes Ortho happier, his brother's dopamine and serotonin levels are rising!

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Yor Briar! Reader ; Royal Assassin for the Draconia Family

🐉 Malleus has known you for many years, you had first started working for his family a few years prior to your third-year in Night Raven College

🐉 He had seen how you would stand beside his grandmother, Maleficia Draconia, and just observe others while still holding small and daring conversations with others. He also noticed how much of a liking she and Lilia took to you, it was amazing

🐉 Now many can catch the eyes of the Queen of Briar Valley along with the Captain of their Guard. So, when it was announced that you had also caught the eye of the Prince of the land? Oh boy, did everyone believe you were a walking ball of luck

🐉 Your personality is the main reason that Malleus fell for you. You were very sweet and caring for others, despite your role of harming others that tried killing any royal or important members of the court

🐉 He also liked how you refused to harm innocent people. Normally, an assassin wouldn't care who they had to kill as long as they got their pay at the end of the day. But you? You made an important deal with the Queen herself, saying you would never lay your hands upon an innocent person, no matter what

🐉 Malleus also likes how you can defend yourself and how you use this to bond with the others. He holds Lilia, Silver, and Sebek close for a reason. They may not be blood, but they are a part of his family, and seeing you bond with them so well feels amazing

🐉 Whenever he does sleep, he dreams of you messing around with your future children, who are just like you; sweet yet dangerous. And just seeing that black ring on your finger would send his tail into a wagging state as he cuddled up to your back

🐉 And don't get me started on whenever you come out and run into a small child looking for their parent

🐉 That happened when you were taking a small walk with the Prince around the nearby woods, and when the child bumped into your leg, they apologized and told you their story. Seeing you comfort the tiny human and help direct them to their mother warmed his heart

🐉 You were the perfect person for him... there was no denying that

[anti-romantico]

[casuality] enhypen heeseung

warnings: mentions of alcohol, unprotected sex, fingering, blowjob, cum swallowing, idk what else lmao

words: 3536

After a rough week of finals, you thought you finally were going to go home and enjoy your mom’s delicious food. Well, that was the plan until your brother called to tell you they weren’t going to be home. 

— Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? You know mom loves you. — Sunwoo said, not wanting to get his backpack in his car.

— Leave, it’s not like I’ll be the only person on campus. — You pulled him for a hug and breath. — Go before I regret saying no.

Sunwoo gave you a kiss on the top of your head and got in the car. You watched him disappear and finally went back to your dorm. There were more people than you thought.

— [Y/N]! — A very familiar voice called you.

— Heeseung, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to spend your vacations with your girl. — You didn’t know much about his love life, but the whole campus knew about their relationship.

— Yeah, I don’t think I’m welcome in her house again. — He nervously scratched the back of his head.

— Please don’t tell me… — He nodded before you could finish the question. — Damn, I don’t know if I should say sorry.

— As if I didn’t know you never liked her. — He crossed his arms, starting to walk with you.

— But she was your girlfriend. — You looked at him from time to time.

— And I’m the one that called it quits. — You nodded and bit your lower lip. — What about you? You always go to your mom’s.

— My brother got reservations somewhere and took my mom with him. And I’m not mad about it, but I wished he would’ve called me before so I could make plans. 

— Well, if you're still looking for a plan and want some company, you can call me.

You stopped abruptly, making him frown. — You sound just fine for someone that just ended their long-term relationship. 

— I'm not saying I'm fine, but it was something that had to happen sooner or later. I preferred sooner.

— And are you sure you want me as your company this winter break? 

He shrugged and nodded. — We haven't talked in months. Pretty sure our last encounter was at that frat party. Why not?

— Fine, but if you need to be alone just tell me. 

The first week went smoothly, ordering take-out with other classmates and eating outside. There were still some security staff around, but they never seemed to be bothered by the constant yelling and loud music coming from some dorms.

In the second week, Yeji sneaked in alcohol and invited her close friends to her dorm. She was alone in her room, and even though there wasn't much space, 6 people fit in it.

— How did you sneak this? — You asked Yeji, she giggled.

— The security staff stopped checking our food after the second day, I just risked it and sent my cousin a message. It was easier than I expected.

Heeseung was sitting on a bed beside you, sipping on his plastic cup filled with tequila and soda. 

— Should we play truth or dare or Heeseung is going to tell us what's the tea between him and Yuri? — Jake asked, earning a slap on the head from you.

— How do you even know something happened? — Heeseung asked, finishing his drink.

— She made a whole ass announcement influencer-style on instagram about your now “complicated” relationship. — Yeji answered.

— She called it complicated? — Yeji nodded. — Well, far from being complicated; I broke up with her. 

Everyone, except you, yelled at him, almost spilling their drinks.

— I thought you were going to get married! — Yuna placed her hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating fast. 

— Let's not overreact, everyone knew we had problems. 

— But you lasted, what?, 2 years? That's how long my parents dated before getting married. — Jay said, standing up from the floor and pouring a new drink for himself.

— Well, it's over. Now let's change topics.

— We can still play truth or dare. The only rule is not to go outside this building for the dares. — Yeji offered. Everyone agreed and sat down on the floor. Jay grabbed the only empty bottle and spinned it in the middle of the circle. It landed on Yuna.

— I knew it. Truth. — She brushed her hair with her fingers, moving it to one side.

— What happened with the blind date your mom set you? — You asked, making everyone laugh.

— Ugh, you know who appeared in the door of that expensive restaurant? Her neighbor’s son! The guy she never stopped talking about every time I visited her. I told him I wasn't interested, but at least we had a nice dinner. My mom didn't talk to me for a whole week when I told her she should stop.

— What was wrong with him? — Jake asked, grabbing the bottle.

— Aside from being a hardcore gamer? You can guess. 

— And he paid for the dinner? — You asked.

— I wish. He used his mom's money. I thanked her for the dinner, actually. 

Jake spinned the bottle and this time it landed on Jay. Jake smirked.

— I know that face, dare.

— I dare you to finish your drink in 15 seconds.

— You're an asshole, man! — Jay said laughing. 

Everyone started to count and cheered for him when he finished it even before the 15 seconds. 

— There must be water in the vending machine from the lobby. — Yeji said, feeling bad after watching Jay's reaction to the alcohol.

— I don't think he's going to make it to the hallway. I'll go. — You said, standing up.

— I'll go with you. We are all going to need water after finishing the alcohol. — Heeseung followed you behind, making everyone exchange glances.

Both got to the lobby and bought water for everyone. You weren't drunk, but your mind started to get dizzy. 

— Forget the water, if you want to sober up, go to the lobby and come back. — Heeseung said when you finally got to the room. Both were out of breath.

The game continued a few rounds before the dares started to escalate. Everyone ended up posting an instastory in someone's room without one piece of clothing. 

The bottle landed on Heeseung when Yuna spinned it.

— I don't have energy left to do another dare. Truth. — Heeseung said, laying his head on the bed that was behind him.

— Why did you break up with Yuri? 

Heeseung chuckled. — It took you this long? We just argued about the same topic over and over again, even after she said everything was clear, she kept bringing it up and I got tired. I was packing my things so we could go and she brought it up. It might be impulsive, but the moment she mentioned it I broke up with her. She didn't say anything, she just left. I guess that's why she's calling it a “complicated relationship”. 

— And what are you going to do when winter break ends? — Jay asked and he was about to grab the bottle, but Yeji beat him. — Hey! 

— Ignore her. I don't have anything to do with her. She can keep my hoodies. The less I'm in the same space as her, the better. 

You stood and ran to the bathroom, ignoring everyone's protests. When you were back, the bottle was pointing at your empty place.

— Right, what a coincidence. — You sat down and sighed. — Truth.

— Answer yes or no. — Yeji explained and you nodded. — Is it true that Hesseung's ex and you had a physical fight? 

— No! God, that rumor is so old and she started it. 

— Seriously? — Heeseung asked. 

— What happened was that she didn't like me being close to you and tried to threaten me. I told her she was being pathetic and she cried. That's all. 

— Boring. — Yuna said under her breath.

— As if I'm the kind of person to be violent with others. Can't believe y'all believed her.

— I didn't. — Jake said, earning a couple of pats on his head from you.

Jay yawned, causing almost everyone to also do it.

— How about we sleep for a while and then have dinner? — Yuna said, stretching her body.

— Please! I'm exhausted. — You said, laying your head on Heeseung’s shoulder. 

Jay helped Yeji to hide the rest of the alcohol and the empty bottles while everyone went to their dorms. You went to Heeseung's since it was the closest one.

— Do you have something I can wear to sleep in? I don’t like to sleep in the same clothes I had the whole day. — You said, walking in the room.

— I have some old pants and this shirt. — He took the clothes from his drawer, it wasn’t even packed.

— Were you going to get rid of it? — You grabbed it and placed it on the empty bed. He nodded. — Do you mind if I keep it?

— Sure. — He took a deep breath when you took your hoodie off. — I’ll change in the bathroom.

— Yup. — You didn’t notice how nervous he was. 

When you woke up, Heeseung wasn’t in the room, but the door was open. You thought he went to the bathroom when you heard him talk. He was just on the other side of the wall.

“I’m not judging the way you did it, that’s your problem, but I was clear when I said I was done with you”. He sounded mad. You just couldn’t stop yourself and stood up and walked quietly so he couldn’t hear you. “You were the one that decided to bring her up.” “I told you millions of times she was just a friend and even stopped talking to her when you told me she made you insecure”. What? “Because we were at the same party, I wasn't going to leave or ask her to leave”. “I’m enjoying my time without you just fine, Yuri”. “I’m not doing such a thing, and I don’t care if you make another statement to tell your followers we’re done”. “Well, that’s too bad because she’s also here”. “Goodbye, Yuri, don’t call me again”.

You didn’t find the strength to move from your place, so Heeseung found you the moment he walked in.

— What…

— Am I the reason you two broke up? — You didn’t know why it affected you, but it did.

— You weren’t supposed to hear that…

— Close the door next time, then. Now answer.

Heeseung tried to hold you, but you pushed his hands. — She started to feel insecure after spending too much time with this girl. She told her it was suspicious how “close” we were. She overanalyzed our interactions before she started asking every second of the day if I ever had feelings with you.

— Close? We only share classes. — You couldn't believe what he was telling you.

— She said her friend saw us being “clingy” at a party, but I honestly don't remember.

— You were too drunk, I was just making sure you didn't throw yourself to the pool. — You explained. Heeseung being in that state didn't even allow you to drink a single drop of alcohol, or anything. — I had to carry you, I guess her friend saw us hugging.

Heeseung threw his head back, not being able to remember anything. It was frustrating. — I'm sorry… god and after that I stopped talking to you.

— Well, at least now I know who started those rumors. — You tried to joke, but Heeseung didn’t laugh. — Let’s go for something to eat before going back with the rest. 

Heeseung sighed and nodded, following you around without saying a word. You wanted to cheer him up, but you knew it wouldn’t be easy. 

Once you were with your friends, they immediately knew something was wrong with him, but luckily didn’t make a comment about it. 

Alcohol made an act of presence once everyone was comfortable, drinks getting stronger and stronger. You weren't drunk, but you weren't sober. Heeseung at your side was laughing at Jake making a weird dance as a dare. He spinned the bottle again, landing on you. 

— Well, about time. — He teasingly said.

— As if you know what I'm going to choose. — You said, finishing your drink. 

— Oh come on, don't be boring, we’re all having fun. — Heeseung exclaimed. 

You laughed. — Fine! Dare.

Jake made an expression of thinking, but you knew he already had your dare in mind. — We all are gonna close our eyes and you are going to give a small kiss on the lips to whoever you want.

— It’s ok, babe, you can give us the kiss to get away with it. — Yeji said, hugging Yuna from the neck, making her whine when she pulled her close.

— Nah nah nah, she has to be honest. C’mon, no one’s going to watch. No cheating. — Jake said as he covered his eyes with his hands.

— Whoever cheats has to run around the building naked. — Yuna said, imitating Jake.

You couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of all of your friends with their eyes covered, Heeseung included. You didn’t think about it for too long, knowing perfectly at least one was going to check what was taking you so long. You leaned towards Heeseung, moving his hands apart from his face. He smirked when he saw you so close. None of you said anything, you gave him a small kiss and he went back to cover his face.

— It’s done. — You said.

Jake bit his lower lip and leaned his body. — How was it, Hee? — Heeseung didn’t answer, he just chugged his drink, lifting one eyebrow.

After a few minutes, the bottle landed on Heeseung, Yeji speaking up before anyone else. — I dare you to spend 7 minutes in heaven in Yuna's room with whoever you want.

— Nice, let’s go. — Jay joked, standing with Heeseung who only pushed him aside. 

— You wish, man. — Heeseung extended his hand towards you, causing a howling mess in the room. 

You laughed so loud and still grabbed his hand, letting him guide you to Yuna’s room. 

The air changed the moment you closed the door. Heeseung gently pushed you against the door, caressing your cheek. 

— Do you think they’ll come to check us in 7 minutes? — He asked, slightly brushing his lips with yours.

— We both know they won’t. — You whispered and locked the door. — But just in case.

Heeseung nodded and finally kissed you. Hard, immediately sucking on your tongue and squeezing your butt. You didn’t know how, but both were on the floor, him over you, still hungrily kissing. He was trying to get you naked so you let him. His hands were all over you and you were really getting into it when he pushed you down on your stomach and pulled your shorts off.

He took his time pulling your panties off too and then you felt his hand between your legs. You were wet already from him kissing you and he knew it. He rubbed his fingers up and down your pussy a few times before he slipped them inside you. It felt really good, making you moan. 

He slid his fingers out of you and put them in your mouth. — Taste yourself. — He said.

You sucked on his fingers and tasted your own juices. He did this again and you sucked each finger clean. You looked up at him and smiled.

Heeseung kissed you hard and put his tongue in your mouth. You couldn't believe how hot this made you feel. You wanted to touch him and kiss him more. He pulled his shirt off and threw it across the room. Then he unbuckled his pants and pulled them down along with his boxers. You stared at his dick for a minute. It was beautiful and big. You reached out and touched it, wrapping your hand around it and stroked it slowly. Heeseung groaned and leaned forward, taking your head in his hands. He kissed you harder and you ran my tongue over his lips. You wanted to taste his cock.

You kissed down his neck and chest and then you opened your mouth and wrapped your lips around the tip of his dick. He gasped and you closed my eyes and sucked on him. You swirled your tongue around the tip and then took as much of him as you could in your mouth. He tasted so good. 

You started moving your mouth up and down his shaft, making sure to slightly moan when you felt him touch your throat.

He moaned — Take it all, baby, I know you can do it. — You did as he told and then moved your head up and down faster. 

You could hear him breathing hard and you loved that sound. You kept sucking him and he kept thrusting into your mouth. You felt his body tense and then he shot his load in your mouth. You swallowed it all and kept sucking him until he pulled away. 

You sat up and wiped your mouth. He pulled your face again and kissed you, sucking in on your tongue as if he wanted to taste his own cum. 

You gently pushed his chest so he could sit down on the floor and you straddled him. You rubbed your pussy against his dick and he groaned. Lowering yourself onto him, you felt so full, he was so thick. 

Heeseung held your hips and you started to ride him. He put his arms under your thighs and held you still while you fucked him. You rode him fast and hard and then slowed down and picked up the pace again.

You felt so close to coming you didn't want to stop. You bounced up and down on him and then he grabbed your hips and held you. He kissed you and then he pushed you down to the floor and started fucking you, much harder that before. You came so hard and he kept going until he came inside you.

Heeseung collapsed on top of you and you just stayed there like that for a while. You were both breathing hard and covered in sweat.

He kissed you and then rolled off of you, laying next to you on the floor. You lay there like that for a long time and then he kissed you again. You could feel his dick getting hard again and you knew he wanted more. And so did you. You needed him more. 

You got on your knees and took his dick back in your mouth.

— I love your mouth, baby. Fuck! — Heeseung groaned when you moaned around him and kept sucking.

You felt him push your head away so you pulled out and got in all four. He got behind you and rubbed his dick against your wet pussy and slid right in. 

He was so deep and you loved how full you felt. He started fucking you so hard and you were moaning loudly, combining to the skin slapping. 

He grabbed your hips and started thrusting harder and faster. You felt yourself getting closer to another orgasm and cried out. He kept fucking you and you came so hard feeling your juices running down your legs. He kept thrusting until he came too.

Your knees protested when you tried to stand up. Heeseung helped you, hugging you from behind and kissing your neck.

— Are you ok? — He said against your ear.

— Amazing. — Your voice came out so low, almost like a whisper, moving your head to give him more access to keep kissing you.

You sighed when you felt his teeth nibble your skin. — I promise next time we’ll be on a more comfortable surface. — He said, making you feel tingles on your stomach at the thought of this happening again.

— Do you want to go back there? — You asked once you had enough strength on your legs again, taking your clothes from the floor.

— I don’t know if I want to deal with the million questions they’ll make — Heeseung dressed up too. 

Once both were ready, you opened the door, you still needed to go to Yeji’s room to get your phone.

— Here. — Jay handed your phones, not letting you go in.

— Jay, c’mon, man, at least let us help to clean. — Heeseung said, grabbing the phones.

— We can handle it, don’t worry! — Yeji yelled from the inside of the room.

— Keep having fun! — This time it was Yuna who yelled. 

You laughed and pulled Heeseung’s shirt. There was no way in hell they'd let you in.

Back in Heeseung’s room, you finally laid down on the same bed, enjoying your time alone.

— So… — He asked, afraid of your answer.

— What? — Your head was over his chest, listening to his heartbeats.

— Does this mean something now?

You sat down and looked at him. — I don’t know, it’s you who just got out of a relationship. — You reminded him.

— Is it… bad? — Heeseung also sat down and held your hand. — Do you.. want something to happen between us? 

You glazed at your hands and then at him. — I don’t think I’d have fucked you if I didn’t.

Heeseung chuckled. — Maybe we can keep it on the low while I take you on dates and propose appropriately.

— What? You coming inside me wasn’t appropriate? 

[dregs-leftovers-parsley]

trying to make a list of 70’s to early 80’s proto-yuri, if anyone knows about other works please lemme know so I can add them ^_^

I grabbed the summaries off of manga ookoku, except for umibe no cain and maya no souretsu, which are from Wikipedia and mangadex respectively

“aries no otometachi” (1973) - satonaka machiko

-Kubo Emiko and Mizuho Romi are two girls born under the Aries sign. Emiko is an earnest and innocent girl who grew up with gentle parents. On the other hand, Romi, who was raised by her fashion designer mother, has a fierce temper. Emiko admires Takashi from the equestrian club, but when she meets the strong and beautiful Romi, she gradually becomes attracted to her. Is this excitement... love?

“futaripocchi” (1971) - riyoko ikeda

-Kaoru, a poor girl and Reiko, the daughter of a wealthy family are on good terms and attend Aisei Girls' Academy together. These two, who had completely opposite upbringings and personalities, ended up becoming sisters when their parents remarried. Even as they rebel against each other and hurt each other, they gradually understand each other and deepen their bond, but eventually Reiko begins to develop romantic feelings for Kaoru. Attacked by the absurdities of society the beautiful sisters set off on a journey, just the two of them. 

“yureru soushun" (1973) - riyoko ikeda

-Mako, a well-liked girl who has excellent grades and is good at sports falls in love with Junko, a beautiful junior who is hated by all the female students at school. Mako is trapped by Junko's intense love and jealousy...!?

“hadashi no mei” (1974) - fukuhara hiroko

-May, a high school student, is an ordinary girl who admires Kido from the soccer club. While she was watching Kido as he practice in the schoolyard as usual, a ball suddenly flew into her face! Thanks to this, May was able to make contact with the boy she loves, but at the same time, Misaki, who was wandering around the school in casual clothes, calls out to her as "Maya."

“kurenai ni moyu” (1979) - fukuhara hiroko

-Suzuna* went to a shrine to see the double cherry blossoms in full bloom on her way home from school. However, she gets tangled up with the biker gang that was hanging out there and is about to be taken away when she is rescued by Sarasa*, who happens to be passing by. Suzuna is immediately captivated by the sight of this gallant knight on a motorcycle, with her swaying red hair and feminine gestures. After that, Suzuna and Sarasa hit it off, but as they continue to be chased by biker gang members, a major incident involving the two develops...!!

*names may be pronounced differently, i haven’t read it

“kanojotachi” (1982) - kashi michiyo

-On her first date with her boyfriend, Misono*, a second year high school student, meets Ryuko*, who looks like a beautiful young man. At the fashion show her boyfriend brought her to she sees Ryuko on stage as a model. Ryuko is a lesbian and is dating one of her brother’s friends, Susan. Misono becomes interested in Ryuko, and Ryuko is also attracted to Misono's purity, but...

*names may be pronounced differently, i haven’t read it

“ibutachi no heya” (1983) - nagahama sachiko 

 (no summary found)

“maya no souretsu” / “Maya’s Funeral Procession” (1972) - ichijo yukari

-A horror story, in which the main character and her family go to their summer house for vacation and people start dying one by one. The twist is that the main character, Reina, is falling in love with her mysterious neighbor, Maya. But who is Maya really, and how does she know so much about Reina's family?

“umibe no kain” (1980) - kimura minori

-One day, Sano*, a fashion designer who lives in a beach town, meets Nobuko*. Sano casually invites her to her home and gives her a ticket to an exhibition on the way home. At the exhibition, Sano feels as though she lost to a more popular designer, but Nobuko says she prefers her designs. On the way home, Nobuko confesses her troubles about not being able to dress femininely. Since she lives alone, they meet often and talk about various things. As Nobuko confides in and receives advice from Sano, she begins to develop feelings for her. 

*names may be pronounced differently, i haven’t read it

[aleksanderscult]

I loved your analysis! Can you analyse the (barely there, not enough) Darklina scenes from the KOS duology? I could not rationalize some of what was going on there.

First of all, I'm so sorry for taking that long to reply, anon! (Hasn't it been over two weeks since you send this or what??😭😭)

Second, thank you so much for your kind words! 💗💗

Third, you and I both friend 🤝🤝

'Cause honestly I didn't know what the fuck was happening in that interaction too 😭

I'll actually analyze the only Darklina scene we got in RoW. But if you want another one too, just send me an ask!

So! Let's dive in and analyze that hot mess, shall we?

(note: I had to go back and read this scene very carefully in order to understand what the actual fuck they were saying💀)

⚠️TW!: PTSD, trauma⚠️

The way he's so obedient with her even in this life 😭

If somebody else had ordered him to do that, he wouldn't obey. But Alina? Alina is a different story and this is the first time he hears her voice since his death in R&R.

'Any little victory'

Uhh....okay...??

You made him wipe his feet. I'm.... impressed??

(confusion levels 📉)

LMAO MY BOY WOKE UP AND CHOSE VIOLENCE

I always believed that the dynamic between Aleksander and Alina involves lots of teasing. But not in the fun sense. But in the sense of "I'm getting under your skin. My words to you sting".

And that's what the Darkling does here too. He's a prisoner. Their prisoner. So he tries to gain the upper hand by using his wits, his past with Alina and the latter's trauma against her to get even.

Pretty clever, huh?

See what I mean?

He tries to weaken her confidence and it's interesting that back in Keramzin he also tried to get even (and he did) by killing her mother figure.

Aleksander: "Wanna fuck with me? Wanna mess with me? How about that time when I burnt that orphanage and killed your "mother"?"

*Alina's sure confidence is gone and now the Darkling has the upper hand in her feelings*

OUTSTANDING MOVE 👌

Excuse me, Misha? Who the Hell gave you the permission to interrupt or talk at all??

Also, do you really expect from the Darkling to remember a little boy while he was too busy trying to rule a nation, win a war and persuade Alina to join him?

And if you also expect him to remember you from that time when Baghra went out to confront her son while you escorted her, then you're also wrong. 'Cause he was too busy being furious that his mother sided and helped the opposite side and too busy being distraught because he was watching her fall to her death.

You're not important, son.

Sit down.

LMAO THIS IS SO HILARIOUS

Misha you're still an infant. Please shut up.

I honestly liked him in the Grisha Trilogy (I found him a cutie) but now I want to slap him and everyone else in this duology except Aleksander

The Darkling has survived numerous murdering attempts against him. He was finally killed by Alina not because of some grand display of her powers but because the former was so heartbroken by Alina's fate (and his own because he would be alone) that he just gave up on his life. Basically he committed suicide.

Misha, you wouldn't be able to kill him even now that he's powerless and in chains. Probably you would stumble and fall in the effort or smth.

Uhh actually no, Mal.

Threating him only makes you sound like idiots, honestly.

Also, since when did Mal gained ✨wisdom✨?

Wasn't he the hot-tempered one in the trilogy who always got angry with the mere mention of the Darkling? And the one who wanted to kill him as well?

Alina, you know damn well what his name is.

Honestly, I think she didn't say it because she wanted to respect the fact that he trusted her to keep it.

And I agree that Yuri is a horrible name for him. Makes him seem like a fisherman 😭

Meanwhile Alina in S&B:

So either Bardugo kinda forgot these scenes or we're led to believe that these scenes weren't her being happy, but we thought she was happy.

(me casually ignoring that theory because I choose to believe only the things that MAKE SENSE)

The fact that Bardugo made Alina believe that she was unhappy when she was whole with her powers and surrounded by people like her but totally happy now that she has no powers (a part of her soul actually) and living with a man that slut-shamed her in a toxic, childhood place is umm... yeah. Not good.

So basically:

Aleksander: "You look different. You look like shit. What the fuck did they do to you? This is not you"

Alina: "No bro I'm happy now that I live in toxic conditions where the teachers mock me, Mal takes me out for a walk to forget my psychological traumas and I raise some Grisha children that will fade because they don't use their powers and some others that I probably am in no condition to raise. At least that's what the author said is happiness, bro."

Aleksander: "......."

Alina: "......"

The readers: "........."

ALEKSANDER IS HONESTLY ALL OF US FRR WITH HIS LINES

"In peace"

Yeah, having PTSD certainly is peaceful. And knowing that you abandoned your country and left its fate to chance certainly makes you sleep like a baby at night.

"We chose the life we wanted"

Alina, you didn't CHOOSE to lose your powers. And before that you didn't even know what you wanted to do with your life. It was a last minute decision for you.

"I fell pray to the same greed that drove you"

Girl, are we the only ones who did our homework??

In his POV in RoW he confirmed that he tampered with merzost in the past because he wanted to stop Ravka's wars. So as far as we know he never used power exclusively for himself.

"I paid the price for tampering with merzost"

Now hold a second. I thought that the reason Alina lost her powers is because Morozova wanted that said power to be shared by any otkazat'sya around. It wasn't that much of a punishment as much as a need for Morozova to share that power.

Unless it was..... both?

I just want a guy that will believe in me and my abilities the way Aleksander does with Alina, man 😭

He strongly believes that she could become a Queen even without her powers. And he's actually so right when he says to her that her wounds won't heal. Because no matter how much you try to convince yourself that you are alright. No matter how hard you try to persuade your mind that you're not broken, reality will always hit you. Some wounds never heal and Alina's certainly will not. She didn't lose a toy, she lost a part of her soul and witnessed many die. How the hell does she think she's suitable to raise children, when she herself is NOT okay psychologically?

"In the wake of your wars"

Excuse me. Why is the Fjerdan and Shu wars always the Darkling's fault??

"And maybe when our country is free, then that wound will close"

She sounds so brainwashed bye--

And just like I said, wounds like that never close unfortunately. It can only become more bearable with time. But not forgetable.

Ah yes. Bardugo makes us watch how cute their relationship is.

Am I supposed to take off my camera and snap pictures of them whispering with tears in my eyes: "They look so adorable"?

'Cause I won't.

The way Bardugo has made Mal unfazed by the Darkling's comments. A thing that completely contrasts his nature in the Grisha trilogy.

He also made him have "sassy" lines because we've got to like him somehow, right? 🤗

Still hate him

Basically, dear anon, the author has made Mal more "likeable", immune to the Darkling's insults, patient and witty in order for us to change our mind about him and finally like him.

(mission failed btw)

He is literally nothing like his trilogy counterpart and, if possible, she made him more annoying.

(how the hell she managed to do that, I don't know)

I just feel sorry for Aleksander who has to deal with all these jerks. If I were there, I would have helped him kill them and bury their bodies.

Because you let your heart and feelings get the better of you, Aleksander. Because you proved to be the most human of all these characters here. You let her come close. And that's what killed you.

(also, shut up Misha)

Alina, you could have said "no" to that invitation. So stop acting like they dragged you from the hair here.

"Do you think you could manage it?"

Do you, Alina? 'Cause really, what did YOU do to make the lives of Grisha better? At least he built a palace for them.

"It's not like you didn't get a fair try before. Hundreds of tries"

Yeah, and half of them failed because you got in the way. You refused to listen to him and, even if you didn't like the way he dealt with the persecution, you chose to run away (again) instead of deciding to stay and do better.

SHE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT ZOYA AND NIKOLAI COULD DO BETTER LMAO 😭😭

Zoya, the very fact that he mentioned you should feel like a badge of honor.

And yet Ravka is in its worst condition ever.

Sorry Alina but I don't see shit from them.

The fact that the Darkling keeps mentioning that he's eternal is to remind them that he has seen everything and done everything. He has more experience than they will ever have. Not to gloat about it. And yet Alina takes it as the latter.

And it's funny that Alina turns him down for the job saying he has no powers when Alina herself suffers from the same condition 😀

Finally someone with self-reflection.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!

PREACH!! PREACH!! 👏👏

When you have the "villain" exposing the true problem in the story, the flaws and failures while having the heroes screaming "EVERYTHING IS FINE. YOU'RE WRONG!" then you know that something is wrong.

How the Hell are they gonna provide eternal peace in Ravka and to the Grisha when:

They have no experience

They are too busy criticizing the villain instead of looking at their own flaws

They doubt themselves

(you can add to the list, guys)

And he's not shaken because he's talking with a Saint, Zoya. He's shaken because he's talking to Alina. She always had a way in getting under his skin. He said it.

"Fine. Make me your villain" fits here 'cause he never perceived himself as the bad guy but he knew that this is what others thought of him.

I think it still stung to him to know that others saw his every action in a negative light but he still kept going. And sometimes he even used it (at the end of R&R).

Alina still wants to believe that there's something redeemable inside him. Her POVs were always the "kindest" in the way they painted the Darkling.

MISHA COULD YOU PLEASE SHUT IT

What about his mother, huh??

Who, despite the abuse he suffered from her, he still cared about??

Alina?? Oh boy, he was in love with her, obsessed and gave her so many chances. Something that he almost never does unless he's desperate.

So PRETTY PLEASE STOP TALKING

Meanwhile the Darkling in R&R, chapter 11:

"I have regretted many of the things I’ve had to do in this war."

So either Bardugo forgot that or Alina did or Aleksander changed his mind.

Or (my theory) Bardugo changed his perception in order for us to feel less sympathetic towards him.

Nevertheless, at least he has a spine and knows where he stands.

And Alina wanted the Darkling to say it not for him but for her. So she can feel okay. Unless Zoya is talking bullshit.

YES ALEKSANDER WHY DIDN'T YOU LIE SO OUR HEROINES COULD FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES???!!

HOW DARE YOU?? 😠😠

He tries so hard to persuade her that the reality she lives in will not pay off anything. First off, this is not who she is or what she was meant to become and second, why does she teaches children stories that are lies? Feeding them false hope, repeating a circle that others had also been doing.

"Do you *really* believe..."

He wants to make sure that she stands by that. He just can't believe that this is her opinion. Her choice.

He just wants her to shine people!! 😭😍

"Those stories tell us the only people who matter are Kings and Queens. They're wrong"

Now tell me, Alina, which stories do YOU tell them? What do you teach them? That the world is as rosy as the orphanage they live in, where they only eat sugar and play the piano? Do you imagine what kind of reality check will those children get once they live in the real world?

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we see the Darkling having reached his limits and saying "Fuck this shit I'm out"

Congratulations, Aleksander! You survived that meeting with these buffoons and their groundless arguments!! 👏👏

Here, have this! 🏅

He saw his chance (Alina holding Mal's hand) and seized it. But I think he really meant all those questions he asked to Alina.

So, dear anon, what we have here is the villain making his effort (again) to be heard and understood. He tries to make them see his own point of view: Ravka is in serious danger and Zoya and Nikolai are in no position to protect it. He, on the other hand, can since he has more experience and balls to deal with these issues. The Darkling is no pussy. He truly makes hard decisions when he must, something that essentially all rulers must do when the situation calls for it.

But! We have the good guys silencing him and threating him (even having a little child to do the last one) in order for the reader to understand what he has left in his wake. How much pain he has caused.

Mal has gotten ✨magically✨ wiser and calmer and has actual wits to repel the Darkling's insults in order for us to get to like Mal and see how much he has changed.

Alina sounds like a brainwashed woman who is convinced that her lifestyle is great! That wanting something more (idk. a throne and changing the world maybe) is sinful and unfitting of her.

Aleksander is the only one who thinks otherwise for her, though. Thank God, I mean!

He sought Alina out both to reclaim his powers and because he just wanted to see her.

Personally, in this scene only the Darkling makes sense. The others either want to feel good about themselves by threating him or want to convince him that "Hey, we're the good ones here. We know what we're doing, okay?" and his own ways are shit.

Dear anon, if you have any other questions or want me to analyze any other Darklina scene from this book or duology that I didn't include, then just say so!

And please any others who want to add something about this scene, feel free to criticise in the comments! 💛💛

[kimberlyannharts]

LAST TIME ON MMPR: THE RETURN: Twenty years ago the Rangers went through some SHIT that broke up the team and left Kimberly a depressed hot mom. (Oops, spoilers.) So when Trini's niece Selena shows up at her doorstep demanding to become the next Power Ranger, it's the perfect opportunity for her to do some traumadumping.

it's MMPR: The Return #2!

= that's not cranberry and squid juice

= The intentional misdirection of Rita going to get *someone*, and then having her yell for Squatt, is honestly genius

= First of all I love how this book skews darker and more mature but still has elements of classic PR camp like this big villain-ending bomb being called a "Benevolator"

= Second of all I'm glad this book is furthering the implication from the show that Kim does understand Billy's talk perfectly well, it's just that she thinks it's annoying

= [It's Always Sunny jingle] Rita still gets killed

= So according to Matt Hotson in an interview they weren't sure how they were going to get away with this until Nico Leon suggested making the arrow an energy beam, because clear onscreen stabbing is okay as long as there's no blood. All that matters is KIMBERLY GETS TO MURDER!!!!!!!!!!!

= THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE CLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUB

= and yes they both knew that Kim was pregnant rather than my prediction that she didn't find out until afterwards, which, surprisingly, makes me want to chew glass even more

= Tomberly hug, Tomberly i love you, Tomberly forehead touch, and Tomberly kiss all in rapid succession on the same page but GOD at what cost

= maybe it's because my emotions are running high throughout this whole issue but why did that little "what...?" make me so emotional kjkjkf i guess imagining Zedd of all people saying something with that kind of vulnerable tone, and it being possibly his last word alive, got to me

= BOOM really said "hey, it's been long enough since the last time Kim had to watch Tommy die in front of her, hasn't it"

= the way the issue keeps pushing the fact that they don't know what the Benevolator would do and they don't know what happened exactly is fueling my delusion of Tommy coming back somehow. idk I refuse to let my White Husband/Pink Wife/Green Daughter concept go!!!!!!!!!!!

= Funnily enough, even though the twist calls into question if Sylvia even has a daughter, this is still more thought given to Trini's opinion on her powers being passed on than Once and Always had lol

= Thrax if he served cunt

= so I'm still going to call her Selena because the moon reference is too good and it's really not THAT weird for her to have a normal-ish name considering her mom's name was literally RITA. we just have to give her a cool alliterative surname. Selena Scandola? Selena Sinistra? idk

= [SITCOM CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

= so is it too soon to advocate for Tomberly Daughter/RitaZedd Daughter toxic yuri

[ateez-himari]

Himari & ATEEZ [Relationships]

Hongjoong [HimJoong]

.../When came time for the last elimination that would determine which girl would get to join ATEEZ, the members' votes were split in half and the arguments being brought forth put her at a high risk of losing. However to her surprise, Hongjoong was the one who fought tirelessly for her and was the first to embrace her when the winner was announced, which is why she had such a strong attachment to him from the beginning.

.../Since their trainee days he has always been the one who she turns to first when in need of comfort or validation as he grew to be a big brother to her. Whenever the group must complete missions or try something new, she can always be seen turning to him after finishing her part to make sure that he approves of it. At the beginning of their career she was still very shy around other people and would always be seen holding his hand or the side of his jacket. Due to her growth over the years she hides behind him much less than she used to, but the habit of holding on to him does not seem to have left.

.../Because he doesn't show much liking towards skinship she often sits in silence next to him when he works or watches TV, and brings him coffee or food when he stays up late in the studio as her way to show him that she cares. At first he would show his affections through acts of service like teaching her how to rap but it quickly developed into him accepting physical affection and kissing her cheeks while she rests her head on his shoulder, brushing her hair, holding her hand or hugging her from behind. On nights where they are watching TV with the other members, he occasionally sits her between his legs and braids her hair.

.../The two are very close in terms of personality which further reinforces their already heartwarming connection and have been deemed as platonic soulmates by their group members. From the day Himari passed the final elimination, they have shared a special bond neither can seem to explain. When they visited a tarot card reader on the 5th episode of Codename is Ateez, she instantly pointed out how linked the two are.

.../On the days where he is left to work late in the studio by himself or is out of the house until late hours of the night, Himari will sit on the couch to wait for him, which often results in her falling asleep there until he gets home and carries her to their room.

Seonghwa [SeongAri]

.../During the beginning of their trainee days he used to scare her because of his demeanor but he would regularly buy her food, help her with every day chores, compliment her cooking, etc, which eventually got her to warm up to him.

.../The day where she finally stopped being so hesitant around him, he became very protective of her and started looking out for her well-being everywhere they went. If a dress was too short during an interview he will make sure to cover her with his jacket, if a fan or interviewer is being too insistent he will quickly intervene to take their focus away from her, if she trips he is the first to check her over for bruises, he helps her check her makeup during filming, etc.

.../When she goofs around in front of him he rolls his eyes at first but quickly joins in to whatever she is doing, and when he is the one goofing around she does not waste a second in copying him. For example they once re-enacted a star wars scene together in the middle of the kitchen with their only source of light being the lightsabers they were holding which originally started by Seonghwa simply spinning his saber in order to show it off to Atinys.

.../When he is building legos she often hovers around him, fascinated by how easily he puts everything together, which always leads to him sitting her down on his leg and showing her how to do it. There are times where he demonstrates something and then undoes it in order to her to try it out, guiding her through it with a laugh if she gets confused by the instructions.

Yunho[YuRi]

.../Even before the final elimination he was rooting for her but due to the members being forbidden to interact with the contestants in order to avoid any bias clouding their decision, he would simply watch over her training in a sign of support. The moment she was chosen he became her biggest supporter, which intimidated her at first due to the amount of energy he was radiating but she quickly took a liking to it and began cheering him on as well.

.../He figured out that she had anxiety even before her diagnosis was revealed and lets her grab on to his sleeve whenever she needed something to anchor herself to. When he sees that a task is too stressful for her to handle by herself, he immediately rushes over to help and cracks jokes while they work through it, his radiant demeanor putting her at ease almost instantly.

.../He always helps her during dance practices, showing her how she could improve certain aspects of the choreography all the while keeping in mind what her style is like. When the two are bored they will try to learn girl group choreographies together, which often ends with the two fooling around and freestyling. Whenever she does some sort of suggestive move he automatically covers her with his body, leading to her using this as a way to mess with him whenever they are on stage.

.../Due to her joining the industry at a relatively young age, her days were filled with either training or school work which left very little time for her to play video games. When he found out, he introduced her to FIFA and since then the two have been very competitive with each other, the loser of the previous game always asking for a re-match. At some point it became somewhat of a routine for the members to gather on the couch on Friday nights and watch the two battle it out on the virtual soccer field, a routine that goes on to this day.

Yeosang [YeoRi]

.../At first she was slightly unsure how to approach him yet made the first move despite her hesitation. One day when she came back from school the two were alone doing math homework in the practice room, which is when she got the idea of asking him for help despite having an in-depth understanding of the material. Since then she used it as a way to get close to him and bond, later finding out that he knew all along about her being well-rounded in mathematics.

.../He often stays by her side when she cooks in case she needs any help and most of the time they end up dancing to whatever music is playing through the speakers while the food cooks. Because of this, when Himari prepares meals for team dinners, the group often ends up eating fairly late yet none seem to mind as watching the two while chatting over soju is quite entertaining.

.../The members blame him for her occasional brutal boldness as she used to be relatively reserved when it came to any kind of criticism before getting close to Yeosang. Now she has moments where roasts accidentally slip out of her mouth and she doesn't realize it until seeing the members' reactions. When someone else tries to make a bold comment about her, he will immediately jump to her defense by innocently roasting whomever attempted to bad-mouth her.

San [SanAri]

.../The two took formed a bond quite quickly due to their similar cat-like personalities and had a tendency to gravitate towards one another like magnets ever since. There are times when their social batteries drain quite quickly and when it happens, they automatically find each other. Despite bringing out the calm side in one another, pairing the two together can have the opposite effect and make them comfortable enough to bring out their louder side.

.../When put together for games whether it be on variety shows or simply in the privacy of their own dorm, they tend to drift off in their own world and get distracted by the simplest things, almost forgetting what they were originally doing. It usually starts off with Himari finding something interesting then pointing it out to San who becomes equally lost in whatever it is she saw.

.../Due to their love of physical affection they tend to be very clingy and it is rare to find San napping backstage (or anywhere really) without Himari using his body as a mattress while holding Shiber. They never seem to get tired of each other's love so whenever comes times for breaks in between songs during tours, fans can be sure to find them stuck to one another like glue.

.../Despite their wholesome relationship fans were shocked to see that they could also be quite 'demonic' with each other on stage as some of their interactions can get pretty flirtatious (though not as much as her and Mingi's). He often incites her to dance with him during the heat topping remix of 'Fireworks'.

Mingi [MinAri]

.../Being fully aware of his struggle with mental health, she tends to come straight to his side when sensing that something is wrong without asking questions, simply keeping him company. If he opens up about what he is feeling then she will gladly give his words her full attention, often laying against his chest as he plays with her hair to distract himself. Despite the two's close bond, it took her a long time to open up about her own mental health as she thought he wouldn't see her as able to care for him if she was struggling as well. From the moment he found out, they became each other's healing.

.../A few weeks before his hiatus, the two had stopped talking due to the amount of fans that were taking things too far and hating on them for allegedly dating simply because of how close they are to each other. Due to these rumors taking place during a time where Himari was receiving a lot of hate, he decided to distance himself as he knew that this was just another way for people to bash her. When he left, she began feeling extremely guilty as she believed that a large part of his anxiety was caused by these rumors, which was why he was not talking to her anymore. The day he came back to record 'Fireworks' she didn't know how to act, scared that he was mad at her, so she simply gave him a small bow, watching the other members welcome him until he finally wrapped his arms around her. The moment she felt him embrace her, she broke down crying and the two stayed like this for ten minutes until he finally spoke, reassuring her that none of this was her fault. Since then, they have stopped caring what 'fans' had to say and resumed showing their close bond on screen, even taking the freedom to act flirty with each other during concerts.

.../It seems like wherever one goes, the other follows as she can often be seen in the background of his lives either laying on his bed or sitting on the chair next to him. Due to this fans have begun paying more attention to interactions between the two and have found that despite enforcing that they are just friends, their relationship seems much more intimate than the ones they have with other members.

.../He knows about her love for sightseeing and photography so when in another country he always offers to go sightseeing with her as he knows she will not ask first in order to make sure everyone does what they want without feeling as though they have to accompany her.

.../Knowing how much she loves to watch K-Dramas he often invites her into his room at night so that they can spend some time together doing something she loves as he enjoys seeing her happy. Horror dramas happen to be one of her favorites yet since she knows how much he dislikes it she never offers any from that genre, until the day where he found out about this being one of her favorite things to watch. A few nights after that he said he would choose the drama and ended up putting on one she knew to be famous in the horror genre, which shocked her. During the nights leading up to the finishing of the series, they would curl up close to each other and hold hands, which has now become a habit any time they watch TV.

Wooyoung [WooRi]

.../When the two met it was like they had known each other for years as Himari instantly felt at ease around him due to his relaxed and goofy personality. The simple fact of being with him helped her to let go, to be more herself around others even if it meant doing things that people on the outside would find ridiculous. Now they can often be seen messing around together during concerts.

.../It seems as though Wooyoung skipped a few steps in the bonding stages as he immediately started to show her affection by hugging her and kissing her cheeks, something that she was far from hating. Due to this early physical closeness between the two, they're very comfortable dancing against each other on stage as well as holding each other in public and many fans have suspected that Himari's biting tendency was created by Wooyoung.

.../Despite the fact that their friendship started on a light hearted note, the two eventually opened up to one another about their past struggles, leading to the realization that they were more alike than they previously thought as they both shared that crushing sense of loneliness throughout their childhood. They started out as people who were able to give love yet struggled to receive it but thanks to one another's help they managed to overcome this.

Jongho [JongAri]

.../Due to him being the closest in age to her she tried to befriend him from the start but his sheltered emotions made her pull back slightly as she never knew when she was annoying him. When he saw this he quickly decided to help her become more comfortable around him and began messing around with her more which instantly made her at ease. Not only that but he was also quite compliant whenever she initiated skinship and to this day she is the only one who can get away with it.

.../They always work on their vocals together as it is their own way of bonding and, unbeknownst to the other members, often fool around doing karaoke in the practice room. After one of their monthly evaluations, Himari was asked to show the extent of her vocal range as it was not enough where it stood at that point and when came the next evaluation, she was so nervous that Jongho ended up holding her hand as she made it through the song without a single slip up. Since then, they always sing high notes and harmonies either back to back or holding hands to bring each other strength.

.../Many joke that he is her personal bodyguard as he always stays next to her in airports, making a barrier between her and the crowd and is the first to get visibly ticked off when a negative comment or joke is made about her. He also has a tendency to carry her on his back when she gets tired or when she is wearing high heels.

[wvnrqs]

a song nobody knows.

pairings stray kids x reader genre fluff established relationship warnings none more

a/n divider by @plutism

bang chan — full of you ( so soo bin )

you would be having a little date at home, where you both were just relaxing and watching movies. at one point, you closed your eyes, tired. thinking you were asleep, he tucked you in a warm blanket and started singing "full of you". you lay in his lap, really falling asleep this time, to his soft singing. he didn’t realise you were actually awake while he sang until the next day, when you started playing the song. it soon unofficially became your song, and you both would listen to it in silence whenever he came over, enjoying the comforting warmth of each other’s presence.

lee know — art class ( beabadoobee )

you first saw your soulmate in a cat café. it was the weekend, and you decided to take a drive. you found this adorable café while searching for a place to have lunch. you went inside, and smiled as you realised that art class, your favourite song, was playing. soon, you found yourself unable to resist the cats’ cuteness. you bent down to pick up a fluffy golden brown kitten with large eyes. but you realised that someone else was about to pick her up too. him. you smiled awkwardly and made small talk. months later, when you were dating, you asked him what was our song. "isn’t it art class? it was playing when we first met," he said shrugging.

changbin — god of music ( seventeen )

you and your best friend were at a karaoke place when her brother, seo changbin, decided to walk in just while we (or only you, because your bsf started eating chips and watching you sing since the third song) were singing "god of music", your all time favourite. to your surprise, he started singing, or rather shouting, it very passionately. you both did a sort of harmony to it. it was a quite special memory you both cherished when you both started dating later on, especially since that was also the first time you interacted with each other properly. and the first time you fell in love with him.

hyunjin — wet umbrella ( rad museum )

you were in an art studio, painting a picture of the beautiful scenery at the beach you managed to capture with your phone. you were playing "wet umbrella" in your airpods, unaware of your soon-to-be boyfriend, at that time known as your best friend, walking over to you due to your engrossment in your painting. he dragged a chair over next to you and stole one airpod from you, popping it into his own ear. you blushed, but pretended not to be bothered. you continued paint and he watched, eyes sparkling like the pretty stars twinkling in the night sky. you took note of this so you could paint him and his adorable sparkling eyes next time. (spoiler: you started dating afterwards)

jisung — luv luv luv ( sung hanbin x jo yuri )

you and han were watching my lovely liar on the couch together. except usually he doesn’t really pay attention and he’s just there for cuddles. but then this HEAVENLY song started playing and he immediately perked up. of course, this became both of your favourite songs and your boyfriend also started watching my lovely liar properly and played the soundtrack literally everyday. it’s his whole playlist atp. who knows why, but you two became closer than ever after finishing the kdrama series. though you two still loved the song and at one point, one of your friends thought that you should just make it "our song", and so it did.

felix — love lee ( akmu )

you were filming a tiktok dance challenge in the mall, to the song you have recently been OBSESSING over, love lee. you were doing one of those public dance challenges. after dancing, you checked the recording, only to find a (pretty cute) guy joining in a few seconds after you started the challenge. you laughed at how shy he was in the video and spotted him just standing there a few metres away. surprisingly, he stroke up a conversation with you, but he was pretty awkward at first. but soon, you both became fast friends. then best friends. then finally, your very own boyfriend!

seungmin — wa-r-r ( colde )

you were both seated next to each other on the bus because they were the only seats available in the crowded area. the bus jolted, and he jerked, dropping his phone. you bent to pick up the phone that had landed at your feet, catching a glimpse of his lockscreen and the song he was playing on spotify. wa-r-r. you raised your eyebrows, showing him your own phone that too was playing that song. you both became friends and bonded over your love for the artist. "song of fate", you called it after you started dating.

jeongin — slow dancing ( v )

you and jeongin had just started dating when you attended your first school prom together. when you heard slow dancing starting to play (which is a song you both love btw), you immediately jumped to your feet. you both started to slow dancing to slow dancing (sorry for the dad joke). you practically had the best time ever, you took tons of cute photos together and danced until your feet hurt and you had to sit down and rest. that day was a memorable one, remembered even after a few years of dating ><

( perm taglist open ) :: bunreis

[odinsblog]

Arnold Schwarzenegger, MAR 17, 2022

Full transcript below the cut

Hello everybody, and thank you for sharing your time with me. I'm sending this message through various different channels to reach my dear Russian friends, and the Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine.

I'm speaking to you today because there are things that are going on in the world that are being kept from you—terrible things that you should know about. But before I talk about the harsh realities, let me just talk about the Russian who became my hero.

In 1961 when I was 14 years-old, a very good friend of mine invited me to come to Vienna to watch the World Weightlifting Championship. I was in the audience when Yuri Petrovich Vlasov won the World Championship title, becoming the first human being to lift 200 kilograms over his head. And somehow a friend of mine got me backstage.

All of a sudden, there I was, a 14-year-old boy standing in front of the strongest man in the world. I couldn't believe it. He reached out to shake my hand—I mean, I still had a boy's hand. He had this powerful man's hand that swallowed mine, but he was kind, and he smiled at me. I will never forget that day. Never.

I went home and I put his photo above my bed to inspire me when I started lifting weights. My father told me to take down that picture and to find a German or an Austrian hero. He got really angry, and we argued back and forth.

He didn't like Russians, because of his experience in the second World War. You see, he was injured at Leningrad, where the Nazi army that he was part of did vicious harm to the great city and to its brave people. But I did not take the photograph down, no. Because it didn't matter to me what flag Yuri Vlasov carried.

My connections to Russia didn't stop there, by the way. Oh, it actually deepened when I traveled there, with bodybuilding and for my movies and met all my Russian fans.

And then one of those trips I remember I met Yuri Vlasov once again. It was in Moscow during the filming of Red Heat, which was the first American movie allowed to film in Red Square. Now, he and I spent the day together. He was so thoughtful, so kind, and so smart. And, of course, very giving. He gave me this beautiful, blue coffee cup. And ever since then I've been drinking my coffee out of it every morning.

Now, the reason why I'm telling you all of those things is that ever since I was 14 years old, I've had nothing but affections and respect for the people of Russia. The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me.

And that is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in the Ukraine and what is happening there.

No one likes to hear something critical of their government. I understand that. But, as a longtime friend of the Russian people, I hope that you will hear what I have to say. And may I remind you that I speak with the same heartfelt concern as I spoke to the American people when there was an attempted insurrection on January sixth last year, when a wild crowd was storming the U.S. Capital, trying to overthrow our government.

You see, there are moments like this that are so wrong, and then we have to speak up. This is exactly the same with your government. I know that your government has told you that this is a war to denazify Ukraine. Denazify Ukraine? This is not true! Ukraine is a country with a Jewish president. A Jewish president, I might add, whose father's three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis.

You see, Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war. This is not the Russian people's war. No. As a matter of fact, let me tell you, what you should know is that 141 nations at the U.N. voted that Russia was the aggressor. They called for it to remove its troops immediately.

Only four countries in the entire world voted with Russia. That is a fact. See, the world has turned against Russia because of its actions in the Ukraine. Whole city blocks have been flattened by Russian artillery and bombs, including a children's hospital and a maternity ward. Three million Ukrainian refugees—mainly women, children, and the elderly—fled their country, and many more are trying to seek to get out.

It is a humanitarian crisis. Because of its brutality, Russia is now isolated from the society of nations.

You're also not being told the truth about the consequences of this war on Russia itself. I regret to tell you that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed. They have been caught between the Ukrainians fighting for their homeland and the Russian leadership fighting for conquest.

Massive amounts of Russian equipment have been destroyed or abandoned. The destruction that Russian bombs are raining down upon innocent civilians has so outraged the world that the strongest global economic sanctions ever taken have been imposed on your country. Those who don't deserve it on both sides of the war will suffer.

The Russian government has lied, not only to the citizens, but to its soldiers. Some of the soldiers were told they were going to fight Nazis. Some were told that the Ukrainian people would greet them like heroes. And some were told that they were simply going on exercises—they didn't even know that they were going into war. And some were told that they were there to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine. None of this is true.

The fact is that Russian soldiers have faced fierce resistance from the Ukrainians who want to protect their families and their country. When I see babies being pulled out of ruins, I think that I am watching a documentary about the horrors of the Second World War, not the the news of today.

Now let me tell you, when my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government. And when he left Leningrad, he was broken, physically and mentally. He lived the rest of his life in pain. Pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years. And pain from the guilt that he felt.

To the Russian soldiers listening to this broadcast, you already know much of the truth that I've been speaking. You have seen it with your own eyes. I don't want you to be broken like my father. This is not the war to defend Russia that your grandfathers or your great-grandfathers fought. This is an illegal war.

Your lives, your limbs, your futures, are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world.

Now, to those in power in the Kremlin, let me just ask you: Why would you sacrifice those young men for your own ambitions?

To the soldiers who are listening to this, remember that 11 million Russians have family connections to Ukraine. So every bullet you shoot, you shoot a brother or a sister. Every bomb or every shell that falls, is falling not on an enemy but on a school, or a hospital, or a home. I know that the Russian people are not aware that such things are happening.

So I urge the Russian people and the Russian soldiers in Ukraine to understand the propaganda and the disinformation that you are being told. I ask you to help me spread the truth. Let your fellow Russians know the human catastrophe that is happening in Ukraine.

And to President Putin, I say: You started this war. You are leading this war. You can stop this war.

Now let me close with a message to all of the Russians who have been protesting in the streets against the invasion of Ukraine: The world has seen your bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage. You have been arrested. You have been jailed. And you have been beaten. You are my new heroes.

You have the strength of Yuri Petrovich Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia. My dear Russian friends, may God bless you all.

(source)

[artemiszy]

THERE IS NO HAPPINESS | Kokushibo X Wife!Reader

Kokushibo x Wife!Reader | One-shot

"Kokushibo was a man who made a lot of mistakes during his life, but loving his wife certainly wasn't one of them, even if she too made the same mistakes."

WARNING. angst, abandonment, weird relationship(?), swearing, death, light gore(I think), manga spoilers. FEMALE READER

The Toyosaki clan was known and prosperous thanks to its reputation for possessing the most beautiful and sweetest women. Sons were kept in their own clan, while daughters were promised to powerful leaders and strong samurai.

And with (Name) it was no different.

As the third daughter of the current clan head and his wife, (Name) was only ten years old when she was betrothed to the firstborn of another clan. It was to be expected, one of her older sisters was already married and the other was engaged too, (Name) just nodded when she got the news.

At least her future husband would be kind. (Name) shuddered to remember that one of her cousins ​​was unhappily married to a cruel, older man, but he was rich and had a reputation, and that was what mattered anyway...

(Name) was a silent child whose expression was always neutral towards everything around her, but she felt relieved when she was informed about the age of her future husband. A boy who was only two years older than (Name), a future samurai and leader. Until she was very curious to meet him.

It took about three or four months for (Name) to meet him in person, the day the clans got together to do business with each other. (Name) stayed with her eldest sister, the second daughter of Lord Toyosaki, who was fourteen years old, was the closest sister to (Name).

— "Nervous?" — Yuri's low words rang in (Name)'s ear.

(Name)'s face rose from her hands clasped under her folded legs above the mat, and she looked at her older sister. — "No."

Maybe it was a lie, after all, (Name) was in new territory, one that he would now live with more often.

— "I can see your little hands trembling, dear sister." — Yuri laughed as he tucked one of (Name)'s (h/c) behind her ear. — "Don't worry, I felt that way too the day I met Yoshimatsu-kun." — She smiled. — "You'll soon realize that things are going to work out for the best."

(Name) remembers that day, it was a year ago when during spring her sister Yuri went with her father and clan companions to officiate her engagement to Yoshimatsu of the Tanifuji clan. (Name) has yet to meet him as at that time she decided to stay with her mother, who could give birth to her younger brother at any time.

According to Yuri's words, Yoshimatsu was like one of the princes of the novels read by her sister, a kind man and a lover of the arts. (Name) still expected her future husband to be kind.

Now it was spring again.

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Her future husband's name was Michikatsu Tsugikuni. (Name) first saw him while walking through the engawa with her sister and other ladies, she saw him training with a master in the estate's garden. At that moment she didn't know it was him, although her eyes met and they both stared at each other for a few seconds before they were brought back to reality.

(Name) only found out a few moments after she was finally alone and overheard a conversation between handmaidens.

— "I feel bad for the Toyosaki girl." — One of the servants whispered to the other within a region of the residence.

(Name)'s footsteps stopped at these words. Wait, were they talking about her? The girl looked into the room carefully so as not to be seen thanks to the half-open door.

— "So it is." — The other agreed. — "How did Lord Toyosaki allow (Name)-sama to marry second choice?"

Those servants seemed not to want to be heard at all.

Second option?

— "Hey! Watch your words." — The first handmaiden gave a whispery cry.

— "But it's true, the stronger son fled and what was left for the Tsugikuni was to entrust the clan to the weaker son!"

— "But look on the bright side." — The other chuckled mischievously. — "With the arrival of the Toyosaki maybe we can meet some handsome boys from the clan..."

The servants laughed and talked to each other about trivial matters now, outside, (Name) was sitting on the floor leaning against a wall now a little far from the room, thinking about what she heard.

Strongest son? Weakest son?

She remembers only once hearing around that Michikatsu had a twin brother, but she ended up putting that aside as she wasn't interested.

— "What are you doing there?" — A boyish male voice caught the attention of (Name), when she looked at him she realized it was the same boy as before, until he widened his eyes when she looked at him with those big confused and beautiful eyes. — "(Name)-sama?!"

(Name) quickly got up and covered the boy's mouth making "shhh", then looking back to make sure the handmaids didn't hear, and seeing that they didn't, she grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him out of there.

— "What were you talking about there?" — The boy asked with a slight distress and concern in his voice.

— "I overheard a conversation and…" — (Name) looked right at the boy. — ...Hmm? Wait. Michikatsu-sama?"

— "Y-Yes..."

(Name) blinked. — "Oh."

The two were silent.

— "..."

— "..."

— "...So, you are my future wife...?"

— "...I am."

— "Oh."

— "..."

Michikatsu scratched his cheek and looked away with a faint pink blush appearing on his face. — "You... you're beautiful..."

— "..." — (Name) gave a small smile of happiness. — "Thanks."

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It was clear that (Name) wanted a love match, so she was happy when she was able to spend more time with her future husband thanks to certain meetings. Friendship became love in a matter of just a single year.

At sixteen, (Name) married Michikatsu. A year later she had her first child, Tsukihiro.

During this period of time, (Name) watched her husband become a stronger and more skilled man, she admired this, his dedication and talent, although she felt that sometimes something bothered her.

Two more years passed before Michikatsu approached (Name) with news.

— "(Name)..."

— "Hmm?" — (Name) looked at him as her finished feeding little Tsukihiro boiled rice.

There was also a small bulge in (Name)'s belly area below her kimono, indicating that she was expecting a baby in the next few months.

Her husband sighed and sat down on the mat beside her as Tsukihiro's face rejoiced to see his father.

— "My brother is back..." — Michikatsu informed her.

(Name) had a surprised reaction, she had already heard about Yoriichi, her husband's talented twin brother. Michikatsu talked about him in more detail at certain times, such as when Yoriichi had to live in a cubicle room and never said anything to the point where the twins' mother thought her youngest son was deaf.

Or when he ran away just so his brother wouldn't be left out.

— "(Name)..." — He began. — "Have you ever heard of demons?"

Demons. (Name) remembers hearing stories as a child of hungry beasts that fed on humans after sunset. Once, at dawn, Yuri approached (Name) in the dead of night and whispered about having heard around that a beast had torn apart a group of men in the southern mountains, it had been a terrible damage to be the work of animals.

Demons. That was the answer given by people considered crazy.

— "Once... when I was a kid... my father yelled at me and my sister when we mentioned demons." — (Name) whispered, looking down at the small bowl in her hands of nearly finished rice. — "He said we shouldn't talk nonsense."

— "They are real."

— "I know. I believe."

— "I was attacked by one."

(Name)'s eyes widened and she nearly dropped the bowl. Thanks to his samurai duties, Michikatsu often spent days and even weeks away. But (Name) could never have imagined that something related to demons would have happened this last time.

Wait, is that why Yoriichi came back?

— "I lost all my men in a demonic attack, that's when my brother arrived in time and saved me..."

— "What?" — (Name) dropped the bowl on the chabudai table as Tsukihiro was too busy playing with his father's hair to finish eating or even think about listening to the conversation between the adults. — "How did he do it?"

Michikatsu sighed as he felt a slight tug on his ponytail. — "He used a sword with a nichirin blade and... a breath."

— "Breath?"

— "You won't understand if you start to explain... but know that it's something powerful that helps to kill demons." — Michikatsu explained. — "There is a corps of swordsmen who hunt and kill demons, my brother is there and taught the other men derivations of his breath." — He seemed a little hesitant to continue. — "And I decided to join them."

(Name) was speechless, kept her gaze calm. That was dangerous, her husband would be at risk if he went. No…he was strong, one of the strongest she'd ever seen. He could manage, after all, he wouldn't be alone, his brother and companions would be there.

He's going to be fine... or at least that's what (Name) deeply prayed for.

— "I... I..." — (Name) tried to start a sentence.

— "From your reaction I don't think it's something you liked very much." — Michikatsu took a deep breath as he relaxed his body and tilted his head up.

— "I won't deny it, I didn't like that idea very much." — (Name) pulled her adorable restless son close to her so he could finish his meal and then sleep. — "I worry about you..."

Michikatsu tilted his face towards her, gave a small smile and approached her. — "Do not worry, I'll be fine." — He held (Name)'s porcelain face and placed a kiss on her lips, hearing an "eeew" from Tsukihiro. — "Don't you trust me?"

— "I trust, of course I trust!" — (Name) seemed to hesitate a little. — "B-But..." — She felt her baby move in her womb, perhaps because she was a little nervous to imagine her husband in the midst of demons, enemies much more dangerous and powerful than humans.

— "I'll be fine." — Michikatsu leaned his forehead against his wife's while still caressing her face.

— "You'll be back all right, promise?"

— "Promise."

The moment Michikatsu left, (Name) felt a tug on the fabric of the kimono on her shoulder.

— "Okaa-san!" — Tsukihiro exclaimed with a mouth full of rice. — "Where Otou-san is going?"

(Name) laughed and wiped her son's mouth, finding it adorable that he is so playful and already knows how to speak several words, even if he sometimes misses the pronunciation.

— "Work, dear…" — She smiled and hugged her son. — "You're going to miss him, aren't you?"

— "Uhm..." — Tsukihiro grumbled with his face buried in his mother's kimono.

— "Me too..."

Even though she believed in her husband, (Name) didn't feel a good feeling.

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Her husband's presence became less frequent, (Name) received news about Michikatsu's status at the hunters' headquarters and felt relieved that he was well.

However (Name) was furious and devastated when Michikatsu failed to attend the birth of Tsuyami, her newborn daughter.

It didn't take long for her to realize that something was really wrong. Michikatsu's gaze and the way his lips seemed to spit out his twin's name... (Name) recognized that this was not normal, and her suspicions were reinforced when she found her husband in a grueling training session during the night.

— "Michikatsu?" — (Name) strained her eyes to see under the rain her husband soaked by the drops but not letting go of the sword he used to slash the air.

He did not answer.

— "Michikatsu... what are you doing there at this hour?" — (Name) sighed with concern. — "Please... go back inside, I don't want you to get sick."

Again there was no response.

— "Michi--"

— "I have to become stronger..."

— "Hm?"

— "My brother... I have to get over him..." — Michikatsu growled in a mutter.

— "...What?" — (Name) squeezed the handle of the intern. — "...Michikatsu, go back inside." — Her voice was more serious.

Again there was no response, and the samurai continued to slash at the non-existent opponent with his blade.

(Name) dropped her flashlight on the engawa floor and walked quickly across the wet lawn to her husband in the rain, getting wet in the process, but that was not important.

— "Listen me!" — She grabbed Michikatsu's wrist. — "Stop it! You're already crossing the line! I don't want you to harm yourself!" — Her look was incredulous for that situation. — "How long have you been doing this, huh?!"

— "(Name)... go back inside." — He growled.

— "No!" — Her voice was raised as she brushed strands of wet hair from her face thanks to the rain. — "Look at you! Your training is too intense! It's going to end up hurting you!"

— "Fuck!" — Michikatsu turned to face her. — "I need to become stronger than my brother!" — He yelled.

(Name) blinked with a confused face, before her writhed in rage again. — "So that's it?! You'd die if it made you better than your brother by any chance?! What's on your mind?! You're obsessed!"

Michikatsu's jaw clenched.

— "This... this is madness..." — Now (Name)'s voice was one of sadness, melancholy. — "I don't want you to keep hurting yourself..."

He was hurting himself… gnawing and eating away at his blood and sweat and even his last hair to make himself stronger. While his younger brother didn't need any of that.

He was already strong without even training.

That thought was a reminder, and it made Michikatsu furious.

(...)

Days passed, Michikatsu left on a mission and no further news. (Name) feared the worst.

Until when a whole week has graduated, he comes back.

— "Michi?" — (Name) wept with relief to see her husband appear in the doorway.

Tsukihiro rejoices and tries to hug his father's leg, but the grown man walks in a specific direction, ignoring both his children and his wife. The now four year old boy stands static in the same place where his father was before, his face surprised and even in shock at how rough Michikatsu was when he passed by.

— "..." — (Name) looked in the direction Michikatsu had gone. — "Michi! What was that?"

No reply.

— "Otou-san!" — Tsukihiro ran after Michikatsu, disappearing from (Name)'s sight.

(Name) looked down into her arms and saw her daughter fidgeting and whimpering. Before she could get up and go after her son and husband, both of them appear, Tsukihiro trying to call out to Michikatsu and being ignored by him.

— "Michikatsu, why are you ignoring him?" — (Name) asks with concern, feeling the sadness in her son.

He ignores her.

— "Hey!" — (Name) gets up carefully so as not to disturb Tsuyami. — "Why do not you speak?"

— "Otou-san!" — Tsukihiro tries to get his father's attention by pulling on his hakama pants, but the boy just fell back when Michikatsu opened the shoji door without even looking back.

— "Goodbye."

Michikatsu Tsugikuni disappeared after that night.

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Everything was in chaos. Michikatsu's disappearance and his alleged family abandonment had thrown everything into chaos.

Tsukihiro couldn't stop crying and asking where his father was, and his crying resulted in Tsuyami crying. (Name) didn't know what to do, of all there she was certainly the most broken. Her husband left her without a word, left her and her children.

Things got even more tense when Yoriichi showed up at her house to let her know what happened.

Michikatsu abandoned his humanity and was now a demon. (Name) couldn't help but cry, Yoriichi gave her a shoulder for it.

And things got even worse when at the door of her property appeared other slayers demanding that (Name) commit sepukku with Yoriichi thanks to what Michikatsu have done.

(Name) thought about it, but who was she kidding? She wouldn't have the courage.

Two months passed. Two months of pure pain and conflict. During this period of time things became tense internally, Tsukihiro was supposed to become the next head of the clan as Michikatsu had been presumed "dead" and Yoriichi... well, Yoriichi was no longer an option. Tsukihiro was still too young for that, a child barely five years old, so much trouble.

(Name) just couldn't handle the whole situation, the pressure of her "new" clan and the abandonment of her husband, to make matters worse, she still had to live with the comments of people who found her situation funny.

Sometimes (Name) wished these people would die.

Her only hope now was her children, her only joy, though Tsukihiro was still upset and Tsuyami was too young to even understand what was happening. (Name) was doing her best to keep them well.

(...)

Things changed again a few days after the arrival of spring, this time in a much more drastic and intense way.

— "Nice night, don't you think?"

The unfamiliar male voice made (Name)'s eyes widen. The voice had a soft tone but there was still something about it that made its owner scream danger.

(Name) released the flower from the mansion's garden and turned her face towards the subject. He was a man much taller than she was, a handsome man she had never seen before. Curly black hair and eyes the brightest blood red.

How did he get in here?

— "Who are you...?"

The man smiled, a smile that despite looking friendly was still an evil smile. — "I am the one known as the Demon King."

Muzan Kibutsuji.

Silence. Total silence with only the noise of crickets and owls.

A wind hit (Name)'s face before she could say anything. — "...Why are you here?"

— "Your husband misses you." — The man's laugh made her shiver.

(Name) felt her chest tighten at the mention of her husband, but she tried to remain steadfast in the face of the whole situation. She knew how dangerous the Demon King was, Yoriichi had warned her.

— "That... that doesn't answer my question."

Still looking satisfied with the situation, Muzan took a few slow steps forward with the intention of getting a few meters closer to the woman.

— "Why don't you become a demon?"

— "What?"

— "I've been watching you for a while after I got Kokushibo, and I have to admit... you would be a great demon."

It was as if there was venom in his voice, those words were mean and there wasn't an ounce of genuineness in them. He was trying to manipulate her. After what Yoriichi did to Muzan, it was clear that he would need allies.

— "..." — (Name) stared at him without reaction.

— 'Think about it, you will be strong and fear nothing more." — The man's voice was strangely anxious. — "You will never grow old and will remain young for all eternity."

(Name)'s face lowered, her gaze fixed on the lawn as her hand trembled slightly, squeezing the hem of her kimono.

She knew she had no choice, by the time the Demon King appeared before her she was already doomed. Muzan wasn't the type to take a "no" and walk away. No... (Name) was smart enough to understand what would happen. He would kill her and then annihilate everyone on this property.

Including Tsukihiro and Tsuyami.

And it had been almost a month since the last time Yoriichi showed up, he wouldn't be able to help anyone in that situation.

It was the moment (Name) felt Muzan's hand enter her chest and pump his blood that she realized that maybe she wasn't that different from her husband.

She blacked out.

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A again everything has changed.

(Name) did not have the courage to appear to her children after that night, she was afraid that they would fear her or that she would hurt them. So she stood in the shadows watching everything, shedding tears at the loss of the sparkle in Tsukihiro's eyes after losing his mother and father in such a short period of time, before such a joyful and full of life child.

Like Michikatsu, (Name) was also presumed dead. It was at her "funeral" that (Name) saw her sister Yuri for the first time in so long.

She had to walk away after that day.

Meanwhile Michikatsu, no... Kokushibo, now the demon who craved more and more for power to overcome his brother no matter what, his vision was clouded by hatred and rancor that only realized that sixty years had passed when he found his brother again.

A old man, but alive, and even stronger than his brother.

Kokushibo was furious. Why was his brother still alive?! He should have died years ago for the mark!

He got even angrier when even old, his brother managed to hurt him. Nothing changed.

But his mind became even more clouded when the attack that would kill him never came, as Yoriichi had died standing up with his sword still in hand. That's when he realized that not even that man could defeat him, no one could even hurt him.

He made his older brother feel pathetic.

Kokushibo's mind screamed in rage as he cut the other twin's already dead body in two. But his mind was cleared when he saw the flute fall to the ground.

— "I think of that flute you gave me... as if it were you, brother." — A young Yoriichi smiled at the flute in his hands.

— "..."

— "I made a flute for my brother a few years ago, you know?" — A thirteen-year-old Michikatsu smiled at a (Name) of the same age as he practiced with his wooden sword.

— "Serious?" — She smiled. — "How cute! You really love your brother, don't you?"

Yoriichi... (Name)...

— "What did you do?"

That familiar voice... The man felt as if his body had stopped working for a moment.

He looked back over his shoulder and his six eyes widened at the sight of that familiar figure beneath the red moon. There she was, just as he had last seen her. The same simple yet beautiful kimono; the soft skin and delicate face; the same hair (h/c).

She looked at him with an emotionless face but at the same time there seemed to be surprise in those eyes. Those eyes that now distinguished that she was no longer human. The whites of her eyes had been replaced by black and the iris of her eyes were now white instead of (e/c).

Despite everything, she still remained the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

— "...(Name)..."

She did not answer. Instead her eyes were empty but not from sadness or melancholy, it was as if she had forgotten what it felt like to feel something. There was nothing in those eyes.

(Name) just passed by Kokushibo to see Yoriichi's body. — "Bury him, at least give him a decent burial."

Yoriichi was his brother after all.

He could feel it, that woman was a strong demon, something that had killed so many people.

During the short period of time that both of them got together to bury the dead man's body, neither of them said a word, although Kokushibo felt the burning in his chest to confront her, even though at no point did she look at him in the face.

The two buried Yoriichi in the same spot that his now-deceased wife had been buried. Then (Name) disappeared along with a mist that was probably part of her kekkijutsu.

Now husband and wife were two strangers.

(...)

About fifty more years passed. Things change again. Kokushibo, who now held the rank of "upper moon one" received the information that there was a demon rising very fast in the hierarchy, and that he was currently in the rank of "upper four".

Another year later and the demon has risen to "upper three".

Another year and the demon has risen to "upper two".

Afterwards Kokushibo received news that this demon had now become powerful enough to share the rank of "upper one" with him. And that left him seething with hatred.

Who was the bastard who was able to match his strength with his?

His bad thoughts faded and were replaced by surprise when Kokushibo was finally introduced to the demon.

And there she was again. With the same emotionless face and empty eyes.

— "(Name)..."

She didn't answer, but she blinked.

— "When did it get so strong?"

— "Just like you."

The more they feed, the more powerful the demons get. And by how quickly (Name) rose through the ranks it can only mean that she killed a lot of people at once.

You could see in the depths of those soft but opaque eyes, (Name) was a demon that craved power, a blank crockery, there was no emotion on her face other than the desire to have more strength.

And despite being his wife, Kokushibo would not allow (Name) to surpass him as a demon in the same way that Yoriichi surpassed him as a human.

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— "Ara ara~ (Name)-chan is always so serious!" — Douma's irritating voice rang out.

— "Shut up, worm." — Akaza growled.

(Name) just ignored the fight of those two annoying demons in the distance and remained with her eyes closed and an ethereal posture sitting on the mat.

The emergence of Muzan's presence made Akaza and Douma settle down before they lost their heads. (Name) opened her eyes when she felt him close by.

— "Any news on the blue spider lily?"

The demons' negative responses seemed to irritate Muzan. So long and still nothing.

He continued. — "You good-for-nothings are useless." — Muzan growled. — "I should eliminate them once and for all."

The upper moons present at the place felt as if their cells were going to explode, and that hurt a lot, (Name) had to admit, even though she had already gotten used to it thanks to Muzan's temper. When the man seemed to calm down the pain left.

That situation was already common. Muzan would come and ask about such a flower, and when the demons didn't bring answers that pleased him then he would get angry saying things like "I will destroy you all".

Kokushibo looked to the side so that she could see (Name), whose eyes were fixed on the ground. Despite everything, she was still beautiful.

When the noise of the biwa sounded, Kokushibo was now in the middle of a forest in front of an empty rice field. Next to him was (Name) sitting on a large boulder. It was rare for them to be alone together, and for the first time, (Name) didn't leave. She sat there with her eyes closed feeling the cool breeze hit her face.

— "Do you feel it?" — She muttered with her head tilted up.

— "..."

She silenced him by opening her eyes abruptly and leaning her face forward again. — "Shh."

The two were silent, until Kokushibo felt something too.

— "Humans. Nearby." — And then she disappeared again in her mist kekkijutsu.

A few meters away was a group of slayers who seemed to be looking for demons, they didn't look more than twenty years old.

— "Yeah man!" — One of them yelled and scratched his ear. — "I saw a demon pass this way!"

— "Are you sure it wasn't just a boar?" — Another rolled his eyes, tired of the whole situation and wanting to go back to the old village in the interest of seeing some pretty girls.

— "Forget it!" — Another one exclaimed, already irritated. — "Leave the demons alone!" — He snorted. — "Let's go before this mist intensifies!"

— "Wait, mist?"

By the time they finally realized that there was a dark fog surrounding them it was too late. The texture of the mist was similar to clouds, but it seemed to contain twinkling stars, until the mist covered them completely until it looked like the slayers had been transported to a "dimension" of a starry night sky.

— "What the hell is that...?" — One of them looked like he was going to get his pants dirty.

— "A demon!" — He took up his sword. — "Keep alert!"

The darkness mixed with the mist was extremely dense to the point that no human would be able to see anything. The last thing they saw was the flash of a sword's blade cut.

When the mist stopped, the slayers returned to the forest with lifeless bodies.

— "I could have done it without you." — (Name) muttered.

— "Hm."

She just sighed and approached the bodies, there were six in total.

— "Marechi..." — Kokushibo threw one of the bodies in front of (Name). — "You can... you can have this..."

(Name) blinked a little in surprise, as demons didn't usually share their dead prey, let alone marechi. Even if they were the targets of (Name) and Kokushibo he had just meddled.

It was okay, after all… he still had a lot to redeem himself if he wanted her forgiveness. If he ever had.

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Things got weird for the demons when the upper moon six died and shortly thereafter upper five and four as well. For the first time in a hundred years things have changed again, not in a good way for the demons, apparently.

Now only Muzan and his last upper moons remained, Nakime had become the upper four and Kaigaku - a boy who was turned into a demon after his encounter with the upper moon one, felt intimidated and realized he wouldn't have chances to win, knelt in front of Kokushibo accepting his blood while (Name) watched everything from behind. - It had risen in rank and was now in the upper moon six position.

Either way, they've kept to the shadows since discovering a demon that can beat the sun. Who knows what Muzan was planning.

In the sprawling hall full of columns was the spot that (Name) chose to think a little, not long before he came across her ranking companion.

Her husband.

— "Do you feel it?" — He asked in his usual distant voice.

(Name) raised her face and looked at him in silence.

— "It started." — She said.

The slayers were in the infinite fortress. It was only a matter of time before they reached the upper moon one.

Things were changing, now it was fate's turn to decide whether the last upper moons would live or die as their "companions". And if fate were truly merciful, no demons would make it through this night.

Despite keeping in mind that it was one of the strongest demons, still, deep down behind his neutral face, (Name) feared for a moment. Kokushibo sensed this and looked straight at her.

— "(Name)..." — He called out to her, and she looked at him again. — "Before... this all started... I wanted to ask you... why did you become a demon..."

She didn't respond right away, instead looking down at the floor.

— "I... I don't know..." — She replied. — "At first I was scared... I didn't want to accept the change and I even thought that things could be different but... it wasn't worth it. In the end, I just didn't want to die."

Kokushibo listened in silence. — "I see..." — He also averted his eyes to another direction other than the woman beside her. — "I allowed all my hatred for my brother to blind me to the point of leaving for more power…" — Pause. — "My biggest regret... was not coming back for you that night..."

In the end, there was nothing to complain about after all, they weren't that different.

The conversation of the two demons was interrupted as a human presence grew closer and closer.

The moment a young slayer fell from the shattered ceiling and stopped in front of the pair of demons, (Name) felt a strange sensation as her laid eyes on him.

— "You're here... demon slayer..." — Kokushibo started and put his hand on the katana bar, until he finally realized the same thing that (Name) had felt. — "Hm...? For some reason... you look very... familiar..."

(Name) agreed, still in a certain trance thanks to that feeling.

Kokushibo's six eyes narrowed with a calm expression. — "I imagined... now I understand..."

The slayer was silent as if there was a conflict in his mind. The presence of the demons was intimidating, the boy tried to pull his sword but he didn't stop shaking. It was as if there was a dangerous aura in that place.

Very dangerous.

— "What is your name...?

— "...Muichiro Tokito."

— "Right then... the name Tsugikuni must have disappeared then..." — The six-eyed demon looked thoughtful.

For a moment, (Name) felt like her body was going to fall, that feeling...

The female demon stopped her gaze in the direction of the young slayer meters away. That face… it looked like a face she'd long since forgotten about.

No... it can't be...

— "...Tsugikuni? Who was it?" — Muichiro seemed to notice the tension in the demon woman.

— "It's been centuries after all... it was inevitable... my name when I was human was Michikatsu Tsugikuni..."

Michikatsu... it had been ages since (Name) had heard that name out loud...

— "And she remained (Name)..." — The six-eyed demon continued. — "You... are a descendant of a member of the Tsugikuni family that we left behind..."

The Tsukihiro's descendant.

"Okaa-san!"

Muichiro was in shock, trying to process everything he had just heard from the male demon, who remained motionless and unsurprised. The woman on the other hand, despite trying to stand her ground and stoic like the other demon, was clearly just as surprised as the young Hashira, even looking bewildered as if she was going to fall.

As if she was going to cry.

Her mind must have been in a mess. But (Name) tried to put her emotions aside to focus on what was to come.

And the fight began.

The boy's breathing was similar to (Name's) kekkijutsu, so it wasn't that difficult for her to adapt, even if the woman had no intentions of attacking.

At least not yet.

When the mark appeared on Muichiro's face, his attack seemed to get stronger, but it still wasn't enough to defeat the pair of demons. And the moment Kokushibo played his own blade, one of Muichiro's hands flew away.

The next mist was not from Muichiro, but from that woman, who surrounded him preventing him from seeing anything. In the next moment Kokushibo threw him against a pillar keeping the boy there trapped by his own sword.

The mist cleared and (Name) approached the boy standing next to the other demon.

— "Our descendant..." — Kokushibo began. — "Allow me to turn you into a demon... so that you can be of use to that man."

— "It is surprising that you are our descendant…" — (Name) sighed. — "I feel even... happy about it. I'm glad you were born. So there's nothing to fear..."

Kokushibo agreed. — "Let me stop the bleeding... humans are so fragile."

(Name)'s eyes closed a little in anger as she noticed that the hidden slayer really thought she and Kokushibo hadn't noticed him there.

Genya tried to shoot the demons but his arm fell off.

— "GENYAAA!" — Muichiro yelled and tried to break free.

— "Be silent…" — (Name) scolded him. — "Screaming will hurt your vocal cords..."

Despite keeping his eyes fixed on Genya, Muichiro seemed to be listening intently to everything the woman said.

— "You know... you really remind me a lot of someone..." — (Name) sighed, watching Kokushibo practically slash Genya's body. — "Your face is so...familiar to me. It makes me feel strange. Even though I appreciate you being here...it makes me sick to my stomach, makes me feel angry."

The woman's voice was comforting as if she were an angel singing a lullaby. If that situation wasn't catastrophic with Genya's life hanging by a thread, Muichiro could peacefully fall asleep with that voice.

Before Kokushibo rips off Genya's head, the Wind Hashira arrives and saves him at just the right moment.

As Kokushibo was thrown backwards at the moment of impact, (Name) took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her hair and kimono fabric swayed with its dense mist appearing as if it was coming out the back of her body and the ends of her hair.

It's time.

(...)

Despite being stronger than Douma and Akaza, (Name) was still weaker than Kokushibo. After all, she wasn't really a fighting demon.

Her abilities were similar to Nakime's, she was able to create an environment that she was sure humans could not on their own. Her mist had created the same starry night sky, the slayers present there knew that this was bad as the new environment was the work of the female demon, which would clearly favor Kokushibo in the fight.

During the fight, Sanemi seemed to enjoy having an opponent worth killing according to him, even if it was giving him trouble.

Thanks to the mist, neither the female demon nor the other two slayers could be seen. Though Genya seemed to be close and both he and Muichiro could feel the intense battle between Sanemi and the six-eyed demon.

After an attack by Kokushibo, in the midst of the mist pieces of sliced ​​pillars began to fall and Genya's eyes widened in terror as he saw his older brother standing, bleeding.

— "Aniki..." — He gasped.

The wreckage of pillars began to be "absorbed" by the mist. This is bad.

— "Hm... you held on for a long time... but it's over." — Kokushibo observed. — "If you move... your organs... will split..."

The six-eyed man felt his body go weird as he noticed his pulse change. Not only that, the mist seemed to get a little more unstable. Whatever is happening is also affecting (Name) too.

The white haired Hashira started to laugh. — "Rare blood to demons is like catnip." — He took the chance to attack Kokushibo, who staggered backwards. — "Oops man, what's the problem?! You look a little dizzy and this mist looks like it's going to dissolve!" — He laughed. — "The scent of my blood intoxicates the demons! This is the rarest blood among the rare! Feast time!"

(Name) needed to stay focused so that the mist field wouldn't dissolve, so she would take advantage of Kokushibo. She took a deep breath and the mist intensified as she regained her composure after the marechi scent faded, and she felt the demon and the slayer struggle.

Until a new presence appears in the territory and (Name) soon pull him into the mist as well.

— "They keep showing up..." — Kokushibo looked annoyed, despite remaining neutral in that situation.

The Hashira of the stone had joined the fight. Kokushibo was surprised to see a body as perfected as that in three hundred years.

The mist seemed to become a little restless again, but this time not because of (Name) but thanks to Gyomei's fighting moves.

When the chain wrapped itself around Kokushibo's neck - he was able to escape. - he realized that his flesh sword would be destroyed even before he broke Gyomei's weapons.

Despite everything, the mist still favored him making things difficult for Gyomei, who clearly realized the situation.

Meanwhile, Muichiro tried to escape from the wall, with great effort, but managed, falling to the floor panting. And after making the bandages he ran to help Genya, who asked him for the lock of hair ripped from Kokushibo.

— "I want to... fight until the end... I will protect the aniki... I don't want to let him die..." — The boy with the severed body said.

Muichiro nodded. — "Alright, let's fight together until the end. Now... we have to find and kill the demon woman."

"Kill me? How cute..." (Name) mentally chuckled.

Kokushibo and Gyomei clashed and Sanemi did her best to stop the mist from doing anything to itself while he fixed his injuries. Rising with hate in his eyes now with his mark activated.

— "It doesn't matter..." — Kokushibo counterattacked Gyomei. — "Even if we stay here... fighting for hours and hours... you will die anyway. After all... (Name) will absorb all of you through the mist little by little..."

So they had time. Gyomei thought along with Sanemi, who returned to the fight.

— "(Name)?" — Gyomei whispered, it must probably be the other demon he sensed, but he wasn't able to locate it thanks to the mist.

— "It's the wife!" — Muichiro's voice sounded close by. — "She must be killed for the mist to disappear! Genya and I will take care of her!"

Gyomei and Sanemi seemed to agree, even though the woman was nowhere to be seen.

Sanemi smiled and positioned. — "Good thing we did that training, huh Himejima-san?!"

— "Uhm."

"Kokushibo, (Name), how many hashiras have you two defeated? Don't let them get here yet."

Muzan's voice was heard by the demons. And (Name) tried to intensify her mist even more to help Kokushibo finish it soon, which required more concentration.

Whatever they were, it was the first time (Name) had seen such skilled hunters since the sengoku era.

For a moment she felt her pulse tremble, but soon she regained her composure as she felt that the real fight was only beginning after Kokushibo's sword extended absurdly.

Meanwhile, Oyakata-sama's sisters tried to observe the situation, but it was impossible thanks to the mist. But it was still possible to feel the tremor of the intense fight that was taking place.

Muichiro was trying to sense the presence of the other demon, looking for it through the mist behind some trail and even using the mist of his own breath to notice certain differences.

That's when he finally found her standing in the distance. (Name) was motionless and her hair was extremely taut, swaying and floating as if wind was blowing at it. Soon Muichiro noticed that strands of her hair were connected and fused with mist, which seemed to form from the ends.

The young Hashira tried to attack her as quickly as possible, she showed no reaction when Muichiro's blade was almost slicing through the woman's neck. That's when she opened her eyes and the boy felt chills as she stared straight at him.

— "Very slow."

Muichiro's blade slashed through (Name)'s neck as if he had tried to cut through a cloud. Muichiro fell to the ground not far away but tried to reposition himself again.

"I lost an arm and the bleeding is getting worse. I don't have much time." He thought.

Despite this, (Name)'s neck remained intact.

— "Stop looking at me, your face brings back memories, I don't want to remember..." — (Name) sighed, looking away.

Again Muichiro tried to use his breath to try to injure the woman, but to no avail, his blade continued to pierce through her body as if (Name) was made from the mist itself.

— "Your breathing... is quite interesting... matches my kekkijutsu."

Before (Name) could counterattack Muichiro, she felt her body being pierced by something small.

— "Hmm?" — She looked down and saw a small, round-shaped hole in the region of her right forearm.

Soon her body was trapped by roots.

"My body isn't going through this fucking tree..." (Name) mentally growled.

When she looked up she saw in the distance the same severed boy from before, who had consumed some of Kokushibo's hair and sword. The next moment he disappeared from there to help the Stone Hashira and Wind.

That feeling…she didn't like it at all.

Thanks to the conflict with (Name) the mist started to become unstable again, to the point that Muichiro was now able to see the fight involving the other male demon with the other three slayers.

The moment Kokushibo screamed, (Name) could feel that he felt the same way.

The woman glared at Muichiro and tried to make her mist rip him apart once and for all, but the boy managed to counterattack at the last moment with his own mist breath.

— "Your..."

"Okaa-san!"

— "...Huh?"

— "I..." — Muichiro stood up panting after (Name) was able to escape Genya's kekkijutsu. — "I didn't say anything… — He gritted his teeth.

That slayer's face... it was so familiar. It was identical to--

— "Okaa-san!" — The little boy laughed as he hugged his mother from behind.

— "..." — (Name) shivered. — "Stop looking at me..."

Muichiro advanced.

(Name)'s face seemed to fill with hatred and a wave of mist went towards Muichiro. — "I TOLD YOU TO TURN YOUR LOOK, TSUKIHIRO!"

Muichiro was able to dodge the attacks again, but one of them ended up ripping his leg off. But at the last moment his blade managed to reach (Name)'s neck as it turned red.

That face...

It's been over four hundred years... and for the first time, she remembered her son's face.

— "(NAME)!"

Half of Muichiro's body was severed, not by the mist, but by Kokushibo's blade.

The boy's body, still alive, fell to the ground, just as (Name's) head separated from her body to also fall to the ground.

The mist began to disappear definitively along the body of (Name), who was looking at Muichiro with tears in her eyes.

— "Tsuki... hiro..." — She whispered.

Muichiro used the last of his strength to drag himself to the woman's body and placed one of his hands under her back, silently. (Name) accepted this act.

Despite still being under threat from the other three slayers, Kokushibo watched (Name) disappear with silent tears welling up in his six eyes. The woman he loved was dying, and he couldn't change that.

The last thing (Name) saw before her head totally disappeared was Gyomei's destruction ball destroying Kokushibo's head, but instead of disappearing, he turned into a monster.

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(Name)'s eyes opened in a dark place that she knew was not her mist.

She turned her face in all directions in an attempt to find something or someone. Oh wait, that's right... she died. Is this the afterlife?

(Name) felt her arms get heavy and when she looked down, her eyes started to water as she saw what she was holding.

— "Tsuyami..." — The woman smiled in a whisper and hugged the baby.

Tsuyami... Unlike Tsukihiro, (Name) didn't see the baby go past the age of a newborn, which hurt her a lot just thinking about it. She must have aged and become a beautiful woman, (Name) prayed that she had found a good husband with children who loved her.

— "Okaa-san!"

This voice...

The four-year-old boy came running towards (Name) happily, hugging her by the legs.

— "Tsukihiro..." — (Name)'s tears began to stream down her face.

Tsukihiro's merry laughs and Tsuyami's babble filled that dark place.

The boy from before... Muichiro, was a descendant of Tsukihiro. Your lovely son, who must have grown into a gentle boy as he grew older.

— "We missed you!" — Tsukihiro smiled.

(Name) looked at him with sad eyes. — "Me too..."

The woman started to feel her arms become lighter as Tsuyami and Tsukihiro's bodies disappeared into a mist, leaving her there alone again. (Name) knelt down and leaned her face down with her hair falling over her and hugging herself. Now the sound of her tears and wailing was the only thing that could be heard there.

Of course, the woman would go to hell for the things she did. Her children were kind souls who should be kept in heaven.

Then she would be alone, all right… she would accept that.

— "(Name)...?"

Kokushibo's voice made the woman's face rise again.

If he's here... it means he lost too.

Her husband was in front of her, not Kokushibo, but Michikatsu. Now both of them are human again.

— "Michi..." — (Name) cried.

The man was quick to kneel in front of her and pull her into a protective hug. — "I'm sorry…" — He also cried. — "For everything... I'm sorry for everything... please forgive me..."

— "It wasn't your fault... you never forced me to do anything... everything I did for the last four hundred years was because I wanted to do it..." — Her head was against Michikatsu's chest, hugging her husband back.

— "If only I had never done that… if only I had never allowed all that hatred and envy to consume me…" — The man's embrace tightened a little more. — "Maybe you could have watched our children grow up! If only I hadn't made so many mistakes... maybe we both could have been happy..."

— "..." — (Name) held her husband's face and wiped away his tears. — "It's okay…" — She laughed even though her eyes were still sad. — "I think we were both idiots..."

Michikatsu was silent, but then he also gave a melancholy short laugh, and leaned his lips against his wife's forehead, pressing her even more against him in the embrace.

Then everything was covered by flames.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

There wasn't much to do, after all, from the very beginning happiness had already been denied to the two demons who were looking for power.

"CAW CAW! UPPER MOON ONE DEFEATED!"

In the infinito fortress, inside the huge cocoon of flesh, Muzan can't help but close his eyes and give a short laugh.

— "How pathetic."

8574 words

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The hand that feeds: A Yuri story

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )    

“Where is Morg?”

“He apologizes for his absence,” Dintz as diplomatically as he could, “; he is busy and sent me in his place.”

Dintz wasn’t sure why he had been told to be so respectful to this random human, but Morg had made it clear that he was not to be insulted. They didn’t appear imposing or threatening, but the fact that they had casually strode into the heart of their resistance base, surrounded by heavily armed and fanatical loyalists to the former Regime, and demanded an audience with their leader showed they were not to be taken lightly.

“He is busy?” The human repeated with a cold edge in their voice. A frown deepened across the human’s features as they fixed their gaze on Dintz. “I can assure you that he will make time for me, now go and get him.”

“As I have said, he is busy and I can speak on his behalf.” Dintz replied; his own patience growing thinner by the minute.

“Let me put this another way.” The human began as they pulled out a small data pad from their coat and entered several keys. “For every minute Morg wishes to play this game I will withdraw five million credits from your various accounts and send it through so many transfers and rerouting accounts that you will never see it again.”

Dintz eyes went wide at this but rallied quickly with a scoff. “I don’t think such drastic and unreasonable measures are needed-“

“You’ve just lost your first five million.” The human interrupted, “I calculate within the next seven to ten minutes you will be broke and quickly find your freedom fighters aren’t so willing to fight when their payment is an “I.O.U”.”

Dintz had enough of the human posturing and was about to throw him out of their base when he heard someone calling for him from behind.

“Dintz! DINTZ!”

He turned to see Juba, the resistance money handler, sprinting towards the waiting pair. It had been the first time the sub commander had ever seen the pudgy comrade move so quickly and it was almost amusing to watch him gasping and heaving his way over.

“Our accounts have been hacked!” Juba stammered out as he gasped for air through his two mouths. “We just lost five million credits!”

In a flash Dintz spun around and had his hands on the human’s neck; hoisting him in the air so his feet swayed slightly.

“Put the funds back.” Dintz demanded in a low growl which had previously made traitors shrivel in fear and give up all their secrets. The human on the other hand was not as easily scared and chuckled.

“You have twenty seconds before another five million is removed.” They replied even as Dintz’s taloned hand tightened around his throat.

“Contact the banks.” Dintz said to Juba without breaking his glare on the human. “Have them lock down the accounts, freeze them, put them under inquiry; have them do whatever it takes and lock them down!”

Juba pulled out a data pad and began frantically typing, but it was not fast enough.

“That would be another five million.” The human replied as the data pad chimed with a new message. Dintz looked at Juba for confirmation, and the expression of dread was all he needed to know it was true. In frustration he tightened his hand around the human’s throat, but the human headed him off as the potential solution to the problem crossed Dintz’s mind.

“Killing me won’t stop the transfer.” They gasped through his grip. “Get. Morg. Out. Here.”

Dintz let out another snarl before letting go of the human. They landed on their feet and gasped as air returned to their lungs while Dintz tapped the communicator in his ear.

“Morg, we need you at the front entrance now.” He spoke calmly into the transmitter. “We have-“

“I’m well aware.”

Dintz spun around to see Morg approaching the group. He was flanked by two of his bodyguards who appeared tiny in comparison to their leader’s presence.

“Mr. Yuri, to what do we owe this unannounced disruption?” Morg asked casually as he came before the human

Yuri swiped the grim from his coat and looked up at the towering warlord. “Morg, how kind of you to finally join us; I would hate to think you were showing your financial backer disrespect by sending your underling.”

Morg gestured to Dintz. “I would hardly call my second in command an underling.” He remarked, but Yuri was not impressed.

“I asked for you.” He replied, emphasizing it by pointing at Morg. “I wanted answer from YOU; and by sending anyone else you insult me.”

If Morg was insulted by such brazenness he made no show of it. He crossed his arms and looked like he was a parent ready to hear the complaints of a child.

“I am here now, what questions do you have?”

“What do you think?!”

Those gathered around the pair were startled by Yuri’s sudden outburst.

“I told you to kill senator Kun and you blew up an entire goddamn building!”

Morg nodded. “And the explosion killed the senator just like you asked.”

Yuri’s eye twitched as if his mind could not handle Morg’s answer. “I told you to only kill Kun; ONLY him! I expected a professional hit with precision accuracy and you give me a clumsy dumpster fire of a bomb that killed three hundred people!”

“I fail to see how this is my problem.” Morg answered. “All those who died were loyal to the false regime and were our enemies.”

“That was never the point.” Yuri strained. “I wanted Kun to die as he was the deciding vote on the council. His death would have triggered a new election where my operative would have assumed the now vacant seat.”

Yuri’s eyes turned dark and Dintz could almost see the fires of rage behind those tiny eyes. “Because of the bombing, the election for the seat has been put on hold and a national sense of unity has fallen over the council; completely erasing the factionalism I was to play on to complete my own task.”

“Why is this my problem?” Morg asked with a smug smile.

“BECAUSE I FRAKING PAY YOU TO MAKE IT YOUR PROBLEM!” Yuri shouted.

Several guards drew their weapons and trained them on Yuri. Dintz drew his own pistol and had it trained on Yuri’s head. A twitch of his finger would turn the rude little meat sack into a fine mist; yet Yuri seemed to only get angrier.

“Who do you think pays for your weapons?!” he shouted as he cast his gaze around the gathered soldiers. “Who pays for your explosives, your armor, your intelligence, and your fraking wages!?”

“I do!” he announced as he beat his chest. “Without me you would all be nothing more than a bunch of cave dwelling radicals throwing rocks at the regime’s forces or dead in some fraking gutter; and all I asked for was the occasional job in return.”

He turned back to look at Morg. “And you can’t even do that one, very simple, task.”

The amusement on Morg’s face was gone now, replaced with a cold and calculated visage.

“We appreciate all that you have done for our cause.” Morg began. “I can assure you that next time we will be more careful with your request.”

To everyone’s surprise Yuri shook his head. “No, no, no; you are not understanding me.” Yuri said as an evil grin crept upon his face. “There won’t be another chance for you, this was it and you failed.”

“So you will cease supplying us?” Morg asked as he uncrossed his arms, “Because if so you remove any reason for me to keep you alive.”

“I will continue to fund this motley group of renegades,” Yuri surprisingly said, “but only after they kill you.”

Morg laughed loudly and deeply at this. “You think any of my men, who I have fought alongside for years, would so easily turn on me?”

Yuri cocked his head and joined Morg’s laughter. “I know Freng over there might,” he said between laughter, “if he wants his little one to continue getting treated for Jungle Lung.”

Morg stopped laughing and turned to see the soldier Yuri had pointed to. Freng’s face was awash with surprise, eyes wide in horror at Yuri’s declaration.

“And then there’s Iligui over here,” Yuri continued pointing a thumb over his shoulder to a soldier behind him, “who has been trying to save up enough to smuggle his family offworld for years now.”

Yuri turned his head slightly to look at Iligui, whose weapon had lowered a fraction, and continued “It would be a shame for them to find a police force knocking on their door with orders to arrest them for being related to a traitor.”

“Don’t you dare-“ Iligui began but Yuri cut him off.

“Drenar here has a spawn brother who was captured in the last raid, alongside the kin of Gent and Wilk here.” Yuri casually pointed out another three random soldiers who all looked at each other uneasily. “I am told the prisons here are quite volatile and inmate slayings are dangerously common.”

Yuri folded his fingers of his right hand into a pretend gun and ran them along everyone gathered slowly. “I have funded you for the last ten years. I know who you all are, where you were born, who you love, who loves you, where you sleep at night, what secrets you have buried six feet under.”

He finally stopped and pointed at Morg and pretended to fire his finger gun. “I am the man who can rain hellfire down on every single one of you and you think you can double cross me-“

A lone gunshot went off and the front of Morg’s head blew outwards in a violent gory explosion. Everyone gathered, including Yuri, watched in stupefaction as the body stood momentarily upright as if still trying to reconcile with its demise before toppling loudly to the ground.

Dintz spun around and pointed his gun at Freng. Freng’s weapon was smoking and he let the gun fall from his hands with a loud thud before raising his hands up in the air.

“WHY!?” Dintz demanded; unable to comprehend this sudden betrayal. Freng’s mouth open and closed as if to answer but words failed him, so Yuri answered instead.

“Because Freng here realizes that fighting for ideals is meaningless if there is no one left to believe in them.”

Dintz’s eyes ran across the other gathered soldiers as they lowered their weapons as well. In a blinding anger Dintz turned back to Yuri intent to avenge his fallen commander but never made it.

Yuri’s pistol fired twice taking out both of Dintz’s knees causing him to drop to the ground followed by a third and final shot that tore half his head off. He toppled to the ground and Yuri watched the pools of blood between the two bodies mix before holstering his sidearm.

He motioned Freng to step forward and the nervous alien did so.

“You did well here today,” Yuri said as he looked up from the bodies, “and I must congratulate you on your recent promotion to commander.”

“Commander?” Freng repeated, as if the notion had never crossed his mind.

Yuri nodded and patted the alien on the shoulder. “But of course! Someone with such initiative who saved the loved ones of every soldier here without a moment’s hesitation is worthy of leading them into battle.”

Yuri’s voice was loud enough for the rest of the soldiers to hear and one by one their looks of disdain and disgust at Freng’s actions began to warm to understanding if not admiration. Through Yuri’s clever word choice they would see Freng’s actions less as self-serving and become easier at accepting his new position.

“You may pick whoever you wish to be your second in command and I will continue to supply you with whatever you need to continue your righteous war.” Yuri finished as he grasped Freng’s arm and hoisted it into the air.

“To Commander Freng, and the death of the false REGIME!” Yuri shouted.

“DEATH TO THE FALSE REGIME!” the gathered soldiers began shouting and pounding their chests in jubilation. The whole camp began chanting and Yuri imagined there would be some sort of celebration for Freng’s new position.

“Remember what happened here.” Yuri whispered into the new commander’s ear.

Freng nodded a bit too hastily and Yuri smiled as he let go of Freng’s arm. He nodded to the two bodies on the ground.

“Dump these two in the front of a local police garrison then make a public announcement that they acted without the consent of your group and attacked the senator by themselves.”

“What will that do?” Freng asked sheepishly.

“It will do some good trying to win back public opinion by showing that you are not savage terrorists lashing out at innocent civilians and those that do will not be spared your justice, even if they are from your own ranks.”

“It will be done;” Freng replied, “then what?”

“Then you can do as you wish.” Yuri answered much to Freng’s surprise. “My arrangement with your former commander was I supply him with what he needs and he does the occasional favor for me. I have no interest in micromanaging a revolution.”

Yuri pulled out the same data pad as before and entered a few keystrokes before turning back to Juba.

“You will find that I have returned half of your funds that I took; the half I keep a reimbursement for the frustration this incident has caused me.”

He waited for juba to confirm the transaction before continuing. “Once you have done as I have asked the next scheduled payment will be deposited.”

Freng and Juba nodded in almost perfect unison and Yuri smiled. “With that I will take my leave them. If I have to come here again, I will burn this entire camp to the ground and flay everyone within for my displeasure.”

With that final threat Yuri turned and left the camp without another word, leaving the newly appointed commander with no illusions to what a second failure would entail.

[theamityelf]

I like how the full timeline of my knowledge of Danganronpa experience is, I saw the YouTube rap battle between Toko and Yuri from Doki Doki Literature Club (which dropped on Aug 28, 2021), I enjoyed it, I watched it many times, and then on some rewatch I thought, "Hey, maybe I should see what Danganronpa's about. Isn't that the game that the Game Grumps have been playing for a WHILE now, when I've been waiting for them to get to Deltarune Chapter 2?" They were already on SDR2 when I first partook in the first one, and if we're keeping up the timeline thing, I know that I hadn't yet gotten through the second game by Feb 6, 2022, because that's when the rap battle between Nagito and Dream was posted, and I had to wait to watch that one until I finished SDR2, so as to avoid spoilers. (But I finished SDR2 long before the Game Grumps did; I watched ProZD's stuff, and JazzyGuns for UDG.)

Meaning I went into Danganronpa knowing nothing except what could be gleaned from the Toko-Yuri rap battle. The only Danganronpa character I knew was Toko (and by extension Syo; I didn't even know about Monokuma), for wrecking Yuri in a rap battle.

After I had finished (watching LP's of) all of the games, I asked everyone in my friend group if they knew anything about Danganronpa, and none of them did. I decided to check in with an old friend from high school who seemed like Danganronpa would be right up her alley, and I discovered (embarrassingly) as soon as I opened Facebook messenger (because I did not have her number) that her most recent message to me was recommending Danganronpa in like 2016 or 2017. Oops. But I still reached out, we talked for a bit.

And I also found out that one of my cousins has played or watched Danganronpa, so he became my main person to reference Danganronpa with.

I don't know what my point is anymore, but pretty wild, right? That hyperfixation hit hard.

[bravewolfvesperia]

@valiantxunion | continued

At first the youngest of them hadn't even completely registered what he was seeing when he'd met his teen self. It was the bewildered reaction from his counterpart and a really brief, accidental spilling of a few words that put the pieces together. Confused as he was, Yuri had been about to head off on his own to look for a way back when, well, Yuri had stopped him and suggested staying together for now.

Part of it was that yeah, the two of them were completely lost and unsure why people - at the very least the older adults - were staring absolute holes into them. The other part of it was just Yuri's instincts kicking in and taking hold of the child's wrist before he marched right off and got into some kind of trouble. As much as he insisted he was fine on his own, his older self had doubts about that, and the odd setup they were in didn't help.

Despite going around with a child he could easily just refer to as his brother in the meantime, people seemed oddly concerned and befuddled at seeing them together. Eventually the elder of the two decided it was time to start asking questions, confronting a few of the adults who seemed younger and less confused, albeit seeming to try to figure out why something felt off looking at the two of them.

After a few attempts, someone finally told them to hold on for a bit while they went to get someone. Turned out it was Hanks they went to get, which was a mixture of relieving and just as confusing as everything else. Why did they need to get Hanks of all people? In this moment at least, the older Yuri was entirely positive neither of them had kicked up a fuss over anything or gotten into anything chaotic.

Just like the others though, Hanks was taken aback when he saw them and for a good few long seconds, totally lost for words. He had even reached for a hand on each of them to confirm they were physically present, leaving the two of them feeling even more lost when it took the man a bit longer than expected to let go. After near stifling confusion, Hanks explained he knew someone who looked just like them and that that person lived here.

Lived here? Both Yuris looked at each other. But... they lived here. They had never seen each other, let alone this third guy. Of the two, the teen already knew what he was dealing with with his younger self, but the kid had no idea what to expect looking at himself at around double his age. The only reason he was even able to figure that out was because his teen self had blurted it out in an attempt to make sense of the situation to himself.

With all the weird looks they'd been getting though, when Hanks suggested bringing them somewhere else so they could work this out, they had both agreed. It was just too eerie for them being watched like that. The Lower Quarter never looked at people like that, much less their own people. To say the least, it was... uncomfortable.

On their way to the inn, the younger self began wiggling his hand from the hold of the teen's, almost squirmy. "I don't need you holding my hand, you know." It wasn't a question; just a plain statement. He was right though, and it wasn't like the older of the two expected him to just run off. He was hard to control for sure, if only because the teen knew that firsthand, but he wouldn't just scram the second he found an opening for no particular reason.

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." He didn't tell his smaller self, but it was just that same instinct kicking back in. Even if this was a little him, he was still a child and Yuri's first reaction to dealing with a confused lost child was to take care of them until help was found. And, it may have been Yuri himself, and he may have hidden it entirely too well for a seven year old, but he was definitely freaked out at the position he'd found himself in.

When Hanks went to get the apparent lookalike, neither of them had spoken to each other. They were too busy trying to come to terms with understanding their surroundings. It wasn't until the third of them arrived that their bafflement returned immediately. In the teen's case, it was pretty obvious what Hanks was referring to, and it really didn't help that this man dressed too similarly to him. In the youngest's case, he could see the resemblance between the two elders and he already knew who the teen was to him.

The now newly eldest of them seemed intent on keeping them all together, with the youngest being reluctant to have to follow them around like, literally, a lost child. The now middle child couldn't help the absolute pout that exposed itself with the way his elder self expressed preferring to do other things with his time instead of hanging out with him.

The youngest sighed, still somewhat unaware of the problem. Sure, they were... each other, but if they could get that around and tell people not to worry about it while they worked on figuring something out, surely it wouldn't be a problem? "I still don't really get it... but I guess it makes sense we can't leave you unattended if you couldn't be trusted to just come here on your own and old man Hanks had to lead you here. You must get into trouble a whole lot if you couldn't even be trusted with something that simple."

Ouch. The teen among them winced. "Like you're any better..."

"And actually!" Well, the kid found his voice again. "Why would I be Tiny Yuri, anyway? Why can't you be Biggest Yuri or something? Why do you get to keep our name? What, because you're the oldest?"

At that point the teen's mind had already drifted as he shut the complaining out. "I'm... going to be in so much trouble when I don't show up back home tonight..." At first he'd be in trouble, and then everyone would start to panic if he was missing for too long. Was he missing? Was he technically there still? Maybe they could find something out later in the Public Quarter...

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Turning Circles - John and Virgil

Summary: Virgil is a keeper of a many things.

Universe: Ice Skating AU

A/N: For @knyee and @cttagverse . I see you, I know you all want some John, so I hope this delivers. It's not quite Yuri!!! On Ice John, but he was due for a private moment in the AU I keep open for my little ice skating play ground. Thanks to the @the-original-sineater for reading. I wrote this while on the beach, on my phone. So you can blame sand for any errors.

Read on Ao3

*****

For your listening pleasure: music Or here for YT.

At dawn's light and on his way towards drills, the timbre of his piano beckoned him towards the ice rink, familiar chords resounding out of the speakers that surrounded empty stands. Frigid air enveloped Virgil from the moment he pushed the doors open, the chill hitting his bones immediately as his breath became visible in the crisp morning. 

For a moment, he let the melody wash over him. The tune was one he'd wrenched from deep within his soul, and hearing it brought him back to the frantic days of university and the ever pressuring decision of what to do with the rest of his life. The version used in John's last singles free skate was a collaboration with one of his peers, and he'd enhanced the urgent melody with sweeping orchestrals - so powerful and immersive that the heart in his chest thundered the first time Virgil heard it, and every time after. 

His hockey skates slung over his left shoulder, Virgil stepped quietly to his right to disappear into the bleachers while he watched his brother perform. He'd always understood the path his brother had chosen. John wrote poetry on ice, expressed his heart with his blades and the movement of his silhouette. While he and his siblings found a family among their teammates, John's journey had been a solitary one. It hadn't initially been such a lonely one.

On the ice, absorbed wholly in the muscle memory of his program, John switched his edge in a flurry of footwork. He made it look like he could float along the edges, but Virgil knew every movement was an incredible feat of strength and dexterity.

Virgil's heart accelerated a beat before the music did; he recognized the cues of John's program and he was quickly approaching that moment. When, in front of thousands, John's power failed him and he'd fallen. Virgil wouldn't admit it aloud, but he always blinked and held back a hiss every time his brother propelled himself upward to defy gravity. He hadn't seen when John missed his Quad Lutz during competition, but he remembered the gasp of the audience.

Today, he couldn't bring himself to look away. 

Curiosity kept his eyes focused on every movement. John's skating was different, just as expressive as always, but without the stress of the score, it seemed more authentic and genuine. And though he didn't know he had anyone watching, John's art had every bit of Virgil's soul tingling as he felt himself connect with the emotions of his music made whole by the dance. 

John's heart was in it - in a way Virgil hadn't seen since John first took to the ice. 

He switched to his back, outside edge to prepare for the launch upward, his opposite leg extended with the toe pick poised…

… and planted. 

It wasn't even a breath. 

Virgil lost count of the rotations in the airtime, but John returned to the Earth, landing back on the foot he'd launched from. Not even a tremble, and in the air he went again. Toe loop, Virgil remembered  - another that used the toe pick. 

His next big element was a spin, but before then he completed a small series of moves, footwork that carried him from one part to the next. And in them, Virgil recognized the influence of Penny, the sequence altered just slightly to suit the influence of dance on his brother's career. And the effect of his dance partner's friendship on his life. 

They both had been so desperate for that second chance, not quite ready to lose the love of their sport. Though it had been close, for both of them. 

Virgil had to believe, in his core, that there had been a reason. That theirs would be a story of overcoming. 

Close to the end now, John swung his momentum around, spinning, and spinning, until he pushed himself intentionally out and away from an invisible force - the last artistic element of his program as the single note echoed uncompleted. 

Virgil had written it that way so that the piece encouraged the listener to question if it was really over. And John had choreographed it to express just that - the chaos of a mind and body spinning until it came out on the other side.  Away from something? Towards something new? It was interpretation, but Virgil knew which one he believed. 

John's breath heaved loudly in the silence, and he dropped down to his knees with the end of the program. Virgil turned to leave, feeling suddenly like he'd been intruding on a private moment, even though he'd seen John perform hundreds of times before. But as his hand came to rest on the door, he heard a muffled sob from the figure on the ice. 

John looked up as Virgil turned back, the piercing green sharp and proud and swirling with emotions John only really shared through his artistry for those who had the perspective to listen -  which is why, instead of leaving, Virgil knew he was welcomed to approach. He stepped carefully across the ice since he was still wearing his boots and offered a hand to help him back up.

[mcchazzy14]

Jim Hopper x Dmitri Antonov SFW Headcanons

Part 1? Maybe. (More under the cut!) I’m gonna do an NSFW one too. Any specific headcanons (SFW/NSFW) that you want answered, let me know in replies or shoot me a message.

Let’s Get Started!

1. Jim asked Dmitri out first. It was on the way back to American from Russia. It went something like:

“Hey, so…do you wanna see where your nickname came from?”

(Murray choked and Joyce rolled her eyes. Yuri wasn’t surprised at all)

2. And yeah they definitely went to Enzo’s for their first date. Dmitri’s never had Italian food before and Jim finally got those breadsticks he’d been dreaming about.

3. Dmitri gets nightmares from the prison. The demogorgon really scared the shit out of him. He’ll wake up sweating and shaking, feeling just inches away from death. He can usually pull himself back to reality if Jim isn’t awake but he usually wakes up when Dmitri does. So Jim will pull him into a hug and tuck Dmitri’s head under his chin, rubbing his back until he calms down again.

4. Jim’s physical affection in public towards Dmitri is more squeeze of the shoulder, brush of the back when he passes, etc. Once they’re alone he gets more comfortable with it and he’ll pull him into those big bear hugs we all know he gives.

5. Dmitri’s a cuddler. When they’re sleeping, he’ll either hug Jim from behind and bury his face in between his shoulder blades, or he’ll force his way into Jim’s arms and curl up to his chest. He’s got little spoon energy.

Jim’s hesitant on it at first which is why Dmitri is usually hugging him from behind. Once he’s more comfortable with it though, he’s all for holding him close every night.

6. Jim loves the height difference between the two of them. It’s only a couple of inches, but it’s enough. Makes him easier to hold.

7. Dmitri cooks a lot. He’s definitely better than Jim is. He wakes up early to cook breakfast before Jim goes to work and he’ll make El waffles with extra sugar until he gets in trouble.

8. Jim came home to Dmitri and El sitting on the couch watching movies. El had a plate of waffles, covered in chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, and tons of other toppings. Dmitri was eating peanut butter straight out of the jar with a spoon. Jim didn’t stay late at work anymore after that so they didn’t get into anymore trouble.

9. The two of them are constantly teasing each other. It’s one of the ways they show their affection for each other. From an outsider’s view it might not look like they like each other, but they’re so goddamn in love, it’s ridiculous.

10. They fall asleep on the couch together a lot. Like an unhealthy amount. If they put a movie on, there’s a 50-50 chance they’ll both pass out halfway through it. They’ll wake up around 1am and stumble back to the bedroom.

11. Jim calls Dmitri ‘D’ a lot. It’s quick to say if he’s in a hurry, but he uses it affectionately as well. Especially after nightmares.

Dmitri occasionally calls him ‘American’ as a joke and usually gets a smack on the head for it.

12. Dmitri said ‘I love you’ first. He mumbled it in Russian a lot before he said it in English since Jim didn’t know those words. But eventually, they were alone, having dinner together and it just slipped out. He waited about thirty seconds for Jim to say it back to him.

13. The keep using the ‘What are the odds?’ joke. Jim will ask him stupid questions and Dmitri responds with equally ridiculous ratios. He never gives him a 1:1. Well, except one time….

“Hey, D, what are the odds that you’ll marry me…?”

“I’d say…..one to one.”

That’s it for now!!!

[connoisseursdecomfort]

SxF interview & panel discussion at TICA

I was reading articles about Kyōji Asano (animation director) and Tetsuya Nakatake (producer) attending the Taipei International Comic and Anime International, so I’ve decided to share some of the interesting things I’ve read here.

In the YouTube live video, 

11:10 Nakatake gestured how tiny Anya would be in real life. Asano then gave a quick demonstration on “how to pick up baby Anya and carry her on your shoulder”. I thought that was really cute. As if they all know Anya so well they are ready to babysit her at any second.

12:47 Asano drew a bunch of Anya’s faces. From 12:55 onwards he just started pointing at the faces he drew, and said he enjoyed drawing them very much.

15:54 Nakatake jokingly said they (I’m guessing he meant Nakatake himself, Asano and other staff members who also have children) could particularly relate to tired™ Twilight. They have children and understand how exhausting being a parent could be. 

There are also displays of pictures of character designs and frames sketches. You can see they are particularly proud of the original designs and scenes they’ve created for the show.

No recording is allowed during the panel discussion. I’ve read several articles (Source 1, 2, 3) and a post by an attendee, and what they’ve shared are more or less the same: 

1. They spent a month creating the second ED. They’d actually cooked all the food and presented them on a table so they could draw it. (Source three actually provides many interesting photographs of the food and the sketches hey’ve drawn while producing ED2.) It's such hard work, so much so for a 10-second scene the team had created 100-130 frames, and a member of the team even said he’s gonna quit, but they’d all persisted. Asano said their goal was to make the audience hungry while watching ED2, and was particularly happy to hear from the attendees that they have succeeded.

2. They had also drawn the food Yor made before pixelating it. And no, the team won’t show us what they originally look like. The team likes the scene where Yuri ate and threw up at the same time so much the animator put in extra effort to draw it. (Nakatake: Don’t you like sick characters like Yuri?)

3. The work atmosphere while creating AoT was more stern. On the other hand, it feels more lively when producing SxF. The work atmosphere is usually affected by the content they are creating. The animators have their own ideas they want to express as well, and it is a lucky coincidence when they get to animate a popular work they happen to be interested in, and the audience likes the product as well. They feel the bliss while creating the anime, and hope to create something the whole family can enjoy.

4. They create the OPs and EDs as something to add to the world-building. OPs and EDs also offer an opportunity for the team to show the audience their own interpretation of/ reflections on the story. They went on to explain how OPs and EDs are usually done. Most of the time they would have the song first. The musician would read the manga and write the song. The production team would then design the scenes that would match the song. The director confirms what scenes would be needed, and the animation team proceeds to create the OP/ED.

5. It is of utmost importance to make Anya cute. Asano suggested to draw her hair first, then the shape of her face. Draw her facial features last.

6. When asked of their favourite scenes, Nakatake said the interview scene where Loid punched the table was what inspired him to push the sxf animation project forward. Asano liked ep 5. He thought it made the story livelier. 

7. Nakatake likes Yor the best. He says he wants to meet her in real life, and claims he doesn’t mind eating her food. (He also likes the scene where Bond ate the cookies Yor made and fainted.) Asano wants a daughter like Becky. If he had to choose between Anya and Becky, he would still choose Becky.

PS I've also shared an identical article here. I did the translation myself. I didn't translate everything. For example, Asano also mentioned AoT as another example of how they do original scenes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this.