#this is what happens when you rematch the movie

[shaded-senka]

lil riddle man i did during class

[gx-gameon]

Masterlist

Yugi raises Jaden.

A retelling of yugioh Gx were Yugi adopted Jaden when he was four and raised him. Includes but not limited to: rivalshipping (Yugi/Seto) and alive Atem

The original idea

Official story!!

Expanding Yugi meeting Jaden

Expanding Yugi adopting Jaden, Seto in the afterlife, Joey finding out.

Rough draft: part 3 Joey meet Jaden and finding out about Seto’s trip to the afterlife

Rough draft: part 4 Yugi’s deck and Jaden’s card

Rough draft: part 5 met Mokuba, Yugi goes after Seto

Rough draft: part 6 finding Kaiba, reuniting with Atem

Poll: how to get Atem back

Rough draft: part 7 adventures in the afterlife

Rough draft: part 8 Joey vs Jaden, beginning rivalshipping

Rough draft: part 9 rivalshipping duel.

Rough draft: part 10 checking in with Joey and Jaden

Rough draft: part 11 Jaden’s dreams

Young Jaden Masterlist

Season 1 Masterlist

Crack idea

Aknamkanon helping out at Duel academy. The idea that Atem’s father and others are helping from the after life

Ask: the idea that started it all

Ask: What if Jaden had a shrine to Aknamkanon and that’s how he helps the kids?

Ask: more about Aknamkanon and the rest of the court helping Jaden

Jaden the King of the Colosseum

Ask: What happens to Tanya Colosseum after Jaden wins it via combat

Ask: Passing on the title of the King of the Colosseum

Ask: BBT the three Kings: Games, Colosseum, and Satellite

Ask: More about the king of the colosseum

Season 2

Ask: Season 2 Aster vs Jaden and the return of the Neo-spacians

Season 2’s trip to Domino City

Ask: what about the Ra duel?

Ask: more about the trip to Domino

Ask: Jaden’s rematch with Aster and the new elemental hero support

Ask: Jaden dueling Aster with Kuribohs only

Season 3

Ask: where is Jesse from?

Ask: What about Spiritshipping

Ask: DM crew’s reactions to Jesse

Ask: what happens when the DM crew arrives to find a missing academy?

Ask: what happens once Jaden and the school returns?

Ask: what about the dark world?

Suggested Dark world ideas

Ask: what about blending some of the dark world ideas together?

Ask: how does the DM cast react to finding out about the Supreme King (either in the Dark world or after the fact)

Ask: how does the DM cast respond to Jaden fusing with Yubel

Season 4

Ask: how are you going to do Jaden vs Yugi at the end of season 4

Ask: will Jaden and Yugi duel at the end of season 4

Post season 4

Ask: when it’s time to fire people how do the Kaiba bros do it?

Ask: Who’s getting fired at duel academy

Ask: Time to overhaul the school. Who’s staying?

Ask: How crowler finds out about Jaden being the Prince of Games

Zigfried’s return.

Ask: who else besides Jesse knows about Jaden’s family

Ask: when does the Gx cast find out about Jaden’s family?

Ask: when the Gx cast knows do they tease Jaden

Post cannon tournament arc

Ask: how does Chazz find out (start of the arc idea)

Ask: Chazz becoming part of the Muto family/the main plot of the arc

Ask: Seto being over protective of Jaden feat. Spiritshipping

Spiritshipping traveling together and finding new spirits (the Gem Knights)

Ask: Thoughts on Crystal protector and Crystal master

Ask: more about Jesse and the Crystal Protrctor

Ask: what would Seto do if Yugi or Jaden were ever Kidnapped.

Ask: how does Jaden respond to Yugi getting hurt?

Ask: Yugi or Seto getting hurt and Jaden calling for them

Bonds beyond time

Ask: What about bonds beyond time?

Ask: spiritshipping does Jesse join Jaden on his travels and what is his role in BBT

Jaden in Yugioh 5Ds

After the bonds beyond time movie Jaden and Yusei return to the future. Yusei’s future. Jaden is stuck there and while looking for a way home bonds with the 5Ds crew. But all is not well when the Arcadia Movement finds him.

The original idea

Ask: what effects does Jaden traveling to the future have on the world/how does Jaden react to Reverse Zero/Satellite/Dark Signers

[quinloki]

Birthday Request Event v2024

"It's my birthday and I'll write what I want to \o/"

Gift Details ♥ Reader Style: afab Character: Sabo Vibe: NSFW Consensual AU: Government Mandated Marriage AU Prompt: Unresolved Sexual Tension Gift Giver: @undeadeurydice

Summary: You and Sabo are getting along well, but while the tension keep building, nothing seems to be able to break it.

Content Notes: harried foreplay, fingering, oral, tension-break, Sabo calls you dove.

This birthday party is 18+, consensual unless explicitly stated otherwise, and BYOB

The first meeting had gone off without much of an issue. You and Sabo got along well enough, and had plenty in common to talk about. Both of you had surrogate guardians at your first meeting, neither of you being on good terms with your own parents. You were able to easily joke about how awful things would’ve been, if including living biological parents were a requirement of the match process.

Moving in together had gone well. His brothers had helped with a lot of heavy lifting, and your friends had helped you both get things organized. The apartment was going to be temporary, but it was less mess to start there than it was to go in on a house before the wedding. Rematches might be rare, but not impossible.

Not that a rematch was your problem.

Nothing, honestly, was wrong between you and Sabo, except maybe you were both on rocky footing when it came to physical interactions. You’d both shown the other your scars, or most of them - best to get something like that out of the way when the point was marriage and eventually children.

But when it came to physical contact, it was almost like it was too much. Your fingers had brushed over one another’s a couple times, and his gloved hands had been on your waist as you’d moved by one another in the kitchen. You both still had separate rooms, which was normal at this point, but as flustered as the light brushes of contact had you both, nothing more had happened.

He was hot, and having seen him shirtless was not helping you and your situation. You wanted more, but more was terrifying. You weren’t dense either, and you were certain he was almost in the same exact boat as you. You both got along well enough, and maybe the Government had simply matched two people who were too similar.

It was all going to fall apart if you couldn’t get it together.

The night before, Sabo had - you think - attempted to break the tension. He’d taken you out on a date, leaving the apartment for a while and “arriving” to pick you up and take you out. It was silly and adorable and sweet all in one. There was dinner, and a movie, and you both had fun. You sat together on the same side of the booth at the restaurant, nearly touching the entire meal.

The conversation wasn’t tense, but the glances here and there, and the trembling need to just touch one another built and built.

In the theater Sabo put his arm around your shoulders, though the divider between seats kept you from leaning into his side. Even with his arm across your shoulders his hand seemed to avoid making contact too often, just the occasional soft tap against your arm when he wanted to lean in and say something about the movie.

At the end, he walked you back up to the apartment door, acted as though he meant to leave you for the night, and leaned in. Closer, and closer, and your eyes slipped along the shape of his lips, your tongue against your own for a moment. You were certain your heart would beat out of your chest, and the soft flush of pink in his face left you thinking he was in the same boat.

Desperate to keep control, and equally desperate to break the tension that had been building between you both since the first meeting. The soft brushes of skin here and there weren’t nearly enough to provide even a modicum of relief.

Before the distance could be overcome, however, your neighbor came out of their apartment. Sabo stepped back and you both greeted the kind older woman. He told her to be careful going out so late, and offered to help if there was an errand she was going to run. She declined, but thanked him, and nothing in her body language suggested that she knew what you two had just been about to do, but when she left the tension was overshadowed by a nervous energy.

It had been a bit painfully awkward, but you both reiterated you had a good time, and then you both turned in for the evening.

In your own rooms.

Not that you really slept all that much. You were awake for hours thinking you should just knock on his door. You should do that, and pull him in and snog him right in the hall. Where no sweet neighbors can interrupt. When he could lean back and welcome you into his room.

Into his bed.

Now you were in the kitchen, the barest hint of sleep keeping you upright as you began to make coffee. You had nothing more than a shirt on and some socks, and barely registered Sabo’s voice as he yawned and came into the kitchen. You mumbled good mornings to one another.

After a few minutes Sabo taps your shoulder.

“Hey, are you actually awake?”

“Mmhm.” You murmur, sleepily.

“Are you sure?” He questions, amusement in his voice.

“M’sure.”

“The coffee’s been done for five minutes, dove.”

“Hmm?” You look up at the tone, giving him a sleepy look. Sabo nearly sucks his lips into his mouth trying not to laugh at how adorable you look, and he points at the coffee machine. You turn to look and realize it’s been done. “Ah.” You manage softly.

“Here, let me make grab cups, and you can sit do-.”

“Sabo?” You interrupt, as he has leaned forward against you to reach the mugs in the cupboard. The warmth of his body is burning through your nightshirt and your mind can’t muster up the energy to be embarrassed right now.

“Hm?”

At least not embarrassed enough to stop you.

“… Kiss me.”

There’s a small flurry of motion as Sabo drops, and catches, the mug in his hand before setting it on the counter. You turn to face him, unable to bring your gaze up despite the courage you’ve found in your sleep deprived haze.

“I… couldn’t sleep last night because I wanted you to kiss me, and,” you murmur, the heat rising into your face and burning away the sleepy haze that had been emboldening you. “And… more.”

“Pardon me,” he says softly, finger hooked under your chin as he lifts it up. There’s no pause, his lips against yours the second he’s positioned your face as needed. The sweet thrill that rushes through you, has your arms around his waist, the two of you pulling one another closer.

The kiss shatters the tension between the both of you, leaving hands to wander, and lips to seek out other sweet places. There was nothing perfectly planned about the kiss, but it was perfect regardless.

Sabo pulls off your nightshirt, barely breaking his lips away from your body any longer than needed, and fans the shirt out on the kitchen before you pull off his boxers. Scarred and strong fingers slip between your thighs and deft movements pull sweet sounds from your lips as you lean against him. The mischievous smile paints his lips for the moments you can see them between the hungry kisses beginning to devour your skin.

He’s down on his knees before you, holding your back against the refrigerator, legs hooked over his shoulders as his mouth is between your thighs before you’ve full grasped that you’re in that position. You gasp and whine, fingers in his hair as his mouth brings the first wave of pleasurable relief through your body.

You tense, body caught between him and the cold metal doors at your back. The cool metal may be the only thing keeping you from burning up. He doesn’t stop until you’re whimpering his name and begging for mercy.

Your mind is hazy from lack of sleep and now the afterglow of an orgasm. Sabo moves you easily as he lays down on the cold, hard kitchen tile, easing you carefully to straddle him. He gives you a few moments to come back around, rubbing his stiff cock slowly against your slit.

When you shift your hips against him in response he grins. “Welcome back.”

“Don’t tease me,” you huff, sinking against his hip more and really grinding into his cock.

“I just didn’t want to go further until you were focused.” He assures you, voice shivering against the pleasure building up in him. “As… as for teasing,” he sighs, as you lift your hips enough to press the head of his length against your entrance.

You reach down and steady him as you sink down slowly. Sabo’s hands are hot against your skin, wondering and touching everything he could, while also helping to keep you stable. His eyes shift from your face, to the sight at his hips, sharp and focused as you took all of him.

A soft swear slips between his teeth as his fingers tighten against you.

“I’m surprised…” You huff softly as you slowly begin to ride him. “I didn’t expect you’d relinquish control like this.”

A soft chuckle escapes Sabo as he holds your hips and thrusts up into you easily, pulling control from you for a moment before he settles again.

“Floor’s hard, is all.”

[naturesapphic]

Heyyyy I love ur stories so much!! I was wondering is u could do a story where Zoe is « babysitting » us I say babysitting but Billie is there too so we’re mainly chilling

Not really in little space but still really childish!!

Babysitter Zoe

Billie eilish x (kinda?)little!fem!reader, babysitter!zoe x (kinda)little!fem!reader (platonic), billie eilish x babysitter!zoe (platonic)

Warnings: in and out age regression, fluff

“Okay my love, Zoe is gonna be with you while I go downstairs in the basement to work. You’ll be a good girl right?” Billie said, crouching down to your level as she gives you a gentle smile. “I pinky promises mommy I bes da goodest girl!” You said happily as you stuck your pinkie out to her. Billie giggles and wraps her own pinkie srojnd yours before leaning down to kiss it softly.

“You be good now for Zoe okay? I won’t be long and then I’ll come back up and we can battle it out on uno okay?” Billie says smiling and you nodded your head fast. You watched as Billie went downstairs to the basement while you and Zoe went into the living room to do some stuff. The two of you were sitting on the couch watching your favorite cartoons when you kinda got out of your headspace. This has been happening on and off for a few days and you didn’t exactly know why.

You’ll be regressed for a bit then out then in, it’s really confusing you. Sometimes you’ll be in the middle where you’re not fully regressed too. You grabbed the remote and turned on one of your favorite shows that you watched when you are out of your headspace and Zoe gave you a confused look. “I got out of my headspace again…” you sheepishly said and Zoe nodded in understanding. “That’s okay.” She reassured you and you gave her a little smile in return.

~ a few hours later ~

It’s been a couple hours later and you’ve been in the middle where you are out of your headspace but still kinda acting childish which Zoe said was completely fine and you didn’t have to worry about it. You heard the door of the basement being opening and you jumped up to see billie coming into the living room where the two of you were. “Billie!” You ran up to her and jumped in her arms. She giggled and caught you effortlessly, spinning you around a bit before putting you back on your feet.

“What did y’all do while I was working?” She asked the two of you and Zoe let you talk first. You told her that y’all watched movies, played some of your favorite board games, made some lunch, and watched some funny YouTube videos. “Oh wow! That sounded like fun baby!” Billie exclaimed excitedly which made you blush. “Now…why don’t we play some uno hm?” Billie suggested and a big grin appears on your face.

You nodded your head fast and sprung off the couch to go the cabinet in the living room where the cards and other board games were. You found the pack of uno cards and brought the box out as you head back over to Billie and Zoe. For the next few hours until it turned dark, the three of you played competitive uno that left all of wore out but it was fun nonetheless. Since it turned dark, it was time for Zoe to leave which made you sad but she said she would be back soon and that y’all will have a rematch. The two of you thanked her for coming and watching over you to which she said she will gladly do it again.

A/n: wasnt sure how to end this but I wanted to post something for y’all so thank you anon for the request! I hope you and everyone else liked it! Remember to stay hydrated and to rest! I love yall! :)

[yall-hate-kids-tourney]

Loser Finals: Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls) vs. Amane Momose (MILGRAM)

It's rematch time!

Propaganda below the cut

Mabel Pines (12):

I literally saw a tiktok today about how Mabel is a bad person. She’s 12! Like yes, she has made some mistakes and bad choices, but so has everyone else. And I never see any of the other characters in the show criticized the way she is. Everyone in the show has made mistakes (Grunkle Stan commits crimes practically every episode ffs) but because Mabel is a 12 year old girl and acts like it, she gets the most hate. Mabel deserves to be loved 🩷

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girl gets so much flack for being... immature and kind of selfish at age 12? like she had whole video essays made on why she is a horrible person who deserves punishment. god forbid girls be silly

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!!! Spoilers for Gravity Falls last 5 episodes !!!

This has gone down a lot but when the Weirdmaggedon arc was happening, the finale of the series, a big part of the fandom started hating Mabel because she accidentally caused the Weirdmaggedon (basically an apocalypse + bizarre shit like the water tower becoming an eight-legged monster with a giant mouth).

For context, in the episode that starts this arc, "Dipper and Mabel vs The Future", Mabel is really excited to the end of their summer vacation at Grunkle Stan's house, since it will be her and Dipper's 13th birthday and they will enter high school (her idea of high school of course coming from teen movies). But then this whole idea starts to shatter when Wendy tells her that high school isn't like a Disney musical, but it's okay, she will get through this since she will be with Dipper, her twin brother...

Except, that Dipper receives an invitation by Grunkle Stan's scientist brother Ford to become his apprentice after summer ends, staying in Gravity Falls, without Mabel. When she discovers it, she gets really mad at him and in a fit of rage, she accidentally picks Dipper's bag instead of hers and runs off to the woods.

When she gets there, Blendin, a time-travelling friend of theirs finds her and tells her that he has a way of making her brother stay with her, and make the summer take a little more to end, and that he just needed a little thing that Dipper has in his bag. That thing is a dimensional rift that Dipper and Ford contained to not cause the Weirdmaggedon, but Mabel didn't knew about that and gives it to Blendin. Blendin then breaks it and it's revealed that Bill Cipher was controlling Blendin to get the rift and release the Weirdmaggedon. He then traps Mabel in a bubble, starting the final arc of the series.

So, a few episodes later, that bubble she's in is revealed to be a world of fantasy that she controls, and that she didn't want to leave that world, as she was scared of growing up etc.

Context given, A LOT OF PEOPLE HATED HER FOR THIS. Suddenly people started seeing Mabel as just a selfish girl who wanted things only her way, when she was only a 12-year-old scared of growing up without her twin brother (they do end up going back together at the end but still).

The worst part is that apparently the people behind it took note of this, and on the comics that where released after the finale, she is a selfish spoiled brat. I haven't read the comics though so I'm going off what some people said about it.

Amane Momose (12):

Amane was voted guilty in the first trial so that she would acknowledge her guilt. It backfired, and now she’s considered a threat. Well, everyone is a threat, but nobody’s threat level has been as heavily discussed and debated as hers. Consider the next prisoner in line, Mikoto. He’s objectively more dangerous and cannot be restrained. He beat up the guard in trial 1, and he was able to hold his own when the other guilty prisoners were attacked. But a good incentive to forgive him is so that he will calm down. You know what? That’s a good incentive to forgive Amane too! But she *can* be restrained, so a good portion of the discussion went into how she should be voted guilty so she *will* be restrained and not a threat. Since her vote was a near 50/50, of course a good chunk of the voters expressed dissatisfaction with her forgiven verdict. Some are already planning to vote her guilty for trial 3, calling her a “lost cause”. She hasn’t even done any concrete harm yet. Hold the pitchforks until she actually causes harm, please? And what if she *was* voted guilty in trial 2? We’ve been warned that she will continue to deny our judgement. A second guilty verdict won’t make her better either, and then what? She’d be called a “lost cause” as well. There is no winning with her.

----

Where do I even start? So first of all she’s an cult child who was physically and mentally abused and tortured by her parents and then (presumably) murdered her mother after her mother killed a cat that she took care of.

Now everyone in Milgram is a murderer but when Amane came and her MV showed her murder and circumstance in an admittedly highly fictionalized depiction of it the audience decided to…repeat the cycle of abuse!

She was voted guilty for the main reason of “teaching her” and helping her “realize that she was abused.” I would like to note that this tough love approach is something her parents utilized against her. “We are only doing this to help you.”

So the audience replicates Amane’s abusers and repeats the cycle of abuse and that’s pretty shitty but it isn’t exactly “Fuck Em Kids” level.

And then Trial 2 happened. Cause Amane is bitter and angry and horrifically traumatized so she acts aggressive and hostile. Especially towards another prisoner.

Now, again, everyone here is a fucking murderer (of atleast could be constructed as one) These people being able to Harm is a core concept of this series.

Yet for some reason it feels like people treat Amane as a “delusional creepy kid who wants to kill people” which completly takes away the nuance of her character. She does have the capacity to harm! Everyone here does! She’s not Uniquly Dangerous! She just has a Reason to be Dangerous. A Reason we GAVE HER by REPEATING THE CYCLE OF ABUSE.

In short: In a series full of Murderers I’m honestly a bit pissed that the 12 year old abuse victim is the one who’s treated like the guy from American Pyscho.

----

TL;DR: "We metavoted this abused, indoctrinated child guilty in trial 1, but it didn't work. Now she is a threat to three grown adults: one who is fully free and two whom she has been shown to get along with. Please metavote her guilty again so she will be restrained and unable to attack them, even though that means subjecting her to further psychological torture." Amane Momose is the youngest of ten murderers, prisoners of Milgram who are to be judged innocent (forgiven) or guilty (unforgiven). In the first interrogation (voice drama), she said that what she did was in line with her religion's doctrines. If we judged her the "wrong way", she said she will just deny the verdict. Combining the voice drama and music video, you could piece together that she was raised in a cult and abused, even though she is cheerful and downplays her pain. She never shows *who* she killed, only *why* she did. After the first day of her vote, she was 81% innocent, but this wouldn't last the whole three months. Many people voted her guilty so she would "see her sins", part of the practice commonly known as "metavoting". Her innocent percentage rapidly decreased, and she hit guilty in the last 15 days, finishing at 51% guilty. At the end of the first trial, Jackalope (who is something like a host) went over all the prisoners' verdicts and commented on the general reasoning. When he got to Amane, he *laughed* at the audience for voting that way to make her realize her sins. Trial 2 rolled around, and it was revealed that Amane's victim was her abuser. On day one, she was at 74% innocent. Seems like a cut-and-dry case now, right? Well... in the intermission, two of the prisoners (Fuuta and Mahiru) were badly beaten up and became reliant on the care of Shidou, a doctor. Amane became hostile to Shidou because what he was doing was against her beliefs. She visited all three of them on their birthdays to convince them to change their ways. She seems to be especially close to Fuuta, who is now murmuring about salvation. Guilty prisoners are psychologically tortured, forced to listen to voices that reject their beliefs. Fuuta and Mahiru both say that the mental strain is worse than their physical injuries. But Amane, who also looks worse for wear, was thrown under the bus because she isn't injured and is considered a physical threat to them (never mind that she gets along with them). She's considered a threat to Shidou, a grown man who is twice her size and fully free, while she is partially restricted by the long sleeves in her trial 2 uniform. She might indoctrinate Fuuta even though, in a prison of ten people and one guard, she's the only voice of her cult. Fortunately, she got a break. Her vote was falling at a similar rate to the first trial. But this time, it stabilized at 51% innocent, 12 days before the end of her vote. But there's no way this is over.

[asocialangel]

sitting on itzy's lap out of habit.

Yuna - fluff - 844 words

Other versions: Yeji - Lia - Ryujin - Chaer - Yuna

Yuna: would be the least surprised. Her eyes would definitely widen at first, but she'd quickly smile it off, wrapping her hand around you.

Finally i'm done with these !!! Idk what took me so long, i was dreading to moment i had to write them, but they were so easy ?? Anyways i'll concentrate on blue lock now~

You guys had planned this night since over a week. Everyone wanted to gather up for a good old movie night. The 6 of you each got to pick a movie, hoping that you’d manage to stay awake for them all. That’s why you got prepared: had a good night's sleep the day before, lots of sugary drinks and sour gummies. But you knew that pulling an all-nighter was going to be hard. So obviously the first movie would be the one you'd all pay attention to the most, and the sixth one… Might be the one you'd all sleep through. That's how Yeji got the best idea ever, as a leader does, even off-duty. You would play rock paper scissors, the winner playing their movie first, and the loser last. Lia whined: “I never have luck when it comes to these!”

“Actually that’s a great idea, unnie”, competitive Chaeryeong answered. My film is so good, I'd be sad if you guys missed it. “I chose LaLaLand, it’s a romantic classic, so you guys must know it if you want to know me”. Everyone gathered up in a circle, pausing the activities they had started. “Okay let’s do this, Yeji called. The odd one out is the winner. One, Two, Three !”

Everyone stuck their hand out, choosing one of the three signs. And the first winner was… Chaeryeong. RyuJin side-eyed her: “Tch, it should’ve been me. Flipped is a complicated movie, so we should all be concentrated. I guess it’s okay if it’s the second one in line”. “It’s okay unnie, you’ll get it”, Chaer sarcastically answered, matching with her competitive aura too. “Next round then !” Yeji brought order again. “1, 2, 3 !”

Ryujin won. She said she would after all. As she celebrated in her dongsaeng’s arms, the rest of you laughed, while Lia continued whinging, knowing where this would lead to. One, two, three !

But this time, both Yuna and Lia had the rock, while you and Yeji had paper and scissors. “Well I guess here goes a mini-rematch !” Yuna happily said. “I can't believe this'', perplexedly replied Lia. “1, 2, 3 !” Ryujin set the tempo for them. Lia shouted. “OMO, this is HAPPENING !” She won. Barbie the princess and the pauper would then play third. Yuna sighed and you guys continued on the game. Yeji would play her film, twilight, the fourth, then Yuna second to last with miracle in cell no. 7, and you would close the night.

“You know what you guys think, it’s okay actually, if we don't pay that much attention to me. I was planning on playing "How to train A Dragon.” As you said that, you slowly turned to Yeji, and everyone burst out laughing. She had a pouty look on thought. 

๑

Everyone went back to their activities, a smile on their lips because the game was fun. Chaeryeong prepared the covers and pillows, while Ryujin was on tech duty, connecting the computer to the projector and opening illegal streaming sites for each movie. 6 pretty tabs, waiting for you, announcing the color of the night that was about to come - white, or black, it’s the same anyways. Yeji and Lia were preparing the snacks in the kitchen, opening up chips and putting them into bowls, and glazing strawberries with chocolate. In the meanwhile, you went upstairs to the room, to take everyone’s plushies and bring them back to the living room, now transformed into a home-cinema. Since everyone was handling everything, Yuna was kind of… jobless. So the only thing she thought of doing was turning the LEDs on, for a deepened ambiance. She took out her phone and connected it via bluetooth to the lights. She was just sitting on the couch, trying out different modes. 

You barged into the room, throwing the 6 plushies on the blanket-lined floor. Now you were the jobless one, your easy task already being completed. You saw that Yuna wasn't doing anything important either, and decided to go with her while waiting for the girls. As you walked over the soft floor, you made your way to the couch. Chaeryeong was finished setting the cushions, and decided to turn off the lights, to see what it would look like. Since the LEDs were on, you still saw everything. And out of all the empty spots in the living room, you decided to sit on Yuna’s lap. Chaer and Ryu didn't even pay attention to it, since it was so likely for you to do something like that. On the other hand though, Yuna got flustered. She let out a small “ooh”, but as you placed your hands behind her neck, hugging her, she softened. 

Her face was overtaken by a smile, and she crossed an arm on your waist, the other being busy using her phone. She rested her chin on your shoulder and chuckled, hoping you’d spend the night like this.

[moltz23]

Did a Potential Overhaul in the Post-Timeskip Cutscenes mess up with 3H's Development? - Development Mystery/Theory

Back in 2021, Nintendo released a video called Fire Emblem : Vol 1 to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary. And around 30:35, the video shows the 3H Movie "Rematch", used for Chapter 17 of the Azure Moon and Verdant Wind routes.

With a catch.

It's not the same one that ended up on the final game:

A glimpse into an alternate reality?

People went wild back when they noticed Edelgard and Claude in this version are using the outfits of their Emperor & Barbsrossa classes rather than the Armored Lord and Wyvern Master ones seen in the game we got, leading to much speculation surrounding what this meant for Three Houses. And it goes without saying that, while unseen, fans suspect that Dimitri uses his Great Lord outfit rather than the High Lord's in this version. So... The heck is up with this movie???

Well, as uncovered by VincentASM from sereneforest.net, it's highly likely this take of the movie shown in the promotional Nintendo/FE video is from an early build of the game. A build so early, that Edelgard skin and eyes were more saturated, and characters still didn't use unique palettes when using generic classes (which was incidentally used in February's JP Nintendo Direct of 2019).

Your call as for which version looks better.

It doesn't just end there though; if Three Houses' datamine is anything to go by - namely, the internal order the classes have in the code - we can find evidence that can answer why the endgame lord classes were used in this variation rather than the "middle ones" early on: simply put, Armored Lord, High Lord, and Wyvern Master did not exist during most of 3H' development. In turn, this explains why the Flame Emperor Class - Edelgard's enemy-only class for Part 1 - is internally, a model swap of her Emperor class rather than Armored Lord's: the latter didn't exist during development of Part 1, so Emperor was used as a base instead.

With this evidence uncovered and the answer giving resolution to the promotional footage shown, hopes waned down for the future of 3H, and everyone moved on.

This raises two questions I haven’t seen anyone point out before, though.

How much (if any) did this change mess up the post-timeskip movies? Is it the reason why the Silver Snow Theorem happened?

To explain these inquiries further, I'll go into greater detail about each one:

1. Two Types of Animated Movies.

Corporate needs you to find the differences between these two pictures.

Three Houses uses 2 types of animated movies for important scenes. The first one (see the one on the left), was done in-house by KT through pre-rendering shenanigans with the 3H engine. Meanwhile, the second one (on the right) was outsourced to SANZIGEN.

The distinction between both is relevant because the movie showcased in the FE Castle Conversations video - as well its final version - belong to the former category. Meaning that, should the character designs get tweaked during development, in the best case scenario, as far IS & KT were concerned, swapping models should be enough to keep things up to date, which might as well be what happened with the "Rematch" movie once the House Leader's main post-timeskip designs were swapped.

But what about tweaking the other type of movies, though? The ones commissioned to the animation studio? I can't imagine the whole process being cheap in their case, more so given that 8 out of the 11 movies commissioned to SANZIGEN feature the 3H lords post-timeskip:

What's important here is that ☆ = Doesn't feature any 3H lord in any capacity.

Granted, the smartest course of action in this instance would've been to simply commission the post-timeskip movies near the end of development to avoid consistency/revision issues, for which there is a plausible chance that’s the case. After all, in the E3 2018 trailer for the game - which was the first instance we ever saw footage of it - the only animated movie outsourced seen was the one from the intro.

But... What if that’s not the case?

Call me paranoid if you want, but I raise this worry for a reason-

2. "The Theorem of What?????"

Love this banner so much.

A few months ago I did a breakdown on how 3H distributes it's movies across routes, and if there's anything that stood up a ton besides the predictable stuff, is that the game followed a clear pattern which determined which routes would get the most movies, versus which ones would get screwed instead. In my breakdown, I coined this pattern "The Silver Snow Theorem" which proposes the following:

"The amount of movies and fullscreen CGs present in a route’s main story by Part 2, is directly and inversely proportional respectively, to how much the narrative follows Silver Snow’s story beats."

And as a refresher, Silver Snow matters to the development of Three Houses because: A. That's the first route the developers worked on; and B. was used as the basis for the other 3:

Which route specifically did you create in the beginning to establish the world-building? Kusakihara: It was one of the two paths in the Empire route—the one fans refer to as the “church route”: “Silver Snow” [...] afterwards, we had Koei Tecmo’s scripting team start work on the nitty-gritty of the other house leaders and the story of their respective routes.

While Silver Snow having this much influence over the Part 2 movies is noticeable in hindsight, truth be told, I did initially brush it off as just a side effect of being used as a template for development. Looking back now though, a part of me now wonders if the Part 2 movies were first commissioned once Silver Snow was late into development and AM and VW had been already decided to borrow a ton from the route’s first half. Because if that’s the case, then there might have been cutscenes outsourced to SANZIGEN that did feature Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude with their second post-timeskip lord classes rather than one ones fans are most familiar with.

But then, it was decided during development that the house leaders would rather use different outfits instead. And this might have caused problems with budget since changing those outsourced cutscenes ain’t an easy task compared to the ones KT made in-house.

Like, seriously.

Goes without saying that all this is merely conjecture. But I feel it’s worth making the question because, to reiterate, the Silver Snow Theorem highlights that the more a route follows Silver Snow’s story beats to a tee, the more animated cutscenes (and less CGs) it gets. And given evidence points out the lord’s main post-timeskip classes fans are familiar with were a late addition… I guess y’all know where I’m going by now.

I usually don’t make threads focusing on fan theories and stuff, but this has been in my mind for a long while so I wanted to see what you guys think about it. Do you think more movies with the lord’s 2nd classes got made before the outfit swap was made? Or perhaps the issue the devs ran with that caused the Silver Snow Threorem might be due to something else entirely…? Also, what's y'all's opinion on SANZIGEN's movies compared to the ones done by KT?

[practickles]

HarukAiri Tickle Headcanons

Some of these got LONG. Maybe potential fic ideas.

Tickle fights with these two get REAL. 

They are both competitive, stubborn and have ridiculously good physical stamina.

Even panting and teary-eyed, they just. keep. going. 

Giving up and admitting defeat doesn't even cross their minds until their voices are hoarse and even the slightest touch has them giggly. 

Usually they both either claim to win and “agree to disagree” because they don't want to admit how tired they are OR call it a draw and have a rematch a couple hours later.

There is somehow not EVER a decisive winner. 

Anyone who didn't know them might find it moderately concerning.

One of the rare soft forms of competition is typically during movie night/any scenario where they’re holding each other on the couch. One of them will be relaxing and idol-ly (ha) stroking the other’s back before she gets the twitch which is all but a declaration of war.The game then begins and is operated on a set of unwritten rules because to write them would mean admitting they exist. They sit there and geeeently trace each other’s back/shoulders until someone giggles and then has to get absolutely WRECKED. Neither of them have ever acknowledged it to the other. 

They don't tickle each other often enough to really consider it something significant in their relationship. Just another form of affection.

Airi ends up ler more often than not purely because she just happens to lean more ler. She very rarely actively craves tickles, at least not in the way Haruka does. 

Airi also gives KILLER tickle bites. Haruka is very sensitive to mouth tickles on her stomach and Airi is consequently very good at making her girlfriend’s life hard.

*Can* do raspberries but prefers acting like she’s going to and instead nibbles to her heart’s content. 

Tickling is one of Airi’s favorite approaches to Haruka’s body image issues, assuming she’s not in the mood to be serious about them. 

Airi generally uses tickling as a way to get Haruka out of her own head.

She also does not hesitate to do it in front of other people too, which Haruka finds flustering to no end. Especially in front of Minori and Shizuku who are two separate flavors of “awwwww!” 

Minori does it in an adoring “my idol is so cute right now! She should smile like that all the time!” way. 

Shizuku is more of a “what a cute moment between my two dear friends!” 

Either way Haruka just wants them to stop cooing at her. (no she doesn’t)

When Haruka is in a lee mood, conceptually, asking Airi is no big deal until she’s in front of her. Something about her big eyes and smug look reduce her to absolute rubble. 

Airi, of course, NEVER helps fill in the words. Haruka isn’t getting what she wants until she CLEARLY utters the EXACT words. 

“Aw, c’mon Haru! You can be clearer than those mumbles! You do it on stage all the time! In fact maybe we should practice your projection right now too…” 

She likes to tease as if tickling is just training. “Oh you’re babbling a lot, aren’t you? A good idol can talk through any amount of strain” And then she doubles down, making her tasks downright impossible. 

They are complete opposites on the “scary ler” spectrum. 

While Airi is more “everything all at once” and goes for worst spots and stays there before switching up out of nowhere, Haruka tends to be more meticulous, taking the time to find out exactly what the best approach is. 

They both have a “ler voice”, I'm not sure how to describe it, but sometimes they'll switch randomly into a tease-y flirty voice and the other knows they’re done for. 

I know I’ve talked about precise ler Haruka on here before so I won’t say more than that but I cannot emphasize enough just how bad that is. 

One of my favorite pjsk tkl headcanons EVER is that Airi’s stomach isn’t at all ticklish so people will poke once or twice then give up in favor of somewhere different. The actual death spot, however, is in her belly button. No reaction anywhere else on her stomach EXCEPT for there. 

Haruka was the first one to figure this out (including Airi herself) and frequently uses it when Airi’s being grouchy. 

Haruka uses a lot of “cheer up” tickles. This basically translates to “Airi please take a deep breath and calm down before I have to tickle you to bits just to see you smile.”

Airi doesn’t feel fear often, preferring to deal with her problems head on instead of running away. Haruka in a full tickle monster mood though? She becomes a COWARD (totally justified) It doesn’t happen often, so a lot of energy gets built up at once and then explodes out all at once. 

Sometimes she’s just wound up and fidgety, sometimes Airi needs to be knocked down from her podium, really anything can trigger it and it’s sometimes as much a surprise to Haruka as it is to Airi when it happens. 

The primary problem is that Haruka both A: Knows EXACTLY how to get to Airi and B: Knows she can take it. 

The fact that Airi lers more is more than made up for in pure intensity. 

Haruka also, language-wise, has a scarily good memory and likes to throw Airi’s word right back into her face.

“Look how strong I’ve gotten! It’s not fair unless you get the same training.” “What’s that? I thought a good idol was supposed to talk through anything”

Airi is a screamer and Haruka will never admit the self satisfaction that she feels if she can get silent laughter from her. 

Same goes for giggly Airi. Just not something that happens. 

I made them both seem super mean throughout most of this and maybe they are… a little bit. But it’s out of love! They’re each confident in each other’s ability to withstand it and both know the other (especially Airi to Haruka) needs to let some fun into their life, even if it has to be forced.

----

Ignore the date ignore the date guys just ignore the date ignore th-

[one-idea]

Feels weird to even ask, but As unfortunate as it would be because Sandai Kitetsu (the one I refer to as the feral one) Really has been around the story for a long time do you think it'll ever be replaced? I don't want it broken but replaced? maybe? I think of the current 3 Zoro has, and 1 sticks out, Wado and Enma are the 2nd highest grade, like a pair in a way made by the same person, extremely unlikely candidates to change because one just got here and the other is nonnegotiable, I've heard people speak of the last being a higher grade blade by the end maybe one the same caliber as yoru.

Oh that’s a great question.

I don’t think Kitsune will be replaced. Mainly because it’s whole thing is it’s a ‘curse blade that will lead its master to their death’

So you play this one of two ways

Either Zoro carries Kitsune until his death and therefor ‘fulfills the prophec’

Or Kitsune breaks and Zoro’s ‘Luck?’ Breaks the curse.

I think the first one is more likely but I also think that by the time Zoro is The World’s Greatest Swordsman all three of his blades will be black. The whole thing with Shusui is that he can’t take the sword any higher than its old master did. It’s was already a black blade.

By the end Luffy will be The King of the Pirates. Thats the whole point of the series. I don’t know if Zoro will be The World’s Greatest Swordsman. He’s just not there yet.

Mihawk’s level has always seemed unattainable and it’s still is portrayed that way. For Zoro to get there by the end he’s going to need to ‘level up’ fast. Enma is powerful and definitely a help. But Kitsune AND Wado don’t match.

Wado, while a 21 grade great blade like Enma, does not have the same power. Zoro mentions it when wielding Shusui for the first time, how much stronger it is. So I think for Wado to get to that level it’s going to have to become a Black blade. It also just fits with Zoro’s story. The honing of his skills to reach his and Kuina’s dream. His determination to take her sword to the top with him. It make sense for Zoro to be Wado’s ‘final master’ the one who takes the blade as far as it can go.

But what about Kitsune?

You’re right it doesn’t fit, it’s not as strong. But the crew isn’t made of equally powerful members either. They all have different roles to play on the ship and in the crew. Kitsune has been established to have a personality and has been around so long to lose them now would be a gut punch.

And same idea as Waco, who else can take Kitsune to the top? Who else can take it as ‘far as a sword can go’? It has to be Zoro.

So you have 3 options.

Zoro and Mihawk have a rematch and no matter the outcome, Kitsune breaks. A way to get the audience worried by giving Zoro a disadvantage.

Kitsune stays with Zoro until he dies. At some point it reaches black blade status and both Wado and Kitsune are buried with him. One sword representing his dedication (Wado) and one his ferocity (Kitsune)

Zoro leaves/breaks it before confronting Mihawk and gets a new blade. (I just don’t see this happening as he just got Enma and we wouldn’t have time to spend with this blade.)

Again i don’t know if the Zoro vs Mihawk will happen in the series. It probably will because we are all so hyped for it. But one the other hand we could get a post cannon mini series or movie dedicated to all the other crew members achieving their dreams at different points of their lives.

Like sure Oda can show it in the epilogue in the final episode. Things like Nami’s map of the world won’t be finished by the time we reach Laughtale. So I can see him showing it in an epilogue or make a stand alone episode/short series/movie for it. Same with Sanji’s search for the All Blue. Hopefully it’s near Laughtale, but if it’s not…. And you could make this argument with several crew members. Can they finish their dream by the time we reach Laughtale? If not will it be mentioned in the epilogue as an ‘oh here it is!’ Or does it warrant an episode after Luffy is King. Maybe the last ten episodes are just different Strawhats accomplishing their dreams at different stages of their lives (allowing us to see an older crew)

But Zoro. Will he fight Mihawk again before the end of the series? Most definitely. Will he win? That’s Oda’s choice. All of it is. I can see Zoro wining for thematic reasons (the King of the Pirates needs The World’s Greatest Swordsman on his crew. Can Luffy claim King if his crew doesn’t measure up?) these are Zoro thoughts. And if he loses could lead to some great angst for Zoro.

I think thematically and because of how pumped everyone is he will win. As the late Stan Lee said, ‘who ever the author wants to win wins. You come up with the how later’ if Oda wants Zoro to win there then he will. Doesn’t matter if we think Mihawk is still above him in skill, Zoro wins because it’s what Oda says.

If he loses… there’s no way we don’t get an epilogue/short film something about an older Zoro accomplishing his dream.

Whatever swords he has will be determined by which route Oda takes.

[writingrenna]

Hassel x GN!Reader

"Where The Heart Is"

A story where you start to actively pay attention to the specific brand of weird Hassel throws your way.

I admit, I didn't finish most of the friendship quests because I WANT MORE OF HIM, WHY DO CHARACTERS JUST DISAPPEAR/BECOME GENERIC NPCS WHEN THEY'RE DONE BEING IN THE STORY?? I want to truly engross myself in his backstory, so I'll be taking things slow. Don't mind me, just dragging out the inevitable </3

I WILL be taking advantage of his rematches, thank you very much.

ALSO this takes place three years after the end of the game so your expy has time to be hired and get to know Hassel, you work as one of the academy librarians!

Tone/Ending: Slightly Angsty At Parts, Wholesome, Romantic

Warnings: If you're sensitive to rough family situations, be warned! Hassel is very firm with no longer associating with his family and it's hinted at that his childhood wasn't the best, but the story doesn't dwell on that yet, I'm exploring that more later

Also, beware the movie and Hassel's painting sections, especially if the Iron Giant makes you sad

Word Count: A little bit over 5,000

^^^>

"You're... really sure about this, huh?" You say into your mug.

The steam from your tea gently tickled your nose as you considered what he said. The two of you were standing at the back of the staff room, both leaning against a window each on opposite sides of the bookshelf. The rain was fairly loud, but it served more as a gentle white noise to your conversation than anything.

"Yes, I simply cannot imagine an outcome that would make reaching back out again worth it."

You couldn't see his face, but the sadness in his tone was evident, so you took note of that.

"Ah, I know how that feels." You say, remembering some sour relationship conclusions where the other person reached out again or seemed to linger a bit more than they should. But his story... holy Tauros, it was something else.

"Well, do you think you're happy here in Paldea?" You begin. "I mean, would you consider seeing more of the world from time to time? Maybe even visit your home region again?"

He paused, taking in your question. He then huffed a little out of his nose, although it didn't seem to be out of annoyance.

"Well, I have lightly entertained the idea of just visiting my homeland again, but I just..." He paused. "Something is holding me back."

Your face dropped from attentive neutrality to one of sadness for him.

"Hey, no, that's valid of course! I was just wondering where you stood, you know? Like, after escaping all that and starting anew here? I'll stop asking if you like, though."

He immediately rebutted your offer.

"Nonsense, my dear. I do not mind your curiosity. I am aware my familial ties are... strange."

You can almost feel him stare into his mug in self-reflection, the one with the hand-drawn Gossifleur design a student made him that he had printed on. The one he proudly owned and tearfully showed off to every member of staff who happened to walk by if he had it at the time until the entire combined workforce of both the academy and the league knew about it. His favorite mug...

Him speaking up snapped you out of your trance.

"Ah, and about your first question. Truth be told, I do not have enough time to even imagine seeing more of the world, much less experience it. Between the academy and my duties with the elite four, my schedule is simply swamped! I sadly do not even remember the last time I had an extended break."

You frowned, looking down at your own mug. The one you spun yourself after classes on a day that Hassel had done a lesson in properly handling clay, donated courtesy of Brassius. He gave you a chance to throw down and de-stress as he cleaned the rest of the classroom since you had an especially rough day reorganizing books in the massive entrance hall. It wasn't perfect, but it was your own pride and joy, one he had cried upon seeing you finally use one spring morning.

"Oh! But do not pity me, I really and truly do love working with our students and giving it my all in the league. My classes remind me of the joy and wonder one feels while appreciating the beauty the world has to offer, even during those darker days. The future is bright for all our students! And these dragon Pokémon..." He paused. "They were always there for me despite my family's less-than accepting stance on my life choices. I have nothing but praise and gratitude to show them all."

You smiled, looking down a little as you let his words reverberate in your mind. You were going to ask him another question, only for him to completely derail your train of thought.

"Besides... there are many a thing here to make me feel well and truly at home."

You could hear a great warmth in his voice when he said this. You pondered on this, wondering if he meant to hint at something there when you notice the rain had stopped.

"Hey, the rain's gone!" You said before departing from the window. You stretch, careful not to accidentally spill the contents of your mug as you do so. You then walk forward a bit, looking over at your colleague as you do so.

You can't help but pause, however, at the way he stared longingly at the mug.

His eyes were transfixed on the last bit of tea left, swirling the liquid in his hands. His usual piercing eyes were replaced with a far more softened gaze, pupils large and unfocused.

He glanced up at you, smirking, although it was out of contentment. You couldn't help but focus on his blush. He was obviously thinking about something, but what ?? The way he stared at you from below his eyelids, refusing to lift his head more, but still giving you his undivided attention made you feel... strange.

'What is this man thinking?'

Despite taking in every little thing you could about his strange behavior, the moment really only lasted a few seconds before he chuckled softly, sitting up straight himself.

"Ah, well then." He softly intoned. "We should probably head out. Would you..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"...do me the honor of... of letting me walk you outside?"

^^^>

The rain-kissed streets of Mesagoza smelled fresh, and the warmth in the air left you without the need of a jacket, so you decided to forego wearing it. Hassel seemingly felt the same way, taking his coat off and draping it over his right arm before gently placing his left dominant hand over top it, as if caressing it. He took a deep breath, eyelids closed and fluttering.

"Ahh... smell that evening air. The world has been rinsed clean and emerges anew!"

You smiled up at him. He truly did seem to appreciate every little thing this world had to offer, good or bad.

"Hah! Yeah, I love the smell of rain. Very cozy, makes me feel all peaceful and stuff."

You suddenly remembered something.

"O-oh! And did you know? The word describing that comfy smell of rain after a dry season is 'petrichor'!"

He looked at you, head tilted down and to the side at you, his wide eyes showing his astonishment.

"I did not! Thank you for enlightening me, I now know a far simpler way to describe this feeling."

You beamed up at him, eyes closing momentarily as you grinned a toothy grin. When your eyes opened again, his face had an enchanted smile. That blush... it was back.

A coincidence, surely.

You decided to pretend you didn't notice.

"Oh, hey! It's a nice evening. Would you like to take a little walk?"

You bow slightly, looking up at him and offering your hand. He flinches slightly, eyes widening again as his face erupted in a deeper hue.

"Uh, y-yes. Yes I would."

He hastily grabs your hand and moves to face forward, avoiding your gaze. The man was probably in his early-to-mid 50's or 60's, but his voice audibly cracked. You didn't mention it, however, much to his relief.

^^^>

Here you are, splashing and kicking about in some puddles. You brought rain boots with you to keep at the school because the weather seemed to change at a sneeze in Paldea, but you really didn't mind. You loved the rain. You also loved having company, even super posh and serious company. You called for your companion.

"C'MON, HASS! WHY NOT GET YOUR PANTS WET THIS ONE TIME!?"

He was leaning away, seemingly trying to protect his suit jacket.

"Er... I would rather not have to deal with dry cleaning for a few minutes of rebellion..."

You understood, although a part of you just wanted to see the man act like a child again. So you walked off to stare out into the distance, 'hmm'ing to yourself as you came up with an idea. This worried Hassel, who backed up a bit.

"My dearest, what is on your mind? I'm not sure I feel comfortable with your suspicious little 'hmm's..."

You let out a mischievous little cackle before turning your upper half back towards him. His nervous smiling face screams 'oh Arceus, save me!', yet he remains glued in place. He seems ready to bolt at any second, however.

"Oh, nothing." You start, turning to walk toward the man, whose nervous smile wavers a bit to being more worried.

"But I will break you."

He lets out a shakey noise, but he remains.

"Ah, well, it is alright. No need for, um, breaking." He grins. "I am quite content simply watching you enjoy yourself."

He seemed genuine. You groaned.

"Oh, I am still breaking you, sir." You point a finger at him, waggling it a little as you turn and walk away, although you don't retract it, simply shaking it to your side. "Juuuust you wait."

He 'hmmph's, shaking his head in amusement.

"I see, I am..."

He mumbles an 'Oh bother...' under his breath before continuing.

"...interested... to see whatever you have planned for the night."

You freeze. You didn't actually stop to think about when you'd "break" him. But tonight definitely works.

"Good. Cause it's gonna be WIIIIILD."

^^^>

It certainly was not nearly as wild as Hassel expected. Here you were, popping popcorn as he sat under a blanket fort in your living room. A part of you expected him to be giddy, feeling that childlike wonder take over.

But the logical part of you predicted his bewildered expression, silently staring up and around at the neon lights you hung about the dark room.

"So." he began. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Oh, I wanna remind you of what it's like to be a kid again! Let loose, man!" You did a strange little shimmying dance as you said this.

His eyes widened, although it was different than before.

"Really now?"

"Yes, really!"

The popcorn was finally done, so you put it in a large bowl before going over and putting it on the floor beside him.

"It's movie night now! Your choice..." You said, holding up several cases with classic movies.

The Little Primarina, The Pyroar King, even Revavrooms were available for him to choose from. He carefully looked them over, his usual neutral expression on his face as he seemed to seriously consider which movie to watch. It was kinda funny, your stomach compressing a little to hide a laugh that was threatening to come up. He didn't seem to notice however, instead pointing to one, looking back up at you in the process.

"That one looks promising."

^^^>

He chose poorly. Or at least, he chose one he wasn't prepared for. You watched as tears spilled from his eyes, him constantly shaking his head and whispering "no" over and over with the covers pulled up over his nose. The Steel Ultra Beast really did a number on him, watching the mysterious entity (who we now know as Celesteela) sacrifice itself to save its new friends from an Ultra Wormhole a secret branch of the government tried to seize, but instead caused to collapse. He yelped when it said to itself "Palafin." He couldn't bare to watch the climax, sobbing pitifully while squeezing his eyes shut, looking down and repeatedly chomping down on the blanket you two shared.

"It's Ok, Hass..." You said, rubbing his shoulder.

You had tried to warn him, but in all fairness, it'd take a lot of effort to properly warn anyone of the emotions involved watching it without spoiling the entire movie.

He leaned into you, his eyes still closed, tears still managing to escape.

"Th-thank you, my dearest..." He sniffles.

You felt bad for even having it as an option, but then again, he seemed to enjoy it despite the... sorrowful conclusion. You gave him a little while to let it all out, holding him tight and rubbing his back as he bawled his eyes out into your shoulder. You were so sucked up in comforting him that you almost forgot-

Gasp!

You sat up abruptly, although you hold onto Hassel so he's still lying on you.

"The ending scene!"

He's teary-eyed, but he looks over to the TV screen.

"The ending has not happened yet?"

"No! Or at least, not the true ending."

You smirk and look down at him like a Purrloin caught stealing but absolutely not regretting it, although his eyes are still sad. Either way, he kept watching, when...

"It... it is rebuilding itself?"

"Yeah! I mean, the movie never got a sequel, which sucks, but hey! Open-ended bittersweet endings are one of my favorite kinds!"

He seemed to feel slightly better, sniffling a bit as he sat up and wiped his nose.

"Ah, I-I see..." He said, slowly calming himself down. He took a few deep breaths before turning to you.

You feel the need to apologize.

"Hey, sorry I, uh, brought that movie out in the first place."

He looked at you, a weak smile on his face.

"Do not apologize, my dear! I can see why you and many others consider it a cult-classic. It was a marvellous story despite the turmoil in my heart. Perhaps even partially because of it."

He seemed hesitant to say the next part, sitting with his legs up to his chest.

"I, um, had a fantastic time with you tonight."

He turned to look at you, eyes sparkling due to the light of the TV.

"Really, I did."

There was so much warmth in his tear-stained face.

"I'm glad! I just wanted to see you let your guard down, haha!"

"Ah, I see..." He said, eyes darting to the side as he turned away, contemplation on his face.

The two of you sat in silence for a moment as he thought on what all just happened. You decided to close your eyes, lightly humming a tune to yourself. It wasn't one that existed, or even made sense really, but it was your own little melody.

"Ah, I have always wondered, is that a song you like?"

"Hehe, nah, just a melody I made up one day."

"Oh. It is very pleasant." He smiled.

"Thank you!" You smiled back.

^^^>

He had gone home later that night after you forced him to stay for pizza and a few episodes of a show you used to watch. He went for a salad instead, not wishing to feel sluggish on his way home, although you got him to eat one singular solitary slice. All-in-all, it was a very good night. You got him to smile and laugh again despite watching such a sad movie just an hour before.

It was now Friday, three days later. You knew he'd have something special planned for his students today, as he did every other Friday. You wondered what it'd be as you reorganized the shelf housing the Occulture Magazine again. You idly wondered how accurate the entries were when you heard a bell.

"Oh, classes are out already?"

You had already kept up with what the students in the entrance hall were up to that day, since there weren't many there to really pick up after, so really, all you had to do was a final check of the catalog you started earlier so you could pop by and see what Hassel had done that evening.

It took a bit over 30 minutes to wrap everything up, but you finished, signing out of your work computer and making your way over to the art room.

When you reached the door, you heard a familiar tune. You wondered what it was, before suddenly realizing something: it's the tune you hum! He remembered it? Has he hummed it before?

You entered the classroom, prepared to ask him how he remembered the erratic tune so well when you decided to see if he was in a state to even be distracted. Hassel was sitting at a desk, adding various dots with the aid of a thin paintbrush to a canvas he had. You assumed it was glitter or stars.

He looked up at you, neutral expression turning into a huge grin.

"Oh, my darling! Come over here! I have something I'd like to show you!"

You did as he said, coming over as he himself stood up to meet you at the other side of the desk.

He held up a painting, and by Arceus was it gorgeous. It was of Celesteela, flying into space, a content look on its face despite the doom looming over it.

"I used this as an example for today's lesson." He began. "I was inspired by our movie night earlier this week. I thought of the many pieces of media that make one feel things, the images and words that truly stick with you that came from another mind, how we often analyze and relate to them. So I decided to base this Friday's special on that very concept! Everyone was allowed to draw and paint their own favorite scenes from the movies, shows, and games they enjoy."

You nodded, still taking in all the details of his painting. He based it off a real photo of Celesteela, a sorta modern "glow up" of sorts that make the familiar scene truly pop.

He continued.

"This piece was meant to represent the acceptance Celesteela showed during the climax of the film. How it smiled despite facing what it thought at the time was oblivion. How it..." He swallowed and blinked harshly a few times. "...it would do anything for... the ones they lub... w-without he... hesi-"

You put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. The man looked back down at you, obviously on the brink of tears as he swallowed and sniffled a bit.

"Heh... I suppose you wouldn't need my analysis, seeing as though that tape of yours was so well-loved."

He had taken note of how the label on the tape wasn't perfectly pristine.

You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes.

"Yeah, well..." You continued to look off to the side. "I like it when things make me feel things."

He softly laughed, a few stray tears finally escaping. He closed his eyes while leaning his head back for a moment.

"Yes, I can tell. You seem to enjoy learning about descriptive words and how specific they can get..."

He trailed off before wiping his tears away, finally looking down at you again.

"Well, speaking of, would you like to... accompany me at my booth for the academy's upcoming fair? It would be nice to teach people more ways to express themselves and how they feel about the things they consume. It is truly saddening to see people keep their opinions to themselves simply because they do not know how to accurately bring their thoughts into the world. And as a self-proclaimed 'word nerd', your area of expertise would be an excellent addition to my own inspiration station, alleviating the frustration they feel and helping them dig up what they feel inside."

You blinked. Hassel, the Hassel wanted to work with you? You thought he was far more articulate than you, often gnawing at what he says in your mind and trying to emulate that vibe in your emails. I mean, you often said "lmao" in real life. Having an interest in words sadly didn't make you a wordsmith of any sort. Did he see something in the way you speak or express yourself that you didn't?

"I'll d-do it."

Woah, how nervous were you? Or, rather, how eager were you?

Hassel's golden eyes shone as he grinned, ecstatic at your 'yes'.

"Ah, do not worry, my dear! You will do amazingly, I just know it."

Looks like you're gonna need to break out the thesaurus.

^^^>

It was the afternoon of the "Treasures Within" fun fair. Hassel's booth was really fun, he'd do his usual demo thing while also personally helping people start their artistic journeys when they didn't quite know where to go after each session. His advice came from a place that personally helped him cope and start his life anew in his past, although he didn't delve into just how it helped, only that he understands the struggle.

As for you, if someone wanted to articulate exactly how they felt about a piece of art or music, you'd hold a "mind unraveling" session, where you picked out certain themes they repeated or tried to go deeper in until they felt confident in describing what it is they feel with words that felt right. You thanked yourself for having the forethought to read up and watch a bunch of impassioned speeches online ahead of time.

It was a month of you hiding your anxiety from Hassel, but you can tell he knew, as he not-so-subtly tended to your every unspoken need, such as making tea whenever you were too busy reading, or having a comfy spot prepared whenever you came to his room to discuss your plans. He would even manage to check in on you more often than usual despite needing to tend to things on his own end.

Nothing could really get past him, could it?

As you were finishing up helping a kid who wanted to express just why he loved a drawing where Regieleki and Xurkitree became friends so much, you turn to see Hassel already looking at you, a familiar fond smile on his face.

"I would say today was a success, no?"

You pause for a split second, although you're not sure why. You respond, however.

"Oh yeah, for sure! I'd say we make a great team, even!"

Now it was Hassel's turn to pause, although his is far more noticeable. Jolting slightly, his mouth suddenly presses together into a tight line as a blush erupts on his face. He pretends to not realize this, although he looks tense.

"I certainly agree, my dear-"

His voice momentarily rises in pitch as he abruptly chokes and doubles over at the end, turning away. It sounded genuine, although you wondered if it'd have happened if you didn't say what you did.

You couldn't help but look back on all his odd behaviors around you lately.

"Um, yes!"

You turn to a vendor.

"I'm..."

You momentarily turn back to the man, pointing over your shoulder to the stand.

"I'm gonna go get some juice. For you, specifically."

You then turn and leave without another word.

^^^>

It was night. The fun fair has long since been cleared out in Mesagoza, but the two of you were nowhere near the town anymore. In fact, you were on top of the lighthouse on Poco Path.

Your eyes were closed, taking in that sea breeze. You cooed softly as you felt the gentle wind cut through the otherwise muggy night. Despite the humidity, it felt nice, reminding you of summer nights as a child.

Your train of thought came to an abrupt halt at this realization, however.

What was the weather like where Hassel used to live?

You opened your eyes, slowly turning toward the man, who also had his own closed. He had a calm smile on his face. You didn't want to ruin it, but you couldn't help but feel bad. He left all that was familiar to him due to circumstances he couldn't control, at the hands of his own family, no less. You wondered if he had any particular places, feelings, or things he missed, but you decided to ask a different question.

"...hey, uh... Hass?"

His smile widened for a split-second before he responded, eyes still closed.

"Yes, my dear?"

You didn't know how to begin.

"Does this weather make you think of anything?"

His smile fell to a neutral frown as he thought.

"Hm. What do you mean?"

How do you ask this question without annoying him...?

"L-like, this weather reminds me of summer break, when I'd open my window past my usual bedtime and stare at the stars. Does this weather make you feel nostalgic in any way? Like, sentimental and peaceful and stuff?"

You look down, stretching the bottom hem of your top a little. "It's just an intense feeling I'm getting, sorry."

He takes a moment to ponder this question.

"Ah, no worries. We often feel the need to relate with others in regards to our intense feelings and emotions. But to answer your question, it does, yes."

This answer both relieved and confused you further. He seemed fine answering, but it was somewhat vague. You decided not to push it, however, just glad he didn't take it the way you thought he might (not that it'd be wrong if he didn't want to answer it at all.)

"Right on, man. Right on..."

You turned away and stared back out into the distance. The silence that swept over the scene felt loose, fluid, running through and around the two of you like some unknown substance.

You weren't sure if you should add anything onto the conversation, but his voice decided what would happen instead.

"I... have a confession to make, actually."

You froze.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath.

"That feeling you often speak of, the one where you feel a lightness in your chest and peace wash over you. A peaceful sadness, even, I do not really feel when I think of 'home' anymore. I feel nothing. "

You take his words in. It made sense, really, but it made you sad beyond belief.

He continued.

"Yes, that feeling of longing, a-and belonging, I know it may be hard to truly grasp, but trust me when I say I am fine with my decisions, that I cannot say I regret leaving my old life behind even if I do miss certain aspects of it from time to time. The negatives here far outweigh the positives there."

You nodded. Honestly, this convo was all your mind needed to extinguish your curiosity for a good while. He left home, and he's content with his current life, no matter how much he may miss certain aspects of it. No elaboration needed.

Except, there was some elaboration needed, only it was needed elsewhere.

"Oh! And your confession? Or was that your confession?"

He paused, body tensing as his grip on the handrails tightened. His breathing became slightly labored as a blush creeped onto his face.

"Um, well..."

He mumbled an "Oh dear..." to himself before continuing.

"When I said I have things here that make me feel at home, I meant the connections I've made. I love the people in my life far more than I love my family. I still care for them, yes. I can confidently say I love them, but I cannot say I actually like them."

He wasn't looking at you. Your mind was swimming with possibilities for what he planned on saying next, although you had the faintest idea...

"I... am very fond of you, too. I often find that I feel that peaceful feeling around you in particular."

He swallowed, eyes stinging with tears he tried desperately to blink away. He was holding his composure quite well, actually. You subconsciously held your breath.

"My darling dearest, I cannot hide how I feel for much longer, no matter how hard I try... I think... I believe I am... falling in love with you."

Your mind went blank as you stared up at the man, heart and stomach dropping in an instant. His eyes have closed yet again. His shuddering shoulders and shaky breath gave everything away, however.

He lifted his arm, covering his eyes as you continued to stare wide-eyed at him.

"I am so very sorry, my dear! I-I hobe you do nod feel cornered by my conbession!" He sobbed. "I shall make my leab ib- ib you wish do be aloooone! BWUHH-HU-HU-HU-HUHHHHH!!"

You could barely understand what he was saying. He had already started to walk away when you finally closed your mouth. You weren't even aware you were gaping at him, the confession shutting your senses down despite halfway expecting something along these lines at this point. You guessed actually hearing him say it was different to speculating quietly to yourself...

"W-wait! Mr. Hassel!"

You grabbed his free arm, stopping him from getting any further. His cries continued, however.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just so shocked, I-"

You look down, still processing the feeling of your heart pounding in your chest. You hadn't even realized you were shaking so much until you realized how oddly... weak your grip on his arm felt.

"I-I jus-"

He took a few rapid half-breaths before stopping you.

"You do nod h-hab do gib me a resbonse! Nod now, nod eb-eberrrrr!"

You considered this. Truthfully, the idea of giving dating Hassel a shot didn't seem half-bad. You looked up to him, admired his skill and his strength despite everything he's been through. Not to mention, you admittedly found the man kinda cute. His personality just struck you as so sincere, taking his work and emotions very seriously. He's a very honest man, so he must truly love you. You'd definitely feel secure with him...

"...you're right... about the me needing time thing." You began. "B-but once I sort my feelings out, maybe we can get to know each other some more?"

He was still trembling, breath catching up with him as he hyperventilated. But a few seconds later, while heavily panting, he could respond.

"I-I would lub that!!"

He had turned to you, eyes still closed, head still tilted back, but he grabbed both of your hands and gently brought them up a little closer to himself. As he finally caught his breath and started breathing at a normal pace (aside from the large, shallow breaths he took), he slowly opened his eyes, looking at you, blush ever present on his face. His eyes sparkled with an intensity you'd never seen before as he smiled, the bottoms of his eyes crinkling as he did so. For a split-second, he looked like a young man again...

The two of you stood there, a tranquil feeling coming over you, when you heard him start to whimper. His mouth wobbled for a second before he suddenly started bawling again, causing your eyes to widen. You then let out an odd chuckle.

"Oookay, big guy. C'mere."

You took him into a hug, causing him to cry even louder as he let his overwhelming emotions out.

^^^>

It had been a few weeks. You were thinking back on everything that had happened. The moment you realized 'maybe he feels stronger feelings toward me than I thought.' How he went along with your weird plans despite having better things to do, how he looked out for your well-being by going above and beyond for you and truly understanding your needs, how he always praised and incorporated you into his work...

You absent-mindedly flip through some pages of Occulture Magazine. It really didn't seem too realistic now that you actually had a chance to sit down and read through it, but strangely enough, that wasn't really what you were thinking about right now.

You stand up, putting the book back on the shelf, a smile on your face as you make your way to the art room. He was on break at the moment.

You approach the open door, leaning against it and knocking, catching his attention.

"O-oh! Hello there!" He quickly clears his throat. "I'm very happy to see you! What brings you here?"

You look around, making sure nobody was there to hear this.

"Hoooow about... we go see a movie this Saturday?"

^^^>

A/N

I KNOW THIS STORY IS A LITTLE ODD! Like, he seems to be madly in love with you already, to an obvious degree, but this is the first time you take note of anything, right? Well, it's one of those "Oh yeah, there were signs" sorta situations. The pottery night you had with him was a small hint that he was already looking out for your well-being well before this and giving you special attention, but you just didn't think much of it. Plus, he's quite emotional, you imagine that once he finds a friend he feels safe around, his even more complex feelings come out. Which, true, but also HE DOES STUFF AROUND YOU THAT HE ONLY DOES AROUND YOU BUT YOU DON'T NOTICE CAUSE HE IMMEDIATELY CHANGES HIS BEHAVIOR ONCE HE REALIZES YOU'RE NEARBY. You defo noticed that behavior change, but again, he changes a bit around close friends already, and you didn't really have a point of reference for what his "normal" is (yet)

Sorry, I just love the pining dude genre, gimme some more oblivious love interests for male characters, please! Your gender still isn't stated, I just wanted Hassel to be the one to be super soft and like "Yes please notice me" while you're like "Huh. Cool. He just asked to take me to a new café. So anyway, how about some more weirdly specific words?" IT'S SUPER CUTE AHH

Also, speaking of, the story was gonna have them going to a café instead of a walk, and him talking about some beautiful customs and traditions from around the world and bringing up the Applin thing as a super duper totally subtle hint at his feelings, but you'd genuinely not know of that tradition before, so you'd just see it as a neat little cultural tidbit, but then I was like "bruh they just had tea", so I changed it to them spending time together like kids cause I thought it'd be cute if you got through to him to get him to experience things from a childhood he couldn't enjoy (even if it is more based on your own childhood, you're trying! Consider the night they shared here a test run). No worries, in future installments, reader will begin to fully understand what he went through growing up (I tried to make their questions less about his family and more about his life in general, but of course, the two are forever linked.) The idea of the little fair came randomly, based on the fact that all the gym leaders seem to have some career where they express themselves (even Larry with his "normal old job(s)," although obviously it's all more complicated than that), plus the entire game has frequent themes of people finding where they fit in life, what they wanna do, their dreams/goals, things like that. It's pretty interesting, actually, I can't articulate myself well tho so RIP I guess

ALSO ALSO not gonna edit this one cause the Tumblr app COULD NOT HANDLE IT LAST TIME so yeah

OH YEAH I HAVEN'T SEEN THE IRON GIANT IN 66 MILLION YEARS SO SORRY, I JUST TOOK WHAT I REMEMBERED AND POKÉ-FIED IT, I'm just going to use the excuse that the legends of the Ultra Beasts go WAY back, so the Celesteela in the movie may look simplified by comparison due to them not having a complete picture of it compared to the characters in S/US/M/UM. The movie doesn't even say its name, simply referring to it as the Steel Ultra Beast because nobody knew their names yet

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 23 - The Connector

"Ohhh, that's so awesome! Really?" Ohma's eyes widened a little, watching his wife, upside down on the couch, her long hair sweeping the floor as she giggled on the phone. "Even the Russian Mafia joined? No way! Ha, that's so cool!" it must have been Inaba she was talking to, otherwise she wouldn't be giggling and gossiping like that. "And you've got the Brazilians too? The Portuguese? The Yakuza also? And a lot of cults and political factions too? The Worm's gonna get annihilated in no time, amazing!" she's been talking on the phone for at least an hour - On face cam, no less. Ohma couldn't hear anything they were saying on the TV. "Oh, okay, okay - Go say Hi to Uri from me! See ya, Sadako-chan!" finally, Kisara closed the phone after nicknaming the Black Phantom after the ghost girl from The Ring. Very smart.

"You talked through the entirety of the film. Film that YOU wanted me to see." Ohma grumbled, playfully glaring at her. "Well, yeah, I did - But! Inaba told be about their meeting with the big powers and how their Anti-Worm alliance went. I have to call Raian and see what he knows also, but all in due time. The Kure clan is pretty busy lately." the man rolled his eyes, snatching Kisara into his arms and taking the phone away from her. "Shut up and replay the movie from the beginning." the girl giggled, doing just that before relaxing in his embrace. "Say, have you heart anything of Koga lately?" Ohma hummed in affirmation. "Yeah, he's with Kano and Rolon, training. On a trip with the Purgatory chairman or something." "Oh, is that so? Maybe we should go on vacation soon, how's that sound?" Kisara grinned up at him. "We just returned two days ago, you disaster woman." he ruffled her hair, amused. "Nothing's to say we can't have fun whenever we want. Not like there's anything holding us back, anyway."

True, there was nothing holding them back, except a lowkey duty to destroy the Worm, if the time arose. With a well-planned scheme and lots of people involved, Inaba and Himuro found Xia Ji, the one who brought Ohma's cloned heart to save him, and tried to subdue him; They failed. With the aid of Medicine Man's tracking device, Akoya and Ryuki found him and tried to take him down - They, too, failed, but Ohma was there to make a deal with the Chinese leader. If he doesn't run away, he won't hurt him - Otherwise, he won't be able to move ever again. Tokita guided Xia Ji to a warehouse, where not only those who tracked him down were waiting, but the Heavenly Wolves also, but Kisara and, of course, the main fighter, Narushima Koga who was waiting for his rematch after what happened months ago when Ji and his gang almost killed him and Yamashita Kazuo. Were it not for Ohma and Raian, they'd have been minced meat.

If Ji wins, he gets to walk away without anyone trailing him. This was Koga's closure, and Xia Ji seemed to want to fight him also, under who knows what pretext. He looked desperate enough, and bloody and bruised to the core - Yet his pride, most of all, was destroyed. Just as expected, the enemy pulled out weapons, but it took no time for the youngster to beat punch him away, throwing away any said blade. Punch after punch, Koga kept beating the feral man down, until he god up, more desperate than ever, and like a spiky wolverine, he began attacking with a ridiculous amount of force, almost reminding Kisara of Wakatsuki's punched. Hold up - With how easily he gets up, and his weirdly ferocious punches... Could he also have a milder Superman Syndrome? What a joke. Every word out of his mouth is a lie, and every deed is an act, yet in all honesty, Kisara and Ohma agreed to one thing, watching the fight - He's stronger than Koga is at the moment. Those martial art skills were truly wasted on that rat man.

Every time Koga knocked him out, Xia Ji got angrier, spewing shit about being the ruler of the underworld and that he'll destroy everything - Was he connected to the head of the Worm, then? Did he have all his power taken away from him? That wasn't the behaviour of a leader, he was far too emotional and distraught, not to mention, a complete and pathetic failure. He appeared dangerous, practicing some techniques from Chinese Wushu schools, turning his whole body into a whip, concentrating his strength into his fingers so that he may inflict the maximum amount on damage at a rapid pace - Even so, Koga had the upper hand, chopping at his wind pipe, punching away the weapon he tried to use as a trump card, and using his Crescent Moon Kick as a finisher, Xia Ji was on the ground, groveling pathetically, begging for mercy though contradicting himself - Saying he won't kill anyone, but in the same breath, denying the worth of the dead.

Finally, Ohma stepped in, stopping Koga from killing Ji, and letting him go - A debt, repaid in full. A mercy undeserved. But if he ever shows his face again, Ohma will kill him himself. Nikaido Ren mentioned that, although they had orders to eliminate Xia Ji, they have been revoked - Ji was no longer affiliated with the Worm, he has no power anymore - Still, they will continue monitoring him every so often.

Since then, Koga continued to train with Ohma and the others, preparing for the Berserker Bowl that will be taking place soon enough. They've got some big names getting to fight in the Kengan x Purgatory joint project tournament, including Cosmo and Saw Paing, but also, some of the so-called supernovas. As soon as Kisara heard Rihito's going to enter the tournament, she cringed, calling Yamashita Kazuo about entering. She would rather die than allow that idiot the chance of winning. He had enough luck to get the easiest matches and find his way to the top. She was gonna crush that hope.

"You're kidding." Ohma looked at her, incredulous. "I never knew you were so petty." "That's an understatement, love." Kisara's smile was poisoned like Snow White's apple. "I've been hating that guy even more with each time he hit on me like the disgusting pervert that he is." Ohma huffed, amused. "Alright, Your Majesty. Go win that crown."

Though she entered that tournament, she hadn't told anyone, so it was a huge surprise for everyone upon seeing the Queen of the Kengan Matches in one of the eight pools. She only fought twice - A win and a loss, both in high-stakes tournaments - Yet both fights were at least two years apart, it was as though she had retired. Not only that, but she was still the CEO of the Hasashi Company.

Pool A: Furusaki Jinsei, Leonardo Silva, Hong Xiaohu, Albert Hiruma Poo B: Sakuragawa Arata, Yurikawa Taiju, Tsukamoto Seishiro, Imai Cosmo Pool C: Ilyukhin Asimov, Death Crow Jr. , Yuge Tsuyoshi, Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers, Pitali Klitschijo, Kim Jang-Gi, Onoda Ikkai Pool E: Kim Seung-Yuop, Aki Saito, Narushima Koga, Funayama Yoshiki Pool F: Kono Haruo, Himuro Ryo, Luca Tyrant, Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara, Nam Nhat, Sawada Keizaburo, Yoroizuka Saw-Paing Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki, Ushiroda Takero, Chiba Takayuki, Tokeshi Kota

Each entrant will fight one match every two weeks, so a minimum of four weeks to determine which single person from each pool moves on to the championship. What a pain in the ass, Ohma agreed with Kisara's statement. They were used to fighting everything, all at once - This was far too lax a schedule.  Unfortunately, each Pool had fights in different cities, so it was rather a drag. In spite of that, Kisara convinced Ohma to go support Koga, whereas Yamashita Kazuo was in Hokkaido with Ryuki. She was fine with Tsuki-san as her supporter. Her first fight was against Sawada, the fighter using dancing at his core. The red head smirked, knowing she will get an easy win. Coincidentally, just after getting Ohma back, she started taking dancing lessons. Why? Because she noticed her lack of grace, caused by all those manly fighting styles she was using, and how in the world could she be a pretty princess dancing gracefully the bride and groom dance, huh? Clearly, she needed some practice, and what better than to learn those pretty Chinese dances she saw in the Imperial Dramas, alongside with some Wushu schools, to add the cherry on top?

Now, now, Sawada didn't have to see her going all out fighting, he wasn't worth her time, unfortunately, so might as well have a little fun, yes? She fought much scarier opponents before, so this should be a piece of cake.  Confident, Kisara initiated the fight, baiting the opponent with a low palm strike, before dodging a chop with her forearm, followed by a kick attempt. Sawada tried to hit her with some roundhouse kicks, but she easily evaded them, before kicking him in the ankle, to make him lose his balance a little. Just as he tried to lunge at her, she went in for a diaphragm kick, an uppercut, ended by an elbow to the back of the head, and a knee in the face, making him fall backwards painfully. Quickly, he got up, jump-leaping at her with a heel strike, but Kisara ducked, swiftly following close behind and kicking him in the butt; As he was down, she hit his head down to the ground with her heel. Not giving him any time to breathe, she grabbed him up, gracefully twirling with two strikes to his vitals, and another palm to his jaw, and another barrage of well aimed strikes. Finally, Keizaburo used his whirlwind strike, which made the fox girl smirk - As he was rotating her way, she swooped to the ground at the single leg supporting him. As he stumbled, Kisara jump-kicked him to the ground, before doing a backflip, hitting him in the head weird her feet - With a graceful pirouette in the air, she landed gracefully on his head, stomping him into the ground into a perfect K.O., as she did a pretty courtesy for the audience.

Hasashi Kisara won.

As expected.

Still, it almost amused her how they still referred to her by her maiden name. Not that it matter, she was still the one and only Kitsune Queen.

Kisara grinned, jumping up and down like a child in front of Takeshi, gleaming with cheerfulness. "Was I cool, Tsuki-san? Was I? Was I?" The man pat her head, humming in amusement. "Of course you were. I told you, you had a real career as a fighter - Not that it's any of your priorities." he said. "Were you so bored that you entered this low-stakes competition? It's not like you." Kisara's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "I just didn't want to let that blond idiot, Rihito, win." Takeshi's eyes bulged open in shock, only to start laughing.  "You're ridiculous." he shook his head at her.

The outcome of the first match was as follows: In Pool A, Leonardo Silva and Hong Xiaohu won. In Pool B, Sakuragawa and Cosmo won. Pool C, Rihito won, unfortunately, and the Russian guy too. Pool D, Myers and Kim won. Pool E, Koga and Aki Saito won. Pool F, of course, Adam won, and unfortunately, Haruo won against Himuro, only to forfeit because of an injury - What a pity.  Pool G, Kisara won against Sawada, and Saw won against Nam Nhat. At this rate, she's going to have to fight that hard-headed dumbass puppy. Awful odds for her. Lastly, in Pool H, not only did Chiba win, but shockingly, Ryuki lost.

Two weeks passed by past, and Kisara now had to face none other than Saw Paing - And honestly, what a drag! That guy was as though as it gets, and even crazier than the craziest weirdo in the world! Who the hell could break the ground with their head, anyway? Should she use speed, like Rei? Should she use Aikido? No, most of her Aikido moves involve throwing and head or face hits, that's not going to work on his ironman. Agito's style, maybe? But she'd rather not show everyone her Dragon Shot again, just like in the Kengan vs Purgatory tournament. After two years, people might have forgotten she even knows the Fang's fighting style, so better to use that in the later rounds, and keep diverting now - But Saw was not a person worthy of underestimating, he was incredibly strong, and Kisara feared him. She was sure punching a brick wall hurt less than punching him.

"Haha, sorry, Kisara! Can't believe the first time we meet after your wedding is in the fighting ring!" he laughed, pumped up for the fight. "Forgive me but I'll go all-in with our fight!" "And I promise I'll do the same, Saw!" the girl promised him as they both took their stances.

Saw took his usual Muay Thai stance, whilst Kisara got in a basic Kenpo low stance, hoping she was capable of learning enough Wushu techniques to beat him. Saw charged in, delivering two alternative punches before doing a roundhouse kick to her head and a knee to her jaw, as the height difference permitted, and a kick to her ankle - Though it hurt, Kisara managed to block all attacks, using Indestructible. In retaliation, she got in a crouch, sweeping at his feet and charged with a butterfly twirl kick, only to block again two punches coming her way swiftly. Damn, this man is hella strong, she tsk'ed, aiming a jab move similar to Gaolang's, though she knew very well he knew how to counter it.  She couldn't continue blocking his hits, she would soon get too injured to carry on - She had to get on the aggressive at once. 

She quickly did a high kick, followed by a few feint jabs at his jaw, an elbow to the diaphragm, and a fast donkey kick with both feet, driving him further behind. She rolled to the ground, jumping up and uppercutting him, continuing with a chop to his wind pipe and a quick fall to the ground, scissoring his feet into stumbling away. As he got up, she jumped and heel-kicked him twice before hooking her foot to the back of his neck and slamming him into the ground - She followed by grabbing his wrist and elbow similarly to what Hatsumi taught her, and falling to the ground, she destroyed his joint so he'd have less use in his right arm.

Facing again, Saw continued using even that injured arm, fighting through the pain, and they hit each other with new techniques, either blocking them or baring through the brunt of the jab - Either way, Kisara knew she must not allow him the chance of using the Hammer of Burma, or she was dead meat. She had to hit his windpipe somehow and knock him out, and fast, otherwise she doubts she can win with her force.

In a quick sequence of movements, Saw managed to score a punch to her abdomen, knocking her backwards, following with a few more well aimed hits towards her head, a shin kick and an uppercut with all connected, leaving the woman gritting through the pain. "Damn it, Saw." she wiped the blood from her chin, jumping up, only for the Burmese to spring at her immediately with high kicks and an attempt at grabbing, which thankfully failed - Her Aikido was always going to save her, it seems. She quickly grabbed Saw's wrist, rotating with him to change the flow of the motion before pushing him away so she can get going and finish this quickly. 

Kisara got in a low eagle stance, spring up with two strong palm his to the diaphragm - As she was rotating, she grabbed his other wrist, using her elbow to hit him hard, which she repeated as she faced him again, with an uppercut. Still holding onto his wrist, she dove behind him low, kneeing at his lower spine, swiping back at his feet, dragging him to face her, kicking him in the abdomen and palm-striking him away. Instead of falling back, Saw grabbed tightly onto her arm - He was ready to use the headbutt on him, but he didn't have a good enough grip on her. Before he could charge, Kisara held on his forearm, tripping him and getting to his side before instantly karate chopping at his windpipe, making him fall to the ground - To make sure he would get up, she quickly kicked him in the ribs to roll him on his belly and slammed her knees onto his back, immobilizing his joints again.

"KISARA WINS!"

Oh, thank fuck, Kisara breathed out in relief, shakily getting up to her feet. Somehow, that fight was worse than the one in the Purgatory. Maybe. Whatever.  She stumbled slightly walking back to Wakatsuki once again, who gently put a towel on her head, wiping away the sweat and blood. "I never want to fight that monster ever again. How did Gaolang keep up with him all these years, anyway?" Kisara groaned dramatically. "Nah, well, I suppose Gaolang is Gaolang. I doubt I could do that every again though. I'm just glad Hatsumi taught me well enough to do cheap, dirty tricks like that." "A win is a win, don't think too much of it. It was a great fight." he handed her back the phone. "And I filmed everything, as promised." "Sweet! I can't wait until Ohma starts picking apart every mistake I made!" she laughed mirthfully, evidently joking. "Hey, Tsuki, let's go grab Cos and go for a drink, yeah?" "Sounds like a plan." the man smiled simply, waiting for her to get showered, get the medical attention required and change to her civilian clothes before leaving the arena.

From Pool A, Leonardo Silva won. Pool B, of course, Cosmo won with no problem. From Pool C, annoyingly enough, Rihito won. In Pool D, only Mark Myers remained to advance further into the competition. Pool E was easily won by Koga and Funayama. The brawl between Himuro and Adam in Pool F was won by the American who trained hard with Kureishi and Cos. Kisara won and advanced further into the competition from Pool G. And Pool H, well... Ryuki won against Chiba after almost assassinating him. Poor man, he might not be a brilliant fighter, but he's doing well enough for himself. They had to do something about Ryuki before he does something irreversible.

Late into the evening when Kisara finally arrived home, Ohma was already there. He seemed pretty content - Had he just finished a sparring session, maybe? Regardless, she made a beeline to change in her sleepingwear and let herself fall on top of him, exhausted after such a long day. "So, what did you think about my fight? Worth writing in the book of records?" "Hell no." Ohma chuckled. "But considering who your opponent was, you did pretty damn well." he praised her.  "Ha! You're getting mellow. It's almost like we're married!" Kisara grinned, nuzzling in the crook of his neck. "So, three more fights, huh?" Ohma hummed. "You really want to win, don't you?" "Oh, I don't care about winning - But losing means getting beaten up to a pulp and getting knocked out. I don't want a reminder of what happened in my fight with Takeshi, y'know? So - By default, I gotta win to avoid pain. That's enough of a motivator for me." Ohma actually chuckled at her hilarious resolve. "That, and I get a rush of dopamine when I beat Rihito." "You're a menace."  "You won't be coming to the drawing ceremony, will you?" she asked, raising her head to kiss him. "Nope." he smirked. "I and Yasuo are gonna watch from the comfort of our home, stuffing our faces with a ton of food." "Yeah, that does sound like you, alright. You're such men, it's unreal." she laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'll write my autograph on your forehead after I win this." "And Her Majesty's ego is bursting through the roof again." Ohma rolled above his wife, trapping her face between his hands.  "Not only that, but this Queen deserves a little bit of royal treatment, don't you think?" she smirked, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. "So demanding." 

With the tournament beginning, Kisara dressed in her most beautiful green hanfu dress, flowing around her as if she was a Spring Nymph, with her hair filled with flowers. She might not be Chinese, but considering the amount of things she learnt from that culture, from fighting style, dancing, history and what not, to the time she spent learning from Agito in the years they were away; There was nothing more beautiful than the awakening of one's soul and the happiness achieved through enlightening. Or whatever Buddha Gautama said - He's the top guy, he knows best.  Might as well become a princess! Buddha might have renounced his titles and luxuries, but she was far too shallow to let go of her hard-earned possessions. And she liked being pretty! Though she'll have to wipe off her make up before her fight, she wouldn't want to look like a Kiss member after a concert, or a wet, trashy raccoon.

"It's time to begin the draw for the Main Tournament!" Sayaka called out from the stage, next to Alisa. "And now, introducing the Eight Berserkers vying for the top!"

One by one, the champion of each pool walked forward on the stage. Pool A: Leonardo Silva Pool B: Imai Cosmo Pool C: Rihito Pool D: Mark Myers Pool E: Narushima Koga Pool F: Adam Dudley Pool G: Hasashi Kisara Pool H: Gaoh Ryuki Everyone was dressed their best, all of them beautiful and shining - Of course, Kisara, the single woman there, was the most glamorous. If people thought the only woman fighter might have stood out the most, they were wrong. Koga, dressed like a fucking pimp, was the single sore spot on the roster. Poor boy truly needed some female influence in his life. With the draws done, the matches were as followed:

Match 1: Imai Cosmo vs Hasashi Kisara Match 2: Mark Myers vs Rihito Match 3: Narushima Koga vs Leonardo Silva Match 4: Gaoh Ryuki vs Adam Dudley

Finally, everyone could relax and enjoy the banquet at their leisure, for on the morrow, the tournament will be taking place.  Regardless, Kisara had a lot of fun with Cosmo and Adam, taking their sweet time laughing and gossiping, catching up and what not. Koga was at the table with all his other supernova friends, Rihito was flirting as always - But Ryuki was all alone, in a corner. Kisara felt like she should try and comfort him in some way, or maybe encourage him, yet she had no idea what to do, so she continued her own fun. After enough pictures taken to commemorate a lovely evening spent, and a flooded social media, they returned home to rest until the tournament.

The Tournament was taking place in the Purgatory-Owned Coliseum, called "The Core", a hundred meters underground. Unfortunately, Nogi wanted to add the pathetic Ringout rule, so Kisara had to pay extra attention to what she was doing. Before the first match could take place, Kisara quickly paid a visit to the manager who was watching from one of the best stands up in the audience. "Hey, hey!" Kisara smiled brightly, flinging around her arms to play with her long sleeves. Though she couldn't wear a pretty dress anymore, there was nothing to say she can't continue wearing her pretty haori or hanfu coats over her equally pretty gym clothes. Gotta be a fashion icon even while sweating to hell! "Oh, Yamashita Kazuo, you've got a friend! You are so sociable, I envy you!" she grinned, turning her gaze to the man who was drinking canned beer with the old man - He was tall and well built, just like a fighter. He had a calm yet almost apathetic or bored look on his face, and he had his messy blond hair kept in a tail. "My name is Hasashi Kisara - Oh, actually, I suppose Tokita Kisara, considering I got officially married recently." The man looked her straight in the eyes for a few seconds, almost making her feel uncomfortable, before he spoke. "Jackie Lee." he said his name. "It's lovely meeting you, Miss Kisara. Your match is coming up soon, isn't it?" Kisara smiled, as if she was sparkling. "Are you Chinese?" she asked. "Oh? How did you know I am a foreigner?" Jackie tilted his head a little in surprise. "Yamashita-san also guessed well. Is it my accent?" "I'm not sure! It's just - I've gotten acquainted with the language over the past five years or so, and I think it has a certain melodicity that Japanese doesn't have. It's like... Like a honeyed mead caressing your soul. Does that make sense? No, of course it doesn't, that was stupid, forgive me." Jackie smiled at the woman, shaking his head. "Don't apologise. I'll take that as a compliment." he said. "I actually think it's remarkable how you picked it up so easily." "O-Oh, I'm glad you think so!" Kisara smiled cutely, bending a little to his level, only for her eyes to widen a little. "Oh, you have such beautiful eyes! I've never seen anyone with Polycoria before! And your shade is truly unique!" "Ahh, you flatter me, Miss." he smiled friendly. "Can I treat you to anything? I wanted to go get more beer for the two of us." the man asked gracefully. "Oh, no, I couldn't ask that of you!" she stammered quickly, not wanting to inconvenience. "Besides, I have to rush to my match. I hope I'll live up to expectations!" Jackie look at her again, almost as if he was analysing every inch of her body, before he smiled again. "Don't worry, it's on me. Good luck with your match, Miss Kisara." "Xièxiè!" Kisara attempted to thank him in his own language, offering a peace sign before rushing back down to the arena so that she can begin her fight. 

To think, out of all the possible fighters, she had to be pitted against the one she was most afraid of! Well, Adam was rather fearsome also, not to mention, they both trained with Kureishi. But Kisara was good at taking down huge guys like Adam. But people her size, specialised in grappling? She was screwed. Her joints and limbs were weak, and she has a low pain tolerance. If she lets him grapple her and gets a solid hold on her, she's as good as done for.

"Pity the two of us have to fight, huh? Frankly, you're the one who scared me the most - Such luck I get, huh?" Kisara chuckled softly, looking at the confident Cosmo in front of her. "I thought the same, Nee-san." Cos rose his hand for her to shake. "Remember years ago, when you saw my first fight? Remember how I said I wanted to spar with you one day?" "Your dream came true, Cos." she chuckled, shaking his hand. "Let's have fun, yeah?" "Hell yes!"

The two stepped away from each other and took their stances - For the first time, Kisara actually did a stance - Cos saw her fight before, there's no use bothering to play the stanceless non-fighter card anymore... At least, not against him. Kisara was the first to throw a lazy feint kick, getting him on high alert before stepping away. Just like in a UFC fight, they assessed each other's every twitch of the body, only for Cos to quickly need to block a fast kick to his head, followed by a feint jab to his chest. "Damn, you're fast, sis!" Kisara attempted another blow, only for Cos to duck and grab her arm, pulling her towards him so he could side-step behind her and punch the side of her face.  "Not faster than you, it seems." Kisara had a pained smile on her face, stepping away from him and keeping her feet first as Cos kicked at her ankle, but couldn't make her stumble. They had an equal exchange of quick jabs to the face before the boy feinted a jab to her diaphragm before crouching for a low-grab, his hands trying to grip tightly on the back of her thighs, but his had got hold in between her arm and ribs and managed to wrestle him away, leaping backwards. Cos might not be an enemy she's used to, but it was the first time she fights someone close in weight with her - She couldn't believe she could actually fight him, what a revelation. Still, her master plan was to throw him out of the ring - There was no other way around it, and with her Aikido, she might just make that happen.

As Cosmo was doing his footwork, he rushed right in front of her, aiming two straights to her face - Unbeknownst to him, as he was attempting a grab, Kisara fell low to the ground, her arms around his thighs, going for a similar grab as him previously, and as he tried to get out of her grip, she used her weight to throw him to the ground, on his back like a turtle on his shell. She was on her feet, between his legs, trying to land a strike but also guard against his kicks - What a fucking standard UFC moment, she thought, remembering all the fights she saw with Ohma when he taught her how to fight against grappling, her biggest weakness on Earth. She landed a sweeping kick to his thighs, looking down at him, before scaring him with a fake attempt at jumping down on him, as though she was Seki doing a fascinating Pro-Wrestling move. As if!

Sike.

She jumped again, one leg carefully in front of her so her knee and thigh would get caught between his legs and she could hold all her weight concentrated on her knee, down on his abdomen, while she landed a nice punch to his face, and rolling away to safety. She watched the boy pant, evening his breath, his back slightly hunched on the ground and his legs up - She remembers a Baki episode, when Yujiro Hanma proposed that the invincible move.  But she had the perfect counter.

Kisara waited for Cosmo to kick his legs in retaliation to a feint from her, so she did a cart wheel, grabbing his legs and rolling him with her - But she couldn't get on top of him, for he wrestled away perfectly. Damn grappler king, his reputation preceded him. "I hate grapplers." Kisara breathed out, making the boy grin and jump to his feet, lunging at her with another few strikes - Once again, Kisara forced another grab by kneeling and grabbing at his thighs and waist from the side, similarly to what Agito was doing, and managed to get him on his back again, her torso against hier crossed shins, and she tried to punch him somehow, but he grabbed her arms and hand. They were in a tight lock and struggling for domination by holding tightly onto the joints.  "Where'd you learn to grappler so well?" Cosmo gritted through his teeth as the woman managed to slip from his grip - That sweat was making her slippery. "I have a husband, you know." she grinned at the implication. "The least Ohma can do to be useful is to be a good practice dummy." somehow, she managed to get up and grabbed at his ankle, dragging him around a little, as if to play and taunt him. She was subtly dragging him closer to the edge, whilst also making her unnervingly close. What a gamble. She only bet on people, not on situations like this.

She allowed Cosmo to get up, not wanting to deal with that annoying ground grappling anymore, only to block a few punches with her arm, using Indestructible - But her thigh didn't work as well for that blocking. When he aimed a kick, she grabbed his ankle, throwing herself to the ground, but Cosmo grabbed her head, aiming a hard punch, getting each other in a tight lock and standing up. He landed a painful knee to her diaphragm and a jab to her face, making her gasp, breathless, and be forced to retreat immediately. That hurt like hell. She had to end it immediately.  

With a few steps took forward as if to scare him, Cosmo stepped back before grounding himself steadily on his feet. Cosmo lunged and attempted a punch to her face, but just like before, Kisara ducked and grabbed at his knees, trying to wrestle him down - She got her head in a suffocating headlock and Cosmo kicked her feet, making her fall down to the ground. Immediately he got behind her, his arms around her waist, getting her up, holding her so tight that she feared losing her breath altogether. Her nails were digging desperately into his hands, trying to break free in some way - The line was so fucking close, if only she could... If only...

As she was stumbling around on her feet, feeling her vision blur rapidly, she fell to her knees, her forehead planted on the ground with Cosmo still holding her, kneeling just next to her. This was it. It was do or die - Whether she wins or loses, it's in this last move.  With her last strength, from that uncomfortable position, she got up, clawing at his hand so hard that she managed to snap away the grip of his intertwined hands, and grabbing his wrist, she dove under his arm, tripping him forward and throwing the both of them to the ground, rolling with him like two children and making Cosmo touch outside of the ring.

"MATCH OVER! KISARA WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!!!"

Cosmo's eyes shot wide open, and he looked down at the bloody grin of the woman underneath him. "Sorry, Cos. It was the only way I could win against you." "I can't believe I forgot about the Ringout. How annoying." despite the disappointment, Cos smiled and offered his hand to help her up. "Five years ago, you ran away from Senpai after getting him to the ground. To think you'd trick me like that - What a Kitsune!" "That's the only thing I'm good at, after all." she chuckled, getting up and hugging the boy.  "You better with this, okay, sis?" they fist bumped, making a promise. "You've got it, Cos!"

She left for the showers and was ready to look for her darling, but for some reason, she found herself returning to the manager. Why, she wasn't quite sure - On the other hand, she knew that multiple rounds were definitely not her thing... Not in fighting, at least. For other things, well - It's not like she's the one doing most of the work to begin with.

By the time she got up the stands, she saw that Koga's uncle, Joji, also joined them in drinking. Those three seemed to be having lots of fun and were getting along well. "Hi, again." she gave a brief wave of her hand, and the trio, as if sharing a single braincell, waved back in unison. Jackie, who was towards the edge, patted the empty seat next to him for the girl to join, before handing her a can of coke. "You fought well. Thought you might need some energy to keep you going." Kisara smiled gratefully at Jackie, sitting next to him and enjoying the cold beverage.  "Thank you, Jackie, you're very sweet. I hope we hang around again someday!" she said. "Somehow, everyone becomes friends with Yamashita Kazuo. It's really cool, right?" Jackie nodded in agreement, handing her a plate of sweets. "Enjoy." "Hey, that's too much! You've already got me so many things, I can't --" but the casual look on his face showed her he wouldn't accept a negative answer, and to leave the formalities. "Fine, fine. I'll treat you to something later then." she said, munching on e pocky stick. Coincidentally, Joji and Jackie did the same thing, at the same time. Were they kindred souls?

She took out her phone, taking a winking selfie with the pocky between her lips and sending it to Ohma, texting him about random things as she listened to the old man telling them that Myers was a serial killer pardoned by Idemitsu from his 3000 year prison sentence. He won over two hundred matches with his physical abilities alone, and just in his third year in Purgatory, did he start learning martial arts. "Oh, come on, I don't want to fight a serial killer. I've had it with that." Kisara groaned, leaning back on her seat. "If I knew Rihito would get the short end of the stick and face off against that guy, I wouldn't have bothered entering the competition." she ruffled her crimson hair, pouting in annoyance. "You seem pretty confident that he's going to win." Jackie pointed out. "Yeah, well - I don't give two cents on Rihito. I firmly believe he's the biggest shame of Kengan." she shrugged, bored, looking at his stupid coat with << I'M A SUPERMAN >> embroidered in the leopard patterned material on his back. "The only reason I entered the tournament was to make sure he doesn't win. I couldn't live with the idea of the biggest loser in the world winning out of sheer, dumb luck." "Fascinating resolve." Jackie looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. "You must mean - Ridiculous. Petty. Stupid." she chuckled playfully. "I know, I know. But what can I do? I guess I was a little bored, that's all." "I don't think that matters. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, I think that's all." Kisara looked at the man and smiled, happy that someone was so understanding of her weirdness. "That's a positive outlook, I love it! Thanks!" she hummed, leaning on the side to clink her coke can to his own beer can.

That Myers guy pumped his muscles up with Indestructible and engaged in a barrage of punches, but nothing he received seemed to affect him. There was no way Rihito's finger slicer were going to affect this though guy, Kisara thought, and the two men next to her were munching aggressively on the chocolate glazed sticks. Rihito seemed to be doing well dodging all hits. He must have realised already that the Indestructible, especially used by a newby, was heavily flawed a technique - The sturdier he was, the more rigid - Rihito was attacking his knees until Myers gave out - And he slashed at his face - Uh, mask - With his Razor's Edge technique, making him bleed heavily, and fall to the ground, needing a medic urgently.

"You canNOT be serious! That was ridiculous!" Kisara groaned, slapping her forehead.  "Look at the bright side. You'll get to defeat him in the semifinal." Jackie pointed out. "Well... Yeah, true, but..." she muttered softly. "But Ohma got a scar from him, you know? It's pretty bad, and it still hurts him, with the change of the weather. I'm a girl, I don't like scars. That guy's a menace to fight." "If you know where to strike, you won't need to worry about that." Jackie said. "You've got a good handle on Aikido and Wushu. Grab his wrist after he tries to slash you and knock him out with a good hit to the face." "Glabella, philtrum and chin." Kisara gasped in realisation, earning a nod from the man. "Jackie, you're a genius! If you're not a fighter already, you should be! You'd be the new star of Kengan!" she grinned, newfound vitality energizing her again. "I'm not that good." he dismissed her claim. "But I'm glad I give off that impression."

Next was Koga's fight against Leonardo Silva, and as expected, Silva lunged first ready for a low grapple, only to miss and get  a hard punch to his face. Instead of stopping him, Silva continued him torso-grapple, throwing him to the ground - Only for him to be forced to let go of the clutch. Good work, Koga. Your Redirection Kata worked wonders. Your hard work and dedication bore fruit, after so long.  Koga tried to punch his with the Ironbreaker, but got redirected, thus had to engage in a rush of hits with his opponent. Parry and counter, parry and counter, until Silva found his hand aching like hell trying to hit Koga's forearm. Once Leonardo stopped countering and began ducking, it was Koga's time to realise that his Adamantine technique expired, and his fist was twitching - He got distracted, allowing himself to get tackled to the ground. The two grappled and wrestled, his head kept in a tight rear naked choke.

The only way for Koga to get out of that hold was to bite down on his arm while breaking it with the Ironbreaker, causing Silva to leap away - His bone was cracked and in agony. Ohma was very proud of his student. Koga used his finisher on Silva before following close behind with a flying knee, and punched his down with Ironbreaker once again.

Koga won.

"He's a wonderful fighter." Jackie said. "That's my nephew. As in, my relative." Joji spoke blankly, while Yamashita was cheering, excited. "You might just be fighting him in the finals if he continued fighting like this." Jackie turned his gaze at Kisara. "I like the confidence you have in me." she teased him. "I wonder if I can beat him. I'm already feeling as if a panzer tank ran me over... Though, I don't think he's doing much better anyway." she chuckled lightly. "Still, he's been training hard every day for the past years. I've just been dancing and traveling." she laughed leisurely. "What's life without some fun, huh?"

As Koga existed the arena, he was met with Ohma who praised his wit and craft, even going as far as to suggest teaching him another move before his match against Ryuki. Hopefully, he won't use it on Kisara though, should they meet in the finals - Though, Ohma has the feeling that his wife could easily defeat Koga, considering she is the most familiar with his Niko style and all the people that helped train the boy. That tricksy little vixen always ended up surprising, one way or another - Though, he was very proud of her ground grappling. His husbandry work was well done. How funny. 

Jackie came over with a whole bag of cans and sweets, wearing the same apathetic look on his face. "Thank you so much, Jackie! You can sure poind these back, can't you?" Yamashita was blushing with glee and a little drunk. "I'm just, how you say... Boozing and Schmoozing, you see?" how could he say that with such a straight face? "Jackie, nobody says that anymore. It's not Hip." Joji informed him seriously. Out of nowhere, Yamashita's other CEO friends, Yoshitake and Ken came over with more booze, just as hammered. "Narushima, that's pretty old-fashioned too! Hey, Kazzy! I brought us some good sake!" Ken chirped. "Oh, my word! Who's that dandy over there~?" Yoshitake flirted with Jackie, most likely. "Kenny! Mr. Yoshitake! Let me introduce you! This guy came all the way from China." Yamashita explained as Jackie bowed to them humbly, telling them his name and everyone started drinking. Only Jackie made sure Kisara had a nice and cold coke to drink, as she had to fight again soon, in the semis. Men and their drinks.

The fight between Ryuki and Adam began soon and Ryuki started swinging in a way similar to that of Agito's Formless stance, and in the blink blink of an eye, he was on the ground, attacking Adam - But unlike his past mindless brawler style from before, he was much better prepared, especially in fighting theory, and he hit with a high stick shot, and many other hits and kicks, even easily managing to evade an eye gouging attempt by throwing himself shoulder-first into Gaoh's pelvis, making him fall down. When Adam tried to kick at his fallen opponent, but Ryuki got in a handstand, kicking him away, getting his ankle caught in a tight grasp and twirling him around like he was a toy, and from the friction with the ground, his back was bleeding heavily. "Ah, damn, I know those moves. That damn Setsuna... No wonder Ryuki's so hell-bent on killing. How frightsome." "You seem to know quite a bit about this." Jackie noted. "Oh, yes, well - I got in quite a scary encounter with the man who taught him these moves, you see. Quite very scary. If it weren't for my husband, I don't know what would have happened. He was rather mentally unstable also." Kisara shuddered softly, remembering that day when Kiryu took her away, saying he wanted to save her or something. "At the end of the day, I'm still a girl, you know? I don't like fighting that much, but I like knowing I am safe even if there's no one protecting me all the time." she smiled softly. "You, men, are something else, you know? Going out of your way to get hurt, and all that, just for some adrenaline rush. It's kinda adorable." "Interesting. You say all that, yet you're going to fight again soon, under the pretext of boredom." Jackie could feel a smile tug at his mouth. "Ah, well - You won't see me fight again. I've had it with tournaments, officially." she declared. "But I can't deny, I like learning all sorts of things. And encouraging my friends. I don't like watching them lose, but I like seeing them win and be happy." "And if they die?" his question rang somber. "Jackie... I don't want to think of death." Kisara shuddered, uncomfortably. "I... My husband died in my arms. I mourned him, almost three years." she spoke softly, looking down with a sad smile. "I thought life ended for me also. Well... In a weird way, I've got someone to thank for saving him. He might be an enemy, but he brought my husband back to me. Xia Ji might be a pathetic rat man who killed hundreds of people, but for that at least, I can thank him." "Xia Ji, huh?" Jackie muttered under his breath. "You heard of him? He looks like a weirdo, and he doesn't take care of his hair. It looks like hay." she chuckled at him. "No, never heard of him." he shrugged carelessly. "At least you are happy." "Yeah, you're right." Kisara smiled at him kindly. "I am happy."

Adam continued to punch and kick Ryuki, easily tanking his hits, and even if they did hit, he wasn't all that shaken up. Adam was so used to Cosmo's speed, Ryuki was in slow-motion for him, hence why it was so easy to predict his moves and kick him to hell, following up with a rush of heavy punches to the face and even a stomp to the belly, and kicked him into rolling to the other side of the ring like a soccer ball again and again. 

Adam didn't beat down a fallen enemy - Instead, he waited until Ryuki stumbled to his feet and tried to block a hit, only for Adam to play with him like a rag doll, slamming him into the ground. When he wasn't looking, Adam got a small Setsuna-like attack on his forearm. The flower of carnage has blossomed, and Ryuki was ready to kill. Ryuki wasn't broken yet - He knew was being beaten to hell meant, he was trained by his grandpa after all, and just like Ohma, he had to almost die, to become this strong and resilient.  The young boy took more and more hits, like a Kamikaze soldier, and before he knew it, Adam's latissimus dormi muscle was completely twisted to hell my Setsuna's Rakshasa's Palm technique - It only left the hockey master lack-luster in his attacks.  Ryuki used his assassin fingers to shrike at Adam's neck, knocking him out - He was in a critical condition and needed emergency care. 

With all the drama from the last fight, the four went down to congratulate Koga on his win, and wish him good luck on the semis - Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the two friends were in a deep argument, with Ohma hiding behind a wall, motioning for them not to interfere. There was no chance to save Ryuki while he was still under the clutches of Setsuna - Surely, Ohma realised that too, as he comforted the depressed manager.

As soon as Ohma saw Jackie however, he looked weirdly at him. "Have we met?" "No..." Jackie almost seemed to hesitate. "This is my first time talking to you." "I see. Sorry, I must've been mistaken." Ohma shrugged, unbothered. "There are a lot of lookalikes out there." as the old man pointed that out, Kisara felt a weird, uncomfortable pang in her heart, as though there was something odd, not only about Ohma and Ryuki and their cloning, but of the Worms, the Connector and all these coincidences going on. "This is Jackie Lee, Ohma. He's Yamashita Kazuo's and Joji's new friend. He's been getting us drinks and snacks all day. He's really cool!" Kisara skipped to her husband, getting on he tippy toes to steal a kiss, her arms wrapped around his torso. "He even gave me an idea on hos to defeat Rihito without getting injured at all. Girls care about scars, you know?" Ohma nodded, smiling down at his wife. "Glad to hear you're having fun." he said. "The intermission is about done. Isn't it time for your match? Why are you loitering about, you little dumbass bookworm?" "I wanted to see my stupid gym rat for a lucky charm kiss." she smiled innocently at him, before stealing another kiss and rushing towards the prep room to change in her fighting clothes.

"The first match of the Semifinals - The Trickster Kitsune, the Queen of the Kengan Matches, Hasashi Kisara! - Versus, The Superman, Rihito!" Sayaka called out loudly. "And, in the second match, The First Eye, Narushima Koga! - Versus - The Dragon King, Gaoh Ryuki!" she continued, waiting for the chanting and cheering to subside. "All four are powerful fighters, but two will be eliminated! Their chances are half and half! Who will be in, and who will be out?!"

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[thesoftandhardcore]

Reunited at Last

This was based on a scene @wild-productions had mentioned almost a month ago (iykyk)

Although it was nowhere near the said scene because I got carried away with writing and was already half-way through finishing it before I even noticed 🙃

I’ve decided to post it here so that you guys can read it, too.

This was the supposed ending plot we discussed/created for the fourth movie.

Sypnosis: Po had returned to the Valley of Peace after his journey, where he was greeted and welcomed by the citizens, his dads (obviously), and his friends. Everyone was delighted, even him, until he noticed a certain feline missing from the crowd.

The moment Po took a step into the valley, he was immediately greeted and welcomed by the citizens. Their cheers and warm smiles made Po's heart swell with happiness as he looked around the familiar surroundings he'd missed so much. It has only been a few days, or maybe a week, since he has been gone, and yet it feels like forever. As he made his way further into the valley, he saw both of his fathers waiting for him at the arch of Mr. Ping's restaurant. "Dads!" Po exclaimed as he ran towards them, engulfing both of them in a tight hug. "I missed you guys!"

"We missed you, too, son."

"We thought you weren't going to come back!" Mr. Ping added. "I almost closed the restaurant to go look for you."

Po eyed his father with a teasing grin. "Seriously?"

"Well, almost. I couldn’t let my customers starve, and besides, I can’t leave the restaurant with Li after what happened last time."

"Oh, come on," Li said with a chuckle, "it wasn't that bad."

"You burned one of my best pans," Mr. Ping retorted.

Po laughed at his fathers' bickering, feeling more at home than ever. Not long after, he saw Master Shifu and the others, who had come to welcome him back as well. "Hi, guys!" Po greeted them excitedly while making his way toward them. 

"Welcome back, bud," Monkey said with a broad smile, patting him on the back. "Mantis said he's ready for a rematch for that spicy noodle challenge you two had last time."

"Really? I kind of doubted that he wanted to go through that again."

"Well, I have a reputation to maintain, you know?" Mantis chimed in with a smirk.

Po laughed. "It's on then!"

"Welcome back, Po," Master Shifu said as he walked up to him with a small smile on his face. Po returned the smile and bowed to his master when he realized that someone was missing. He scanned around, and his heart sank, realizing that Tigress was not there to greet him. Shifu noticed this and asked, "Po, is something wrong?"

Po sighed and shook his head. "No, everything's fine." He said softly, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. "It's just that I was hoping to see Tigress, but I guess she's not here."

Everyone fell silent, not knowing how to tell Po about what happened. After a while, Shifu spoke up, "There's a reason why Tigress wasn't able to be here to welcome you back, Po."

"What do you mean by that, master?" Po asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"She was badly injured during a bandit attack a few days ago. The cut was deep, so the doctor advised her to rest until she fully recovers."

"Is she okay now? Where is she? Can I see her?"

"Of course you can," Master Shifu said, placing a reassuring hand on Po's arm. "She's resting in her room, and she'll be happy to see you."

Po let out a sigh of relief as he began his journey up the Jade Palace to see Tigress. The sun had begun its descent on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the valley. Po made his way towards the palace barracks and into Tigress' room, feeling his heart race with anticipation. Standing in front of her door, Po suddenly froze, feeling nervous about seeing Tigress again after so long. Come on, Po, he thought to himself. You can do this. I mean, it's just Tigress, your best friend. Po unconsciously winced at the word, knowing deep down that he feels something more for Tigress than just being friends. After composing himself, he took a deep breath before softly knocking on her door.

"Come in," Tigress' voice called out from the other side of the door. Po smiled at the sound of hearing her voice after such a long time. He opened the door slowly, revealing Tigress lying down in her bed with her torso wrapped in bandages. "Hey," Po said softly, approaching her bed with a gentle smile on his face.

Tigress' eyes widened with surprise, but it didn't take long for a warm smile to form on her face. "Hey. Since when did you come back?"

"Just a while ago," Po replied. "Shifu told me about your condition—how are you feeling?"

"Better than the past few days. Although it's hard to move around with all this bandage wrapped around me."

Po chuckled. "It seems like it."

"I'm sorry if I wasn't able to welcome you back when you arrived. If it weren't for my injury, I—"

"Hey, it's okay," Po interrupted, taking Tigress' hand and gently squeezing it. "The important thing is that you get better and that I'm here now, which also means that I'll be taking care of you."

Tigress raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" She asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Well, I'm not sure I need much taking care of, but if you insist, then who am I to refuse such an offer?"

"Yes!" Po exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as he did his happy dance. Tigress laughed, realizing how much she had missed his goofy antics. He never changed one bit; he's still the Po she knew before he left on his journey. She sat up from her bed, wincing a bit at her sore body. Po noticed this and panicked, "Tigress, what are you doing? You're still recovering; you should be resting!"

"Nonsense," Tigress replied, rolling her eyes playfully. "Now, your first task as my caretaker is to help me get up."

Po blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before gently offering his arms to support Tigress as she stood up. She requested that they take a walk outside, and Po happily obliged. They talked about how Po's journey went and everything that had happened when he was away while enjoying each other's company and the beautiful scenery outside as the moon lit up the night sky. As they walked, Po's gaze kept drifting towards Tigress. He missed being close to her and cherished every moment they spent together as if they were the only people in this world. They made their stop by the peach tree, a place that held a special meaning for both of them. Tigress leaned against the tree, offering Po a seat beside her, which he gladly accepted.

"I missed this," Po said, looking out at the serene view of the valley below.

"Me too," Tigress replied, a soft smile gracing her lips as she glanced at Po. "It's been a while since we've done this."

"Yeah."

There was silence for a moment as they both took in their surroundings and the peacefulness of the night. Po couldn't help but let his gaze linger on Tigress, realizing how much he had missed her while he was away. He felt a strong pull toward her and couldn't deny the fact that he had developed feelings for her over time.

"You can stop staring at me now, Po," Tigress said sarcastically, breaking the silence and causing Po to snap out of his thoughts.

"Wha—huh?"

"Stop staring at me so intensely or I'll start to melt all over the place."

Po laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I was just joking, Po," Tigress replied, nudging him playfully. "I wasn't uncomfortable at all. Besides, it's nice to be looked at that way sometimes."

Tigress smiled warmly at Po, causing his heart to skip a beat. And just like that, he knew for himself that he was deeply in love with her. It all makes sense now: the way he feels with her, the desire to be close to her and keep her safe, and the way his heart beats faster whenever she's near. It was all because he loved her.

"Well, I guess it's getting late," Tigress said, breaking Po out of his thoughts once again. "We should probably head back now."

"Wait!"

Po exclaimed, grabbing Tigress's hand before she could stand up. "Before we do that, there's something I want to tell you."

Tigress looked at him curiously and said, "I'm listening."

Po took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts and steady his nerves. He opened his mouth, but it seems like the words got stuck in his throat. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Tigress was starting to get impatient by then but remained silent as she sensed that Po had something important to say. After a couple of failed attempts, Po groaned as he covered his face with his hands in frustration. This is pointless, Po thought to himself.

"Po, are you okay?" Tigress asked, her concern evident in her voice. "You can tell me anything; you know that."

"I'm sorry, Tigress, but I can't."

"Can't what?"

Po sighed, feeling ashamed of himself. "I..." 

He felt Tigress take his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. Looking up at her, he knew he couldn't keep his feelings bottled up any longer. But how can he tell her how he truly feels if he can't express himself in words? Suddenly, his mind trailed back to his master's words, "Your actions will always speak volumes louder than your words ever will." An idea began to form in Po's mind as he braced himself for what he was about to do. With a newfound determination, he looked straight into Tigress' eyes, his heart beating wildly as if it might burst out of his chest.

"Please don't kill me for this," Po said as he slowly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers. Tigress froze, her eyes widened in surprise. Po felt her tense up as he started second-guessing his actions, but before he could pull away, he felt her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer and finally reciprocating the kiss. Po smiled into the kiss, feeling his heart flutter with joy and relief. As they pulled away to catch their breath, Po spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper, "That... was amazing."

Tigress chuckled, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "So, is that what you wanted to tell me?" Po nodded, grinning from ear to ear. A soft laugh escaped Tigress' lips, cupping Po's cheek with her hands and saying, "You goofball."

"I love you, Tigress."

Po finally said the words he had been struggling to say this whole time, and he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I love you, too," Tigress replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

~~~~~~~~

After a moment of silence, Crane finally spoke up, "Well, that was... unexpected," he remarked, turning to the others who were all processing what had just happened.

"Not really," Viper said, smiling knowingly. "I've seen the way those two look at each other. I'm just happy they finally figured it out for themselves."

"It's not fair," Mantis grumbled. "Why couldn't they have just done it tomorrow morning?"

"Because they didn't," Monkey said, a smirk crept on his face. "Now, pay up."

Mantis groaned as he handed a sack of money to Monkey, who was snickering at him.

"Wait, you two had a bet again?" Crane asked.

"Yep, and I won it!"

Mantis rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, it was only a matter of luck on your part." He hopped off the fence and made his way back to the barracks, with Crane and Viper following his pursuit while Monkey did his happy dance.

[touchoflaughter]

BIG SUMMER TK-STORY DUMP pt.2

Here's the second part about pillow fights, folding knifes and lot's of public tickling! The past months my life has included more tickling than I could ever imagine. It's as if there's a sign on my forehead that says 'please tickle me'.

The pillow tickle fight

I had one of my closest friends over for dinner and pool. (I wrote an irl-story about him almost a year ago). We are now living far apart so wee see each other rarely. After he won two times in a row we decided to cook and eat while watching a movie before we get into the rematch.

We're always messing around with each other and suddenly he kicked me while we were watching.

"Hey! What was that for?!", I mobbed.

He shrugged his shoulders and answered: "Idk there was peace for too long." (We were literally eating and watching a movie?? How could it be otherwise??)

Of course I had to react by throwing a pillow in his face. Somehow this little throw turned into a literal pillow-war. Within the (not so) brutal combat, he fired four pillows at me and I caught every singe one. He then tried to get them back but I was holding onto them with all I got. Well- you may guessed it: He didn't hesitate to tickle my sides until I let go (what was immediately). He then slammed the pillow in my face and laughed gleefully.

The fight continued but from this moment on I got no chance anymore. He dominated with the help of sneaky tickle attacks until he buried me under a big pillow, pounced on me and tickled me to oblivion.

When I finally started to win at pool afterwards, he continued using it there too so I started distracting him with some pokes here and there as well and it’s just too cute how ticklish he is himself. I mean I always knew he is but since I’m so insecure about tickling I never really tried to get him before. Oh I’ll tickle him more often from now on, that's for sure! 😈

In the end I lost by one round but we've had so much fun wrestling and messing around just like in the old days. He even said how much fun he've had when we said goodbye and I gotta say I loved it too!

2. Knives are less dangerous than fingers

This one's short and seems pretty unspectacular but I found it really cute: So I got a folding knife as a gift and I wore it for work on my belt. When Joey (my work bestie) saw it he tried to warn me: "Be careful with that! It can fold up and stab you."

"Right here." He was completely serious but when he poked into my lower side to underline his warning by showing me where the blade would be, I couldn't stifle a smile. He didn't fail to notice and a wide grin appeared on his face. "Or here.", he poked a little higher. "Or there." The poking continued and I started giggling. "Stop it you prick!" I managed to fight off any further attacks and we continued talking as if nothing happened.

It was just too adorable how his face gave his joy right away. I love when people have as much fun with tickling as me and Joey seems to develop a taste for it too!

Alright that's enough for today. Hope y'all are very well and get many opportunities to tickle/ get tickled by your loved ones! Have a good one, folks! 🧡

[chloecherrysip]

Would getting beaten up by Bowser cause Mario some trauma too? Those injuries seemed pretty bad. Bowser could have easily killed him right then and there, and that alone would be enough to cause nightmares I would think.

(Here is the Mario Trauma Conga Line of posts in this thread, lol -> here and here and also here)

Ohhhhhh boy, yes. I would imagine so!! I've thought at times that I'm not sure if I like the movie's decision to have Bowser and Mario only come face-to-face at the very end of the movie. Besides that cartoonish cutout on the training course, Mario never really has to grapple with who exactly Bowser is, the strength/power he has, or the depths of his viciousness (maybe Peach/Toad told him more details that weren't shown, but we just have to assume he was left a little in the dark) -- he was just focused on reaching his brother, and everything else came second. But goodness gracious, you can't deny the impact of that first interaction and how absolutely TERRIFIED Mario looks, especially as Bowser just instantly and brutally overwhelms him. And yes, he seemed pretty badly hurt, with so many bruises and maybe even a fractured arm and/or shoulder with the way he was holding it. Just thinking about him desperately trying to hide in the pizzeria, gasping and in clear pain...man, it hit hard. ;_; That would be traumatizing for anyone!!

I think it's pretty easy for Mario to ride high on the adrenaline rush of having beaten down Bowser alongside Luigi for a good, long while, but those memories of helplessness and fear would creep back in eventually for him, especially once he starts thinking about what would have happened if the star haven't been an option and things had played out differently. Is there any scenario (excluding the one where he and Luigi get roasted when the manhole cover gives out) where he would have had enough strength left to stop Bowser? Could he have prevented him from hurting Luigi, hurting Peach and Toad and DK, hurting everyone else in Brooklyn, including his parents if Bowser wanted to? (And maybe that's what he has nightmares about, alternative scenarios where the star is taken out of play from the start, because it's a cold, dark fear that comes over him when he realizes that the answer to that question is an almost certain no.)

I definitely think Mario trains hard in the Mushroom Kingdom to become even stronger and more capable, both with powerups and without, so that he's much more ready for a rematch if it ever comes - and he probably overdoes it too, despite Luigi and Peach's best efforts to keep an eye on him. He doesn't ever want to feel like he has no chance without a fancy powerup again against Bowser. He wants to be able to protect everyone he loves and feel confident in that ability. It probably starts out at a slightly unhealthy place for him, but with the support around him, it gets better and more manageable. :)

(And dang, I cannot track this fic down, I swear I read something like this on AO3 and I want to give that person full credit for the idea (update: here it is!), but someone wrote about the concept of Mario checking in on Bowser in jail and Bowser promising Mario that when - not if but WHEN - he gets out of prison and regains his power, he's going to destroy everything Mario cares about, starting with Luigi, and uh, wow, that would REALLY not be good for Mario's mental state either, huh? Huh?????)

[vroomvroommuppett]

two

series masterlist

buy me a coffee!!

send an ask to tell me what you think or if you have any constructive criticism, or what you think is gonna happen!

perrievoight prior to contrary belief i am amazing at golf

124 likes

78 comments

mattcasey She’s crazy good.

bobbynash I taught you well.

hankvoight You’re also scary when it comes to games

kimburgess HAHAHAHA. She beat all your asses.

jayhalstead I want a rematch.

jayhalstead You win, you choose, I win, I take you on a date.

perrievoight bring it on, halstead

link

perrievoight found this in my drafts right after mike died. it’s been 6 months, and while i miss him so much, i’m ready to movie on.

110 likes

10 comments

kellyseveride 🤍

evanbuckley He’d be so proud of you, sis.

haileyuptonYou got Jay crying. No ones ever gotten him to cry over a singing video.

maddiebuckleyhan Love you sis

jayhalstead It’s just dust.

sylviebrett it’s ok i’m crying too

stellakidd kelly is too

send an ask if you want to be added or removed!!

@samanthavitale @waitingforjesseleesoffer @sorry-i-spaced @roronoas-wife @mel0809

[im-just-a-mississippi-girl]

Taking A Chance On Romance

Pairing: Wheeler Yuta x female wrestler!reader

Category: Fluff

Word count: 2,771

Summary: You always dreamed of having that friends to lovers romance that’s seen in movies and books. Little did you know, your dream would come true.

Warnings: None, female reader but no description of reader

Requested by: @rubyred1980 Hope it’s everything you wanted! ❤️

You can find the original request post here!

Masterlist

Taglist

Gif is not mine. Credit to owner.

You always saw the movies and read the books about two friends finally realizing their feelings for one another and eventually confessing their love for one another and living happily ever after. You always loved that troupe and wanted that same thing. Finding a love like that to be so sweet and pure.

The unrequited love troupe always scared you. You knew that was not what you wanted, and it terrified you to think it could happen, especially since you found yourself developing feeling for your best friend, Wheeler Yuta.

You can't pinpoint the exact moment you realized your feelings for him. It was one of those unexpected things; sure, you always loved him, but when did friendship love you felt for him turn into romantic love?

It was typical day for you, working on your latest design for your gear and merchandise. You enjoyed designing almost as much as wrestling and you always told yourself that, whenever it was time to step away from wrestling, you would look into joining the design team so your creativity could be properly showcased.

"Hey... you're not too busy are you?" A familiar male voice timidly asked, noticing the notebook and colored pencils in front of you on the table.

You smiled, looking up and seeing Wheeler standing there, patiently waiting and hoping this wasn't a bad time. He just had to talk to you — it couldn't wait.

"I'm never too busy for you, Yoots. What's up?" You asked, concern laced in your voice. It wasn't like him to be this nervous; it must be something serious. You set your colored pencil down and paused your music you had quietly coming through the speaker. He had your undivided attention now. "Wanna talk somewhere more private?" You offered.

"That would be great actually. Thanks." The nervousness in his voice not as evident now. You gathered up your things, and the two of you walked side by side in silence to an empty hallway almost on the other side of the arena. Your heart was beating loudly in your chest, so much so that you could have swore Wheeler could hear it too. So many thoughts were running through your head: What was he about to say? Was something seriously wrong? He's usually more playful and confident.

The pair of you came to stop about halfway down the hallway. After double checking that you’re alone, you look up and find Wheeler running his hand through his hair. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” You couldn’t help but bombard him with questions, you were worried.

“I just…. I don’t know why, but I’m nervous about this rematch with Daniel Garcia. What if he actually beats me this time? What if he does what he failed to do the first time and take my title?” He vents, referencing to the ROH Pure Championship that he takes so much pride in.

You weren’t sure where this uncertainty was coming from. Once Wheeler joined the Blackpool Combat Club, he had a boost in confidence and this nervousness and anxiousness was never this bad, usually just lingered for a few minutes then was gone after a pep talk from William Regal. The fact that Wheeler came to you told you he needed more reassurance that it would all work out in the end. This reminded you of when he lost to Chris Jericho; he came to you before for not just a pep talk but for reassurance. You remember he took that loss hard. You also remember helping him get over it and get back to being the wrestler and champion everyone knew he was.

“Hey… look at me,” you gently speak. Wheeler obeys, his dark brown eyes full of worry and anxiety. “You’ve beat Garcia once before; who says you can’t do it again? Everyone believes in you. I believe in you; always have and always will. If you do lose to Danny, I’ll be here, so will the fans. You’ve proven time and time again you have more than what it takes to be a huge star. You’re champion material, Yoots!” You beam before continuing. “I’ll be here regardless of the outcome. You can’t get rid of me that easy.” You tease, nudging him with your elbow. “It’s all going to be fine.” You reassured him, gently pulling him into a hug. You could feel the tension begin to melt away from his shoulders, his body slowing relaxing in your embrace.

You didn’t realize just how long you held Wheeler, arms still wrapped around him. You honestly didn’t care because he needed this, and you weren’t about to end this hug before he was ready. You got lost in the comfort and warmth of his strong arms, your feelings for him intensified, and you knew you’d have to eventually pour your heart out.

You felt Wheeler move in your arms, retracting himself from the embrace. “Thanks. I really needed that.” Wheeler smiles, eyes shining bright as he looks at you. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He jokes, smile still plastered on his face.

“Be helplessly lost.” You joked back, laughing. Wheeler laughs with you, knowing you’re probably right. You help keep things in order, always looking out for him, and he does the same for you. Truthfully, you’d both be lost without one another which is why you’re scared to death that your confession will ruin everything.

“I’ve got to get going. Thanks for the talk. You always make me feel better.” Wheeler tells you, smiling before leaving you alone with your thoughts and feelings for him.

You push all that aside, heading to get changed for the show. Making your way to the locker room, you attempt to focus on your upcoming match with Penelope Ford. You were excited about because not only will you be testing yourself against Penny and the recently returned Kip Sabian, who will be lurking ringside, but you’ll also be debuting new gear you designed. You took inspiration from the changing seasons — from summer to fall. You were beyond happy with the way it turned out and couldn’t wait to show it off to your friends, co-workers, and the fans. You felt like a million bucks, a smile never leaving your face once you slipped into your latest creation.

Your match with Penelope was the opening match. Contrary to popular belief, you loved having the opening match, not because you get to go first and then enjoy the show, but because to you, it meant that you were trusted enough to start the show, to set the tone for the remainder of the show. You considered that a huge honor.

You were waiting for your cue, and once it came, you did your signature entrance as you made your way to the ring. You locked eyes with Penny before shooting Kip a glance. The look in Kip’s eye told you he wasn’t going to let you best his wife. You’ve been in this position before so it didn’t bother you one bit. You quickly set your sights on Penelope once again. The referee signaled for the bell, and Penelope was quick to get in some forearm shots.

The match was hard for you thanks to Kip grabbing your leg when you got too close to the ropes and jumping up on the apron causing a distraction therefore letting Penny get in some cheap shots and ultimately, the upper hand all throughout the match.

You managed to hit a DDT followed by a spear, getting you back on top. You were able to counter all of Penelope’s submission attempts with some of your own. You almost got the better of her a few times and the same could be said for Penelope. You both were growing tired and ready to end this once and for all. While Penny was pandering to the crowd, you got her in a crucifix and managed to get the three count.

You knew Penelope would be pissed off and so would Kip, most likely to attack you for winning so you were quick to roll out of the ring where your hand was raised in victory. The crowd loved it. They loved you and you could fight the smile on your face. You quickly exited through the tunnel as Kip and Penelope were furiously yelling at the poor referee.

You were greeted with praise backstage as well as compliments on your new gear as you headed to take a quick shower and change to watch the remainder of the show. You were thrilled people enjoyed your match and noticed your new ring attire. You worked hard on both, many late nights and early mornings spent doodling ideas and hitting the gym. You looked around for Wheeler but had no luck in spotting him amongst the small group; you were sad and disappointed he wasn’t there, but you reminded yourself about his match with Daniel, maybe he was getting ready. That made you fell a little better.

Finally reaching the showers with your essentials, you make sure you’re nice and clean despite the short shower before slipping into some comfortable clothes and drying your hair then moving on to finish your bathroom routine. You exited the room and dropped your things into your bag then headed to the closest monitor for the rest of the show.

You caught yourself looking for Wheeler once again, only to be met with the same result as earlier. You shook your head in an attempt to rid yourself of those thoughts. Tonight. You had to tell him tonight regardless of the outcome of his match. You just couldn’t keep doing this, biting your tongue during every conversation, refusing to let the words make themselves known to your best friend.

It was time for Wheeler’s match, and even thought you gave him that pep talk earlier, you were nervous. You saw how his match with Daniel went last time, and you knew this time would be more intense. You watched as both men made their entrances to the ring, how they looked at one another. You sucked in a deep breath as the bell rang.

Despite being nervous, you loved watching Wheeler and Daniel wrestle each other, always hard hitting and kept you on the edge of your seat. You quietly cheered for best friend. “Come on, Yoots. Just like last time.” You whispered to yourself, watching the screen intently and jumping when a hand landed on your shoulder. Your head snapped up to see Bryan Danielson, standing slightly behind you. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” You exclaimed, clutching you chest then smacking him in the stomach you recovered.

Bryan just grins, pleased with his sneakiness. “Just wanted to get a better look at this match.” He shrugged. “Plus, I’m heading out there when it’s over.” He continued, looking from you to the monitor.

“Are you going to try getting through to Garcia again?” You asked, your curiosity piqued. You glanced up at Bryan, who was focused on the two men putting on another classic yet again.

You waited for his reply, but it never came. You were so in your thoughts you missed the ending of the match, whipping your head back to the screen you see Danny with his hand raised. You were bummed for Wheeler. You knew how much he loved having that title.

You watched as Bryan put the Pure Championship on Danny, how Wheeler reacted. You knew you needed to be at the tunnel when he comes through so you made a beeline in that direction, not caring what you were missing out in the ring.

You waited as he finally made his way through the tunnel. His eyes met yours and a quick, silent conversation was all that was needed. You fell in step with Wheeler as the two of you mindlessly found the locker rooms. “Want me to wait here?” You gently ask, afraid to upset him somehow. All he gave you was nod before slipping into the locker room.

Once Wheeler was done changing, you both headed to the empty, secluded hallway where you gave him that pep talk. “Wanna talk about it?” You cautiously, reach out to place a hand on his back.

He shakes his head, hands running over his face, clearly upset at the turn of events and not knowing what comes next is stressful. You silently step forward and wrap your arms around him. It might not fix anything, but you hope it will at least help him relax a little. A moment later you felt his arms wrap around you, returning your embrace. You took in the smell of his cologne — one of your favorite scents — and close your eyes, savoring the moment and warmth of your best friend’s embrace.

You wanted to say something about what happened out there in the ring but nothing felt right given the moment. Just when you thought Wheeler was letting you go, he tightened his arms around you, not enough to hinder your breathing but enough to reassure himself that you were still there. You didn’t want this to end and you were glad it didn’t.

A few more moments passed before you both reluctantly pulled away, catching each other’s eye in the process. Your heart was beating so fast you just knew it was going to fall right out of your chest. This was your chance — you were going to tell him because surely he felt something between you two during that hug. He had to have. That sweet and wonderful hug lingered much too long for ‘just friends’ in your opinion.

“I need to tell you something.” You both spoke at the exact same time, sending the pair of you into a fit of laughter.

After you both calmed down, Wheeler gestured for you to go first. You nodded and took a deep breath before speaking. “I… I like you, and I don’t just mean as a friend. I think — no, I know — I’m falling in love with you. I don’t know when it started but it did and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. As much as unrequited love terrifies me, I’m willing to risk it because it’s worth it. You’re worth it. I know it’s unexpected but —” Your rambling was cut off by a kiss, a soft, sweet, and gentle kiss.

“I love you too. Always have.” Wheeler whispered, his lips mere centimeters from yours. He places one more tender kiss to your lips. “Funny enough, I was actually going to confess the same thing.” He chuckled, smile wide and eyes twinkling in the light of the hallway.

You were stunned. He really did feel the same! You were going to get that friends to lovers love that you always dreamed of. You couldn’t believe it! This had to be a dream. You didn’t think this would ever happen to you, but clearly you were wrong.

You couldn’t say anything, all you could do was kiss him again. This time the kiss wasn’t timid, more passionate and sure, bold even. You wrapped your arms around his neck, his hands resting on your waist. The kiss felt like it lasted for hours, but in reality it only lasted a few minutes; you could really feel the love between you two, finding it hard not to smile.

You pulled your head back just enough to mumble an ‘I love you’ against Wheeler’s lips before going in for one more kiss. This time it was Wheeler who broke the kiss. “Loosing the title to Garcia made me realize just how empty I felt, even though I knew I had you as a friend — my best friend —, but I couldn’t keep pretending I didn’t like you — love you even.” Wheeler confessed, eyes never leaving yours. You could see just how real and honest and genuine he was being.

“One day, a few months ago, I noticed how I couldn’t quit thinking about you, how I would keep picturing us doing those cute things they do in movies. I was too scared to say anything then. I couldn’t handle it if you didn’t feel the same, guess I was worried about nothing after all.” You lightly laughed. The longer you kept your eyes on Wheeler’s the more you got lost in them.

“Wanna have that first date now?” Wheeler grinned as he offered you his arm.

You laughed, looping your arm with his. “I would love that, Yoots.” You finally were going to get your friends to lovers love story after all, and you were over the moon.

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