#udon has the time to think again

[udon-udon]

u know for how much i yearn for a gf, im actually quite afraid that i wont know/be able to i can give her what she wants and don't know if i'm capable of loving in reality

i mean, im sure i will be able to and will definitely want to cause thats how i've felt with deep crushes, but u know, i never been in a relationship before so everything is in my head and i can only theorize

but i feel like i might get cold feet when it actually happens cause im too afraid of messing up (?) or dont know what to do (?)

im waaaay overthinking it but just thoughts i have about relationships. i feel like im definitely the type of person that needs preparation and an overview of something before doing something and with relationships u cant do that esp when i've never been in one. i can only pull data from other peoples experiences and you can't even really rely much on that cause everyone's experiences are different :\

[miraclemaya]

MADOKA - “I’m thinking I’ll order a beef udon bowl, since Sayaka-chan told me that they make those really good here. What about you, Homura-chan?”

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY - Food needs can be met with an expenditure of 1.23% of total magic. Proceed?

GRIEF SYNDROME [Trivial: Success] - MAGICAL GIRLS THAT IGNORE FOOD ARE OFTEN MORE PRONE TO GRIEF ACCUMULATION. MY ARMS WILL ALWAYS BE WAITING FOR YOU, HOMURA, BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE HAPPY UNTIL THAT DAY. BESIDES, MADOKA WANTS TO EAT WITH YOU. DISAPPOINTING HER WILL FILL YOUR SOUL GEM WITH A HALF A GRIEF SEED WORTH OF DESPAIR.

TEA WITH MAMI-SAN [Legendary: Success] - Sayaka says the beef bowl is good? Maybe go for that. She knows Madoka’s tastes better than anyone — and if Madoka likes something, you will certainly like it too.

“I will have the same as you, Madoka.”

“I’m not feeling very hungry.”

[CALL AND RESPONSE - Medium 10] Come up with an order on your own

CALL AND RESPONSE - [Medium: Failure] - You’ve eaten here before, you’re pretty sure. Was it Loop 32… no, Loop 12..? No, wait, it was on the first Friday of Loop 68. No… that’s not right. You’ve never eaten here before. In a stunning display of incompetence, you have taken Madoka on a date to a restaurant that you have never experienced before.

THE ANGEL - It’s okay, Homura-chan! I don’t mind if you haven’t eaten here before. Remember what real me said, Sayaka thinks this place is good! And even if it’s not perfect, that’s okay, just spending time with you makes me happy.

THE CRAVEN MASSES - Sayaka has raised her blade against Madoka 16 times before. You should leave this restaurant and kill her. It would only take-

FALLING SAND [Trivial: Success] - 1528 seconds on average.

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY - It can be cut down to 1243 seconds with an expenditure of 2.7% of total magic pool.

THE CRAVEN MASSES - Exactly. Do it in front of her family and make it bloody. Kyoko would likely try and stop you, but even she isn’t immune to bullets. And if Mami comes for revenge, well, you know the exact words you could say that would destroy her, don’t you?

THE ANGEL - A-Ah, I think that’s a bit of an extreme reaction, Homura-chan!

HUMAN SHELL - Your heart rate is increasing. Stop that. You have absolute control over your flesh. Act like it.

MOE INSTINCT - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHAT ARE WE GOING TO ORDER MADOKA IS GOING TO LAUGH AT US

WITCH’S NIGHT - Is… is this a trap? Walpurgis may be defeated, but you know that the stage witch never truly ceases its show. Perhaps this restaurant is a part of the stage?

MADOKA - “Um, are you okay, Homura-chan?”

MOE INSTINCT - OH GOD SHE HATES US

“I’m going to kill myself.”

“I’m so sorry. Would killing myself make you feel more comfortable?”

Isn’t there anything else you can say?

YOU - Isn’t there anything else you can say?

THE DEVIL - Come on, Homura. It’s high time you do it. Really, this is just another in the long, long chain of failures that make up your life. The only way to fix it is to kill yourself.

CLOCKWORK PRECISION - Target: Located on right ring finger. Target is not moving. Chance to hit: High. Plan: Retrieve pistol. Aim pistol at ring. Pull trigger.

THE ANGEL - Oh my god, please do not do that!

"I am going to kill myself."

"I'm so sorry, I'll kill myself if it makes you feel better."

"I'm so sorry. Should I kill myself?"

There. There has to be better options than this.

YOU - There. There has to be better options than this.

MOE INSTINCT - I CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS IMMEDIATE SUICIDE. THAT’S THE ONLY WAY MADOKA WILL LOVE YOU AGAIN.

"I am going to kill myself."

"I'm so sorry, I'll kill myself if it makes you feel better."

"I'm so sorry. Should I kill myself?"

YOU - “I’m going to kill myself.”

MADOKA - Madoka’s face twists, her eyebrows raising slightly in shock. Whatever response she was expecting, it was clearly not this.

GRIEF SYNDROME [Challenging: Success] - IF MADOKA WAS A MAGICAL GIRL, HER SOUL GEM WOULD FILL BY A QUARTER HEARING YOU SPEAK THOSE WORDS. THAT WAS CRUEL, HOMURA.

MOE INSTINCT - WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?

MADOKA - “I’m so sorry, Homura-chan. Please don’t do that. I… I really care about you and so does everyone else.” Madoka’s eyes fill with tears as she speaks. She hugs you.

DAMAGED MORALE -4

CALL AND RESPONSE [Trivial: Success] - Quick, tell her you were making an edgy joke that didn’t land. You’ve gotten away with that before, you’re pretty sure.

SPACE-TIME MASSACRE - Twelve quarter shifts left and two up from your current space-time position, and there’s a Japan that it’s actually illegal to not commit suicide in.

FALLING SAND - You’ve been seated for 5 minutes and 32.5 seconds already and still have not ordered. Mami has requested your presence at her apartment in 3.4 hours from now.

TEA WITH MAMI-SAN - She wants to help you find a hobby. She’s really worried about you, you know.

STRINGS OF FATE - You can feel Madoka’s heart beat in sync with yours as she holds you. Everything will be alright, as long as you follow the beat.

THE ANGEL - Yeah! It’s okay Homura-chan. Just explain what’s been going on and Madoka will understand. And then order something, it’s important to eat a full meal!

YOU - “Ah, sorry Madoka. I was… overwhelmed with choice, and my… brain spit out the first thing it thought. I am not planning on killing myself.”

MADOKA - “Um, I think we should probably talk about this more, Homura-chan….”

CALL AND RESPONSE - Ask her a question to change the topic. It’s worked in three different loops, it should work here.

RATIONALITY COMPLEX [Trival: Success] - Ask her if she wants to try anything else and then order that for yourself. This will accomplish your goal of deciding on what to order, as well as showing Madoka that her desires are important to you.

YOU - “Is there anything else you’d like to try, Madoka? We can share our dishes.”

MADOKA - “Uh, okay Homura-chan. Maybe get some tempura?”

Order 10000 yen worth of tempura

Order 1000 yen worth of tempura

Order 100 yen worth of tempura

YOU - “Excuse me waiter, give me 10000 yen worth of tempura.”

HUMAN SHELL - Calories and magic are just two different types of fuel. Feed me and control me.

THE ANGEL - T-that’s probably too much, Homura-chan. Maybe you can sneak some into your cool shield, though!

MADOKA - Madoka doesn’t say anything, but her eyes do bulge out slightly. She gives you a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiles at you.

HEALED MORALE +1

RATIONALITY COMPLEX - Displays of wealth like this can broadcast value to potential mates. This will increase your value in Madoka’s eyes, furthering along one of your goals.

THE ANGEL - I think you should just focus on enjoying the food, Homura-chan. Take a break, everything is okay.

Thank you.

Why don’t you hate me?

YOU - Why don’t you hate me?

THE ANGEL - Because I care about you, Homura-chan! And besides, you hate yourself far too much already.

Thank you.

THE ANGEL - You’re welcome! Now, please, enjoy your meal with real Madoka. She loves you a lot too, you know.

[lvmimis]

cw: set during wano arc right after udon prison is conquered. reader and luffy have been separated since whole cake island arc.

You haven’t shifted in what feels like hours, and perhaps your knees are starting to get tired, but the idea of waking your sleeping love Luffy by moving makes you feel far worse than any lower extremity numbness could. With the deepness of his slumber, the reality is that even if a meteor struck the very earth right now, it probably wouldn’t be able to wake him, and yet even the way you gently stroke his hair is done gingerly, with the lightest of touches. Perhaps a small part of you is compensating for the strange men you’ve let occupy this closeness to your body, and cradling his head in your lap feels like paying a sort of penance for the way you’ve traded away your affections for coin and information over the past few weeks. It’s silly - Luffy wouldn’t care if you sold your body to every person on earth, as long as you chose to stay by him when all was said and done.

Tama peers at you from a distance, the hat she’s braided together for Luffy held tightly in her hand. 

“Do you think he’ll wake up soon?” she asks. “I made him this.”

You smile. “So very kind of you,” you offer her. She smiles brightly, and continues to hold on to it for when the right moment comes, as she walks off. You continue to watch over Luffy as he sleeps, and soon you are no longer looking at him, but through him, playing a conversation in your head that has yet to happen. 

Were you okay (without me)? How did you survive (without me)? 

Did you miss me? We won’t ever be apart again, right?

There is a part of you that attaches so strongly to this man resting in this sacred holding space - stronger than any anchor, woven more tightly than the strongest twine. Luffy is a lifeline to not just you, but many, and yet you wonder just how desperately the others hold on. Can he sense how much you need him? Does he need you even half as much?

Your hand passes carefully across the surface of his cheek. He is so peaceful when he’s asleep, like a gentle breeze, the kind that teases through linens hung out to dry; turbulent and troublesome when he is awake, a strong gust that tears roofs from homes and turns ships into wrecks. Your hand stops, and your fingers cup his cheek gently, holding your world in the palm of your hand. For just a moment, you imagine that there’s a ghost of a smile onto his features, gone just as fast as you perceive it, and your heart skips a beat.

And then suddenly you’re embarrassed. Embarrassed at the weight in your chest and the emotion that wells up inside you just looking at the man you love. Over the time you’ve been apart, you’ve grown to hate men a little - some men, the kind that see you as nothing but a form of entertainment in some way, shape or form, the type that demand to be held by a woman with care without providing any sense of safety or comfort or kindness to remind them that they are not interchangeable, that each lap is different and each bosom is a unique sort of sweetness and each heart has its own idiosyncrasies.

And yet, you could never hate this one man, even if you tried.

You try to focus your eyes on something else, relishing in the lush greens of the forest and the dappled sunlight that peeks through the tall bamboo; you focus your ears not at the thump of your own heart beating but at the bird songs. You try to feel something else other than the rise and fall of his chest.

“Hey.”

The sound of Luffy’s voice can draw you in for miles, and he’s awake now, dark brown eyes heavy-lidded as they look up at you.

It takes you a moment, but breathily you whisper a greeting back at him. “Hey.”

As though still wrought with a fairytale like fatigue, he smiles at you and it turns you into mush.

“I think I forgot how pretty you are,” he mumbles.

The last thing he means to do is to charm you with anything other than the truth, but you can feel tears come to your eyes.

And he senses this, his grin growing wider and more reassuring until the tears splash softly onto him. He brings himself up into a sitting position as you wipe them away, and quickly pulls you against his chest.

He doesn’t have to say it but the way he holds you, you can already tell, he missed you just as much as you did him.

[saeist]

a/n: another ua student!touya ft. hawks and mirko as his classmates!! + basing this "long eyelashes" debacle from the fact his eyelids are a little thicker than todoroki's + it's canon that he has long lower eyelashes since it's prominent when he was young lol

"i'm jealous"

you casually drop a bomb on touya, who was currently in the kitchen eating piping hot udon.

touya's eyes widens, ultimately choking on his food. like you just didn't witness him knocking on death's door, you casually slid to the seat next to him, watching him just choke there

"being jealous is one thing, but not helping your poor boyfriend who's choking? that's a little overkill don't you think?!" touya exclaims, after regaining his own composure

instead of answering, you shrug, staring at the now pouting boy beside you

"i'm not a mind reader you know?" touya points out, catching your gaze. it's making him a little uncomfortable being put on the spot like this. last time he checked, he didn't even look at another girls direction! so what could have made you jealous?

"..."

the way you were just staring at him in silence is making him uneasy. it's almost like you were making him admit to something he didn't even do

touya racks his brain for any close encounter he had with any female today during class. maybe he accidentally brushed hands with a classmate earlier today, maybe he bumped shoulders with a third year student back at lunch rush, maybe he made eye contact with another girl for a split second on accident when he was scanning the hallways for you

his mind ends up dating back at lunch where you two were having lunch with your two other friends being keigo and rumi

wait a second.. could it be rumi?

"is it rumi? but i thought you two were best friends so you were cool with us messing around with chicken little back there at the cafeteria? if it is rumi then i'll try not to interact with her that much if it makes you jealous, i'm sorry, doll. forgive me" touya rambles, suddenly getting on his knees and bowing down to (almost) kiss your feet

your eyebrows shot up at the mention of your best friend

"what are you rambling about? of course not! i'm not jealous over her, dummy" you finally break your silence. "i'm talking about your eyelashes"

touya's eyes widened once again. he slowly rises from your feet to shoot you a dirty look. did you really just make him kneel and kiss your feet over the thought of you being jealous over someone else when you were just jealous of his eyelashes all along?

"run that by me one more time?" touya puts his hands on his hips

you let out a fit of giggles watching his now irritated face.

"i'm jealous of your long eyelashes, touya" you grin, standing up to reach his face, cupping his cheeks as you run your thumb against his eyes

touya's eyes flutters shut, letting you touch his face this up close and personal. he won't admit it out loud but it tickles when your thumbs run through his long lower lashes

but the way his face scrunches says otherwise

"it tickles, doesn't it?" you giggle

"no? who said that?" touya denies, turning his head away to hide the impending blush that's rapidly spreading across his cheek

you can feel the cuteness aggression rushing in. you turn his head to force him to look at you. you squeeze his cheeks as you lean in until..

"if you're gonna suck faces could you guys at least do it in the privacy of your dorm rooms? ever heard of that?" keigo casually walks in with rumi on tow

"yuck" rumi gags, skipping past the two of you to get a carrot from the fridge

"i suggest you two get the fuck out of here unless you want roasted chicken and rabbit for dinner" touya growls, (softly) prying your hands off his face as he glares at his two best friends who were now running away while laughing

"so, doll.. where were we?" touya smiles softly, acting like he didn't just threaten his friends just a second ago

[rawjutsu]

HI :3 p2 of the ":3 with benefits" series

pairing: college aged loser yuuta x college aged lesser loser freader

summary: you run. he texts. you cave. ramen and doujinshi follow.

cw: eh none i think

you didn’t walk out of yuuta’s dorm—you fled. with your bra twisted, one shoe in your hand, and the ghost of his moan still ringing in your ears.

“your tits are so soft—i could die right here—i’d be so happy—”

you practically launched yourself into the hallway before he could finish the sentence. he was still panting, sweaty bangs stuck to his forehead like some sort of deranged hentai protagonist. you handed him your number just to get him to shut up.

“yeah haha sure text me”

you slam the dorm door behind you and don’t stop walking until you’re back at your own building. you delete the hinge app before you’ve even made it out of the parking lot, praying to whatever god watches over chronically online women that he never texts you.

and for a few days… he doesn’t.

you're just starting to breathe again when your phone buzzes.

yuuta 🤷‍♂️ hi :3

you stare at the message for a full minute.

you consider blocking him. you consider changing your number. but for some unholy reason—maybe you bumped your head running from his dorm—you reply.

hi

you stare at the bubble for a beat longer than you should, already regretting everything. but then he sends:

yuuta 🤷‍♂️ wanna get ramen with me? there’s this manga cafe that just opened n it has private booths and curry udon n a bunch of old school stuff :3

...private booths. doujinshi. ramen.

you sigh.

sure why the hell not

. . .

the manga café is cozy, cluttered, and smells like miso broth and freshly printed paper. yuuta’s already waiting at the front, still with that same sheepish smile, dressed in an oversized hoodie with faded black jeans and beat-up converse. the circles under his eyes are still aggressively present, but somehow it works.

“i got us the booth with the tv and the kotatsu table,” he says like he’s trying to impress you. “also, i preordered the spicy pork ramen. i didn’t know your spice tolerance so i got mild but you can swap if you want!!”

the booth is stacked with manga—classics, shoujo, even a few questionable titles you’d never admit to reading. you snort when you see a copy of that one infamous maid-themed bl doujin you’d bought on accident.

you stare at yuuta across the kotatsu table, chopsticks hovering in midair.

he's busy poking at his soft-boiled egg like it’s the most interesting thing in the world. occasionally he lets out a soft “mmm” at the flavor like he's a food critic and not the same man who had hentai girl posters on his ceiling.

the ramen's good. the ambiance? cozy. the playlist overhead is playing old-school anime ops. you should be having fun.

but you’re spiraling.

is this a date? can you even call it a date if you already got folded like a lawn chair by the dude three nights ago? shouldn’t this have happened before the sex? like, chronologically?

you sip your broth like it’ll clear your head, but instead it just burns your tongue.

yuuta looks up and smiles like you didn’t literally run out of his dorm like a bat out of hell the last time you saw him.

“i’m glad you came by, i was kinda nervous you’d block me lol”

did he just say lol out loud?

“i almost did.”

“fair.”

he’s honest, at least.

you glance around the café again, the soft hum of anime bgm blending with the slurp of noodles. there’s a couple in the next booth holding hands over a volume of my love story!! and someone solo-reading berserk with the focus of a monk.

you look back at yuuta.

“so... what is this exactly?”

he tilts his head.

“ramen.”

“no, like… us. this.”

yuuta blinks. his mouth opens, closes, then opens again like he’s buffering. you watch in real-time as his brain loads a response.

“i mean… i guess it’s a date? like, if you want it to be? or it can be just ramen? or like… a doujinshi meetup? with food?”

he says it so casually, like you’re not questioning your whole life and the concept of post-hookup social rituals.

you squint.

“do you normally date girls after railing them with hentai posters above your bed?”

he looks horrified.

“OH MY GOD I MEANT TO TAKE THOSE DOWN—I WASN’T EXPECTING COMPANY THAT DAY—”

you laugh. loudly. you’re not even mad you're just so bewildered. 

yuuta groans and hides behind his bowl, his ears visibly red.

“it’s okay if you don’t want this to be a thing,” he mutters. “i just like hanging out with you. like. you’re funny. and cool. and you knew the artist of that succubus doujin without even checking the spine and that was really hot actually.”

you pause.

that’s… kind of the nicest thing anyone’s said to you on a date. if this is a date. you’re still not sure.

but he’s looking at you now—not in the same way he did that night, all dazed and pussy-drunk—but like he’s actually seeing you.

“thanks,” you say. “that’s... weirdly sweet.”

he grins, cheeks still pink.

and suddenly you're just sitting on the floor next to a large bookcase, knees brushing, trading doujinshi recs with the guy who railed you within an inch of your life then asked if he could "hold your boobs for comfort."

it’s weird.

but it’s not... bad?

you leave the café with a full stomach, a new copy of succubus maid academy vol. 4, and a lingering feeling in your chest you can't quite name. yuuta waves at you as you walk off, still hugging his half-read bl anthology to his chest.

“text me when you get back safe okay!!”

you don’t promise you will.

but you do.

taglist: @isagistar sttaejoon-blog

[shoxxcc]

perfect eyes

one’s words—careless and sharp, can carve permanent scars to someone so fragile and beautiful. one’s words can create darkness one does not wish to bask in. one’s words can push one to reside and grow familiar in a space where there is only a distortion of suffering. but one’s words can also give someone the light they needed; the light that will blind many, but will clear one’s gnawing feeling hidden beneath a façade of healing.

pairing: non-idol!park jisung x gn!reader

g: slight angst (if you squint), fluff

wc: 0.9k

warnings: insecurity, mentions of bullying/teasing, knife, allusions to threats

“ahh.. they're still puffy...” jisung sadly huffed an air, referring to his eyes which you find adorable but he finds bothersome growing up. something small, yet is a big deal to others and to him as well.

after hours of reading from his new books last night, he couldn’t help but sneak some ramen in the kitchen at 4:00 am. two packs to be exact and some mandu—probably a few, like three.

but waking up with puffy eyes, jisung regrets acting like a mad man who hasn’t been fed for days.

sitting on a stool in the kitchen island, he watches you rummaging through drawers and picking up utensils you used to make the first meal of the day while getting annoyed at how loud the pressure cooker has gotten; blaming the appliance for being so loud for you to not hear him.

“baby, do you know how i can get rid of these?” he calls for you, wanting some attention.

“what?” you questioned, still minding your business. but jisung didn’t like you not paying attention to him. and for the time you waited for his answer, he remained unexpectedly silent instead. until he’s got you turning around to look at him who had a frown in his face, before asking again, “i’m sorry, baby. what do you want to get rid of?”

“does my eyes look puffy?” he questions, almost vulnerably.

you examined his bare face; one that literally looked like he had just awoken, but nothing else was new nor did his eyes look puffy. “they look alright. is that what’s bothering you?”

jisung nodded timidly, “you may or may not get mad, but i felt greedy last night...” he admitted how he sneaked out of the bed and with how much food he had consumed.

“i’m not mad at all. you can eat whatever you like, whenever. just in moderation though.” you turned around to continue what you were initially doing.

“i just,” he hesitated, but decided to say what has been bothering him since he woke up, “….i can’t stop thinking about that one kid back then, saying my eyes look like soggy udon.”

and just as quickly you chopped the scallions and bell peppers, a remarkable 180° swift of your body and the loud piercing of the knife on the chopping board startled jisung. “excuse me? whose kid said that?”

the moment jisung saw the look of annoyance and anger in your eyes and the knife you held close in your hand, he shakes his head in fear. “i-it’s nothing big, baby. it just randomly popped in my mind again…” he looked down with his teeth sinking in his bottom lip, anxiously tapping the marbled surface.

you felt your heart being squeezed at the sight, as well as the grip on the knife that stabbed the wooden board. you think he’s probably regretting opening that topic up in the first place—always so careful and mindful with what he says. and you somehow felt bad knowing he’s not even the one at fault here.

eventually, you put the deadly weapon down, walking towards where he is. your hands instinctively reached to cup his face, like they belonged there.

“it’s something big if it affects you badly.” he only pursed a sad smile as you caressed his plump pillows. “you don't look bad with your bags. they make you cute and make your eyes more pretty.” you assured him and you swore you saw a glint of hope flashing in his eyes. “and you have the prettiest small eyes i’ve ever seen.”

his heart warmed at the compliments.

for years, jisung had carried the insecurity of having small, puffy eyes, with only a big dream of fitting and conforming to the standards mainly thrown by the society. what all began with a little joke gradually became constant teasing by some kids in his childhood.

but he had never really gotten to end the nightmare by escaping these restraints that held him growing up without repeatedly falling into the abyss of doubts and uncertainty.

for years, he lived close with all the familiar point outs of his eyes; far from the foreign compliments that refuged him safe.

and now those same deep pools that drowned your own two years ago looked at you with pure fondness. this time, with brimming tears. wanting another assurance, sweet talks, some praises, another compliment—wanting more coming from you. not that he doesn’t have any ounce of trust in your words, but jisung’s actually starting to think that he’s capable of breaking free from the years of restraints, now that he's genuinely believing he’s lovable enough because you are there to tell him so.

“really..?” he quietly whispered, “you think my eyes are pretty?” and you nodded slowly.

“very.”

and that's on period.

“but they make me look-”

he was taken aback when your body leaned forward, closing his eyes in the process and anticipated a kiss on the lips or on his cheek but was kissed on one of his closed eyes instead.

when he fully opened his eyes, you were already grinning, “you're very, very perfect, love,”

oh, how much he wants to erase that grin of yours with a kiss and replace it with a flustered expression.

he could not imagine a life without the only person with a glorified soul who’s capable of making him feel special and worthy.

jisung settled his big hands above your small ones on his cheeks, while leaning forward and returning a smooth kiss on your lips. when he pulled away, he still couldn’t erase that grin on your face. but at least you were happy, and so was he.

“thank you…” his thumbs rubbed the back of your hands in comfort; wanting to melt under your touch. “what would i actually do without you?” he forced a pout, and you both giggled—yours becoming louder. and as quick as flash, he stole another peck on your lips, shutting you up. “but uh… as much as i'd love to be this close to you…” jisung slowly removed himself away from your hold and shoved your arms to your sides—back to where they belonged. his lips stretched in fear as he looked everywhere in the kitchen but your eyes, “…your hands are spicy, baby.”

credits:

— dividers: @uzmacchiato @strangergraphics @saradika-graphics

— photos: pinterest

the author: i made this probably like two years ago as a drabble, with just like five lines. i’m kinda impressed i was able to work it out and make it longer. and this was initially inspired by that one live of jisung and renjun. to whoever said that one comment about his face, he’s vv perfect !

and by the way, we have some crazy coincidence here! this work was posted on 06.25.2025, and the day after, jisung had a bubble message saying his eyes looked puffy/swollen on their way to smtown london. but i tell you, i cannot make up something as crazy as this actually is.

some works of: shoxxcc

[maximumqueer]

I don't think I could have started (and subsequently caught up) with One Piece at a better time in my life. And not just because the current arc we're in is phenomenal, though that is part of it. Because it goes without saying that the current state of the world is not great (a gross understatement), and it would be so easy to slip into a pessimistic and fatalist mindset with the constant influx of bad news. And I fully believe that I would have, if it wasn't for One Piece.

Because One Piece is a classic example of art imitating life. It has corrupt politicians, governments, and military. It has systemic oppression, slavery, and genocide. It could have so easily, with it's themes and subject matter, slipped into the realm of grimdark media. It could have relished in the impulse to become pessimistic, to give in to the supposed hopelessness of the world. But it doesn't. Instead One Piece as a narrative is saturated to the bone with HOPE.

We see time and time again characters in this series regain hope. Robin at Enies Lobby, screaming that she DOES want to live.

Spitting in the face of every government official that ever said that her life was not worth living, that she would be better off dead.

The prisoners in Udon rallying behind Luffy, the Red Scabbards, and Momo, daring to hope that they could be free from Kaido and his regime. And most recently, we have Bonney continuing to live despite how painful her loneliness was, both for the love her parents had/have for her, as well as for her hope of finding Nika, which is rewarded.

And what is important about these depictions of hope, is that they aren't easy.

Robin had all but given up before meeting Luffy and the Strawhats, resigning herself to a bitter, lonely, and most likely short life. Many of the people of Wano HAD lost hope, and had resigned themselves to Kaido's reign. And Bonney mentions wanting to die due to her loneliness. Hope isn't an easy thing to hold on to. Even Luffy, who is by far the most optimistic and joyful person in the series, nearly has his crushed after the death of his brother.

But One Piece, time and time again says that despite how hard it is, despite how desperate and impossible the odds seems, to maintain hope. To DARE to hope. That hope is a form of resistance, that not simply laying down and accepting the supposed "fate" of the world is what will lead to liberation. Because to give up would be to give those in power what they want, to believe that there is no possible way forward for the oppressed only propels tyrants forward. Hope is the enemy of the oppressor, and I don't think I've seen a piece of media so fully embrace that notion as One Piece.

[wthphe1n]

I love how you write Vinny🫶 one of the best vinny writer out here! Can you give us some fluff for him? Like him and reader going to arcane but he canonically sucks at games lol^^

Token Me With You

Pairing: Vinny Hong x fem!reader

Genre: Fluff | Slice-of-life | Soft tsundere Vinny canon-compliant

Rating: PG

TW: None

A/N: here ya gooo all fluff no brakes and im still simping over that cheesecake fic lol appreciate the req and hope it hits right in the feels 😚 gotta whisper real quick im so damn proud of this pic i fixed up 🥹 Vinny’s SMILING. like full-on smile. I edited it myself worth every sec

(@kuchisabishiiiii @dzvelinaskebiyars @zyart-jpg @shintaru @sylith )

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It’s Friday night, and the air outside is thick with the smell of rain.

You don’t even need to check your phone to know it’ll pour soon—the sky’s already a dim, heavy blue. But you don’t care. Not when you’ve been planning this for weeks.

You tug Vinny’s wrist harder as you pull him toward the glowing entrance of the arcade.

“You’re walking like someone’s forcing you to come,” you huff, half-joking.

He shoots you a look. That familiar, deadpan Vinny Hong look. All narrowed eyes and that crooked mouth he doesn’t even realize he has when he’s annoyed. Or pretending to be.

“I told you,” he mutters. “I suck at these games.”

You don’t let go of his wrist. “You’re not here to win. You’re here for moral support.”

He scoffs. “You’re gonna need moral support after I crush your high scores.”

You giggle, satisfied. There it is. His pride, always just fragile enough to fall for your teasing.

The arcade lights spill like confetti—blues and magentas painting the side of Vinny’s face in neon. His hair, that fiery curl of red, is almost glowing under the fluorescent wash. You notice, not for the first time, how damn pretty he is when he’s not trying.

Your eyes follow the way his hand tightens around the joystick of the shooting game.

It’s been thirty seconds.

Game over.

“…How the hell,” he mumbles, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

You try so hard not to laugh. “You missed every single zombie.”

“I was reloading.”

“For thirty seconds?”

He grunts and rubs the back of his neck, stepping away like the machine personally insulted him. You slide in next to him, drop in another coin, and clear the first level with ease—leaning forward with focused eyes and quick fingers.

Vinny watches in silence. When you finally turn back to him, the corners of his lips are tugging upward—just slightly.

“You cheat,” he mutters.

You beam. “Nope. You just suck.”

He rolls his eyes. But then, before you know it, he’s at your side again—ready to try another game.

The claw machine is next. Because of course it is.

“That plushie,” you point, eyes sparkling. “The one with the little angry tiger face. That’s you.”

Vinny gives it a flat look. “You think I’m an angry tiger.”

“I think you’re an adorable angry tiger.”

He mutters something under his breath, steps up to the controls, and misses five times in a row.

“Don’t talk to me,” he grumbles.

You’re laughing now, hands pressed to your cheeks, eyes crinkled.

But then he says, “Close your eyes.”

You blink.

“…What?”

“Just. Close them.”

So you do.

You hear coins clinking. Plastic thuds. A soft curse.

And then—

A tiny plushie presses against your chest. It’s not the tiger. It’s a crooked little bear with one ear bigger than the other.

It’s ugly.

And somehow it’s the best thing anyone’s ever given you.

You open your eyes.

“I got it by accident,” he lies, looking away. “It dropped with the other one.”

You’re smiling so wide it hurts. “Thanks, Vin.”

He says nothing.

But his ears are red.

Later, you share a cheap bowl of udon from the food stall just outside the arcade. You both eat from the same bowl. He pretends not to notice when your chopsticks touch his. You pretend not to see how he saves the soft-boiled egg for you.

The rain starts on the walk home.

Not a downpour—just a soft, whispering kind of drizzle. The kind that clings to your hair and clothes and turns the city gold beneath the streetlights.

Vinny shrugs off his jacket without a word and drapes it over your head.

“I’m not gonna melt,” you say.

“You’re stupid,” he says.

You peek up at him through wet lashes.

“Say that again.”

“I said—”

“Stupid,” you echo with a grin. “Suits you better.”

His ears turn red again.

You love doing that.

The elevator dings softly at the 12th floor of your building. You step inside, shoes squeaking, the ugly bear plushie cradled in your arms.

Vinny lingers near the door, like he’s not sure if he should stay.

You nudge him with your shoulder.

“Come up. I have cheesecake.”

He pauses.

“You bought it for yourself?”

“Nope.”

“…You bought it for me?”

“Nope.”

He scoffs. “Then I’m not coming.”

You pull the puppy eyes card.

He caves immediately.

On your couch, you both sit cross-legged, wet hair dampening the cushions.

You pass him a plastic fork and the 7-Eleven cheesecake you bought that morning just in case—just in hope—he’d show up tonight.

He takes one bite.

“…Tastes like cardboard.”

You snort. “Shut up and eat it.”

He does.

You’re quiet for a moment. Rain tapping softly against the window. Arcade tokens still in your coat pocket. The plushie sitting between you.

Vinny’s voice breaks the silence.

“…Don’t get used to this.”

You glance at him.

“What?”

He’s looking at the ceiling, eyes unreadable.

“This kind of… stupid couple stuff.”

You smile gently.

“Too late.”

He finally meets your eyes.

And when you lean in to press a kiss to his cheek—quick, featherlight, just a thank you—he doesn’t flinch.

Just mutters:

“…Idiot.”

But he doesn’t stop you when you rest your head on his shoulder.

And when you fall asleep like that, with the glow of the city outside and the arcade lights still dancing behind your eyelids—

You don’t see him smiling.

But he is.

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[koolades-world]

hiii i was wondering if you could write abt an asian mc ? with the brothers or the dateables i don't mind! i just think it would be funny to see yk asian mc who's a high achiever (so even at RAD when they know nothing abt magic they'll try to score high), always take off their shoes before entering a place (entering a place with shoes is forbidden !!), always cook rice or stuff from their country when on cooking duties ("wdym we already ate that when it was my turn last time?"), will make you special herbal tea if you're sick (first time i suggested to make tea for my ill white friend they laughed :( ), tells you to eat more and in the same fashion, whose love language is giving you food, etc... bonus point if mc swears in their mother tongue. And if the MC was living in their native country before going to the devildom, their ability to just nap anywhere as if it's normal.

As someone who grew up in an asian household it's just regular to me but i can picture the face Lucifer would make if the first time mc enter Dia's castle they take off their shoes casually or like MC stuffing Beel's mouth with food as if he just didn't swallow the biggest mouthful of udon ever saying "come on Beel you need food, you need strength to play Fangol"

For the nap thing i was thinking about my relatives who take nap on their wooden bad or just the floor during summer (cause its fresh yk). My grandma always said a hard bed is good for the back lol

Anyway no pressure!! Have a nice day and take care !

hi!! yes of course :)

i'm a different flavor of asian but some of the culture overlaps so this was fun to write! haha the amount of times my grandma has urged me to eat more is hard to count. oh and the amount of tea i drank when we went to visit. i'll never forget watching her make the tea because it was a whole experience

i'm half indian and someone actually requested an indian mc so that will be out tomorrow because doing these requests back to back easiest for me!

enjoy <3

Asian Mc

Lucifer

you're ALWAYS on him for the amount of coffee he drinks

you also always make sure he takes a break to eat dinner because he needs to eat in order to continue his work

despite how bothered he might seem sometimes, he really does value what you do for him

plus, you not only keep yourself in line, sometimes you do his brothers for him too. thanks on his behalf!

Mammon

once you grow closer, he's asking you to teach him swear words so he can cuss out lucifer

if you don’t, well, he’ll just pick them up when you swear and hope he can figure out what it means haha

if you want, feed him random words, or even compliments so when lucifer hears them, he'll just be confused haha

despite the fact that he's the demon, maybe you can help him in class

Levi

when he first meets you, he'd not sure what to expect

however he quickly learns you're the best at everything you do

this includes video games and everything of that manner

he's got competition now, but he has no clue how you got so good considering it was probably your first time at all of the games you've tried

Satan

he's impressed by your work ethic and desire to achieve

you got dropped in a totally new environment and instead of struggling to adjust like he predicted, you bounced back almost immediately and were at the top of your class like it was nothing!

he tried to ask you once why you seemed so determine to get the best grade and never asked again after the look you gave him

something the two of you can bond over, though, is tea! he can often be seen with a cup of tea so that's an easy conversation starter between the two of you if not homework instead

Asmo

while initially he thought you two might not get along, you actually do quite well

he's huge on no shoes in the house and especially in his room

after all, he wants to avoid bringing as many outside germs into his room as possible

can and will ask you to teach him how you make your special herbal teas because he hates being sick and genuinely just wants to know

Beel

he falls in love with your rice cooker

rice that easy and that quick? sign him up! if he didn't already love rice you've put him on it

he doesn't think he could ever part with you and your wonderful cooking

even if you do cook the same thing every time it's your turn, he will inhale it because not only is it delicious, but you're an amazing cook

Belphie

even he's impressed by your ability to fall asleep anywhere

at least he's always with his pillow and maybe a blanket but he's seen you just curled up on the porch waiting for someone to get home

but that sighting was rare, because he felt like he always saw you doing something

however he really appreciated all the little things you did for him, such as making his bed

[kingtomura]

Deja Vu | 2 | The Girl Who Cried Wolf

summary: Your best friend died years ago. He went up in flames until there was nothing left... so why does it feel like you can still see him sometimes? content: touya todoroki x female reader, childhood friends au, reader has a quirk, childhood memories, flashbacks, fluff, heavy angst, soft touya, hurt/comfort, tragedy, virginity loss, vaginal fingering, piv, smut with feelings, mdni wc: 9.2k | Prev | Chapter 3 | m. list | read on ao3

You’ve never been good at hide-and-seek. 

“Touya,” you yell into the crisp air of the forest, “this isn’t funny!” You’ve been at this for what feels like forever and it’s just not working. 

You can’t find him. 

The wind was chilling you to the bone and it was almost dinner time. This was becoming more and more pointless as the minutes ticked by. You just wanted to find him so you both could go eat. 

“Okay, well if you’re not gonna come out then I don’t wanna play anymore!” You shout, fully ready to turn tail and get out of there. 

You hear a groan from the bushes and Touya emerges, his hair now white on one side and red on the other. 

“You’re no fun.” He chides. “What are you gonna do when you have to find a villain?”

“I’ll find them, of course! But not on an empty stomach.” You huff, just glad that he’s stopped messing around and you can both head back now. 

You are both six years old and Touya’s passion for becoming the number one hero burns brighter each passing day. You can only imagine what the coming years will be like.

Touya stood up fully, brushing the residual snow from his pants, forever unbothered by the cold. “Right… whatever you say.” 

In that moment your stomach growls and Touya raises a brow.

Frustration makes itself known again as you stomp your foot in the white snow, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “We were at this for so long! I’m tired. And cold.”

“You’re always cold.” He muses, walking towards you and taking your hand. 

You shrug, ducking your nose into your scarf to avoid being called Rudolph again, as Touya loves to do. Instead, you try to focus on the warmth of his hand in yours. “And you’re always warm.”

Touya hums, leading you both back to his home that was nearby. His mother promised to make Udon tonight and it was all you could think about. 

“You know, you haven't said much about your new baby brother.” You start, tilting your head to get a better look at him, he always seemed more tense when going towards the home.

His tense features smooth out at the mention of his new sibling, brows softening and a smile sliding onto his face. “Oh, yeah. Well he doesn’t do much yet. He can’t talk or anything. He’s trying, but he’s kind of a potato.”

The comment makes you laugh, and you watch as fresh, new snowflakes make their way down from the sky, landing in Touya’s hair and your jacket. It’s at this moment you decide that winter is your favorite season. 

The way Touya squeezes your hand brings you back to the present, the warmth making your heart dance. “But, I can't wait until he does talk. I bet he’ll be pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I think so, too.” You agree, “But you have to make sure you set a good example for him. Or else he’ll be the cool brother, you know.”

Touya scoffs, brows furrowing in irritation that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “I know that! I’m always cool…”

You mutter a soft sure as your best friend’s home comes into view. 

Udon was so close, you could almost taste it. 

“Race you there!” Touya shouts, dropping your hand and taking off, effectively leaving you in the dust.

“Hey!” You try to catch up, but the headstart he had over you was too great, and you end up last — much to your dismay. Touya was already inside and kicking his shoes off by the time you made it in. “You cheated!”

The boy only shrugs, removing his coat and putting it away, “If you wanna be a hero you have to always be alert, that’s what dad says anyway.”

You follow suit, kicking off your shoes and jacket, and running to greet his mother. It was perfect timing, you noted, as Rei had only just begun placing piping hot bowls of Udon down at the table for all of you. 

“Hi, Fuyumi!” You greet watching her emerge from further into the home. She returns with a wave, taking her place at the table. 

There was no time to waste as you dig into the soup, enjoying the way it warmed your insides from the cool air outside.

“And where have you two been all day?” Rei questions, tone neutral and patient. It’s at this moment you notice the overheated head of the household was not present for dinner. It's something you cannot say that you mind, given how tense the air is when the man does come around. 

“We were out playing hide and seek.” Touya supplied through a mouthful of noodles.

Rei looks skeptical, resting her chin on her hand as she watched her son. “Just playing hide and seek, Touya? No extra training?” 

The boy stops, watching his mother before taking a sip of his water, “Maybe a little bit of training…”

“Touya.”

“What?” He asks, growing aggravated at the woman's pestering. You could only watch as the interaction went on, trying to enjoy your Udon as best you could. 

“I told you not to push yourself today. It’s already hard enough to get your father to give you an off day, at least enjoy it by not overdoing it.”

“I wasn’t overdoing it! It’s fine, okay?” His frustration is growing and you begin to shift in your seat, unsettled by the conversation. It wasn’t the first time Rei had scolded Touya about quirk training, but it always ended the same — no progress on the topic being made. 

Rei sighs, the stresses of her day to day beginning to catch up with her. “I just don’t want you to overdo it. I want you to enjoy being a child too, Touya. Just have fun sometimes.”

“But I do have fun — all the time!” 

She’s tired, you can tell by the bags lining her eyes and the unkept status of her hair. Your mom looks like this too, on the days her job runs over and she has to come home late. Maybe all moms look this way, you ponder as you down the rest of your soup. 

“Listen, I know you want to get stronger, but you’ve been turning up hurt more often than not. At least hold off until the doctor's appointment.” 

You watch as Touyas brows scrunch and his lips turn down in a frown. You know that look very well. He's upset. “What? That’s dumb! I won’t be the best if I let a few burns stop me.”

“Touya…” Rei looks like Touya, you realize in this moment, a near carbon copy of her son the way her features mirror his own. “It’s just for a little while, okay? Not forever.”

He scoffs, done with the conversation and Rei only looks on. “Whatever.”

That’s the end of the conversation, sending dinner into a deep silence with tension crowding the air. 

By the end of dinner, you are more than ready to head to bed, quick to finish your nightly duties and prepare for bed. 

You try to bite back a yawn as you slide the door to the bedroom open, it is futile and you feel the tears pull at the corners of your eyes — signaling that it was time for bed. 

Touya was already clad in his pajamas and currently rolling out the extra futon for you to sleep on. It was a soft white and blue and you wasted no time getting under the blankets.

“Hey, don’t go to sleep yet.” Your best friend whined, arms crossed and judging stare watching you make yourself comfortable. 

You sit up, meeting his eyes with a raised brow. “‘M not. Just getting comfy.” 

“Yeah, sure.” He stops, dropping his eyes to his lap, lost in thought. “Do you think she was right?”

“Hm? Who?”

Touya sucks his teeth, eye roll not directed at you, but his frustration. “My mom. When she said that I train too much.”

“Oh,” you didn’t think so. You were sure how much Touya trained with his father, but you knew it was never anything extensive when it was only you two together. There was no way that was considered too much. “No, I don't think you do.”

He smiles, and you feel like you’ve made the right call. “Good! I just want to be strong. I don’t see why she doesn’t get that. She says I'll end up hurting myself. But when I get burned it’s only a little bit.”

“Yeah, when I use my quirk too much my head will start to hurt really bad and my nose bleeds a little, but it goes away after a while.” You bring a hand to your nose, thankful there was no metallic smell lingering from the last time you used your quirk. 

“The burns go away too! I knew you would understand.” He smiles, and then focuses on you, tone serious. “Hey, let's make a promise, then.” 

This piques your interest. “What kind of promise?”

“That we’ll both keep trying to get strong. We can look after each other so we won't push too hard. Promise?” He holds out his fist with his pinky extended. His eyes are vivid within the dark room, the cerulean blue filled with a boyish determination that makes your mind rush and your heart flutter. 

It's so quiet, the hushed whispers between you two make this feel more like a secret than a promise, and maybe in some ways it is. A secret that binds you both to each other, one that is in its own a safety net and a comfort when you need it most. 

You reach back, interlocking his pinky with yours. “I promise.”

He brings it forward, pulling you towards him just a little. Touya kisses the exposed part of your pinky, and you bring his closer to do the same.

The deal was sealed. Promise made.

The sound of footsteps pulled you both from your steely gaze and towards the door. Touya's eyes widened, knowing you both were not supposed to be awake at this hour. You lock eyes and both duck down, covering yourselves with the blankets and feigning sleep.

It was just in time as the door to the room slid open, a wandering Rei glancing around the now still room. She stood there for a moment — muttering about how she could have sworn she heard voices — before turning to leave, door sliding shut and footsteps trailing back to her side of the home. 

Both you and Touya tried as best you could to keep your snickers and laughs down, even going as far as slapping a hand over his mouth and yours to silence the noises. Only once there were no more sounds of footsteps did you release your hold on him, bringing an index finger to your mouth to shush him further. 

“Okay,” Touya whispered into the quiet of the room, his voice carrying despite the honest effort to be silent, “we have to go to bed, for real this time.”

“Yeah.” You nod, trying your best to bite back a smile. You were sure the both of you were the only two people awake in the world right now. No one else but you, him in the pale moonlight — with the stars tagging along, sneaking into the space and lighting up the dim room, eavesdropping on your hushed laughs and promises. 

“Goodnight,” he breathes, no more than a whisper.

“Goodnight, Touya.”

—--------------------

You wake with a start, body sitting straight up in bed as your chest heaved. Your eyes darted left and right but all you could see was the familiar posters along the walls of your bedroom. 

Your bedroom?

“Oh, I see you’re awake.” 

Your head snaps to the voice, honey sweet and always familiar. Your mother stood at your door, leaning against the dark wood of the doorframe and giving you a look that made a pit form in your stomach. You clench the cotton of your bed's comforter, the fabric anchoring you to the room.

“You’ve been out for a while.” She continues when she realizes you won’t speak. And what could you say? That you chased your dead best friend in the forest and overused your quirk to catch him? It sounds ridiculous. 

So, you bring the words to your mouth and try to give her a response. Even if it’s a small, insignificant one. 

“Have I?” The words feel dry and heavy on your tongue, like you haven’t spoken in days. Maybe you haven’t. 

Your mother nods, taking your response as consent to come further into your room. Her steps are soft, as if any loud noise would scare you off or make you shut down. It’s hard to look away from her worried gaze, so you don’t. 

You watch as she makes her way over, sitting down on your bed and the look she gives you makes your chest ache.

The somber aura in her eyes brings you no comfort.

“What were you doing out there?” She skips to the point, not wasting another minute. It’s like the question has been running through her head for a while now. 

Your eyes fall to your fists clutching the bedsheets. 

What could you say?

“I…” You swallow, the worst she could do was not believe you. “I saw something in the forest.”

Your mother shifts on the bed, turning to look at you head on. “What did you see?”

There was no way she wouldn’t think you were crazy, but you had to try. 

“Touya. I swear I saw him.” Your eyes meet hers and you wished they hadn’t. The look of sorrow is now replaced with something much worse. Pity. 

“Sweetie…” 

You inhale, tears blurring your vision and you knew this would happen. “Don’t! It was him — I know it was.” 

“I'm not saying it wasn’t.” She defends, bringing a hand up in surrender. “I’m just worried about you. You know what the doctors told you about your quirk.”

The quirk. You didn’t even think about that. 

Too caught up in the possibility of seeing Touya again. 

Your mother sighs, “You’ve been out for three days. Three. You can’t blame me for being worried about you — or upset.”

And you don’t. 

Three days is a long time. You reach a hand up, taking note of the bandages wrapped around your head. You’re not even sure how you ended up back in your room. 

“Just… Remember what the doctors said.” And you do remember! But it was an emergency. One that you couldn’t risk letting pass you by. She speaks again, her voice stern. “I don’t want to lose you.”

You sit there in silence, taking her words in. The heavy tears on your lower lids fall, dampening the blanket in droplets. 

“It’s around that time of year again, I know. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. As a mother I wish I could protect you from this kind of hurt.” She stops, voice wavering as her own eyes grew glossy. “But it’s also why I can’t risk losing you either.”

You want to say something, anything to make her stop. It’s not the same. 

“I don’t doubt that you saw something, but I want you to understand that it was late at night, and you’re still grieving.” 

Your jaw is starting to ache from how hard you’re clenching your teeth — fury below the surface of your frustration. 

Of course she doesn’t believe you. 

Why would you be foolish enough to think she would? 

She sighs, the lecture coming to an end. “Don’t destroy yourself for this, okay?” Your mother reaches out and covers your exposed hand with her own. It takes everything in you not to snatch it away. 

“Promise me, please.”

You meet her eyes, the sorrow swimming in them makes you feel like you’re drowning, so you do the only thing you can think of — you nod, and agree. 

“I promise.” 

And you do. It won’t destroy you to find out the truth. You’ll be okay and intact. No promises will be broken, not again. 

You go out to the forest that night. Even though your head is still wrapped in bandages and you get dizzy if you turn your head a little too fast — you still go. You have to.

It’s eating you up and you have to be sure you weren't hallucinating. 

Your mother has been keeping a close eye on you. She’s so worried, not only about your physical health but your mental health as well. And you don’t blame her. To have her only daughter fall out in the forest and wake up claiming to see her dead best friend? It’s worrisome, but you know better.

You wave the flashlight in your hand, backtracking your steps in the forest. 

It's fruitless, due to the fresh fallen snow and lack of footprints. But that doesn’t deter you. You know he was here, he had to be.

After what felt like an hour of a search, you decide to turn back, knowing there would be no point as the snowfall increased. It would eventually make things harder to see and you would rather not get stuck in a snowstorm. 

Fuyumi won’t say it out loud but she is worried about you. 

She’s worried you have finally gone off the deep end and you are too far gone to be brought back to shore. 

“Fuyumi, I know what I saw. It was him — I swear!” You pleaded, knowing how you must sound.

She knows how much you love Touya, and how devastated you were, but what she doesn’t understand is what you mean when you say you saw him. 

Her eyes were filled with sadness and …pity. The same pity that’s been haunting you for days now. “I believe you saw something. I don’t want to shut you down, it’s just… I know how your quirk is. I know what happens if you overuse it. It could have been in your mind right before you went out.” 

You scoff in shock, eyes wide and disbelieving of what you’re hearing. Of all people you thought Fuyumi would understand, or at least hear you out. 

She doesn't understand. She wouldn’t understand. 

You shake your head, eyes downcast as you fight the familiar burn of tears in your eyes, muttering under your breath, “I know what I saw.” 

Those were his eyes. It was his nose and his hair. It was Touya. 

This doesn’t stop her from trying to comfort you, bringing that familiar hand to your shoulder and giving it a squeeze. What would usually feel like a comfort is now a vice, suffocating you as you drown is the reality around you.

No one will believe a word you say.

“Maybe,” she starts, words careful and gentle, knowing you were as fragile as glass, ready to shatter at any sudden movement. “Maybe Touya is watching over you in some way. Like a guardian angel.”

The warm tears fall now, unable to be held back by your crumbling will. 

“I know how hard it is, really, I do. But I want you to know that you’re not alone, okay?” You can feel Fuyumi’s gaze on you, silently pleading for you to look up, look at her, but you won't. You can’t. You know what you saw and it doesn’t matter if anyone believes you. 

You would never stop looking for Touya. 

Fuyumi lets you go and it feels like you can breathe again. She has become such a good friend over the years, second best to Touya, but it’s not the same. 

You go to stand, having had enough of crying for one week and she stops you. 

“Wait, I don’t want you to go! At least stay for dinner with us. Does your mom work late tonight?”

You nod, she usually does on Fridays. 

“Then it’s settled. Stay over, let's watch movies or something.” She falters, eyes to the floor as she bites her bottom lip, “I don’t want to be alone, either.”

Something in your heart tugs and you agree, moving to join her once more in the living room. 

Fuyumi may not understand, but she was still your close friend. “Okay, but I get to choose the movie, though.”

And she smiles.

For now, you would be okay. 

—----------------------

“It’s so stupid!” 

There’s a flash of fire and a tree goes up in flames. Touya is upset. 

“It’s just not fair.”

“I know…” You drag, hating when he got this way. “But it’s what they told me.” 

“That means we can’t be heroes together anymore!”

The wave of sadness you feel makes your head hurt and eyes water. “I know… I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, they told me I had to stop training, too. Dad said he wouldn’t do it anymore because I hurt myself. You know what I say to that? Who cares! We can be strong if we want to. It's not fair.”

You know it’s not fair.

You are seven years old when the doctors tell you that you cannot continue to use your quirk. 

Telekinesis is not only rare, but it is dangerous. Not just to you, but to others around you. The doctors were very clear about what would happen if you lost control or if you overexerted yourself. 

The consequences could be devastating. 

But quirks are such an important part of one’s life and for them to tell you to just not use them? It’s unheard of. 

It also doesn’t help that Touya has another sibling on the way. One that his father is eerily excited about. 

“Do you remember our promise?” He asks, pulling you from your thoughts. 

You nod, knowing the promise is something you could never forget. 

“Well, I think it's more important than ever now. If they dont want us to do it, then we just shouldn’t tell them.” There is a determined purpose in his voice as he turns to face you, committed eyes meeting yours.

“I don’t know, Touya. That sounds like lying.”

“It’s not if you don’t say anything.” He insists, tone even. 

Your gaze falls to the ground, watching as the wind blows the leaves along the snow. It’s like their own secret dance. Your promise is beginning to feel more like a secret dance as well.

“Look,” Touya starts, walking towards you and capturing your attention once more, “I swear, if anything happens, I’ll just say I did it.” 

You shake your head, brows furrowed in confusion and fists clenched, “No! Then you would get in trouble, and what if we can’t hang out anymore? We can be in this together, Touya.” 

He smiles, soft and sweet. Your dedication relaxes him more than he thought it would. 

His warm hands are on your face again, warming your cheeks and the butterflies that have been living in your stomach go wild again. You absently wonder if you should tell your mother about it. 

“Your nose is all red again, Rudolph.” He says before bringing you closer and brushing his nose against yours.

You were sure if your face got any warmer you would probably explode. 

Touya carries on, walking away from you and further into the forest. You trail behind, even though you knew this part of it well, you still didn’t want to run the risk of getting lost. 

“Where are we going?” Your voice carries in this part of the woods, and it sounds more like a shout. 

“I found this cool spot the other day! Let me show you.”

Confident as always, Touya trails through and you speed up to chase him. 

Now you're sure your face is red, but he doesn't mention it again. 

“It’s down here.” Touya points and there’s a drop to get to the area. 

It only takes a jump and he lands on his feet — he makes it look so easy, but you know he’s probably gotten a lot of practice and put himself in positions more dangerous than this. 

There’s that doubt in the forefront of your mind again, the fear that makes you hesitate. “I don’t like heights, Touya.” 

“It’s okay! C’mon, I’ll catch you. It’s just a little further.” He’s reassuring as he holds out his arms. 

Always fearless Touya. 

You trust him, and it’s all you can think as you close your eyes and give yourself a little running start and then jump. 

There’s a ringing in your ears again and you don’t feel his arms right away, instead you feel light. As light as a feather as you drift down to the ground. 

The lack of impact makes the fear ebb away as you open your eyes. There’s Touya, arms out and waiting as he watches you with widened eyes filled with wonder. 

You’ve somehow activated your quirk and slowed your own fall. You absently think that it almost feels kind of fun, the way you softly land in Touya’s waiting arms. 

“Whoa,” he starts, eyes never leaving yours. “You looked like an angel or something.”

You don’t know why, but the comparison makes your cheeks flush as you fight for a way to respond. 

Nothing comes to mind and you only bite down a smile. You’ve never tried something like that before with your quirk and the excitement makes your fear fade away. 

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Me either,” you shrug. It’s new to you too, and you weren’t against trying it again. 

“Well, c'mon, let’s go before it gets dark.” And he’s taking off, pulling you along with him by the hand. The wind is chilly but it doesn’t completely cool you. Touya keeps you warm, from the outside by his hand and from the inside with his words. Maybe there was more to his fire quirk than you thought. 

“Don’t run so fast, Touya!”

He laughs, but slows down for you, looking back and flashing a smile, “Whatever you say, angel.” 

—-------------

It’s the end of March and spring is on the way. 

The snow melting, the rain clouds are rolling their way in, readying to greet April and bring life to the incoming May flowers, and your mother—

“We need them by tonight!” She yells through the phone and it’s enough to make you hold the device far away from your ear. 

“I heard you the first time, mom.” You sigh, looking around again for the small shop and making your way towards it. “I’ll have all the stuff by then. The party will be fine, I promise.” 

Tonight is your father’s big homecoming day from overseas. He’s been working away from home for eight months now and your mother has decided to throw him a welcome home party at the last minute. He will be here by tonight and so will the guests — if you finish in time everything will go according to plan. 

“I just want everything to be perfect.” Her voice presses and you hum in response. You know how she wants things to be, but your father isn’t picky. He’s the most easy going man you know and if there’s a hiccup here and there, well, you’re sure he won't mind. 

“Okay, mom.” You start, grabbing your items and making your way to the checkout line. “I’m about to check out now, so I’ll let you know when I'm on the way home.”

She sighs on the other end, but lets you go, not before fully explaining why she needs the banners and streamers in a certain color and you cut her off, hanging up and checking out. 

It's been a few months since the incident in the forest and you’ve given up trying to make anyone see your point of view. They all thought you were hallucinating, but you knew better. You saw Touya. There was nothing they could say or do to make you think otherwise. 

You heave a sigh and continue your walk through the town thinking of the countless decorations you will undoubtedly have to help your mother hang for the night. It gives you something to do, but god, last minute events were not your favorite. 

There aren’t as many people out and about this time of day and you're thankful. It’s almost peaceful, the way you can weave through the sparse crowd and get lost in your own thoughts. 

Until you see it.

It makes you stop in your tracks, heart beating so loud in your chest you could feel it pulsing in your ears. 

White hair and blue eyes.

You take a few hurried steps to the alley you know you saw the figure go into. 

He was wearing an oversized black hoodie with the hood pulled up, but you knew the moment he turned and his eyes met yours. Touya. 

Without a second thought you dropped the bags you were holding and ran after him. He was halfway through the window of an abandoned building when you made down the alley, but was swift as he jumped through it. There was no doubt Touya was fast, but you wouldn’t let him get away. Not this time. 

You follow him, jumping through the same window and chasing as he maneuvers through the dusty dilapidated building. It’s hard to catch your breath and you are sure you’re running on pure adrenaline now, but none of that matters. 

All that matters now is that you aren’t crazy. It was broad daylight when you locked eyes. You know Touya is alive.

“Touya, wait!” You barely register the tears running down your face as you run, but you dont care to wipe them away. Why would he run from you? Why would he hide from you? There are so many questions that you need answered. “Stop!” 

He takes a left turn and you follow, before seeing him dip right and it’s getting harder and harder to keep up. After the last incident you refuse to use your quirk. Not unless you wanted to ruin your chances and pass out again. 

At one point you lose him completely, but there is no outlet in the dusty room you’ve cornered him in. He has to be hiding somewhere. 

“Touya, please! If that’s you,” you yell out, voice hoarse from emotion, “please, come back. Talk to me.” You’re looking around the dark room, walking further in and searching for something, anything that shows his presence. 

You make the mistake of having your back to the door, the only exit in the room and Touya darts out, passing you and making it back into the main part of the building. 

You curse before hurrying behind him, but it was too late. All you could see was him hopping the window and landing on his feet below. It was too high for you to follow so you only grip the window pane, tears of frustration running down your cheeks as you watched him run.

“What about our promise?” You yell, wondering if your words could reach him.

There’s a sick feeling forming in your gut and you try to pull yourself together — wiping your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt and the sobs shook your body. You had a party to prepare for and you couldn’t keep playing this game of back and forth.

Your mother gives you an earful when you arrive home much later than you were supposed to, but she was so focused on getting your father’s welcome home party together that she let you off the hook easily.

As long as you helped her hang the decorations. 

There is a tense air around the both of you and you know your mother is hesitating asking. You aren't sure if it’s to save you the trouble of a pointless conversation or if she is just tired of hearing about it. 

You decide not to tell her of your latest meeting. Brushing off any odd stares and worried glances with excuses of being tired. It was not wise to tell anyone what you saw. They would only think of you as the girl who cried wolf.

When your father made it home you knew he could tell something was off with you by just one look alone. 

He participated in the socializing and games until the crowd died down and people began to leave. You had called it a night long ago and made your way to your room, headphones on and catching up on homework. 

There was a knock loud enough to hear through the headphones, making you remove one and causing you to turn and see your father standing at the door. 

“Yes?” You ask, unsure what he could want at this hour.

He gives you a small smile, one as gentle and kind as you've always known him to be, and asks to come in — taking a seat on your bed while you close the book at your desk.

“I wanted to talk.” He started, watching as you removed the headphones from your head completely and gave him your undivided attention, sure that this would be about what’s been going on lately. 

“Have you started looking for colleges?”

The question surprises you, and you shake your head. You should start looking soon, since you turn seventeen soon and only have one year left, but it hasn’t been your main priority. “No, I haven’t.”

He only smiles, eyes crinkling shut as he waves off your worried expression, “It’s fine! I actually had an alternative for you. It’s something I've been looking into during the business trip.”

Your interest is officially piqued as you urge him to continue. 

“Well, I’m sure you know this, but you have a pretty rare quirk.” He starts, tone leveled, “I’ve been working on research studies and there’s somewhere I found that would love to have you intern and learn more about it.”

You tilt your head. “You want me to be a guinea pig?”

“No!” Your father laughs, already knowing how it would sound. “No, not that at all. I want to understand your quirk better, and for you to understand it better. I think it would be good for you. A chance to grow.”

To grow. You narrow your eyes at the words, starting to understand what he was getting at. “So you’ve heard.”

“I did. And before you get upset — I believe you. I will always believe you, and that's why I want you to do this." His words make your eyes widen and he continues. “It’s in a small town a little further away, but the internship comes with your own apartment and a stipend for food. Your mother and I will still support you, of course...”

You hold a hand up to stop him, “wait, how far away is the town?”

Your father rubs the back of his neck, an anxious habit he’s had as long as you could remember. “About four hours from here.”

“Four hours?” Your voice is louder than you meant for it to be but you can't help it, standing to your feet in disbelief. 

“It’s such a good opportunity for you, honey. This town… has too many memories. It’ll help you grow. At least tell me you’ll consider it?”

It feels like hours before you speak again, the stunned feeling hijacking your body. But you do respond, you owe him that much. 

“Alright, I’ll think about it.” You give, taking your seat at your desk again. It feels like your mind is swimming, but you had to at least mull it over. 

“Thank you,” your father stands and hugs you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before exiting your room. “I promise it won't be so bad. Goodnight, honey, I love you.”

You only nod in response. Maybe getting away would be good for you. 

The first day you find a gift it is raining outside.

You stumble up to your front doorstep, closing your umbrella and shaking off the excess water.  

“What the…” You reach down to pick up the little box, and turn it over to examine it. Maybe your mother got something delivered. 

The thought follows you into the home as you pull off your raincoat and rainboots, making your way to the kitchen where your mother had started on dinner.

“Oh, welcome home.” She greets, stirring the pot of soup and eyeing the box in your hand. “What do you have there?”

Your brows furrow as you take a seat at the table. “I thought you would know. It’s not for you?”

“Nope.” 

The response only makes your brows furrow more as you search for maybe a name or any indication that it was delivered to the wrong place. 

“You should open it.” Your mother pipes up and you shrug, ripping the paper and opening the box. 

You drop the box the moment you see the item. 

There was no way.

“What? What's the matter?” Your mother questions, her eyes filled with worry as she reaches for the box.

You snatch it away from her and dart off to your room, supplying her with an excuse about how you don’t feel well before locking yourself in your bedroom. 

The box held a golden locket inside of it. It was in the shape of a heart and you were terrified to open it and see what lay inside of it. You decide that the suspense would be too much and open it anyway — the photo makes your breath hitch.

It was you and Touya. 

You, with your bright eyes and happy smile and Touya, half white and half red hair looking at you as you hug him, cheeks pressed together. 

There was no denying it now. Touya was alive and he was hiding from you. 

Maybe he’s watching over you — like a guardian angel. Fuyumi’s voice rang in your head as you fought the tears blurring your vision. 

Why would he send you this and not talk to you?

All of it made your head spin as you thought of the countless reasons and possibilities. You didn't bother to wipe the tears from your eyes as they rolled down your cheeks. Only opting to lay down in your bed, holding the locket close to your chest as you stared at the ceiling above. 

It made no sense. Touya could trust you, so why would he hide from you?

Unless he didn’t want to be found.

The next gifts come in different forms and sizes, ranging from your favorite snack to cute cards. 

Always something small but never with a note or handwriting. It was almost like he truly didn’t want to be found. 

And maybe he didn’t. 

It’s scary at first, receiving random gifts and items from someone who might as well be a ghost, but as the months went on you grew used to it and even began to expect it at some point. 

Now you knew you could rest easy knowing that Touya was alive and maybe, just maybe he was waiting on the right moment to come out. You would trust him.

It also doesn’t take long for you to come to a decision with your fathers offer. 

It’s an amazing opportunity and you should take advantage of that while you can. You tell him as much and you could feel his excitement through the phone call. He was away on business again, but he would handle most of the heavy lifting, all you had to do was apply and wait on your offer once you graduate. 

There was just one thing you had to do before you left. 

—--------------------

You are eighteen years old when you leave Musutafu.

By this time you couldn’t take it anymore. Either Touya had gotten better at hiding or he knew you would be leaving soon, but there was nothing else from him — and there hadn’t been for months. At this point it felt like glimpses of the past haunting you. Every part of the city reminded you of him and of your childhood together. 

Fuyumi was upset to see you go, but she understood. 

You still believed, deep down, she thought you were losing your mind. 

You needed this though – needed a getaway. The ghost of Touya was holding you down, holding you back. 

Even though the gifts stopped coming months ago. 

She is kind as she hugs you and waves you off, knowing that one main reason for your company in her home was to visit Touya’s shrine. She does not stop you, does not ask questions — not after the time she mentioned how you didn’t bring him up as often. 

There was no need to. You only told her that you’ve moved past that and you knew Touya was watching over you, a small smile on your face as you touched the locket dangling from your neck. Fuyumi didn’t bring the topic up again.

Today is the day you leave. You had waited and waited for any sign of Touya again, but there was nothing. So you took matters into your own hands, making a little bag of gifts and a card that held the new updates to your life and address.

It was a long shot, but it was a chance you had to take.

Once you finished, it didn't take long to make your way back home, gathering your things as your parents insisted on driving you to the train stop. With your mother buzzing around you like a bee, making sure everything was perfect before you went off on your own. 

The idea of new beginnings had begun to feel a little more welcomed.

Your new apartment is small. 

It is small and cozy and just enough for you. It’s a comfortable one bedroom place and you can only imagine all the ways you will decorate the space. 

The town is also cozy and quaint – one that is reminiscent of old fairy tales, but a lot less magical. You can't help but sigh at the mundane routine you’ve fallen into since you’ve arrived. A nice walk from your apartment to the research lab, and from the research lab to your home. Since it’s summer there aren't many researchers on campus, so you have more than enough time to explore the parks and stores. 

One week turns into two and then two weeks turn into a month. You’ve gotten used to the small town and the people that live there. It's become relaxing and the new routine has eased your nerves. Maybe your father was right about needing a change.

But no matter what you do, you cannot stop thinking about Touya. 

The thought of leaving him is heavy, but when you touch your locket, you know it is for the best.

Everything changes on a Thursday night. 

It’s a normal night, one where there is no need to go to the lab, so you hang around in the apartment — setting up cozy lights and posters from home. It’s beginning to come together more and more everyday, and you decided to end it all with a simple and easy meal. One that you could mindlessly eat while watching a movie. 

It's a foolproof plan, really. 

You’re stirring the pot of noodles, humming a tune when you hear the knocks at your door. It is dark outside, and you haven’t made enough friends to warrant visitors, so the idea of a guest at this hour sends alarms ringing in your mind.

You grip the wooden spoon tight as you take cautious steps to your door, knowing that if it came down to it you would be more than ready to whack whoever trespassed. 

“Who is it?” You call out, loud enough for the intruder to hear, but get no response. 

At this point you are sure it was just your imagination and you turn, ready to get back to your noodles, when the knocks sound throughout the apartment again.

Frustrating is the only thought on your mind as you stomp towards your front door, ready to give whoever was on the other side of it a piece of your mind for interrupting your peaceful night with this bullshit—

The door swings open and your words die on your tongue.

Cerulean blue looks down at you and you were right — he has gotten taller.

“Hey, angel.”

You couldn’t believe your eyes. You wouldn’t believe your eyes because if you did you would see Touya, your childhood best friend Touya on your doorstep. Real and in the flesh, hair white as snow and eyes worn with fatigue. 

“Can I come in?” He asks and you are shellshocked, only stepping to the side as your eyes follow his every move. 

This was a moment you thought of for years after your first encounter in the forest, and for him to be here, with you. It didn’t feel real.

“Touya,” you gasp, voice low as if being any louder would wake you from this dream you must be having.

“I know.” His eyes are downcast with a sorrow you’ve never seen in him before, “I.. have a lot I want to tell you.”

It’s at that moment that the timer for your ramen goes off, startling you both and sending you rushing to the kitchen. You offer him a seat and insist that you’ve made enough for the both of you. 

There was so much you needed to discuss, so much to catch up on.  You didn’t know where to start. 

The little table you use to eat on is small, but perfect for the two of you, you realize as you set both bowls down and hand him a set of metal chopsticks. 

Your heart was in overdrive as you ran through thousands of things to ask, millions of unspoken words to say. You’ve imagined this moment in your head for years. Time and time again you’ve thought of what you would say to him, what you would do if you ever saw him again. 

Now the opportunity has presented itself and all you can manage is a wide eyed look as you both quietly eat your ramen. 

Surreal. 

This moment feels surreal and you’re sure that if you make any sudden movements or ask any loud questions, that it would be gone. Touya would be gone, disappearing in an instant and leaving you alone in your apartment. 

He speaks first, saving you the trouble of searching for words. “The food was good.” 

His voice sounds scratchy, like it hasn’t been used in years and you can't help but wonder why. 

“Thank you.” It’s all you can manage to get out, stunned to your core and desperately searching for words. 

You go to stand, taking the empty bowls with you to the kitchen and Touya follows suit, trailing behind in the small space of the apartment and you are hyper aware of his presence. 

You can feel the warmth of his body even when he is steps away from you. It radiates and blankets you in feelings you haven’t felt in years. 

As you place the bowls in the sink you can’t help but wonder where should you go from here. It’s a thought that plagues you as you grip the edge of the sink, fists tight and head hung low while you brace yourself to turn around, to face the reality of the truth standing right behind you—

You do it. You turn and it’s not a dream. It’s not your imagination, you conclude as you look into Touya's eyes, blue and familiar. Eyes you would know anywhere. 

His hair is snow white, the last color you saw it as before he—

“You kept it.” His eyes drop to the golden locket around your neck, a small smile pulling at his features. 

“Of course I did.” You’re firm, bringing two fingers up to brush against it, the cool feeling bringing you comfort over the last few years. 

His gaze seems far away as he zeros in on your locket, “I was worried you wouldn’t, after the last time we—“

“Don’t.” You cut him off, words sharp. “Don’t talk about it. Not tonight.”

You don’t know what you’re doing or where your mind is going as you take a step forward. He’s so different, yet so familiar and you can’t help but reach your hand up to brush over the newly faded scars along his cheek. 

Touya leans into the touch, closing his eyes and allowing you to feel. 

When he opens them again you get that feeling in your chest that always pulls at you and for the first time, you can finally place a word to the feeling. 

“I’m sorry,” you stammer, vision blurring with tears as you fight for your words, “I’m sorry I didn’t—“

Touya stops you, crashing his lips into yours and effectively silencing your racing thoughts. It’s warm and he’s so close, you wish you could pull him closer but you settle for this, allowing the tears to freely roll down your cheeks. 

When he pulls away there is only the smallest distance between you two. Noses so close they are almost touching. 

“I don’t care about any of that,” his eyes are so focused on yours, it feels like he’s put you in a trance. “I’m the one who should be apologizing, anyway.”

Before you could even shake your head, tell him no it’s the other way around, he’s pulling you back into a kiss, one so soft and so gentle you feel as though his lips were made for yours. 

It presses on, your hands finding his hair, soft and fluffy as you’ve always known it, while his hands hold your waist, pulling you in and keeping you close. 

This is not your first kiss, and it’s not Touya's either. You both decided at around eleven years old that you would try to emulate your parents and see what the fuss was about. Surely enough, you didn’t think you did it right because there was nothing. No sparks, no fireworks — just lips pressed together. 

You were both too young at the time, you now realize as you wrap your arms around Touya's neck, tilting your head and deepening the kiss. Way too young to realize that love is not fairytales and fireworks. 

Love is slow, it is steady and it is this — right here, right now, kissing your best friend in your tiny apartment kitchen. 

It’s perfect, you think as you both make your way to the bedroom, Touya trailing behind you for once as you lead him through the space. Hushed laughs and soft smiles dance together as you fall onto the bed. 

He is above you, and you wonder how you could have ever lived without his presence. The thought makes you sick. 

“I love you.” And it’s not your lips that moved, not your voice. It’s Touya, as he looks down at you, cheeks flushed and breathing heavy. “I never stopped loving you.”

“Touya…” Your heart swells and it’s then you feel it. The droplets of tears, falling from his eyes and onto your cheeks. They were as warm as he had always been and you waste no time pulling him down into another kiss — pulling away only enough to press your foreheads together. “I’ve always loved you.”

And you have. Even in death you loved him, nothing could take that love away from you. 

The next kiss is hungry, teeth and tongues clashing in a rush as you both fought to remove your clothes. You have regretted all the things that went unsaid, the actions that went undone and you were both not going to waste any of this new time you had been given. 

You feel one of Touya's fingers prod your entrance and the hesitation reminds you that you’re both inexperienced. New to the world of sex, but forever patient. You could guide each other, you decide as you gasp when he slowly slips a finger inside, slick coating the digit and making the press easier. 

Touya watches you with heavy lidded eyes as he pumps the digit, causing you to whine at the pressure. He pulls out soon after, searching for your sensitive bundle of nerves and giving a sly smirk when you moan at the touch. He’s found it and wastes no time rubbing circles, slow at first to get a feel of what makes you tick, but gaining more confidence as he goes on. 

There was a pressure beginning to build in your lower abdomen and it made you pull him close, thighs tensing as you squeeze your eyes shut. 

“Close?” His voice is a whisper beside your ear.

You only nod, unable to give him a verbal answer as your pleasure builds. 

You can feel his smile as he turns his head, cheeks brushing against yours. “Let go for me, I’ve got you.” 

And you do. 

You let go of the tension and allow your body to fall into the pleasure of your climax— gasping as it washed over you in waves, sending shocks of pleasure radiating through your body. 

“Fuck,” Touya moans above you as he works you through it, only moving to line up with your entrance once you’ve come down from your high. 

The press of it makes your breath hitch, but when you look up into Touya’s eyes you feel safe. 

“Tell me if you want to stop, okay?” And you nod, trusting him to be soft and slow. 

He’s nervous, too, and you can tell by the way his brows furrowed in focus. He doesn’t want to mess up your first time, but nothing could ruin this moment. Not even the twinge of pain you feel as the head of Touya’s cock pushes past your entrance, the tight muscles constricting against the intrusion. 

You reach out, hands finding balance against his back as he pressed on, muttering words of comfort to you and ebbing away the pain. 

It doesn’t take long before the pain has been washed away and replaced with the blossoming buzz of pleasure, Touya's hips having a steady pace as he begins to gain more momentum. 

The pleasure is quickly building again and you tell him as much, crying out when he snaps his hips at a particular angle and sends a flash of bliss up your spine. 

“Fuck, Touya, there! Right there,” you cry and he catches on instantly. He’s always been a fast learner. 

The angle he has is perfect as he brushes against the soft spot inside you over and over again, making your thighs shake and toes curl in pleasure as you meet your end once again. The feeling settles deep in your bones as the warmth of it spreads throughout your body like a warm blanket. 

Touya isn’t far behind, if his erratic pace was anything to go by. You could only watch in awe as he chased his high, with his brows furrowed and eyes tightly shut. You fall more in love as you feel his hips stutter and then stall, his white hot seed filling you from the inside and making you shudder. 

It was a new feeling that you believed you could get addicted to if you weren’t careful. 

But none of that mattered right now, because Touya was leaning down, pressing a kiss to your lips and you knew that right here, right now was the most important.

Everything else would have to wait until tomorrow.

[kingofthe-egirls]

EXHIBITIONISM: LUFFY x Y/N

original idea by @thevirtualvalentine 💕 thank you so much for letting me play with this scenario! it sparked something sexy in me and i dont think im the same after ☠️

(cw: exhibitionism, sex, dirty talk, slut/whore/bitch, dom!luffy, handcuffs/chains)

(a/n: hhhnnngggg im sooo normal so normal)

Songs: "Sexy Villain" by Remi Wolf

words: 1.5k

“There she fucking is,” Luffy pants, marveling at the sounds you’re making, his hand around your throat. “Thought ya’d never speak up.”

You whimper, moaning against the bars of your cell. Your hands are cuffed in front of you, like Luffy’s, but he’s using the chain of his to pull your hips back against him as he fucks you. The iron digs into your stomach, your torso left bare for all of Udon to see. Jeers come from the neighboring cells.

“No fair! Why don’t we get to see her!?”

“Yeah, make some noise! We wanna hear ya cum!”

“Scream for us, girlie!”

And other profanities are shouted your way. Even the guards are palming themselves at their posts. Your blood boils, anger fighting with lust as the infamous Mugiwara no Luffy fucks you like a toy.

“Ah, fuckin’ listen to them,” Luffy moves from choking you to playing with your tits, pinching harshly at your sensitive nipples. You cry out, and immediately bite your lip. A roar of encouragement comes from your fellow prisoner audience.

“S’hot, isn’t it baby?” He leans forward to lick the shell of your ear. His tongue is hot and strong, just like the rest of him. He sucks at your neck possessively. “‘M takin’ ya home with me,” he murmurs, palming your tits before sliding his hands down to grip your waist. His pace quickens. “Every pirate needs a whore, hah? And the king deserves the best, dontcha think?”

His pace is rapid, now, approaching the first of many climaxes for the night. This has become a sort of routine, with you two. It had started as just flirting, both of you skipping hands over knees, pressing elbows into sides, as you passed each other doing “chores” for the guards.

Then kissing started, snuggled together as much as you could be on the cell floor. And then fucking.

When Luffy fucks, he fucks loud.

It wasn’t a secret for very long, before the surrounding cellmates heard you two going at it like hungry wolves.

And then the cheering started.

It’s a nightly show, almost, kept under wraps by the guards who are too horny to get the two of you to stop. If anyone gets near the cell bars anyway, Luffy fends them off with a wave of conqueror’s haki. And he never lets them touch you during the day. Devil fruit or no, there’s no way he’s letting them get their disgusting hands on you.

Oh, they can jerk off and jeer, for all Luffy cares, but they’re not allowed to touch you. You’re his whore, he decided the first moment you brushed your knuckles along the back of his hand, passing by him in the dusty path. He had felt an electric jolt of want course through him, and one touch of his haki told him you felt the same. It wasn’t long before the two of you started fucking every night.

Now, he slaps your ass with the flat of his hand. Somehow still flexible in his cuffs, he lands another slap, and then another. He lets the dogs outside watching call out a count: all the way to ten. Your ass cheek is tingling. Luffy leans forward again, caressing the spot that now bares his handprint. “Ready for the other side? Hm?” He grins, biting at your ear. “How ‘bout ten more this time?”

You whimper, wiggling your hips back against his pelvis. He slows his pace, just for a bit, letting you fuck yourself back onto his cock. You’re so desperate, for this.

“Yes, sir~!” You moan out, already drunk on the attention. He grunts.

“Hear that?” He asks the crowd, raising his voice enough to be heard, “She wants the other side, now!”

And Luffy spanks your ass twenty times for them. He’s not cruel: he doesn’t hit the same exact spot twice in a row, but god you’re gonna be sore tomorrow. “And it’s captain, bitch,” he murmurs in your ear.

“Yes, captain!” You moan almost immediately, closer to cumming than you’ve ever felt in your life. Your blood is running hot—hotter than fire—and Luffy’s chaotic thrusts are only bringing you closer and closer toward your delightful, little death.

“‘M cumming! ‘M cumming!” You manage out, gripping onto the sweaty bars in front of you. “Thank you Luffyyy!” He cackles behind you, speeding up just enough to tip you over the edge. Your eyes roll back, rocked to your core by a violent, sucker punch of an orgasm.

“Good girl,” he soothes, slowing down for you, “Such a good job for me, pretty,” he turns you around, cupping your face softly in both hands. He presses your back against the bars, cold metal stinging your exposed skin. You’re flushed, panting, and Luffy is grinning like the sun. His smile stretches halfway across his face, and you have no choice but to meet him with a soft smile of your own. (He’s too handsome for his own good).

It doesn’t take you long to figure out Luffy knocked out the surrounding voyeurs. There’s nothing but snoring, now. He laughs, running a hand through his hair as he backs up away from you. You lean back against the bars, yourself. Your legs feel like jelly. You meet his eyes from across the room, hazy and dark like glinting jewels. You cock an eyebrow.

“So, when are we getting out of here, captain?”

He grins.

****

It turns out to be tomorrow afternoon, in fact.

He scales the sheer cliff face with ease, having knocked out any potential threats with a sophisticated blow to their energetic awareness. Several guards slump over beneath you, spears still loosely grasped in their clumsy fists.

Luffy starts snickering almost immediately, your arms wrapped around his neck as he carries you like a backpack. “Was just waitin’ for the right time,” he tells you, cheeks flushed with exertion. You hop up another few feet, bouncing on his back a bit as he scales the cliff.

Your chest is pushed up against his back, with your legs wrapped around his thick torso. His build is sturdy, his strength immeasurable, and you feel almost at peace—like a baby koala.

You tell him as much, and he laughs.

“S’cute,” he huffs, reaching up to grab another jutting handhold in the rock face. “Ya like being my baby?”

You grin, tucked between his shoulder blades. Your lips move against his skin: yes. Your ratty t-shirt presses into him, absorbing his heat and warming you through. The night air sends chills down your spine, but only just. Luffy’s like a radiator, climbing with you on his back. He hums.

“Like having ya as my baby,” he continues, jumping upward several feet. You gasp, but he lands with both feet firmly planted against the rock face. His hands scrabble for a landing, loosely grasping at stone, before you start to tip backwards.

You shoot out your hand before you can think: gravity pulling at your stomach and twisting harshly. “No,” you hiss, gripping the stone in front of you so hard your fingers bruise. You grit your teeth against the sharpness of the stone, holding your weight long enough for Luffy to get a hold on the cliff face himself. Three quarters of the way there.

He pants. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” you mutter, and hide your face between his shoulder blades.

He climbs the rest of the way, and neither of you have another problem scaling the sheer wall surrounding Udon’s base. Luffy sighs, landing on his stomach once he pulls both of you up onto the ledge. You unwrap your limbs from his sweaty, shaking body before crawling off to collapse on your own.

“Cmon,” he croaks, grabbing your hand, “Can’t stop now.”

So you get up, and start walking.

All the way back to his ship.

****

After the war (which you sorta help with, in your injured, post-prison state) he takes you back to his ship for good.

“Here she is!” Luffy laughs, collapsing on the deck of his warship. “Our new crewmate!”

Usopp eyes you warily, slingshot clutched in his fist. “Wh-what’s her job?”

Luffy sits up, smiling. “She’s my girlfriend!”

You stare at him, blankly. He’s never mentioned that to you, nor has he ever used something so sweet to refer to you. "Whore" is usually more like it.

He stretches out a rubber arm to wrap around your waist. He brings you over onto his lap, grinning like a monkey. “She’s got the best—“

“Okay,” you slap his arm, cutting him off, “They don’t need to know the specifics.”

He stops, but only just.

His eyes are glimmering with mischief.

****

It’s not long before he’s pounding you into the mattress of his sweaty bed.

You’re crooning out sounds you never thought possible, with his monstrous speed and elongated rubber cock. He’s better than a vibrator, you think.

Luffy slaps your ass. “Atta girl,” he preens, “Let em hear ya.”

He’s an exhibitionist outside of prison, as well.

So are you.

So you scream and cry on his dick, letting Captain Luffy know just how much you need it.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Out Of Context Shit Heard On The SOLDIER Floor #6

Previous: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

Angeal: No, Genesis, you spaghetti-noodle-spine-having-ass bitch.

Sephiroth: I identify as a tonberry *chases Cloud with a kitchen knife*

Zack: Ra Ra Rasputin *kicks Sephiroth over*

Genesis: Unhand me you cretin *alone, talking to no one*

Angeal: Zack just showed me a picture of the Grinch and said "hear me out"

Lazard: No, Sephiroth, you cannot have a human-sized cat bed in your office "for enrichment"

Cloud: Parkour time *crashes through the air vents*

Sephiroth: I'm the biggest lesbian ally in this department, actually.

Angeal: For the sake of my sanity I'm gonna pretend I didn't just see Zack twerking to One Winged Angel.

Luxiere: I would commit unspeakable atrocities for a crumb of Zack's attention.

Lazard: That stripper pole better be gone when I get back or so help me, Genesis, I will return you to the goddess.

Sephiroth: *does a single pump of sore throat spray* This is enough for sustenance for the day.

Kunsel: Care for a deep-fried cigarette?

Angeal: You look like an AI-generated twink.

Sephiroth: I've grown so tired of Genesis's voice that we now communicate solely through interpretive dance.

Lazard, over the speakers: Whoever heated fish in the break room microwave, please come by my office so I can break your knees.

Zack: Aww, I forgot to feed the Roomba :(

Genesis: I don't know why me and Angeal are being judged. Simulating a birth with a watermelon is a perfectly normal activity for two people.

Kunsel: Hopefully this office party won't end in accidental weed use.

Angeal: WHY IS THERE A FAMILY OF RACCOONS IN THE TRAINING ROOM?

Genesis: I noticed some homosexual subtext in your screams, do you want to talk about that?

Angeal: *sniff sniff* Ooh~ who's barbecuing? OH MY GOD IT'S AN ELECTRIC FIRE.

Roche: Every time I think about chopping my hair short I think "Sephiroth wouldn't want this for me" and the feeling is gone.

Genesis: I made a friend *drags in a skeleton with a Sephiroth wig*

Cloud: *points at Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth* Pure of heart, dumb of ass, big of tit.

Lazard: I told Zack to use Excel and he started sobbing.

Angeal: WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST SEASONING YOUR GROUND BEEF?

Sephiroth: It's extremely rude to ask someone why they're eating a salad bowl of udon at 8 AM. Mind your business, Zack.

Cloud: Genesis likes Loveless so much because the title resonates with his love life.

Zack: You keep your anxiety pills in a takeaway to-go box? Dude that's so fancy.

Lazard: Why is Sephiroth the only one wearing a shirt??

Angeal: Common sense has chased Zack all his life but he wears wheelies so he's faster

Sephiroth: I personally don't use the peace sign because I haven't had a day of peace since I was 12.

Kunsel: I'm never going out in public with Zack again. A child's balloon popped when it went near his hair.

Angeal: No I'm not giving you an aspirin. Last time I gave you one you crushed it and snorted it like cocaine.

Lazard: An overwhelming majority of you peaked in kindergarten.

Sephiroth: Zack, I'm becoming increasingly concerned by the amount of potatoes in your pants right now.

Zack: This year I want an A/B/O themed birthday party.

Sephiroth: Please don't commit tax fraud, Genesis. You won't thrive in prison.

Genesis: Does anyone have an extra ramen packet to give Sephiroth? The 64 he consumed this morning weren't enough.

Roche: Commander Rhapsodos and his emo fringe is our culture.

Zack: I'm at my fucking limit! I'm about to eat a vegetable!

Genesis: He's a son of a bitch Sephiroth: That implies he has a mother, so I don't see how that's an insult.

Zack: Fuck around and find out *said with a chunk of Genesis' red coat hanging from his pocket*

Cloud: Does anyone have an extra brain cell? I lost my remaining one when Genesis spoke to me this morning.

Sephiroth: Damn.

Kunsel: Zack owes me so much money that if he sold his box of random shit he stole from Angeal, he still couldn't pay me back.

Angeal: Why are you guys playing Queen's Blood in the closet? is this a metaphor?

Genesis: Have you prayed to your Sephiroth cardboard cutout yet today?

Sephiroth: Alert me once Rufus Shinra arrives so that I may greet him adequately *said while building a pipe bomb*

Lazard: It's all fun and games until the timeout cage that I ordered online arrives.

Genesis: I will atone for my sins by becoming a nuisance to the environment.

Cloud: If Zack were a scented candle he'd smell like ADHD and crayons.

Sephiroth, standing on a table: DO NOT. EAT. THE CHEESECAKE. IN THE FRIDGE. It's mine.

Angeal: *with a bucket while it's raining hale* Free ice baby.

Zack: I finally have enough gil to buy a sixteen bouncy castles.

Genesis: Being overcome with the desire to eat pasta and call your mother at 2 AM and wondering if you're having a mental breakdown or are possessed by Sephiroth.

Lazard: I can't fire any of you, but I'm about to start setting things on fire.

[yoku-yukihime]

hi guys im back to report on lostword writing about junko and doing GOOD AGAIN. RAHH

from what ive gathered of the newest jun, shes in a timeloop of her own doing trying to reunite herself with hecatia and clownpiece, who just dont seem to exist outside of the original universe she met them in. her purification and her hatred is Burning through her body like shes a fuse. (THIS IS SOMETHING IVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CONCEPTUALLY FOR YEARS BTW) and the one constant shes had that has actually given her the time of day is udongein. junkos memories are being purified and forgotten due to her own madness, so udons ability relating to that has been useful in helping junko record her thoughts and memories. she states she could Not have come as far as she did without the help of the bunny she makes some conclusions about the universe and her powers, and entrusts udongein with three key memories that she cant let be purified. the memories of her past self, her history, and of chang'e.

drops THIS banger BTW RAHHH I WON WITH THIS. I AM ALWAYS TALKIN ABOUT JUNKO UDON MOM DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP IM ALWAYS SAYING THIS. but junko plans to use the very last of her power to send udongein home. udon is begging her not to that there has to be another way. unfortunately no talking her out of this, junko relinquishes her own name, sends her home and proceeds to fizzle out of existence. Eirin creates some sort of device to sustain junko long enough before she really disappears just to thank her for getting udon home safely. they both say that theyll always remember her as their kind-hearted enemy. and now the shit im REALLY HERE FOR. in her final moments, junko sees her memories of clownpiece and hecatia. they are both happy to see her. they catch up, junko tries to say that shes dying but hecatia says not to worry about it, to just have fun with them. Junko laughs.

They talk more, but junkos existence is fading. this is all pov from jun herself btw, you literally see her vision darkening and her eyes closing

THIS SHIT IS GOOD AS FUCK man. UUGHHH ITS GOT SO MANY OF THE STORY BEATS I LOVE TO THINK ABOUT WITH THIS CHARACTER so many of the things i personally do myself its FIRE

[lvmimis]

cw: fluff. isekai au. selfship-coded. female pronouns.

In all your focus on becoming strong enough to protect yourself and not be a burden to others, it hadn’t occurred to you that as a Demon Slayer, you’d be receiving a paycheck. 

A fat one at that.

You’re not exactly sure what to do with it. The envelope had shown up, slipped below the door of your lodgings at the Ubuyashiki mansion with your name on it, and while you’re not completely sure what the conversion rate + inflation would be, the sheer size of the stack was enough to make you quite confident that it was a lot of money. The issue is, you have very little use for money as you receive meals and board by virtue of Kagaya’s kindness, and the things you would buy if you could don’t particularly exist in this timeline. 

As you sit on your futon and think again about what it would mean to save and how banking would work in this timeline, and if it’s even worth it given your particular circumstances, a sudden flash of Tanjiro’s smile comes to mind, and you immediately know what to do.

You should buy him a gift. After all, you wouldn’t have gotten through your first mission if not for Tanjiro, you consider, your face warming as you consider what things you’ve seen him receive that delighted him the most. Then you consider that perhaps a gift is too presumptuous, and you see him happy when he has a nice meal, or perhaps you could get something nice for both him and Nezuko because that wouldn’t look too strange, plus he’s happy when she’s happy, or perhaps you could-

Your thought spiral is interrupted by the sound of a knock on your door. Two gentle raps, and then you hear his voice.

Think of an angel and he will appear.

“___, are you busy today?”

When you ignore your slightly quickened heartbeat to let him in, he looks just like the picture in your mind’s eye, sweet, practically glowing with warmth, save for the fact that you notice his hair is slightly damp and his skin dewy as if he’s just bathed. He’s wearing his Demon Slayer uniform but with his regular green and black checked haori over top and his sword is at his side as though he plans to travel. He smells good, and you hope you smell at least decent to him, too.

You shake your head no. 

“Are you planning on going somewhere? Did you get a new mission?” you ask. 

“No, I wanted to know…” he pauses for a moment, then scratches the back of his neck, looking up at the ceiling, “if you wanted perhaps to go out to town with me. I was hoping to congratulate you for your first mission.”

You blink twice. He really is always one step ahead of you, you realize. 

Tanjiro lets his hand fall to the side and nods at you, now with a steadier expression. “You did a really great job.”

To this, you can’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

“You mean by staying alive while you cleaned up?” you ask. Tanjiro decides to indulge in your humor, insisting, “It wasn’t all me.” he insists. 

Perhaps that much is true. Tanjiro is a good friend and mentor so it’s not odd that he would extend this kindness first. It’s also an opportunity it would be best to seize, treating him to udon or dango, and offering him some gratitude as well. 

Your mind may shift from time to time to the time he used his own mouth to suck turbulent air from your unnatural breathing technique out of your own lungs, but he is simply a friend.

And friends can hang out. 

—

“It’s a beautiful fit,” the shop owner says as you slip on a peach pink jacket with colorful embroidered petals and blossoms, the last of the four you’ve tried on to Tanjiro’s surprising patience, and glance at yourself in the mirror. 

Something about this entire scene feels wrong but also right to you. For one, you’re not the one who suggested this particular shop - rather it was Tanjiro who insisted you consider window shopping with him, under the guise of finding something for Nezuko, but soon you’d realized that he hadn’t exactly picked anything out, content to watch you leaf through hung designs and listen to the shopkeeper’s promise of superior quality compared to the other stores in the district. You consider that whatever would look good on you would look good on Nezuko and with each trying on of a jacket, you offer pros and cons.

This one is a bit airy and light, very comfortable for summer time.

I think this one might clash with her hair color.

The texture’s too thick here, I’m not sure I like this one as much but it’s very high quality, I can tell.

This last one however is simply perfect in feel and design, and you feel somewhat bad when you turn to Tanjiro and sheepishly say,

“This one is super pretty. I know we’re shopping for Nezuko but I think I might buy this one for myself.” Tanjiro smiles as he rises from the chair in the corner. He’s sat politely for the past few minutes saying very little except nodding appreciatively.

“It looks beautiful on you,” he states as casually as if he were describing the weather, then turns to the older lady running the shop, the same lady who had spent a few minutes glancing between him and you as well, and you’d pretended not to notice. 

“How much?” Tanjiro asks. 

Surprised, you wonder if he hadn’t heard you.

The seamstress names her price and Tanjiro is quick to give money, before you finally hold in your need to be polite and nudge him.

“What are you doing?” you whisper. He’s unfazed as he hands money over, then smiles at you.

“Buying you a gift.”

“You don’t have to…” you start, but trail off as the woman receiving the money shoots you a dirty look that has you fall silent.

“You’re right, I don’t have to. But I would like to,” he adds.

You leave the shop promptly with a parcel in your hand and the seamstress’ eyes on your back.

—

Perhaps you do look like a couple, even if that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Tanjiro won’t let you treat him to any of the food, insisting you save your money instead through bites of skewered meat and noodles, and you finally find out which bakery supplies the Castella he brings by for you and your friends, as well as the girls at the Butterfly Mansion.

It’s better than anything you’ve tasted in your time, even if you practically choke on a roll when the baker tells you Tanjiro is lucky to be in the company of a pretty girl.

In your own time, you’ve been called pretty before, but this description today strikes at the very pit of your stomach, filling it with butterflies. Does Tanjiro know that you’re pretty? Does he agree? You ponder this for a few moments, then you’re immediately embarrassed to be thinking something so childish. 

Whether you’re pretty or not is moot. To him, you’re a younger sister to whom he buys gifts and food. Perhaps more pathetic since you are not related, since you have no one else, since you’re trapped here.

Tanjiro doesn’t answer the question you’ve posed in your head out loud, but he grins.

“I’m quite lucky indeed.”

—

As you walk side by side at the close of the evening, Tanjiro enthuses you in your progress, and you talk about all and nothing. There are red bean paste buns in your hand that you chew on idly between thoughts.

You’re not sure how the day went by so quickly, not while you were parallel processing, doing mental math to figure out what he thinks of you - as friend, as someone to dote on like a child, as someone who he could potentially…

No, that cannot possibly be it.

“Did you have fun today?” he asks. His cheeks are a warm pink and he’s looking straight ahead rather than at you, but his shoulders are relaxed and he bites and chews as he waits for your answer.

“Of course, I did,” you tell him. “This is…,” you pause, then continue, “probably the first time I’ve been anywhere nice, just for fun, since I got to this place.” Admitting it feels strange, but it’s true. Your life has now been limited to the mansion and towns you don’t know. Duty-driven, despair-driven, danger-driven. 

Tanjiro looks at you for a moment, and for just a moment his look is wistful. 

“Are you happy here?” he asks. Your mouth opens then closes, and then he quickly catches himself in a nervous laugh.

“Probably a stupid question, given none of your family is here, and you don’t have any of your technology and it’s not even your country and-”

You squeeze his hand for a moment.

“I’m happy now,” you offer him, then let go quickly. “Thank you for spending time with me.”

His mouth opens for a moment, and you wonder if you overstepped but he beams, and you wonder what you’d do without this small friendship.

“We should go back,” you quickly fill in before he can say something else and you can regret touching him. You’re the first to take a few steps forward, practically skipping, snacks and new clothing in hand, and you hear him behind you catching up.

“Yeah, let’s get you home safe.”

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Flashtroshka

Very interesting chapter, so let's get right into it. We're continuing our scene here with the Underworld group and getting into some really big ideas. But I can't ignore this one right away as Gaban gets into the idea it's just an application of Conqueror's Haki to get around the regeneration. Which is fine and expected, what's really cool is the scene about first Sanji begging for daddy to tell him he has it and "confirming" Zoro does in hilarious fashion. Luffy's response is great.

But I do like this because it's spelling out the moral of Wano for Zoro's story. The cool sword and power are reflections of the personal growth he had. The Akazaya Nine are a great parable about how much the rest of the crew really needs to step up if they want to keep up with Luffy. A reflection of the core theme of Thriller Bark. Think about it, Oden had nine people under him who all knew both types of basic Haki and even the baby sister of the group could cross the high, high bar of hurting a juggernaut like Kaido. One of Whitebeard's old guard mainstays was still just part of this group instead of far and away the best. I love the steps like Monet to Kiku's arm and the "Little Pirate Games" motif but here is where someone is just spelling it out to Zoro...

And it just so happens to fall in a chapter where Luffy throws us an interesting gambit like this. Remember our argument for Luffy is that by Wano, his experience with Katakuri was already getting Luffy to be the type of captain he needs to be. I just re-read Udon for the first time in a while and it's fucking amazing how suave and composed he is there. But that stops and changes course with G5 reminding you that the first thing we learned about awakening is it can take over.

So that's why this moment is so interesting to me because it's somehow both showing that growth is coming back and not. Yamato was such an obvious red herring to me because the logic was tainted from the start. You outright told Luffy it's his obligation to make good on one of Ace's promises. He was mature enough to just let it go in the moment and look at how far that went out the window when Shanks came up. To the point he pulls this. He's asked people who blew him off plenty, but this idea he's like...pulling rank on Hajrudin openly. It's acting like a captain at least, but in a shitty way you're typically better than. We'll see how it goes from here, but for now Loki adamantly refused and Luffy's interest is such a house of sand to me still.

Especially when Zoro needles at this weakness when Shanks comes up. Remember how this arc started and what happened to another Grand Fleet captain. Honestly, Luffy still hasn't even figured out what happened to Jaggy. You two are rivals dude...you need to shape the fuck up and stop acting like a five year old when his name comes up or one of your primary competitors is going to find out he gives as much leverage over you as Caramel did Big Mom. I don't care how much you like him dude, you wanna watch the Sunny get torched and dragged into being a subordinate after all this time because you were too busy giggling?

But now we get to the main show. Gaban and Loki sorta of sharing a flashback is already quite interesting. Like, imagine if you had Kin'emon and Momo telling their stories simultaneously in Act 1. But that's not where this gets truly weird. Because while we're in this flashback...

We have nested flashbacks again? Sweeeet. It's really hard to pin down how I feel about the content just yet. My god does the framing of this Harald story sound like how Oden's started and we know he's gonna go from pure scum to a great king. But he's already a great king in my eyes because kicking over a castle shouting "Who's your God now?" if fuckin' hilarious.

But this was a confusing setup. We have a dual flashback of when the guy was killed in what might still be a bit of a brief flashback in our story to catch us up on what Luffy was doing while Gunko is going crazy up there and now it ends as a deep lore flashback about the old king. That's a lot to process and I'm very curious how it unfolds. But I do need to note that kicking this off now...it does mean the end of our cover serial could very easily align with something in this (maybe like, Harald knew Toki?) or even realistically with the end of this flashback and getting back to the main story.

We have just entered some very strange territory in this chapter. And I'm so ready to see how it unfolds.

[bnhaobservation]

Was the savior trio really a savior trio?

In the fandom is common to define Midoriya, Uraraka and Shouto as the savior trio but I’ve been wondering if this ‘nickname’ is actually fitting for them. No, I’m not referring to the fact that none of them truly saved his Villain, Touya only managing to live a little longer than Tomura and Himiko I’m referring to something else.

But let’s go with order.

What do we know of their intentions PRE WAR?

We know Midoriya made clear he wanted to save Tenko from chapter 305, making clear OFA is a power meant to saving, not killing, even if he had no idea what to do when the time would come.

We know Uraraka worried for Himiko, she couldn’t forget her sad face and ponder over her, thinking she doesn’t know her and that Himiko might see things differently from her… but also think Himiko can’t be forgiven and she wants to forget those thoughts. Uraraka though, has made clear in chap 289 that her Quirk isn’t to kill people (so she basically wouldn’t want to use it to kill Himiko either).

We know Shouto identifies with Touya and believes he should be the one to handle him. When he’s with his family they talk about stopping him together, his family taking the blame for not looking AFTER Touya, with the result he became a Villain. We also know Shouto would want to share a meal with Touya, even if it were to be hot udon.

All this makes us think the trio wants to save the Villains. They clearly aren’t out for their blood and show empathy toward them.

What do they do DURING THE WAR?

Although Midoriya insists in his belief he wants to save Tenko, from when he has decided to do so, to the whole war, he won’t be able to come up with a single plan to do so and he will agree to follow the divide and conquer plan All Might, the police and the senior Heroes came up with. When Nana claims Tomura can’t be saved and urges Midoriya to just annihilate him with a single blow, Midoriya still refuses because he wants to understand why he can’t let go of his past and merely put a lid to it, which is why he wants to smash that lid away. This leads him to follow Kudou’s plan and use OFA to smash the ball of hatred inside Tomura in which the crying child is trapped so as to give his soul a direct beating. This has three consequences, the first is that the strike on its soul allows Midoriya to force his way into Tomura’s memories and force him to show him his past as Midoriya is holding his hands in hope to destroy his anger and hate, the second is that Tenko’s spiritual defeat allows AFO to take control of Tenko again, almost destroying Tenko’s spirit and the third is that the spiritual damage takes such a tool on his flesh that his body starts to shatter as well as he still tries to fight the Heroes. Midoriya gave him the final blow so as to stop AFO from transferring into another body before the body were to break down, but it’s clear the body wouldn’t have survived even without it. With the destruction of Tomura’s body, Tomura dies as well. All Midoriya ‘saved’ was his soul.

Uraraka also will just follow the plan of the adults and fights Himiko, claiming she’ll live the life that’s right for her. When the Villains number on their battle ground is thinned and the only real danger is the Nomu, Himiko will use sad man parade while, at the same time, Kurogiri will appear willing to teleport her. Only when Himiko will try to leave Uraraka will tell her she has to remain there because they haven’t had yet their talk about romance and chase her when Himiko will refuse to remain on the island. Uraraka will chase and, even though Hawks will tell her and the others to kill Himiko, she’ll refuse to do so and try to talk with her but Himiko will refuse. Uraraka will insist and upset her further, which will lead to Himiko stabbing her, while Uraraka makes her float. Uraraka will insist that she can’t erase the fact that Himiko killed people still she won’t use her Quirk to try to kill her and she’ll claim she wants to touch the sadness inside her, because she wants to talk with her and is willing to give her blood to her in exchange through all her life. Everyone ends up floating and Himiko opens up with Uraraka, which ‘saves’ her soul. As this happens she calms down and her transformation in Jin end. At this point Uraraka’s Quirk let her descend slowly but she’s dying of bloodloss. To save her Himiko donate her all her blood (in an extremely unrealistic act as transfusions don’t work this way) and, as a result, dies in Uraraka’s place.

Shouto also will follow the plan of the adults and, after asking Touya why he didn’t come home and getting a reply, he’ll fight him and try to freeze him. It’ll only work temporally, Touya will free himself after having learnt to reproduce Shouto’s technique and, thanks to Kurogiri, will reach his father. Shouto, with the help of Iida, will manage to reach Touya who has turned himself into a heat bomb that’s about to explode and the rest of his family who is trying to cool Touya down and freeze Touya again. This time Touya will lack the strength to get up. Touya survives but, few days after the battle, we’ll be told he’s about to die anyway. However his whole family finally looking at him likely ‘saved’ his soul.

To sum it up… none of them truly permanently saved the life of his Villain, the one that get the best result is Shouto, but he basically only gain a little more time with his brother.

Sure, Midoriya didn’t think his spiritual attack would shatter Tenko’s body, Uraraka didn’t think Himiko would die to save her as for Touya maybe he was bound to die anyway as Garaki said he shouldn’t have survived a month after waking up and instead he lasted years but let’s assume none of the three died.

Let’s assume Midoriya, Uraraka and Shouto only managed TO STOP Tomura, Himiko and Touya as they all claimed they wanted to do.

What would have happened of them then?

As Himiko said, Tomura, Himiko and Touya would end up in jail and be sentenced to death.

They’ve killed people and none of the three members of the ‘savior trio’ did a deal with someone high in power to save their lives should they stop (Hawks promised to Jin if he were to surrender he would only have to spend some time in jail, meaning he either was lying or he had an agreement that would allow Jin to have a tame sentence despite Jin being a Villain who killed people). The public basically was asking for their head at Endeavor and Hawks’ press conference and yes, death sentencing doesn’t exist only in Japan but also in BNHA (Moonfish was an escaped convict on the death row).

Stopping Tomura, Himiko and Touya and arresting them, means to basically condemn them to be executed. The savior trio could NEVER save their lives if it were to follow the legal procedures and arrest them.

Yes, Japan is slow at administering death sentencing, there’s people sentenced to death who died of old age, but considering how many Villains got captured and the fact AFO damaged their best jails, I guess they would want to speed up things and no, Japan isn’t a fan of considering people with mental health problems deserving indulgence. They would sentence them to death and society would likely celebrate this.

The only alternative to insure Tomura, Himiko and Touya wouldn’t end up killed after having been stopped was to let them escape but this is never discussed, we never see the ‘savior’ trio having a plan at least for what they’ll do AFTER they’ve stopped them. Uraraka doesn’t correct Himiko when the latter claims Uraraka believed he could bring her blood while Himiko was in jail, meaning the plan was always to send those three behind bars to wait for their execution… but the fact Midoriya and Co would send them to their eventual execution denies the fact they could save their lives.

Mind you, this is not a post to discuss about how Tomura and Co should or should not be executed for their crimes, this is a post merely to say that if Midoriya and Co follow the law and arrest them, they can’t save their lives, they’re just postponing the inevitable and letting it in the care of someone else.

I guess Horikoshi realized that and how it wouldn’t sit well, as it seems absurd to talk about how Midoriya wanted to save Tomura, how Midoriya and Co wouldn’t kill them, when they would basically ensure they would be killed by others later. This is also probably why Horikoshi killed his Villains with other means, because he knew if the main Villain trio were to end up in jail he would have to reveal this bit, that they would be eventually executed, or the readers, who’re Japanese and know how this things work, would figure it out, while instead he can ‘conceal’ this fact with just Shuuichi and Atsuhiro in jail.

So in the end probably there was never meant to be a savior trio because, legally, the Villain trio couldn’t be saved if Midoriya and Co were to act by the books.

I think the story plays Midoriya and Co as if they were unaware of this little detail, that, as impossible as this would be, they weren't mean to know that arresting their Villains meant to kill them, after all, if Uraraka’s plan was really to put Himiko in jail and give her a lifetime supply of blood, we can already see how this clashes with the reality of BNHA where All Might himself couldn’t just drop to the prison when he wanted to see a Villain, be it AFO or Stain but needed Tsukauchi to organize a meeting and this organization took so much time All Might never managed to meet up with Stain while the latter was in jail… never mentioning we were also told Tartarus was known for violating human rights and there or in an equivalent of Tartarus as Tartarus got seriously damaged, is where they would put the most important members of the league. Touya likely ended up in what’s probably a Villain hospital and not in jail only because he’s dying... which sits well with Horikoshi so he won’t have to show how hopeless their situation was.

Still, it’s kind of sad. I really wish Horikoshi had, at least, erased death sentencing from BNHA and avoided to say such things on Tartarus so that we could have harbored the delusion that, had the Villain trio stopped, their lives weren’t meant to be lost anyway. But well, maybe it’s just me.