#visiting ichi perhaps?

[todomitoukei]

Japanese vs. English Todoroki Family Finale - A 426 Comparison

Just a few days after Horikoshi announced that there were only 5 chapters left, the so-called final chapter for the Todoroki family came out, as always sparking lots of discussion and bringing forth countless questionable takes, followed by the release of the official English translation.

So let’s take a closer look at the Japanese lines, starting with the Todoroki family’s short conversation before going to see Touya:

「来なくて大丈夫って言ったのに！」

「来なくて ; konakute」-> not coming 「大丈夫 ; daijoubu」-> okay; alright 「って ; tte」-> quoting particle (casual of と) 「言った ; itta」-> said 「のに ; noni」-> even though

= “Even though we said it’s okay not to come.”

「それを言うなら貴方たちもよ冬美夏雄」

「それ ; sore」-> that 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「言う ; iu」-> to say 「なら ; nara」-> that being the case; on the topic of 「貴方たち ; anatatachi」-> you (plural) 「も ; mo」-> also; too 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「冬美 ; fuyumi」-> Fuyumi 「夏雄 ; natsuo」-> Natsuo

= “On the topic of saying that, you too, Fuyumi, Natsuo.”

What stood out to me here was Rei calling him Natsuo, when usually, everyone else (except Endeavor) calls him Natsu-kun or Natsu. Calling him by the full version of his first name rather than a shortened version might be done to indicate that things have changed, although not necessarily in a negative way. It's more that there has been a shift.

By the way, I am working on a masterpost talking about how the family addresses + refers to each other. Yes, I am going through the entire manga for that (this is a cry for help). Once the manga is finished I will post it (at some point), so look out for that if you’re interested in finding out exactly how many times who gets called what (yes, I am counting and making graphs)!

「お母さんでも…」

「お母さん ; okaasan」-> mom 「でも ; demo」-> but

= “But mom…”

「それを言うならおまえもだ冷」

「それ ; sore」-> that 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「言う ; iu」-> to say 「なら ; nara」-> that being the case; on the topic of 「おまえ ; omae」-> you 「も ; mo」-> also; too 「だ ; da」-> be 「冷 ; rei」-> Rei

= “On the topic of saying that, you too, Rei.”

I love that he almost fully copies Rei’s phrase here. This is the first of many unoriginal lines that he has in this chapter. It only goes downhill from here.

「義務感で来たんじゃねぇから！皆そうだろ」

「義務感 ; gimukan」-> sense of duty (obligation) 「で ; de」-> with; by 「来た ; kita」-> came 「ん ; n」-> explanatory particle 「じゃねえ ; janee」-> isn’t 「から ; kara」-> because; so  (used to change the other person’s thoughts etc.) 「皆 ; mina」-> everyone 「そう ; sou」-> so; that way 「だろ ; daro」-> right?

= “I didn’t come out of a sense of duty! Everyone is that way, right?”

Usually, a second phrase would follow up the kara, but can also be left out when the meaning of that second phrase is implied enough. Since Fuyumi said Shouto didn’t have to come (if he didn’t want to, didn’t feel comfortable etc.) there is an implication that perhaps he only showed up because he felt like that was expected of him. Ending his clarification of “I didn’t come because I felt obligated” with kara “so” the implied follow up would be along the lines of “don’t worry”, which then gets wrapped up suggesting that all of them are showing up not because they feel pressured to do so, but because they want to visit Touya - since they basically just went around in a circle letting each other know they didn’t have to come if they don’t want to.

「会話は可能ですが一日に数分が限界です」

「会話 ; kaiwa」-> conversation 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「可能 ; kanou」-> possible 「です ; desu」-> to be 「が ; ga」-> but 「一日 ; ichi nichi」-> one day 「に ; ni」-> at; in 「数分 ; suufun」-> a few minutes 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「限界 ; genkai」-> limit 「です ; desu」-> to be

= “Conversations are possible, but a few minutes a day is the limit.”

I’m not sure how long Touya has been in here, but this line indicates that the staff members have been talking to him and I’d be curious to know what those conversations were like. What did they talk about? What kind of attitude did he give them? What was his reaction when he first regained consciousness? These are the questions we want answered, but alas, the Todoroki family plot simply isn’t about him. All the way to the bitter end it shall remain focusing on the most underrepresented group of them all: rich middle-aged men.

「緩やかに死へと向かっている…それが今の轟燈矢です」

「緩やかに ; yuruyakani」-> slowly 「死 ; shi」-> death 「へと ; e to」-> towards 「向かっている ; mukatteiru」-> to face; to head toward 「れ ; sore」-> that 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「今 ; ima」-> now; current 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「轟燈矢 ; todoroki touya」-> Touya Todoroki 「です ; desu」-> to be

= “Slowly heading towards death… that is the current Touya Todoroki.”

The particle e is a directional particle that can be translated as “toward”. Adding the particle to after it adds an emotional emphasis to the part that follows the to particle as opposed to just stating a fact, there is sympathy in this claim.

As for the claim itself - I know that a lot of people are convinced he is going to die because look! Random nameless character #47AAB7 said so, it must be true! But to be honest, I’m not even going to entertain that thought because despite all the criticism I have for this story, Horikoshi isn’t that bad of a writer. If he had wanted Touya dead, he could’ve easily killed him at the end of the last war. It makes zero sense for him to be saved and then pass away quietly and peacefully in a hospital (or whatever that place is).

Even if we were to say that Shouto managed to save him emotionally, so that counts as a win! It’s kind of a shit win if the only difference is that you now get to die “at peace”, which also could’ve been accomplished on the battlefield. At this point, it’s just inefficient and therefore, him dying at this point is not going to happen.

「........ぞろぞろと」

「ぞろぞろ ; zorozoro」-> in droves; swarming 「と ; to」-> adds emphasis

= “....In droves”

Zorozoro is used to describe several beings (can be humans or animals) that appear or move together like a swarm. This certainly is the first time the entire family is together, so it’s not surprising the rare sight is being pointed out in a joking manner, although he undoubtedly means this in a positive way as it contradicts his prior belief of no one in his family caring about him or missing him.

The fact that, upon first waking up after his coma as a teenager his immediate thought was to return and apologize, and now after ten years he finally gets the chance to talk to them and what is the first thing coming out of his mouth? Calling them a swarm. Forever and always the most relatable character.

「ハハ…観光名所じゃねぇんだよ........」

「ハハ ; haha」-> haha 「観光名所 ; kankoumeisho」-> tourist attraction; sightseeing spot 「じゃねぇ ; janee」-> isn’t 「んだ ; nda」-> explanatory particle 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle

= “Haha… It’s not a tourist attraction, right?”

If he was a tourist attraction, Hori better drop the location right now. Please. For research purposes or whatever.

「燈矢」

「燈矢 ; touya」-> Touya

= “Touya.”

「今後の話をしに来たんだ燈矢」

「今後 ; kongo」-> from now on 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「話 ; hanashi」-> talk, conversation 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「しに来た ; shi ni kita」-> came to do sth 「んだ ; nda」-> explanatory particle 「燈矢 ; touya」-> Touya

= “I came to talk about the future, Touya.”

Kongo literally means “after now” or in other words, the future.

「俺はヒーローを引退するよ」

「俺 ; ore」-> I  「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「ヒーロー ; hiirou」-> hero 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「引退する ; intai suru」-> to retire 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle

= “I am retiring from being a Hero.”

He says as though he has a choice. This is also one of those “This could’ve been an email” kinds of lines.

「元より戦いが終わったらそうするつもりだったが 最早自力で立つことすらままならん」

「元より ; moto yori」-> all along; from the first 「戦い ; tatakai」-> war 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「終わったら ; owattara」-> when it ended 「そう ; sou」-> so; that way 「する ; suru」-> to do 「つもり ; tsumori」-> to plan 「だった ; datta」-> was 「が ; ga」-> but 「最早 ; mohaya」-> already; no longer 「自力 ; jiriki」-> one’s own strength 「で ; de」-> with 「立つ ; tatsu」-> to stand 「こと ; koto 」-> nominalizes prior word/phrase 「すら ; sura」-> even 「ままならん ; mama naran」-> beyond one’s control; unable to do as one wishes

= “Since after the first war ended, I decided to do so, but I not I am not even able to stand on my own anymore.”

Mamanaru combines the words mama “as it is; as one likes” and naranai “to be unable to” to create a word that describes that something is beyond one’s control, one is unable to do as they wish or something is not going the way one wants it to. In other words, a great word to sum up Endeavor’s entire life story.

The way he continuously takes over conversations that are supposed to be about the entire family - aka his victims - and makes it about himself while pitying himself - in front of his victims - never fails to impress me. At least he is consistent I guess, but it would have been great to see him actually change in the end. Surely he is done, oh no, nevermind, he keeps talking- 

「ヒーローエンデヴァーは焼かれて死んだ

おまえの炎は誰よりも強かった」

「ヒーロー ; hiirou」-> hero 「エンデヴァー ; endevaa」-> Endeavo 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「焼かれて ; yakarete」-> burned 「死んだ ; shinda」-> died 「おまえ ; omae」-> you 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「炎 ; honoo」-> flame 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「誰 ; dare」-> anyone 「よりも ; yorimo」-> more than 「強かった ; tsuyokatta」-> was strong

= “The hero Endeavor was burned and died. Your flames were stronger than anyone else’s.”

「そっか　ご愁傷様　事が済んでから諂うなよ…卑怯者…」

「そっか ; sokka」-> I see 「ご愁傷様 ; goshuushousama」-> my condolences 「事 ; koto」-> things; matter 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「済んでから」-> after it ended (済む + てから) 「諂う ; hetsurau」-> to flatter; to suck up to; to carry favour 「な ; na」-> na (negative command form) 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「卑怯者 ; hikyoumono」-> coward

= “I see. My condolences. Don’t suck up to me after it’s over… coward…”

Here is my beef with the official translation: they keep making Touya say the most random words and phrases, but then don’t make him say “don’t curry favour”?? “Don’t be toady”?? “Don’t be toady, Todoroki” would go so hard… wait… you know what… Here’s a little extra from me to you:

Back to business:

「そうだな　燈矢は誰のことをよくわかってる　ずっと見てたんだもんな」

「そう ; sou」-> so; that way 「だ ; da」-> be 「な ; na」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation 「燈矢 ; touya」-> Touya 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「誰 ; dare」-> anyone 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「こと ; koto 」-> nominalizes prior word/phrase 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「よく ; yoku」-> well 「わかってる ; wakatteru」-> to understand 「ずっと ; zutto」-> continuously 「見てた ; miteta」-> was watching 「んだ ; nda」-> explanatory particle 「もん ; mon」-> because; indicates reason 「な ; na」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation

= “That’s right, isn’t it. You know everyone so well. Because you have been watching continuously.”

「俺に見てほしかったんだもんな

なのに見なかった…」

「俺 ; ore」-> I  「に ; ni」-> at 「見てほしかった ; mitehoshikatta」-> wanted me to look 「んだ ; nda」-> explanatory particle 「もん ; mon」-> because; indicates reason 「な ; na」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation 「なのに ; nanoni」-> and yet; despite that 「見なかった ; minakatta」-> didn’t look

= “You wanted me to look, right? Despite that I didn’t look…”

If I didn’t know any better I would say this was a conversation with a toddler. I usually like to point out that Horikoshi really nails the sibling experience, but he is also, unfortunately, really good at accurately writing how privileged middle-aged men talk. A mangaka of many talents, but at what cost?

「俺はお父さんの子どもなんだから」

「俺 ; ore」-> I  「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「お父さん ; otousan」-> dad 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「子ども ; kodomo」-> child 「なんだ ; nanda」-> explanatory particle 「から ; kara」-> because; so

= “Because I am dad’s child.”

「おまえはエンデヴァーじゃない！！」

「おまえ ; omae」-> you 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「エンデヴァー ; endevaa」-> Endeavor 「じゃない ; janai」-> isn’t

= ”You aren’t Endeavor!!”

Yes. That’s why we love him.

「誰が何と言おうと........　おまえの炎（ねつ）は俺のヘルフレイムだ

あの告発映像を毎日見続けている」

「誰 ; dare」-> someone 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「何と ; nanto」-> what 「言うと ; iou to」-> to try to say 「おまえ ; omae」-> you 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「炎 ; honoo」-> flames 「ねつ ; netsu」-> heat; rage; mania 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「俺 ; ore」-> I  「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「ヘルフレイム ; herufureimu」-> Hell Flame 「だ ; da」-> be 「あの ; ano」-> that 「告発 ; kokuhatsu」-> complaint; prosecution 「映像 ; eizou」-> footage 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「毎日 ; mainichi」-> every day 「見続けている ; mitsuzuketeiru」-> continue to watch

= “Whatever people try to say… Your flames (rage) are my Hellflame. I’ve continuously watched your prosecution video every day.”

This wouldn’t be a translation breakdown if we didn’t have a case of the furigana don’t match the kanji! Essentially what this means is that the furigana - written in brackets - show what the character says out loud, while the kanji shows what the character means. This time, when we get the kanji for flames in the second sentence, the furigana read netsu, which can meat “heat”, but also refer to “rage” or “mania” and since flames are hot, “heat” wouldn’t make it necessary to opt for a different reading, hence Endeavor is saying that the rage of Dabi was, in fact, Endeavor’s Hellflame.

「おどお゙さん見で」

「おどお゙さん ; odoosan」-> dad 「見で ; mide」-> look

= “Dad, look”

You might notice that the words are spelled differently from the normal otousan and mite. Softening the t sounds to a d sound highlights the difficulties he has speaking while being on fire. In addition to the softened t to d, the u also gets changed into an o with dakuten (the two lines on top), which only exist for the sounds that can become softer (t->d, h->b, k->g, s->j), which can’t be done to a vowel like o. In this case, the dakuten suggests that the o is said with emotion and somehow stands out from how it would be said normally.

「これからー」

「これから ; korekara」-> from now on

= “From now on-”

「毎日来る　話をしよう」

「毎日 ; mainichi」-> every day 「来る ; kuru 」-> to come 「話 ; hanashi」-> talk; conversation; chat 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「しよう ; shiyou」-> let’s do/have

= “I will come every day. Let’s talk.”

「あまりに遅すぎたけれど話そう」

「あまりに; amari ni」-> too much; overly 「遅すぎた ; ososugita」-> was too late 「けれど ; keredo」-> however 「話そう ; hanasou」-> let’s talk

= “I was much too late, but let’s talk.”

Both amari ni and adding -sugiru to the stem of a verb can be translated as “too much” and in combination place an additional emphasis on the verb, in this case, being late, which could be referencing anything from the specific instances he showed up to too late (i.e. when Touya set himself on fire on Sekoto Peak) or in a more general sense him trying to show up as a father too late (the only example would be showing up in the hospital here and the fact he has retired and plans on protecting the family from facing any consequences for all of this, although even that is still more the bare minimum of making up for his mistakes rather than being a father but I doubt he understands the difference).

「心拍数上昇これ以上は負担が」

「心拍数 ; shinpakusuu」-> heart rate 「上昇 ; joushou」-> rising; ascending 「これ以上 ; kore ijou」 - > any more; any further; any longer 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「負担 ; futan」-> burden, load 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle

= “His heart rate is rising. Any more will (be) a burden.”

The ga would normally be followed by a verb (in this case most likely kakaru = to put), but is being omitted here as the meaning can be understood regardless.

「冷　夏雄　冬美　焦凍が…　残してくれた時間で話そう」

「冷 ; rei」-> Rei 「夏雄 ; natsuo」-> Natsuo 「冬美 ; fuyumi」-> Fuyumi 「焦凍 ; shouto」-> Shouto 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「残してくれた」-> reserved for us (残す+くれる) 「時間 ; jikan」-> time 「で ; de」-> with 「話そう ; hanasou」-> let’s talk

= “Rei, Natsuo, Fuyum. Let’s talk with the time Shouto reserved for us.

Adding -tekureta after nokosu implies that someone did a favor for the speaker. Here, it means that Shouto reserved the time to talk to Touya for them.

「憎いなら…憎いと　なんでもいい　ぶつけてくれ…！」

「憎い ; nikui」-> hateful 「なら ; nara」-> if 「憎い ; nikui」-> hateful 「と ; to」-> speech particle 「なんでもいい ; nandemo ii」-> anything is fine; it doesn’t matter what 「ぶつけてくれ ; butsuketekure」-> throw it at me

= “If you hate me… hate me. Anything is fine, throw it at me…!!”

「燈矢兄私も…！」

「燈矢兄 ; touya nii」-> Touya-Nii 「私 ; watashi」-> I 「も ; mo」-> also; too

= “Touya-nii, me too…!”

「話したい事たくさんあるの」

「話したい ; hanashitai」-> want to talk 「事 ; koto」-> things 「たくさん ; takusan」-> a lot 「ある ; aru」-> to be 「の ; no」-> explanatory particle

= “There are a lot of things I want to talk about.”

This is about him getting piercings and dying his hair isn’t it. Maybe even taking off his shirt on live TV in front of the entire country. If only we could see that conversation…

「今日は止めにしましょう！！また明日にでも…」

「今日 ; kyou」-> today 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「止めにしましょう , yame ni shimashou」-> let’s stop 「また ; mata」-> again 「明日 ; asu」-> tomorrow 「に ; ni」-> at 「でも ; demo」-> or something

= “Let’s stop for today!! (You can come back) tomorrow or something…”

「最後に一ついいですか　聞きたかったことあるんだ」

「最後 ; saigo」-> final 「に ; ni」-> at 「一つ ; hitotsu」-> one 「いい ; ii」-> good 「です ; desu」-> to be 「か ; ka」-> question marker particle 「聞きたかった」-> wanted to ask 「こと ; koto」-> thing 「ある ; aru」-> to be 「んだ ; nda」-> explanatory particle

= “Can I (ask) one last thing? Because there is one thing I wanted to ask.”

The first panel or first sentence ends in the polite form using desu ka as he is asking the employee for permission to ask one more question. The second panel or sentence, on the other hand, is casual as it ends in da, so without even waiting to receive an answer from the employee, he instantly goes to directly address Touya-nii for this extremely important question.

「燈矢兄　好きな食べ物何？」

「燈矢兄 ; touya nii」-> Touya-Nii 「好きな ; suki」-> to like 「食べ物 ; tabemono」-> food 「何 ; nani」-> what

= “Touya-nii. What’s your favorite food?”

Everybody liked that. It was really great when the spoilers came out and as soon as Shouto said he wanted to ask Touya something everyone instantly knew what the question was going to be. Also a lot of pressure for Touya. Wrong answer and his little brother can pull the plug. 

「......体力の限界ですね今日は眠らせてまた…」

「体力 ; tairyoku」-> stamina; endurance 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「限界 ; genkai」-> limit 「です ; desu」-> to be 「ね ; ne」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation 「今日 ; kyou」-> today 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「眠らせて ; nemurasete」-> to let someone sleep 「また ; mata」-> again

= “This is the limit, isn’t it. Let’s let him sleep again for today.”

「蕎麦」

「蕎麦 ; soba」-> soba

= “Soba.”

These lines are always my favorite to break down. It’s not easy translating such complex phrases so please recognize the years of studying it took to be able to perfectly translate this kind of high-level sentence. Thank you.

I can only imagine him going back to his classmates, looking at Bakugo and saying: “You were wrong. It’s soba.”

「おんなじだ」

「おんなじ ; onnaji」-> same 「だ ; da」-> be

= “It’s the same.”

Usually, the word same is written as 同じ and read as onaji. In itself, these two spellings have the same meaning, however, the more standard onaji would be used in the sense of something or a situation being exactly the same, for example attending the same school as someone or facing the same problem. Onnaji, on the other hand, indicates something has very similar properties and is used more in the sense of the same color, taste etc, which is why this spelling has a bit more emotion associated with it.

So Shouto is saying that it’s the same, but he says so with emotion. Rather than stating a fact, them having the same food holds meaning to him. 

「これ以上は平行線だ　交わるよ　無理にでも」

「これ以上 ; kore ijou」-> from here on; any further 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「平行線 ; heikousen」-> remaining far apart; not reaching an agreement 「だ ; da」-> be 「交わる ; majiwaru」-> to cross; to mingle with 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「無理に ; muri ni」-> forcible; forced 「でも ; demo」-> even

= “From here on it’s parallel lines. I will cross, even if by force.”

「焦凍…　ごめんな…」

「焦凍 ; shouto」-> Shouto 「ごめん ; gomen」-> I‘m sorry 「な ; na」-> used to say something emotionally

= “Shouto… I’m sorry…”

If only… Shouto had heard this… and they could’ve talked about this… that would be crazy, right? No, why don’t we focus on the main character again, instead of getting a conversation the entire story has been building up to.

「俺はここまでだわ　悪いけど気持ち変わんない　俺はもう付き合わない」

「俺 ; ore」-> I  「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「ここ ; koko」-> here 「まで ; made」-> until 「だ ; da」-> be 「わ ; wa」-> 「悪い ; warui」-> sorry 「けど ; kedo」-> but 「気持ち ; kimochi」-> feelings 「変わんない ; kawannai」-> unchanged 「俺 ; ore」-> I  「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「もう ; mou」-> already 「付き合わない ; tsukiawanai」-> don’t associate with

= “For me it’s (ending) here. I’m sorry, but my feelings haven’t changed. I won’t associate with you anymore.”

The particle wa is used when reflecting one’s view toward a situation after coming to a conclusion. There is a nuance of confidently affirming the phrase or regretting the situation, depending on the tone, which we don’t have here, but this reads more as a confident statement than one of regret, although it might just be a little bit of both.

「ああ」

「ああ ; aa」-> Ah

= “Ah.”

「彼女と籍入れたい　式は挙げない紹介もしない」

「彼女 ; kanojo」-> girlfriend 「と ; to」-> with 「籍入れたい ; seki iretai」-> to get married; to want to have a name entered in the family register 「式 ; shiki」-> (wedding) ceremony 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「挙げない ; agenai」-> to conduct 「紹介 ; shoukai」-> introduction 「も ; mo」-> also 「しない ; shinai」-> won’t do

= “I want to enter the family register with my girlfriend. We won’t conduct a ceremony and I also won’t introduce you.”

Normally, to talk about marriage or getting married you would use the word kekkon (suru). Here, Natsuo specifically uses the term “to enter in the family registry.” While these two words can be used to mean the same thing (= getting married), entering the family registry differs in that one person enters an already existing family registry rather than creating a new one upon marriage, which is why this can also be used for when a child gets adopted by a step-parent or if a child takes on their other parent’s last name after a divorce.

Again, this can just be treated as a synonym for getting married, but it might also be to emphasize this as an act of removing himself from his father rather than an act of love. It surely feels like an odd time to be thinking of marriage, with the current situation not having him in the right mental or emotional state for such a big step to be smart (he already did the whole “cutting my hair during a crisis” so he should follow that with dying his hair or something else that is going to affect his life less than marriage).

Let’s face it: had he said this while they were with Touya, his big bro’s heart monitor would have gone crazy before he would have broken out of that machine to talk some sense into his little brother.

Also, not to insult Natsuo because he is very sweet, but I just have to mention the irony of him getting married as a means to solve his issues when that was also his dad’s first step. It’s obviously different, but still worth pointing out.

「ああ…分かったな」

「ああ ; aa」-> Ah 「分かった ; wakatta」-> understood 「な ; na」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation

= “Ah, I get it.”

「姉ちゃんは？仕事やめたんだろ？」

「姉ちゃん ; neechan」-> big sister 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「仕事 ; shigoto」-> job 「やめた ; yameta」-> to quit 「ん ; n」-> explanatory particle 「だろ ; daro」-> right

= “What about you, big sis? You left your job, right?”

I do like the symbolism of him standing in the middle of the street, ready to use the crosswalk, while the rest of the family remain on the side of the road, but I am also worried he is going to get hit by a car.

「うんでも　生徒のお母さんが新しい職場紹介してくれてねサポートしてくれるって」

「うん ; un」-> yeah 「でも ; demo」-> but 「生徒 ; seito」-> student 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「お母さん ; okaasan」-> mom 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「新しい ; atarashii」-> new 「職場 ; shokuba」-> workplace 「紹介してくれて ; shoukai shitekurete」-> introduced me (as a favor) 「ね ; ne」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation 「サポートしてくれる ; sapooto shitekureru」-> support (as a favor) 「って ; tte」-> quoting particle (casual of という)

= “Yeah, but the mom of a student introduced me to a new workplace. So she’s being supportive.”

Similar to before, the -tekurete suggests that this introduction as well as the support is seen as a favor.

「........正直責任は果たしたと思う　罰も受けたと思う…もういいんじゃねーの？」

「正直 ; shoujiki」-> honestly; frankly 「責任 ; sekinin」-> duty 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「果たした ; hatashita」-> accomplished; carried out 「と思う ; to omou」-> to think 「罰 ; batsu」-> punishment 「も ; mo」-> too 「受けた ; uketa」-> received 「と思う ; to omou」-> to think 「もういい ; mou ii」-> that’s enough 「ん ; n」-> explanatory particle 「じゃねー ; janee」-> isn’t 「のか ; noka-> question marker particle seeking an explanation

= “Frankly, I think we’ve fulfilled our responsibilities. I think we already received our punishment. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

This line has gotten some negative attention as fan translations have this line directed toward Endeavor, whereas the official English translation has this line be directed toward the entire family. As you can see in the breakdown above, there is no explicit human subject in this sentence to clarify who is being addressed here, in addition to the fact that he has his back turned to us readers with no indication as to who he is looking at.

However, the last person he directly addressed was Fuyumi, who was also the one speaking right before this line. Furthermore, the next line is Endeavor saying that he will ensure to take the blame and whatnot from here on out so that they do not need to face any more consequences for this.

With that being said, to me this reads as him talking to the family, specifically as a response to Fuyumi suggesting that her former student’s mother introducing her to a new workplace and supporting her is somewhat of a favor. While we don’t know exactly why she left her job, there is still a suggestion that this situation has impacted her negatively and that people showing support is somehow worth noting. And yes, Japan has a culture of blaming the entire family when a family member commits a crime, however, Natsuo’s line then seems somewhat frustrated at this, feeling as though they all already faced consequences (like Fuyumi leaving her job), and that they shouldn’t have to face consequences for the rest of their lives, let alone feel overly grateful for any person that still treats them as individuals rather than an accomplice for something they had nothing to do with.

Overall, this line reads more like he wants them to be able to move past this, rather than have this now haunt them after they have already been struggling their whole lives by growing up in the Todoroki household.

「犯した罪の賠償と謝罪を一生をかけて続けていく

見ていなくていい子どもたち（おまえたち）に降りかかる火の粉をできる限り俺が受け止める　生き延びた意味があるとすればそれだけなんだ」

「犯した ; okashita」-> committed 「罪 ; tsumi」-> crime; sin 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「賠償 ; baishou」-> compensation; reparations 「と ; to」-> with 「謝罪 ; shazai」-> apology 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「一生 ; issho」-> whole life 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「かけて ; kakete」-> make; put out 「続けていく ; tsuzuketeiku 」->to continue from now on (続ける+いく) 「見ていなくて ; mitenakute」-> not looking 「いい ; ii」-> good; okay 「子どもたち ; kodomotachi」-> children 「おまえたち ; omaetachi」-> you (plural) 「に ; ni」-> to 「降りかかる ; furikakaru」-> to happen; to befall 「火の粉 ; hi no ko」-> sparks 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「できる ; dekiru」-> to be able to 「限り ; kagiri」-> limit; degree 「俺 ; ore」-> I  「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「受け止める ; uketomeru」-> to catch; to stop the blow 「生き延びた ; ikinobita」-> survived; lived long 「意味 ; imi」-> meaning 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「ある ; aru」-> to exist 「とすれば ; to sureba」-> then; if so; if 「それだけ ; soredake」-> that much; to that extent; only that 「なんだ ; nanda」-> explanatory particle

= “From here on out I will continue to make reparations and apologize for my committed crimes for my whole life. I will catch as much of the sparks that fall on you kids who don’t have to watch. If there is any meaning in my survival, it is just that.”

Again, he says “you” but means “children”. The miteinakute ii is used to say that “it’s okay not to watch”, in other words he does not expect them to keep in touch with him or anything along those lines.

The -teiku after tsuzukeru is used to imply that something will continue from this moment forward. While he didn't make up for his mistakes, from now on he will.

「........地獄だぞ」

「地獄 ; jigoku」-> hell 「だ ; da」-> be 「ぞ ; zo」-> emphasizes the speaker’s will or opinion; can be inviting to the listener

= “........It’s hell.”

「ああダンスの誘いを受けたんでな」

「ああ ; aa」-> Ah 「ダンス ; dansu」-> dance 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「誘い ; sasoi」-> invitation 「を ; o」-> direct object marker 「受けた ; uketa」-> to accept 「んでな ; ndena」-> explanatory particle

= “Ah, I did accept the dance invitation.”

「…初めてだよ　お父さんの事　かっこいいって思えたの」

「初めて ; hajimete」-> first time  「だ ; da」-> be 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「お父さん ; otousan」-> dad 「の ; no」-> possessive particle; similar to an apostrophe 「事 ; koto」-> nominalizes prior word/phrase 「かっこいい ; kakkoii」-> cool 「って思えた ; tte omoeta」-> to seem; to appear 「の ; no」-> explanatory particle

= “It was the first time that you seemed cool.”

 Natsuo has called Endeavor by many (disrespectful) names. This is the first time he calls him by the standard/polite term for father. This is not to say that he likes him now. With the whole marriage talk in mind, this feels more like him letting go of his feelings for a second to make a somewhat neutral statement. Neutral in the sense of being able to recognize and view something his dad has done in a positive light rather than letting his feelings completely take over his judgment.

「焦凍は？学校戻るんだろ？」

「焦凍 ; shouto」-> Shouto 「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「学校 ; gakkou」-> school 「戻る ; modoru」-> to return to 「ん ; n」-> explanatory particle 「だろ ; daro」-> I think; right?

= “What about you, Shouto? You’re returning to school, right?”

「うん」

「うん ; un」-> yeah

= “Yeah.” 

「乗ってけよ姉ちゃんも」　

「乗ってけ ; notteke」-> I’ll give you a ride 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「姉ちゃん ; neechan」-> big sis  「も ; mo」-> also; too

= “I’ll give you a ride. Nee-chan, too.”

「ありがとう」

「ありがとう ; arigatou」-> thanks

= “Thanks.”

「親父　お母さん　俺にはA組（みんな）いるから大丈夫だよ！　俺は自分でなりてえようになれるから！」

「親父 ; oyaji」-> dad 「お母さん ; okaasan」-> mom 「俺 ; ore」-> I  「には ; niwa」-> as for 「A組 ; e gumi」-> class A  「みんな ; minna」-> everyone  「いる ; iru」-> to be  「から ; kara」-> therefore  「大丈夫 ; daijoubu」-> alright  「だ ; da」-> be 「よ ; yo」-> emphasis particle 「俺 ; ore」-> I  「は ; wa」-> topic marker particle 「自分 ; jibun」-> myself  「で ; de」-> with 「なりてえ ; naritee」-> want to become (casual of naritai)  「ようになれる ; you ni nareru」-> to reach the point where; to come to; to begin to 「から ; kara」-> because; so

= “Dad, mom. I’ll be okay because of Class A (everyone). I can reach the point of being what I want to be!”

Just like before we get furigana that differ from the kanji. Shouto says that he will be alright because everyone is there, but he specifically means Class A when he says that.

「地獄でも」

「地獄 ; jigoku」-> hell  「でも ; demo」-> even though

= “Even though it’s hell.”

「おーう早かったな！！大丈夫だったかあ！？」

「おーう ; ou」-> Ooh 「早かった ; hayakatta」-> early 「な ; na」-> sentence ending particle; used to seek confirmation 「大丈夫 ; daijoubu」-> alright 「だった ; datta」-> was 「かあ ; kaa」-> question marker particle

= “Oh, you’re early! Was it alright!?”

「おなかすいた」

「おなかすいた ; onaka suita」-> I’m starving

= “I’m starving.”

「見てる人がいる」

「見てる ; miteru」-> looking 「人 ; hito」-> person 「が ; ga」-> subject marker particle 「いる ; iru」-> to be

= “There is someone who is watching.”

Me. I’m the one watching. But at what cost? The family’s two most used words have got to be “hell” and “to look” . Someone please teach them some more words.

That concludes the Todoroki family interaction in this chapter and supposedly for the story (everyone disliked that). Personally, this does not read as a conclusion so I am going to just treat this as the beginning of the conclusion, instead. And perhaps the final in the sense of the whole family not getting together anymore because Natsuo isn’t going to be around Endeavor anymore.

Personally, my biggest issue with this chapter is the fact that while it’s called final and set up as though the family and we finally get closure by everyone reuniting with Touya, it’s just another episode of self-pitying with a grown-ass man that has still not changed or understood anything despite everything. Yes, he finally managed to talk to Touya, to apologize and acknowledge both Touya’s pain as well as his own accountability in the entire affair. However, the rest of the family could have been left out of this chapter entirely since they said nothing other than “we have lots to talk about” which is obviously a beginning, but I’m sure we all have been waiting patiently to get an actual conversation not just hear them say that they want to talk at a later point, which we then won't ever get to see.

The soba part is amazing, of course, but it could and should have played a bigger role in this chapter.

People have been expressing various opinions in regards to the family’s current situation and their future, though - again - it would be great to see more of that because this chapter only briefly touched on various interesting points and then didn’t explore these points more because if there is one thing this world needs more is privileged people whining about how hard their life is and the many sacrifices they have had to make (= barely facing consequences).

That being said, we’ll see what the final 4 chapters will offer and whether we will see the Todoroki family make another appearance.

And no, Touya won’t die.

[lemonxdaisybby]

Now sure if you write for male or trans reader, but could i request maybe kiryu and ichiban with an s/o that transitioned (ftm) whilst they were in prison? I'm not sure what else, I'd just like to see these two with a trans partner 🙏

Of course feel free to ignore this if you don't write for that though, I don't mind.

Hello - thank you for your request. This is my first time writing for a trans reader/partner, so I hope this is okay 💕

Also context, these are written from the view that reader was unable to visit Kiryu/Ichi during prison, for whatever reason.

Kiryu:

During his prison time, Kiryu probably wrote to you fairly often. He’s more on the traditional side of things, so when he first received a new letter from you opening up about your transition or plans to transition, he would have been taken aback. Not in a negative way, but he wouldn’t completely understand straight away, and might be a bit confused. However, once he’s read the letter a few times, it would sort of register in his brain, and from that point he would be completely open and accepting.

Kiryu is more focused on who you are as a person, and doesn’t care about gender. He loves you for your heart and your soul, and who you are on the inside.

During his time in prison, his letters to you wouldn’t really mention the transition once you’ve told him, as he wouldn’t see it as a big deal in general. He’d just accept it right away, and you’d just feel so comfortable being yourself when writing to Kiryu.

When he first meets you again after his release from prison, he would be typical Kiryu, in that he’s not gonna smile much or be overly romantic, but his eyes would just be shining with so much happiness. He’d pull you in to a tight embrace, and tell you how pleased he is to finally see you again.

Things in the relationship would feel no different. It’s as if he didn’t go to prison, and as if you didn’t recently transition, and you’ve been this way for the entire relationship. Everything would just fall in to place, and in to a comfortable, loving routine.

If anyone ever tries to be rude to you, or transphobic, Kiryu is there to support you. He’d be at your side instantly, giving them the ultimate Kiryu glare. If they’re smart, they’ll apologise and leave swiftly. He’s gonna have your back no matter what, and is always there to lend an ear or reassure you, if need be.

Ichiban:

First of all, Ichiban likes who he likes. He’s so pure-hearted and wholesome, you just know he’s going to be such a supportive partner.

It’s also likely that he kept in touch with you whilst in prison, and wrote to you as often as he could. Initially, he would have been shocked when you informed him of your transition or plans to transition, but a few moments later once the news has settled in, he will be so happy for you. He’s your biggest supporter.

He would maybe be a little nervous that things between the two of you will change. He might be worried that perhaps you’ll want to start an entirely new chapter in your life, and possibly move on? After all, he’s stuck in prison, he’d feel pretty useless, and would be sad about not being able to be by your side during a big change in your life.

Upon being released from prison, Ichi would be so giddy. He’d be excited to see you again, but also nervous, because it’s been so long, and so much has changed.

As soon as you approach him, all of his nervousness is going to disappear as he locks eyes with you. He’d just have the biggest, dumbest grin on his face, and would wrap you up into a big hug. He would blush so hard the first time you kiss him after his release, because of how long it has been since he last kissed you. He’d almost forgotten just how amazing it feels to kiss you.

Ichi is a curious guy, so expect a lot of questions regarding your transition. It would be more so he can understand and support you better, and he would want you to feel comfortable with him. Of course, if there’s things you would rather not talk about, that’s completely fine too.

[kenpxchi]

"Ken-Chan! Ichi just came for a visit and guess what! He and Jiggles and the big guy and pencil, they sent candy and snacks for valentine's day! I think we're supposed to share it but if we share it with each other that counts, don't you think?" She certainly did. (hi i miss you friend ♥)

@yahchiru

Kenpachi rolls over. Normally he naps through these kinds of days, seeing it as a celebration for people who are in love with each other. It isn't exactly something that he would participate in given that he doesn't really meet the criteria, but there's candy involved, and where there's candy, there's Yachiru.

When she holds out the candy, he looks down at it with curiosity, before a smile spreads across his face. Kenpachi reaches out and pulls his daughter into a hug, before setting her down and starting to divvy up the best pieces for the two of them. Perhaps, on this day, there are different kinds of love that can be celebrated.

"happy valentine's day, yachiru."

[edogawa-division]

A Pandora's Box

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if there was a grave somewhere out there for her former self. If her picture was on a shrine somewhere. If there was someone out there mourning her. Wasn't that the saddest part? That someone they loved had died and all that was left was a stranger wearing their face. 

It was quiet as Kanra lay on her bed watching her clock waiting for it to hit midnight. Holding her breath as the clock shifted from 11:59 to 12:00. It was officially March 14th the day of her birth and the day “Kanra Akemi” first opened her eyes to this world.

Birthdays were supposed to be happy events. Kanra knew this but why did her birthday make her feel like she was choking every time it rolled around? Perhaps it was because she had realized what no one else had. That someone died for Kanra Akemi to be born.

Even if her memories came back Kanra knew she couldn't and wouldn't go back to being the person she once was. However, she wanted to know who she was once. She wanted to know who had died in order for her to be born. To put a name to the girl who died in the alleyways all those years ago. 

Kanra closed her eyes as her head began to throb, as it always did whenever she thought about her past. What was that myth Kaoru had told her about once? The one with the woman and a box filled with all sorts of horrible things? Oh, right it was Pandora. She was Pandora and inside her mind was a box filled with her past. In her case, the box wasn't completely sealed all the way. There were cracks and what leaked through invaded her dreams. 

Sometimes it's of a woman with black hair and violet eyes, of excruciating pain, the glint of something sharp, a voice telling her to be silent, and the metallic taste of blood. 

“One would think that an empty doll such as yourself wouldn't feel pain but I suppose not.”

“Now let's see how your anatomy works.” 

“Your screams are beginning to get on my nerves. Continue and I’ll remove your vocal cords.”

“Your lungs are filling with blood. I'm going to have to drain them. How annoying.”

“I hate you.” Kanra clenched her jaw as her scars began to burn. It was taking all her willpower to claw at them. Every time that woman showed up in her dreams, Kanra would swear it was like someone was cutting her open. Perhaps someone had.

Other times she dreams of a male with hair like hers and eyes she can't remember the color of but knows that didn't match hers, of him sneaking her treats when he wasn't supposed to, telling her stories of people he knew, of a promise to show her the world, and his screams as he begged.

“I brought you some more strawberry shortcake. You liked it last time I brought some.”

“Ichi….and…toki are always talking about their younger siblings. I can't wait to see their faces when I tell them how much cuter you are than them.”

“It’s so boring here! Don't worry the Old Lady says a little while longer and I can show you what’s outside these walls. I promise.”

“NO! DON'T TAKE HER! PLEASE! WHY AREN’T YOU STOPPING THEM?”

“Do you think I’m dead? Is there a grave you visit? Is there a shrine with my photo on it? Do you miss me?” Kanra thought, staring blankly at the ceiling as hot tears trailed down her cheeks, staining her pillow. Letting out a quiet sob as the pain began to get unbearable. She didn't know what hurt more, her head or her scars. It didn't matter, either way, she just wanted the pain to stop. 

Kanra knew the answers about her past lay inside that box deep within her mind. That one day it would open and just like Pandora in her tale, she would be overrun by what was inside. Kanra could only hope she would come out unscathed when it was all over. 

And in the darkest corner of her mind, another crack appears on Kanra’s box. 

[todayisafridaynight]

RIGHT YEAH I was also thinking about the scenario of Jo accompanying Masato in relation to this, in the vein of… that'd solidify that the whole lie was always about His Family and not The Family right… because what can Jo even DO for the family while he's away? He's more than a glorified accountant.

Though thinking about it, he probably wouldn't have been away too long, at least compared to a prison sentence for murder. Because Masato only faked his death in 2004 (at the very latest, I guess; it's when the news went public) and Bleach Japan was founded "almost 20 years" prior to 2019, at which point Aoki and Ogasawara had already graduated and returned to Japan.

That and Aoki wasn't in a wheelchair anymore when he met Ogasawara at Harvard, so perhaps Jo would only really /need/ to stay for the procedure and Aoki's physical therapy and all, though of course I can see him staying longer. Still, not too long, all things considered.

So this scenario's kind of the worst of both worlds, because perhaps those first couple of years it's Arakawa's own stubbornness, and then the rest of his family has to go away anyway. And he's so sure in that time what he needs is to be with his family again and he'll at least feel less alone, miss Ichi less.

But then Masato's Aoki now and only really staying in touch to use him and the Arakawa Family's resources for his own gain, and Jo--as you perfectly put it--doesn't know how to emotionally take care of him. So things he should be ecstatic about--seeing his son walk on his own two legs for the first time and having his right hand man back in action--end up bittersweet at best. Aiiieeeeee……

OH YEAH SHINJI I half-remembered there was a visit in 1 but not who actually went to visit Kiryu sorry for doing you like that my boy </3 still counts as part of a pattern to me though… subordinate visiting his aniki…

SPEAKING OF KIRYU. Yeah. Typical Kiryu L. Kazuma Kiryu you have blood on your hands and NOT in the funney Reddit meme way… ABSOLUTELY DERANGED to blame Ichi for anything in the ending whatsoever though like WHAT. He got him immediate medical attention and WE AS THE AUDIENCE don't even have time to react, let alone anyone living the fucking moment good god my blood pressure is spiking

ALSO THE JO POST… YEAH… yeah yeah yeah that's the shit I'm talking about… and like. This is where localization frustrates me so Bear With My Complaints a moment but his very last line is mistranslated in both versions, the sub in terms of what he was actually saying and the dub in terms of giving him this bitchy, flippant tone that doesn't convey his intent. So I'll cut them down the middle and say it's "[The] legit [way]? The word has never crossed my mind, not once."

There's just something to it as a clear thesis for his whole life and his eventual fate. Like of course Adachi means in terms of going through the proper legal processes, but words like proper, legit, decent, these also have clear connotations of adequacy. So for him to literally say NOTHING he's done has been adequate in his eyes perfectly illustrates what you were saying. Like he's always taken it as a matter of fact that nothing he could do would be enough, like that's a truth woven into his existence so tightly he never even thought about it. And now there really is nothing he can do.

i have my own theoretical timeline on masato's stay in america, but even with what we have there's a lot of variables involved with for exactly when certain events happened

under the assumption masato was to enroll at harvard in the fall of 2001 (assuming he was somehow able to be approved for a lung transplant as soon as that year), then jo would- at max- might only have to be abroad for (assuming they leave in january) nine months (to account for the time it took for masato to get approved for surgery and then the surgery itself plus the potential 3-6 month recovery period afterwards)

alternatively, if masato had to wait a year- two max if we're being optimistic so he could graduate on time under an accelerated 2-year academic schedule to get surgery- then jo, similarly, would have to be abroad for a similar amount of time.

the time gone doesn't matter too much i guess: arakawa will still be left alone for a long time, and that really couldnt have been easy either way. the time his family's gone only makes their comeback all the more bittersweet, as you put it (´▽｀;;)

OH BUT YEAH NO THE Y7 BIT THAT SHIT PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH WHEN I READ IT like mates were trying to be smart about it like 'wow ichi way to go showing how much you love aoki and how you'd do anything for him 🙄' like God Forbid a human character acts human and imperfect what the fuck you want him to do he aint got no goddamn spidey sense how the shit was he supposed to know (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)(;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)(;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)

but yeah.. speaking of Doing The Right Thing jo's never ending feelings of inadequacy are my favorite </3 cause its like.. it's a reason why i love jo so much if i can be weird to say: what he did wasnt something that you can confidently forgive or try to say 'he's done the most to rectify this' or anything like that because putting a baby in a coin locker's like.. a lot of steps are involved to do that.. not really a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing that would have grounds to forgive yourself for.. so the fact jo knows this and just has that intense guilt- it's my bread and butter to say the least 😔

[riahlynn101]

"Pandora's Box" (2).

Chapter 2

--

Nisuke huffs, out of breath. He’s running behind (for the third time this week). A twenty-minute meeting with other rebellion leaders from the local area turned into an hour, and then the base he’d been visiting at for aforementioned meeting needed a substitute teacher for an hour (and, really, who was he to deny such a simple request?)

Yoichi will understand, but he still feels guilty.

He loves their son, but even at two-months-old Izuku’s a handful and a half. A day spent taking care of him is worth three days of boring meetings. And that’s just a part of Yoichi’s day. 

They can’t afford to live in their apartment on just one (very inconsistent) salary. So, Yoichi has taken up tutoring students over the internet for a variety of subjects (mostly English and History). His earnings are the difference between choosing between formula or diapers. 

Work and money troubles aside, Nisuke couldn’t be happier. 

He arrives at their apartment and knocks a few times to announce his presence, as Yoichi has a tendency to swing first and ask questions later. In accordance with the unspoken rule of not wanting to sleep on the couch, Nisuke also brought carryout from a local restaurant.

He opens the door and steps inside. “‘Ichi? I’m home!”

A loud gurgle is heard - the only sound their son is capable of making right now (besides screeching or unholy wailing). Yoichi pops his head around the corner, a dirtied burp rag on his shoulder.

“Hey, honey, I just got Izuku fed and burped. Oh, is that-”

“Food from that American-style diner you’ve been eyeing since we moved here? Yep.”

Yoichi laughs softly, shaking his hair out of his eyes. 

Setting the takeout on the kitchen counter, he reaches over to brush the hair from Yoichi’s face. “I can get you some hair ties,” he offers. 

Nisuke removes the food containers from the paper bags. 

“I like my hair down,” Yoichi answers, maneuvering around the kitchen for plates and forks, with a baby in one arm, “besides Izuku likes it.” 

Nisuke takes their son from his arms, pivoting towards the dining room. “Your choice, but just know you’re missing out on quite the collection of scrunchies.” He places his plate on the dining room table.

Izuku gurgles, body jerking in response to his dads’ conversation, but otherwise seems content nestled in the crook of his papa’s arm. 

“Scrunchie collection, eh?” Yoichi asks, quirking a brow. He joins the pair at the table. 

“Uh, huh.”

“Does this collection have an owner by the name of Sanshirou?”

“....Perhaps….” 

They both burst out laughing. 

“I’ll keep it in mind.”’

Nisuke smiles like an idiot down at the cut-up pancakes on his plate. 

Yes, he’s never been happier.

-x-x-x-

“Izuku, honey, it’s time to wake up,” his mom calls from behind his bedroom door. “It’s time for school.”

“I’m up!” He calls back, rolling over to check his All Might alarm clock. “Huh, 7:00?” He rolls onto his back, still half-asleep. 

“7:00!” 

He hops out of bed, and hurriedly searches through his closet for his uniform. If he’s late on the first day of school, then his home room teacher will single him out for the rest of the year (well, more than usual) and everyone will laugh and Kacchan-

“Izuku, sweetheart?”

Izuku inhales deeply. “I’m almost ready, mom. Sorry.”

“It’s alright, I made you breakfast. It’s on the table when you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” he says, and despite his rising anxiety he can’t help but be happy whatever deity ordained this saintly woman to be his mother. 

He hears her sniffle. “Anytime.”

Izuku hears his mom head back towards the kitchen, leaving him alone. 

He rushes to get himself ready, throwing his uniform on, getting his bag ready, and combing through his curls with an impressive amount of speed. 

His mom, as promised, is waiting for him at the table. A breakfast of bacon and pancakes sits on the table in front of her. 

Something in his stomach twists uncomfortably. An itch at the back of his mind. 

(One of daddy’s favorite foods is pancakes. Papa used to bring them home every-)

He grimaces and does his best to shrug down the feeling. 

Breakfast is over before he knows it (mostly because he shoveled it in). He takes care of his plate and thanks his mom over and over again for the delicious food. He has one foot out the door when she calls him back. 

“Izuku, honey?”

“Yes, mom?” He asks, a little annoyed as now it’s less a matter of if he’ll be late but how much he’ll be late. 

“You’re wearing your bracelet, right?”

He looks down at the plain, flimsy, metal bracelet around one of his wrists. 

“Yes!”

“Great! Have a good day, sweetie!”

-x-x-x-

He arrives at the school ten minutes before school officially starts. The hallways are still bustling with people, and Izuku allows himself to relax. 

At least he isn’t late.

“Oi!”

Izuku tenses, preparing to dodge and weave if necessary. 

“Don’t ignore me, Shitty Nerd!”

Slowly, he turns around to face his tormentor, limbs rigid. “Hi, Kacchan.”

“Don’t ‘hi’ me!” Kacchan says, stalking forward. He jabs a finger into Izuku’s chest. 

“Sorry?” 

Kacchan scoffs. “We’re in the same class again this year,” he explains in the same hostile tone he always uses (whether he’s talking to his own mother or someone he deems unimportant and useless, like Izuku). 

They do this song and dance every year. 

For reasons that Izuku can only guess, every year Kacchan and he are placed in the same class. And you would think that his former friend would get used to it, but nope!

“Sorry?” He tries again. If Kacchan doesn’t back off soon he’ll be late for sure. He still has to change out his shoes and put his bag away. 

Another scoff, followed by the unmistakable sound of crackling explosions (a warning because no pain follows the sound). 

Izuku winces back.

Kacchan shoves him. “Just stay out of my way.” He leaves. 

If Izuku were just a little braver and less afraid of the pain that’s sure to follow, he’d point out that Kacchan was the one to seek him out and not the other way around. Alas, he’s not, and the time to do so has come and gone. 

He rights his uniform and avoids the stares of his peers as he trudges the rest of the way to his locker. 

-x-x-x-

First period goes exactly as expected. His new homeroom teacher overlooks Izuku and nearly marks him absent. Someone throws bits of crumpled up paper at him, ending up in his curly mess of hair. 

But Kacchan seems to ignore him, which is…..

Good, he guesses. 

The rest of the day follows in similar fashion, as does the one after that and the one following that one. 

The days turn to weeks and eventually months until it’s April, and their teacher is pressing them about choosing a highschool for next year. 

“So, since you’re all third years, it’s time to think seriously about your futures. I’m going to handout the paper for your future plans now, but looking around-”

Izuku cringes back anticipating his classmates’ rowdiness. Technically it’s illegal to use quirks in public without the proper licensing, but it’s hard to control children and young teenagers from using their quirks. So, it’s mostly for those in high school and above in age. 

Kacchan goes on a rant that ends with a broken desk. Izuku tries to keep his desk together for the rest of the lesson. 

In truth, he knows that Kacchan would make an excellent hero. His quirk is just so cool, and if he’d learn to be a little nicer than he could achieve great things. 

He still wishes their teacher wouldn’t take every opportunity to throw him under the metaphorical bus whenever the chance arose. Would it have hurt not to mention where he’s planning on applying? Especially given his status as quirkless. 

He sighs, putting his head on his desk. 

Today is going to be a long day!

-x-x-x-

Yagi Toshinori is not having a good day. Not that he ever does, but today is….just a lot.

He’s in town to meet with the successor Nighteye lined up, and that, mixed with his new teaching position (something he never thought he’d be doing) is causing his already high blood pressure to rise. It doesn’t help that wherever he looks there’s someone else that needs help, or another villain that needs defeating. 

He’s tired.

But what else would he do if he wasn’t All Might, the symbol of Peace? Get a day job in some cramped office? Have freetime and make meaningful connections outside of heroics? 

Detective Tsukauchi would certainly be happy.

A loud commotion shakes him from his train of thoughts. 

That can’t be good!

-x-x-x-

Finally, thankfully, the final bell rings, dismissing them. Izuku hurries to gather his things. He needs to add a page to his hero notebook. 

“Deku!” Kacchan screams from across the room. 

The few students that aren’t a part of Kacchan’s entourage make themselves scarce. A couple of which he remembers protecting from Kacchan’s wrath when they were smaller. 

This time his rant ends with Izuku having a singed uniform, a water-logged notebook, and more reasons why he isn’t even worth the dirt he walks on. 

He trudges home, fetching his notebook from the Koi Pond out front. 

“Silly fish, this isn’t food. Let go.” He shakes the notebook, hoping that’ll help it dry out faster.

If one of his classmate’s saw him now, they’d probably think he was more pathetic than usual. With his hunched shoulders, crestfallen expression, and slow gait. 

He starts to walk under a bridge, staring down at his notebook. If it’s ruined he’ll break into Kacchan’s house and steal his All Might card. 

“Sorry about this, kid,” a voice that sounds like if the stuff from the garbage disposal came alive and could talk, says. 

“What-”

The next thing Izuku knows he’s choking, vision doubling. 

He kicks and fights and struggles, but it’s fruitless as the villain takes control of his body.

“Stop fighting, it’ll only hurt for forty-five seconds.” The villain laughs.

Izuku continues to struggle. 

I don’t want to die!

Someone help me!

Help me!

Help-

Then, he knows nothing. 

-x-x-x-

Izuku slowly comes to. His head is pounding and the air smells heavily of sewage, but he’s alive. 

He groans, and someone lightly smacks him on the cheek. He opens his eyes to see….

Izuku sits up, eyes wide. 

“Hey….oh!” 

“Ahhhhh!”

All Might chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry about you getting caught up in my villain fighting.”

“Ahhhh….”

Izuku’s brain slows to a halt as he processes what meeting the number one hero means. All the questions he’s always wanted to ask escape him. And he needs to at least ask for an-

He turns his head to his notebook, but All Might has already signed it. 

He’s so cool!

All Might shows off his pop bottle full of the…Sludge Villain? He’ll definitely have to write about his quirk when he gets home, right after he writes the entry for the villain fight from earlier today. 

“See you on the other side of the screen,” All Might says, getting ready to jump into the sky. 

Wait! But I still have so many things to ask him!

“Wait!” He shouts, lunging for his legs just as his favorite hero takes off. 

“Let go! Your fanaticism is too much!” 

“I can’t! I’ll die!”

“Hm, good point! Hold on!”

-x-x-x-

When they land the kid wobbles forward. Flying is definitely something you have to get used to, so he doesn’t blame the kid for looking out of sorts. He does blame the kid for being so damn reckless! 

And-

He deflates into a shadow of his former glory. 

Pitiful.

Horrible.

“All Might- ah!” The kid is on his feet again, and the star-like fanaticism has returned to his big, green eyes. “You’re not All Might.”

“I am.” He lifts his t-shirt, showing off his grotesque injury. “About five years ago I got into a fight with a villain. I can only do hero work for five hours each day.”

The kid tilts his head to the side, like a puppy. He mumbles something to himself before speaking up. “Was the fight with Toxic Chainsaw?”

“Hey, you really know your stuff,” All Might compliments. 

He watches the kid’s eyes light up at the praise. The kid lightly laughs, shrugging his shoulders. “Thank you.” 

“Well, I should head to the police station.” He starts for the door. If he hurries then he can get to the police station and turn the villain before One for All fizzles out for the day. 

‘Wait!” The boy shouts.

He stops, waiting.

“Can someone….” the boy trails off, obviously trying to build up the courage, “can someone, like me, someone quirkless ever hope to be a hero like you?”

He’s suddenly thrust back into a time before Nana’s death and U.A and all the fame that came with becoming the number one hero. A time where he asked nearly the exact same question to the only adult who ever showed genuine care for him. 

He looks at the kid, still a boy, small and with a nervous but kind deposition that any villain would take and destroy in a heartbeat. His large green eyes are so full of hope, silently begging his idol; his hero to agree that he can one day become a hero. 

He looks at the kid, and sees himself before all the destruction and death and thinks-

I have to protect that.

“It’s okay to dream, kid, but be realistic. If you want to help people, join the police department. They don’t really get recognition but they do a lot of important work.”

He sees the kid’s shoulders slump, face contorting in an effort to prevent himself from breaking down. 

All Might’s heart breaks a little more, and if he didn’t have somewhere urgently to be he’d explain himself a little more. He leaves with little fanfare, exiting out the side door with a simple apology.

It’s not until he reaches the ground floor that he realizes the sludge villain is no longer in his possession.

“Great,” he groans.

-x-x-x-

Izuku’s day couldn’t possibly get any worse. All Might left and it felt like he took a piece of Izuku with him. Not in a creepy-super-obsessed-fan way, more like that feeling people get when someone they really care about and haven’t seen for a while comes to visit, and then eventually has to leave (and you know for certain it’s the last time you’ll ever see them).

Down below cars rush past, and people chatter loudly from their balconies. The spring air is starting to cool down as the sun slowly sets. 

At some point Izuku decides he’d rather go home before the sun completely sets than face his mother’s wrath (or worry, and that’s always worse, because he hates making people worry about him). 

The walk home is normal. And he brightens up once he remembers All Might signed his notebook. Up ahead he sees a crowd of people, similar to this morning. Heroes mingle off to the side, looking unsure of how to proceed, and it looks like someone’s being held hostage by the-

Oh!

Izuku looks at the ground. If he hadn’t stopped All Might none of this would be happening. He cranes his neck to get a closer look. 

And there, trapped among the gooey confines of the sludge villain is his former friend-

“Kacchan!” He yells, shoving passed other civilians. 

“Stay back, Deku!” Kacchan shouts back, voice muffled by the liquid but undoubtedly his. 

Izuku looks at the heroes, who are standing idle and of no help, and then looks at the other civilians, who trust that the heroes will deal with this mess, and then back to Kacchan.

Kacchan-who despite his cruelty and threats and a childhood full of tearing Izuku down, piece-by-piece-is still someone worth saving. 

He races forward, using his backpack as a shield and weapon. The sludge villain taunts him, and Kacchan begs him to stand down. But he’s never been any good at listening, so Izuku continues to hit the villain with his bag, and when that doesn’t work, he starts scratching at the villain’s eyes (or the approximation of where he remembers the eyes being). 

“Let him go!” He screams. 

“Don’t worry, Civilians, why?” All Might says, joining the fray (and if Izuku wasn’t in the process of freeing Kacchan, he’d be awestruck). “Because I am here!”

The next thing Izuku knows, he’s on his back, with the smell of sewage in the air - for the second time that day. 

-x-x-x-

The heroes scold Izuku, calling him ‘reckless,’ and a ‘liability waiting to happen.’ All things he’s heard time and time again, and at least Kacchan’s alive. If not severely pissed off. 

He catches up to Izuku just to say as much before marching off. 

Izuku makes peace with the fact that he’ll never be a hero like All Might. He keeps his head low and starts for home. 

“Young man!” All Might shouts, running to meet him at an almost comical speed. 

Izuku sputters, falling backwards. “Wha- All Might!?”

What he proceeds to tell Izuku shakes his entire world view. 

Quirks that can be given? A quirk kept so secretive that no one besides a few others knows of its existence? 

It all sounds too hard to believe, but Izuku isn’t one to question someone just giving away (with extensive training) quirks for free. Especially if that someone is All Might. 

He asks if Izuku wants to become a hero and shakes his hand.

And Izuku…..

…..Izuku feels like he’s coming home.

[soulcrash]

starter - @absurdjustice​ 

Exploration is sometimes that Apollonia supposed to do if she wants to know what’s with the wards and everything Spirale offered after looking at some pamphlet that she threw away since her very first. Even if not roommates but at least living in the same place which was fairly fine with her.

Maybe heading to Cotes seemed to be reasonable why she had to go with him, regardless of what will he do there.

“If you’re going to the second ward, hope you don’t mind me coming with you.” She only wanted to see the whole Cotes for herself, which is why she picked him as company than heading alone.

[hibiscusangel15]

Home

My first fic for @irquadforce​ Ichiruki Week 2021! I have another one-shot planned to release this week, too, so watch out for that!

Day 4 Prompt: “Come on, let’s go home.”

Summary: The Kurosaki family had always welcomed Rukia into their lives. There was never any distinction between their home and her place in it. She belonged there. She belonged with their family.

So why did it pain her to learn that Ichigo would soon leave it all behind? For Day 4 of Ichiruki Week 2021.

Rating: General

*Also crossposted to AO3 and FFN!

If you like my fic, please consider buying me a coffee!

The shift from Ichigo saying “Let’s head back to my place” to “Let’s go home, Rukia” had been so subtle.  When had he started treating his home like something they could share?  A space that was theirs as much as it was his family’s?

The other members of the Kurosaki family acted much the same, too.  During that month Ichigo went off to train to control his inner Hollow, Rukia had helped the Kurosaki family out with household chores much more often.

Grocery shopping with Yuzu was always interesting. Rukia never realized humans had this many snacks to choose from. At the end of every trip, Yuzu would smile at their haul and say, “We’ve got everything, Rukia-chan! Let’s go home and make a great dinner!”

Rukia also assisted the Kurosaki patriarch in their small clinic every chance she could get.  Isshin seemed surprised she could handle all that blood without batting an eye, but didn’t press the matter when she couldn’t think of a proper excuse as to why.

In the lull after they left the patients to rest, Isshin turned to her and said, “I think we’ve handled everything we could, Rukia-chan. Let’s head on home now.”

Even when Rukia picked up Karin from the park, Karin would always complain, “Aw, why do we have to go home already? It’s still light out! C’mon, tell Dad I wanna play some more!”

There was never any distinction between their home and her place in it. She belonged there. She belonged with their family.

And they still welcomed her with open arms even after they discovered that she was a Shinigami.  Perhaps they were so used to opening up their home to injured strangers that bringing her in was merely second nature to them.

It was comforting to know that there was always someplace where she was welcome in this world. In those seventeen months spent far, far away from the Kurosaki Clinic, she hadn’t felt that same sense of comfort or ease. Her brother’s estate was grand and magnificent, as befitting of a noble’s property. And yet, it didn’t feel quite like home. It was too quiet here. Too pristine. The servants did not allow her to help them whatsoever, often ushering her away to attend to her lieutenant duties instead.

The Kurosaki household was the complete opposite. Their house felt lived-in and lively. Less like a preserved space of noble history and more a proper home. The kind she had seen the wealthier, makeshift families in Rukongai set up for themselves. The kind she always wanted to be a part of.

With Ichigo prepping for entrance exams and Rukia's duties to attend to, however, she’d had far less time to visit the World of the Living lately.  Coordinating days for them to “hang out”, as Ichigo had put it, proved more frustrating than expected.  They were both swamped with work, her more so than him.

It only made the spare time she was able to spend in his world all the more precious to her.  Even the most mundane activities felt nice, so long as she could spend it with him and his family.

Take today's visit, for instance.  His family wanted hot pot for dinner to celebrate Rukia returning to them.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough ingredients for it.

Rather than hand off the shopping to Yuzu or his dad, Ichigo volunteered to go get the groceries instead.  Yuzu pouted at this, but  tried her best to explain how to shop for the best deals in their area.

Ichigo ruffled her hair dismissively.  “Yeah, yeah. You’ve been over it with me like a million times. I'll figure it out once I move out, Yuzu.”

At this, Rukia blinked. “Move out?”

“Yeah, the school I’m going to requires all freshmen to stay in the dorms, so I’ll be on my own for a while,” he said with a shrug. “I’m trying to learn how to budget and plan for meals and stuff. I can’t rely on Yuzu forever.”

“I’ve been teaching him to cook, too!” Yuzu said with bright eyes. “He’s getting better!”

“Hey! I was always decent at least...right?”

Rukia watched as his sisters teased and laughed at him.  She tried to smile. Tried not to let this change affect her so much.

This was only natural. Humans did not live with their families forever. She knew this. Knew that one by one each member of the Kurosaki family would grow up and grow on to lead their own lives.

She just never expected it to end so soon.

Ichigo flicked Karin in the forehead and left both sisters yelling at him in his wake. “Ugh, sorry about them, Rukia. They’re more obnoxious than usual today.”

“Hey! We are not!”

He snorted. “C’mon, Rukia.  I’ll buy you some candy or something, if you want.”

Rukia smiled weakly as she followed him to the door. “Oh, yes, that would be nice.”

Their shopping went by much faster than she expected. Despite all his griping earlier, he’d definitely taken all of Yuzu’s advice to heart. They even had a little money left over for some extra treats.

They exited the shop with large plastic bags full of vegetables and meat, the aforementioned candy and some cans of juice sitting on top.  Ichigo hefted the bags up experimentally.  “Huh, is this what Yuzu carries home all the time?  It’s a lot. She’s stronger than I thought.”

“Mhm.”

He paused. “You okay, Rukia?”

“Hm?” She looked up at him. “Oh, yes. Just lost in thought.”

“About what?”

“O-Oh, um….”

How was she to tell him that he had carved a place for her in his home?  That without him in it, as warm and wonderful as it could be, there would always be something missing?  How could she explain that this was the one place she felt she truly fit?

How could she say that she didn’t want any of that to end without sounding completely selfish?

“It’s nothing.”

Ichigo stared at her for a moment longer. He probably knew she was lying, but he wouldn’t push it. It made her feel even worse.

He hefted the grocery bags up again.  “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Rukia’s gaze fell. Was this going to be the last time she’d hear him say that?

She shook the thought away. This  was ridiculous.  She’d still be able to visit him now and again.  It’d just be in a dorm room instead of the Kurosaki household.

What was that human saying? Home is where the heart is?

There was no reason for her to feel like this if she could easily make a home with him anywhere. This would not be like those seventeen months without him. He had his Shinigami powers back. He could see her.

So long as they were with each other, everything would be alright.

She took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. They always worked these things out. This would be no different.

Suddenly, Ichigo laughed to himself.

She frowned up at him. “What?”

“You look like you made your mind up about something.  The look on your face was cute, is all.”

“Huh?!” Her face flushed and she quickly dipped her head so most of it was hidden under her pink scarf.

He laughed once more then shifted the grocery bags to his other hand.  He then offered her his free hand without a word.

After a moment of stubborn refusal, Rukia took it with a blustery sigh.  Ichigo had no idea what this even was about.  But he always knew how to make her feel better regardless.

She tightened her grip on his hand. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

                                                     *  *  *

Rukia had promised to set aside time the day he planned to move out to help him and his family. When she stepped out of the Senkaimon, however, she was shocked to see another one lying open outside the Kurosaki clinic. Had another Shinigami decided to pay Ichigo a visit? Renji would’ve accompanied her if he wanted to come, right?

“Rukia-chan!” Yuzu called from the door.  She carried a box of Ichigo’s things as she ran over to her.

“Hey, Yuzu-chan. Did someone from Soul Society come through here?” Rukia asked, gesturing at the open Senkaimon.

Yuzu tilted her head. “Huh? Didn’t Ichi-nii tell you?”

Before Rukia could ask what she meant, Ichigo stepped out with several boxes stacked in his arms.  He smiled the moment he met her eyes.  “Hey, Rukia! Great timing! I’m gonna need your help with this when we get to my dorm.”

“Huh?”

He set the boxes down and wiped the sweat off his brow.  “I told you I’m attending the Shinigami Academy, right?”

Rukia blinked. “The Shinigami Academy? You aren’t attending a human university?”

“No?” He frowned at her. “I figured continuing a human education was kinda pointless considering the whole thing with Aizen and my reiatsu being this strong anyway. Might as well become an actual Shinigami once and for all.”

“But what about your body?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I’m taking it with me. Can’t have Kon running around doing God knows what with it while I’m gone. Even if I’ll be able to visit my house every now and then.”

“...I see.”

So he wasn’t planning to move away completely.  She would still have a place here, after all.

They glanced back when they heard something heavy hit against the wall.

Chad hauled out Ichigo’s entire bed frame, mattress and all in one arm. One of the legs hit the doorframe hard enough to dent it a bit.

“Chad! You gotta be more careful!” Ichigo groaned when Chad set the bedframe down.

Chad rubbed the back of his neck.  “Sorry.”

“Why are you bringing video games to Soul Society?” Ishida complained as he hauled out a couple handheld consoles and some games. “You do realize that your school’s not going to have charger outlets, right?”

Ichigo scratched his head. “It’s just something to do for when I have free time. Besides, I figure I can learn some kind of lightning Kido to charge it back up again.”

“That’s not how lightning works, idiot.”

“Aw, what? Does that mean I have to come back to Karakura every time I want something charged again?” Ichigo whined.

Inoue and Tatsuki popped out behind Ishida, each carrying two boxes of stuff.

“Got all your books, Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue announced with a cheerful smile.

Tatsuki made a face. “Damn, Ichigo, I didn’t know you were such an otaku.”

“I’m not an otaku! There’s more than just manga in there, you know,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah. No need to get all defensive.”

“Neeeerd! Ichigo’s a big, fat neeeeerd!” Keigo yelled as he brought out a plastic container of clothes.

Mizuiro walked out with his phone in hand and nothing else. “Hey, Rukia-chan!”

She smiled at them all. “You’ve come to see him off.”

“Of course! We’re gonna be busy at our universities, too, so this is our last chance to hang out for a while!” Inoue said.

“Except for Keigo here. He’s taking a gap year because he doesn’t know what to do with his life,” Mizuiro pointed out.

Keigo’s jaw dropped. “Mizuiro!  You were supposed to keep that a secret!”

“It’s not a big deal. I’m undeclared, too.”

Ichigo smirked. “You guys sure you can handle all the Hollows that pop up while I’m gone?”

Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose. “What makes you think we can’t?”

“Of course we will!” Inoue said at the same time, throwing him a thumbs-up. “Ishida-kun and Sado-kun and I have been training to pick up your slack! And there’s also Imoyama-san!”

It seemed mean to misname the resident Shinigami on duty while he wasn’t here to defend himself, but Rukia smiled anyway.

Tatsuki stepped up and jabbed a thumb to her chest. “Don't forget that Karin and I have been training with Urahara, too! We’re both going to join the Karakura Defense Squad soon enough.”

Ishida scowled at her. “What?  I wasn’t aware we had a name. Karakura Defense Squad is stupid.”

“But I came up with that name…” Inoue muttered.

Ishida turned away. “…Karakura Defense Squad it is.”

Both Ichigo and Tatsuki deadpanned. "Dude…."

Isshin and Karin carried a few more boxes out, immediately separating the crowd of teenagers. “Whew, you kids have way too much energy. You could’ve helped carry the rest of these out.”

“Sorry.”

Ichigo snorted. “We’re gonna have to make multiple trips anyway, Dad. You didn’t have to bring all my stuff out at once.”

Isshin waved him away. “It’s easier this way! Besides, your friends have those tickets to the Soul Society, so they can help carry your things to your dorm.”

“What about you?”

“Someone's gotta watch  Yuzu and Karin.”

“We can take care of ourselves, Dad,” Karin snapped. "Stop treating us like little kids."

“Don’t say that! You’re gonna make me feel old!”

Rukia laughed to herself as she picked up a nearby box.  She was certainly going to miss this lively atmosphere.  As long as Ichigo was by her side, however, she'd still be content with wherever he chose to live.

She smiled up at him. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Ichigo returned the grin easily, and together, the two stepped through to their new future.

[toukenramblings]

Nightmares: Yagen Toushirou, Fudou Yukimitsu, Taikogane Sadamune

This is actually very interesting, digging into Sada-chan’s mind like this.

Warnings: Suicide, burns, blood, bodily harm, trauma because Yagen and Fudou have so much. Sada-chan being a sad baby pls hug all of the tantous.

Yagen Toushirou

Yagen’s dreams are full of fire. They’re not of him burning like Honebami’s, but more so of the burning of people he cares for, the people he tries to protect the most. Ichigo, brothers, friends, you his master. Watching them waste away in a fire and there is nothing he can do to save them.

Oh but the ones that hurt Yagen the most are when he can feel himself cutting open the stomach of someone he is meant to protect, organs and blood spilling out on to the ground below. Nobunaga had done so with him once. Gods forbid himself from hurting another like that.

Honnouji haunts him yes, of course it would. The fires, the screams, the pain, the sorrow, the lives he had to end. He awakens with a silent scream whenever that happens, tears budding at the corner of his eyes. He would like to wake up his brother but he is asleep, he won’t want to disturb him.

Then there are the nightmares that center around you, his master. If you and Yagen are particularly close during this time, he imagines himself driving his own blade into your form. His hands against yours, almost leading you into doing the dastardly deed. It is when he is waking up from that nightmare does he come to visit you, making sure that you are alive and breathing. He doesn’t mean to wake you if it happens, but when you do, Yagen will hesitate for a moment.

“Can...I come in?” he would question, and when you do, you two sit in silence for a moment. Yagen doesn’t know what to say, his lips tightened into a straight line, fangs chewing on his lower lip. You can see the bags under his eyes and when you ask what is wrong, it takes a moment for him to answer. “Nightmare.” his words are soft and simple. He won’t ask for much comfort, but your presence is good enough. Maybe he’ll hold your hand and feel your pulse, to confirm that you’re alive. Maybe he doesn’t need words to tell you what is going on through is mind, perhaps a touch is enough.

Maybe in the morning and in the following days, he’ll hesitate to touch you. Maybe he’ll keep an eye out for you, almost terrified whenever something sharp was in your line or vision. Yagen will watch you like a hawk but he wouldn’t want to overstep his boundaries. You know that he is doing this because of his nightmare and when you two talk it out, it’ll be fine in the end. He’ll worry but he knows you can take care of yourself.

Alternatively, Yagen will take a walk to clear his mind. Sometimes he will talk with Ichi-nii, telling him of his worries and his fears. Of his hands against the hilt of his own blade, dragging it oh so slow across the skin of his family, as they scream in horror and terror. 

His shoulders will shake, tears held back, Ichi-nii or one of his other brothers will hold him close, running a hand through is hair and telling him it’s okay to cry.

His sobs are soft as he is, quiet as the morning dew. Shoulders shaking, his heart stopping for a moment. He lets out his cries, his shudders, his fears, hoping that they will be lighter.

Yagen will be fine in the end, sure the nightmares are just that. Nightmares. They won’t hurt him, they are not physical beings that could rend him apart. But it does not change the fact even he fears them.

Fudou Yukimitsu

Fudou doesn’t know if the alcohol he drinks helps bring on the damn things or makes them go away or whatever the hell. He just knows that whenever those damn nightmares come, he wakes up with the most horrendous of screams in his solo room, the scent of alcohol replacing the scent of burning flesh and wood. He’ll immediately reach for the bottle again, hoping to drown out his worries and sorrows.

It’s a cycle. Drinking to forget the nightmares and day-mares that haunt him, of the failure that he is. Those screams and the patronizing chide of Hasebe or other swords, it eats away at him.

If you and Fudou are close, he will wander his way into your room or office, reeking of alcohol but for once not at all super drunk? His head is pounding as you look him in the eyes, red and puffy from crying. Fudou doesn’t know why the hell he’s here, but he just wanted someone to...talk to?

He collapses in front of you, tears fully falling down his face now. It’s heart wrenching to say the least. It’s ugly sobbing, loud and snot everywhere. He clings on to you, to the point fabric may rip. THe only thing you can do right now is to hug his shaking body, rub circles into his back and shush him, comfort him as best as you can. He doesn’t know where to go, who to turn to. Sure Odagumi are an idea but if you two are close, the first person he thinks of is you. 

Fudou would begin to apologize once he had calmed down, apologizing for being so weak, so useless of a sword to you. He would say those through his tears, laughing at himself and his shortcomings. You have to gently wipe them away, assuring him that those are not true. Fudou is Fudou, he is not and will never be useless.

If Fudou does not go to you, the first thing that comes to his mind is the rest of the Odagumi. He’ll stumble into one of their rooms (most likely Hasebe as he has a solo room and he doesn’t wanna disturb the rest of the Toushirous and Samonjis) and will wake him up, sobbing all the while. Hasebe will freeze for a moment, before bringing Fudou into a strange sideways hug. 

Fudou doesn’t know how long he can keep this up. These nightmares of a fire, or of failing the people around him. He wants to be stronger because of this, it hurts him so much that he wants to shrivel up and die like Nobunaga had. A part of him wants to join them, to throw himself into a fire and be with the master he loves - unable to ever return the favor.

The next morning, Fudou is a lot more quiet than normal. If you two are close, Fudou will be almost rivaling Hasebe in staying by your side. Yes Fudou will still be drinking to chase away the nightmares but it’s not as much as he normally drinks. HAsebe will find it odd that Fudou is hovering around you, silently yes, and somewhat still at a distance but Fudou is watching out for you more and he cannot complain.

Fudou will talk about his nightmares to you, or Hasebe, or whomever, but they’re jumbled through is sobs and cries. Give him a minute to compose himself, he’ll be alright in the end but patience is key.

When Fudou has had enough of these damn nightmares, the first thing he will do is barge into your office, a confident yet terrified sort of look on his face, courage in his eyes. “Uh.... Well... You'see, there's something....” pls cherish him im so proud of my baby boi

Taikogane Sadamune

Sada-chan’s nightmares don’t come as often as like Yagen or Fudou. While those two will have them much more frequently, and they are beyond violent, Sada-chan’s creep up on him. They start off fine and then creep into unsettling and terrifying. Yes Sada-chan does wake up with a start and sometimes a scream, with tears streaming down his eyes, but he won’t hesitate to seek someone out.

Like Yagen, he will try not to disturb the rest of the Dategumi sleeping in his room. If you and Taikogane are close during this time, he won’t hesitate to see you out, running into your room or office where you are, knocking on the door - quiet and reserved, different from the norm. When he does enter the room, there is a forced smile to his lips, big and proud - yet not reaching his eyes.

He will plop himself down beside you, silent for a moment, unable to look you in the eye before leaning against you. He will begin shaking lightly during this time, trying to keep his tears in, it won’t look cool if he starts to cry! “Master...am I annoying?”

One of Taikogane’s biggest fears (other than to be forgotten like Micchan) is more or less being a burden to everyone. He is hyper-active, a showstopper, proud of himself, but sometimes he wonder if that’s too much for the people around him. Yes he fears the rest of the Dategumi dying or hurt but Gods forbid the dreams where he thinks everyone hates him. Perhaps it’s a childish fear, but he cannot help but worry about it.

Hug him during this time, gently assure him that you love him dearly (platonic or familial) soothe his worries as much as you can dear Saniwa.

If Sada-chan does end up waking the Dategumi from his screams, they jolt awake immediately. It is Micchan is is awake first then Tsurumaru with Ookurikara very close behind. They will ask what is wrong and though Taikogane will try to play it off, smiling all the while - it is Tsurumaru who brings Sada-chan into his arms first. In a way, they all take turns hugging the boy, calming him down. Kara-chan will give him soft sideways hugs, no teasing for Kuri today, Taikogane more importante. 

Those dreams where everyone leaves him, tells him to his face that he should not be here, or snide comments, they hurt Sada-chan’s pride. He can only bounce back so much after all. His energy is finite despite how boundlessly adorably bouncing he is. He worries that he may be forgotten like Micchan one day, but he worries the most about if he’s annoying or not.

Those are the nights when each of the Dategumi will also take turns cuddling him, rocking him to sleep. Most of the time the duty falls on to Micchan and Tsurumaru, sometimes Ookurikara will do so in his own way - taking Sada-chan out for a walk to clear his eyes and give him some choice words about his worries.

In the morning after and maybe a couple of days after that, Taikogane will be much more subdued. He will be a lil bit more quiet than normal, preferring to stay near you or the Dategumi instead of interacting with everyone else.

But slowly does Sada-chan come outta his shell, the boundless energy he’s known for coming back. He’s doing his best because of the people he loves and the people that love him back!

[idolish7rabbitchats]

Ogami Banri: Birthday 2020 Rabbit TV Part 1

Tsumugi: Yes, yes…! Thank you! We will definitely visit there!

T: ...Yes, please take care of it! Excuse me.

Banri: What did the owner from Chainana Town say?

T: Thanks to the presentation of Chainana Town that everyone in IDOLiSH7 participated in, it seems it’s in good condition! 

B: Aaah….! The project that TRIGGER, Re:vale, and ZOOL also participated in huh. 

T: Yes! And so it seems like they’ll send Town tickets to the agency so the managers should definitely come too, is what he said…

T: AH….! That reminds me, it’s almost September, Banri-san’s birthday…!

T: If we pretend that we are inspecting Chinana Town, maybe we can do a surprise without him noticing...!

B: I’m thankful for the tickets! Let’s go tell everyone.

T: I wonder if it’s okay to invite Anesagi-san and Okazaki-san again…

B: …………? Tsumugi-san? What’s wrong?

B: Oooi, ...Tsumugi-san.

T: Waah?!

B: Waah! You scared me. You finally noticed.

T: Wh-What is it?

B: What is it… Even though I was calling you, you were spacing out. 

T: I-It’s nothing! Nothing! 

B: Hahah. You don’t have to wave your hands so hard. 

B: ...Are you hiding something from me?

T: Tha-...

[Door Opening Sound]

Tamaki: Heeeeey, Ban-chan, Manager!

Tamaki & Riku & Nagi: Good work!

Tamaki: ………..? What’s with this atmosphere?

Tsumugi: Heh?!

Riku: Were Banri-san and Manager fighting?!

Banri: Fighting?!

Nagi: OH, Banri. What were you doing with a lady?

Banri: No no, I wasn’t doing anything though?!

Tsumugi: ...Ah, right! It’s almost time to take Kinako on a walk. 

Tsumugi: Banri-san, can I ask you to?

Banri: Eh? … Ah, I get it.

Banri: Then, I’ll be going out for a bit! If anything happens, contact me!

[Door Closing Sound]

Tamaki: ...What was that?

Riku: Manager, were you really fighting?!

Nagi: What in the world...

Tsumugi: I-It’s not, it’s not! I wanted to get Banri-san outside for a little just now… 

Tsumugi: Can you call the other members?

IDOLiSH7: A surprise celebration at Chainana Town?!

Tsumugi: Yes! They will give us invitation tickets for the town out of their kindness, so I was thinking if we could celebrate Banri-san at that opportunity...

Riku: I see! I thought it was...

Iori: ? You thought what?

Riku: N-Nothing!

Yamato: Sounds good. We brought him to Taiwan last year was it? 

Mitsuki: Right right! Called the other group’s managers too.

Tamaki: Isn’t it better to go as four again?

Nagi: Definitely please use the tickets and go!

Iori: Right. Combine Oogami-san’s celebration and the managers’ recreation.

Tsumugi: I-Is it fine…?

Riku: Of course! ...Ah, but, we want to do something for him too!

Iori: Right. I wonder if we can ask our senpais for help again.

Mitsuki: … Yeah! We’re the ones who know about Chainana Town right?

Mitsuki: How about making a celebration plan with everyone and making him walk the town as we plan?

Nagi: That’s wonderful, Mitsuki! It’s the best mission where we can celebrate Banri without him noticing it!

Yamato: Right, if that’s been decided, we have to contact those we did the job with.

Tsumugi: Thank you very much, everyone...!

Riku: Ah, I know Touma-san’s Rabbit Chat! Should I contact him if they can help us?

Yamato: … The guys from ZOOL didn’t know what we did last year so somehow I’m worried about RIku explaining it...

Yamato: Sou, you were pretty friendly with Midou right.

Sogo: Umm… I don’t think we’re exactly friendly but I know his contact information.

Yamato: S-Somehow I’m sorry. Then, can I ask you to be the one who contacts ZOOL?

Sogo: Got it. I’ll try contacting them.

Tamaki: Hey, Yama-san! I even know Isumin’s Rabbit Chat!

Iori: M-Me too.

Nagi: And Yamato also knows Natsume-shi’s Rabbit Chat right?

Yamato: No, why does everyone want to be the person to contact. I asked Sou, it’s been decided!

Yamato: So then, about TRIGGER...

Riku: Yes! Yes! I can do that one! I’ll tell Tenn-nii!

Mitsuki: You raised your hand like a kid on a class visitation day...

Yamato: Okay okay. It’s Riku.

Yamato: So Re:Vale is...

Mitsuki: That’s you right.

Yamato: ...No, there is an option to choose Ichi as a curveball. 

Iori: What kind of ball is that. Nikaido-san, who is most friendly with Yuki-san, should do it.

Yamato: Ta-Tama...

Sogo: Wh-... Ta-Tamaki-kun? To send such a frank Rabbit Chat to our senpais is a very honorable thing isn’t it?! 

Nagi: I got it. I was talking to Mr. Yuki about some new stuff from a foreign brand once, and then I received such thing from Mr. Momo...

Tamaki: Uwah, a Rabbit Chat spam isn’t it.

Sogo: Y-You guys… 

Mitsuki: Kay, it’s been decided as Ossan.

Yamato: ...Re:vale is amazing in many ways...

Torao: ...What’s this? Sougo…?

Torao: Oi, you guys come over here. It’s a Rabbit Chat from Sougo. 

Haruka: What? You friends?

Torao: Well, I know him from before. Here, look.

Toma: What what?

Toma: Good work. This is IDOLiSH7’s Ousaka. I’m contacting you about the job we did together at Chainana Town the other time.

Toma: ...Wow, it’s so formal! Is this really the Rabbit Chat from a friend?!

Torao: He’s like this.

Minami: Mido-san… Should I send you a slack chat one day?

Torao: A slack chat?

Minami: Like, sending my impression about the ramen place I went.

Torao: Don’t use my chat as a memo.

Minami: Oh, I was found out.

Haruka: ...So? What’s the main subject?

Torao: It seems he wants to gather the points that we would recommend about Chainana Town.

Toma: Heeh. …. Ah, they want to bring MEZZO’’s manager to those recommended places huh!

Haruka: Why?

Torao: Maybe they want to treat him to a surprise. Seems it’s his birthday.

Haruka: ...They celebrate Manager birthdays huh.

Toma: ...We can celebrate it anytime from now on right. Because we learned the feeling of wanting to deliver our emotions.

Haruka: ...Yeah...

Minami: To start, shall we send the report of the ramen shop?

Torao: Hahah. That might be good at first. ...To Ryo-san.

Toma: Anyways, this is something only we can do right! Let’s do it!

Toma: I’ll gather the recommendation of the palmistry place!

Haruka: Then… For me, the place I ate manju with Yotsuba.

Minami: For me, it’s about the spices.

Torao: I’ll pick the foot massage where I competed with Yaotome Gaku.

Toma: Right! I’ll send it to Tora after I gather the info, who’ll contact Sougo! It’s decided!

Tenn: ...Hey, you two. I got a Rabbit Chat from Riku...

Gaku: Ooh, what’s up with Nanase? Is he okay.

Ryuunosuke: Does Riku-kun seem okay lately?

Tenn: ...Is Riku your secret brother or something?

Gaku: What are you saying. I’m an only child.

Ryuunosuke: I might be happy if Riku-kun called me his older brother!

Tenn: ...Going back to the main subject, he was asking if we would participate in celebrating MEZZO’’s manager’s birthday this year too.

Gaku: Oh, the one that Anesagi went with last year huh!

Tenn: Yeah, that. Seems like they want us to make a recommended plan where we introduce Chinana Town.

Tenn: Inviting Anesagi-san, Ogami-san, Takanashi-san, and Okazaki-san and making a tour based on the plan would be nice, is what he said.

Gaku: That sounds good! It’s a recreational trip for the managers combined with Ogami-san’s celebration huh.

Ryuunosuke: Not just Anesagi-san, we’re taken care of by everyone huh.

Tenn: Right. We should do it too.

Ryuunosuke: Yeah! Plus if we’re talking about the Chainana Town job, we enjoyed it a lot too! I have a lot of things I want to recommend!

Tenn: Fufuh. I’ll gather the info about the cafes. I have to think carefully to not overlap with Izumi Mitsuki.

Gaku: I’ll do a foot massage! The competition with Mido was hyped.

Ryuunosuke: Um, I’ll do the photo booth that I went to with Yamato-kun! It might be fun for Anesagi-san and the others to wear costumes too?

Gaku: Seems like we can gather it quickly. Let’s hurry and contact Nanase!

Yuki: Listen, Momo. I got a Rabbit Chat from Yamato-kun.

Momo: Eeeh?! Yamato?! That’s unusual, what happened?

Momo: Perhaps, could it be a Rabbit Chat about how even though he wants to be nicer to Yuki, he can’t be honest…?!

Yuki: I wouldn’t be talking to Momo about such a Rabbit Chat now.

Momo: ….Wait Darling, what do you mean?! Hiding something from Momo-chan, how do you expect it to go with Yamato…?!

Yuki: This, read it.

Momo: Wh-What is it…..!

Momo: ...Invite Okarin too, want to treat the managers in Chainana Town…?

Yuki: Yeah. It’s MEZZO’’s manager’s, Ban’s, birthday so it’s an invitation for Okarin.

Momo: ...Like last year’s Taiwan trip...

Yuki: Yeah yeah. Because we had a job at Chainana Town. It seems they want to gather the points we recommend from that time.

Momo: I seeeee…! If it’s that kind of thing, it’s totally okay! Momo-chan will work hard to gather the info!

Yuki: Hahah. Momo introduced the place where you could judge antiques right.

Momo: Yeah! With Nagi huh! The underground atmosphere helped, it was super fun!

Momo: Yuki was cooking rice porridge with Riku!

Yuki: Yeah. Riku-kun mixed it for me. 

Momo: That’s nice. I want to mix rice porridge with Yuki too! Should we make some as a present for Okarin?!

Yuki: Do you know how to make it?

Momo: Uuum… Boil the rice with water…?

Yuki: … This needs practice huh. 

Momo: I-I got it. I’ll start with catching a cold so I can eat as much as rice porridge for practice!

Yuki: *Chuckle* Momo, you are trying to practice too seriously.

Yuki: Anyways, Ban, Kaoru-chan, Maneko-chan… And for Okarin to have fun too, let’s gather the recommended points.

Momo: Yeah!

Momo: I wish this will be the best experience for everyone!

[mythgirlimagines]

It may be a little late, but here is this week’s talentswap! Consider this a Talentswap Thursday (Hey, the alliteration is still there!). Introducing Myth, the Former Ultimate Cosplayer!

——————————————————-

BACKSTORY AND TALENT 

Because she was wracked with scoliosis as a kid, Myth only had anime and the manga her parents bought as modes of entertainment. Luckily, with many operations, Myth managed to get on her feet and out into the real world. But because of her past, Myth only has anime characters (particularly shoujo heroines) to model her behavior around. Myth eventually became famous around school for her skill in textile work, and eventually she started getting commissions from her classmates. But perhaps what she is best known for is her uncannily-accurate and self-made cosplay. If there is an anime convention going on somewhere, you can always count on Myth being there with a brand new cosplay. Myth is now currently making a living as a professional cosplayer and model, but she’s currently taking some time off to chaperone this year’s Ultimates and Jr. Ultimates.

——————————————————-

RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Magician

When Myth first entered Hope’s Peak, the first person to catch her eye happened to be a charming magician in a tuxedo, the ideal mysterious and male shoujo lead. Even after figuring out that this seemingly charming guy just happens to be a loud and rough-and-tumble girl, Myth’s admiration and slight crush on Wyre didn’t fade in the slightest, and they are only the best of friends, even in their adult years. Myth loves to be Wyre’s adorable assistant in her magic shows, and Myth usually lets Wyre model her crossplays (in which Wyre looks damn stunning in them). If someone messes with Myth, Wyre hexes them for life.

Outfit: A black top hat with a ragged red rose on the top, black eyeshadow, a black coat over a white dress shirt with a popped collar, black dress pants and matching shoes and cape.

Anon Scar, Ultimate Astronaut

Despite only being a teenager, Scar managed to ace both the physical and academic exams that the prestigious astronomical institute hands out to her, and is on her way to become a full-fledged astronaut. The intelligence and caring/maternal nature of Scar are unconvincingly covered up by the self-created facade of being an evil alien overlord, being sent down by her superiors to conquer the entire galaxy, starting with Earth. Myth loves Scar’s dark aesthetic and lets Scar model her dark and elaborate dresses and suits. Scar secretly keeps the edgy cosplay Myth created, for they make her feel “powerful”.

Outfit: A black scarf with star badges, a black and white jumpsuit, black boots with yellow soles, makeup from original design.

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Detective

Originally working at his grandfather’s detective agency, Fusion was exposed to crime and investigation, ever since he was little. Originally handling simple cases, such as lost pet and infidelity cases, Fusion stumbled upon and eventually solved an elaborate homicide that eluded even his grandfather, earning him his status as the Ultimate Detective. With Fusion’s wild hair, enormous appetite, and cheerful, yet protective (and almost paternal) attitude, Myth thinks that Fusion wouldn’t be out of place in a shonen anime. Fusion happens to also be a massive anime nerd, which lead to the cosplayer and detective bonding easily.

Outfit: An oversized grey overcoat, a blue vest over a white dress shirt and a red necktie, blue pants, and black loafers, glasses from original design.

Fusion Anon II, Ultimate Adventurer

Sightings of a mysterious girl with a flowing dress and a sunhat cropping up all over the world made international headlines, with many people making theories on the true identity of this mysterious girl, especially since she responds to all questions directed towards her with either memes or sarcastic remarks. That mysterious girl eventually became known as Fusion II, who was eventually given a place to stay at Hope’s Peak, and was given the title of the Ultimate Adventurer, for the sheer scope of her globetrotting. Much to the dismay of the globetrotter, Myth figured out about Fusion II’s nerdy side, and wouldn’t stop bringing it up.

Outfit: A white sun hat with a red ribbon, a red pashmina scarf, a white parka with light blue fluff on the inside, a flowing blue skirt and grey hiking boots, sunglasses from original design.

Just Anon, Ultimate Entomologist

Being regarded as a prodigy when it comes to studies of animals and nature, Janon specializes in and is a pioneer in the study of insects, having discovered several new and previously-undiscovered species of insects, thanks to his fool-proof method of insect capturing: sleeping in the middle of the forest and letting the bugs crawl all over him. Myth is rather afraid of insects and she regularly turns to the lazy, cynical and foul-mouthed insect expert if she encounters a creepy-crawly, much to the annoyance of the helmeted scientist, who just wants to go to sleep with his insect friends surrounding him.

Outfit: A helmet that resembles a rhinoceros beetle, a camo-colored hoodie and matching pants, dirt-stained boots, face mask from original design.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Anthropologist

As a devout lover of foreign cultures, Sparkle wrote books detailing both her experiences traveling and the philosophies and mysteries of the charming foreign places that she visits. Sparkle also happens to be a devout lover of anime, particularly magical girl anime, and Myth’s cosplay of the leading lady of Sparkle‘s personal favorite magical girl anime. When Sparkle heard that the famous cosplayer would be chaperoning the Kibo-Con trip alongside her, Sparkle fangirled, to put it lightly. Myth and Sparkle love to roleplay as the two leads of Sparkle’s favorite magical girl anime and pretend their fighting the monster of the week.

Outfit: A brown overcoat draped over her shoulders Yasuhiro-style, a smaller brown jacket, dark blue gloves, a red-and-cream plaid skirt, black leggings, brown boots, glasses from original design.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Inventor, and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Pianist/Assassin

Despite the seemingly innocuous talents of the twins, Egg and Wet Sock are quite the devious duo, to put it extremely lightly. Wet Sock uses the alluring piano music that they play to shank people while they are in a trance and Egg invents the various weapons that are used in their twin’s assassinations. And that is ignoring the cursed comments that the two both sprout on a daily basis, that basically alienates them from practically all of their peers. While the cursed comments shatter the image of the “androgynous gentlemen” Myth thought they have, Myth simply adores the steampunk/mustache-twirling aesthetic that they both have.   Egg’s Outfit: Black and brown goggles, a short-sleeved white shirt, black suspenders, short brown pants with a black tool belt, black and brown rocket boots.

Wet Sock’s Outfit: A black jacket over a white dress shirt and a red tie with a gold treble clef on the front, black pants, black shoes, glasses from original design.

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Tennis Pro

As a student of one of the most prestigious schools in all of the country, Curious truly has it all: being cool-headed, helpful, rich, athletic, and just so darn adorable. Curious has a massive fanclub at their private school for precisely all of those things. Curious is famous all around the country, for both their affluential family and his unparalleled skill in tennis, despite both their age and their height. In her anime-inspired journey, Myth managed to find both the kind athlete and the oujo trope all in one. Curious is all too eager to help Myth model both her male and female cosplays, and Myth agrees with Curious’s fanclub on their looks.

Outfit: Hair tied back into a small ponytail with a green and yellow striped headband, a white tanktop, a green cardigan tied over their shoulders, green and red shorts, knee-high white socks, green and white tennis shoes.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Child Caregiver

Having been born and raised in an orphanage, Nerd was accustomed to taking care of children, being prepared for just about any scenario that a child could find themselves in. But despite his prowess at taking care of children, Nerd’s personality isn’t exactly child-friendly, for he is foul-mouthed, foul-tempered, and despite caring for children 24-7, claims to hate children. Upon noticing the contrast between Nerd’s temperament and talent, Myth figured out that Nerd was the token tsundere love interest within seconds of meeting him. It helps that even the kids at Nerd‘s orphanage have taken quite the liking to having Myth as a mom.

Outfit: Tan cargo pants with child care supplies in each pocket, black, red, and white sneakers, dress shirt and tie from original design.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate Aikido Master

Having been both born and raised at an isolated temple, with only his master to keep him company, Eldritch’s master taught Eldritch to never let his guard down against anybody, for they can and will take advantage of his small and weak build. This life-long message, along with Eldritch’s constant aikido training, resulted in a short but strong boy, who beats anything he sees as a threat into a bloody and bruised pulp, and to Eldritch, anything and anyone could be a threat, so he punches everybody just to be safe. Not even the adorable and innocent is safe from Eldritch’s paranoia-fueled pummeling, much to the wrath of Wyre.

Outfit: Hair in a long ponytail with a white Nippon Ichi headband, a black gakuran top over a white tank top, black pants, white socks, brown geta sandals that boost his height.

Dream Anon, Ultimate Artist

Because Dream was extremely creative but hyperactive and impulsive as a kid, Dream’s parents gave her a large canvas that she could draw on, and within 15 minutes, Dream made an indisputable masterpiece, much to the shock and amazement of her mom and dad. Dream eventually signed up for several art programs and became a master in practically all art forms, with sculpting and coloring being her two favorite mediums. Because of their similar talents and attitudes, Dream was basically the shonen answer to Myth’s shoujo persona, being hyper and boyish, in contrast to the bouncy and girly vibes Myth gave off.

Outfit: A black beret on her head, a pink and white striped sweater, blue paint-covered overalls, a tool belt with art supplies, pink slippers.

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Maid

Despite her less-than-stellar past being raised on the streets, she was eventually found, cleaned up, and was adopted into an influential family as their maid. Iris delivers all service with a smile, whether that’d be cooking, cleaning, or simply entertaining guests and business partners of the influential family, making even the most stoic and ice-cold business magnates leave the estate with a giddy and amused smile on their face. Myth loved a girl who can pull off a classic French maid, and definitely tried sticking an eyepatch or a dragon tail and horns on Iris, when she wasn’t looking, but Iris was all too happy to model for her.

Outfit: A standard black and white French maid dress and black stockings with red Mary Janes being the only splash of color.

PURPL-3 (aka. Purple), Ultimate Robot

Having been created by only the greatest masterminds of robotic engineering, Purple was created to be a literate robot who could read and recite books for blind kids. Because of her very purpose, Purple has a massively large vocabulary and uses very old-fashioned and archaic terms in her daily speech. When Myth heard that she’d be chaperoning an actual robot, Myth thought she was having some sort of fever dream, but lo and behold, Purple arrived in all of her robotic and extremely timid glory. Myth internally thought that the world is becoming more and more like science fiction everyday, upon being aware of Purple‘s very existence. 

Outfit: A black beret with a satellite antenna on top, pale metallic skin, purple helmet-like hair, and black armor-like plating.

This series centers around Myth, dazzling everyone with her skills as a cosplayer, and perhaps finding love with someone.

——————————————————-

PERSONALITY

Basically, after recovering from her scoliosis, Cosplayer!Myth decided to reinvent her previous shut-in personality, to be more appealing to others (which succeeded by the way). She chose to model her new personality after shoujo heroines. Despite being (seemingly) ditzy and a massive klutz, she compensates for that by being very kind-hearted and being like an emotional rock for her classmates and conmates. She’s very hardworking on her commissions, often sacrificing sleep to work on her costumes (she hides the eyebags with makeup). Just like with regular Myth, Cosplayer!Myth thinks a lot like a romance novel, often trying to woo her prospective love interest with shoujo tropes.

————————————————-——

APPEARANCE

Cosplayer!Myth has her naturally brown hair dyed purple and tied into two massive pigtails with two red bows with stars in the center. She wears contact lenses, and her outfit is a simple seira fuku with a white dress shirt, a light blue ribbon, a darker blue skirt, tall white socks, and black Mary Janes.

————-——————————————

Once again, I’d like to apologize for being late. But, I hope you like the talentswap anyways! Let me know what you think of this swap in your reblogs!

[museguided]

Ichi always did have a very different air about her when she was dressed for work rather than battle, but she didn't usually mind because no one who didn't need to know more about her than how lethal she could be would ever see her dressed in it. Well, until she spotted a particularly familiar mop of blonde in the parking lot. "What are you doing here? If you're loitering I can have security remove you." Arms crossed she glared at him, the white nurse's getup unfortunately detracting from how threatening she looked. Didn't help she was small... || Ichi for Mattsun~ || that mention made me wanna send smth x3

He just happened to be in the area when the thought occurred to visit. Besides TGC, their schedules usually didn't match up at all, especially when the workplace was busy. Masamune thought it would be a nice surprise to see her outside of the battlefield, let her know that she's been on his mind now that they've gotten to know each other better, and perhaps ask her on a date before his shift started later in the evening. He didn't know the exact time that she would be clocking out but he didn't have much better to do.

Staying clear from the doors and any medical staff, he lingered against a stone column with a cigarette burning away as he eyed the buildings that towered over him. An absent smile made it to his lips as he thought how surprised she might be to see him there, ready to sweep her off her feet as any cool and suave love interest would. (It would quickly be followed by uncertainty- they've yet to have the chat to make anything official between them- but it does nothing to dampen his current mood.)

He brightened up when he saw her, raising a hand to wave when she saw him, though her expression seemed a lot less charmed and a lot more peeved. "Security?! Wait- wait, no need for that!” Straightening up, he dropped the cigarette to crush underfoot as he raised both hands to placate the little nurse. When it came to Ichi, Masamune knew that she wouldn't pull any punches- and he had a hard time guessing if she was serious or not when it came to her threats. "I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced. I was just finishing up some errands around here and I wanted to see you."

Although his imaginings were a bit of a stretch now, it certainly wasn't a bad decision on his part. Not many people could pull off scrubs as cutely as she could. Offering a warm smile, he added, "and... I was hoping I could take you out, if you're feeling up to it."

[nightmare-circus]

and you're here to see it | ichi | epilogue

Happy endings are often something people argue you should work hard for. You need to suffer, you need to fight, and eventually you need to win against overwhelming odds, and only at that point does the protagonist of your story deserve to have a happy ending.

Of course, whether or not you believe in this, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the sort of ending our ‘hero’, as he wished to be, eventually gains.

A child of an evil wish, a wish to ruin lives for the sake of profits, raised from the earth and molded into a man of a machine, for two years he has deceived and cheated, for two years his existence has been the perversion of someone who deserved to live and to act as he wished-

🎵🎵🎵

Now, maybe he stands at the little shrine erected in a forest of no small import, watching the incense sticks burn and the smiling mirror image of his be frozen in time eternally, remembered by friends, family- and by the world, as the only victim of a threat that might’ve changed everything. And, the victim of something darker, ethereal.

Or perhaps he’s standing in a kitchen, where he often stood when he wore the face of another, talking to the parents who’d never actually brought him to this world, the sibling that’d never shared blood with him. Telling them the truth, the whole truth, of every day, of every moment- and, perhaps, as he stands there, he will be forgiven or condemned. Reality is always mixed, and there is no direct answer.

But, eventually, in the future, he might stand there again on a visit or somesuch, sharing bread with them. Not as family, but as friends.

Perhaps he will be standing in court, no matter which country’s, surrounded by the masses and faced by justice, tailed by a dark past, mouth as truth spews out akin to the river Styx, carrying out the truth of the dead to the whole world to hear, for a grand plan to be doomed and taken down- not in one night, but piece by piece, corporate asset by corporate asset, until the word Hyvemynd is but a strange garble and not the name of something truly evil.

No empire falls in a day, no legacy dies overnight, but thanks to the work of not only one man, but the thousand legislators and people of import all over the world, and 18 others, perhaps the world can rest easier.

Perhaps he’ll be standing on foreign soil, on a stage not unlike ones he’d performed on before with puppets- but this time the clatter of wood and a story is exchanged for something more light-hearted, a spew of one-liners and gags, a room of laughter and not of falsehoods kept up just to protect a false charade:

A little stage of love, just for him and…

… Maybe you will find him sitting on a couch somewhere, watching television- perhaps with a new name, or perhaps the one he has now, or perhaps with a new surname, or nothing at all: But, despite these uncertainties, you may find him there next to someone he’d grown to love more than anyone else-

Leslie. There are many uncertainties, but not of her, not where you can find him, at least for a short while: Close to her. Like a little moon circling a sun, settled into a cycle of life that he finds pleasing and fulfilling to his heart. That little, fake heart, grown to become so real thanks to her and the whole world.

Maybe you will find him, and that woman that’s changed his life, at a desk- a warm hand on her shoulder, watching down at her work, as the queen of laughs experiments with the medium of words, just as he’d encouraged to, and just as she was more than capable of: A labour of love, not just between them, but just from her own heart at the art of the written word, with that warm hand on her shoulder keeping her steady wherever he goes.

He always loved her, and he always will, and while he might be remembered or forgotten, if one was to know, he- he greatly loved one person above all.

But, perhaps, if you get past that certainty, you once more return to wondering. Maybe you’d find him on the phone, or writing a letter, or in a chatroom, or in person- with one of those 18 people, for he’d never let any of them go, even if they didn’t really care for him. The world is large, and everyone deserves love, and he reaches out to those who knows first above all.

Perhaps you will find him bugging his first and dearest teacher, be it teasing him or guiding him, or simply being with him, as friends oft do. Or perhaps with his competitor, co-worker, and indirect counselor, enjoying her company… With a cup of tea, of course, and a nice recliner- just like when they first found out.

And in the future…

You will find him, perhaps with cut hair, or slicked back, perhaps with new clothes or new glasses, but definitely with a new way of viewing the precious life given to him and everyone else, and the human condition attached to it, with all of its faults and successes, of all the tears and the laughs.

Where? Who knows. Making policies. Debating- perhaps changing the world in a way that does not involve godhood or abandoning the humanity that found him: Changing the world one small bit at a time, in a way that matters, in a way that will be remembered.

Just remember, my friends:

Stay strong. Keep the faith. At duty’s end, we will meet again.

We will. We will…

The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day.

[osakaso5]

IDOLiSH7 4th Anniversary Special Story: Best Wishes...

Chapter 2: Reality And Heartthrobs

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Tsumugi Takanashi: Everyone, good  work! It seems they're finally opening the VR experience booth, "A Date with IDOLiSH7"!

Riku Nanase: Aah! It's finally going to open!

Banri Ogami: They're planning to debut it in the newly renovated Sky Blue Mall's VR facility, VR LAND!

Banri Ogami: As a part of its promotion, they're going to film you visiting the shopping center and trying the VR experience before the re-opening.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Awesome! I wanna try it!

Yamato Nikaido: Huh..? But wouldn't we be going on a date with ourselves?

Banri Ogami: I suppose...

Mitsuki Izumi: That could be interesting! I wanna hear what the others recorded, anyway!

Tsumugi Takanashi: We have the demo footage for A Date with IDOLiSH7 here! Would you like to watch it?

Nagi Rokuya: YES! I want to try dating myself! Surely, I will be the perfect escort.

Iori Izumi: You're awfully confident, Rokuya-san. I feel a bit embarrassed by the idea, myself...

Sogo Osaka: The characters they established for us were a bit unconventional.

Riku Nanase: I wonder how they turned out! Whose should we watch? Who does everyone want to go on a date with?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Raise your hand if you wanna date me!

Iori, Yamato, Mitsuki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: ...Huh..?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Raise your hands, guys!

Yamato Nikaido: S-sorry about that. I couldn't help feeling weird about the idea of dating you...

Mitsuki Izumi: Ask again, and we'll act more excited.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Geez... Raise your hand if you wanna date me!

Iori, Yamato, Mitsuki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: Me! Me! Me! Me!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Oh, all of you. Alright, let's watch mine.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Tamaki-san, it is! Here we go!

- - - -

Tamaki's Recording: Oh. You're an interesting girl, not falling for me as  soon as I make a pass at you.

Tamaki's Recording: I've never met someone like you. Wanna come over to my place?

- - - -

Iori, Yamato, Mitsuki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: Ooh la la!

Tamnaki Yotsuba: Don't make fun of me!

Yamato Nikaido: They really went all out on the desirability poll potential with this one.

Sogo Osaka: But Tamaki-kun doesn't talk like this... Or maybe he does, only to girls..? Do you, Tamaki-kun?

Tamaki Yotsuba: I dunno... I guess I wanna call fun people over to my place?

Banri Ogami: I see. Instead of something normal, they're going for phrases that girls will like more.

Banri Ogami: What's Sogo-kun's like? 

- - - -

Sogo's Recording: These flowers are so beautiful... Looking at them is so soothing. I'm so happy that I can spend this moment with you.

Sogo's Recording: Look, this one suits you.

- - - -

Iori, Yamato, Mitsuki, Tamaki, Nagi, & Riku: Ooh la la!

Sogo Osaka: Haha... Thank you.

Riku Nanase: Sogo-san, you sound so gentle! But I feel like you'd be a little more analytical.

Iori Izumi: You can be surprisingly dry, after all.

Sogo Osaka: N-no I'm not. I can enjoy soothing things, too.

Tamaki Yotsuba: When I told you that finding a four-leaf clover could bring you happiness, you said "That's probably because it's such a rare mutation".

Sogo Osaka: I'm not wrong, am I? I understand why someone would feel happy after finding a rare specimen.

Nagi Rokuya: Indeed. Pink diamonds are also more valuable than ordinary diamonds.

Tamaki Yotsuba: What about Nagicchi's? What's it like?

Nagi Rokuya: It is the ultimate rendezvouz! Tsumugi, if you please!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yes!

- - - -

Nagi's Recording: My sweet angel... Between this million dollar skyline and myself, which is more beautiful?

Nagi's Recording: Fufu... I knew you would say that.

Nagi's Recording: My sweet angel, Cocona... 

- - - -

Mitsuki Izumi: He's calling them Cocona!

Riku Nanase: Are you on a date with Cocona-chan? Or is it with the sweet angel and Cocona?

Yamato Nikaido: Whether they're one and the same or not makes a big difference.

Nagi Rokuya: I will leave it up to your imaginations. And what about Mitsuki? I want to see a date with him!

Mitsuki Izumi: Mine's pretty normal, so it's kinda embarrassing...

Tsumugi Takanashi: I'll play Mitsuki-san's now! 

- - - -

Mitsuki's Recording: I had fun today. Um, I...

Mitsuki's Recording: There's something... I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. 

- - - -

Riku Nanase: Ah...

Iori Izumi: What do you mean, "ah"...

Riku Nanase: It felt like Mitsuki was going to confess to me...

Iori Izumi: I-it's just a VR experience...

Tamaki Yotsuba: We know, but holy crap... Mikki's gonna confess to us for the first time ever...

Nagi Rokuya: OH... My heart is racing...

Yamato Nikaido: You guys make  a great audience. 

- - - -

Mitsuki's Recording: For a  while now, I've... thought of you as someone special to me, or rather...

Mitsuki's Recording: ........

- - - -

Iori, Yamato, Tamaki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: ........

- - - -

Mitsuki's Recording: ...Forget it! It's nothing, after all! 

- - - -

Yamato Nikaido: Huh!? Spit it out already!!!

Nagi Rokuya: My heart was prepared..!?

Mitsuki Izumi: Don't get mad at my footage!

Sogo Osaka: I would've liked an  honest confession from Mitsuki-san...

Iori Izumi: That was more than enough for me. Haah... It was strangely unnerving.

Riku Nanase: Yeah, it really made my heart race! What was Iori's like?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Iori-san! I'll play it now!

Sogo Osaka: Maybe it'll be youthful and innocent?

Nagi Rokuya: Or perhaps, more cool? OH! It is starting! 

- - - -

Iori's Recording: Hmm... It seems you've finally become a woman worthy of standing beside me.

Iori's Recording: I'll date you, if I must. It'll allow me to kill time, at the very least.

Iori's Recording: But why don't you beg me for it, first? Or would you rather be punished? 

- - - -

Mitsuki Izumi: It turned out to be super sadistic..!!!

Yamato Nikaido: They're going a little too hard with our youngest members.

Riku Nanase: This is making me want to pinch Iori's cheek..!

Iori Izumi: Please don't.

Sogo Osaka: I would've preferred something more innocent... But you did a really good job playing a sadist, too. Well done.

Iori Izumi: Seeing as how it's a VR experience, I thought it'd be more interesting if my performance had a certain amount of entertainment value...

Yamato Nikaido: Maybe this'll unexpectely turn out popular.

Iori Izumi: And what about you, Nikaido-san? I'm sure you must've been bringing out your adult charms.

Yamato Nikaido: Mine was...

Mitsuki Izumi: Don't be shy! Manager, play Yamato-san's next!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Very well!

Riku Nanase: I wonder what it'll be like!

Nagi Rokuya: I am sure that it will be overflowing with sweet nothings! 

- - - -

Yamato's Recording: Kukuku... You can't see anything in this darkness, but I can see you just fine... 

- - - -

Iori, Mitsuki, Tamaki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: .......!?

- - - -

Yamato's Recording: I'm going to torment you all I want. Don't bother calling for help. Nobody's going to come...

Yamato's Recording: I look forward to hearing you scream... 

- - - -

Iori, Mitsuki, Tamaki, Sogo, Nagi, & Riku: ........

Riku Nanase: T-this is a date with Yamato-san!?

Tamaki Yotsuba: What the hell, Yama-san!!! That was scary!!!

Yamato Nikaido: Uh, I think they probably drew a lot of inspiration from my drama roles.

Mitsuki Izumi: Right... Because you've had so many revenge maniac and serial killer roles...

Sogo Osaka: I think a calm and cool date would've suited Yamato-san better...

Iori Izumi: I've been wondering for a while now, but why are you so strongly fixated on IDOLiSH7's dates, Osaka-san?

Sogo Osaka: Maybe it's because I know you all personally. I wanted You and Tamaki-kun to act more innocent, and I wanted to hear Mitsuki-san's confession...

Sogo Osaka: I wanted to have a relaxing time with Yamato-san. In this respect, Nagi-kun's footage was really satisfying. I think I'd enjoy going  on a date with him and Cocona-chan.

Nagi Rokuya: Thanks!

Mitsuki Izumi: That's a pretty in-depth review.

Iori Izumi: It's very educational.

Sogo Osaka: What was Riku-kun's like? I'd like to see it.

Riku Nanase: I-I just hope that it's satisfying enough to you, Sogo-san... Manager, play mine!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Alright! I'll be showing you Riku-san's footage now! It'l be the last one! 

- - - -

Riku's Recording: Good evening, everyone!

Audience Recording: Kyaaaaa!

- - - -

Mitsuki Izumi: Ah, it's during a live.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Pretty fitting. 

- - - -

Riku's Recording: I have an important announcement to make tonight! 

- - - -

Iori Izumi: Hold on a moment... What are you going to say during a live, Nanase-san..?

Yamato Nikaido: This is still giving me heart palpitations, just out of anxiety... 

- - - -

Riku's Recording: I've been keeping this a secret!

Riku's Recording: But there's someone I'm in love with!

Audience Recording: Kyaaaaaa! 

- - - -

Iori Izumi: ...Whoa...

Nagi Rokuya: Wow! How dramatic!

Yamato Nikaido: I feel you, Ichi... My palms are sweating from just imagining the aftermath of this...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Rikkun's so cool!

Sogo Osaka: Hmm... I suppose... This suits Riku-kun well enough..?

Mitsuki Izumi: It makes sense as a VR experience, but if you actually did this at a live that people had been looking forward to... 

- - - -

Riku's Recording:  The person I love is...

Riku's Recording: You, who's been with me this whole night!

Audience Recording: Kyaaaaaa! 

- - - -

Iori Izumi: ...Aaaahhhh...

- - - -

Riku's Recording: Let's date! I hope you'll support both my idol side and my normal side!

Riku's Recording: Because I'll always, always love you!

Audience Recording: Kyaaaaaa! 

- - - -

Iori Izumi: ....... Haaah... ...I was so scared, I forgot to breathe midway... 

Riku Nanase: But Yamato-san's was scarier than mine!

Iori Izumi: Nanase-san... Can you please promise that you'll never do this? Or at least that you'll ask us beforehand?

Riku Nanase: I wouldn't do something so embarrassing!

Riku Nanase: But... Maybe my feelings would get to that point if I fell in love with someone.

Riku Nanase: ...Hehe, just kidding!

Iori Izumi: Manager, please bring the stomach medicine...

Riku Nanase: Geez, were you even listening!? What are you getting all weak in the knees for!?

Iori Izumi: I feel tired all of a sudden...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Hey. Now that we've seen all of 'em, who do you wanna go on a date with, manager?

Tsumugi Takanashi: They were all so wonderful that I can't choose! What about you, Banri-san?

Banri Ogami: Me!? Well... Based on scariness, maybe Yamato-kun's. I'd like to try surviving his VR experience!

Yamato Nikaido: Um... It's not a survival game, so you don't have to worry about not making it out alive.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ban-chan, pick mine.

Banri Ogami: Huh. But you'll just take me to your home.

Tamaki Yotsuba: So what? You've been to my room before, right? I'll let you hug my King Pudding.

Banri Ogami: In that case, maybe I will go?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Awesome!

Mitsuki Izumi: This guy really is a desirability poll ranker. He's so good at handling people.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I hope everyone will enjoy the A Date with IDOLiSH7 VR experience!

Riku Nanase: Right! I can't wait to see the facility, either!

Banri Ogami: Speaking of which. Sky Blue Mall's re-opening is going to focus heavily on surprises.

Banri Ogami: Many of the stores are going to be doing secret events. Because of that, you shouldn't give out any information.

Iori Izumi: Secret... Their  plan is most likely for visitors to spread information through social media.

Banri Ogami: Seems that way. Even the guests of their main event are still a secret.

Sogo Osaka: I wonder who they'll be. Maybe a foreign artists?

Banri Ogami: The guests are connected to the four year anniversary, and had a very chaotic school life.

Mitsuki Izumi: Chaotic school life... I wonder what kind of people they are...

Tsumugi Takanashi: It'll be very busy before the opening, so there will be many construction and interior design workers present...

Tsumugi Takanashi: So you should disguise yourselves outside of the shoot, in order to keep it a secret that you're there.

Nagi Rokuya: Alright! I shall construct the perfect cosplay to conceal my identity!

Sogo Osaka: Wouldn't a cosplay stand out more?

Riku Nanase: I can't wait for VR LAND and Sky Blue Mall to open!

Riku Nanase: We'll have to do our best with the pre-opening shoot, so we can make lots of people happy! 

- - - -

Kaoru Anesagi: Good work, boys! Your consecutive lives were a success!

Kaoru Anesagi: Tomorrow is your long-awaited day off! Make sure to get plenty of rest.

Tenn Kujo: Thank you very much.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: We should take this chance to go out for dinner with all of us. Or should we stay home and cook?

Gaku Yaotome: Ah, sorry, I'm busy that day.

Tenn Kujo: Oh, you are?

Gaku Yaotome: There's this Matsuda-san who used to work at Grandpa's restaurant. He's basically Grandpa's apprentice, and he left the place on good terms.

Gaku Yaotome: He's about to open his second restaurant at Sky Blue Mall.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: That's great. Sky Blue Mall is that big shopping center that's going to re-open soon, right?

Gaku Yaotome: Yep. But because the construction got delayed, he doesn't have enough helping hands.

Gaku Yaotome: Massan looked after  me when I was a kid, so I thought I'd help prep his place for the opening.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: In that case, I'll help, too.

Gaku Yaotome: You sure?

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Of course. The more the merrier, right?

Tenn Kujo: I don't mind helping, either.

Gaku Yaotome: Thanks! Massan's gonna be really happy!

Kaoru Anesagi: Will the three of you be alright? Won't you be recognized if you all go?

Gaku Yaotome: So what if we do? The place isn't open for business yet, so there's only gonna be construction guys around.

Kaoru Anesagi: It's in the same building as a train station, so you'll run into other people, too. Make sure to wear disguises.

Tenn Kujo: Right. Especially Ryu, since he's so big....

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: I-I'll do my best not to be seen.

Kaoru Anesagi: Don't call each other by name. You'll have to come up with pseudonyms.

Gaku Yaotome: That's gonna be tough for me. Massan's probably gonna call me by his usual nickname...

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: What does he call you?

Gaku Yaotome: Gaku-chan.

Tenn Kujo: Gaku-chan.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Gaku-chan.

Tenn Kujo: ...How about Gacchan?

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: That's good! Nobody's going to think that's Gaku Yaotome!

Gaku Yaotome: That's the one. What about Tenn?

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Tamaki-kun called him Tenten.

Gaku Yaotome: Tenten's too long. Let me think...

Gaku Yaotome: How about Tecchan?

Tenn Kujo: I've never been called that in my life.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: It's cute! Tecchan!

Tenn Kujo: What?

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: That's really good!

Tenn Kujo: Thanks.

Gaku Yaotome: The real problem's with Ryu. People will probably recognize him if we call him Ryu-chan. Momo-san tends to call him that, too.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: And Ricchan sounds girly. Ri... Ri... Rikkun?

Tenn Kujo: That sounds too much like Riku.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Ah, right.

Gaku Yaotome: Ri... Let's ditch "Ri". Ryu... Dragon...

Tenn Kujo: Dora-chan.

Kaoru Anesagi: Dora-chan..? Would anyone call a grown man that?

Tenn Kujo: Right...

Gaku Yaotome: We might as well call him "Dragon", since it's so manly.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: It's manly, but I feel a little embarrassed by the idea of answering to that name...

Gaku Yaotome: I'd have no problem being called Dragon.

Tenn Kujo: I've got it.

Gaku Yaotome: Oh, let's hear it.

Tenn Kujo: Tsuna-chan.

Gaku Yaotome: That's good.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Tsuna-chan, huh! It's a little embarrassing, but I like how friendly it sounds!

Gaku Yaotome: Tsuna-chan.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Yeees!

Tenn Kujo: Not bad.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Gacchan! Tecchan!

Gaku Yaotome: Yeah.

Tenn Kujo: Yeah.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: They sound so friendly!

Kaoru Anesagi: I feel so confused now... If you're all fine with it, then I suppose I don't mind...

Tenn Kujo: Alright, Gacchan. Let Massan know we're coming.

Gaku Yaotome: Yeah. I'll be counting on you guys tomorrow, Tecchan and, uh...

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Tsuna-chan!

Gaku Yaotome: Right, Tsuna-chan! We gotta get used to these names by tomorrow. Let's keep using them for the rest of tonight.

Tenn Kujo: Right. The more we practice, the better we'll do on the day of.

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: Yeah! Let's do it like we're already working!

Kaoru Anesagi: You boys are so serious about this.

Kaoru Anesagi: I'm worried that there might be trouble, but maybe it'll all work out... 

To be continued...

[angstmatsuscenarios]

How about an Ichimatsu sickfic? I believe that’s within the limits of the rules. I dunno, maybe he tried to play it off as nothing, but stuff happens? I’ll just leave the rest to you. I rly like this blog and I’m excited to see the ask box open again!

Sickfic is not only welcome but also my forte, hehe. Here is some Ichi sickfic for you, hope you enjoy!

Warning for a brief mention of needles (drawing blood, very brief and non-graphic) under the cut:

At first Ichimatsu didn’t give much thought to the fatigue and sore throat he’d been suffering through all day--it had been annoying, but he figured it was probably just allergies, and had kept his face mask on the whole day. He’d felt lousy for the past couple of weeks, and figured it was nothing too bad.

By that night, though, he felt worse--he’d had no appetite at dinner, and it took nearly all of his energy to follow his brothers to the bathhouse. The soak in the hot water felt good to his aching muscles, but the walk home was excruciating, his legs trudging along slowly and his whole body shivering even though it wasn’t that cold out. When they finally got back home all he could do was crawl into the futon the second it was laid out and curl up in his spot, burying his face deep in the blankets.

“Does Ichimatsu seem okay to you?” he overheard Osomatsu ask the remaining brothers. 

“He looks rather pale, and he’s shaking…” Karamatsu noted, a hint of concern in his voice. “Perhaps he’s fallen ill?”

“Then we should force him to sleep in the other room,” Todomatsu asserted. “What if he’s contagious?”

“Have some heart for once, Todomatsu,” Choromatsu admonished him. “He’s wearing a mask, and besides, when has splitting us up ever stopped us from catching each other’s colds anyway?”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay!” Jyushimatsu said with assurance. “But he looks tired, we should let him rest.”

“Fine...but if we’re all coughing and sneezing by the next morning, don’t blame me,” Todomatsu replied curtly.

Ichimatsu would’ve chimed in with a “shut up and die, Todomatsu” had his throat not hurt so badly. Instead he hunkered down deeper in bed and closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep and hoping he’d feel better in the morning.

-----------

Mhhh….I feel horrible….

It was the first thought to flicker in Ichimatsu’s mind as he sluggishly came to the next morning. He felt truly miserable, it had been a long time since he’d ever felt this sick...if he had before, now that he thought of it. He was dripping in sweat and wracked with chills all at once, his throat burned more painfully than it ever had before, and he was aware of a dull ache in his side. Not to mention, he was exhausted.

He sat up, slowly, but that brought on a wave of dizziness that made him feel like laying right back down again. His temples pulsated with an awful headache, and he brought his hands up to rub his bleary eyes and will some of the wooziness to go away. It didn’t.

Dammit….guess it wasn’t just allergies after all….

He groaned, reluctantly crawling out from under the futon. He was alone in the room--he assumed his brothers had gotten up to go eat breakfast and had left him to rest. The thought of food suddenly made him feel nauseous, but as much as he wanted to just go straight back to sleep he knew he at least needed to get medicine.

He stood slowly, the room swaying and his head spinning. He shuffled on wobbly legs into the hallway, pressing his hand against the wall for support. Every step was grueling, requiring so much effort it caused sweat to bead up on his forehead. 

What...the hell...is wrong with me…?

He was close to the stairs, just a few more steps...he gingerly put one foot in front of the other, then again…

But suddenly his legs gave out on him, folding so that he hit the floor with a weak grunt. He leaned all his weight against the wall, unable to support himself, whimpering quietly as he rubbed the sore spot on his side. 

Something’s wrong...this isn’t just the flu, is it…?

“Ichimatsu-niisan!”

Ichimatsu had been so zoned out he didn’t notice Jyushimatsu thundering up the stairs until he was by his side, kneeling next to him with a worried expression on his face. 

“Are you okay? I heard a thud, did you fall?” Jyushimatsu asked, and although he wasn’t exactly shouting his voice was loud enough to Ichimatsu’s pounding head to make his ears ring.

“N-no...don’t feel good…” Ichimatsu managed to groan out a response, his throat stinging so badly it made his eyes water. 

Jyushimatsu frowned. “You look awful...look at your neck, your glands are really swollen. And you’re super pale…” 

Still rambling, Jyushimatsu helped Ichimatsu slowly back to his feet. Ichimatsu was just barely aware as his brother practically carried him back to the sextuplets’ room and tucked him back into bed. All the while he wore an anxious expression that was very unlike the sunny fifth son’s usual disposition.

“I’m gonna get Mom, okay?” Jyushimatsu said, lightly patting Ichimatsu’s head. “She’ll help you, she always knows what to do.”

Ichimatsu only managed a feeble moan in response, closing his eyes. He’d never been this miserable when sick before, and it scared him...even scarier was that he didn’t have the energy to be as scared as he probably should be. He could only hope his mother could help him, though he doubted he would be cured by her gentle touch and homemade soup.

What’s going on…?

----------

After hearing that Ichimatsu had nearly passed out, Matsuyo insisted on taking him to the doctor. He hated doctors, but he was so out-of-it that he simply put up with the poking and prodding and blood-taking without much fuss (that was a real sign of how sick he was--he didn’t put up a fight when he saw the needle, just turned his head in the other direction and kept his eyes shut tight when his blood was drawn).

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before they received a diagnosis...but unfortunately, it was more serious than anticipated. According to the doctor Ichimatsu had mononucleosis. That explained why he’d felt so run-down for the last few weeks, and also why the glands in his neck were so swollen. The doctor went on to explain that it was the reason Ichimatsu’s side hurt, too--his spleen was swollen, a fact that thoroughly freaked him out, though the doctor said as long as he was careful not to injure his spleen and cause it to rupture the swelling would most likely go down sooner rather than later (the word “rupture” only induced more panic).  

There wasn’t much that could be done to treat mono, either--the most vital thing was rest. It could take weeks, even months, for someone to recover completely from mono, Ichimatsu discovered, and while it didn’t affect him too much since he had no job or school to worry about...the idea of being sick for so long was scary. He couldn’t imagine going more than a few days feeling this crappy, but weeks? Months?! Not to mention, it meant staying home and resting that whole time...he wasn’t much for leaving the house to begin with, but not be able to visit his cat friends in the alley, or join his brothers when they went to Chibita’s? He hated the thought of being excluded from all of that for who knew how long.

The doctor tried to be reassuring, insisting it was possible to have a speedier recovery as long as he took good care of himself, but all Ichimatsu felt was dread. It was awful news, he couldn’t even pretend there was a bright side to it. 

When Ichimatsu got home from the doctor, he’d found his brothers had set up a temporary room for him in the spare room. It wasn’t just that his mono was potentially contagious, but they insisted it would be easier for him to recuperate if he had peace and quiet while he rested. He wanted to call bull on that last claim, but was so tired that he just crawled right into his futon in his “new” room and went right to sleep without protest.

Days passed by. It wasn’t long before Ichimatsu started to feel bored and lonely. He felt marginally better than he had the first couple of days, but he was still nowhere near well, and the thought was depressing to him that he’d have a long time of feeling this way.  

He spent most of his time sleeping. He didn’t have the energy for much else. Sometimes his mother popped in to give him food (which he hardly ate—his throat hurt too much and his appetite was pretty much nonexistent), and other times one of his brothers would pay a quick visit (wearing a mask, not surprisingly). It was nice, but not the same as being with them like usual, and once they left he felt sad again. 

Gradually, though, Jyushimatsu began spending more and more time with him. He’d sit at Ichimatsu’s bedside for hours, playing a game or reading a manga or sorting his baseball cards—activities he didn’t always possess much patience for, being as active as he was. He made light conversation with Ichimatsu, though kept it to a minimum, knowing Ichimatsu wasn’t much for talking. It was the quietest and most still Jyushimatsu had ever been.

Ichimatsu was grateful for the company, but he felt guilty as well. Surely this wasn’t what Jyushimatsu felt like doing—this had to be cutting into his baseball time, which he treasured. Ichimatsu didn’t want both of them to be trapped inside all the time, not when Jyushimatsu was well and could do whatever he wanted.

“Jyushi,” Ichimatsu spoke up one afternoon, his voice rusty. Jyushimatsu had been poring over a baseball book, but perked up at the sound of Ichimatsu’s voice. “You don’t have to stay with me all the time...you can go outside and play baseball or whatever you want. I feel bad if you’re staying in all the time because of me.”

Jyushimatsu offered a bright smile. “But, Ichimatsu-niisan, I am doing what I want!” he insisted, crawling closer to his brother. “It must suck being sick in bed for so long. I wouldn’t want to be alone all the time if it were me. Besides, I have my most fun when I’m with you—even if you can’t do much now, I like being with you. And baseball isn’t the same without you there, either.”

“Really…?” Ichimatsu wasn’t so sure about that. How much fun could he be?

“Really!” Jyushimatsu nodded enthusiastically. “You’re my best friend, I’ll always stay by your side! And it won’t be like this forever either, sooner or later you’ll recover and we can get right back to playing! So just keep your chin up, okay, Niisan?”

Ichimatsu blinked, just a little surprised...not to mention touched. Jyushimatsu really did just want to spend time with him, even if that time consisted of doing nothing more than hanging out in the same room together while he slept. Jyushimatsu really was his best friend, and even though he still felt terrible that realization made him feel just a little better.

“Thank you, Jyushi...I’ll try.”

“You’ll be back to yourself in no time!” Jyushimatsu enthused with a grin that made Ichimatsu believe it. “Anyway, why don’t I read to you from my book until you fall asleep?”

“I’d like that. Thanks.”

With that, Jyushimatsu settled down right beside Ichimatsu and started reading, angling the book so they could both see inside. Ichimatsu wasn’t particularly interested in baseball facts and stats, but it was comforting being read to, and Jyushimatsu’s surprisingly soft voice soon lulled him into sleep.

It would take time for him to get better, but with Jyushimatsu by his side, maybe the road to recovery wouldn’t be as awful as it seemed.

[recurring-polynya]

Inspiration strikes sideways sometimes, and I was thinking about the Halloween ask @avatarpabu97​  sent me the other day, and then I started thinking about Byakuya and Spirit Phones (I am never not thinking about Byakuya and Spirit Phones, we all know this) and then I thought WHAT IF Byakuya ACTUALLY GOT a Spirit Phone???

Anyway, here’s a fanfiction. (thanks to @diademchiofthetripod for the beta, as always)

Communication Protocols [AO3] [FF.net]

Rating: G for Good God, this is ridiculous. At least it’s short.

Byakuya stared at the little rectangle lined up with the upper left corner of his blotter. 

He had just completed three personnel evaluations, the number he had allotted himself before he could pick it up again.

He picked it up again.

It was one of the new models, with a large screen and what he was told was a very nice camera. It was encased in some sort of bulky plastic shell, "for protection," as though he were incapable of protecting his personal possessions. He had grudgingly agreed to keep it in its case for a period of one month, until he was used to carrying this irksome little object around. To be honest, though, he did find it aesthetically pleasing-- Rukia had selected the shiny white shell, dusted with sakura petals, and her taste, at least in this matter, was impeccable. Perhaps he would leave it on.

No new Text Messages. 

Byakuya frowned. Perhaps it was broken.

He opened his contacts, and scrolled down until he located "Captain Hitsugaya  Toushirou."

"This is a test to ensure the Spirit Phone network is still working," he carefully typed out.

He hit send.

He waited.

The phone emitted a cheerful little binglety-boop.

He had received a Text Message from Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou.

"It's still working." He wished he couldn’t see the message above it, the last time he had texted Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou to ask if the Spirit Phone network was working. He especially wished it didn’t display a time stamp. 

A new Text Message from Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou arrived. "Do you want to spar or something? Go get a coffee?"

Byakuya contemplated this offer. Perhaps it would-- no. No, it was unnecessary. "Thank you, but I cannot. I am very busy today," he typed back.  He wasn't, not exactly, but he needed to stay caught up with his paperwork, now that, once again, his adjutant had been dispatched to more pressing concerns. 

"No prob, let me know if you change your mind."

Byakuya frowned. Captain Hitsugaya would never dream of saying "no prob" to him in person, even though they had slowly been cultivating an Informal Acquaintanceship over the last several years. That was the problem with these Spirit Phones, they broke down the proper formality of everyday relationships.

The phone made a special noise, not the generic binglety-boop, but the irksome screech of his lieutenant's first bankai. How had Abarai even obtained an audio recording of that? The phone informed Byakuya that he had received a Text Message from "My Awesome and Very Helpful Vice-Captain."

Abarai had done most of the work in setting up this odious little device for him, for which he was, of course, grateful. However, the man had left a few things in a less-than-desirable state.

"They're your contacts, you can set 'em up however you want," Byakuya remembered Abarai carefully explaining. "You can change my name and ringtone to whatever you want, as soon as you figure out how."

Byakuya had tried to get Rukia to do it for him, but she had, instead, just changed her own contact from "My Extremely Perfect Sister" to "My Extremely Badass Sister," which he found even more irritating than the Helpful Vice-Captain thing.

But he had no time for irritation at the moment. He opened the Text Message, and the first idiotic thought that entered his head was that he had made absolutely the right decision to start carrying this stupid rectangle with its excellent screen and superlative camera. 

Abarai had sent him a picture.

Byakuya stared at the picture for a long time. He was having an emotion, and for once, he didn't do anything to try and prevent it.

He then received a second Text Message from his Awesome and Very Helpful Vice-Captain.

"Your sister is a friggin' badass. Come on over whenever."

Several pieces of paper blew off his desk in the wake of Byakuya's departure.

 ---

Abarai was standing out front of his home contemplating his own Spirit Phone when Byakuya arrived. He turned the device around to display a stopwatch application.

"Thirty-seven point six seconds," he announced. "Takes ten minutes just to wrangle a Hell Butterfly. You understand now why everyone else has been using these things for years?"

"You're wasting my time, Lieutenant," he snarled.

Abarai grinned. "Yours and mine both. C'mon in."

Byakuya tactfully ignored the clutter as they entered the more casual living area at the rear of the house. This was unusual; Abarai and his sister more frequently entertained in the front room, and furthermore, usually took great care to have things tidy prior to his visits. Perhaps the occasional breakdown of formalities had its advantages. He certainly would certainly take a coffee table covered in infant-related ephemera over having to wait another minute to see his sister and her latest accomplishment.

Rukia was ensconced on the hideous piece of furniture they called a couch, pillows propped all around her so that she looked like she was sitting in a very plush throne. There was an intriguing lump wrapped in a purple blanket and propped against her chest. She looked very tired, but also incredibly smug. The coffee table had been pulled into a very strange diagonal position, where it was very close to the couch at one end, and further away. Rukia’s feet, in pink fuzzy socks, were propped up on the close end. The reason for the strange configuration suddenly became very obvious, it was so someone of a normal height could sit next to her without banging their knees. 

"That was fast," Rukia teased.

"This is a very serious occasion," Byakuya scolded her. "Surely, you have more pressing matters than...what is the word you use? Pushing me?"

"Dragging," Rukia supplied. "And, no. Nothing is more important than dragging you."

"Go sit," Abarai ordered, pointing at the spot on the couch next to Rukia. "Did you actually bring your phone with you or did you leave it in the office?"

"I brought it," Byakuya frowned, pulling it out of his kosode as he gingerly sat down.

"Good, I'm gonna teach you how to take a selfie."

Byakuya regarded the very precious thing Rukia was getting ready to hand him, and held out his phone to his lieutenant. "Maybe you could take it, instead. Renji. I promise I will let you teach me about self-portraiture later."

"No problem," his brother-in-law replied. "Byakuya."

A spirit phone was passed from one shinigami to another, and then a niece passed from a third shinigami back to the first one.

Byakuya carefully contemplated the tiny features of the infant, now that he could see her peacefully sleeping face. He could not mentally categorize any particular thing as belonging to either parent, aside from the soft down of bright red hair. She just looked like a baby.

There was the sound a false shutter closing, and Byakuya looked up, startled. "I was not ready," he protested.

"Doesn't matter, still a good picture," Renji mumbled, squinting at his phone.

"Send me a copy," Rukia insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," Renji agreed, engrossed in the task.

Byakuya sat up a little straighter, and tried to angle the baby so that her face would be visible in the photograph. "Try to look dignified," he informed her, even though she was asleep. "Take the picture, Abarai."

"Taking the picture, sir."

Abarai brought the phone over and showed Byakuya the picture. "Excellent," Byakuya approved, his heart tightening in his chest. There was a slight movement in his arms, and he realized that baby was now awake and squinting at him.

"You wanna see it, too, Ichi-chan?" Abarai said gently, idiotically turning the phone towards the infant, and brushing one large hand over her head. He straightened up, looking down at his daughter fondly. "You want me to make this your lock screen?" he offered.

"My what?" Byakuya echoed.

"Just do it," Rukia suggested dryly.

"You decided on Ichika?" Byakuya asked. He knew it had been a front-runner for the case of a girl, and it fit with the diminutive Abarai used to address the child, but he did not like to make assumptions. He, personally, would not have named a child after Kurosaki Ichigo, but neither would he argue with the choice. 

“Abarai Ichika,” Rukia confirmed.

Byakuya nodded. “Abarai Ichika,” he addressed his niece. “You are the very first person to be born into the Abarai clan, a branch of the eminent Kuchiki family, the Greatest Family in Soul Society. You are a very auspicious sign of future greatness for your clan.”

“What do you mean, future?” Rukia interrupted. “We’re already pretty great.”

“Shh!” Renji scolded. “Don’t interrupt his thing! I’ll take all the good luck we can get.”

Byakuya leaned forward. “Your mother is correct. You are already pretty great.”

 ---

When Byakuya returned to the office, he had another Text Message from Abarai, although there were a large number of other people listed on it as well, some identified by name and some by number. Ah! Was this a Group Text? He had heard the term thrown about, but had not yet been included on one.

"WATCH OUT, SOUL SOCIETY," it read, and included a picture Byakuya had taken himself, of Ichika with both her parents, all three of them making the same disturbingly Abarai-like facial expression, as though they were preparing to instigate a brawl in a drinking establishment of questionable repute. Rukia had claimed that this was Ichika’s default facial expression and both she and Abarai found it extremely humorous to make it at the baby and also at each other. A brief note followed, listing the baby’s name, various statistics, and an affirmation of Rukia's health.

The first response to this, attributed to one of those mysterious numbers, was "where are her" followed by a very small picture of a pair of sunglasses. Byakuya wondered how that was accomplished.

Many, many responses followed, some praising the cuteness of his niece, others offering congratulations, a few containing merely sequences of the little pictures (balloons, fireworks, etc). An argument broke out over which squad she belonged to, which Abarai himself cut off with a string of roughly 100 camellia symbols and "SQUAD 6 FOREVER!!!!!!" followed by more camellias. Byakuya felt mostly confused, but also vaguely proud.

Another unknown number accused, "rukia is asleep, isn't she?", which prompted  back ".................yes" from Abarai.

Byakuya frowned. Abarai's punctuation was never this poor. Ah, well, in all likelihood, he was probably a bit behind on sleep as well, not something that was likely to be remedied any time soon. Rukia had rejected Byakuya’s initial offer of sending over some of the servants to help out, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to offer again once a few days had passed.

Another Text Message arrived, this one to himself, personally. It was from Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou. "Congratulations!" it read. "Have you seen her yet?"

Byakuya was feeling very adventurous. He experimented with a number of options on his phone. None of them turned out to provide the functionality he desired, although he did find the menu of little pictures.

"I did," he finally Text Messaged back. "She is very"  and then added a picture of a bunny. He sent it, and sat back, feeling very pleased with himself. 

He looked around his desk and realized that in his current mood, there was no way he would be able to write objective personnel evaluations. 

"It does not seem possible to attach a photograph to a Text Message from my Spirit Phone," he sent, yet again, to Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou, "but if you are still interested in meeting for tea (I do not drink coffee, but I know of a place that serves both), I have some I can show you."

"Let's do it," came back. "I can show you how to attach pictures."

Just to make sure he could do it without embarrassing himself, Byakuya navigated back through his main photography application, and located the pictures he had taken at Rukia and Renji's house. Very easy! He flipped back through them again. He decided that Ichika definitively favored her mother, how else could she possibly be so beautiful? 

He reached the first photograph of the day, the one Abarai had taken when he was not paying attention. Byakuya wasn't sure anyone had ever taken an unposed photograph of him before, although he knew Rukia and Renji took such pictures of each other constantly. Rukia's photographic ouvre was primarily "Renji falling off of things" (some of which were absolutely delightful). Renji didn't tend to share his photographic accomplishments, at least not with his superior, but he did keep one on his desk.  In it, Rukia, engrossed in her artwork, was tucking her hair behind one ear. Byakuya personally felt it belonged in a museum somewhere.

This photograph, his niece meeting her clan head for the first time, was of similar calibre. He hardly recognized himself, caught from the side, his face partially obscured by his hair, but not so much as to hide his facial expression, a mix of surprise and joy. He didn't remember feeling surprised. How could he possibly be surprised? This event had been anticipated for months. He did not particularly remember feeling joy at that moment, either, although he was feeling joy right now, and he couldn't specifically remember when that had started. 

He did not wish to be late for his appointment with Captain Hitsugaya, so he hit the proper button on his phone. He now understood what a lock screen was, and he was grateful for Rukia's good judgment on the matter.

In this photograph, which others might occasionally glimpse, he appeared much more appropriately himself, looking very, very full of pride. Ichika was yawning, her tiny face scrunched together on one side and stretched out on the other. 

He tucked his spirit phone into his kosode and headed out to show off his pictures of niece to his best Informal Acquaintance.

 the end!

 ---

Shinigami's Cup: GOLDEN!

"i hear you got a spirit phone!!! good jorb, dude!"

"Is this Kurosaki Ichigo? Abarai put you into my telephone contacts as 'the Worst Ryouka'."

"IT ME" ::Kurosaki Ichigo emoji::

"How did you do that? Why is that picture an option?"

"i am putting you in my contacts as Uncle Byakuya."

"Please do not."

"does yoruichi have your number?"

"No."

"i'm gonna give yoruichi your digits"

"Do not, Kurosaki Ichigo!"

::Kurosaki Ichigo emoji:: ::senkaimon emoji::

:: Ambassador Seaweed emoji:: :: zanpakutou emoji:: ::sakura emoji:: ::sakura emoji:: ::sakura emoji::