#its okay senshi is a good listener

[spacerockband]

falin, who is extremely sure in all her personal relationships, versus marcille, who is... less so

[monstertidbits]

FINE. what would the dungeon meshi protagonists be like to on a chaste first date with. coward

the one night stand one was funnier but let's do this mf.

laios - i hope you told him that it is, in fact, a date or else he's just happy to hang out not assuming shit okay. he actually takes you into the dungeon because there's a really unique spot on the second floor that was discovered recently and he wanted to show you around. he's really sweet and excited to have you there and explains all sorts of stuff during your little adventure. you eagerly listen wanting to learn more, of course, though you start worrying it's more about indulging himself than actually getting to know you. but then you reach the "spot" he was talking about and you are entranced: it's the hollow of one of the bigger trees, but the space inside of it is unnaturally wide and vast, filled with dryad buds and fruits (if you freak out bc of this you dont deserve him. its beautiful). while you are still too stunned to speak, laios already starts unpacking his bag to reveal a little picnic he organized. he invites you to sit next to him while cutting a loaf of bread for you to eat. it's a comfortable first date, you two filling the hollow with excitable chatter for much longer than you were expecting. he really is easy to talk to, and it's pretty attractive how he seems to be confident and in his element within the dungeon, while others are so tense and out of place. on the way back you find your hand in his, not really thinking about it. laios, on the other hand (hahaha🤪), was cool up to this point but he kinda freaks out internally because he ain't sure if it's a sign things are going well. at least you know this is the beginning of something special.

marcille - she would be sooo funny. like she would be extremely nervous and trying too hard to leave a good impression so she becomes hyperaware of everything she does and says. you try your best to lighten the mood and talk about yourself a little more, so she would feel less tense. you suggest going around the main street because you're new in town, and that makes marcille come back to her senses- she knows all the popular spots and even the more niche and cool places there. just being useful puts her at ease, and it's fun following her around. the converstion greatly improves and she suggests a nice restaurant to eat dinner at. at this point you really don't care- there's something about her being self assured and leading the way that's so captivating. the rest of the night goes on smoothly, besides the fact marcille spilt your drink on you, which she kept profusely apologizing for til you parted ways. next time will surely be better, as you get to know each other more.

senshi - this is the only man you can trust when he invites you to cook dinner at his place on the first date. you arrive, not really knowing what to expect, and you are pleasantly surprised to see ingredients already laid out for you to start working. senshi takes the lead, explaining every step while making conversation. he is soft with his words and very calm, and at some point you find yourself thinking "how the hell did we reach this topic and why does it feel safe to openly talk about it" and you wish it would never stop. by the end of the date, your stomach full, you are pretty damn sure he's the man of your dreams or something. it doesn't get any better than him

chilchuck - he's married bitch.

[writing-fanics]

Mamoru X Fem!Reader

•[ Legend of the Forgotten Moon Princess ]•

[Part I]

[ y/n was reincarnated before Usagi, so she’s around Mamoru’s age.. they are still twins but it’s confusing cause I’m making things confusing ]

[ Y/n ] sighed, as she looked out the window. Looking up at the moon, every night she’d do this. It always seemed to give her comfort, and the moon felt more like home than it did on Earth.

“I wonder, if the moon princess. Looked at the Earth from the moon, wondering if her lover was doing the same.” She says, looking up at the moon with wonder in her eyes.

The moon seemed to look back at her, as if it was listening to her thoughts what she was saying.

She touched the necklace, the was wrapped around her neck. She stared at the moon, reaching her hand out as if to touch it.

‘Find Me...’

She heard a voice say. She looked around, for any sign of someone.

“Who’s there?” She says, looking around and finds no one. She sighs, sitting down on her balcony and looks back up at the moon.

“What I want most in the world is the love, that Prince Endymion and Princess Y/n had for each-other.” She says, looking up at the moon.

“As if that would ever happen though.” She says, laughing at herself. She looks down, smiling softly.

She stands up, and dusts herself off. And walks inside her apartment, closing the balcony door behind her; and goes to her room to sleep.

‘Find me, please don’t forget about me.’ A voice said, as [Y/n] looked around for the source of the voice.

‘Who’s there! Where are you?’ She shouted, looking around trying to find the voice. It sounded so familiar.

‘Find me, remember who I am.’ The voice says, appearing as an apparition but fading before she could look at it.

‘W-who are you?’ She shouts, nervously looking around. She begins to walk, and the ground beneath her turns into water, and she falls in.

She screams, in the water thrashing trying to swim up but it sees to be getting further and further away.

‘Find me, my Star.’ The voice said, appearing before her but she passes out before she got a good look at them.

[ Y/n ] wakes up, gasping for air. Sweat ran down her forehead, she clenched her blanket as she looks down.

“Who was that?” She says, out of breath. After a few moments she finally calms down, and looks out her window.

It’s morning. The sun was out, and she missed the moon already.

She sighed, and looked at her alarm clock. Her eyes widened, at the time.

8:50

“I’m late!” She shouted, frantically getting out of bed. And running to her closet, grabbing her clothes and then into the bathroom.

Showering, getting dressed, and getting ready for the day. “Oh man, I’m so late.” She shouted, as she left her apartment.

She ran down the hallway, “Oh man, my boss is gonna kill me.” She cried, as she was about to reach the elevator.

Someone was coming out of their apartment, and she accidentally ran into them. They both groan, “Excuse me, I’m so sorry.” She said, but she didn’t have time to stay.

She didn’t know, that her necklace fell to the ground. And she continued making her way to the elevator.

The person she bumped into, was stunned didn’t even have a chance to say it was okay. He shrugged it off, and was about to walk towards the elevator.

But noticed the necklace, on the ground. “She must’ve dropped it, when she ran into me.” He says, picking it up.

As he looked at it, a wave of familiarity hit him. It was as if he’s seen this necklace before. The necklace was in the shape of a star, with a crescent moon around it.

[ Y/n ] arrived at her job, and bowed at her boss constantly. Apologizing for being late. She was a assistant teacher, at Juban Middle School.

And she went to a university, in the afternoon. It was a lot of work, but she always had the time. She was always busy, and didn’t really have time for relationships.

As she made her way, up the stairs a girl came running passed her. Causing the girl to, trip and fall.

“Ow~.” The girl groaned in pain, she rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” [ Y/n ] says, to her helping her up. She smiles at her.

“My name is L/n Y/n, I’m looking for Sakurada Haruna’s class. I’m her assistant teacher for today.” [ Y/n ] asks, and the girl’s face seems to get all flustered.

“O-oh um actually I’m in her class. That’s why I was running, I’m a scatter brain and I’m running late.” The girl says, and [ Y/n ] smiles at her.

“I’m late too, we can both be late together.” [ Y/n ] says, smiling at her.

“M-My name is Tsukino Usagi.” Usagi says, and [ Y/n ], nods at the girl who leads her to her class.

“W-well this is th-.” She says, opening the classroom door. To only have her teacher, Haruna. Look at her in anger.

“Ms.Tsukino! Late again.” Haruna shouted, at her and Usagi looked down embarrassed.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said, making a pouty face.

“I-I��m sorry, Haruna-sensei. Ms.Tsukino helped me find the class. If she hadn’t stopped to help me she would’ve been here much earlier.” [ Y/n ] said, bowing at her.

“Ugh, fine go to your seat Ms.Tsukino.” Haruna says, and Usagi nods and goes or her seat.

“Everyone, this is L/n Y/n she’ll be my assistant teacher. For the next couple of weeks, treat her nicely.” She says, and everyone bows as [ Y/n ] walks into the class room.

“Hi, Ms. Y/n.” Everyone says, and [ Y/n ] bows and smiles.

“Thank you, for having me everyone. I’m going to enjoy helping your teacher to teach all of you.” [ Y/n ] says, smiling.

‘Find me..’

She heard the voice, say again. And it’s been happening more and more often. She sighed, bringing her hands up to touch her necklace.

But gasped, “A-ah, oh no.” She said, frantically looking around for it. She begins to panic, looking for the necklace.

That necklace meant everything to her, her mother made it before she passed away. It was the necklace that Endymion, gave Y/n. The day before the Dark Kingdom destroyed the Moon Kingdom.

“Maybe I dropped it on the way here, or when I bumped into that guy this morning.” She says, pouting she looks down.

‘I can’t believe I lost it.’ She thinks, to herself.

It was lunch time, and [Y/n] sat outside eating her lunch while reading the book her mother made of the Forgotten Moon Princess.

Usagi noticed, and walked over to her. “What are you ready?” She asked, and [Y/n] looked up at her and smiled.

“Oh, it’s a book my mother made. It’s about the forgotten moon princess Y/n.” [Y/n] says, looking up at Usagi.

“Ooh, Whats the story like?” She asked, and [Y/n] gives her space to sit and smiles.

“It’s about the forgotten princess, all the stories go towards Serenity. But everyone forgets about her twin sister Y/n. Who my mother named me after, the story is tragic and filled with romance. Between the moon princess Y/n and Endymion.” [Y/n] says, looking down at the book.

“How sad.” Usagi says, tearing up hearing what happens in the story.

“It is, this story means everything to me. And I may sound like a child, but I believe in it. I think what happened in this story is real. I feel a strong connection to the moon, maybe it’s just me but..”[Y/n] says, looking down at the book.

[ Flashback ]

“Mommy tell me the story again.” She asked, holding her plush that her mother made of the Prince Endymion.

“Again?” Her mother asked, and the girl nodded. Her mother sighed, and pulled out a chair. And placed it, at the girls bedside.

“Okay, one more time then bed.” Her mother said, the little girl nodded.

• The Legend of the Forgotten Moon Princess •

“Long ago, on the moon was a castle a big and beautiful one. And in this castle lived, the queen and her two daughter.”

“And the two princess were sisters, twins. Serenity and Y/n”

‘That’s my name!’ A young [y/n] giggled, smiling.

“The two princesses were protected, by the Sailor Guardians. Who had powers of their home planets.”

“But as you know; no one knew of the princess Y/n. And only of Serenity. Leaving, Y/n. Forgotten.”

‘That’s not fair’ a young [Y/n] pouted

“But... She wasn’t forgotten, for one day when visiting Earth for which she was fascinated with. Ran into him. Eventually leading to two them falling in love.”

‘Yeah!’ [ y/n ] shouted..

“The two would secretly meet, each-other when they could. It was a true story of Romeo and Juliet between royals.”

“Eventually, her sister found out about the secret meetings. And told the Senshi. Who was angry at the princess.”

“Who was doing something, so dangerous like going to Earth. But of course, the Princess didn’t care she wanted to be with the one she loved.”

‘Good for her!’ [Y/n] said smiling..

“But, not all good things last. The Dark Kingdom attacked, the Senshi where killed, and many of its people too.”

‘No!’ [Y/n] said, looking down tears in her eyes.

“And, sadly the Prince Endymion died protecting Y/n. Causing her to be grief stricken, taking her own life to be with the one she loves.”

[Y/n], whimpered hugging the plush close to her.

“The Moon Kingdom, was over the Dark Kingdom destroying it. Leaving no one alive, expect the Queen. She gave her life, to send everyone to Earth. And to be reincarnated, into Present Day.”

[Y/n] wiped away, her tears she looked up at her mother.

“So who knows, maybe you’re the reincarnation of the princess..” her mother said, and [Y/n] gave her the biggest smile.

“So maybe, I might find Endymion and fall in love!?” [Y/n] asked, and her mother shrugged tucking her daughter into bed.

.“Maybe, my love.. maybe.” Her mother said, and she kissed her daughters forehead.

“I hope so...” [Y/n] said, hugging her plush close to her.

“Goodnight mommy.” She says, watching as her mother left the room.

“Goodnight, my moon princess.” Her mother said, closing the door and turning on the night light.After a few moments, she watched as the hallway light turned off.

And [Y/n] quickly sat up, and looked out the window. And she looked at the moon, she looked at it longingly.

“I promise, I’m going to find Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity.” She says, smiling reaching out towards the stars.

She’s about to lay down in bed, when she sees a boy who seems to be around her age. Looking out the window as well, and he looks familiar. Like she’s seen him before, he notices her and smiles at her.

And she smiles back at him...

[ ended ]

[Y/n] sighed, as she made her way back to the apartment. As she made her way home, she would look around for her necklace.

The last place to check, was the hallway were she bumped into that guy. She looked around, and found nothing. She sniffled,

“Oh no, it’s gone.” She cried, looking down. As she made her way to her door, she noticed something on it. A note, she read it.

You dropped this, looked important.

The person you bumped into.

Was all it said, and she smiled seeing her necklace. She took it, and kissed. “Oh thank, goodness.” She says, happily.

“I’m gonna have to thank him tomorrow, since it’s late.” She says, walking into her apartment. Closing the door behind her, she makes her way towards her balcony.

And heads outside, and looks up at the moon once more. She holds the necklace close to her, and smiles.

‘My Star, there you are.’

A voice says, she shakes her head. And looks at the constellations, she teachers out to touch them. Reaching higher and higher, she wanted to touch them.

She wanted to be amongst the stars, the moon. Her hand was on her railing, when her hand slipped causing her to off her balcony.

It happened so fast, her entire life flashed before her eyes. As everything flew past her upwards, she looked up at the moon that gave her comfort.

She screamed, as she was falling getting closer and closer to the ground. And closed her eyes, thinking she would meet the ground but didn’t.

She opened her eyes, and looked up she was in the arms of someone wearing a tuxedo suit. She gasped,

[ idk what better to have him say]

“Balconies aren’t to be played..” He says, and she just nods. Looking up at him, he seemed so familiar and this warmth she was feeling from him felt familiar too.

He placed her on the ground, “Thank you.” She says, to him smiling. And he smiles, at her and leaves. She stood there for a few good minutes, and decided to eat out.

After an hour, she made her way back home. While walking towards her apartment, she noticed the guy from this morning entering his.

“Oh, wait!” She shouted, he turned to look back at her. She made, her way towards him.

“I-I wanted to thank you, for finding my necklace. Making sure it makes it’s way back to me.” She says, looking up at him.

And boy she didn’t, mind cause was he attractive. “It’s no problem, the names Chiba Mamoru.” He says, and she smiles at him.

“The names, L/n, Y/n.” She says, looking at him. The two stood there, this interaction them being there felt so familiar.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you this morning, that’s my fault I was late for my job.” She says, looking down embarrassed.

“I’ve been bumped into quite a lot lately.” He says, jokingly and she giggled rubbing the back of her neck.

“I’m not usually, clumsy. To be honest I’m lucky to even be alive, just an hour ago. I was saved by someone in a Tuxedo suit. Cause I fell off my balcony.” She says, looking down nervously.

“Are you okay?” He asked, worriedly. And she nodded, smiling at him.

“Yep. I’m fine just a little shaken.” She says, she looks up at him and nervously plays with her necklace.

“W-Well it is getting late, sorry we couldn’t talk a bit longer. Hope to run into you more often Mamoru.” She says, bowing at him and walking towards her apartment.

Mamoru watched her, that laugh, that smile. Was too familiar, he’s seen it before. But where.

[Y/n], sighed as she walked into her apartment. She closed, the balcony door. And sat on her couch looking at the moon from inside.

Fiddling with her necklace, something flashed in her head.

‘It’s beautiful!’

‘Not as much as you.’

‘My love.’

‘My star’

She gasped, and groaned in pain. She fell to her knees, and looked down at the ground. Then her necklace began to glow, she gasped looking at it.

The light develops her and she begins to transform into, Sailor Luna.

[ Star ]: Nickname given to Princess Y/n, by Endymion

[ Sailor Luna ]: only in live action version of Sailor Moon.

[ Part II ] sneak peek

[Y/n] trips and, Mamoru catches her in his arms. The two look each-other in the eyes, the familiar warmth and feeling returning.

They quickly avert their gaze, and blush.

‘Lunar Cosmic Power Make Up!’ She shouts, as she begins to transform into sailor Luna.

Helping alongside Sailor Moon to fight..

‘Lunar beam!’ [Y/n] shouts, at the villain.

[Y/n] collapses to the ground, tired and exhausted. Tuxedo Mask, picks her up and carries her back to her apartment and places her on the couch.

‘Find me..’

He hears a voice, say. Even though he just met [Y/n], it feels like he’s known her for years. He places a blanket over her, and leaves a kiss on her forehead.

Could she be the princess he’s been looking for?

Tag list open..

[chxmpionofjustice]

STUDY  :  TSUKINO USAGI  ♡

♡   BASICS.

♡  IS YOUR MUSE TALL  /  SHORT  /  AVERAGE? Usagi is the shortest of all of her friends. She’s 4′11″ or 150 cm and yes, she’s fun-sized.

♡  ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT? Yes and no. Her lack of height can come in handy sometimes, but it really is a pain in the butt to buy pants. She compensates with shorts and skirts and she can’t really complain because she’s looks amazing in them. And her boyfriend’s face is too far away from hers for her own liking, but standing on tip toe for a kiss feels like something out of a romance, so she can deal.

♡  WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE? Long, blonde, and shiny. She tries to keep it cut to around knee/calf length but ever since she awoke as the Moon Princess, her hair seems to want to grow much farther than than of its own accord and... well it seems to get a little lighter over time. She keeps her hair up in her signature odango-and-pig-tail style on either side of her head. The hair style is held to together painstakingly with hair bands and bobby pins, all of which come out when she goes to sleep. Sometimes she’ll wear her hair in two low pigtails when she sleeps but more often than not, she lets her hair loose.

♡  DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR  /  GROOMING? Hahahahahahahhahaha. What do you think? YES. Usagi’s hair is one of the few things she puts real effort into. Her hairstyle itself takes a lot of time to do (She’s got the thing down to a science but it still takes her around 10 minutes and would take anyone else a LOT longer), not to mention what she does to keep her hair healthy. Usagi has a whole basket of hair products in her room, ranging from shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and oils. Maintaining all that hair is hard, okay?

♡  DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE  /  WHAT OTHERS THINK?  Yes and no. She definitely cares what she looks like. She loves fashion and putting together outfits so she looks kawaii wherever she’s going (this also counts work as an adult, she will be the girl in the office wearing the cutest blouse and skirt combo with a pair of adorable kitten heels and this will clearly fool everyone into thinking she can adult). But she doesn’t really do that because she cares what others think. She does that for herself, to make herself happy. And if people happen to think she looks good, well that’s a plus. She can be a little vain like that, but who isn’t?

♡   PREFERENCES.

INDOORS OR OUTDOORS? outdoors

RAIN OR SUNSHINE? sunshine

FOREST OR BEACH? beach

PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS? gems

FLOWERS OR PERFUMES? flowers

PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE? personality

BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD? being in a crowd

ORDER OR ANARCHY?  order

PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES? painful truths

SCIENCE OR MAGIC?  magic

PEACE OR CONFLICT? peace

NIGHT OR DAY? day

DUSK OR DAWN? dusk

WARMTH OR COLD? warmth

MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A FEW CLOSE FRIENDS?  a few close friends

READING OR PLAYING A GAME? GIVE ME GAMES OR GIVE ME DEATH

♡   QUESTIONNAIRE.  

♡ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS? HAHAHAHA. Okay do y’all even have TIME to read this? Seriously, there are a lot. To name the biggest bad habit of hers, it’s over-indulgence. Usagi shamelessly indulges in EVERYTHING she loves to the point of excess sometimes. She’s banned from a couple buffets because of her eating habits, the girl is a black hole for food, and will eat whatever she wants to eat. She wastes money on food, mostly junk food because she doesn’t cook. 

Despite the fact that she can’t cook, she will buy ANY cute appliance available for the kitchen that she can. Hello Kitty Toaster? Got it. Sailor Senshi chopsticks? GOT THE WHOLE SET (of course for when everyone comes over, they can eat with their designated chopsticks, duh). Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker? BOUGHT (Girl doesn’t know how to make waffle batter). Every single cup she owns has a character on if from some anime, movie, or manga. She even has commemorative Sailor Senshi cups too. Oh you thought it ended with the chopsticks? NOPE. She spends money on plushies, pillows, pens, bags, etc, of her and her friends and does it QUITE HAPPILY. Of course, the thing she buys the most of (besides herself)? Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo Mask plushies. A Tuxedo Mask pillow case for a body pillow (listen don’t judge her), the rare Tuxedo Mask action figure and the Tuxedo Mask vibr-.... Well let’s just say that she doesn’t only buy every day items with his brand.

A lot of her indulgence has to do with money because she has no impulse control. If she sees a cute thing, she wants it, she buys it. Be it items or clothes. And whatever she buys usually ends up... Well, not put away. Usagi can be pretty messy (it’s a system that works for her, okay), to put it simply. And she’s messy because, to put it quite frankly, she’s kind of lazy. She’s a queen procrastinator who prefers to play games, read manga, doodle, and SLEEP rather than do homework or chores. Usagi would rather do anything under the sun except her responsibilities and everyone who knows her knows this. Boy, do they know this.

That being said, when she is facing her responsibilities as Sailor Moon, she does almost a complete 180. The Earth is her responsibility to protect and she will do anything she has to to keep it safe. Even if it means sacrificing herself. Despite how selfish she can act with certain things (food mostly, she’s like Joey, JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD), Usagi will give herself to save a life in an instant. No hesitation. Because to her every life is precious. The world is precious. So if she has to use her crystal to the point where she has no life energy left to defeat someone evil or divert an asteroid, she will. If she has to throw herself into an abyss to defeat an enemy and save everyone else, she will. 

You may be asking yourself why I wrote that all out. “Altruism is a good thing!” I did it because the level of altruism she displays is destructive. To herself. She is so willing to save everyone that if she sees her own demise as the only way to keep everyone else from dying, she will let herself die. And that’s not giving up. Giving up would be going without a fight. Usagi is gonna fight until her very last breath and that’s gonna be what takes her. Unless someone can come up with a way to save everyone where she won’t have to do that, there’s no stopping her, either. 

♡ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM? Yes and no. Usagi and her friends have all died more than once. Losing them and Mamoru the first time it happened was absolutely devastating to her. She still has nightmares of seeing their bodies lifelessly laying in the snow. Of watching Mamoru, her prince, die in her arms and then be taken away from her only to become a pawn for the enemy. 

The first deaths are the hardest to get over.

And then watching one by one as her friends were taken by the Black Moon (she only BARELY saved Venus, if she didn’t have Mina-P with her, she doesn’t know if she would have been able to go on like she did), her future daughter was corrupted so heinously that she took her own father hostage for her own amusement, and then Sailor Pluto’s death.

I won’t even get into how Galaxia practically vaporized Mamoru in front of her and she was so traumatized that she wiped it from her own memory and was convinced he got on the plane to America. Or how Galaxia also did the same to her friends. There are nights Usagi wakes up in tears with the awful inability to breathe and the only thing that can calm her down is hearing their voices. 

She clings tight to Mamoru when anyone gives him an all too appreciative lingering look (seriously, the man is too pretty for his own good, he attracts so many bad guys) because god forbid they end up turning out to be something evil and try to take him away from her. 

The long and the short of it is that Usagi definitely has some form of PTSD. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

♡ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS? Usagi had a sunny life and continues to live wearing rose-tinted glasses even when she has to stop and save the world now and then. She has so many fond memories of growing up like playing dress up with her mom,  meeting Naru in primary school, playing in parks and going to the beach with her family. She has even fonder memories of meeting her best friends, her sisters in arms, in middle school.

And, despite how it ended, sometimes Usagi likes to think on some of the memories from her past life in the Silver Millennium. How she and the senshi would spend day after day with each other. Memories of her mother doting on her and of extravagant balls held in opulent ballrooms. Memories of meeting the beautiful prince of Earth and of the first time she felt his lips on hers.

She has an awful lot to sort through.

♡ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL?  Hell no. She struggles with that idea. The only time she kills is when the enemy has shown their truest form and she has no choice. Otherwise, Usagi will do her damnedest to save everyone. The bad guy included. Because everyone deserves a second chance to do the right thing.

♡ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN?  Usagi is known for being a crybaby. We establish this early on when we meet her. So one would think her break downs are loud and dramatic because that’s how she is when she cries. That’s... Not strictly true though. When Usagi breaks down, really breaks down, its because she’s holding onto her pain quietly. Usagi breaks down with silent tears and full body sobs. She breaks down with trembling hands and their white knuckle grip on her pillow that she’s holding against her face to muffle when she can’t be quiet anymore.

She breaks down alone.

When someone finds her and tries to comfort her, it can go one of two ways, either she’ll just keep letting it out and allow herself to be comforted, or she’ll suck it all back in, put a stopper in it and assure whomever it is that she’s fine, really, she was just crying because Lawsons didn’t have any more red velvet cake, honestly. 

When Usagi breaks down, she’s at her lowest emotionally, usually feeling horrible about herself. That’s a point that you’d think would be particularly difficult for her to get to right? Right?

♡ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE? She literally does this all the time. Usagi is an amazing judge of character. Not counting her senshi, Usagi has put her life in the hands of people that her allies considered untrustworthy multiple times. And she was right to trust every single one of them. The first one being Tuxedo Mask, then the Outer Senshi. After that, Hotaru. Helios. The Starlights. Usagi knows when she can trust someone with her life and yes, yes, YES, she is very capable of doing it. 

♡ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE? Haaaaaaaaaaaa, gosh. Usagi in love is... She loves with her whole self. Usagi is not good at hiding her emotions, even when she’s trying to hold them in. She’s the definition of ‘heart on your sleeve’ because she’s so very open with her emotions and she doesn’t know any other way to be. 

When Usagi is in love, you can take one look at her with the person she loves and it’s obvious. We’re talkin’ heart eyes muthafucka. She’s clingy, likes to touch and be affectionate a lot. And, this goes back to her indulgence thing, she has no problem letting her person know she wants them when she wants them and indulging in that. She’s not subtle in anything with her love. 

She is very physical in her love, but that’s because that’s how she is. But being in love is also tender. Kisses pressed into sleep warm skin, banter and giggles over breakfast (that the other person made because once again, ya girl cannot COOK), cuddling on the couch or in bed while having soft conversations or talking about their day, going out to spend the day at the park or where ever for a day date, romantic dinners in her favorite restaurants or, even better, at home. It’s secret smiles and softened eyes and soft brushes of skin. It’s being completely open and endlessly patient when the other person can’t be just yet. Usagi in love is both in-your-face and achingly tender.

And yes, I know that Usagi had heart eyes when she saw Rei. Listen. Usagi has a big heart. Like a humongous heart. She falls in love easily. She could say she’s in love with her ice cream and totally mean it, okay? Usagi loves with all of herself and that’s not just romantically. But the type of “in love” Usagi can be in, because of her heart, can seem fickle, even when it’s not to her. Just because she started loving one thing doesn’t mean she doesn’t love something else just as fiercely.

♡ TAGGED BY: @adversitybloomed​  ♡ TAGGING :  WHO EVER WANTS TO TBH

[thetokenmuggle]

From First To Last

The Prologue Included : M, Jane, Sungjae,Minah, Daniel, Tyler, Emily, Lucas

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ The Beginnings ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

“And these are your quarters.” Prince Endymion, more commonly referred to as M by his inner circle lead the Moon Princess and her royal party to the left-wing of the castle. “All the rooms are fully furnished and the staff we will be more than happy to help with any of your needs,” he said. One of the maids scoffed glaring at the interstellar royals, M shook his head not understanding why his people were suddenly so against the treaty between Elysion and the Moon Kingdom. It was a step towards the future, a golden age for their people. “Ah,” he scratched the back of his neck. “I should let you all rest, you have all had a long trip,” he said. “There is a lot planned for tomorrow,” he said nodding awkwardly. “Goodnight,” he said bowing to the Moon Princess, “Ah should i -” he said looking at her royal guard who are also the Princes and Princesses of their respective planets. “No, I’ll just go,” he said with an awkward wave before turning on his heels and speeding away, hoping to get that tragic interaction out of his head.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

“.... Not that i think you aren’t pretty, because you are, not that you are just pretty - i mean … ” Daehyung mocked as Eunha fell into a fit of giggles beside him. The two of them were putting acting training to good use and doing a dramatized version of M’s rather tragic interaction with Princess Serenity.

“So the Prince, is he, you know, an idiot,” Mars commented with a snigger. “Do earthlings not know how to form a sentence?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think he was just nervous,” Jupiter responded. “It’s the first time Elysian has interacted with the Moon Kingdom in a century, he has a lot riding on this,” he pointed out.

“Your majesty,” Enzo said, cutting off Eunha and Daehyung. “Do you perhaps need some tips on how to talk to a girl?” he said. M looked up, eyes narrowed, Enzo was known around the kingdom as a bit of a ladies men. “I am sure Eunha can pretend to be a lady for five minutes for you to practice,” he teased as Eunha growled at Enzo.

“Daehyung should play the princess, his blonde and we all know how much he loves the attention,” Eunha said as Daehyung ran a hand through his blonde locks.

“Oh Prince Endymion.” Daehyung teased fluttering his eyelashes before puckering his lips and blowing a kiss to M. “I better stop, I don’t want our dear prince to fall in love with little old me, it would just make things too awkward,” Daehyung grinned.

“That and he was blown away by Serenity’s beauty,” Mercury said. “I think it’s sweet,” she said with a soft smile. “Someone is just being mean because his longest relationship is the one he has with his own right hand,” she teased her brother who threw one of the many, many cushions that littered Serenity's bed, at her head.

“I am not being mean,” Mars huffed. “I am just pointing out that this Endymion is hardly princely, if acted like that Father would have Phobos and Deimos on my back like that,” he said with a click of his fingers. “And please we all know i have the most suitors apart from Venus,” he boasted, Venus looked up from brushing Serenity’s hair rolling her eyes at Mars and his antics.

“But you reject them all because you know your true love is out there, you’ve seen it in one of your premonitions,” Jupiter teased. “Could you imagine if people knew the Prince of Mars was a romantic,” he said with a whistle.

“Sungjae you are on my side right?” M said looking at his most trusted knight and oldest friend. “I wasn’t that obvious right?” he asked hopefully. Sungjae looked at him, a small smile on his face before shaking his head.

“Honestly M it was pretty bad,” he said with a frown. “But perhaps it's better this way, this is already a fragile treaty, we don’t want things to get more complicated,” he said seriously. Eunha and Daehyung booed from their spots.

“Don’t listen to Mr Moody pants over there,” Daehyung said. “Treaty Smchetty you should give the princess your meaty,” he giggled. His innuendo caused several reactions from the other shitennou, Enzo chuckled with a shake of his head, Sungjae looked disgusted and Eunha swiftly smacked across the back of the head.

“You are so lucky you prefer the company of other knights,” she said shaking her head. “M please for the love of Gaia do not take relationship advice from him,” she said rolling her eyes at her cousin. “If you really did like this Princess i suggest you be yourself, even if that does lead to some awkwardness - honestly is the best policy,” she said sincerely. Sungjae nodded in agreement but didn’t comment, not wanting to make anyone think he approved of this potential pursuit of the Moon Kingdom.

“Didn’t being yourself get you dumped by Lord Gideon,” Enzo questioned as both Eunha and Daehyung glared at him. “Okay shutting up now,”

“Min- I mean Venus,” Serenity said softly while the rest of her royal guard bickered amongst themselves. “What do you think of Prince Endymion?” she asked. When it came to opinions there was no one Serenity valued more than Venus, well apart from her mother ofcourse.

“I think he is a good man who wants what is best for his planet,” Venus said, placing the brush down on Serenity’s bed. “He is a little awkward but he has the whole planet's fate in his hands, its alot of responsibility to handle on your own,” she said. Serenity hummed, the death of the former King and his wife was a tragedy to say the least, she could only imagine what Endymion was going through.

“It must be hard,” Serenity said softly. “He seems so sweet,” she commented, a warm welcoming dimpled smile coming to mind as she spoke, her cheeks heating up as she smiled softly.

“ I am sure he is but did you forget about the rumours that Lord Jaehyun is going to start courting you when we arrive back on the moon,” Minah said softly but the warning was in her tone, don’t get too fond. “Let’s just focus on improving relations between our Kingdoms,” she said.

‘Do my ears deceive me or is the Princess of Venus telling someone to think with their brains and not with their hearts?” Mars commented in a sing-song voice. “The same Princess who was caught canoodling with several misters at her Debutante ball,” he asked, teasing.

“Your just jealous you weren’t one of them,” Jupiter laughed. “And shush you know Venus takes her position as leader of the Sailor Senshi very seriously,” he said.

“And she wishes you two would start taking it more seriously,” Venus commented. “Now off to bed you three, I will take tonight’s guard shift,” she commented getting up off Serenity's bed.

“What? Why? Venus you should rest as well,” Serenity said with a frown.

“Your highness, as much as Prince Endymion is trying not everyone else on Elysion shares the same good will,” Venus said softly, not wanting to upset her friend.

“As fun as teasing M is we have a big day tomorrow,” Sungjae commented, “We should let his highness get some rest,” he said seriously. The other Shitennou knew when he used that tone that the fun was over. “I’ll do a quick round on the Lunarian parties wing the rest of you should all go to bed, who knows who these talks will play out,” he said with a frown.

The other three stood up gathering their things and heading towards their respective rooms, not without a few quick jabs at M, Daniel telling him to dream off him before sending him another flying kiss. “M everything will be fine,” Sungjae said softly once they were alone. “You are a good ruler and everyone will see that,” he said with a quick nod before leaving to do his rounds.

M flopped back onto his bed, eyes closing as soon as his head hit the pillow, one single thought on his mind.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

“Good morning your majesty,” Prince Endymion greeted Princess Serenity with bow as they walked into the dinning room“I hope you found the room to your satisfaction,” he said politely. Venus heard Mars snigger beside her muttering about how the prince learned to speak over night. Venus rolled her eyes knowing this wouldn’t last, as soon as the Earth Prince looked up and saw what Serenity was wearing or not wearing for that matter it would be back to mumbled words if they were lucky.

“Give her your jacket,” Venus said through gritted teeth as Mars rolled his eyes handing Serenity his jacket.

“Your highness.” Venus said carefully. “Forgive me if i am wrong but i believe Princess Serenity did not have anything planned for this morning so her attire isn’t exactly proper,” she commented stopping herself from snapping at him. Yes he was a Prince but he still had to follow protocol.

“Huh?” Prince Endymion looked up before quickly looking down, face bright red. “Oh uhm, I was just going to offer you all join us for breakfast,” he muttered.

“Why is there something wrong with the one your staff -” Mars started to speak before Princess Serenity spoke.

  “We’d love to,” Serenity said quickly, “Just give me a moment to get changed into something more appropriate,” she said looking down at her nightgown, sheer and shimmering in the Earth’s sunlight.

“Right of course, Sungjae,” he said, turning to one of his Knight’s. “Would you stay here and show them to the formal dining area,” he asked. The Knight looked between the Prince and their royal party, nodding with a frown. “Okay i’ll see you then,” Prince Endymion said with a huge smile, a huge smile that Serenity seemed to bloom under. Well this was tooth rottingly sweet, Venus knew this was going to be trouble.

“Your majesty shall we?” Venus commented as Serenity nodded turning away from Prince Endymion, a soft smile on her face. Venus and Mars moved to her sides as they made their way back to their quarters, the Prince’s Knight stood a few steps away from that all times but he was a looming figure, the sniggering staff all backed away at the sight. Something Venus appreciated because threatening to kill them in her native tongue just didn’t have the same effect.

“I’ll be right back,” Princess Serenity said to the three mostly to Endymion’s guard. “Mars, would you be able to wake Mercury and Jupiter up,” she said sweetly as Mars nodded stepping past the Elysion guard with a scowl. Venus rolled her eyes, Mars had a tough time believing that Elysian and it’s people truly wanted peace, especially after his father had filled his head with stories of the Solar wars.

Silence had fallen over the hallway, Venus standing inside of a slightly ajar door frame as to keep an on Princess Serenity. “I don’t doubt your Prince wants people but from how the staff is reacting to us i don’t your people do,” Venus said to the Guard who looked up brow cocked.

“It has admittedly been harder to convince some people that this is the best step for our future as a nation,” The guard spoke, his tone steady conveying no hint of emotion. “It has seemed to get worse of late,” he admitted. “The Prince is trying so hard to quell the situation,” he said, Venus noted their was a crack in his armor, one that mirrored her own, her Princess was always number one and she had a feeling that it was the same for this guard and Prince Endymion. With a nod silence fell over the two as they waited for the rest of the royal party to come back out. The other guards returned, Mars resuming his one sided glare off with the guard while Mercury and Jupiter looked over at him curiously.

“Mi-Venus,” The Princess shrieked, causing the four of them to rush towards the door.Only to find the Princess standing there holding up two pieces of jewellery.

“Sorry guys,” Princess Serenity said sheepishly, “I’ll be out in a minute,” she said shutting the door once Venus was in the room.

15 minutes later Princess Serenity walked back out fully dressed. “Uhm, Sungjae was it?” she asked as she stood in the hallway, her guards flanking her side. “Is this … I tried to replicate Elysian’s style,” she said smoothing down her gown. Sungjae looked her over, her outfit while a perfect replicate of an Elysian gown but the fabrics and intricate patterns was far more over the top then what an Earth girl would wear, especially not a breakfast, Sungjae knew better than to point that out.

“It’s a lovely gown your majesty, your dressmakers are very skilled,” he said softly as the younger girl smiled widely, “But please don’t feel obligated change your style to match ours, you are an esteemed guest you should be able to dress however you please,” he said politely. “Now if we are all ready,” Sungjae said ready to lead the party to breakfast. “Prince Endymion has planned a busy day for you, he is quite excited to show you all our humble palace,” he said looking at the Lunarians curiously. Today was going to be interesting.

➤ proceed to the library

➤ proceed to the gym

➤ proceed to the astronomy tower

➤proceed to the kitchen

➤proceed to the garden

[docholligay]

The Bad Ending

Angstober, Day 22! Written for @keyofjetwolf but also HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINAKO. about 1500 words, basically if I had Haruka’s MaS arc end terribly. ‘m not totally satisfied with this, but I tried

“It’s okay, buddy. I’m here. You did good, it’s okay.” 

She shouldn’t have made it to the hospital. She’d been crushed, half-buried under the rubble left in the wake of their terrible victory, and the doctors had, as kindly as possible, told Mina that there was too much damage. They weren’t sure why she was still alive, even now. Her body was failing her, and it was only a matter of time. 

Usagi, Mina, and Pluto. They were the three left standing, without a scratch on them. Mako and Michiru were still deeply unconscious, Ami and Hotaru were dead, and Rei was currently cussing out at least two doctors and a nurse from her hospital bed. It was poetry, wasn’t it, that it was going to be groups of three? Three dead, three damaged, and three just absolutely, perfectly fine, to live their doubtless long lives. 

The fight had been long, and hard, and Mina felt the wave of exhaustion hit her, all their senshi power fallen away to leave them with all the sacrifices they’d made. To figure this world out on their own, and how to be a normal person in it. 

Mina wanted to be left alone, when she was sick, and she assumed when the time came for her to die that she’d more or less crawl under the porch like a cat and let it come to her on her own terms. But Haruka was not that way, at her most honest heart, and craved comfort when she was sick, or hurt. 

“You’re not alone, Ruka,” She squeezed her hand, “I won’t leave you, I promise.” 

She’d discovered this over the course of several months in their little apartment, where she had slowly moved from being a full-time angry asshole to a full and layered person in Mina’s eyes. How she’d softened with the application of warmth like a stick of butter, and how, over the years, she had come to trust enough in the world to extend out her hand, when she needed it. 

The sensation of that memory waved over her, the cheap couch they’d found by the side of the road, Haruka buried in blankets, hot with fever, eyes heavy with sleep. The few days of the flu had taken it out of her, and despite Mina’s forceful application of pedialyte, she was a bit woozy and dehydrated. 

Unfortunately, Haruka being Haruka, this had made her slightly clingy and hysterical, in a way that Mina could simultaneously be flattered by the level of trust it conferred, and annoyed by a woman trying to wash the damn kitchen dishes. 

“You’re okay bud,” The room was soft and warm, and Haruka nodded along with her, willing herself to listen, “You’re totally fine, you’re okay. It’s okay--

The memory split, and there was a grey sky and the pile of blankets were replaced by stones, and Haruka’s eyes grew wide as she began to shake, and all Mina could hear was her saying, over and over again, you’re okay you’re okay you’re okay. 

It was a prayer. It was a lie. 

She shook herself awake, the grey passing into the too-bright white of the hospital room, and she looked down at Haruka, panicked for a moment. She was still there. She was still breathing, however weak and ragged and inconsistent it was. Mina hadn’t left her alone. 

“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured, running a hand through Haruka’s hair, a touch of blood at the ends of it, “I’m sorry. You deserve better.” 

It was true. Haruka had fought hard for her world, for her princess, for her senshi family, and the only reward it seemed to bring her was death, a drawn out death in a bright, terrible hospital room, a death without her wife at her side, and all Mina could hope was that she was far gone enough it didn’t hurt much. 

Given Haruka’s general luck in life, it probably did. 

She looked off out the window, where night had fallen, a full night with no stars and no moon to guide, and even the city lights did not seem to penetrate in here, just the sheer black of night, staring at her, grinning, grinning as it began to slither through the windows, whispering. 

She’s ours now she’s ours because you weren’t there because --

“No,” Mina shook her head, “She--” 

The tendrils of night came in and caressed Haruka’s face, Mina swatting at them as they came closer, but they only split, heads of a hydra, and one curled around her ear, hissing quietly. 

You could have kept her at your side you could have run her through you could have done anything but all you did was make it as bad as it could possibly be and you will know this your whole very long life that you did nothing for her at the end--

“STOP!” 

The howl echoed off the sides of the room, and Mina realized she’d been sleeping again, scrambling as she held Haruka’s hand tighter. Still a heartbeat. Still there. 

She had to get coffee. She couldn’t leave the room. She couldn’t find a nurse, she couldn’t flag down anyone to help her. If she could give Haruka anything, at the last, it had to be this, it had to be the gift of having someone at her side at the end of her life. She had spent too much of it alone, too much of it without a kind word, and Mina was going to fix this small sliver of Haruka’s life, this one detail, and if she did that, she could know that she did something to improve this horrible, dark day. 

She should have asked Usagi to be with her. She should have asked Pluto. They could have taken turns, but no, Mina was selfish, and Mina wanted to watch one of her favorite people on this earth die without having to bear Usagi’s grief, or Pluto’s questions. She wanted to bear the quiet misery of watching Haruka fade by herself, and drag that millstone around her own neck whether or not it dragged her to hell, because Haruka would do that same thing for her. 

She pinched the skin of her inner thigh, tight, and almost made herself yelp with the pain of it. It couldn’t be enough. Haruka was struggling, now, and she could only keep going so much longer. Her breaths came in soft gasps, and Mina must have said a hundred things to her, but none of them felt like words, just like smooth stones, blended together at the bottom of the clear, stuttering rapids of Haruka’s breathing. 

Could Haruka even hear her? What could she possibly say that she hadn’t said, over and over again? 

“I promise to take care of Michiru. I promise not to be mad at Usagi. I promise to be okay.” 

It was a prayer. It was a lie. 

Mina wasn’t sure that the hospital windows could open, but she felt the chill of a wind come up behind her, envelop her, chill her to the bone, and she felt that pinch on her leg bruise, grow bigger and bigger until she feel it in her belly, until she could feel it snake up into her chest, the blood vessels bursting into a tie dye across her body. The wind blew the blanket off Haruka’s body, and Mina went to pull it back up, but the blood had hardened, and as much as she tried, she was stiff, laying back in the chair, unable to move as the wind howled and howled and--

“Honey?” a nurse touched her shoulder, shaking it gently. 

Her eyes opened, and she cursed herself again. “Can I have some coffee, right now, please?” 

“Of course,” she rubbed Mina’s shoulder, and all that blood compressed into a heavy ball, and dropped into her stomach, “you can have whatever you--” 

There was a doctor by Haruka’s side, writing something down in a chart, as another nurse unhooked a tube from the IV. 

“No.” Mina leaned forward. “No no no, fuck!” 

She shook Haruka’s hand in hers. Cold. Cold. Cold. 

 “No, I--fuck! Haruka!” She called after her, wherever she had gone, tears beating a path of imminent failure down her cheeks. 

The nurse gently pulled her back by the shoulders, saying something Mina could no longer hear, the silence where Haruka used to be roaring and churning inside of her so loud that the world had fallen away, and there was only that full night, no stars, turning its attention to her, filling her, taking up a residence it would never leave. 

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” 

The only sound in return was the high metallic clink of a transformation ring, fallen to the floor.

[icyhot-writes]

Two Worlds Apart Part 1/?

Main Characters: OC Kamiko Kaori + Shoto Todoroki

Fandoms: Sailor Moon and Boku No Hero

Chapter Rated: SFW

My name is Kamiko Kaori, and I’m from Crystal Tokyo in the 30th Century! Or at least I was. I guess I should tell you I’m also Sailor Star Galaxy, the last generation in the Sailor Soldiers. I possess all the powers of the Other Sailor scouts, and was trained to be a last line of defense and to step in should any of the other scouts fall. During a fight with our latest enemy, the return of the Negaverse, a tear in space was ripped open. Sailor Pluto and I attempted to seal it up, but not before I was sucked in. That’s when I woke up in this archaic world, where almost everyone possessed some type of power. Or “Quirk” as they called it. But that was almost eight months ago. I thought Neo Queen Serenity would have come for me by now. But it seems that this new world was now my reality. And that brings us here! Standing at the gates of the esteemed U.A High School, wondering what I was possibly doing there.

“Hey Kamiko! You made it!” called Yaoyorozu, or as Kamiko knew her as, Momo. She ran towards Kamiko, two other girls at her side. Yaoyorozu had come across  Kamiko within her first few days in the strange land. Hungry, beaten, and scared, Yaoyorozu showed pity on the girl and took her home. As she nursed Kamiko to health the two soon became friends. Eventually, Kamiko told Yaoyorozu her story, being Sailor Star, and how she ended up there. In return, Yaoyorozu taught her about their world of heroes and quirks. She was the only person Kamiko trusted. A few weeks ago, she convinced Kamiko to return to school, specifically…to apply to UA.  

“Hey Momo.” Kamiko smiled at her. “Are these your friends?”

“Yes! Guys, this is that girl I told you about. Kaori Kamiko, Meet Uraraka and Ashido .” Momo introduces them.  

“Is it true you’re an alien!?” the pink girl pushed forward, a little too close for comfort.  

“Ashido!” Yaoyorozu scolds her. “I swear not everyone knows. Just Ashido, Uruaka and Jiro.”

Kamiko dismissed it with a wave of her hand.  

“It’s okay. To be fair, the word Alien is relative. From my point of view, you guys are the aliens.” She joked with a smile. She used a hand to push a wisp of violet hair out of her face. "But I suppose I am. I’d rather not talk about it right now though. I have to stay focused for the entrance exam.”  

“Right! Well come on! We’ll take you!” Uraraka smiled, grabbing Kamiko and dragging her through the campus. “It’s so rare that UA will make an exception and do an entrance exam mid-semester. You must have a crazy strong quirk!”  

“Well uhm...something like that.” Kamiko stammered out, feeling her cheeks heat up. It was so weird going from a world where powers had hidden identities to a world where almost everyone had them. Even displayed them.  

“Hey look!” Ashido pointed up at the building. “That’s Principal Nezu, All Might, Mr. Aizawa, Mr. Yamada, and Ms. Kayama. They must be waiting for you.”  

“Huh? And that’s our homeroom class. I wonder why they are here.” Yaoyorozu stated curiously.

“Ah, Kamiko Kaori! Thank you for joining us this morning.” The …well…mouse spoke to her. I really needed to stop being so surprised at this point. She thought to herself. "Please bear with us, the arena is finishing being prepped. It is so rare an occasion we do exams like this in the middle of a semester; we needed to adjust a few things.”  

“It’s I who should be thanking you.” Kamiko and bowed respectfully. “I am so grateful this opportunity Principal Nezu.”  

The teacher who looked like he pulled one too many all-nighters stepped up. If Ashido named them in order, this should be-  

“My name is Aizawa. This is my homeroom. They will be participating in the arena with you to keep things semi-fair like the normal exam. However, keep in mind each of the students here have not only passed the exam, but already have hero training. But seeing as this is an exceptional case, this shouldn’t be a problem.” He spoke in a monotone, bored voice.  He turned to the group of students. “I doubt I need to say this but it’s in your best interest to try in this. This will be treated as pop quiz. Turn your attention to Present Mic and he will explain the rules.”  

The next teacher to speak was the exact opposite of Aizawa.  

“Alright Listeners, this may be a repeat for some of you but it’s a remix!” he spoke energetically, causing Kamiko to cringe. “Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty. Your goal is to use your Quirks to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains. BUT THIS TIME, attacking other examinees is ALLOWED.  Why? WELL because the zero-point villains that are normally robots will be some of your classmates. That’s right folks, some of your peers have been briefed beforehand and will be sabotaging the others as double agents!” he spoke with such enthusiasm even at the last part.  

Kamiko’s violet eyes scanned the class for a clue on who may have been against her, but everyone looked equally shocked. She made contact with a boy with red and white hair. One brown eye. One blue. He turned away from her almost instantly. Kamiko continued to watch him until Momo bumped her.

“Gawk later. Pay attentinon.” she whispered. Kamiko rolled her eyes, tuning back in.

“Now remember young heroes! Attacking does NOT mean injuring. Although we have Recovery Girl standing by, that doesn’t mean you go all out. Use your best judgment on when to pull back.” All Might instructed. “Anyone caught using excessive force WILL fail.”  

“This should be fun! I didn’t have to take the last exams.” Yaoyorozu whispered to her. “It’s cool to see what it was like.”

“I, uh, just have one question.” Kamiko spoke, a raising a hand.  

“Yes Miss Kaori?” All Might answered her.  

“I’m sure you’re aware, my “quirk” works differently, should I transform now or once the test has begun?” she asked, not wanting to break rules.  This gains some looks from the other students, and she quietly cursed herself for drawing attention.  

“Once the test has begun. After all, you can’t always prepare ahead in a real battle.” Principal Nezu smiled giddily. She nodded clutching the broach on her chest. It was similar to Sailor Moon’s and held a piece of the silver crystal handed down to her. “We shall all go to the observation room then. Good luck Miss Kaori. You as well my students!” With that All Might scooped up the teachers with a hearty laugh, and bounded into the air.  

“Is he always like that?” she asked with an amused smile. But before anyone could answer, the doors to the exam slammed open. Everyone ran in, Kamiko at the back of the pack. She was going to need a boost. She ran towards the side of the tunnel using the wall to jump over the other students. “COSMIC PLANET POWER!” she yelled out mid-air, and began to transform into her sailor form.

Her violet hair released from its bun and flowed down her back as purple glowing ribbons wrapped around her body. She landed on the other side of the crowd, looking over her shoulder at them in her purple, black and white senshi outfit. They all were staring at her surprised, except for Momo who had seen her transform before. “Well? Are you all just going to stand there?” she smirked.

“She’s right!” an overly excited boy saluted, the engines in his legs boosting him towards the robots. “Sorry Ma’am, but this is competition! And Class 1A does not lose!” At that rate he was going to get to those bots before she could.  

“Jupiter Thunder….” Kamiko yelled, crossing her hands like the former sailor had taught her.  An antenna rose from her tiara. “CRASH!”  

“Iida jump!” Yaoyorozu warned her classmate. He did as he was told, just narrowly avoiding her thunder blast at the robots.

“Whoa! A thunder quirk!” A boy with spiky green hair gasps.  

She smiled to herself, watching as the robots twitched and fell.

“We’ve got to slow her down!” He moved toward her with incredible speed, a green light shooting around his body. Kamiko jumped back, just barely dodging his hand grabbing at her. Another hand grabbed her shoulder. It was rock hard, but still she managed to flip them onto to the ground, a blur of red hair catching her eye as she slammed them.

“Sorry!” she winced before running off.  

I need to get away from the group as fast as possible. She thought looking for a solution.  High ground would be best so I can survey what I’m up against.  She spots a building with an overhang and ran towards it.  

“Venus Love Me Chain!” she yelled and the heart shape golden chain latched on to the edge. Kamiko jumped into the air, the chain pulling her higher, kicking a few more robots down as she went.  

“OH NO YOU DON’T!” A yell came from behind her.  A blonde boy with spiky hair was using blasts from his hands to chase after her. The look of anger on his face was terrifying. “I WON’T LOSE TO YOU!”  

She removed her broach and willed it into Pluto’s staff. It quickly took the form and she aimed it at the boy. “Deadly Scream!” the sonic blast hits him and the neighboring robots, sending them all back towards the ground, a slew of profanities leaving his mouth. “Nothing personal!” Kamiko yelled back just as she reached the top of the building.  

Everyone seems to be either fighting amongst themselves or the other robots. Kamiko looked down trying to think which attack would only harm the robots, when a wall of ice suddenly hurtled towards her, knocking out tons of robots simultaneously. She went to avoid it but was too slow. The ice began to encase her, grounding her feet in place. She pressed her hands together. “Mars Fire Ignite!” The fire shot out and circled her, melting the frosty cage in the process.  On the outside of the wall, the boy with the half white, half red hair looked at her with that same stoic face from earlier.  Did that attack come from him?  

“So, you have a fire quirk as well.” He said coolly. Stating the obvious much?

“It will take more than a measly snow globe to keep me down.” She huffed twirling the staff in her hand. He didn’t answer her, instead examining her, most likely thinking of what move to do next. He shot another ice blast, but it avoided her, instead taking out the robots on her flank. She looked at him curiously. That attack was too precise to have been an accident. If he was a double, why would he help her?  

“Thank you.” She said softly. He still didn’t answer, instead running at her, an icy chill escaping from his lips.  He began shoot ice blast after blast at her. Or Not. She thought breaking the attacks with her staff. What was with this guy? She moved to evade him and he formed another ice wall to block her path. That’s when she put it together. He was making her waste time on him. Bastard can’t block what he can’t see. “Mercy Bubbles Blast!” she yelled, making a thick mist. She danced around him making noise with her staff to confuse him on her location. But he was smarter, fire blasts began to shoot out, not only shocking her, but causing her mist to thin out. “Venus love me chain!” She shot the chain in the direction the flames came from, trapping his body. Or what she thought was his body. When she pulled, the chain tightened but didn’t budge. Even if he was stronger, she should have felt a little tug. The mist continued to thin out and she saw she had actually wrapped around a pole. Shit. “Mirror.” she said softly, planning to use Neptune’s Mirror to see where he was hiding. But as the staff morphed, a warm hand grabbed her, pushing her against the pole.

The cold sharp point of an icicle was pointed at her neck. “You put up quite a fight.” His icy breath whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her. “but you’re done now.” Anger radiated through her body. How could she fall for such a ploy?

“You’re the one who’s done.” She spoke through gritted teeth. She slowly angled the mirror until she saw his reflection in it. “Submarine..Reflection.”

The mirror shot out a bright blast, forcing him back and onto the ground. “Mars Flame Sniper!” she said and her fire took the shape of a bow and arrow. She shot Four hours into his shirt, pinning him, even if it’s for a moment. “Stay down, please.” the violet haired girl begged. “ I need this.”

To her surprise, he laid his head back, not resisting. Kaori ran to the edge of the building, looking down at the other students fighting the robots. She aimed her bow, and began to shoot the flaming arrows at as many robots as she could manage. Then a loud buzzer rang through her ears.  

“TIMES UP!” Present Mic’s voice boomed through the air. She disarmed her bow, the fire disappearing in thin air, as well as the arrows pining the boy. Was that last attack enough to make up for lost time?

The sound of ice crinkling caught her attention as a large ice slide formed down the building. Her opponent stood at the edge and then slid down to the bottom. Kamiko rewrapped her chain around the pole and jumped off the building. Once at the bottom, she detransformed to her normal clothes and the broach returned to its place on her chest.  Quick hands began to return her hair into it’s messy bun. She made eye contact with Uraraka who quickly ran over to her. “Kaori, that was incredible! “She smiled, hugging Kamiko tightly. “I had no idea you were that powerful.”  

“You even held your own against Todoroki! And he’s our strongest classmate!” Ashido appeared giddily.  

“HE IS NOT!” The voice of the angry blonde boy from earlier boomed. He pushed through the crowd toward her, and she had half the mind to turn back into Sailor Star Galaxy. “You may be strong, but you’re not stronger than me GOT IT?! Neither is Icy Hot! I will Destroy-“  

His voice cut off as a red headed boy clamped a literal, rock hard hand across his mouth.  

“Sorry about Bakugo. Just ignore him, it’s what most of us do.” he smiled at her as he held the other boy back. “I’m Kiroshima! And you were seriously awesome! I didn’t see that flip coming!”  

“Oh that was you?” Kamiko remembered the person she had slammed earlier, and put two and two together. “I really am sorry! Are you alright?”  

“No worries! My quirk is hardening. Takes a lot more than a few body slams to hurt me.” Kiroshima chuckled. “Speaking of, you have some major quirks yourself. How many do you have?”  

“I counted six! Thunder, Chain, Fire, Bubbles, Sonic Waves and that transformation in the beginning! ” the green hair boy from earlier ran up. “Do your quirks only work after that? It must be why you asked principle Nezu. And is that staff thing apart of you? How did you get so many quirks?” he shot question after question; Kamiko barely able to keep up.  Her back pressed against the stone wall of the building behind her as the rest of the students gathered around her, eager for answers.

“I..well..” she said softly, not used to so much attention at once. Just as it was becoming too much, an ice wall thin enough to see through separated her from the rest of the group. She turned her head and at the end stood Todoroki.

“, Enough.” he said in a monotone voice. They locked eyes for a moment. “Let her breathe.”

“Oh… Sorry Kaori.” Midoriya apologized and the boy let the wall down once everyone took a step back.  

“It’s okay. I’m just not used to so much attention.” Kamiko gave a sympathetic smile to him. She looked over at Todoroki, but he was already walking away from them. Her lips curved into a frown.

“Amazing Job Students!!” All Might’s voice bellowed, as he and the other teachers came from seemingly nowhere.  

Aizawa sighed getting in front of All Might. “As I’m sure you all figured out, Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kiroshima were all on the double agent roster. They were all able to secure multiple sabotages while continuing to attack robots. From lowest to highest, Kiroshima, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki.”

“DAMN YOU DEKU!! ” Bakugo screamed, as Kiroshima sighed next to him, placing another solid hand on the boy’s mouth. Kao Midoriya ri assumed it was a common occurrence as Aizawa ignored the boy.  

“Additionally, everyone can see their scores in the post outside. However, I will announce the top three scores for our non-double agents. In third place, with 30 points, was Tanya Iida.” The boy with rockets in his legs smiled, but there was a small hint of sadness in it. At least your scores don’t depend if you get to stay Kamiko thought nervously. Aizawa continued. “In second place, Momo Yaoyorozu with 32 points. And lastly-“Aizawa was cut off by the excitement of All Might.  

“KAMIKO KAORI!! 40 points!” He bellowed.

“First place…that means…. that means she got in right?!” Momo asked excitedly. All might opened his mouth but was shushed by Aizawa.

“Yes, against better council, she technically did.” Aizawa spoke harshly.  “But I want to make it clear it is on a probationary basis. Any screw ups and you’re out. And to ensure a decent eye is kept on you, you’ll be in my homeroom. Look around you. These are your new classmates.”

“But sir! She’s a first year. She would have to pass her hero’s examination, receive her probationary license, midterms, finals. I understand she’s powerful but UA’s standards-”

“For reasons I’ll leave up to her to discuss with you all, she’s been considered a special case by the principal. The decision has been made, regardless of any disagreements.” Aizawa shut him up. Kamiko flinched at the harsh tone in the man’s voice. His words said one thing, but his tone implied he agreed with Iida. “Yaoyorozu, you’re excused for the remainder of the day.  Help Kaori get situated in her dorm, in her uniform, the works. You’re all dismissed.”

[furederiko]

"Shin Sakura Taisen Rekidai Kayoushuu" Review (Part 2)

SEGA boldly (or is it a risky move?) introduces new Kagekidans that represent new cities with this game. Not one or two, but just THREE for now, with a fourth one debuting later in the Spring TV series. Track 4 to 6 of the album are specifically slotted for these new heroines...

Contrary to reports in various sites that had reported them as such, in my opinion, these are definitely NOT character image songs. Kouhei Tanaka-sensei has openly referenced them as "[City Name] GEKITEI". So these sit in line with Paris Kagekidan's "Mihata no Moto ni" and New York Kagekidan's "Chijou no Senshi". Whatever happens to those teams, by the way? Hmmm...

One might argue that unlike "Shin GEKITEI", only one member sings these songs. But they seem to forget one thing: Sakura Shinguuji sang solo on the first vanilla version of that song. I don't know what the future holds, but there's a possibility that in the sequel(s), we might get another take of these songs that incorporate other members of their teams. For two of them, at least. We'll just have to wait and see. For now, let's embark on a globetrotting journey!

Niji no Kanata (Other Side of the Rainbow) by. Huang Yui (Sumire Uesaka)

As soon as I heard the full version, I wasn't completely sure how I felt about it. Surprisingly, I think I enjoyed the short MV version better. When SEGA started releasing one MV after another, starting from Berlin to this one, "Shanghai GEKITEI" totally stole my attention. I proudly declared it as my favorite of the three. Perhaps because the verses felt more concise (with less instrumental parts) that made it sound more... kickass? Even though it had a somewhat odd lyric, which you will understand why. This full-length version somehow exuded a different vibe. The verses were longer, which was the bit that I'm not too fond of. On the other hand, the lyrics flowed better and made more sense. And then there's an issue with Yui's voice. She had a playful and childlike tone in "Aratanaru". Assuming that's her who got the shortest line in the interlude, of course. I prefer the more gallant take that she used here, but the inconsistency threw me off. Suffice to say, I had to hear it a few times to finally get the hang of it. But goodness gracious, the Chinese vibe, which was even stronger (that should be obvious, I know! Ahaha), never failed to win me over. Just like the verses, the instrumental portions were also longer, thus giving it a slower and elegant pace. That serenading sound of Erhu just hit my soft spot every single time, likely resonating with some part of my genes. Combined that with a blast of modern instruments, and it blew me away. I sure want to see a live orchestra perform this with a Chinese theatre dance to accompany it! Its lyrics, courtesy of Ouji Hiroi, carried a similar message of Teito, Paris, and New York themes. Protect the city, its people, and seize the dream. Why does the title use 'Rainbow', though? Especially considering 7, while being a good number for a relationship, is considered as unlucky in Mandarin (ghost month). The key is in the kanji for 'Rainbow', because it is also known as 'Hong' or 'Jiang', the name of a two-headed dragon in Chinese mythology. And what does the symbol of Shanghai Kagekidan look like? Yep, a DRAGON! So while in Japanese it literally translates as "Other Side of the Rainbow", the context also points to it being "Other Side of the Dragon". Even though it might take me a while to get used to this, and it's no longer my number one, it's an amazing piece nonetheless. I'm old, so I'm not familiar with Sumire Uesaka's pop songs. But so far, I haven't heard her sang a song like this. As Kouhei-sensei had stated, these new "GEKITEI" were composed to challenge the VAs vocal prowess. That seems to be the case here, to which Uesaka did a great job! PS: Wikipedia told me that Uesaka is a fan of Russia. I wonder how she would feel if she was cast as a leader of the Moscow Kagekidan instead?

Entaku no Kishi (Knights of the Round Table) by. Lancelot (Manami Numakura)

Just like the previous song, I had a completely opposite reaction to this as well. It honestly took a while for me to like or even understand the London Kagekidan theme when its official MV first came out. This full anthem also sounds different but in a far more positive light! How so? The second Westminster Bells kicked off, my mouth grinned so wide. Then the music slowly developed into that familiar tone, but continued to build up even more with meticulous touches and flares of fanfare, horns, trumpets, and an electrifying mix of the electric guitar. And suddenly I was transported into the medieval era, with images of brave knights flashing on my mind, en route for a battle to protect the land. Daaaang... Kouhei-sensei totally knows how to make something sound so graceful, yet gallant and rich, huh?! A sensation that young'uns nowadays would easily call 'EPIC'. My lingering issue with this song remains as-is: Manami Numakura's voice. Don't get me wrong, she is a wonderful VA with a unique vocal tone (Kohaku in "Dr. STONE", right?). I'm just not a fan of her singing voice, never was since her Idolmaster days. Even when it's my least favorite part of the song, that tomboy-ish charm blends perfectly with the song and gives it a distinct sound. The end result is something that continues to delight me and puts a smile on my face. Oh, what about the title, you ask? I think it's obvious enough. London Kagekidan is clearly based on the tales of King Arthur. Arthur is (likely, the code-name of) its blond-haired, high priest-dressed Captain, while our female lead here is the loyal Lancelot. It intrigued me when the lyrics, by Shouko Fujibayashi, mentioned 12 knights just like its lore. Does the team really have that many members? Assuming it will feature in the sequel, that would be fun to see. Then again, Idolmaster started out with 10(+1) idols, so I'm sure Lancelot would fit along just fine! Hahahaha... PS: Do you think that echoing bell at the intro and interlude sound convincing? Well, Kouhei-sensei said they actually recorded it at the actual location! Another good reason to appreciate this song.

Kurogane no Hoshi (Iron Star) by. Elise (Nana Mizuki)

*standing ovation* This. This IS a SCARY song! And by scary, I mean what a challenge it IS to pull off. Imagine trying to do at least an okay job at this in a karaoke booth? Godspeed. Nuh-uh, I don't think this song will work without Nana Mizuki's powerful vocals. Not just because I'm a fan of her, or have always wanted her to be part of this franchise. But I love Elise because she adds that much-needed heavier tone to the cast. Her brief but scene-stealing lines in "Aratanaru" proved that notion. You could easily recognize her voice amidst the chorus. If you think the short MV version (the actual first 1:20 minutes) that you see above already sounds amazing, just wait till you hear the middle part of this song. It slowed down, with various strings gently swayed you to enter another realm. Then it went FULL OPERA, with a piercing vocal work that would send nothing but genuine shivers to your soul! Goosebumps. All the time. The music had clear influences of Wagner's compositions, and those who are at least aware of classical music (or have seen "ClassicaLoid Season 2" Hahaha) would probably notice that almost immediately. Song of Valkyrie, anyone? Because of that, Kouhei-sensei personally did the arrangement for this number, seeing that it required a full-blown orchestra ensemble. Sensei showed the first part of the music sheets during one of the Teigeki Report, and I had a feeling it must've blown away everyone who saw it. I mean, Seijuurou Kamiyama's VA Youhei Azakami was literally jaw-dropped. He also revealed that Nana went above and beyond on that last high note, hitting it longer than she was supposed to, in time for the grand orchestra finish. Seriously, goosebumps. It is certainly one of the highlights of the album, and you DEFINITELY need to listen to this. Also, this is the only Kagekidan theme that I'm not sure can work as a group song. It IS still a Berlin Kagekidan song, proclaiming the might and power of the team that started it all. But can it be performed by a team of Hoshigumi? Dealing with that complicated lyrics by Shouko Fujibayashi ("...Schwarzer Stern, kurogane no hoshi..."), and fast-paced tempo will undoubtedly leave them breathless. Now I'm patiently counting the days to see Nana perform this in a live concert! Mindblown... PS: By the way, original Hanagumi's "Dream/Yume no 1 Pound" and Kanadegumi's "Enbukyoku, Kimi ni" came to mind when I tried to analyze this song. Presumably due to that middle part, which is true to Kouhei-sensei's style. You'll be hearing that magic touch of him again in some of the next tracks.

Next: the curtain rises for the Shin Hanagumi ladies!

Video is available on SEGA Official Youtube Channel. "Shin Sakura Taisen" is produced by SEGA, and RED Entertainment. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[slyreaderslibrary]

Ch. 4 Cold Cases and Hot Leads

AO3: Here

Fanfiction.net: Here

Summary: Keeping a secret identity secret is normally hard enough but when you’re as beautiful as Minako Aino you’re bound to have all kinds of creeps and weirdo stalking your every move. Now there’s a cop hot on her trail and she’ll have to be quick on her feet if she’s to keep her identity on the DL. Just what is a gorgeous super-heroine to do? 

 Name: Koizumi, Keisuke

Birthdate: 19XX-09-23

Age: 27

Current Employer: TCPD

Educa—

Minako skimmed the profile page, growing bored when she didn't see anything of use. A quick search of the Tokyo City Police Department's open cases didn't show any results either. The only thing that stood out was a long standing open case to determine the source of the youma infestation. It seems someone in the department was convinced these were gross animal mutations due to some kind of unknown radiation but the case had been opened and had remained unsolved since her initial Sailor V days.

Man, did she wish Ami were here. Ami was so much better at these kind of things. Sadly, Ami was in Germany for a semester filling her brilliant brain with all kinds of facts and numbers. Minako also doubted her friend would be happy to have her study time interrupted for anything less than Senshi business. A lone cop—or even several—was hardly anything to bother her about, not when Minako had proven she could handle them at thirteen.

"That's it!"

Minako snapped her fingers and then pressed several buttons on the keypay. The screen shifted, going black as a dial tone rang out over the speakers and then flared to life as a beautiful, dark haired woman sitting behind a desk covered in papers appeared on the monitors with a smile wide on her face.

"Minako-chan!"

Minako grinned and flashed her trademark V.

"Guilty as charged!"

"It's been too long!" The woman leaned back in her seat and propped her Louis Vuittons on her desk corner. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh you know," Minako shrugged, "Catching bad guys, breaking hearts, the usual."

"You know, you could still come work for me and actually get paid for what you do."

"Natsuna-onee-san," Minako gasped, pressing her hand to her heart, "Can you imagine if it was discovered that Japan's number one star was working a second job? They'd question if my life was really as fabulous as it is, you know!"

Natsuna flashed a predatory smirk, dropping her feet to the floor and leaning forward. "Can you imagine what they would say if they knew Japan's sweetheart was the fabled Sailor V? You'd be the symbol of Japan! More famous than the Emperor!"

Minako scoffed and gave her friend a pointed look. "Sailor V hasn't been seen in years. There are new heroines now."

"Yes, and speculation on the web is that the two may be related." Minako raised a brow and Natsuna nodded in response. "Yes, some of the less frequented forums tend to focus on Sailor Venus in particular in that regard."

"And the precincts?"

"Precincts?" Natsuna frowned, "Why would the precincts be gossiping about your identities?"

"Why would a detective be casing out my school?"

"What?!" Natsuna jumped to her feet and ran off screen.

"Wakagi! My office! NOW!"

Natsuna reappeared.

"Minako-chan, I'll find out what I can and call you back." She pursed her lips, debating, then added, "I'm afraid it might take awhile. Since taking office, I'm not as in the loop with my subordinates as I was in my previous position, but I promise I will get them to back off. You have my word."

"Thanks onee-san. I owe you one."

The screen went black and Minako settled in to wait.

oOo

She was still there.

Two hours had come and gone and his suspect was still off playing arcade games. At least he hoped so. She had managed to sneak past him back at the school, he wouldn't put it past her to take an alternate way out of the arcade.

Keisuke drummed his fingers as he debated what to do. He could leave his post and get close enough for a visual, potentially risking detection, or he could stay where he was and wait, potentially allowing her trail to grow colder because she had slipped past him once again. He checked the time on his phone and frowned.

A chime reached his ears, one he recognized as the Crown's, and he snapped his gaze up in time to see Aino waving goodbye to the shopkeeper.

"Remember what I said about London!" Aino called over her shoulder. She dropped her hand as the door swung shut and glanced around the street for a moment.

Was she looking for him? It wasn't unheard of for a suspect to spot a tail and grow paranoid as time went by. However unlike previous suspects, Aino seemed unperturbed and in no hurry, standing there, idle, as she tapped her lips thoughtfully. He watched her glance down and say something to the cat curled around her feet. Odd, it appeared tame, if its behavior was any indicator, but he hadn't noticed the feline previously. Had it been with her earlier? And if the cat travelled with Aino often enough to walk unleashed, why hadn't he seen it before?

Aino finally settled on a destination and turned north and Keisuke rushed to follow, slipping past the railing bars and dropping to the pavement below. He did his best to follow unobserved but it was a task easier said than done. His suspect was distracted easily by displays in storefronts or carts selling wares along the street, and more than once he needed to duck or dive to prevent being spotted. After one such incident he had lost her altogether and it was only a lucky guess—as well as her golden hair sparkling amongst a sea of blacks and browns—that had put him on the chase once more. He was grateful she took the time to dye it but then remembered his own silver locks and decided he shouldn't assume.

Besides being easily distracted, she was also constantly talking. He wasn't sure if she had a bluetooth or if she was just talking at her cat, although she looked its way often enough that Keisuke had begun to accurately predict when to slip out of sight. The way the cat moved though...Keisuke could have sworn it was responding, and the longer he spent staring at it, the more he felt like he'd seen it before although he hadn't the slightest idea where.

Cats aside, he was more than a little relieved when residential buildings began to appear and Aino's pace began to slow. Maybe she lived with a friend and that was why he couldn't find her place of residence? Keisuke crossed the street, hoping to keep his distance and watched as his target sprinted up a steep set of steps leading to a local shrine without pausing her stride. He raised a brow, a little impressed despite himself, and then took out his notebook and noted the Shrine's name and location. Hikawa...why did that sound familiar?

Keisuke took out his phone and did a quick search, both eyebrows shooting up when he saw the results. He let out a low whistle and marked several articles and then opened his contacts. He found the name he was looking for and pressed the dial button.

"Hey, it's Koizumi." Keisuke paused and listened, "Yes, that one." He rolled his eyes as the other person said something else and glanced at the shrine steps. No blonde in sight. "I was wondering if we could meet," he glanced down at his watch. "Perhaps in an hour?" He turned away from the steps and started walking towards a nearby cafe.

"I want you to tell me what you know about the Hikawa Shrine."

oOo

"Reeeeeeeei!"

Minako snickered to herself as she watched her friend stiffen before turning around to greet her.

"Go home."

"Rei!" Minako gasped, skidding to a halt. "Is that anyway to treat a friend who came all this way to see you?"

The priestess ignored her and resumed sweeping while Minako huffed as dramatically as she could behind her. The thanks she got!

"Well fine," she crossed her arms and turned to leave, "I was going to ask if you needed help around here for the next few days but I can see where I'm not wanted."

"Jet setting around the world not enough to keep you busy these days?"

"Hardly," Artemis scoffed, appearing along the top of the stone wall. He jumped down from his perch to join them. "She's just trying to get in the law enforcement's good graces."

Rei nodded to Artemis in greeting and then turned her beautiful no-nonsense gaze to stare down Minako.

"Okay, I miiiiight have hoped hanging around here for a few days would get him off my case." Minako plucked Rei's broom from her hands and turned up the kitten eyes. "Please Rei? Aren't you always saying you could use the help?"

Rei rolled her eyes and snatched her broom back. "You cause more destruction than you help half the time." She crossed her arms and raised an expectant brow. "Why's he following you anyway?"

Minako shrugged, glancing around the courtyard to insure no one else was listening. She would have bet money that someone had been following her earlier but it seemed that was no longer the case.

"My source says some precinct got a bee up their bonnets and have reopened old youma case files in hopes of catching the perp of the more recent youma influx."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I'm not quite sure." Minako rubbed her temples. Talking about cops always gave her such a headache! "While it makes sense that we'd cross their eye if youma are involved, I've never had police chase after my civilian identity before."

Rei looked at her sharply.

"You don't think they've learned who you are do you?"

Minako pursed her lips and then waved the idea away. "Nah. Natsuna would have said something. The closest anyone's gotten is guessing V and Venus are the same person and that doesn't take Ami's brains to figure out."

"A mystery in itself considering all that blonde hair you have," Rei smirked. She shook her head and handed Minako the broom. "Fine,you can help but no handling the temple artifacts. Last time you nearly broke a three hundred year old vase."

"Aye aye, capitaine!" Minako snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute but Rei was too busy walking away to appreciate it.

"Hey!" She dropped formation and hurried to catch up to her. "Hey wait!"

"Reeeeeeeei!"

[thatlongspringnight]

Woohoo~ *throws candies on the air* It's halloween party time, m'lady!! May I request SLBP Lords in Halloween party hosted by Keiji scene! :3 p.s: i'm sure ladies would be curious how they gonna dress up based on their personality! ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง

THE LORDS AT A HALLOWEEN PARTY (College AU Edition)

(OKAY SO THIS ENDED UP BEING A LOT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.)We all know that Keiji is going to throw a complete rager of a party. Free flowing liquor, lots of food, and wild dancing.We also know that ALL the lords are going to show up, whether they want to or not. In costume and on constant guard. You never know when Keiji is going to swoop in for a kiss. 😉 

Nobunaga: Well, he wouldn’t be called the Devil King if he didn’t come dressed as one, right? Our scarlet devil comes with a snazzy sharp and incredibly expensive tux and a black and red cape. Honestly, it’s a compromise, Nobu didn’t want to dress up but did it begrudgingly for MC. He didn’t want to “Look like a fool in front of men like the Tiger of Kai.” So he’s dressed to the 9’s and ready to party. His MC comes as a demure angel (because yes they are the couple that chose to be the devil/angel combo). Just revealing enough, she looks striking in a clinging white silk dress and wings. He’s sure to be taking that halo of her’s off halfway through the night in one of the many empty rooms wherever Keiji decided to host his party.  

Mitsuhide: He puts a lot of thought into his costume, he really does. Whatever he chooses he’s going to put the most effort into. This year he picks a more traditional costume. Vampire, a classic. Also, oddly enough (and totally not planned) he manages to come dressed closely enough to Nobunaga, that everyone wonders…did they match on purpose? Mitsuhide’s MC dresses like a cat, also a classic, complete with ears and a swishy tail. She spends the night teaching him all the dances to the music they are listening too. He doesn’t drink so she can. They retire from the party early, because he can’t get enough of how good she looks in that cat outfit and wouldn’t you know she has a perfectly shaped hickey the next day…Guess he really took his costume to heart, huh? 

Hideyoshi: What he really wanted to wear was one of those couples’ costumes, like the plug and plug-in. He was firmly denied. So he ends up going to the costume party dressed as a werewolf to his MC’s little red riding hood. Is it cheesy? Yes. Does he love it? Sure. If it means he gets to prowl the entire party and wander behind people and scare them. He’s about it. His MC is less appreciative of his efforts. But she looks killer in her outfit, so she doesn’t mind as much. Hideyoshi of the 1000 lovers does get an earful for flirting too hard with Toshiie’s MC, some things never change. Oh, and he did not manage to avoid Keiji’s kisses. He got a lot of Keiji kisses that night, tongue and all.

Inuchiyo: Everyone knows poor Toshiie is being forced to go as a puppy. With a collar, ears, and everything. Hideyoshi all but dressed him himself when he found out that Toshiie hadn’t gotten a costume yet. So expect lots of pouting, he doesn’t want to be at Keiji’s party anyways, but in his own words, he couldn’t leave his MC alone there with guys like that. Once the party kicks off and he starts drinking, he gets happier and manages to lose his shirt. Not that his MC minds the show (or any of the other people there, really, we all know Toshiie is gorgeous). His MC plays along and also dresses up as a puppy, to lessen the sting. Hideyoshi was more than willing to buy her a more ‘dominating’ outfit so she could ‘show the puppy who his owner was’ but was respectfully and firmly denied. She ends up having to cart his drunk ass home after the party. But he rewards her later for it…and he keeps the collar on. 

Mitsunari: This tsundere does NOT want to go to any stupid, foolish, insipid party. That is…he doesn’t want to go until Hideyoshi invites him. Once that happens, he’s going. He’s going for Hideyoshi, don’t mistake his reasoning for anything else. Nevermind that maybe his MC wanted to go, and maybe she convinced Hideyoshi to put in a good word. Mitsunari leaves the costume decisions to his MC, so they end up going as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. For most of the party Mitsunari sticks with Hideyoshi, that is until his MC starts chatting with Ieyasu about their shared classes. The moment that happens he has her on the dancefloor, safely away from that ‘golden-haired bastard’. Waltzing to the music doesn’t make sense, but it works. Oh and he’s the one that gets too drunk because of Hideyoshi so his MC spends the rest of the night, once they are home, rubbing his back and comforting him as he vomits.

Ieyasu: Ieyasu goes purely because Nobunaga is going. He doesn’t fight it. Doesn’t make a scene. But he wears that unsettling smile of his the entire time. He also doesn’t “dress up” really. He styles himself more like Phantom of the Opera or Interview with the Vampire while wearing a masquerade mask. He drinks in moderation and listens to what ~everyone~ has to say. He can’t stop himself from his snide comments though and almost manages to get into fights with Mitsunari and Yukimura, although both come to naught. His MC wears a slinky black dress and a mask too (just to match, Ieyasu, jeez) and spends the rest of the night dodging references from 50 shades of grey. Jokes that have Ieyasu pouting and flustered by the end of the night. She’s willing to handle a bit of fussing from him because she knows where it leads, especially when he’s been eyeing her like that all night. Maybe some of those Christian Grey rumors weren’t wrong. 

Yukimura: Talk about being PUMPED for this party. Yukimura is so excited to dress up with his MC and have a good time with all his friends. He dresses up in the soccer uniform of his favorite team and even brings a soccer ball to the party. He and Inuchiyo DO have a drinking match at some point in the evening, for sure. His MC dresses as a nurse, and no not a suggestive nurse. She spends most of the night actually administering first aid at this party. All the people getting drunk and falling keep her busy. Not to mention that her poor boyfriend can’t seem to keep himself from running into things when he gets wasted. That isn’t to say she doesn’t own a sexy nurse costume, she just saves it for after the party, where she can use it on Yukimura. Saizo: Saizo goes because Yukimura wants to go and Saizo’s MC wants to go. So, He guesses he is going. He dresses as a stylized version of himself. So imagine the professor vibe up to 11, complete with glasses. He’s pretty much drop dead gorgeous. He spends most of the party keeping his girlfriend out of the clutches of Keiji and making sure Yukimura and co. stay out of trouble. He is the one to ensure that the people who work for the tiger of kai make it home safe that night. Although no one realizes it. His is a thankless job. His MC dresses like a school girl, plaid skirt, blazer, thigh highs and everything. Mostly to taunt her boyfriend. Keiji thinks she looks precious and is pretty glued to her most the night. When he starts drinking she starts passing him off to unsuspecting people to avoid getting kissed. Although she does give him a peck on the cheek for his efforts, much to Saizo’s chagrin. But then again, he does get to punish her for bad behavior, doesn’t he?

Masamune: He and MC go as pirates! Mostly because it’s a costume where his eyepatch doesn’t stick out so much, so it makes him feel more comfortable. They take the time to handmake their costumes together, because its something they can use to spend time with one another, and his MC is great at sewing. There IS a costume contest and they are the winners, granted their prizes are just Keiji kisses, but still. Masamune drinks and gets a little tipsy, and it is revealed that he is a lot more touchy when drunk, so he spends the rest of the night basically glued to his girlfriend, not that she minds. Shigezane takes lots of embarrassing pictures of the two of them to show them when they sober up. 

Kojuro; “We should dress up as Bontenmaru, MC” “No” Kojuro really does want to dress up as bontenmaru the turtle. But his MC and Shigezane hardcore veto that.  So he ends up going as Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon. Complete with a cape…and a rose…and random declarations. Finally, his MC gets to decide if her teen crush on Tuxedo mask lives up to her man. Her man dressed as Tuxedo mask takes the cake. Kojuro’s MC dresses up as Sailor Moon, duh.  She basically has to. They come in 2nd place to Masamune and his MC for costumes in the contest. Although Kojuro and his MC end up taking the most pictures, especially posing and quoting the show. A bunch of the girls at the party end up taking a sailor senshi style photo with Kojuro’s MC in the middle. It’s a magical night.

Kenshin: Kenshin is too pretty for normal costumes. He goes in traditional clothing, heavily embroidered, and he might be wearing makeup? No one is sure if his ethereal beauty is natural or not. His MC is the group photographer, so she wears normal clothes and just takes pictures. Not that she minds, she prefers it this way. She takes so many stylized shots she considers making them into a book at the end of the night.

Shingen: Shingen 110% shows up to this party in a tiger pint loincloth and cat ears and that is it. He spends the night mostly with Yukimura and Kenshin and ignoring little Nobunaga and his death glare. They can settle their political arguments outside of social time after all. His lady goes as a lion tamer, although he’s no lion, the idea doesn’t go unnoticed. She’s got a whip and everything. He doesn’t mind. He certainly doesn’t mind later on.

Bonus:

Shigezane: He’s had his costume planned since last year. He goes as a referee, he even has a whistle. He uses this to spend the entire night jumping into random situations at the party, blowing the whistle and shouting “PARTY FOUL.”  He even gives people red cards, where is he carrying all those red cards? He also takes part in the Yukimura/Inuchiyo drinking contest. He has a blast. He is the only person to willingly kiss Keiji apart from Kenshin. His MC goes as princess bubblegum from Adventure time. She wanted to do a Disney princess, but couldn’t pick one. Either way, the princess starts a game of captain dickhead and gets most of the other MCs drunk, because she’s so good at holding her liquor. At the end of the night, he gives her a piggyback ride home because he’s a gentleman

. Hotaru: Hotaru has to go because big-brother Saizo is going and so is Kenshin. Obviously. So he and his MC dress up that day after finding out. He goes as a forest spirit. Lots of leaves. The look suites his innocent face. His wide eyes shining under his flower crown. His MC goes as a deer. Her makeup sealing the deal, and she even wears a headband with little antlers. They end up fast friends with Masamune and his MC and end up sort of separating from the wildness of the party to form a smaller, quieter party. At the end of the night, he and his MC go stargazing.

Oichi, Umeko, and Kiku: What, you thought they wouldn’t come? They totally come. Luckily for Kojuro’s MC, they come dressed as other Sailor Senshi! Because those girls are the best. Oichi is Sailor Mars, Umeko is Sailor Venus and Kiku is Mercury.

Now, where is Keiji in all this? Wandering the crowd, drinking, and kissing everyone of course! He comes to his party dressed as Cupid so he can give “shots” of love (actual alcoholic shots, and shots that are just kisses!) It’s a great party and everyone remembers it for one reason or another. It’s a great party, the end.

Tagging: @lady-of-oshu and @han-pan  and anyone else who wants to read this? :3 

[captainehren]

List of anime that influenced me

While watching CDawgVA talk about the anime that influenced him, I got to thinking of what has influenced me. I’m older than many fans now, so what I grew up with isn’t what everyone else grew up with. 

1) Sailor Moon

This show was the first real anime show I ever watched, though I had watched “anime” when I was younger in Voltron and Akira. However, they didn’t have nearly as strong an impact on me as Sailor Moon. I heard about it from one of my friends, and she was the kind of overly obsessed fantard that makes you cringe when you think of anime fans, but that came a bit later. I was in 6th grade and she told me I should try watching Sailor Moon in the morning. So I did.

I was instantly hooked. The girly clothes, the magic, the romance, the daring and mysterious Tuxedo Mask... I was in love! And so I got as many Sailor Moon things as I could get my little hands on. I got the small dolls, I also managed to get a hold of an Artemis plush that got ruined, and a big Sailor Venus doll. I really, really wanted a Tuxedo Mask doll, because good God he was pretty, but I could never find him. 

Over the years, I frequented anime stores, or Japanimation as we called it. I got a couple of Sailor Moon CDs, one of which was an import from Japan. I got a couple of imported manga from Japan that I could never read. And when the manga started being translated by Mixx Entertainment, I got the Mixx Manga magazine, which was kind of like Shoujo Beat or Shonen Jump except they smashed both the Shonen manga in with the Shoujo manga. I think I sold my copies to Half-Price ages ago because I needed whatever money they were willing to give me for it. And when I saw that Mixx was finally putting out the manga volumes for $10, I got my grandma to buy them for me. I was in high school when they were coming out then.

I learned to draw anime style by copying Sailor Moon’s style. My first attempts were awful, but I kept trying. I had a Sailor Moon character of Sailor Neptune way before I ever knew about the outer senshi showing up later in the series. (she was Serena’s sister and showed up to take Tuxedo Mask.) And later in 6th grade, my too obsessive friend not only claimed she had written a script for a Sailor Moon play that I was to play Sailor Jupiter in, but that, over the phone, she claimed she was turning into Sailor Moon when she looked into the mirror. And that she was having adventures in the mirror while talking to me on the phone. As I said: too obsessed.

Needless to say, Sailor Moon is one of my staples. It broke my heart when I had to sell my old Mixx manga Sailor Moon volumes and the newer ones that I had collected so that I could get some money. It’s okay. One day I will get them again.

2) Tenchi Muyo! or Tenchi Universe

I had not watched a lot of anime after Sailor Moon. There just wasn’t a lot that interested me and no real way of watching it unless I convinced my grandma to pay for it. I think I was in high school when Tenchi Muyo! showed up on Cartoon Network. I know I was thrilled to learn that Cartoon Network was airing Sailor Moon, so I was still in Sailor Moon mode. Whenever it showed up, I was hooked. I got on that train and careened right off the cliff. I love this stupid show, but the manga is soooooooo much funnier. Oh so much! This is where a lot of my old humor came into play when drawing my Harry Potter fancomics in high school, as well as the numerous comics that I started, but dropped when I got bored with them. (Attention span of a gnat.) It became more fun to just tease the shit out of my friends who wanted to know how the stories ended, but were sorely disappointed when I didn’t bother with them.

When I started writing out my super long and stupid Harry Potter fanfictions, it was a few years after high school. Before then, I was drawing them in high school when I wasn’t doing homework. And lo and behold, I’d copy the page layouts from Tenchi Muyo! and Oh! My Goddess, but only Tenchi Muyo! got a lot of interest from me. It might have helped that Tenchi Muyo!’s humor is pretty on par with Monty Python and other such British comedies I had grown up on, so it wasn’t a huge stretch to start picking up on how to draw some of its humor.

3) Fullmetal Alchemist

If you’re a long time fan of mine, then you know that this was bound to show up. FMA was one of those animes that I had no idea about until I randomly caught it on Cartoon Network when I was staying over at my great grandpa’s house. I was with my grandma and we were taking care of her dad--my great grandpa--who was suffering from dementia among other problems. The rest of the family took turns taking care of him and accompanying him on trips so that he was never left alone for too long. He had a problem of ending up in trouble and never bothering to ask for help when he couldn’t get back up. Now, I knew about a few more anime at this time, because I had anime loving friends in high school and out of high school who knew of stuff to suggest to me. I’d watch it on Cartoon Network and be somewhat interested in it. I watched Cowboy Beebop, Trigun, Outlaw Star (which has one of the best anime closing themes I’ve ever heard omg)... I can’t remember anything else at the moment.

I turned on the TV and found cartoon network was playing its late night anime block and watched FMA. And never looked back. Now, while my love of FMA is not as apparent as my love of Sailor Moon, it’s still there. I made my own Edward and Alphonse Elric dolls, for crying out loud! I would get the manga and I loved the art style so much I started trying to incorporate it into my own a little, much the way it happened with Sailor Moon and Tenchi Muyo. I would sit and listen to the soundtracks I would get from one of my friends. I have a signed picture of Vic Mignogna that I have stored away in a nice, safe place. I’m a fan. And it still stays with me to this day. I spent so much time playing with Harry Potter and FMA with one of my friends that we blended them together. 

Yeah. That’s right. My Mini-Erik series shows this bizarre shit in there and i will always be proud of how insane we got with it.

4) Princess Tutu

This one sounds goofy, and it is a little goofy, but it is so much deeper than you can possibly imagine. if you love magical girl stories as well as ballet, then you will love this. I love this. I LOVE THIS. This seriously came about when I found out that we had an anime channel. Back when my mom had a premium package for the cable, I could get free anime series to watch. I watched Pretear on there and a few other things, but what I took to the strongest was Princess Tutu. And trying to get my mom to sit and watch it with me because I know she will enjoy it if she gives it a chance was ridiculous. For some reason, she can’t handle anything where the characters have high pitched voices. She equates it to children’s voices and she can’t stand that. Not only that, but she, to this day, equates animated shit to cartoons for children. As I said, it’s fucking ridiculous to get her to watch this thing and enjoy it even though I know for a fact it has everything I know she will enjoy if she just stopped being a dumbass about it.

So this one has forever inflicted itself upon me. I still want to come up with a knight and princess like Fakir and Ahiru, but that will come when it comes. In the mean time, it will never leave me. Ever. I will always recommend it.

5) Fate/Stay Night (Fate series)

If you’re a long time fan of mine, you also know of my obsession with this series. It will never leave. NEVER. It always calls me back! Just like FMA, Princess Tutu, Tenchi, Sailor Moon, and a few others! But I think the most inspiring thing about the series is not so much the story, but the characters. Namely the heroes. See, I had a book I had taken from my great grandpa’s house upon his death. Actually, I had a lot of books that I had accumulated after his death, and all of them were mythology based. I staked a claim on those faster than you can blink. I have a Welsh Mythology book, an Irish mythology book, and two Scandinavian folk tale books that I got from his house. Well, I had read through the Irish one and enjoyed the Cattle Raid of Cooley and Cuchulainn, but it didn’t stick in my head. It was Fate’s Lancer that shoved that bastard right into my brain and he made a home there. I had always been a huge fan of King Arthur, and seeing a female King Arthur kinda weirded me out at first, but I liked the idea so much that I kept it for my own versions of King Arthur. 

“The Dark Queen”, “The King’s Hound”, and “Hound of the Dark Earth” all came from utilizing the images of the characters of Lancer Cu and Saber Arthur, but using them in my own way. So even now I’m still playing with these stories, and it has everything to do with fate/Stay Night being a huge influence on me.

6) Axis Powers: Hetalia

Oh, Hetalia. We have a love/hate relationship, you and I. I love you to pieces, but your fans tend to be fucking psychotic and/or stupid. Or at least the ones I always encounter minus one of my besties. My bestie Alex introduced me to Hetalia and I keep coming back to it while she’s kind of stopped caring. I always come back to things I enjoy, such as Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, yadda yadda.

 I instantly fell in love with America and continue to this day. I also fell in love with England, and later France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, China, Russia, Lithuania, and Japan. To this day, I have characters that are at least in some part influenced by the characters of Hetalia. My character Jimmy Stark was influenced by America, my character Bastian Wylde came from England, same with Fabian Santiago from Spain. I think even Darius Lis came from my usual portrayals of Lithuania in roleplays. How these came about was from a lot of role playing with Alex in various stories, including,but not limited to, Twilight and Harry Potter. We always paired Alex’s version of India with England, so in Twilight they became vampire lovers and in Harry Potter they were students. And then we used India in The Witch’s Son/Phantom of the Opera type shenanigans back when I was just trying to figure out how to make The Witch’s Son work.

However, I stayed far from the fandom outside of making overly dramatic fanfictions of a dumb parody cartoon. I know I had at least two Mexican idiots try to tell me that the Texas Revolution was America stealing Texas from Mexico instead of Mexico being an abusive dickwad and Texas raising a shotgun to his face and saying “No More.” Or that Palestine would have never picked on a young Israel, even though Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and a number of other places around Israel all declared war on Israel for simply existing. Israel won its independence in fire and blood, and then kept on surviving every single time these same nations never learned their lesson and declared they would “drive the Jews into the sea” ie kill them all. Or that America was never a conservative nation. However, they’re small fry in comparison to the bizarre fantards on gaiaonline. Had at least one of them molest my America and then, when I played such a thing straight and had America scream “BAD TOUCH! I NEED AN ADULT!” they started screeching about “straight helatians” being impossible and “straight hetalians” in their fandom. Like... dude? Seriously? The boys liking Hungary’s tits and ass don’t connect with you anywhere?

7) Hellsing

This one is more for two characters, specifically Alucard and Anderson. I played Alucard for years and then finally wanted to incorporate him in something without like... actually doing Alucard. If you know me, you know what I’m referring to. Anderson, however, kind of more just... visually influenced another character that has absolutely zero to do with him... though I suppose you could make the connection because they’re both priests that murder. The image in my head was more of the scarecrow variety, though, with Anderson’s long arms being more lanky, as well as his body. So perhaps a little of Batman’s Scarecrow fell in there somewhere, too.

8) Fushigi Yuugi

I literally only heard about this when I was... I think high school and then got out and ran into it later because of my bestie Amanda. This one is one of the lesser influences, but I suppose it still counts because some of it still lingers with me today. 

9) Ouran High School Host Club

A silly manga and a silly anime that makes the Captain a super happy person. This influenced more because of the stereotype characters in the same way Hetalia did. I’ve been noodling with the idea of romances surrounding similar types, including twins with a chick. We’ll see where that goes... if it goes anywhere. 

10) Anything CLAMP has created

Not gonna lie... I was a huge CLAMP fiend when I got out of high school. While I don’t really give a shit about the yaoi in the stories, my interest has always been in the cute, girly, adventure, or the DESIGNS. Jesus fuck, I would kill to be able to design some of the outfits they design. I’ve never been that imaginative with clothing. The detail put into the designs made me try to do the same with my own artwork, for good or ill. And the art styles were ones I emulated, particularly from eeh... Angelic Layer and Tsubasa Chronicle. I, in fact, used to rely on the manga from Tenchi, Sailor Moon, and Tsubasa Chronicle to get ideas for page layouts and whatnot when I drew comics. I incorporated a lot of it into my drawing style and then let it relax into something else when I finally got bored with keeping up with CLAMP. 

[lextenou]

The Gayest Bunch of Songs I Ever Did Hear

AKA The Songs That Helped Lead to My Sexual Awakening.

I love music. I love having something playing in the background. I apparently know a lot of songs, if my record at pub quiz is any indication. In this spirit, I’ve curated this list of songs that mean something to me as part of my journey from child to adult.

Many a year ago, as but a spritely lad, I saw a movie. ‘Twas a rather pedestrian movie, all told, but well casted and well framed teen movie. What really threw it over the top was the blatantly “fuck you, I am in charge of me” feminist slant that the movie took. A baby Yeardley Smith was in it - notable as this was released three years before she would take on her lifetime role of Lisa Simpson. 

She was not what caught my eye and my burgeoning interest. No, that honor was reserved for the lead and namesake of the movie, Helen Slater. In her role as the confused and desperate teenager Billie Jean, Slater managed to create in me a respect for the autonomy of self, and a lifelong deep seated weakness for blondes with short hair. 

All told, The Legend of Billie Jean occupies a special place. Ostensibly inoffensive, it has as its crux the story of a girl who deals with unceasing, unrelenting soul crushing beatdowns of spirit. But then! In taking up protection for her brother, she finds in herself the will to stand up, fight, and demand what’s fair. Indeed, the mantra of “Fair is fair” rings throughout the movie, and the slimy douchebaggery of a crotch grabbing ass spelunking ephebophile attempting to convince her to accept payment in the form of his dick throws her past the breaking point. 

At which point there’s kidnapping and running from the law. 

The main song, and indeed, the theme of the movie is Pat Benatar’s “Invincible”. The video includes the standard clips from the movie, including scenes of Slater both before and after she cuts off her hair. Also, no, she and Christian are not actually brother and sister despite playing siblings in the movie.

I went through a lot of changes in 1999. Not the least of which was mourning the passing of the Prince song “1999″, I also had a magnificent few months in San Francisco, where I first listened to The Butches. Comprised of Kaia Wilson, Alison Martlew and Melissa York, they were iconic and pioneering. Every bit as much as Wilson’s first major band, Team Dresch, The Butchies managed to find an accessible and aggressive sound rooted firmly in dyke loving. 

Seeing them at San Francisco Pride remains a highlight of my life. 

While “Send Me You” is their most perfect song, “Sex (I’m a Lesbian)” was the first track from them that I ever ran across while silently tapping at my keyboard after everyone else had gone to bed. It’s frenetic energy rises and ebbs, bringing the listener to an abrupt crescendo that leaves you gasping. 

Much like an orgasm. 

Listening to The Butchies reminds me of a very simple adage: fuck ‘em. I owe no one an explanation for who I am. 

If you ever look them up, they are also quite attractive. I highly recommend it. 

The late 90′s had rather a zeitgeist of queer culture coming to the public. Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures burst on the scene, leaving everyone stunned that such a horrific murder could be made into such a beautiful movie. Lillith Faire was touring - and releasing compilation albums. 

I had the chance to snag one of those compilation samplers. Lillith Fair 1998 New Music Sampler had as track three “Everything for Free” from K’s Choice. 

From the moment I first heard Sarah Betten’s voice, I was captivated. Fronting the band along with her brother Gert, The band took a break a year after Sarah came out in 2002. They have formed and re-formed in the years since, and her solo work was able to be heard in numerous places, including on queer shows. K’s Choice did also perform “Virgin State of Mind” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It is difficult to say which era of the band, or which of her solo songs is my favorite. At different times, each one has spoken to me in different ways. “Stay” is a beautifully sweet and romantic mid tempo ballad. “Come Over Here” with its driving bass and drum simplicity gets stuck in the head incessantly. “Killing Dragons” has some of the best harmonies I’ve ever heard. “Hide” gets me through some incredibly dark times. 

watch me, I’m coming closer

I am the mood you’re in tonight...

The first song I heard, however, remains near the top of the list. It’s story is not initially complex until it becomes clear that the narrator may or may not require institutionalization. It may just be a gay kid, locked up because their parents don’t want to deal with learning who their child is. It may be someone who’s had a break from reality. Realizing that the narrator is unreliable throws the entire song off kilter and completely transforms it from a straightforward tale to layered and mysterious. 

To bring it full circle, K’s Choice did do a song based on Heavenly Creatures. It’s called “Winners”. 

we will be winners, our heads glued together

and all is indefinite in you

In 1992, Nakayoshi magazine printed the first act of Bishoujo Senshi SailorMoon, finishing in 1996. In August of 1993, Bishoujo Senshi SailorMoon Musical Gaidan Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen was staged. For the next thirteen years, the musicals, or Myu as they are colloquially known, were staged. 

The Myu is notable for multiple reasons, not the least of which is that the original cast can be seen on an inside jacket of one of the issues of the original manga. They are canonical every bit as much as the anime is - though the Myu actually took Naoko Takeuchi’s direction. In the third story arc, the Infinity/Mugen/S arc, there are a couple new characters introduced. 

SailorUranus and SailorNeptune. 

They are always presented as a loving lesbian couple, so much so that directors have told the actresses to “Act like you’re married. You are a married couple.” In the Myu, this is seen much more than in other versions. The longest running actresses to play Uranus and Neptune were Nao Takagi and Asami Yuuhka. The two were fan favorites as well, leading to their roles being prominent in multiple musicals. The characters were also given multiple duets or group songs, all of which embraced fully their rampant lesbianism. Of these, the song that blew up the Myu fandom was “Destined Couple”.

A duet between Uranus and Neptune, it takes place as the closing of a fight between the senshi. They are admonishing SailorMoon that sacrifices must be made. The song is a powerful ballad that illustrates the love the two share, and their devotion to their mission of protection. 

Seeing these two for the first time, learning about the musicals and how downright blatant their representation is to this day...

It made me realize that I wasn’t alone. There were people who did feel the way I did, who did think similarly to how I did. It was possible to not be living according to the restrictive gendered norms that I grew up with. I could live as myself, be comfortable with myself, without apology.

Through SailorMoon and Myu fandom, I’ve met and made friends with more people than I ever would have imagined. The first time my wife came over to netflix and chill, the first thing she noticed was a Myu poster. I almost messed it up by correcting her that they’re not “scouts”. Everything went better than expected. 

I still have my Myu dvds. It’s almost time for a rewatch. I’m going to have a couple friends over and introduce them to Hikari Ono, the Lesbian Vampire Ninja Pirate. 

But first, the lesbian soldier love song. This version is a fanvid with Nao and Yuhka singing, but the video is of the current reboot, with Shuu and Sayaka. I chose this one because its subtitled. At the end, it switches to include Nao and Yuhka. 

I came out when I was a teenager. It was a difficult decision. I didn’t honestly know how my mother would take it. I knew she’d had close gay friends before, but I’m her kid. Would she kick me out? Would she stop loving me? Would she be able to accept me for who I am? I went to a record store and bought Melissa Etheridge’s “Yes I Am”. I put it on to play and sat my mother down. I told her. She was quiet for a while, then told me that she loved me and while it might take her a little bit to adjust, it was okay. Everything was okay. She hugged me as I cried in relief. I told her that I’d been worried. It was a catharsis I didn’t realize I needed. I’m significantly older now, and have been able to be there for my mother over the years. I am proud to call myself her kid, and she is proud to have me as her oldest. She loves and accepts me as I am. She told me more about her gay best friend in high school, who died of AIDS in the 80′s. I had always wondered why she’d gone to California when I was little, and why Dad was so upset about it.  When my sisters told Dad that I was out and proud and married to a woman, he put down his dinner fork and stared for a while. When I met up with him a few years later, he’d adjusted and was able to tell me he was happy for me and still loved me. 

I’ve never been shy about who I am. I’ve yelled at more than one person telling me I’m using the wrong bathroom. I surround myself now with good people, who love and respect me. I’m apparently able to make friends easily when we’re in bars and clubs, to my wife’s amusement. I don’t go to gay spaces much anymore. I spent my last birthday in our local Irish pub and made friends with a beer rep who is from the town that makes my all time favorite beer. I have no idea how many beers she bought me. It was magical. 

When I came out to my mother, I would have never imagined that my life now could possibly be the way it is. It is due to her strength and character that I am who I am and that I can stand up and be proud of who I am. 

In that spirit, I am including here “Mama, I’m Strange”. From Melissa Etheridge’s “Breakdown” album, this song resonates strongly with me. I find the message a powerful one, and the upbeat nature of the song lets me sink into the song without further thought. The first time I heard it, I sat stunned and remembered coming out to my mother. 

[sarazanmai]

Thoughts on the “Sailor Moon Crystal” English dub. Season two episode two.

wait a minute they cut the part where Chibi-Usa saw them un transform

what I mean is in the manga this confrontation occurs after she undid her transformation so instead of Sailor Moon confronting Chibi-Usa its Usagi

why did they change that? having her do this while in full senshi attire makes her look absent minded like she just let the secret out she’s Sailor Moon (granted Chibi-Usa knew this already, but she didn’t know that) to someone she thinks is conspiring against her

also in the manga she almost hits her

I get why that was cut

how did Luna ring the doorbell?

um okay if a cat stands on you while you’re asleep, you aren’t staying asleep

the people who made these episodes went in knowing the Chibi-Usa reveal isn’t a surprise to anyone anymore and it shows in the dub because that’s clearly Stephanie and Robbie’s voices (though Stephanie is going for a more regal thing)

that isn’t really a bad thing because in between the manga, the 90s anime, seramyu, and so on plenty of media depicting this plot exists so nobody is going to be surprised that a child who is named Usagi and wears odango hair and has the Silver Crystal is her daughter

why isn’t she calling them Mama and Papa....

Tuxedo Mask Puppet in the house

I like that Mamoru just has this, he just has this thing laying around his apartment for some reason

in all my years reading and rereading the manga I never imagined him doing a voice for it though, nice touch

but Puppet Tuxie is acting just like 90s Tuxie, its funny

I forgot Luna-P can talk

SMALL LADY

sorry it just feels nice to hear

“I wonder if she could save my Mommy” they’re the same person you ignorant child

I need you to save....yourself...

I get it, I know Chibi-Usa rationalizes them as separate entities (same with Endymion and Mamoru which has...disturbing results) but they are still the same person anyway

still the idea of going back in time to persuade a person to do things to save their future self is a good idea, even Toriyama didn’t fuck that up and he’s an idiot

oh my God Ikuko we don’t need to know all the breakfast options you have, why is her dialogue still going when she’s off camera?

she won’t hug Mamoru back, that shows how Not Happy she is

the Malefic Black Crystal

I didn’t actually know “malefic” was a real word

so he still has that vaginal looking third eye

I mean I knew they wouldn’t change it, but Jesus Naoko did it need to look like this?

maybe its a metaphor for how much he craves that pussy

“I’m sure he wasn’t questioning anything, Saphir is a good little soldier, always faithful” everything Rubeus says is so...embellished and I like that

like this works way better than it did when he tried it for Neji

so remember how I said Cindy Robinson was also playing Berthier? well now I can tell she voices Amy Rose because this is like if Amy tried to sound high class

still the fact that this is Beryl’s actress shows her range

Ami listening to the water is weirdly soothing

seeing Ami swim makes me happy

I forgot Ami had a dad

Berthier’s voice works, its just mind blowing this is still the same person behind Beryl

also does this interviewer not notice what she’s wearing?

I think Berthier was my second favorite sister as a kid, I always liked her design

the Rabbit

she just really wants a good vibrator

why am I two episodes into this season and referencing vaginas so much?

poor Ami is another victim to the “abandoned by dad” trope

I love the muffled sounds Usagi makes when he mouth is covered

all that checkmate needed was a mic drop

the noises these monsters make are...interesting

DAAAAUUUUUAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH

hi Rubeus

bye Rubeus

tune in next time for some eye boobs

[docholligay]

A Little Love Story, Part One: Narrative Inconvenience

For her commission, Jetty is having me rewrite an old, old story I wrote here on the blog, that I’ve always wanted to rewrite because I thought i could do a better job of it. It’s lovely BroTP shit! And the original story was quite well liked so I hope this is too. This first part is 2,200 words, which is longer than the entire original story. Please enjoy, and remember that I love all comments, no matter how small! 

There are old magics, in this world. Power that bends and moves in the world without our being any the wiser, ones that whisper through the trees in the dark and dance on the backs of butterflies in the light. They do not always have name, or even definition, only able to be defined by the edges of what they are not, a fog or a shadow of strength.

“She let her guard down.” It was what Pluto said, and it was not incorrect, though it was not true, either, “and the enemy entranced her. A old magic.”

“She fell for it.” Rei burned with the heat a white ember as she sat around the table, arms crossed, barely looking up from the table.

“We might all, if given what we desired most.” Michiru looked out the window, gazing into an unimportant street, a note of sympathy filling her voice that was more frightening than any of Rei’s anger could have hoped to be.

Pluto nodded. “It does know each of our hearts, if I remember. If it touches you. That is its gift.”

“She turned on us.” Rei looked around at the other Senshi, mouth in a hard line. “Mina turned on us.”

“Oh, she fucking did not,” a small bead of spit burst from Haruka’s mouth and onto the table and she hammered her hand down on the chair arm, “She’s brainwashed, Rei, that’s not--it’s not her fault.”

Rei stood up, hands on the table as she leaned toward Haruka. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, what we have to do is the same!”

Haruka stood up to meet her, and Rei seemed utterly unimpressed by the fact that Haruka towered over her, back straight as Haruka whirled around the edge of the table, finger raised into Rei’s face.

“You’re so fucking eager to kill anyone to prove you’re,” She gave a dramatic bend and waved her hands in the air, “The best senshi of all time. We get it, you love Usagi best.” She snorted. “Fuck you, Rei, you don’t even--”

“I forgot that we only gleefully kill someone when they’re eight.” She stepped into Haruka’s face, nose to nose, “Or at least, people like you--”

“No! Stop!!” Usagi pushed herself between them, tears falling down her face, as they had been this whole time, a quiet fall of rain in between hills of sobbing. “I can fix this!”

“You can’t!” Usagi cowered to Rei’s yelling, and her voice softened, “You can’t. You’ve tried. We’ve tried. Three times, Usagi, and three times Mina’s tried to kill you.” Rei tenderly touched Usagi’s back where a raw, red line from Mina’s blade still raised. “She almost did.”

“It is a very strong magic.” Pluto said, by way of apology. “And their sense of us is keen.”

Ami nodded, looking between Rei and Usagi. “Mina would have been chosen specifically, being our commander, the strategic fighter, and she has always been a little…” She looked at Usagi’s face, and stopped herself.

“‘Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven’ one might say.” Michiru finished Ami’s thought, in a rare bit of synchronicity between them, “More so than many of us.”

“She’s selfish.” Rei crossed her arms and glanced out the window, staring at whatever nothing Michiru's eyes had moved to. “She just wants it for herself.”

“It is an old magic,” Pluto said again, smoothing over the anger and hurt dolloped like frosting across the room, “but there are some older still.”

“Love.” Usagi looked up at Pluto. “Love can break the spell, I’ve read that so many times! And I tried, but--”

As Usagi explained to Pluto a solution she already knew, Michiru moved quietly to Rei’s side, standing close to her, both eyes hitting that same odd mark in the world that no one else could see, holding her hand without ever touching her, in that strange way Rei had come to appreciate.

“Even now?” Michiru murmured, the soft wash of her voice lapping over the hot coals of Rei’s betrayal, the steam of it pricking at Rei’s eyes.

Michiru had a way of accusing Rei of everything, while saying nothing at all, in that strange way Rei had come to despise.

She said nothing, and Michiru did not press, and they both took it as a quiet assent. Yes, even now. Even if my love might save her, it would need to be carved out of me. I do not know if I have the strength to give her my heart where I might give her my bow. Yes, even now, she could not say what she might feel. If even she were sure.

“We have to find a prince, maybe!” Usagi brightened at her own suggestion, “I wonder if Mamoru could--”

“Usagi.” Pluto touched her shoulder and smiled sadly. “You have loved her so well.”

Usagi’s lip wobbled, and they all sat and stood and stared silently, knowing that it wasn’t enough. That Usagi could love all she wanted, she could believe and hope and cast a thousand attacks of healing, and it would not be enough for the sense of power and of strength that now lived in Mina’s mind. That had bent her toward a Venus allowed to be queen.

“Well what are we supposed to do?” Mako split the silence, fists balled, looking from Usagi to Rei to Pluto, as if a leader might emerge. “Capture her? We’ll bring her in?”

Ami touched Mako’s arms. “We won’t have much luck. She’s so skilled...she knows us all so well. She taught us how to fight. She knows how to get around us.”

“I’m next in line for command.” Rei walked to the front of the table and jutted her chin out as she looked around the room, shoulders back. “We have to rush her, and we have to take her out, Before she picks us off one by one. Which she can,” She looked over the edge of the raised slash that came up to Usagi’s bare shoulder, “And she will.”

“No.” Haruka stood at the other end of the table, her jaw set “‘Kill Mina’ is not the solution here.”

“This is what I’m talking about!” Rei popped and spit, a firework just blossoming, “Nobody says you have to do it yourself, Haruka! Remember your bullshit about having to do things to save the world!? Well, now’s the time to pay up for all that talk.”

Haruka slammed a fist down on the table, and Usagi winced painfully. “Are you ever gonna fucking let that--”

“Don’t ask me,” Rei crossed her arms and tossed her hair, “Why don’t you ask Hotaru? Ask her why it was okay to kill her but not someone who’s actively trying to kill Usagi. Where was your emotional crisis then?”

“Rei.” It was a rebuke, as quiet as it was, a small steel rapier at the edge of Michiru’s tongue. “Enough.”

“I--” Haruka looked down at the table, and then over to Hotaru, fist still balled tightly. “I didn’t know you.”

Hotaru said nothing, simply shrugged and placed a hand on her cheek, leaning onto the table disinterestedly. “Whatever.”

Haruka swallowed and nodded to no one. “Well.” she tapped the table and stepped back. “I’m going after her. Usagi had her shot, and I get mine. No one has to come with,” she pushed her hair back and shook her head, “In fact? You know what? Don’t.”

Rei snorted. “She’ll kill you. I give you five minutes.”

“No she won’t. I don’t think. Maybe.”

Haruka was certain in her uncertainty, and Rei remembered the taste of Mina’s chapstick in her mouth, the way her hair had looked splayed against the dark of Rei’s as they had laid together on the tatami mat Mina had pulled outside, under the stars, the grass-sweetness of it mixing with the soft peach of Mina’s scent, as she made up stories about the constellations she saw in her own mind, not caring what others had seen in the stars.

She shut her eyes a moment and let the Sight show her what she wanted to See, that Haruka would be run through in an instant by Mina’s sword, and the Sight complied, the Sight believed, the Sight thought the odds were good.

And so, “Michiru, control your wife.” was all she said, glaring as she said it.  

MIchiru had her own Sight. It worked in concert with Rei’s but never in perfect parallel. It saw further, it saw more possibility, but all of them were just a touch blurrier than Rei’s, all of them required more context and a deftness of thought. Rei was not incorrect, if it came to hand to hand combat. Mina’s skill bested Haruka’s in all weathers, and unless remarkable luck was on Haruka’s side, she would die at Mina’s hand.

And this caused Michiru a sharp pain, one that seemed to come from the inside and wormed out of her chest, leaving her heart open and bare and exposed.

But Michiru could see possibilities that Rei sometimes could not, and on this day, as she looked into the wine that she swirled around and around her glass, another possibility appeared to her in the moving bubbles. That Haruka would listen to good counsel, that Haruka would not try to save Mina, that Haruka’s life would be spared and Mina defeated.

Rei was not wrong in this, either. They were likely to win the day, if they acted at once. Mina had been wise to name her as successor.

Michiru Saw this, and she Saw Haruka, carrying Mina’s body home. She saw the two of them laughing on Michiru’s balcony, sipping back beers. Michiru Saw Haruka struggling to say anything about Mina at her funeral, crumpling the cards in her hands. She saw Haruka grinning as she planned a trip with Mina, trying not to be too excited that she had a friend who simply liked her without wanting anything. Who liked her as the tough and tender butch disaster she was. She Saw the thousand small ways that Haruka would blame herself, for not trying hard enough, for trying too hard, for not saying this, for saying that.

And she Saw Haruka’s slow decline, a whirlpool from which she could not recover, years of struggling and fighting and clawing against herself only to lose in the end. Years of pain and drink and exhaustion, in a battle Haruka could not win.

This was too cruel for Michiru. Perhaps a younger version of herself might have believed she could be all Haruka needed, that Haruka’s tenderness and tendency toward self-hatred could be pruned easily enough, that she could make Haruka into the stone wall she needed to be. But the Michiru who had loved her knew better. That what made Haruka her brilliant, beautiful, beloved girl was also her downfall. That the girl Haruka was today could not survive it, and it was only the slow bleed of a gut shot.

The girl Michiru was today loved her too much to allow it.

But even she was surprised when she opened her mouth as she walked toward Haruka. “Is this something you feel you must do?”

Haruka nodded. “I have to try. She’d do the same thing for me.”

Michiru’s mind moved to the idea of whether or not that were true, but in the end, she supposed, it only mattered that it was true to Haruka, and waved off the thought.

She held Haruka’s hands in hers, and looked up at her. “Please be careful. I love you so.” She kissed Haruka softly. “And Mina is not herself.”

“What do you think you’re going to do?” Rei shrieked in disbelief, hands on her hips, “Kiss her and break the spell, Prince Charming?”

“I don’t know, okay?” She squeezed Michiru’s hands and then softly let them drop. “If she kills me then, I guess, go ahead and do whatever. She twisted at her henshin ring, considering it a moment.  “I’m going.” She leaned in and kissed Michiru, cupping her cheek. “I love you. I’m coming back, okay?”

Michiru smiled. “One way or the other, I believe that’s so.”

She left the house, grabbing her sweater and shutting the door behind her, all the girls sitting in the silence for a moment.

“You sent her to her death.” Rei said, more as a question than an accusation.

“A less cruel one, perhaps.” Michiru barely whispered as she wandered back to her glass of wine and her window.

Usagi stood up. “We can’t let them hurt each other! Rei!”

“Usagi,” Rei drew her into her arms. “There’s no ‘let’ here, I--Haruka sent herself on a suici--well she wanted to do it, you saw, and Mina’s. Not herself.”

Usagi’s lip wobbled again, another hill of sobbing on the horizon. “What if she...hurts Haruka?”

“If she kills Haruka, hell itself will not be able to hide her from me, and so there is that consolation.” Michiru punctuated the thought with a deep drink of wine.

Usagi let out a small sob as she buried herself in Rei’s shoulder. Ami squeezed Mako’s hand, glancing up at her in a reassurance she did not feel. Pluto laid a hand on Hotaru’s head, who shrugged again, unsure of how she felt, or how she was meant to feel. But Michiru simply went out the window and stared at a sea she could not see, the rush of the waves roaring in her ears.

And Haruka clutched her ring tightly as she walked, believing in old, old magics, hoping they believed in her.

[lilietsblog]

sailor moon liveblog episode 20 (I skipped 19 because im too tired for that shit right now)

omg omg i think the next episode is The One That Had Nothing To Do With The Main Plot

and that's the most beautiful thing that exists

particularly in context of my ongoing analysis effort of Everything Usagi

tsuki no hikari ni michibikare~

I will forever love Usagi's enthusiasm in the opening when she says 'I don't look like a superheroine, but I am!' (but no child you do look like one you're the defining superheroine of my childhood)

Ami's summer outfit is the best actually I love all of their summer outfits but Ami is just special oh right its the weird one week summer holidays or something? how it works in Japan?

Usagi is dreaming of being tan and I can't help but note that I like this particular beauty standard

Usagi omfg got very distracted no but seriously why is everyone so shitty to her they just. leave her behind as she's lost in her dreams im the slow autistic (tm) and i tend to space out and lose track of what's happening and i have been hiking since i was 5yo and listen. trailing behind everyone trying to catch up is my worst nightmare. when everyone stops to rest and let you catch up but when you, going at your top speed, exhausted, arrive, is exactly when everyone else, refreshed and rejuvenated, stands up and goes on

like i should probably not project my feet issues on Usagi (SURPRISE IT TURNS OUT MY WHINING ABOUT MY LEGS HURTING WAS NOT IN FACT ABOUT THE SAME SHIT EVERYONE ELSE WAS GOING THROUGH AND MY MOM HAD NO IDEA)

but goddammit STOP LEAVING MY GIRL BEHIND YOU FUCKS YOU DON'T DESERVE HER

honestly 99% of my feelings towards Usagi are bitter bitterness towards everyone around her except like. Naru

aww Usagi so tired she's lost any and all control whatsoever sniping at Rei, screaming at the sight of a little kid she does not atually normally complain this much this is no-filter tired!Usagi

also Ami is the sweetest creature known to men 'are the flowers okay?'

these creatures are genuinely spooky it's kind of interesting to analyze how Ami and Rei aren't reacting to their appearance at all while Usagi is freaking out this is the Weirdness Filter - when people just assume that the weird thing has a perfectly ordinary explanation and anyway if it doesn't affect them it might as well be ordinary either way

also I love how Ami immediately picks up on the fact the girl is being treated badly

Rei is too distracted by Usagi, Usagi is too distracted by EVERYTHING IS SCARY

and here's Luna chiding Usagi for making a commotion

you know when I was a kid I thought of myself as being a bad student and lazy. I got nearly all perfect marks and the only person who was better than me was my best friend but all I could think was 'i am worse than her' bc my mom was ~in a very bad place~ at the time and more or less did nothing but criticize and tear me down for everything that went the least bit wrong

I think back to my kid years and I just feel so weirded out by all the self esteem I was missing back then. like I'm sorry but I was kind of awesome??? and like. the only person who would tell me that was my grandma who lives in a different fucking country and visits twice a year. her praise did not exactly impact my daily life much

my point is FUCK OFF LUNA USAGI IS GREAT AND PERCEPTIVE

she is freaking out because she is paying attention okay

poor kid

omfg Rei 'it's incredibly cheap!' why do you think

'costumes of the employees' see this is what im talking about Usagi is perceptive enough to understand it's not costumes Rei is I guess perceptive enough to know they aren't a threat regardless? but she doesnt comfort Usagi either beacuse OF COURSE WHY WOULD ANYONE COMFORT USAGI EVER

aaaAAAAAAAAA I WANT SUMMER BEACH AND WAVES SO MUCH I LOVE BEACH SO MUCH also hee Usagi still has her bow-decorated swimsuit <3

also Usagi had failed to quite grasp what 'private beach' means XD

Usagi is really wise like normally I'm against snatching books from people but Usagi is very right

also oh my god Rei "Usagi is for once saying something reasonable" more like "for once I take a break from tearing down Usagi for long enough to notice that things she's always saying are actually Not Wrong"

man I hate this kind of "you doing not bad is an unexpected exception" verbal abuse shit so much

also girls why do you think knocking over Usagi is fun??? jfc she's the designated punching bag of the group wtf

this is the kind of fun where you end up feeling like 'wow that sure was a normal teenage thing that just happened to me! i totally fit in! they laughed and there were no freakouts so clearly that was Fun(tm)'

Usagi is really good at seeing the best in situations and loving her friends selflessly but holy shit she's being put through so much fuckery

I absolutely love that this anime just kinda casually includes a werewolf, a frankenstein's monster and a vague monster creature in one episode without them being either explained or ever brought up again

hm so here's Rei and Ami independently stumbling across some secrets how bout my Usa-chan

man Ami knows all about recognizing loneliness doesn't she ...makes me wonder how her parents treat her. i dont think her family is ever featured ever and i also dont think its for no reason

AND AMI'S SOLUTION FOR LONELINESS IS FOR EVERYONE TO BEFRIEND USAGI GOD BLESS HER CLUELESS BUT APPRECIATIVE HEART the one person who realizes how much emotional labor Usagi's ready&willing to do for anyone ever

this guy is such a good portrayal of an abusive parent. hes technically doing all the parent things, never going more than /slightly/ over the edge, so if the girl complained to anyone it would never sound like anything really bad was happening to her. he sounds so reasonable and caring and his selfish motivations are so obvious

so hey theres Usagi literally stumbling upon something scary omfg Rei are you seriously that oblivious 'normal human beings' omg well hey at least she feels the kid psychic

ahh!!! Ami busts in to protect the kid!!! oh hey the point where the girl has had enough <3

what I wanna note here is that Usagi and Rei's roles here are 'the person who actually gets what's going on and resonates emotionally with the locals' and 'the clueless sceptic outsider' also that when terrified out of her fucking mind Usagi still obediently pulls out her moon stick sailor soldier indeed there is nothing about this that is fair to her but she manages still

Usagi is the one of the girls whose life became only worse since Luna came and I'm not going to stop reiterating that

and her father is capable of /some/ actual caring he's not black and white but his actions are and it's very well done

I kind of wish the senshi could do more to help, I vaguely dislike the idea of their powers /only/ being useful to combat their Designated Foes

Rei and Ami picking on Usagi is genuinely actually really not fun even if Usagi's capable of making the best out of it