shintorikhazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

[shintorikhazumi]

My name is not Destiny.

My name is not Destiny.

A/N: Merry chrism, Ex!!! @exphelk :>> SURPRISE! I’M YOUR SANTA. ALSO SORRY BECAUSE IT’S CLEAR I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ZELDA AND WENT OFF A FEW SYNOPSIS PAGES, BUT ANYWAY. :>> I HOPE U LIKE IT. SORRY FOR THE RUSTY WRITING :’>

ALSO I CAN'T DRAW THAT WELL, BUT FOR YOU, I STILL WILL.

ENJOY?

~Shintori Khazumi <3

She huffs, gripping the master sword by the hilt tighter, a desperate attempt to keep her grounded as she flees far and away from her anxieties and the shadows that have quite literally given chase.

“Damned Ganon…” She curses under shaky breaths, running after the barely visible peeks of light at the end of the forest. “I’m almost- Almost… Agh! There!”

Taking a leap of faith, she finally stumbles onto the clearing, barely keeping herself upright as she spots the tower she’d been hoping for and none of the beasts that had chased her for the better half of an hour.

“Finally. For the love of all Hyrule…” She gasps, taking gulps of air and straightening up, brushing debris and leaves from her tunic before taking the short walk up the path to the tower standing intimidatingly tall- all walls and no doors. She looks around in confusion, circling the ground. “Now where in the world is the entra-?”

“Psst!”

With a flinch, pointed ears struggle to find the source of the momentary sou-

“Psst! Up here, silly~.”

Whipping her head up, she sees her: All brown hair and dignified dress, legs casually hanging out of a window she infers is no less than five stories up.

“Only took you forever and a day to get here, and even longer to spot me.” She rolls her eyes, faux annoyance on her face, quickly betrayed by giggles and kicking feet. “How was the trip?” She asks it so casually, the hero almost- no, scratch that- definitely feels insulted.

“Maybe if you’d be kind enough to tell me where the door is, I’d be more inclined to make small talk after just escaping my demise… Princess Zelda.”

‘Zelda’ audibly gags at the comment, making a show of her disgust to the petrified blonde down below.

“Did you know, I hate that name. Princess this, Zelda that. Descendant and ruler and responsibilities blablablabla-“

“And did you know you could potentially be just a blot of red on the ground if you keep on hanging out over the- BY THE GODDESSES WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOI-“

Without much time to think, the hero braces herself to catch the suddenly and very quickly falling princess from the tower-

“SIKE!”

She hadn’t realized it then, but she discovers her eyes had actually foolishly closed in her pathetic attempt to catch a Princess Zelda floating in air- all happily suspended above the ground amongst the sound of giggles.

“I gotta say…” ‘Zelda’ clicks her tongue, giving the hero a once-over. “Had to catch myself in case I broke you.”

‘What?’

“I mean… You are a rather scrawny looking Link.” She whistles appreciatively however as ‘Link’ instinctively retaliates with a subconscious flexing of her forearms. “Though I could be wrong.” She shrugs, eyelashes batting slowly at Link in blatant flirtation.

“And you are the least dignified Zelda that has ever come into existence…” ‘Link’ retorts, gathering her composure and fixing the sling of her bag that had fallen off her shoulder. Brushing the dust from her clothes, she quips inaudibly, “-and certainly not the wisest tool in the shed, if I have to say anything about it.”

“Hey! I heard that!”

Well, Link thought it was quiet enough. She deftly dodges a stone chucked her way.

“Well, y’know,” ‘Zelda’ runs a hand through her hair as ‘Link’ contemplates that she, does not, in fact, know. “If you have to live out some predetermined fate over and over, wouldn’t you want to add some spice from time to time?”

“Catching a falling Princess from fifty feet is not the kind of spice I’d like to have at the moment, Zelda.”

The princess groans, swatting at the hero’s arm, but missing by a few inches. “I seriously hate that name. Like, can’t you call me something else?”

“But that is your name, Princess Zelda. Though if you’d prefer I refer to you as ‘your highness’, I would not be opposed-“

“Blegh- Zelda this, Zelda that. What the hell, call me anything but that. I don’t wanna be named after some lady who’s died like, a hundred times. Heck, I bet you don’t even like the name, ‘Link’.” She settles onto her feet, no longer hovering around ‘Link’ like the annoying bug the hero is quickly associating her to be.

“First of all, that ‘lady’ who constantly dies and is reborn again is none other than you. Also, I…” She pauses, actually thinking about her following statement, deep down unsure of its actual honesty. “I don’t mind the name, Link. I think I like it.”

“You think.” She receives a pointed stare.

“Fine, I do!” She huffs with finality.

“Aww, so quick with the wedding vows, we haven’t even gotten to know each other yet!”

‘Link’ goes in for a tackle that has her stumbling forward as ‘Zelda’ smoothly floats out of the way.

“Ooh, is the pretty hero getting a little shy?” She grins teasingly, poking at ‘Link’s’ cheeks, to which her response is to try to bite those offending fingers off. “Feisty.”

“Enough.” ‘Link’ huffs, already physically, and now even mentally exhausted. “Just spit it out.”

“Spit what out?”

Was this coy princess playing games or genuinely clueless?

“Your name. What your actual name is, or preferred name… or whatever it is you want to be called. Just. Get it over with so we can leave this place and return you to the kingdom.”

“Eehh, I thought I had successfully distracted you from that. Then we could fall in love and elop-“

“Name.” ‘Link’ was no royalty, but the authority in that voice compels the princess herself to obey.

“Akko.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Akko.” She gives in. “Well, Atsuko. But Akko sounds cuter and more up-close and personal, you get me?”

“No, I do not get you, Princess Atsuk-“

“Akko.” Link rolls her eyes at the insistence. Well, two can play the hard-headed game.

“Princess Atsuko.”

“AK.KO.”

“Let’s compromise and I call you Miss Atsuko?”

‘Akko’ or Atsuko, or whatever the Princess Zelda’s name is looks as though she is pondering over the offer-

“Akko.”

Link clicks her tongue, turning around on her heel and prepares to march forward, a difficult princess in tow. She is annoyed; she is exhausted, and bruised and battered, and fed up.

“You know what? Let us just… go. I am frankly tired of your shenanigans. I’d like to get this quest over and done with and return home to-“

“To what?”

Link turns wide-eyed at the princess’s interruption. “Pardon?”

“What will you be doing after this, my dear Link?” Akko looks solemn; sounds the part too. Link might almost buy that she is. “After you fulfill this damned, repetitive legend- A curse of a cycle, I would call it- what is it that you can return to?”

There’s a bitterness in her tone, sprinkles of hopelessness and the knowledge of something Link has never tried questioning before in all her years of knowing and realizing that she’s been living- and dying- a never-ending tale of a hero who foolishly charges on, into the constant pull of their destiny just because.

And yet, she does not want to admit to that. She does not want to say she is aware; that she agrees with the one person who probably understands this situation the most.

So she bristles, fixes a hard look. She dons a mask of indifference, cold and resolute.

“What are you implying, ‘Zelda’?”

Said lady scowls, hands noticeably balled up into fists, clenching tighter and tighter, desperately holding her anger at bay. “All I’m saying, LINK, is that you’ve trained your whole life, dedicated, DEVOTED every bit of it to one day maybe going on some wack-ass journey to fight the big bad man with your oh-so-special sword, find the princess, save her, restore balance to the world, and then…? What. Happily ever after? Fight more villainy? What more is there for you to do beyond this, Link? What life awaits you? Have you ever thought of that? Do you even have one?”

Link hasn’t. Link doesn’t.

Link cannot speak.

“I sure as hell don’t. Raised as a princess, taught to learn this, learn that, do magic, be wise, be proper and prim, then get locked up in a tower I could so easily get out of and wait like the damsel in distress I’m meant to be while the hero saves me from a villain I’d rather shoot with a beam of magic and call it a day.”

“Then-“

“But then what? What do I have, Link? What do I have after that? I go back home, back to the kingdom, be the queen and eventually rot and die without having seen the world, without having known it, but having the audacity to call myself the bearer of wisdom for the triforce.” Her voice is raw with emotion, with desperation. “Wisdom for fools, is what it is. How can it be wisdom I understand when all I’ve known is what they’ve fed into my mind: A fate inescapable with nothing beyond it.”

Link can only stare. Stare for moments and moments more.

Only sudden terror-inducing howls in the distance, accompanied by reddening skies can pull her out of this stupor. Duty over the heart. Mind over matter, she believes.

“Let’s go. We will talk about this later.” She announces, hand already wrapped around a thin wrist, tugging as gently, but as decisively as she can.

“Will we?”

She pauses.

“Let us leave, Zelda.”

With much more force than what she’d normally deem okay to use on any royal, all-the-more on a princess, Link pulls the lady along, steps growing more and more rushed the longer time ticks.

An abundance of time that she now no longer knows what to do with.

//

The next few days are spent in battle; both against the darkened forces of ‘power’, and Link’s internal conscience. They never get to talk about ‘it’, but Link is certain that she’s gotten on Akko’s nerves to be given such hostile silent treatment.

Or that is, until the bored princess begins chatting away.

And not in the most preferable of situations.

“Have you ever thought of what it would be like to go beyond this land we’ve always been in? Cross a sea so vast you’d think it endless, but SUDDENLY. Suddenly there’s land and a whole new people you’ve never met.” The princess sketches a picture out in Link’s mind’s eye.

She chuckles joylessly, grunting. “M-Maybe I will. Think of it. Later when I’m not fighting a damned minotaur of all things!” She hisses as she pushes her sword back at the heavy axe bearing its full weight upon her, calling upon the power of courage to assist her to no avail.

“Fine, fine.” Akko sniffs, assisting lazily with a flick of a hand. And just like that, the beast is collapsed on the floor, none of the mounting intimidation it had pressed on Link left.

Link curses the ease at which the princess defeats all monsters they had encountered, putting her years of practice to train.

Alas, they tarry on. Onward to the city.

To their home.

//

“Hey, dude?”

“Link.” Link insists through gritted teeth, slicing through the thick overgrowth to pave a way for her ‘princess’. “What.”

“So prickly.” Zelda- no, Akko, comments, swatting away at a fly that happened to cross her line of sight. “Anyway, how much longer are you willing to keep up with this boring schtick?”

“What schtick? And what is so boring about it?” Is the response, ‘boring’ being punctuated with two slashes of the master sword cutting off a particularly large vine that falls to their feet with a dull, wet thud into a shallow puddle.

Akko rolls her eyes, full of ire. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You do.” The princess pushes.

“I do not.” Link halts, aggressively turning to Akko, brows furrowed. “So would you drop it and come quietly?”

She is not graced with a response- only an exaggerated huff and an angry princess marching off ahead of her into what Link has not yet realized to be her last fit.

//

“Here.”

“Wh-what’s this?” Akko barely manages the question through her chattering teeth, form shivering all the more as a particularly strong gust of wind reaches them via the wide cave entrance. The fire does little to stave off the biting cold, and they are ill-prepared in clothing for this trip, Link has come to know.

“It will help. If you eat something warm, you’ll feel better.” She says, taking Akko’s frozen hands and delicately inserting the skewer stick. “The soup is almost done. Just give me a moment more.”

“…”

“What? Why are you staring at me?” Link doesn’t have to look up to know, with how that gaze bores deep into her, its weight heavy.

“Do you like me now?” Akko spits out, blunt, tactless. “Just saying since you’re much, much nicer than when we first met.” She lays out her observation.

Link sighs, spooning some soup into a cup she’d brought with her.

“I tolerate you now, if that’s what you’d like to know. We’ve been together over a month now, travelling, searching, lost.” Link has no idea where they went wrong on their journeyed path back, but they’ve long since been wanderers, unable to find their promised home. All they’ve uncovered were trials and tribulations, and battles hardly won- No solace in sight.

Princess Akko’s gaze flickered to the cave’s opening with a dash of melancholy, quickly masked into her usual dumb demeanor as she bit on the juicy piece of meat offered.

Link pretended not to have seen a thing, continuing on with her words. “And while I do not particularly hold any dear feelings towards you, time has taught me that we can get along; and I don’t have to like you to be civil, nor to be kind. I am still your ‘fated hero’, regardless of you hating that notion.” Link hands over warm gold that seeps through Akko’s skin, pleasantly thawing the ice over everything, even her heart.

“I don’t.” She murmurs.

“Pardon?” Hands spooning more soup into a wooden mug pauses mid-action.

“I don’t hate it.”

“Hate what?” Link tries to clarify, lost.

Akko clicks her tongue, growling and glaring and… pink?

Link has to strain her ears to pick up her next words, heart doing strange things in its cage.

“I don’t hate you being my hero.”

There’s something in Akko’s eyes that Link doesn’t really get. She doesn’t understand. She still nods as though she does however, something telling her that she must not respond negatively in this one moment.

“I see.”

The princess seems to want to say something still, mouth opening and closing, lips pursing together, eyes darting about.

“Yes?” Link encourages, curious.

“I-if I had to say…” Akko looks away, that initial light pink dusting her cheeks deepening, crawling to her ears.

Link thinks she looks much warmer now.

“…I like the thought. Of you as my hero.”

Link thinks she feels much warmer now.

//

Time does strange things to one’s perception of another. It twists and confuses and plays silly games with one’s heart.

It taunts the poor Hero’s heart with each passing day.

Zel- Akko, Link must remind herself, is not all she’d thought she’d be at the beginning. Which is to say, she hadn’t thought much of her, to be fair.

Akko is actually wisdom- and even courage- personified, enough to put Link’s title and bearing of ‘Hero’ to shame. She’s faced each of their enemy encounters with grace, tactic, power, experience, and bravery.

Link finds that Akko is what she has always believed the Tri-force should be.

It astounds her.

It pulls her in, entrancing.

And one day, she simply discovers herself in a spell, cursed? Blessed? By a face she’d once found irritating, now only mocking her with how beautiful she’d catch herself finding it.

Is it their because they are fated to be together? The hero and the damsel, the Knight and the princess? Are these feelings, too, dictated by Link’s pre-prepared destiny? One that Akko so ardently tries to break free from?

She does not know.

Nor does she know when or why Akko has begun to look at her the way she does now, and smile at her like the sun so warm and comforting in the spring.

She cannot fathom the butterflies she feels when Akko patches up her wounds after another battle, holds her hand as they walk in the dark on their way to set up another camp far and away from home, while they speak of what they will do next from that point onward.

Link cannot even hope to begin understanding how Akko’s screechy laughter had converted itself into the most soothing melodies in her ears the more she hears it.

Link does not remember when they started to share one another’s warmth at night to stave off the darkness and the chill when the moon was naught to be found- but though she refuses to admit it aloud… she likes it. She hopes it continues on, even when they’ve fulfilled the rolls they have to play as pieces of this game they’d come to awaken to.

And as she brushes her fingers through brown bangs, another quiet night flowing into the dawn, she hopes that at least this newfound scene in the play they act out does not get erased by destiny.

//

“AKKO!”

The smoke in her lungs does little to hinder the scream wrenched from the depths of her heart, twisting and churning her insides inconsolably as she crawls forward with her one remaining arm.

No. No. NO.

This can’t be how this story ends.

They were supposed to return to the city. Akko was to be crowned queen, and Link was to be dubbed a triumphant hero for all the land to see!

And yet.

“ganoONNDOORRRFFFFF!” Link rages, pushing herself upright on that sole upper limb, blood trickling from her lips as she charges with blurry eyes to the grotesque figure waving the princess’s limp body as a victory flag before tossing it to the disarmed hero who catches her barely, falling onto her own back onto the flame-filled ground.

“Goodbye, bearers of wisdom and courage.

… May we never meet again. In this life, or the next.”

The voice booms in Link’s head, it adds on to the nauseating feeling. She barely registers the blinding light from the magic text that encircles them, bright red and glaring. All she can think of is the body atop hers, still warm, still breathing, still alive.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She says while she knows Akko can still hear. Barely, but she feels a hand squeeze her own, a kiss pressed to her collarbone as she tries to roll them over, to shield the princess from the blazes falling upon them.

She feels that hand come up to her face, brushing away the tears she hadn’t noticed had already fallen.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Link repeatedly apologizes through a cracking, wobbly tone of voice, drops clear and red falling onto Zelda’s stunning face.

The hand cups her cheek, a scratched up voice consoling her very soul, muted, but still heard even above the rumbling of the heavens. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Link shakes her head, crumbles onto Akko’s frame, embracing tight. “N-no! No, it’s not- you’re not-!”

Link heaves a deep breath, sobs wracking her frame as she tries not to scream, especially not when the lights in the princess’s eyes begin to dim, growing less and less focused on her.

“A-Akko?!”

It’s a tiny whisp, it’s a barely present kiss.

Link is choked up as the next words are her Princess’s last breath.

“May we meet sooner in another life. May this life never be this way again-…“

“Diana.”

‘Huh?’- goes unspoken, and yet Link knows, wants Akko to know to.

“My name…” She murmurs, pressing closer, lips sealing their goodbyes.

The lights around them flash brighter, consciousness waning and giving into white as they release their souls from this world’s confining shackles.

“My name is Diana.”

//

She fixes her tie. It’s important to make a great first impression at any time. Moreso at an interview.

Being a bodyguard may not require her to be all that smart, but over the years, she’s learned that some amount of wisdom and knowledge does not hurt one’s chances. And so she walks into that hall to meet her hopefully soon-to-be-boss.

“Come in.”

Something about that voice tickles her ears in an odd way. Why has it always sounded so familiar?

She’s sure it has nothing to do with constantly seeing this prominent figure on television, watching all her shows faithfully. It definitely has nothing to do with that.

It’s just, ever since the first time she’d listened to her on the radio… something just-

“Hurry up, next applicant!” The angered manager calls, and she squabbles about, near-running into the room.

The door swings open, the bodyguard steps in, eyes meet…

And all memories come rushing in as fast as her feet had carried her into the conference.

Wide eyes melt into a familiarly smug smile, one that should irritate her, but it doesn’t. It’s so warm. It’s so beautiful.

Just like it was destinies ago.

Her heart stutters then leaps to full throttle, making her chest ache as she drinks in the next few words.

“So, Link. What shall we do in this lifetime?”

She swallows the lump in her throat, nerves or tears, she didn’t know what caused it. It was irrelevant anyway.

She couldn’t help the grin forming on her face, tears stinging, but not falling. Squeezing her fists, then walking forward and holding a very present hand out, she gives her introduction.

“Well, Miss Zelda. To start,”

Akko, Zelda, the princess, her boss- laughs so hard, tears come out. She grasps Link’s hand, holding it tenderly tight.

“Why don’t you call me ‘Diana’?”

END

A/N: MERRY CHRISM EX I LOVE U YEY <3.

Sorry I could only do a little sketchy thing because I'm out of practice and time ;-; <3 HOPE YOU LIKED IT

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

I Have Two Sisters Chapter 5: One Sinner, Two Sisters, Three Black Drinks, and Four Memories.

A/N: Hello. Back from the year-long hiatus. Life has been terrible. Is very slowly getting better atm. So I’ll try to finish this story once and for all in the next few chaps.

Posting on AO3 due to content warning and rating change! Nothing so scandalous, but do read the warning before reading. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437165/chapters/104954385

Okayokayokay, I’m glad I’m finally posting this so I can show the people on ao3 the AMAZING art my friend did for this AU- I’m SOBBING. Thank you WEISS (one of her nicknames is Weiss ^^), and befitting of your name, is this Weiss-centric chap! I’d go on and on again about how late this is, or how iffy I wrote, but whatever. Y’all already know not to expect much :>. Anywho...

Enjoy?

[shintorikhazumi]

It’s 6/9! Happy KuRo Day!!!

haven’t posted here in a hot minute or year.

Have some flirty mayakuro sketches to celebrate our best girl T-T <3

(I’m learning how to art better so pls be kind :’>)

[shintorikhazumi]

How To Grow A Family Tree|Chapter 1: Plant A Little Seed Called Love

A/N: Ooh~ My second genshin fic. Please don’t sue me for the bad writing ;-; I just wanna brainrot, yknow? 

I must be an idiot for writing a new fic. I’ll get back to Teyvat sad girls in a bit.

AU where almost everyone’s family who passed in canon is alive. Except Sara’s biological fam. Sorry bby. Oh and maybe Ei’s parents cause who are they. Basically Sara meets the (future) in-laws. Kinda mixed modern fantasy (because they keep their non human traits) stuff ig.

This one’ll be eimikosara yeet~

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

 Chapter 1: Plant A Little Seed Called Love

Sara had never known love.

No, not when she’d been orphaned at an age where she barely remembered a thing. Not when she’d been taken in, only to be constantly shut out of a ‘family’ that could not make it any clearer that they wanted nothing to do with her unless it was to turn her into their profit-earning horse.

When she’d been given a name, she almost thought she’d know love; but even that was a misconception on her part.

Sara did not know love. Not when her father seemed to take pleasure in the constant ‘discipline’ he dished out on her: small slaps on the wrists, kneeling for hours on grainy sand from sunrise ‘til nightfall, shoveling snow, chopping wood, learning all forms of martial arts for hours on end before coming home to study until her candles were all out of wax, leading to her sleeping on the thin mat with equally thin blankets keeping her alive throughout the night.

No, she knew not love. Not when her brothers had spared her no moment of attention, affection, or siblingship. Not when Masahito forbade her from ever using the dojo while he was around and never speaking a word to her ever. Not when Kamaji hadn’t even invited her to his own wedding. Sara was fifteen, for crying out loud, and they had been living in the same house at the time!

(She remembered sobbing silently to herself as she spent the night of the supposed reception alone, poring over high school examination results that her father deemed not good enough and were up for review.)

She knew not love when she noticed them walking in on one of her ‘penalty sessions’ with her father, and felt her heart shatter into shards that tore at her from within when they turned a blind eye and walked away, closing the door behind them.

 Kujou Sara had not known love.

At least not until she’d been adopted into her best friend’s home at seventeen, Ayaka no longer being able to stomach the stories Sara would unwittingly share when she was too tired out to evade Ayaka’s very leading line of questions from time to time. That and Ayaka had caught Sara in a nightmare once, and from what Yoimiya had later told her, the little heiress had turned restless for many a night thinking about Sara’s predicament. She had searched countless ways and tried numerous methods of convincing until her parents finally saw for themselves and agreed that it was too dangerous for Sara to be left in that house.

The Kamisato family had always been disgusted by the Kujous, so much so that they had initially not wanted Ayaka anywhere near the youngest daughter of the clan, even shunning Sara from their door the first time Ayaka had invited her over despite being known as a welcoming and nonjudgmental family.

It could have been an overreaction, but it was just that difficult to give Kujou Takayuki and any of his kin the benefit of the doubt.

But then Ayaka begged and pleaded, and a toothy-grinned Yoimiya tried to bribe them with custom fireworks, and surprisingly, even Thoma quietly requested Ayato and the Kamisato parents to give Sara a chance to just come in, sit with them and… be.

 They should have not been able to trust a Kujou.

But Kujou Sara… she was sweet, and lovely, and an awkward, clumsy little thing. She was overly courteous, spoke stiffly like a soldier, but was clearly very kind. Earnest and genuine, Ayaka knew her parents had fallen in love (if Sara eating at their house three times a week despite the Kujou clan’s known strictness was any indicator. Ayaka did not know how her parents got permission to whisk Sara away, though she was glad they did).

So when Sara showed up at their doorstep at half-past three in the morning, battered and bruised, the skin over her eye bloodied shut; when they had discovered the surprising treasure that was Sara’s heritage, cruelly marred, tattered, and tainted- Ayaka and Miss Kamisato had shed tears at the state of her supposedly majestic wings- the family knew enough was enough.

It took all of Thoma’s power to rip the sword out of Ayato’s clenched hands before the men of the house rushed for the police station to have the Kujou’s apprehended and possibly sentenced to long, long years in hell.

 Her adoption was surprisingly quick, and without much problem, possibly due to the large influence of the Kamisatos in general.

A few hiccups were met on the road, but then… finally, then. Sara knew love.

She knew love the moment she woke up past her usual hellish five-AM wake up call to her new sister who greeted her good morning from the opposite end of their now-shared room, who brushed her crazy morning bedhead before handing her a fluffy pair of slippers, gently taking her by the hand and leading her down the stairs for breakfast.

Kamisato Kayo had once more cried for the child Sara could not be as she tried to tell the girl that it was okay for her to eat at the table with everyone, at the same time, just as they always did when Sara came over for dinners. No, she did not have to ‘serve’ them their meals and wait for them to finish first. No, she was not ‘unworthy’ of seating at the ‘master’s table’.

She tried not to let the young tengu see her tears when she’d been told that her favorite breakfast food was onigiri, and nothing could compare. Well, because she had nothing to compare it to.

Thoma and Kayo had prepared her so many items that morning that Ayaka had complained for Sara that she would get bloated if they kept piling more food onto the overwhelmed girl’s plate.

Yes. Sara knew love when breakfast was mixed with warm miso soup and a mother’s affection.

Sara knew love when each time she’d have to head out to anywhere with Ayaka or Thoma, someone would bid her farewell by the door. When it was Mrs. Kami- her mother (Sara had to get used to that), she’d always be sent off with a lingering hug and a kiss to the forehead for safety.

She always did feel the effect was true, believing it even more every time she was able to return to that warmth unscathed.

 Sara knew love when she finally returned to school and heard no whispers nor rumors about her despite the obvious public trial her formed adoptive father had for more crimes than the ones committed against her.

Maybe it was because someone had kept people’s mouths shut around her, or everything was simply drowned out by the sunshine of Yoimiya’s presence as she tackled her and welcomed her back before taking her to morning archery practice.

 Sara knew love when she finally mustered up the courage to befriend the clever Miss Kuki from her class after much encouragement from Yoimiya and Ayaka. Sara had grown up with an appreciation for dioramas, and how perfect the world in them seemed to be compared to her own shabby and grey one.

When Miss Kuki had brought one such well-crafted piece for a school event, Sara had yearned to befriend her and have her teach a thing or two.

With time and much-needed help, Sara managed to strike up a conversation with the shorter girl, who, by their next meeting, had given Sara a package the size of a shoebox.

Upon opening it, Sara had bolted toward the restrooms, gift caught by the giver, and worry on all her friends’ faces. They had given chase and found her crying in a stall, muttering apologies and thank you’s.

“M-m-my s-sincerest apologies, Miss K-Kuki… I was just a little… overwhelmed.”

Her friends collectively heaved sighs of relief as they waited for her to calm down before returning to the classroom to appreciate the gorgeous diorama of one beautiful crow in the prettiest Sakura garden Sara had never visited. (Shinobu claimed it existed and would take her there someday if she wanted.)

 Sara knew love when she came home and shakily showed her new parents her imperfect test results: a ninety-eight, and got the firmest hug and many, many kisses on the head for it. She was called brilliant, a good child.

“Thank you for working so hard, Sara. We love you.”

Sara cried for the love she got to know.

 A/N: There will be chapter 2 because SARA WILL HAVE A BIG BIG FAMILY, JUST WATCH ME. YES. I’M BITTER ABOUT KAMAJI. NO LOOK, I’M ALL FOR KUJOU SIBLING FLUFF AND SOLIDARITY, and I was super hopeful during Ei’s story quest when we met kamaji. But the times he talked about the “Kujou family” he only kept mentioning his dad or masahito, and never Sara. Like…??? Hello? :<

I’ll probably make a sweeter Kujou fam story in the future.

Ciao for now~

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

Two Less-Lonely People In The World

Two less-lonely people in the world

A/N: Ey, Genshin fandom debut. Crap.

SaraEula friendship fic. I love Eula. She’s the first character who I fell in love with. Story, design, playstyle (tho I don’t have her. *sobs in pain of just having gotten a decent enough device to run GI*). Then Sara came in and swooped down and into my heart. I love the birb so much too T-T. These 2 always make me so sad when I think about their backgrounds.

I am down bad for Characters with the best angst potential. Thus, I would like to form the Teyvat Sad Girls’ Club- (I already have the Liyue member ready in my mind)

Tell me Eula and Sara won’t become besties when they can possibly relate so much to each other T-T.

Assigned as personal guards/protection/attendants to Jean and Ei for a meeting between nations stuff. Yas.

EuJean and AyaSara being (somewhat) on the rarepair side gives me pain. I NEED FOOD. So, uh… I cooked some- (tho it’s not cooked well, I’m sorry)

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

  It is quiet. Incredibly, unnervingly so. So much so that Eula swears she can hear the continuous ticking of the tiny pocket watch resting by her hip.

She’s certain that if she checks it, the time would reflect some ungodly hour of the night- maybe even tell her that it is already a new day refreshing.

Eula has stood in the same spot for hours she could no longer be bothered to count, definitely bored out of her wits, though her upbringing would allow no such tell in her manners.

Still… there must be something worth doing. Something to keep her entertained until the leaders of Teyvat realize that the greatest ‘peace’ they can hope to achieve at present during these treaty talks is the peace that comes with slumber; realize that sleep is a necessity to continue living. Maybe a luxury to people like them, but despite her reconnaissance duties-demanding as they are at times- Eula likes to think she still holds a healthy sleeping schedule compared to most knights. (She tries not to think about a certain grand master and knight-maid in contrast.)

Eula would very much love to get some peace of mind before she loses said mind and gives those workaholics a piece of her mind.

Her eyes have gotten tired of the plain wooden panels in front of her, and she shifts them about, catching sight of her companion who has been in the same predicament as herself. Huh.

Eula secretly gives the tall figure a once-over, noting the tireless rigid stance it maintains. Eula sighs. She can already guess that they both aren’t ones to strike up idle chatter, if the hours they’d already spent in silence were any more obvious of an indication.

But.

She remains bored.

And Eula Lawrence isn’t too keen on staying bored. She’s already quite exhausted from going straight to guarding this meeting just as they’d stepped foot on the island without a moment’s rest. Getting bored on top of that- Eula would hate to drift off in any way. (Not that her discipline would permit such a thing.) So perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Perhaps.

Shuffling her feet, she quietly clears her throat. Just loud enough to be heard or not, hoping it doesn’t sound like a rude interruption and casual enough to be dismissed.

Her fellow watch guard bats nary an eyelash.

Eula sighs.

Guess she’ll have to be more direct in her approach if she wants any sort of reaction.

“So?” She begins, as nonchalant as she can. “Why, pray-tell, is the esteemed general and supposed right hand of Inazuma’s Archon out here in a freezing hall, guarding a sturdy enough door with a- not to be boastful, but- perfectly capable knight ensuring safety, as it is my assigned duty?”

Said general blinks, having been previously lost in thought and unable to catch much of what her companion had just asked.

“Pardon?”

Sara looks caught off guard, clearly not expecting this sudden conversation- brows knit together as she turns her focus to Eula.

Eula swallows her amusement, tries to remain professional-looking. Sara had cocked her head to the side, looking very much like a curious bird. Eula will never admit to it looking cute, not in front of the general, at least. She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear before resting her gaze upon the impeccable posture of the foreign general.

“Why aren’t you inside with the rest of the representatives in the meeting? From what Gun- Mondstadt’s acting grand master has told me, alongside your ruler, representatives from each country’s administrative hand have been invited to join. That includes all notable and distinguished members of any noble family.” Eula clarifies as she straightens up from her position leaning against the doorpost, feeling somewhat conscious now that she has the ever-serious general’s attention.

Sara’s mouth stays in that same single line, unmoving.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Trying to make small talk with someone possibly more stoic than even Rosaria or Diluc- wait. No.

Eula shakes her head. That would be an insult to the poor general.

She’s not one to abandon any mission she’s set out to do, but maybe Eula should give up on… whatever this is she’s started.

… except Eula Lawrence does not give up on anything.

She soldiers on, keeping any sort of creeping embarrassment shoved to the back of her mind.

“Ah, if you worry about not being able to speak much about these ‘forming connections’ affairs they claim to want to have, I’m sure I heard that this first night is supposedly only an informal dinner so that the representatives may acquaint themselves with one another.” She tries not to bitterly add that they sure are taking their sweet time in ‘getting acquainted’.

“Ah.” Sara blinks slowly, Eula’s words finally registering. She lets out a small cough, features relaxing somewhat. “My apologies, mila-“

“None of that now, General. Captain or Eula should suffice.” Eula cuts Sara off, making it perfectly clear that she wants no ‘madame’s or ‘milady’s reaching her ears. Not tonight. Not in this foreign land that feels much too alike to Mondstadt with Eula in it’s walls. Nothing oppressive, but somewhat alienating.

Actually, she’d like to hear it… not ever. The addresses feel too heavy a reminder of her upbringing and the reality they have wrought her.

“Reconnaissance Captain Lawrence.”

It was almost a lovely sound. Eula regards her title with a nod, pleased by the general’s compliance. Now that is a name she does not mind hearing forever. A testament to her own will and hard work-

Except that she’d have loved it more if her surname had been dropped, her roots forgone and buried in the dust. Still, Sara’s clear respect in how she regarded Eula forgave that thought.

“Yes, General?” Eula cannot help but smile as she feels the previously stiff atmosphere shift into something more cordial in a way that was comfortable instead of stifling as her usual noble-centric encounters have been.

Though without her own smile, the general looks like she shares the sentiment.

“As I was saying. You must be mistaken.” Sara’s eyes flicker toward the decorated carving of the wooden door before facing front once more. “I am not a representative.” She clears her throat. “Or at least, not when it comes to these matters. My eldest brother and I take care of military affairs while my other brother handles such sociopolitical issues.” Would it be fair for Eula to think that the general might be embarrassed?

“Hmmm.”

“I do admit I’ve had my fair share of negotiations with other parties, but…” Sara’s thoughts strive to not linger on her past meetings with one priestess of the resistance. “I believe it is best to leave this to the one more experienced.” She concludes, with another nod that Eula knows is Sara trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

“Like I said, this is only dinner.” Eula repeats pointedly.

Sara’s brows furrow some, a small frown of confusion on her lips as she regards Eula with a rebuttal of her own. “Then why are you out here, Captain Lawrence?”

“Whatever do you mean, General?” Eula replies, tone almost flippant.

“If my memory serves me right from my days of studying Teyvat history, is your presence not also required inside the dining hall?”

Eula’s laugh is boisterous, yet painful-sounding. Sara hides her wince, wondering why it is so.

“General Kujou, your memory may not be wrong, but it seems to have missed a few parts.”

Sara raises a brow, a silent ‘continue’ going unspoken.

Eula huffs, a mirthless smile replacing her equally joyless laughter. Why is she even entertaining the thought of sharing her history with Sara?

Well, whatever. It is a quiet night. Dull, even by her standards. The ‘meeting’ in the room has probably gone on some five to six hours. She might as well entertain herself with the general’s decent company and average listening abilities- or so she assumes.

“I’m simply here to guard the Acting Grand Master, the Heiress of the ‘Great and Noble Gunnhildr Clan’ as an attendant. A bodyguard, if you will. While Master Diluc Ragnvindr may also protect her, he is not of the knights and holds no responsibility nor duty to shield her from harm’s way. He himself is also a representative. And while I know so truly that the Dandelion Knight, Jean Gunnhildr can certainly hold her own…”

“I’ve heard stories, yes.” Sara hums in agreement.

“Yes, let’s just say it’s for formalities’ and image’s sake. That’s all there is to it.” Eula curses herself internally from chickening out, but she would like to think talking about your tragic past is not the best first impression out there.

“I… see.”

“Besides, no one would want a fallen clan’s blood, much less their now-bastard heir to represent their anything.” Eula shrugs, trying to sound as unbothered as she wanted them both to believe she was.

“Fallen... clan.” Sara echoes as the walls of the empty space do.

Silence reigns between them once more and Eula can’t help but think of how she’d love some wine right about now. She should have not stopped Rosaria from smuggling those few bottles into her pack.

“It may seem as though we hold similar reasoning, Captain Lawrence.” Sara regards her once more, breaking the quiet. Eula secretly loathes the flash of sympathy in her eyes.

Or is it empathy?

Only Sara can tell her. “I… my shame does not permit me to remain in the same gracious space as her excellency, nor can I face my loyal peers. Not… not with how my clan has done.” Tell her she does. “In a sense, it might be selfish of me to throw my own brother into the flames of scrutiny, however-“

Eula laughs, unintentionally interrupting Sara who again gives her that bewildered expression.

“You as well, huh?” Eula’s laughter dies down. She leans back against the wall as she heaves a weighted sigh, closing her eyes momentarily. She could almost fall asleep from how light she currently felt. The lightness that came with the knowledge that someone might finally understand you.

“Captain Lawrence-?”

“’Your clan and your past does not define you’“. It is said almost like a whisper, a prayer that Eula’s heart knows is too difficult to answer, for it to actually be true. “–The Acting Grand Master told me that.” She adds.

Sara nods slowly, simply listening, allowing Eula her time for what they both can feel is a much-needed release− a freedom from all the emotions she’s bottled up thus far.

“Yes, I agree. I agree with her words.” Eula speaks wistfully. Bitterly. “They certainly do not. Should not, but… the people around you try to.”

“People will always try to place their own definition on things they have yet to understand objectively.” Sara tells her. “I know I do. I think it is simply one way of getting to know and learn of the world.” She muses, though not without having to ignore the regret that digs into her heart as she tries not to remain in her memories.

“What a way to learn, huh?” Eula spits out.

A beat passes in silence.

Maybe this was the end to Eula’s little social excursion.

Whatever. She’s too tired to keep it up anyway-

“Pardon me if this may sound too personal, but…”

Eula wonders what Sara could possibly want to talk about. Did she want to dig deeper into Eula’s scars? Did she want a more specific description? Did she want something for future use against Eula? If so, she’d have to prepare some suitable venge-

“Are you and Mondstadt’s Grand Master possibly…” General Kujou Sara is surprisingly capable of blushing, Eula notes. “…ehem, uh… How shall I phrase this? Again, forgive me for being so brazen and assuming, but… are you… i-involved? By any chance?”

Oh.

Oh.

Eula adds Sara to her long list of targets for vengeance.

Sara is still waiting for the response. Eula sighs, Eula smiles bittersweet, no words, but sara knows the answer.

What was the use denying it if even someone rumored as socially clueless as Kujou Sara could pick it up.

“I’ve heard you are similarly linked to the ever lovely Lady Kamisato.”

The esteemed General Kujou Sara of the Almighty Raiden Shogun coughs up a storm, choking red as she struggles to catch the pieces of her composure falling apart.

“I-I–!”

Eula almost laughs. Almost, if not for Sara’s sudden change in demeanor, eyes downcast as she seems to have organized her thoughts and returned to the reason for her initial inquiry.

Eula hadn’t thought it would be anything so heavy, so serious.

Maybe she should have known better when faced with the very embodiment of serious.

She doesn’t know how to respond to the next words that escapes Sara’s mouth in a rush.

“H-How does it feel to be together with one who is loved by all while you are… not so much liked, if not despised by those same masses?” Sara asks, keeping their conversation going, not knowing why she wants it so. Not knowing why she asks such questions. Her eyes widen a fraction when she realizes that maybe she should have not asked it at all.

Eula finds herself briefly flustered, her mouth possibly dropping had she no better self-control.

Sara asks such sensitive questions, and Eula hates that she has an answer to a situation she lives daily in truth anyway.

She adds another sigh to the count as she stirs her gaze away to one the Shogun’s random potted plants. “Wouldn’t you know the answer to that yourself?” She deflects, instead. “I take it we may have similar experiences, even in this regard.”

Sara pauses, thoughtful. “Perhaps.” Sara weighs. “Perhaps not. I, for one, can confidently say I do not particularly seek the affections of the Inazuman people…”

Eula could almost be jealous of that self-confidence.

“Just…”

“Just?”

Sara clears her throat, turning her eyes away momentarily as she cannot seem to admit to this truth facing the Lawrence girl’s gaze head on.

“I do confess to feeling… lonely… sometimes.”

Eula chuckles, a hollow sound, turning away from her possibly less-than-kindred spirit as she’d initially thought. “Is ‘sometimes’ an understatement like I believe it to be? Or do we differ in this regard as well–“

“Yes.”

Eula chances a glance back at Sara, surveying her form before training her eyes back to the front, staring at the empty hall they had been assigned to guard and wait at. “Hmm.” –Is all she responds to that.

Or it’s supposed to. But curse her tired mind, and desperation to be understood, heard, listened to- for her loose lips.

“I would say I sometimes feel jealous.” Eula softly admits. “How does it feel… for your efforts to be regarded, rewarded? How does it feel to get a pat on the back? How does it feel to be praised and accepted? Validated and seen…”

Her memories and emotions flow like a torrent of waves that threaten to wash away what little restraint she has on herself left.

“Captain…”

“When people’s eyes light up at the sight of you, children run up to you, wanting to hold your hand, offering you flowers and smiles, and-and warmth.”

Eula only ever knew the cold: a cold greater than that of the Dragonspine she’s been a constant in.

“How does it feel to be loved?” Eula grimaces at the crack in her voice, the weakness she’s allowed to slip through. But she has no strength to deny the dull aching of her heart, the painful thuds it subjects her to.

Sara remains quiet, and Eula does not dare look up to see whatever expression the general wears.

She suddenly squeaks as she feels an awkward weight- a hand- patting her on the back clumsily.

It’s unfamiliar, but Eula wants to welcome it fully.

General Kujou Sara is such an oddity.

“I’d like to know the answer to that as well.” She whispers, continuing her awkward display of comfort until Eula’s breathing has slowed, and she clears her throat, standing upright once more.

Sara retracts her hand and returns to her post as Eula fixes her appearance, swipes at the infuriating tears at the corners of her eyes.

“Thank you.” Eula mutters, a hint of shyness coloring her tone.

The general grunts in response, picking at her clothes, fixing the non-existent disorder they have.

“…It was the least I could do.” Sara speaks after a time. “I… when I… catch myself dwelling on such things, I’ve found that any sort of comfort is what I seek. Now, I know you may think of it as weak for a general with such a posi-“

“I do not.” Eula cuts in.

Sara blinks. “… thank you, then.” Sara fiddles with the sword strapped to her side for a bit, before speaking once more. “Ayaka-san, she– … ever since we became… l-lov… romantically… we”

“You can just say lovers.” Eula teases, noticing the tell-tale reddening of the Tengu General’s ears.

“Y-yes, that. Since we became l-lovers, or maybe even before that, Ayaka-san… she’s taught me much. About love, comfort, being accepted, being allowed to make a choice and live. Live, not as the shogun’s general, not as the Kujou-clan’s glorified weapon, but as me: Sara.”

Eula can’t help the smile on her face, happiness for her new comrade blossoming in place of her earlier sorrows.

“Amidst the stormy seas of Inazuma, she has become my dependable anchor. She has kept me grounded, sane. She has kept me hopeful, and… well, I’d like to say she’s kept me alive. Willing to be alive.” Sara has such a far-off look in her eye. One of adoration, love, gratefulness, respect… longing.

It's an expression Eula sees on herself, reflected on glass windows when she is out on ‘night patrols’ with Jean, when they know no one else in the world watches them- sees them.

And Sara and Eula both know that just behind their shallow envy is an understanding of the city. For who are they to not know of how much more difficult it is not to fall in love with the women who effortlessly catch all hearts by merely existing.

They’d be a hypocrite to say they could not grasp the notion.

They know it all too well.

Moreso than the rest of the world even.

The world should be envious of them instead. The ones who are loved by the loved.

“I also believe,” Sara continues, and Eula listens. “That though we may long for the same affections of those around us, we are also aware of the pressures they are subjected to? I, at least, see how exhausted Ayaka-san is after a long day of dealing with countless people, all who see hope in you and think you are their only chance of gaining help.”

“Mm.” Eula winces at a memory of a Jean ran ragged, a constant image that has been imprinted in her mind from the many times she’s encountered the disposition. “That is definitely one thing I would never be jealous of.”

“They work so hard, they strive and serve, and put their all in… how could I bring myself to deny Ayaka… how could I not want to assist her and aid her in her burdens?” Sara speaks in a relatable manner, Eula nodding along because it was the truth.

It was only fair that they earned and deserved all the adoration.

And How could Eula actually loathe Jean?

How could Sara not want to be in such the illuminating presence that is Kamisato Ayaka?

They were both as moths to flames so warm, so bright in their cold, dark worlds. Those flames would engulf them, embrace them, and lay to ash their sorrows and pains, even if it was for merely a night.

“I’ve always hated my upbringing. I’ve hated how life just decided that I was the antagonist to everyone’s story. I abhor fate and its law of turning me into an outcast when I had… When I have no part in its past.” Eula murmurs.

“If we were given the chance to start over our lives, in places far from this, in settings vastly differing… do you think we’d take it?” Sara muses. “To start anew? To maybe receive love from the start? To have grown in different circumstances?”

Eula ponders it for no longer than a second.

“As tempting as it sounds, I’d rather not take my chances.” She shares a grin with the general. “What if it means you don’t get to be with your lovely lady, after all?”

Sara smiles amidst her scoff. “I believe in fate. Soulmates.” Eula resisted the urge to tease her for that. “And even if they weren’t true, I know that I would still seek Ayaka. I would still love her as fervently and as loyally as I do now.” Sara’s words are a confession, a proposal so sincere, Eula can almost see the ring. “I would still dedicate all my affections, love, and adoration to her.”

“Consider me in awe, General.” Eula shakes her head in amazement. “Though I concur, wholeheartedly. I do not enjoy the history that torments me, but…” She leaves it to her companion to finish the rest.

“I guess, you could say… at the end of it all that…” Sara smiles a small thing, heartwarming as she wraps her fingers round the charm nestled safely in her pocket.

“That?”

“In my life where everything goes wrong, something finally went right.”

“Now there’s two less lonely people in the world?” Eula chuckles a second time that night, only that the sound is fuller, clearer… happier. “I never imagined you to be one who listened to such worldly tunes, General.”

“And I you, Captain.” Sara laughs quietly, eyes rising to the ceiling. “Some things just come unexpectedly, as I imagine you know.”

And then the door finally opens, and Eula sees two tired faces switch to beaming at the sight of her and the general. It sends a burst of melting joy in her icy heart as her arms fall around a waist that felt just like home, embracing her in her fulness.

She’s glad she took the chance to speak with the taciturn (adorably so) general. Maybe they could do this again next time.

And as Eula lays in bed with a bundle of dandelion-scented sun nestled into her bosom, she finds herself agreeing with Sara one last time for the night.

“I do know.”

 A/N: DOONNEEE, OMG. I’ve had this idea living in my head for so long and just- I am nervous, honestly because it’s been so many MONTHS (idk If I’ve hit a year) of no writing. And needless to say, I have no confidence in this whatsoever. BUT. I need food. I need LPVE FOR EULA AND SARA LIKE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I FEEL FOR THESE TWO. THEY MAKE ME CRY. Hope you all liked it ;-; and tune in to the next installment of this series. Whenever that is.

Teyvat Sad Girls’ Club Out.

Ciao~

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

Two is company, Three's a Crowd, but Four is the Death of Diana Cavendish: Intermission

A/N: So since I took a long break from a lot of my fics due to some heavy personal reasons, my mind is pretty like, bugged and just totally lost. So Imma just yeet a self-indulgent intermission chapter for the time being (I’m sorry ;-;). Also, look at me pulling out my rarepair cards again :>

~Shintori Khazumi

 “My favorite is Diana~ <3 Oh, but I secretly have a soft spot for Barbara.”

“Wha-?” Akko squeaked, scrambling for the spatula that had slipped out of her hands as she suddenly lost focus. “What are you talking about?” She faced the older woman, slipping the utensil into the bowl she had previously been mixing.

“Oh, just from your girlfriends, I just find her utterly adorable is all. She’s also so polite! What a charmer.” The redhead grinned. “Not to mention her looks-“

“Okay! Okay! I get it! Stop, I don’t wanna hear what you think about Diana. At least, not like that.” Akko groaned, having had this conversation with her adoptive mother-slash-mentor more times than she had fingers.

“Oh? I personally enjoy my little spats with the England brat. She’s a brat, but-“

“Aunt Marj-“

“Call me aunt or auntie again and I’ll kick your ass.” Marjolaine scowled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Akko sighed. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with these two adults, especially when they blatantly flirted in front of her and stole her concentration when she had work to be doing.

“Why are you guys here, anyway?” She grumbled, picking up from where she had left off with her batter.

“No reason.” Marjolaine shrugged. “Bored and there are no shows scheduled today so... I dunno about Char though.”

Akko turned to the woman, awaiting her answer.

“I just want to watch you be all sappy while preparing sweets for your anniversary.” Chariot shrugged as well, causing Akko to pout.

“If you had nothing better to do, then maybe you could have helped me out?” She gave them a pointed look.

“Nope.”

“No.”

“And why not?!”

“Because, Akko darling,” Akko glared and pushed Marjolaine away as she pinched her cheek. “It’s part of infusing your love into those yummy little treats is by putting in your fullest efforts. On your own.”

“You just don’t want to help me, do you.”

“Yup.” Marjolaine grinned cheekily, swiping her finger swiftly in the bowl and licking the stolen substance off with a happy hum while she avoided Akko’s reprimanding hits.

“Mom!” She complained to Chariot who simply laughed, leaving the two to their playfight as she two had her own taste test. “Oh, come on!”

//

“Babe, stop sulking.” Hannah poked Akko’s cheek, sighing when the girl’s frown only deepened, brows furrowing further as she smashed her fingers across her phone screen while playing a rhythm game, not winning at all due to how heavy her hands were being causing her to press inaccurately and also not move quickly enough to tap the notes on time.

“Stupid game. Stupid mom. Stupid Marj.”

“They didn’t mean any harm, dear.” Barbara sighed, placing down the magazine she had been reading before getting up from her spot on the floor and plopping down on Akko’s other side on the bed, laying across her lap with her stomach over Akko’s thighs and her head on Hannah’s.

“Still!” Akko exclaimed, frustrated. “Because they kept teasing me and stealing the batter while running around the kitchen, the bowl fell to the floor. It was my favorite one! It was glass too!” She cried out, throwing her phone across the room in her irritation, surprising Diana who had just walked in through the door. “And then I didn’t even get to give you all any gift for our anniversary because I had nothing else prepared and I-! I…”

Akko slumped forward, resting her torso over Barbara’s back. Diana placed the tea she had prepared on the room’s circular table safely before kneeling in front of Akko, taking her hands in her own and placing a kiss on each knuckle. Akko barely managed to keep pouting.

“Sweetheart…” Diana sighed, not really knowing how to make it any better. They knew that to Akko, these kinds of things were a big deal. She was a very thoughtful, hardworking girl who put effort into all the little things and big things. She was also emotional and sentimental. Things like anniversaries meant so much to her and she pulled all the stops on each monthsary they had. What she couldn’t afford financially, she made up for with effort- not that Hannah, Barbara, or Diana ever demanded any gifts from her. They were happy enough just spending time with her and being the ones to pamper and shower her with all the good things that they could give.

Akko just also wanted to repay them all the damn time, almost feeling like she owed them- an idea they regularly tried to get out of her system. They wanted her to know she was deserving and worthy of love at all times, in all circumstances. Why? Simply because they loved her.

The three shared a look, trying to communicate what they could do to lighten Akko’s spirits. Seemingly reaching an agreement, they all nodded, before Diana got up, pulling Akko to stand along with her, forgetting about Barbara sprawled across the girl’s as the said girl hit the floor with a dull thud and pained moan.

“Sorry.”

“I’m fine.” Barbara gave them a thumbs up and a dazed grin before Hannah picked her up and gave her a small kiss on the nose. “Even better.” Diana and Hannah simply rolled their eyes while Akko shifted her gaze between them, not knowing what was going on.

“Guys-?”

“Gee, I’m so hungry. What time is it? I sure wish someone would prepare me a meal~.” Hannah quickly spoke in the fakest tone of voice that made Akko snort.

“Oh, dear!” Barbara, in a nasally timbre, exclaimed, gasping as she exaggeratedly gestured to her watch. “It’s already five-thirty pm! I should have had dinner by now!”

“Barbara… you usually eat at nine pm, and you just order pizza because you’re too busy reading nightfall and too lazy to get up-“

“Shush!” Barbara held a finger to Akko’s lips, suddenly glancing about. “Do you hear that?” She said in a whisper.

“E-eh? H-hear what?” Akko suddenly became wary, also now on guard as she looked around the room for any potential intruders.

Hannah and Barbara shared a grin, evil glints in their eyes and somehow, the tallest of the bunch felt herself sweat. What were they-

“Diana’s stomach~” They sang annoyingly, poking the girl’s sides rather aggressively before bolting for the door as Diana tried to catch them, stumbling over the floor cushions and tripping.

“Wait, was that what you meant?! I didn’t think that our plan was- Hannah! Barbara!” Diana yelled after the pair that were already long gone. “Goodness.”

Diana’s attention was stolen by soft giggling. Turning around to her remaining girlfriend, she felt a tug on her heart as well as her lips, unable to keep herself from smiling as Akko tearily broke out into happy laughter.

“You all are dorks. Elegant, amazing, beautiful dorks.” She sobbed into Diana’s button-up, soaking the material lightly. “I love you so much.”

Diana squeezed the girl tight, fingers playing with the silky strands of hair. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Diana’s cheeks were hurting from how much more she smiled, planting a kiss on Akko’s head before twirling her around and leading her out the bedroom towards the kitchen. “We love you so much more.”

Akko laughed and sniffled.

“Why are you crying, love?” She asked, already knowing the answer that caused her heart to beat strongly in her chest.

“Isn’t it obvious, silly?” Akko glanced up at her, smiling like the angel she was in all her plaid shirt and fitted jeans glory. “Because I love you.”

Diana could just die on the spot.

“I love you too.”

They shared a kiss, content in just soaking in the warmth and gentleness of that one moment-

“Heeeyyy, so I’m actually hungry and want my darling wifey’s cooking~”

Akko blushed, scurrying towards their destination with a dopey-faced Diana in tow. “Who-who’s wif-… Hannah!” She exclaimed embarrassed, flushing even more when Hannah and Barbara flanked her sides and placed a kiss on the corners of her lips.

“What?” Hannah asked innocently.

“Indeed, what is the problem?” Barbara fluttered her lashes. “Did we disturb your flirting with our Diana? You didn’t even give us any kisses yet.” She pouted.

“Or declarations of your undying love for us.”

“You two…”

“Really, you both are so needy.” Diana reprimanded, crossing her arms, earning her two tongues stuck out at her to which she rolled her eyes in response. “At least let us all graduate college. Then we can talk about marriage.”

“Di-Diana?!”

“What?” She said, innocently surprised. “I date with the intent to marry.”

“Aijgdikr?!”

Akko didn’t even have a chance to process that nor recover as she had already been pushed towards the counter, Hannah and Barbara laying ingredients in front of her.

“I want hot pot for tonight!”

“Oh, and maybe we can also make a light dessert. That, or we can have Diana run down to the store and get us a tub of icecream.” Barbara added to Hannah’s suggestion for tonight’s menu. “What do you think, Akko?”

“Akko?” Hannah turned away from the fridge, the rest of the girls looking at their lover, stunned and red, staring blankly at nothing. “Akko…?”

Diana gave Akko a light poke on the shoulder, yelping as the girl fell over onto the wooden floor, immediately curling into a ball, mumbling under her breath.

“Girls… I think Akko is broken.”

 A/N: Yeet. Bye.

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

Me, Everyday @Claudine:

This is canon, and I’m dying because I’m so happy it is. This is me everyday, admiring Saijou Claudine because Claudine.

Even the anime be saying she’s beautiful ;-;

[shintorikhazumi]

A Full-Course Mess-er Meal

A/N: HAPPY BIRTH- I MEAN MERRY CHRISTMAS BINCH! SURPRISE, I’M YOUR SECRET SANTA. Dear Sky, I love you. Thank you for art. Amen.

A present to my fellow kumirei sufferer. May we never see the day they canonically screw.

I’m sorry because this turned out worse than how it seemed in my head, lol. No plot, only uh.. brainrot. 

Wtf is the color of Kumiko’s watch?! Is it pink? Is it tan? I been squinting at it for so long. Hell, let’s say it’s pink.

Kumiko interacting with Diana is my new religion.

The writing is as much of a disaster as Kumiko is throughout this whole fic.Sorry.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

“Love? Do you have everything packed? We leave first thing in the morning!” Diana’s head popped through the open doorframe, checking in on her girlfriend who had been worryingly quiet the last ten minutes- quite the strange occurrence, especially in their household. Akko was a hurricane of joy, excitement and… sometimes accidents, though Diana said this with all the fondness in the world.

Crystal blues surveyed the room, searching for her favorite tuft of brown hair sticking out from possibly anywhere. Diana frowned when she’d spotted nothing of the sort, heard no sign of Akko’s usual antics or her supposed packing.

“Akko?”

“WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW?! SHE’S YOUR GIRLFRIEND!”

Diana jumped at the sudden boom of Akko’s voice that hinted at her whereabouts- hidden by the sliding doors leading to the pair’s balcony. Carefully making her way to where her lower seemed to be, Diana once more peeked her head in first, meeting Akko’s gaze and giving her a questioning look.

Akko gave her an apologetically sheepish smile as she made a gesture of apology while continuing her ongoing phone conversation.

“Listen, well- No, no. But like, aren’t you supposed to know even just a little bit what she would like? You’ve been together for what, nearly three years now? Why wouldn’t you know what she’d like for Christmas?”

[“Y’see, that’s just the thing. She’s mysterious like that. Frustrating, but sexily mysterious.”]- Diana managed to overhear as she stood next to Akko awkwardly, waiting for the sure explanation to come after.

“Ew, don’t tell me about your kinks, dude.” Diana stifled a laugh as she got closer to Akko, bumping her shoulder against the shorter girls as she leaned her head on Akko’s that had rested on her shoulder in a quiet show of affection.

[“Screw you.”]

“Jokes on you, I have someone who would.”

[“Gross.”]

“Says you.” Akko giggled, rolling her eyes despite the person on the other end of the line not seeing it. “But whatever. Lucky for you, the great and benevolent Kagari Atsuko-sama is heading your way not later than…” She looked up to Diana for a second, as if asking a question that Diana had no clue how to answer. Akko eventually seemed to find her own however as she continued, “two days, probs.”

[“Did you need to count on your fingers to get that number or something?”]

This time Diana did laugh at the gibe, unable to help herself as she continued to wonder who this amusing friend of Akko’s was. Akko looked up to her with a betrayed pout, smacking Diana’s arm with her free hand, but still not removing her head from the heiress’.

“Hmph, at least I’m not a disaster lesbian like you.”

[“Sure, you’re not.”]

Diana could almost see the tick forming on Akko’s head, her lover grumbling incoherently about ungratefulness and stupidly useless brunettes. She refrained from making any comments.

“Do you want my help or not?”

[“Oh, I do, oh great and benevolent Kagari Atsuko-sama.”] Sarcasm was just oozing from the device in Akko’s grasp.

“I see you don’t. Ayt. Bye, Ku-“

[“I’M KIDDING- WAIT! AKKO! COME ON, DUDE. I’m joking. You know that.”] The voice on the other line now panicked, trying to salvage the conversation. Diana continued to patiently listen in as Akko cackled in her triumph(?).

“Good to know, loser.”

[“Whatever, loser.”]

“Yeah, yeah. Love you too, jerk.” Akko said with an added smooch sound that made her conversation partner make gagging noises. “Glad to know you feel the same way, asshole. Admit it, I’m your favorite cousin.”

[“I’d rather die first.”]

“I’ll send flowers for your funeral.”

[“Thanks. Send lilies. Love you.”]

Akko chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. “See you in two days.”

There was silence on the other line and the lovers thought that was the end of it, Akko preparing to press the button to end the call. But just before the end beep, they heard a shy, hushed, [“I’m grateful.”] then Akko’s phone displayed the digits of the call duration, the owner shaking her head once more.

“What an honest girl.” Diana commented.

Akko chuckled, shrugging lightly as she turned to give Diana a peck on the cheek. “The most honest one I know.” She paused. “Stupidly honest, though. She kind of… doesn’t really have a filter sometimes and says things so bluntly, I’m scared for her.”

Diana mirrored the gesture, snorting at the thought. “Like someone else I know who, in addition, is reckless, if I may?”

“Heeeeyyy!” Akko gave Diana a light shove into the room. “That was years ago! I’ve matured!” She whined.

“Of course. So mature.” Diana teased, wiggling her brows before taking off into a sprint, already reading her girlfriend’s mind and getting a head start.

Akko dashed after her, yelling bloody murder that wasn’t the least bit threatening as it was laced with bouts of laughter as feet padded about the halls, slipping and stumbling on occasion before a thud was heard as the more athletic Akko finally caught up to Diana and pinned her to the floor.

They held each other’s gazes, smiling through their breathlessness, cheeks flushed, eyes adoring as their foreheads met and their lips followed in a sweet display of their love towards one another- a display that repeated itself over and over and grew heated as it went on.

“H-hey, wait! Atsuko! We’re-“ Diana broke away, clapping a hand lightly over Akko’s mouth, tongue poking between he fingers as Akko stared at her with a fervor that made Diana’s stomach flutter in familiar anticipation. “We are supposed to be packing!”

Akko’s eyes only glinted in mischief, teeth grazing against one of Diana’s fingers, a wink thrown in for added temptation.

“… fifteen minutes… wouldn’t hurt, maybe.”

They didn’t almost miss their flight in fifteen hours.

//-

“I shouldn’t have allowed you to coax me into that last night. Amanda saved us with her quick driving.” Diana complained as she grabbed the last of their luggage from the conveyor belt, handing it over to Akko to place on the cart.

“Oh please, like you didn’t enjoy it to the fullest~.” Akko grinned, watching Diana’s ears flush an adorable shade of red.

“That is irrelevant.”

“Is it now?”

Before Diana could retort, Akko gave an excited squeal, waving her hands in the direction of the glass doors that hosted various people behind them. Diana had no clue who her girlfriend was waving at, but maybe it was their pick-up service. Akko had told her that instead of grabbing a cab, she had already gotten transportation arranged last-minute. Diana had an inkling that it had something to do with her conversation yesterday- something that Diana had forgotten to ask about after certain other- ehem- events had taken priority.

“Hurry, Diana! I see her waiting!”

Diana shook her head with a resigned smile, extending the handle of her trolley bag and dragging it behind her as Akko pushed the cart with a spring in her step as they headed out of the arrival area.

They were immediately greeted by the bustle of all the people in the airport who were reuniting with other arrivals or meeting their services and/or scheduling rides to wherever else they were headed from the airport. That and the call of “Akko! Over here!” were among the first things that had welcomed her to the land of the rising sun, Japan.

Diana could already see her girlfriend vibrating with long-contained excitement that burst forth as she let go of their belongings and ran for a figure slightly taller than her petite lover, tackling her in a powerful hug that almost toppled them both over and onto the floor.

“Jesus, it was nice to see you too, but now I’m not so sure anymore.” The girl murmured, one hand secured around Akko’s waist, the other on her side. “Damn, did you accidentally punch my ribs in or something?” She continued to complain, slipping her arm away as Akko steadied herself on her feet.

“Don’t be such a wimp, dude.” She piped up, slapping a hand on the poor girl’s back as she coughed and then some, glaring at the shorter girl almost intimidatingly. Almost.

“Seriously, stop.” She warned, shaking her head to diffuse her irritation, it seemed before walking over to Diana who was holding onto the abandoned luggage. The brunette with curly hair and a lopsided grin gave Diana the standard bow, scratching the back of her head awkwardly before offering an open hand for a shake. “Sorry about Akko. Must be tough dealing with her on a daily basis, huh?”

Diana took the outstretched hand, giving a firm shake as she held back a smirk at the shiver she felt from the other girl (‘How adorable’, Diana thought), opting instead to wear her usual- as Akko so fondly called it- ‘resting bitch face’. “If anything, I should be apologizing for her brash behavior.” She followed up her statement with a bow so perfect, she just knew she intimidated the girl in front of her. She couldn’t help but want to tease her a bit more. She seemed the type that was fun to rile up.

She wasn’t wrong.

“Diana Cavendish. Heiress- well, no. Not quite anymore. Head of the Cavendish lineage, pleasure to make your esteemed acquaintance.” She said all in one paced breath, no friendly warmth in her tone, just a façade of her usual cordial mannerisms she used at stuffy aristocratic parties.

Immediately, her new acquaintance grew flustered at Diana’s behavior, an awkward shuffle of her feet clearly showed that alongside her “Uh- y-yeah, uh. Thanks- I mean! For earlier! You know, when you said the- when you apologized- I mean. Sure. Um… Shit, I’m not good at dealing with fancy ladies-”. Her eyes widened a comical amount. “I MEAN NO, I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY THAT ALOUD, GOD AKKO, HOW THE HELL DID YOU- I MEAN, NO OFFENSE, YOU HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY AND ALL BUT…shityourgirlfriendishotasshitandisrichandseemssmart, what kinda magic you learning back there-“

The girl purposely seemed to bite her tongue, looking anywhere but at Diana now as she grew redder with each statement that slipped from her mouth.

Diana still held her composure, determined not to give her character away too soon.

“Sorry, I’m stupid with my mouth. I mean- yeah. You get it.” She sighed resigned, glancing once at Diana before turning away once more, eyes darting about until they finally fell on the pile of luggage Diana was barely holding onto with her jetlagged hands. Taking it as an opportunity to divert her embarrassment, she gestured to the bags in her token awkward way that Diana had quickly associated with the girl. “Do you need any help with that?”

‘Don’t smile, don’t smile, not yet.’

With her hand hidden in her coat pocket, Diana pinched her thigh, managing a nod and an even, “Yes, that would be much appreciated. Many thanks.”

“Right, uh, thanks. Many thanks- oh wait, shit.” Diana quirked a brow at what seemed to be another realization from the other girl. “You speak Japanese!”

“Yes, I do. I have been.”

“God, should I have greeted you in English- wait no, uh, are you English? I mean the nationality not the- …”

Diana and Akko both waited for the girl to pick up from where she had trailed off.

“You know what? I’ll shut up now.” She said, picking up two of the suitcases and walking in the direction of where their transportation probably would be.

“…sure…?” Diana followed along, dragging her trolley as Akko did hers.

They followed closely behind the girl, trying not to lose her in the sea of people in the airport.

Maybe they shouldn’t have followed too closely as the sudden halt in her step caused Akko’s face to smack straight into the taller girl’s back as the snap of her fingers in realization was succeeded by a groan of pain from the two brunettes.

“WHAT THE HELL KU-“

“I forgot!” She whipped around to face Diana, ignoring Akko’s glare. “Nice to meet you, I’m Oumae Kumiko!”

Diana already loved her.

//

So Oumae Kumiko was her girlfriend’s cousin. Not a surprise to Diana, not counting the fact that she’d overheard Akko refer to the girl as such during their phone conversation the other day. It was just that… they were so… alike. In the funniest- er- Diana meant in the best ways. Their best qualities were shared, it seemed. From the adorable expressions and weird noises they made to their determined and straightforward personalities, Diana found herself quickly growing fond of her new companion, Oumae Kumiko.

“So, Miss Oumae.”

“Y-yes!”

It helped that she was just so easy to tease.

“I see your predicament.”

“Y-yes, thank you so much for uh… seeing my… predicament.”

Regardless of her positive impressions of the girl, however, it did not ease her distaste for the situation she was currently shoved into.

Diana could already feel Akko resisting the urge to facepalm from beside her. Both were not quite sure whether they were glad to be here to help Kumiko out or frustrated-slash-perplexed at how much of a disaster Kumiko actually was. DIana had assumed her situation to be more… manageable.

She turned to Akko staring deadpan at her otherwise tragic case of a gay cousin.

“And so?” She began, prompting her girlfriend to turn to her with a raised brow. “Why am I the one ultimately helping?” Diana had been under the impression that they had added this stop to their itinerary of otherwise barren Christmas vacation plans so that Akko could lend a saving hand to her dear cousin.

Not so Diana would play love doctor.

Akko shrugged, a coy smile on her lips as she threw an arm over Diana’s shoulder haphazardly. “Coz babe,” She spoke matter-of-factly. “You’re better at this.” Akko admitted, annoying grin turning sheepish and almost convincing Diana.

Diana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she analyzed what she had to work with.

“I mean, my child here-“

“Not your child!”

Akko easily ignored that.

“-wants to give her girl a fancy dinner date to celebrate their third anniversary. Isn’t that sweet of her? So… y’know?”

“I don’t, in fact, know.” Diana crossed her arms over her chest with a frown. “Do you want me to teach her etiquette and how to act and all of that? I mean, I suppose I could.” Diana reached for her phone, already looking up nearby restaurants to suggest, thinking steps ahead of the cousins. “Where would she take her in the first place and how ‘fancy’ is fancy? I need to know these things so we know not to drill anything into her that could spell failure should she be too awkward.” Diana missed the way Kumiko squirmed in her seat, tugging at her collar as she shot Akko a helpless glance.

“Um, sure, yeah, you can teach her all that and stuff, but uh…” Akko and Kumiko exchanged a look, communicating something that Diana couldn’t hope to understand until they laid it out in words to her.

“But what?” She asked, eyes narrowed, fingers stilled from tapping away on her phone. What could they possibly add to this flaming operation of catastrophe that would make it worse?

“Kumiko is well, more or less…”

“More or less?”

“Let’s just say… lacking in funding and sponsorships and financially incapable of providing the most convenient and classy of atmospheres required to lessen the burden for said arrangement in our plans thus we were looking into a more authentic experience, requiring only the most basic culinary knowledge and some dumb luck and youtube videos?” Akko finished all in one breath

“I would be impressed by how you worded that, and quite proud because it means you’ve clearly grown in terms of vocabulary, but… you mean to say-“

“Kumiko’s broke… basically.”

The lovers ignored the squeak from the tuft of brown seated in the chair in the middle of the room.

Diana looked from one girl to another before sighing, phone clicked and screen blackening. “And you propose she whip up dinner instead on that day; am I correct in my understanding?”

“Perfect! A hundred percent!” Akko beamed.

“Well… that sounds… reasonable?”

“It sounds romantic!” Akko encouraged the idea further. “And well, if anything on the food front faces troubles, I cook too so… back up, y’know?”

Diana looked at her girlfriend warily, still unsure. “I suppose we can manage then. So we have their little dinner date here, have you two prepare a course meal of sorts, and hope for the best?” She clarified their plan one last time.

“Yup!”

“Fine.” Diana acquiesced, drawing up a plan in her head on how to first evaluate Kumiko’s present status in terms of manners and etiquette. “I would hope you’ve already prepared a suitable attire for the occasion, or do we add that to our shopping list for when we buy dinner ingredients? We want to impress in freshness and taste- both you and the food. I also need to know enough about your lover, Miss Oumae, to make the appropriate preparations for this.”

“Wow, you sure are serious about this, babe.” Akko whistled from the side, earning her a glare.

“I never half-ass things, so if you want me to help, I want nothing short of the best results. We are sweeping that girl off her feet even if it kills you.”

“Not us?” Akko just had to ask.

“Did I stutter?”

“N-no, ma’am.” Suddenly, Akko felt kinda bad for Kumiko.

“Good.” Diana began making notes on her phone, once again missing the nervous body language of her companions.

It would not take long for her to be made aware of the reasons, however.

“I forgot to ask.” She looked up from her device, gaze steadily aimed at the pair. “When is the dinner taking place?”

Diana’s eyes narrowed, brows furrowed as a scowl formed on her lips. “Akko. Kumiko.”

“T-t-t…”

“When.”

“Th-the day after tomorrow…?”

Diana could almost entertain the thought of practicing Murowa right now.

//

“It’s five AM.” Kumiko whined, already fully dressed and downstairs in the living room, slumped against the couch.

“Perfect time to start training. Even Akko went through this back at Luna Nova… well, at least when she felt like it.” Diana whispered that last bit to herself.

“No way in hell am I buying that, Diana-san.” Kumiko and Diana had agreed upon first name basis as it seemed easier for them to get comfortable with each other that way if they were going to be working with each other- or well Diana with Kumiko- to make this impromptu operation a success. “Akko could sleep for thirty-two hours and still be tired.”

Diana chuckled. That was believable. And unhealthy.

“Akko aside,” she deflected. “Having to start this early in the day is your fault. You and Akko both, for not thinking things through sooner. We’re already late as it is to start teaching you whatever it is we need to teach. We managed to plan out the meal you both are to cook, but we still have to shop for ingredients, do the preparatory work, at least rent out a proper attire for you, and practice your manners.”

“I’m starting to regret all of this. Can I just take Reina out to a McDonald’s instead and call it a day?” They hadn’t even started, technically, and Kumiko already wanted out.

“No.”

“Ugh.”

And so began Kumiko’s crash course on how not to ruin her anniversary plans with her lover.

//

“So, uh… it’s this spoon, right?”

“No.”

Kumiko, with her series of grumbles, glared at the silverware, as if somehow hoping labels would pop up out of nowhere to tell her which one was the right one to use. “Why the hell are there so many?” She complained, struggling to memorize the order of placement and of use the past fifteen or so minutes.

The sun was well up in the sky and its light came streaming through the windows, bathing everything it touched in that fresh morning glow.

“This one-“

“No.”

Diana sighed tiredly. This wasn’t going according to plan. After she had given Kumiko some etiquette pointers (and ones on posture, because good lord, even Kumiko’s back wasn’t near as straight as her. And the girl wasn’t straight), Diana had opted to teach her dining manners, starting from how to set up the table. She thought that if Kumiko familiarized herself with the set-up, she’d be able to know which to use for each course instinctively.

Perhaps Diana was rushing her a bit, or maybe her hopes were too high.

As the pair took a break to make breakfast and make themselves more useful so early in the morning, a figure suddenly walked into the kitchen- someone Diana hadn’t seen before, but who looked very similar to her present companion.

Diana watched as the woman, with sleep falling from her eyes, went stiff, hands up in a guarded pose as the Cavendish could practically see the thoughts running inside the panicky woman’s head.

“Who? What? Why? Did you go through the back door? I know kung fu!” She exclaimed, reaching over for a nearby frying pan before she noticed Kumiko bent down in the drawers, taking out a pot before giving her a blank expression despite her blush.

“Nee-chan…” Kumiko groaned, embarrassed. “Chill. It’s just Akko’s girlfriend.” She said, not even bothering to pause from her task of getting their meal ready to clear-up her sister’s misunderstanding.

The sound of Kumiko chopping up vegetables soon filled the room, bringing with it a sense of grounding as Mamiko blinked away the remaining bits of drowsy confusion she still had. “Ooohh, Akko’s here. Huh.” She stated, scratching the back of her head as she looked around the room until her eyes finally landed on Diana. “They arrived yesterday?” She asked Kumiko more than the girl she was actually facing.

“Yeah, you came home too late to meet them, right?” Kumiko replied as her hands kept their moving.

“Well, work is work.” Mamiko sighed, walking over to the couch, and unceremoniously flopping down on it. “Mom insisted I come home for the holidays to babysit you so she and dad can go on a trip, but the commute is tough, dude. Don’t get me wrong, I love being with my baby sister and all that, but-“ She paused, whipping her head towards a startled Diana who hadn’t gotten a word in yet since the elder woman’s arrival. “Ah sorry, forgot you were there.”

Diana gave her a slow nod.

“Oumae Mamiko.” Said woman introduced herself.

“Diana Cavendish.” Diana replied curtly, inwardly amused at just how similar the siblings she had recently met were.

“So? What are you two youngsters up to.” Mamiko asked, rolling herself on the couch so that she laid on her belly to watch her sister at the stove lazily.

Before Diana could respond to the question, Akko entered the living area, rubbing sleep from her eyes accompanied with a yawn. “Oh look, the whole gang’s here. Sup Mamiko-nee.” She grinned, stepping closer to the older girl who already had her arms stretched out in front of her.

“Akko~ My favorite!” She said all giggly, hugging the girl around her waist as she nuzzled into her side.

“Yey~!” Akko responded with as much enthusiasm, combing fingers through messy toffee hair. “To answer your earlier question, “Diana here was just teaching Kumiko how to survive her date with Reina and not screw it up.” Akko explained with an evil grin, winking at Kumiko who scoffed.

“Oho~?” Mamiko turned to her sister with a shit-eating grin, not many words needed to further annoy the hell out of Kumiko.

“Go die.”

“Eeehhh, Kumiko, is that how you treat your beloved sister who came home for the holidays just to be with you???” Mamiko whined.

“That’s right, that’s right! Is that how you treat your lovely, incredibly sweet cousin who came ‘cross the world to help you get some pu- blegh! Kumiko! That was gross!“ Akko cried out as she ran for the sink to wash off lingering soap from the sponge Kumiko had thrown across the room with surprising strength and accuracy for something so light that far.

“Nice shot.” Diana praised.

“You’re my favorite now.”

“Oi!”

//

While Kumiko was glad that breakfast had been otherwise relatively uneventful, she was not enjoying the shopping session that she had been thrown into just hours after.

If accompanying Mamiko on her off-days was hell from how many shops the older Oumae could scour through, being with both her and Diana was killing Kumiko’s already tired feet after the eighth shop they’d entered.

“Are we done?” She asked, praying to any god out there that the answer would be a yes though she knew deep down that her supplications would bear no fruit.

“Nope.”

Of course.

“Not until you figure out which of these outfits we’ve chosen for you would suit you best. Plus, you never know. We might find something even better in shops we’ve yet to cover. It is our goal to explore as many options as possible.”

Kumiko could already hear her wobbly legs crying for rest.

“Can we at least take a break?” She pleaded.

Akko, who had been walking a few steps ahead, spared her a questioning glance. “Why are you this weak, Kumiko? Aren’t you in a marching band?”

“Oh, shut up. This and that are two different things.” Kumiko rolled her eyes at her cousin’s judgment.

“Are they really though?”

“Well, for one, it’s not like I have to carry more than just my instrument. Unlike you all who are letting me carry all of… these.” She held up the bags that occupied both her hands, shaking them for emphasis. “None of these are even mine! They’re all your own stuff!” She complained some more.

“Well, maybe you can change that by finally picking out your clothes for tomorrow night. Then it won’t be just our stuff.” Mamiko spoke matter of factly, already following Diana into the next shop.

“That wasn’t the point!” Kumiko groaned, nevertheless entering after them relentingly. She hoped they’d end at the tenth.

//

Diana yelped as Akko pressed a cool towel to her foot, freshly dipped from the tub of iced water next to her.

Diana’s feet hurt. So much.

Dancing was not Kumiko’s forte, and it showed. She briefly wondered why she had even agreed to this apparently grander than expected scheme that Akko casually referred to as a ‘date plan’. She didn’t appreciate the sudden addition of a dance either. A dance that Kumiko had yet to know how to do. Diana had wanted to reject the idea as it would only pose more difficulty for them in their already short-handed and short-notice preparation, but there had been this excitement in Kumiko’s eyes at the proposal that-

Really, Diana just couldn’t say no.

Diana took a peek at her lover, diligently caring for her feet. Why had they let Akko do the planning in the first place if Diana was doing all the teaching?

“Because. Again, you’re better at this kinda stuff Diana.” Akko replied with a teasing grin, urging a blush from Diana as she realized she’d spoken her thoughts aloud. “And if you planned, I’m sure you’d be pretty minimalist about it. Thorough, but… Efficiency and whatever. If we told you there had only been two days left, hell, you’d probably have just given Kumiko some cash, clothes, a couple tips and called it a day.”

“No, I would not be so cheap as to do that.” Diana argued, though some part of her knew she actually might have entertained the idea. “… I’d at least make her buy her own clothing.”

“See?” Akko laughed as she massaged Diana’s feet, soothing the aches and pains from dancing for hours and getting stepped on multiple times.

Sure, she could have healed herself with a flick of her wand, but Akko had told her that there would strictly be no magic while they stayed at Kumiko’s despite her knowing some bit about Akko’s circumstances. Mamiko had no clue after all, and they were not to let other people know of their identities as witches- or so Akko claimed.

Diana internally scoffed. It wasn’t as though they were broadcasted worldwide a few years back, being gay on a flying broom in outer space anyway, right?

A soft kiss to her knee pulled her out of her musings. She raised her brow, a silent question delivered.

“I’m sorry.” Akko murmured, leaning forward to rest her chin on Diana’s lap. “We were supposed to be on vacation and all that, but… I kinda ended up giving you a hard time. Again.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “I seem to do that a lot.”

Diana observed her girlfriend’s features. She suddenly seemed so fragile and small, and she hated that she was partially responsible for that, however indirectly. Reaching a hand to cup Akko’s cheek, she coaxed her eyes upward to meet her own, a tender smile greeting the brunette.

“Well…” Diana cursed her mind as is blanked, words dying in her mouth. After a few awkward seconds, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You know how I love a good challenge…?”

Akko blinked, staring owlishly for a moment or two before bursting out into a fit of giggles, hands on Diana’s thighs, squeezing carefully.

“That was terrible, Diana.” She laughed, kissing Diana’s knees one more time. “I love it.”

//

Reina was not quite what Diana expected from how Kumiko had described her.

The moment she arrived at the Oumae residence’s doorstep, Diana had already felt the air shift into some sort of tense atmosphere that she surprisingly did not find to be unwelcome. It was a mystifying allure that she wielded in her pretty hands, and Diana suddenly understood where Kumiko was coming from with her streak of gay panic each time she had to explain things to Diana concerning Reina.

Reina, for one, stared at Diana in unhidden surprise. Diana could see the cogs turning in her head- probably wondering who this random foreign stranger was at her girlfriend’s house. Diana stepped in before she could make any assumptions and jeopardize all their (Diana’s) hard work.

Diana tested the foreign words in her mind before she tasted them on her tongue. She had done her best to study Japanese for Akko, and she wasn’t too keen on having a repeat of her first meeting with Kumiko who had surprisingly held well with her English. Something told her Reina would be different, but still. Better to be sure than sorry.

“Hello, Kousaka Reina-san. We’ve been expecting you. I’m Diana. I’m a friend of Kumiko’s.” Reina still had the wary gleam in her eyes, and Diana decided she had to be clearer about her relationship with the house owner. “I’m her cousin’s girlfriend, if that makes you feel more at ease to know.”

Diana flushed, not expecting to be read so easily. Clearing her throat, she responded with equal courtesy. “Ah, yes. Uh. Thank you very much, Diana…? I’m- Apologies; is Kumiko in?”

Diana smiled, glad that below that seemingly intimidating exterior was a girl who deeply cared about her new friend, enough to be quite cute about it.

“Yes, she’s been excitedly awaiting your arrival. She’s in the dining room; if you’d please follow me.”

Diana escorted Reina along the dimly lit hall lined with lanterns and fairy lights. When Akko told them to leave the decorations to her and Mamiko, Diana honestly hadn’t expected much. She was pleasantly surprised with the results. It did well to set the tone for tonight’s dinner, and hopefully give Kumiko some form of confidence boost, knowing that everything was set to perfection.

They finally made their way into the dining room where the table was set with candles lit, covered platters sat on the kitchen island, ready to be feasted upon, and a sole pot was left over the stove, presumably being left to stay warm or finish cooking a dish that would be well-ready in a few minutes.

Kumiko stood in the middle of it all, suit pressed, and with a hand reached out to Reina. She gingerly took it, looking genuinely and speechlessly impressed. Kumiko guided her closer to the table before pulling out chair for Reina to sit in. Reina made sure to let her thanks show by catching Kumiko’s hand in hers and placing a kiss to her knuckles, rendering her a mess so early in the night.

Diana was beginning to feel nervous. Kumiko’s social graces- or well, lack thereof had just very recently been brushed up, and with how she was being around Reina, and how Reina was being… Reina, Diana had an inkling that everything she’d been put through the past two days would be for naught. She hoped not.

//

Kumiko was a mess.

Well, she usually was, but…

Diana facepalmed in the kitchen as she overheard Kumiko try to apply her tips on small talk, realizing too late that she should have told her to simply be herself rather than put on… whatever she was putting on right now.

It surely didn’t help that Mamiko had been gawking at them the entire time from the nearest hall, as inconspicuous as Chariot blasting the moon in front of hundreds of thousands of people. The eldest woman held a stupid banner over her head with 'LET'S GO DUMBASSES' scrawled on it. She was… a weird kind of supportive, Diana figured.

Diana broke into cold sweat when her eyes met Mamiko’s and the latter gave her a nod and a thumbs up, as if Diana had told her to do something- which she hadn’t- that was about to break Kumiko’s composure even further.

She watched as Kumiko was pulled aside for a moment after the appetizers had been consumed and they were clearing up for the next course. In that small timeframe, she had managed to make Kumiko go through enough emotions that Diana was amazed at how she wasn’t already exhausted- unless she simply didn’t show it. She vaguely overheard the words, "Alright, dumbass. You better not fuck this up. Your girlfriend is hot, she's amazing-" before tuning out of the ridiculous pep talk between the Oumae siblings.

Diana wondered if she should consider converting into some religion after the amount of times she’d prayed tonight alone. Once more she shot up a desperate plea that this scene so painful to watch would not sour further.

//

Akko had gotten distracted.

That was usually never a good thing. Diana knew this from experience. She didn’t think it would be a huge problem when they became adults, but this proved otherwise. With her nose catching a whiff of something burnt, she immediately sought out the self-assigned cook for the evening, only to find her slamming the cover of the pot she was holding back down. Right away, she shot a look towards the dining table where Kumiko went on with her horrible conversational skills, the girl somehow sensing the gaze on her back.

The cousins’ eyes met, an entire exchange occurring between them, something Diana couldn’t read exactly, but she had a bad feeling about it.

“I-I’ll be back, Reina. Gimme a sec. I think I need to uh, grab the… uh… cake.” She stuttered through clammy teeth, pushing her seat back to stand up.

“Cake? But… we haven’t had the main cou-“

“Y-yeah! Actually, that’s what I’m going to go get! Yeah, sorry. Just a little nervous, ahaha…ha…ha.”

Reina gave her a suspicious stare but eventually relented. With a sigh, she stood up as well, cupping Kumiko’s cheek before planting a kiss on the other. “Don’t take too long?” She murmured into Kumiko’s ear, tickling it red, placing her lips there too.

“O-o-of course not! I’ll be back in a flash! In the speed kind, not the light kind. Though the speed of light is fast and all, but I- I’ll go… over there… in the speed of… bye for a sec.” She scrambled around the table, never used to Reina’s flirtations despite the years they’d been together.

Once she got to Akko, they huddled over the pot, Diana making her way to them.

“-the hell, then what are we supposed to eat, dude?!” Kumiko’s voice was the shakiest it had been all night. Diana had assumed it would have broken awhile ago with how Reina was with Kumiko.

Clearing her throat, Diana made her way next to them, voice as even as possible. “What seems to be the problem, ladies?”

“Eeep!”

Akko quickly slapped a hand over the jumpy Kumiko’s mouth, three pairs of eyes proceeding to check on their guest to see if she had heard. Fortunately(? Kumiko and Diana weren’t sure about it), Mamiko had taken it upon herself to entertain Reina at the table. Akko made a relieved comment, glad that she had stepped up.

Diana almost agreed as, from an outside perspective, you would think Mamiko was quite nice to Reina. Nicer than she was to her own sibling, but then she saw Mamiko make a slitting motion across her neck with her thumb.

Ah.

She was glad that Kumiko hadn’t seen that part.

Akko did, however.  "Wow, glad I never had a sister to be this weird about us, right babe?" She muttered under her breath before she and Kumiko went back to their hushed panic.

Diana stared at her lover’s form, remembering how Amanda and Sucy threatened to murder her and dump her body in the river if Akko so much as frowned. "Haha. Yes. Right." She replied for the sake of replying.

She looked between the two pairs huddled together, feeling a headache coming on. "Yes. Of course. Right.... this is fine."

//

Maybe… they should have just done it this way from the start.

Reina now sat by the kitchen island, watching contentedly as Kumiko tossed some fried rice in a wok, making quick work of the remaining ingredients they had managed to salvage from the fridge.

With the main course ruined to a beautiful crisp, and with no other ideas on how to fix her situation, Kumiko decided to just come clean to Reina, fully expecting her girlfriend’s disappointment as she told her she would have to leave her for a few minutes to quickly prepare them a decent enough dinner while Akko cleaned up the mess.

Diana thought the girl would have a heart attack when Reina first asked if she could at least watch. She was proud that Kumiko seemed to pull herself together however, and after feeling assured that nothing would further go amiss- not anymore, she decided to do the girl a much-deserved favor, ushering her troublesome family members away into their rooms to allow the couple to enjoy their evening on their own.

She was able to catch Kumiko mouthing a thanks to her before they left the area. Diana shot her a wink before disappearing from their sight.

She was sure this prayer on her lips would be the last.

//

It was a comfortably silent walk. With their ‘special’ dinner over and done with, Reina had invited Kumiko out for a stroll, glad that that Diana person had gotten rid of Mamiko and Akko better than she could ever. She wasn’t too keen on having another Mamiko-chaperoned date, and honestly, she’d had enough of those already.

Kumiko was rarely ever this quiet. With friends, she was fairly chatty even when she made it seem like it was a pain for her. Around other professional musicians, particularly during practice and performances, she could unexpectedly hold lengthy conversations about her impressions on many related subjects, and even go deep into musical theories that would surely bring a tear to Asuka and Taki-sensei’s eyes if they heard their unlikely protégé now. Their recommendations for Kumiko to get into a good conservatory were worth it.

Reina was proud of how far they’d both come- how special they had managed to become.

As for Kumiko when she was with Reina, well.  She was babbly in her adorable Kumiko way, tended to randomly blurt out stuff, and just kept up with Reina in discussion.

When Kumiko was like this, however, Reina knew she was in thought. Deep thought. Whenever Reina would offer a penny for those thoughts of Kumiko, she was often left deep in her own. It was something she was yet to get used to as well. It wasn’t as though Kumiko thought overly complicated things, but they were sometimes the most obvious of concepts. The type people knew were obvious but either actively ignored or remained unaware to.

She would have asked her like she usually did, but Reina knew she could be selfish at times and tonight had been a debilitating affair. For once, she just wanted the calm that came with being able to peacefully hog- er, spend time with your girlfriend away from interruptions and distractions.

So instead of throwing them both into a long-winding spiral of thought stacked upon thought, Reina opted for their usual lighthearted banter.

“You’re such a dork.” Reina giggled. Kumiko wore such a dumb expression, so lost in thought, so confused. “This whole evening’s charade- as amused as I am- why? It really… It looked like you put in a lot of effort.” Reina huffed, smiling softly as she tucked a loose curl behind her girlfriend’s ear.

“You- you…“

“Wha-! What’s this?” Reina nervously laughed, observing Kumiko’s watery eyes and quivering lips that she couldn’t help but kiss as Kumiko leaned forward to rest her forehead against Reina’s. “Are you crying?”

“I, becauseeee… You could tell?” Kumiko embarrassedly referred to Reina’s prior statement to which she responded with more boisterous glee.

“Of course, I could!” Reina kissed at Kumiko’s hair, tracing her hairline with her lips. “You’re my girlfriend. I know you.” Reina swiped her thumbs beneath Kumiko’s eyes, catching all the tears that had fallen.

“It sucked, didn’t it.”

Reina had to bite her tongue to physically hold back her bluntness- a trait of Kumiko’s that had rubbed off on her. “No.” They both called out the bold-faced lie as they fell into laughter.

“I love you, but you can’t just blatantly lie in my face like that. Come on.” Kumiko sighed. “I hated every minute of it.”

“Ehhh, did you now?” Reina pretended to pout as she poked Kumiko’s cheek. “And here, I actually enjoyed myself watching you suffer.” She laughed even more as Kumiko stuck her tongue out at her.

“You always do. Sadist. Bully. You always tease me like this.”

“I’m being honest, here. It wasn’t that bad.” Coming down from her hysterics, she wrapped her arms around Kumiko’s neck, nuzzling against her cheek. “Despite all the little mishaps, I loved it. I love you.”

“Give one instance that you loved then.”

Reina thought Kumiko would give in to her now, but the girl could be surprisingly difficult. “Ugh, Kumi-“

“That or I take that the dinner was shit.” Though she phrased it that way, Kumiko already wore a grin, mischievously warm.

“Fine.” Reina pinched Kumiko’s nape, earning herself a yelp that pleased her, before her fingers dug carefully into soft curls, twirling them gently and entangling her hand in Kumiko’s hair. “The dinner itself. The one you cooked for me.” Reina was being unusually honest. “I really… really… I really liked seeing you make dinner for me.” Really honest.

She could already feel the blush spread across her cheeks, mirroring Kumiko’s own.

“It… was so nice. Both the taste and seeing you make it for me… It was like we were married.” Whoops, too honest. “Or something.”

Reina felt her embarrassment peak, swiftly pulling away from Kumiko, attempting to walk a ways ahead of her so she could hide her shyness from Kumiko’s heated gaze, and maybe cool off in the evening breeze.

A hand wrapped around her wrist before she could get far enough, and her heart stopped beating for a second at the words she heard.

“Do you want to?” It was quiet, tentative and a little afraid, yet Kumiko’s voice had been the steadiest it had ever been this entire evening. “Get Married.” She spoke so careful, yet so sure. The words were heavy, the air tense. “Would you marry me?”

---

Kumiko felt Reina go stiff. Her mouth dried as she realized what she had just uttered. She berated herself, cursing her loose tongue as her mind scrambled to think of a way to save the moment. “I-“

“You’re such a horrible person, do you know that?”

“S-sorry… I know. Yeah. I- yeah.” Kumiko wondered what expression Reina wore.

When she finally noticed her shoulders quivering, Kumiko was thrown into a state of panic. She heard a sniffle, shaky mumbles of her name and being stupid spilled out from Reina. She was crying.

Kumiko’s heart plummeted. She really messed up. She really did. She’d done it now. She’d completed this full course mess and she had no idea how to-

“So? Where’s my ring?”

“E-eh?” Kumiko blinked, remaining in the same dumbfounded state as Reina turned around to face her, streaks of tears on her face, unfallen beads in her eyes. “Ring?”

Reina laughed. That bell-like sound that reminded Kumiko of summer nights and candied apples and fiery embraces, but also cool winds and gentle starlight. Reina laughed, beginning to walk towards Kumiko before breaking out into a short-lived sprint, crashing into the taller girl.

“Didn’t you just propose?”

Oh shit. She did.

“Oh shit. I did.”

Reina laughed some more, squeezing her arms tight around Kumiko, nuzzling into her neck, breathing her in her entirety in. “Idiot. Dumbass. Useless.”

“Sorry.” Kumiko whispered through a smile, snaking her arms around Reina’s waist, pulling her closer. “Sorry. I’m sorry.” She planted kisses along Reina’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too, you terrible person.”

//

Kumiko ended up giving Reina her old watch. The one she had worn throughout their high school days. She wore it like a good luck charm through all her seasons; spring like joy and winter-like sorrow still sprinkled with dashes of comfort. She slipped it onto Reina’s wrist, a pink color like the Sakura during graduation when Kumiko had confessed, pink like their shockingly innocent love, pink like Reina’s lips that Kumiko loved to kiss like she did so now.

It was a temporary placeholder, Kumiko claimed they parted from their embrace. She apologized for having to give something so old, neither of them expecting the turn of events that had taken place.

Reina pretended not to like it, telling Kumiko to quickly get her a proper ring, but deep down, they both knew she loved the sentimental value of it. Kumiko was somehow afraid that she’d never return it anymore. Hmm, but maybe she didn’t really mind.

“You really are such a terrible person.” Reina whispered one final time against Kumiko’s lips before dragging her back home.

Kumiko grinned as she let herself be pulled along, heart fluttering in her chest for reasons beyond how Reina had coaxed them into a light sprint towards the Oumae residence.

“In a rush?”

“Maybe. I still haven’t had the last course of your mess.” Reina quipped.

“Oh? So you just wanna indulge in some cake?” Kumiko taunted, trying to get a rise out of Reina. She wasn’t ready to be countered so easily.

“I was thinking along the lines of… something else, sorry.” Reina replied, licking her lips as she gave Kumiko an evilly slow once-over.

Kumiko swallowed the painfully thick lump that had formed in her throat. She should have known she’d never win against Reina.

“Maybe we can count this as my Christmas gift too.” Reina smirked at her like they were back in high school, and Kumiko was some pining, lovestruck fool again. “You still have to make it up to me for the mess.” She snickered, finally reaching the home’s door. “And I fully intend to be satisfied. So… will you?”

She faced Kumiko fully, holding both the taller girl’s hands in hers against her chest, batting her lashes.

“You’re evil.”

“You’re terrible.” Reina smiled wickedly, dragging Kumiko indoors. “Yet we love each other.”

Kumiko sighed, albeit a happy one.

“Yes, we do.”

And she was intent on reminding Reina just how terribly they did, one messy night at a time.

Locking the door to her room behind her, she was sure that this was a mess she’d never tire of, even when the morning arrived.

~END~

 [A/N: And now for some bonus scenes that I couldn’t work into the main story because I suck at it.]

 BONUS SCENE 1:

Diana and Akko made quick work of the kitchen as the other pair of lovebirds took off into the night. They were certain that those two wouldn’t be home any time soon, and if by chance, they were, Diana didn’t think they’d be up for any cleaning. She would even bet that they wouldn’t even catch them at all the moment they stepped foot into the house and into Kumiko’s room. (She was right).

So instead, she opted to spend her own special holiday night with her lover, peacefully basking in the domestic feeling brought about by doing chores together.

“You really are so sweet.” Diana commented as Akko wiped the final dish, slotting its place in the cabinet.

“Psh, Obviously.” Akko replied jokingly.

Wrapping her arms around Akko’s waist from behind, she planted a kiss to Akko’s cheek, enjoying her gentle warmth.

“I think I deserve a reward for all my efforts these past few days.” She claimed, sneaking kisses along Akko’s neck.

Akko chuckled, squirming lightly from the tickling sensation. “Well, well, haha- What- what would milady desire? Ask anything and I shall give it thee.” She spoke as though she were Diana’s knight in shining armor, pulling away from her so that she could face her and getting down on one knee, clasping Diana’s hands in hers.

Diana played along, giggling. “Well, my fine knight. How ‘bout you take me to see that show we talked about before?”

“Show? Oh! Chariot’s anniversary rerun? Hmmm… but doth it suit milady’s refined tastes? It is but a, forgive my wording-ehem- knock-off of the original.”

Diana laughed at Akko’s unconvincing woe.

“It matters not dear Knight, for what I desire is simply time spent with you.”

Akko gasped loudly, clutching a hand to her chest, as though pierced by the spear of love near-tangible from Diana’s words.

“Milady…” She said in reverent awe. “Then it shall be so! I shall prepare only the finest carriage, and prepare a feast that nothing else that has graced milady’s palate can compare to!”

Diana was pretty sure Akko meant she’d borrow Kumiko’s car and make them some sandwiches and fried chicken, but honestly? It wasn’t like she minded. Not one bit.

“I look forward to it, my dearest Knight.” Diana curtsied as though she were back at the manor, an actual noble in every right; and Akko bowed deeply, more loyal than any Knight.

And with that, their little skit came to a close, both bursting into a fit of giggles as they switched off the lights and headed for the guest room.

Diana was sure that Akko would soon pull out her laptop for them to spend their Christmas binging Netflix shows and sneaking into the kitchen at midnight for some snacks.

A picnic lunch date was a worry for tomorrow. Right now, Diana would just take in this moment and drown in the comforts of Akko’s glow.

 BONUS SCENE 2: Reina Dinner POV

She felt her feet nervously shuffle beneath the table covers. She hoped Kumiko wouldn’t notice how much of a wreck she was feeling like. This dinner date had been a sudden invitation from Kumiko two days ago, and she didn’t know what she was expecting, but it most definitely was not this.

She had sat through Kumiko’s tragic attempt at flirting- something that didn’t seem to be her style at all (Reina preferred her clumsy, adorkable tripping over words, but remaining endearing as hell). Then she had followed Kumiko into this odd imitation of a dance that got cancelled a minute in after Kumiko accidentally stepped on her own foot and fell over.

She did not want to think about how Mamiko gave her a sweet smile before calling her a dumbass and attempting to take her life if Kumiko so much as shed a tear.

Then there was… Kumiko confessing to their main course getting burnt and having to cook for Reina.

At that point, Reina honestly just wanted to spend time with her loving girlfriend, leave behind all the set-up that just didn’t seem them, and just… be. Just be each other, with each other. That alone would have been perfectly fine for their anniversary.

Sure, Reina may have looked like someone who expected grand gestures and large-scale showcases of affection, but really, she wasn’t. When it wasn’t for the sake of music, Reina loved the simplicity of the quiet, and the plainness life had to offer.

She would never say it aloud, but she loved the ordinary if it was with Kumiko because no matter how basic, Kumiko herself was what made it special.

And just like that, she had requested to watch Kumiko prepare their meal, happy to just watch her in her element as she prepped and tossed, mixed and served.

Reina stared at the plate set before her, stomach rumbling as the aromas hit her full force in all their delicacy and enticement.

Kumiko pretended to be occupied by her own food, already having taken a bite, but Reina could see from the corner of her eye that the girl was nervously watching her as she scooped up a good portion of the rice, bringing the spoon up to her mouth, blowing a few times to cool the piping hot freshness of the food.

It definitely smelled delicious. Her mouth watered as she prepared to partake of it, thinking that this might just be the turning point of this catastrophe of a dinner date. ‘Ok, maybe this isn't a total disaster it's actually kinda charming that Kumiko made food for me and-‘

It only took one bite.

‘Marry her, marry her, marry her.’

Reina stared at Kumiko, spoon still in her mouth, jaw unmoving, tongue soaking in the flavor.

“R-Reina?” Kumiko squeaked, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you okay? Is something wrong with the food? Did you maybe not like-“

Reina swallowed. “I love you.”

“O-okay? I… love you too?”

 BONUS SCENE 3: Mamiko in the morning

“Kumiko. We need to talk.”

“Hmm?” Kumiko looked up from pressing her clothes, wondering what her sister wanted from her.

“It’s urgent.”

“Okay? Just let me finish up, I guess?”

After placing the ironing stand aside, and hanging her clothes, Kumiko followed Mamiko into her room, a small amount of anxiety tickling at her heart. Just what did her sister want to speak about? Why did she seem so serious?

“Um, sis?”

“Kumiko.” Mamiko took a seat on her bed, crossing her arms on her chest, levelling Kumiko with a grave look. “Are you… a virgin?”

Kumiko stood before her sister slack-jawed, eyes popping out of their sockets as she searched each braincell of hers for a response appropriate enough to give to her sister.

“Why?”

Eh, it worked.

“What do you mean, why? My dearest baby sister, I just want you to realize that your girl, Reina, is quite the catch!”

“Okay? And?” Kumiko didn’t need reminders for something she and the whole universe already knew.

“And she is your lover, is she not?”

“Well, duh.”

“And she is spending Christmas with us, and you’ve been together for what, three years now!”

“Why are you telling me all thi-“

“Oumae Kumiko, how old are you?”

“E-eh? I’m… I just turned twenty-one, but what does that have to do with anything?” Really, where was Mamiko going with this talk.

Mamiko shook her head, looking incredibly disappointed in Kumiko for reasons the younger girl could never hope to uncover.

“Sis, just spit it out.”

“Kumiko, how could you be this dense?!” Mamiko cried- or at least, Kumiko thought that was what she was trying to do as she was doing this weird blinking thing with her eyes, wiping away nonexistent tears.  “It’s Christmas! It’s the season for losing your virgini-“

“MAMIKO-NEE PLEASE STOP, I BEG YOU.” Akko burst into the door, spatula dripping with presumably cake mix in her hand, face red. Kumiko didn’t know if it was from embarrassment, being out of breath from running here, rage, or all of the above.

“What? I’m just making sure my baby doesn’t get knocked up or anything!” Mamiko grumbled as though she’d been wronged, like her perfect logic had been disputed.

Kumiko deadpanned. “Nee-chan, I’m-“

“Mamiko-nee, Kumiko’s”

““Gay.””

“…”

“…”

“Well, of course she is! It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas, gay Christmas, whatever. IPS cells and all that.”

“What you said made absolutely no sense, but I don’t want to talk to you anymore about this matter or anything else for today, actually.”

Kumiko followed Akko out the door that clicked shut after them.

“JUST REMINDING YOU TO PRACTICE SAFE SEX!”

 BONUS SCENE 4: Dinner Date, Reina Version

 It had been a year since their unforgettable ‘Christmas Dinner Date’, and Reina had taken it upon herself to be the one to handle their anniversary for their engagement (regardless of how informal that affair had been).

She had soon realized how unfit she was for that particular task. She praised Kumiko in her head for always having had to deal with planning and coordinating for their dates.

She needed… advice.

“Why don’t you just take her to burger king or something-“

Reina swiftly hung up on Asuka who was of no help and still got on her nerves to this very day.

“If it were me, we’d probably go to the nearest KFC. Oh! They have this discount for couples for the holidays. You should try their specials Menu, and don’t forget their brownies either. They’re to die fo-“

Maybe… asking someone like Taki-sensei wasn’t a good idea either. How many years had it been since the man had gone on an actual date?

Should she try and contact Kumiko’s best friends instead? That one girl who liked that blasted shoe boy that Reina couldn’t really remember, what’s-his-face? Or should she try the Diamond girl? Or was it Ruby? Emerald? Whatever. Maybe they’d know what would please her girlfriend.

Ah. Fuck. She didn’t really have their contact details either.

Who else did Reina know…

Her mind drew a blank. No one in band really stuck out to her. She wasn’t sure if the senpais who were a year above her would be much help at all. Kaori-senpai was also… no. That would be kind of awkward, even if Reina had, all those years back, been so haughty and unbothered.

Reina sighed, taking her wallet. She really did not want to call them. For many reasons, not counting the enormous phone bill she was about to incur from dialing the number on the call card she fiddled with between her fingers.

‘Oh, screw it.’

A few rings, their vibrations tickling Reina’s skin as she held the device against her ear.

‘Please pick up, pick up, pick up… Or don’t.’

Reina wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore.

Their was a click and a crisp voice registered.

[“You have dialed into the Cavendish Manor. Diana Cavendish speaking.”]

Well. There was no use beating around the bush and prolonging her inevitable agony, Reina supposed.

“So, say, I wanted to take my significant other out for a dinner date on Christmas, how would you propose I go about doing this?”

A series of beeps replied to Reina, making her scowl. Oh no, she didn’t just hang up on Reina like that-

Her phone dinged; an incoming message, it read.

[So have you ever heard of this place called BonChon? I think you’d like it. Maybe. I like their bingsu, but Diana says I’m going to hurt my throat if I keep eating it! That’s not true, by the way. I ate five the other week, and I was absolutely fine.

Save my number. This is Akko~]

Reina clicked her phone shut, pushing it far away from her on the bed. She elegantly reached for a pillow, held it to her face delicately,

And screamed.

//

“Hey, Reina.”

“Yes, Kumiko?”

“Have I ever told you how much I love McDonald’s? I know it’s not like, the best or anything. Not even in terms of fast food, but like… I just love it.” Kumiko beamed up at her from across the table through her half-eaten cheeseburger.

“Well, obviously, I already knew that.” Reina flipped her hair over her shoulder, confidently smiling at Kumiko. “I’m not your fiancée for nothing.”

‘THANK GOD I RANDOMLY MADE THE RIGHT GUESS.’

“Maybe we should just order take-out next year.” Kumiko mused. “Netflix and chill?”

‘Yes please.’

“That sounds perfect.”

[shintorikhazumi]

A Real Girl Chapter 4: Malfunction and the Production

A/N: I’ve been gone awhile... sorry. I know I frikkin said at the very start that this was only going to be 2-3 chapters so I would be able to fully commit. But wow am I terrible at approximation. So I need to now move my plot along to the end haha. It will… probably be good in 2 more chapters? I hope??? I have a lot of stuff lined up, and classes have started and bombarded me so I’d like to really offer a full story for this, at least wrap it up properly. Hope to see you all til the end of this crazy ride.

Also, I am extremely sorry for the LONG delay. I was dealing with a few fics in another fandom and this was half-written, and my life has been… it’s been incredibly tough lately. Still is. I hope I can make up for it!

Haven’t written in a while so this will be incredibly rusty and a far-cry from the original quality I started out with. (basically, it might suck) Probly. Sorry?

For now,

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

 A Real Girl Chapter 4: Malfunction and the Production

 Just what should she make of this situation right now?

Hikawa Sayo was known to be someone quick on the uptake, truly ahead of her class and at the top of their school rankings in academic performance. Surely, seeing such a sight before her- so clear and blatant- would immediately click in meaning for her, for anyone.

But it didn’t. Not for Sayo.

What most people didn’t know was that Hikawa Sayo had lately been struggling with processing any sort of situation involving feelings as they weren’t really lining up with what she had initially been taught about them.

Smiling was not simply happy people, crying was not solely reserved for sadness and pain. Sayo was trying to wrap her head around this concept for a while now. It seemed complicated, and it truly messed with her data banks, but she had decided she wanted to try understanding it. Understanding feelings. Why? She… well, if it meant that she could better please the people she cherished, then why wouldn’t she put in the time and effort to ensure their happiness?

Their joy was hers too.

But somehow, she didn’t seem to want to understand this scene displaying the peak of emotions in front of her. Specifically, the emotion called love. Somehow, she could not fathom why she couldn’t find it in herself to feel jovial when the two people before her- two people of whom bore the deepest roots in her heart- were smiling and basking in the warmth of their mutual feelings.

Sayo didn’t get that.

Why?

In her current blank state of mind, lacking in comprehension, she felt her autopilot instincts kick in, forcing her to take a step back, leaving a print on the still-present snow.

She watched as lips parted from each other, bodies moving inches away, only to share a gaze filled with a warmth Sayo once believed also belonged to her.

Belonged?

Since when had such a thing ever-? To Sayo?

No, no.

How could she have forgotten?

How could she have let herself get carried away all because of her companions’ kindness?

How could she have believed-for even the smallest of moments- that she, Hikawa Sayo, was normal?

...A Real Girl?

She took another step back, semi-conscious of how her shoes sunk into the slowly melting snow.

She wasn’t supposed to see this.

She wasn’t supposed to be here.

She wasn’t supposed to… feel… feel anything, being here, seeing this.

“I love you… Yukina.”

Sayo instinctively jolted at the sound of that familiar, beloved voice, taking another step back.

“I love you too, Lisa.”

As the pair continued to embrace one another, Sayo also continued her painstakingly drawn-out journey back,- quite literally backwards, taking a single step at a time with long intervals between each motion.

Her ‘mind’ could not process all this, could not seem to update her data banks that had been filled to the brim with her own assumptions on Lisa and Yukina and how they… how they possibly could have ‘felt’ about her.

Maybe that was where she had gone wrong.

To go ahead and save such thoughts in her carefully maintained system that should have been solely reserved for only facts, Sayo- someone who knew she knew nothing about feelings- presumed other people’s emotions. And look where it got her?

It got her traveling a road of confusion. She thought she had read the signs- followed the signals they had been sending her. Or so she had believed.

But maybe Sayo was wrong.

She knew nothing, and not even the standardized manuals and textbooks could help her out with this one.

Not when all they spoke about was the relationships between a man and a woman, and the norms in society when it came to relationships. She, however, wasn’t so uneducated as to have no idea at all about relations regarding people with the same… er, parts… and their possibility of dating one another. She was at least exposed to these concepts to some degree- credit due to none other than her ever-helpful sister, Hina.

It may not meet the usual expectations of society, but Sayo was never one to judge. She didn’t understand much about things like love and attraction, and sexual desire anyway, so it wasn’t as though she could say anything in the first place.

Also, she had known for a while- or had come to the awareness- that she harbored something with far more weight than feelings of friendship for both Yukina and Lisa.

Still. Why did they act the way they did with Sayo? Were they disloyal towards one another? But Sayo couldn’t imagine such a thing between them.

So did that mean that… they wanted to include Sayo in their relationship? But… weren’t relationships… only between two people who had given their hearts to one another?

Or… were they… playing with her, messing with her… stringing her along, knowing she wasn’t… normal.

No, no. No. They would never. Sayo knew this deep down. They were her friends, her comrades. She knew them. She knew them well.

She… thought she did… at the very least-

“How do we tell Sayo?”

“How do you think she would take it, in the first place?”

Quiet murmurs from the figures she’d been shamefully observing reeled her back into the present situation, heartbeat thrumming in her ears, making it almost too difficult to hear anymore.

So they were talking about her. So they were going to inform her of something- of what? She had no clue. Maybe it was of their relationship and how they were dating? Of how they wanted Sayo to give them space as a couple and to not hang around them as much?

Of… of how they… could… maybe, just possibly… abandon the unwanted mess that was Sayo just like everyone else had? Just like her parents had?

Something was triggered in her system, a switch that might have quite literally flipped. Sayo wanted to run, she wanted to turn away from this scene. She dared not see anymore, hear anymore… feel any more than she was meant to, programmed to, made to.

She couldn’t listen in anymore, something within her raising prompts that she could no longer do this. She had to leave. And she did so quietly- or well, tried to.

“Well, but Sayo-”

Just as she spun on her heel, her other foot landed write on a protruding twig, causing an echoing snap throughout the relatively empty park, previously silent in the sunset save for the rustles of the occasional passing breeze and the whispers of her two previously unknowing companions now staring wide-eyed at her, frozen and alarmed at her presence intruding in on their private conversation.

“Sayo? SAYO?!” Lisa was the first to snap out of it, immediately jumping to her feet and calling out for Sayo who had begun to build momentum in her escape, going from a staggering walk backward to a jog, to just dashing for the hills or wherever her feet would end up taking her. “Sayo! Wait-”

Sayo didn’t.

//

She stumbled in her steps, not knowing how long she had been sprinting for. Thoughts of being cast aside, abandoned, left- they all were her fuel that kept her running on and on, desperately wanting to silence the turbulence in her mind, thinking that if she continued on, she’d grow too tired to even think.

Alas, Sayo wasn’t like normal girls were. She believed she still had a tank barely full in her system, allowing her to keep running, seemingly never tiring.

Reaching her neighborhood, she chanced a glance backwards, hoping that Yukina and Lisa hadn’t taken off after her. She wouldn’t know how to face them anymore. Not after all that.

Despite her unfatigued movements and usually sharp and calculative system, Sayo had failed to think through her actions, having looked away from in front of her for only a moment- that moment being enough time for an inconspicuous rock to appear on the road, undetected by Sayo’s sight sensors.

And so she tripped, and she fell, the speed at which she had been moving made her fall all the more harsh as the momentum caused her to skid a few feet forward on the cemented road.

Feeling the burning sensation of what she had remembered was pain from skinning her hands and knees, she got up, checking on her outer layer. She prayed no one saw and tried to help her as she wasn’t sure if she’d exposed anything of her truth if she had an opening in her skin that she had yet to see.

Finding no deep cuts or wounds, Sayo pushed herself up, staggering the last few meters to her house, unable to run as her system compensated for the current issues in order to keep her functioning basically.

Heaving a sigh as she slumped her weight against the door, she gave the bell a ring, immediately detecting the sounds of excited footsteps- Hina’s, no doubt- coming to greet her.

“Onee-chan? Is that you? Welcome home, one-” The door swung open and she almost fell through had it not been for her sister catching her. “ONEE-CHAN?!”

“Hina.”

The younger twin’s silent worry was palpable, so many questions in her head being held back- Sayo could tell.

“Hina, I-“

“Hina? Who’s at the door? Did your sister finally come home from practice?”

Sayo froze at the voice, form stiff in anxiety, unaware that they had planned to come to visit today, not wanting to be seen like this-not by them; not while she felt the way she did; not when she had absolutely no clue as to what she felt, why she felt, and what feeling even was in the first place.

No, not like this-

“Oh, it is Sayo. How are yo- Sayo?” Her father paused in his gait, a confused frown at his lips. Seeing him look that way somehow frustrated Sayo. As if he couldn’t understand why she was in her current state, as though he didn’t understand her and what he’d subjected her to, installing these confounding concepts the normal people labelled as feelings.

The more she tried to learn about them to decipher their true meaning, the less she understood. The less she understood, the more she’d thought about it; and the more she thought about it, all the more did her frustration grow.

“Sayo, are you okay? What happened to you?” He stepped forward, a hand reaching out.

Sayo’s peripheral vision caught her mother pop out into the hall, wondering about the commotion and the presence of her family gathered by the entryway. Somehow, that fed her steadily growing irritation more. All the confusion and negative feelings that had been long stewing within her were slowly bubbling to a surface that was just about ready to burst- everything that had ever tormented her in the recesses of her mind now coming in to play to build the monster about to rear its hideous head on her family.

“Who did this to you?” Her father quietly asked again, approaching nearer to Sayo, hand still outstretched to touch her.

Who did what, exactly? What was he even asking? Who allowed her to fall on the streets? Who made her run from a scene, clutching her heart in an indiscernible emotion she could only think of as agony? Who allowed her to feel in the first place? Who… Who programmed all these thoughts, these emotions… these- these ideas in her system? Who made her? Who started all this pain she didn’t know what to do with and could never seem to understand?

Wasn’t it them?! What was she to answer even?

“Sayo, are you oka-“

Sayo swiftly slapped the large hand away, too close for comfort as she hid behind Hina, a growled question dropping from her lips,

“What am I?”

Not even ‘Who am I’- did she even have the right to ask that? When she clearly had no clue-no. When she clearly wasn’t even human?

Her father’s eyes widened, lips floundering for an answer that Sayo gave him no time to procure as she bombarded him with more.

“Why did you even make me?”

“Sayo, wait-“

“For what reason do you torture me with my own existence?”

“Sayo, dear-“ Her mother tried, and failed to diffuse the situation.

“Why must I go through this? Why am I alive? Is this really what you humans call living-“

“Please, Hina is still here! She doesn’t-“

“I know.” Hina’s breath hitched as she confessed, “I know everything”.

Those words were what silenced all the older Hikawas, eyes the size of saucers before narrowing as they glanced at one another, brows furrowing, ready to pin blame on one another, surely, for this slip-up.

“Sayo.” He returned her hostility from earlier, snarling out her name. “SAYO. I thought I’d told you never to-!“

Sayo only glared in return, squaring her shoulders, not keen on being accused of this fault. “Father, I believed this knowledge was never supposed to come to Hina’s attention, thus it could not be my-“

“I SAW THEM, OKAY?! THE PAPERS. THE DOCUMENTS.” Hina’s bright greens were blurred with unshed tears as she clutched onto Sayo in her arms for dear life, praying that this unneeded face-off would end- “I know.”

-Praying that they’d come clean and talk about this properly. As the family that they were supposed to be.

Sayo watched their father’s tense posture slack, sighing as his hands went up to cover his face, rubbing it in frustration. Her mother had sunk to her knees at some point, staring blankly at the trio in front of her, overwhelmed by all that had unfolded in so few seconds.

“We need to talk.”

//

“Your mother, she- she was pregnant with Hina.”

In the living room, sat on one of the dining table’s wooden chairs, Sayo felt the stab of that very first statement deep in her heart already as she gazed upon her father sat on the couch, face buried in his hands, unwilling to even look her in the eye to tell her the truth.

Her mother- or well, at this point, maybe she should call her Hina’s mother as she should address the couple in front as Hina’s parents- was rubbing circles on his back in hopes to calm Mr. Hikawa down to no effect.

“So… she… I…”

Sayo knew that she was not made through normal means, that there was no possible way that she was conceived through conventional means. Regardless, she hid hopes in her heart that this was not the exact truth and that maybe- just maybe- she had been planned because she was wanted.

“We were told early on that… that there was a possibility that… miscarriages because of a certain factor of your mom’s health… we thought-“

They had planned, yes. They had planned, but not because they wanted her, Sayo; it was because they wanted Hina. Of course. Of course, it had always been that way and always would be. What had she expected to hear?

“Just tell it to me straight.” Sayo spoke evenly, senses numbed, emotions dulled as though they’d been shut off by her system like a background application that could no longer be supported because it had become too much to run.

“Okaa-san… Otou-san…” Hina encouraged them, squeezing Sayo’s hand to keep her calm, to keep her there, hopefully.

“… We had spent all our lives working in the lab; we realized we were getting on in years and… and… we really… we really wanted a child. Desperately.”

Sayo’s eyes met the man’s, almost feeling sympathy for him. Almost.

“Our lives felt dull despite the love we had for each other and our work. We thought that if we had someone to care for, a child of our own, it would brighten up our lives-“

It was as though he was looking for Sayo’s pity in her eyes that had turned as cold as the steel that was used to build her body.

“We… we took some of the cells and DNA from Hina’s developing form and…”

Sayo didn’t even want to think of all the ethical crimes they had committed to get to this point. All she wanted was to hear the full truth from them. Though she knew she was not real, she never quite knew why and for what purpose had she been allowed to live a life that she was slowly realizing was not hers.

“We thought we… a… b-back-up-“

“A replacement?”

The couple’s eyes widened, Mr. Hikawa clearly insulted. “No! Hina would never be replace-“

And that confirmed enough for Sayo. Had Hina not made it and been born, then she would have likely been raised none-the-wiser, probably believing that she was the real ‘Hikawa Hina’.

All she had been hearing thus far had only driven home the facts that she’d always feared would come into light: that she was unplanned, unwanted, and unloved- facts now established in the deepest records of her mind. Regardless of the hurt they seemed to be causing her, according to her informative programming, she still needed to learn more. More to know and answer the question of just what she was exactly.

“I-if you… If you…. ‘took cells’ from me…” Hina butted in, wanting to move the conversation along from the uncomfortable halt it had taken. “-Why didn’t you just… I-I… I dunno, mom and dad, but… couldn’t you just have cultivated… the cells…” She tried, brain, no matter how genius, unable to come up with words in that moment. Her sister’s pain and anger was almost tangible to her, and all she could do was hold on to her hand in desperate prayer.

“We… we made a mistake along the way…” Her father admitted. “But we didn’t want to give up and so-“ He choked on his words, turning away from Sayo’s gaze, unable to continue.

Mrs. Hikawa finished the complicated puzzle, voice quivering in her tears- “we supplemented what we had with mechanical parts… but…” She bowed to Sayo, tears staining their carpet. “It wasn’t enough to give you genuine life and so… even your brain… that’s why you ended up… you’re…”

Sayo stood up suddenly, releasing her sister’s hand, all her companion’s eyes now on her.

“I know I’m not real.” She spoke coldly, scarily calm and collected.

“Onee-chan, that’s not-“

“And since you have Hina now anyway, I suppose there wasn’t and isn’t really a need to keep a machine such as myself with no apparent use around. If my purpose was to be Hina, but she’s here, you are wasting resources, Hikawa family.”

She could no longer stop her words. She was aware of how hurtful they could be to humans, but Sayo was a malfunctioning computer simply combusting as they do, she justified. She no longer cared.

And neither would they after they heeded her next command.

“Shut me down.”

It was swift, the slap Hina delivered to her cheek. It was like a product key that suddenly restarted all her functions of pain as her hand shot up to cover the stinging area, her other hand grasped at her heart through her shirt, shock surging through her system as it scrambled to process everything that had suddenly started up again.

“You have no right to say that!” Hina yelled at her through her tears. “You can’t just- You can’t just decide you’re not wanted, that you’re useless- that you’re a waste all on your own!” She sobbed, falling against Sayo’s chest, hitting her lightly with her fists. “Not when I can’t stand being without you.”

Sayo felt a tear slip. Then another. And another.

“Don’t… don’t just ask… to go away like that… not like that.”

She felt hands take both of her own, saw thei- Hina’s- the… Hikawa parents kneeling in front of her.

“We’re so sorry, Sayo. Sayo, we’re sorry. Sayo… sorry…. Sorry, Sayo. Sayo, we’re so sorry.”

Hikawa Sayo, once again, found herself dumbfounded and lost. All she knew in that moment was pain. Pain that made her sad. Pain and sadness that was the reason for her tears.

“We’re sorry… we’re so, so, so sorry…”

She was at a loss, facing her adversaries-feelings- once more.

She really wished she’d never known them at all.

They weren’t for her.

They weren’t for someone who wasn’t

A real girl.

A/N: I’m sorry.

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

whoops, another commission huehue

thank you @tracedinairlwa and jude (wait lemme remember your tumblr later dgoujdsoigfb)

...yes... it’s obviously for LWA-

[shintorikhazumi]

Sometimes, life just hurts a lot. My dad just passed, but I think it’s for the best too. Getting to rest from all the suffering. So, oof. there goes my writing plans again. Hiatus, here we come 

[shintorikhazumi]

Two is company, Three's a Crowd, but Four is the Death of Diana Cavendish (5): The Ones Who Embrace Her.

A/N: I’m ded. Sorry if this is OOC. Yup. I’m too tired.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

right right. the people to tag, uh. @tanuki-pyon @dianacavendishisgay @komatsuna-yuki here we go again~

Two is company, Three's a Crowd, but Four is the Death of Diana Cavendish (5): The Ones Who Embrace Her.

Akko slumped against Finnelan’s desk in the faculty lounge, finally done with her apology letter and extra work that she had gotten as punishment for leaving in the middle of class without valid explanation.

Not like she could ever turn ‘being a lackey for some assholes and getting them cutlet sandwiches to protect her friend and herself’ into an acceptable excuse. She already learned from high school. These things just happen, and they suck balls, but they happen. Akko figured she would just live with it.

And so, she did.

Begrudgingly.

“I hope you’ve learned from this experience, Miss Kagari.” The professor addressed her- distaste clear in her tone. “You are in this prestigious university to learn, to study, to build your character and mind for the greater future- …” Finnelan adjusted her spectacles with a wrinkly finger, and Akko almost laughed as it looked like she was flipping her off. “-Not that you have one, probably.”

Ouch.

Well, that sure stung.

Akko felt her momentary mirth leave her body, gaze dropping to the floor as she bowed apologetically and possibly in shame too.

“I’m sorry.” She murmured in a voice tinier than she’d expected.

“As you should be.” Finnelan dismissed with a wave of her hand, not even bothering to spare her some encouragement or bid her goodbye.

Akko shrugged internally. Not that she’d expected any of that anyway.

It was just the usual.

Just the usual.

…

Shutting the door behind her as she left the room, Akko felt herself nearly jump out of her skin as she turned around only to come face to face with one Diana Cavendish, blue eyes interrogative and serious, leaning down ever closely. Too closely.

Close enough that Akko was finding it a little hard to breathe.

“U-umm… D-Diana?” She squeaked, back hitting the door she had just exited withdrawing from the taller woman in awkwardness from their sudden proximity.

Diana continued to stare her down, lips parting and pulling back into a thin line, Diana seemingly trying to convey something-formulate words- but having difficulty to do so. “A-Atsuko…” She finally got out, swallowing audibly. “I- uh… you… why were you-“

“And…hup!” Hannah suddenly announced her presence by delivering a hard enough chop to Diana’s head, making her bite her tongue accidentally.

Diana turned around quickly, glaring- something that Hannah pointedly ignored as she walked around the taller girl, closer to Akko.

“Hhnnuh-! Whththeheerr!” Diana wanted to berate the girl however, her current speech impediment dampened the effects of her cross aura, rendering it ineffective.

Barbara did her best to keep a straight face, not wanting to laugh at this moment and instead attend to her poor girlfriend, but Diana was making it so hard with her complaints that only flew over Hannah’s head.

Akko, on the other hand, found herself giggling at their antics without reservation.

At her reaction, the trio sighed, Akko finally catching all their attention on her. Their sighs made her worry slightly, panic slowly seeping in as they kept their heads down, expressions all hidden from her sight. “W-what?” She tried asking, if only to ease her anxiety.

“Nothing, we’re just…” Hannah was the first to lift her head, a gentle smile, one that was new to Akko, on her lips. “We’re just relieved.” The girl explained, placing a hand on Akko’s shoulder, rubbing it gently, spreading the warmth of its touch all over Akko’s body as she felt her face heat up from the gesture.

“We heard you got called in by Finnelan.” Barbara piped up, moving closer to take one of Akko’s hands. Akko’s blush only deepened further, before it faded at the next words, her face giving it all away. “We were just wondering what had happened.”

Quick on the uptake, Hannah noticed the shift in Akko’s mood, clasping her other hand and intertwining their fingers, squeezing gently. “Are you alright?” She asked in a near-whisper.

Their eyes, their hands, their voices sweet and tender; Akko felt touched by their genuine concern. With feelings overflowing, she felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. With a nod, she replied, “Yeah, I’m good. I’m fine.”.

She saw Barbara search her eyes, a small, “Really?” making her heart feel even warmer than it already was.

“Yeah.”

Soft words and soft smiles, Hannah and Barbara were slowly allowing Akko’s heart to open up to them, and she found that she didn’t mind at all. Leaning her head forward ‘til it lightly bumped against the pair’s, she sighed contentedly, basking in the comfort she was being offered before Hannah piped up to ask another question.

“Have you had lunch yet?” She spoke while rubbing the pad of her thumb along the back of Akko’s hand that she held.

Before she could think to answer, Akko’s stomach rumble. “N-not yet.” She admitted, embarrassed. Hannah and Barbara chuckled at that.

“Perfect!” Barbara clapped. “It’s time for a date then~!” She announced, wiggling her eyebrows up and down, and Akko couldn’t help but allow the grin that teased at her lips to break out.

Hannah faux gasped, pretending to be astounded, features relaying her delight. “My! What a wonderful idea, miss Parker!” She curtsied, engaging Barbara in more of their formal roleplay, pretending they were some aristocratic ladies, preparing for a party.

Their antics drew more giggles from Akko as they offered out their arms to escort her to lunch.

“See? We made our lady smile.” Barbara winked, reaching for a high-five towards her girlfriend and best friend. Akko only rolled her eyes in amusement.

Turning their gazes forward, Akko chuckled behind her hand at the sight of a pouting Diana, looking like an abandoned puppy as she huffed, arms crossed, unwilling to meet their gazes.

“Hey. Diana. Why are you still acting all grumpy over there?” Hannah scolded, moving closer to pinch Diana’s cheeks as she scowled deeper. “Say something useful to make our little girlfriend here feel better.”

Akko blushed at the title, still unused to it.

Diana directed her glare on Hannah, bursting out. “YOU MADE ME BITE MY TONGUE. IT HURTS AND IT’S BLEEDING.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby, sweetheart.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “There’s an easy way to make it all feel much better.” She said, grabbing Diana’s attention and her curiosity. The poor girl clearly missed the mischievous gleam in Hannah’s eyes.

Walking straight into the trap, she asked, “What?”.

“Kissing with tongu-“

Diana’s jaw dropped, face immediately flushing. “Hannah!”

“Kissing Akko, specifically, with tongue-“

“HANNAH.”

Hannah and Barbara descended into laughter at the expense of their uptight girlfriend, Akko unable to stay embarrassed as she laughed along to their teasing.

Diana sighed before wearing a small smile. There was no way she could stay mad when they were all so happy.

And well, she couldn’t say she didn’t want to entertain Hannah’s idea. She felt her heart thump heavily at the thought.

-Just to heal her tongue.

Just for that.

Of course.

//

Sitting about a table in the courtyard for what Hannah and Barbara insisted was a ‘Lunch Date’, the four students peacefully took turns helping each other to their spread of food. Hannah and Barbara would take turns feeding their girlfriends, and consequently making them feed them back, albeit Akko and Diana did so shyly.

As their food disappeared and was replaced by a pile of empty containers, Diana, who was seated next to Akko cleared her throat, nervously glancing forward to her flatmates who subtly nodded in encouragement. They were now going to try to get Akko to tell them what happened.

They would have done so earlier, but it just didn’t feel right at that moment. Asking Akko such a thing when what she needed the most was comfort and a welcome didn’t sit well with them, so they waited. But it was hard to keep waiting, and they believed that if she told them, they might be able to help her through it.

After all,

They were girlfriends, weren’t they?

Popping the question, Akko immediately tensed, her usual peppy demeanor quickly dimming as she directed her gaze to her lap, hands bunching up the ends of her jacket. The other three couldn’t help but frown as well, a sting in their hearts settling.

It took a few moments before Akko’s quivering voice replied, cracking all the while. “I…  just… I left class a little early. It was dumb of me.” Akko chuckled, wanting to end the conversation right there without having to explain much or accidentally expose too much.

She didn’t want them to know of the harassment. She didn’t want them to know why she was going through with it. She… wasn’t ready for them to know why. Not yet, lest their impressions of her plummet and they realize that… she wasn’t worth it. Not one bit.

Diana, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be having it.

“Why did you leave?” She carefully asked another question. She tried her best to not make it sound probing or pushing. They wanted Akko to feel comfortable enough to tell them on her own accord. It was simply just them asking.

“I… well…” Akko was still hesitant, thoughts running rampant as she tried to come up with something to say.

“Akko? Please tell us? If you’re troubled, we’d really love to help you.” Diana murmured, taking Akko’s hands into her own and pressing a timid kiss to each. “We… we care about you. A lot.” She said, looking up to meet Akko’s eyes pleadingly.

“It’s…” Akko’s throat felt dry. Deep down, she wanted to tell them. Really she did. But at the same time, she wasn’t ready. She was still afraid. “M-Maybe next time, okay?” She managed to say. “I… I just want to enjoy my lunchbreak… with my… g-girlfriends.” Akko bashfully followed up.

She saw Hannah and Barbara beaming, their worried expressions shifting to awe and joy at Akko’s acknowledgement as they scooted a little closer to her from across the table, hands reaching out to rest over her and Diana’s. Diana practically emitted sparkles and glowed, radiating an aura of joy that anyone could see from miles away.

“But of course.”

At the back of their minds, the topic still weighed on all of them. As for the roommates, they knew they would have to give Akko some more time. She did seem extremely uncomfortable about the topic, and they did not wish to bring her unease.

Akko knew she would have to tell them a lot of things eventually, but she just wanted to get away from it all for a while. Even if it lasted only this one brief moment, peaceful and warm, with her girlfriends.

//

If someone told Akko before that she’d be dating not one, not two, but three girls all at the same time, she’d laugh at the incredibly hilarious joke. It wasn’t the idea of being with a girl that she found far-fetched, it was being with someone in general that was implausible to her.

Because who would date Kagari Atsuko? A rumored class clown and loser all throughout highschool? Someone who fell asleep in her lectures and barely managed to turn in her assignments on time? Surely no one would want such a mediocre person as their significant other. There wasn’t much to brag about her, after all.

But no.

Now, she was slowly starting to come to terms with the fact that she nabbed three incredibly intelligent, beautiful, and talented ladies who made her feel special, who appreciated her, and told her that she… she was enough.

…even though she sometimes doubted it.

It had been a few weeks since their lunch date. They had immediately made it into a regular thing, spending lunches together when they could, and being around one another most times after school and between shared classes when Akko wasn’t with her friends with prior plans.

Friends.

Akko blinked, then slapped her forehead as a thought registered. She realized she hadn’t told Lotte and Sucy yet, though she had plans to. She had been nervous to tell them, putting it off constantly. But she knew them, and she knew how great they were as friends. She knew they would never judge her. Despite that, it didn’t make her any less nervous as she imagined how they would initially react, at least.

As she contemplated this thought and planned for her next attempt to come clean to her friend, someone bumped into her as she walked the halls, making her drop all her books, along with the bento box she had carefully prepared this morning in hopes that she could, for once, try to cook for her girlfriends as appreciation. And also to test if they would be into Japanese cuisine. For future reference.

Akko sighed, pushing away her dismay and slight irritation. She hadn’t been very aware of her own surroundings, so she admitted to herself that it was partially her fault, and just an accident. Gathering her things and turning to address the other party, she froze as she came face to face with none other than Chloe and Avery’s squad, displeasure painted across their features.

Akko cursed inwardly. She wasn’t in the mindset to want- or even manage- to handle this alone right now, but she was sure no one in this hall would step up for her, and Sucy and lotte had just split off to get something before their next class, leaving Akko by herself momentarily.

But she could already see this moment dragging on for far too long than she’d like. She really should have gone with them instead.

“Hey, Kagari.” Chloe smirked as she felt the shiver from Akko’s body as she placed her hand around her shoulders. “I see you’ve found yourself a few bodyguards lately, huh? Cavendish and her little bitches?”

Akko instantly felt her anger flare up at the words, but she tried to keep it in. It wouldn’t be good to blow up in Chloe’s face right away. Not now.

“You using them as your shield? Clever little kitten. Expected nothing less from our pet.” Chloe emphasized the word, really popping the t. The girl’s behind her made mocking barking sounds and Akko scowled.

“I’m not your pet.” Akko said indignantly, shifting to get away from Chloe, unwrapping hers arm from around Akko. She didn’t seem to like that action.

“Oh? What do you call yourself then?” Avery chimed. “Always at our feet, at our beck and call.” She smirked, the girls mumbling and nodding their agreement. “Obeying us every time? Hah. If you’re not a pet, then you’re a pathetic little slave.”

Akko didn’t want to answer to that. She knew it wasn’t true. It wasn’t. She just… had to.

Seeing her not fighting back as she usually did, Chloe felt irritation bubbling, having been looking forward to using Akko as her amusement but getting little to no reaction. It was unsatisfying. She needed something.

Grasping Akko’s cheeks with one hand, she squeezed, forcing the girl to look straight into her eyes.

“You’ve made our lives difficult, Akko. We had no one to get us lunch or do our homework.” She said this, sounding sad and disappointed, wiping an invisible tear from her eye, before focusing once more on Akko. “But we still kept up OUR end of the bargain.” She said, reaching into her pocket to flash Akko the photo of the truth she was trying to keep under wraps. “Maybe we should reconsider.”

Akko’s eyes widened, panic flooding in her system as she tried to reach for the image.

“Uh-uh-uh” Chloe tutted, pushing Akko down more.

Commotion began to build in the halls, as more people started to watch, no longer able to play the card of ignorance as things seemed to escalate beyond what normally transpired between Akko and her group of tormenters. Still, they remained fearful of coming between them, and nothing of Akko’s silent begs in her eyes could do much convincing.

Akko felt herself pulled into an awkward sit-up by the collar, Chloe licking her lips as she shook her other hand lightly. “Maybe you need a reminder.” She grinned.

Akko watched her raise a hand, knowing that a slap was coming.

Before Chloe could do anything, Akko watched a tall redhead run forward- someone she realized was one of her classmates, and the person she vaguely remembered to be Sarah, Chloe’s roommate back when they were in high school. Akko watched as she grasped Chloe’s wrist, pulling it away from Akko with anger and disappointment in her eyes.

“Chloe, what are you doing?” She spoke evenly in hopes of calmly diffusing the situation, although Akko knew she’d inevitably fail. Chloe never was one to listen to words, anyway. “Why are you doing this, hey!” Akko watched as she was promptly pulled back by Avery and the other girls, so quickly losing her standing.

“Get out of the way, Bernhardt.” Chloe snarled at her ex-roommate with an odd emotion passing in her eyes- one that only Akko saw- as Avery continued to tug the taller girl away. “You aren’t a part of this.”

Having gotten Sarah away, Chloe returned her attention to Akko who continued to meet her provoked gaze, she repeated her actions, raising her hand up high, prepared to swiftly deal in her ‘reminder’.

Just as her hand was about to come in contact with the skin of Akko’s face, she suddenly felt a forceful push, slamming her head into the nearest locker. Eyes turning redder than they already were, head spinning and confused, Chloe attempted to glower at her assaulter, only to find dark eyes that conveyed emotions that did not match the supposedly amicable smile currently worn. “What the-“

“So, I suppose you don’t mind if we intervene? After all, if Akko is involved, then WE ARE a part of it. Package deal, bitch.” Hannah’s voice rung loud and clear in the corridor, poorly hidden anger underlying her tone as she tilted Chloe’s head up with a long, manicured finger, nails digging slightly into the flesh beneath her chin.

Akko noticed Diana standing next to Hannah, both having probably ran as quick as they could upon seeing her. She watched the girl silently seething as she towered over Chloe’s fallen form. “Wha-“ Diana jabbed a finger to her chest, using it to punctuate her every word that followed.

“Don’t. ever. Touch my girlfriend again.” She growled, pushing Chloe back once more for good measure.

Akko barely registered Barbara gently aiding her up into a proper sitting position                , scanning over her body for any injuries as the other two gathered her belongings. She couldn’t comprehend the conversation her three girlfriends were having, and before she could even try, she felt herself picked up by Diana and carried away, led by Hannah and Barbara to an empty part of the courtyard.

They allowed a few minutes of silence to reign over them as Akko tried to grasp her bearings, head still spinning from the previous occurrences.

As she came to her senses, she felt the awkwardness of their silence heavy. Unsure where she should begin explaining, she waited on them to ask first. She knew they would.

And they did.

"Does this occur frequently?" Diana broke the silence, tone wavering despite her calm appearance. It almost sounded as though she would cry, something Akko would have been surprised to see coming from the one known as ‘the Ice Princess’ had she not been dating her now.

"Huh? Oh, uh... I... n-no. Not really... Just..."

“Please.” Diana cut in, taking both of Akko’s hands into hers and squeezing them gently. “Be honest.”

Her kind eyes, usually like a mirror to the clearest of skies were shrouded with clouds of anxiety and concern that Akko knew wouldn’t leave anytime soon if she continued to hide things from her. With a sigh, she reluctantly confirmed, “…yes”.

“Why?” Diana followed up.

Akko stiffened upon hearing the question, immediately pulling her hands away from Diana’s grasp in discomfort as she felt her heart thump madly once more. “I… I can’t tell you that.” She backed off, creating space between them in hopes that Diana would no longer pry deeper.

“Atsuko-“

Diana felt a hand on her shoulder, grasping firmly. She turned to find Barbara shaking her head no. “If she’s not ready to tell us yet, let’s remain patient and not force it, Diana. Okay?” She whispered, casting a glance over to Akko who eyed them warily. “The poor girl looks troubled enough as it already is”

Diana shifted her attention back to Akko, eyes widening as she berated herself for not realizing sooner that she’d allowed her emotions to get ahead of her and not care for how Akko felt about all this.

“I’m… I’m sorry” She apologized straight-away. Akko nervously lowered her gaze, unable to face the trio. Her hands trembled in her lap, eyes wandering about to the things spread out on their usual table- her books and coursework, some crumpled papers, her girlfriends’ other belongings, and the lunchbox that was sure to be all messed up inside.

She felt her held-back sadness bubble at the base of her throat, eventually spilling out in a whimper that she immediately tried to cover up by clasping both hands over her mouth to no avail.

She felt warmth wrap itself around her, that familiar honeysuckle scent calming her immensely as she leaned into the touch, face buried into the crook of her girlfriend’s neck.

“Is there anything we can do to make you feel better, sweetie?” Hannah whispered, stroking her fingers through long brown tresses. Akko loved how she was always so straight to the point, so perceptive. She didn’t ask needless questions, and always knew how to read the situation.

Hesitantly Akko peered upwards, a struggling shy smile on her lips. “H-hold me?” She replied, loud enough for all of them to hear. Quickly flushing in embarrassment as she realized how needy she must have sounded, she added, “O-only ‘til I calm down”.

Having squeezed her eyes shut for the nth time today, she hadn’t noticed Barbara and Diana coming closer, Diana circling around to wrap her arms around Akko from behind, thumbs rubbing gentle strokes along Akko’s stomach, making the girl gasp in surprise initially. Barbara took the side opposite from Hannah and they embraced the pair in the middle, holding gently, yet firmly.

“Of course.” They all murmured into the group hug, taking turns to pepper fluttering kisses on Akko where they could reach.

Akko sat there, basking in the affectionate glow of her girlfriend’s comfort and love, sinking deeper into their arms, feeling herself drift away-

-drift far enough away that she failed to hear the frantic call of her name from across the courtyard, failed to remember that she had friends that she was supposed to attend class with, failed to hear the footsteps approaching, the loud gasp, “Akko? Akk-woah!” and whistle of astonishment. The only thing that seemed to shake her out to consciousness was the familiar chuckle of a teasing peer that always seemed to rile her up in embarrassment and sometimes irritation.

“Well, I guess we shouldn’t have rushed, huh, Lotte? Even though we searched high and low in worry after hearing about what happened in the halls, our little princess here seems fine and dandy.”

Akko’s head shot up, successfully bringing damage to Diana’s face as she covered her eyes and nose, carefully massaging them as she groaned.

“OH MY GOSH, I’M SO SORRY, DIANA-“

Diana waved her off, Barbara attending to her as Hannah shook her head in bewildered amusement. Glancing over to Akko reassuringly, she managed to convince her to speak with her friends, seeing they needed the conversation.

Akko carefully stood up, watching as Hannah and Barbara attended to Diana for a moment, Hannah shooing Akko if once she caught her gaze. Akko joined Sucy and Lotte a safe distance away, out of earshot, but within sight of her girlfriends, nervously thinking of what to say.

After a few moments of quietly dancing around the subject at hand, Lotte broke first.

“So… umm…this is… a surprise?” She tried to carefully broach the subject, not getting much reaction from Akko. Unlike her partner who simply descended into hysterics, slapping Akko on the shoulder with a wide grin.

“Goddamn, Akko. You getting three pussies all at onc-“ Lotte’s reprimand was swift and on point, the hit to the back of Sucy’s head silencing her. “I was just saying…” She mumbled.

Akko stood there, lips still tightly sealed, but face a blossoming shade of red, not really knowing what else to say other than the obvious that she was now dating three incredibly beautiful women without really knowing how she got to that point.

Lotte huffed a glad little smile, hands reaching over to rest on Akko’s shoulders, squeezing kindly. “Hey,” Akko looked into her soft gaze, nonjudgmental and ever sweet. “If they make you happy, then I’m incredibly happy for you as well. You deserve that much in your life after everything you do for me, for us, for other people just to make us all happy.” Lotte said, pulling Akko into a hug she knew the girl needed.

Sucy lightly pat Akko’s back, humming in her own way of assurance.

“Thank you.” She murmured into Lotte’s shoulder.

“Mm-mm,” Lotte shook her head in slight disagreement. “Thank you for always trying your best for us. I know you don’t tell me about whatever things have been going on and why you’re being bullied sometimes, but I know you’re not enduring this for no reason.”

“Mm.”

“But Akko?”

“Yeah?”

Lotte pushed Akko back slightly to look her dead-serious in the eyes. “If this is anything like high school and you’re taking heat for my sake, or Sucy’s sake, or anyone else’s, you better stop and come clean now.”

Akko regretfully looked away. “But-“

“Akko.” Sucy addressed, demeanor a rare pensive one as she compelled Akko to listen to her. “You’re not doing this alone. Don’t selfishly get hurt like this. We worry. If you have problems, let us help. The more of us, the easier it is to carry a burden, don’t you think?” She spoke her profound thoughts that she usually kept to herself. “You don’t have to tell us everything now,” She sighed as she gazed upon Akko’s slumped figure.

“But you don’t have to keep enduring alone.” Lotte finished for Sucy, squeezing Akko’s shoulders once more. “Okay?”

Akko was crying a lot today, wasn’t she?

“Silly girl.” Lotte commented.

“She’s the class clown, after all.” Sucy jested.

Accompanying her friend’s chuckles with her own tearful laughter, she laid her promise to share her sorrows and her pains with them better in the hug she gave them, hopeful that things would only get better from here on.

Yeah.

With the best friends she could ever imagine having in the world, and the most amazing lovers ever- Akko chanced a glimpse to see them watching over her fondly, warming her heart- she knew she’d get by. If these people were the ones… she might be able to tell them-

“Okay, so now it’s time for the customary interrogation of our daughter’s new lovers.” Sucy just had ruin the moment as she always did.

“Since when were you my parents?!”

“Aw, come on. I always wanted to try it out, making people all nervous and panicky.” Sucy pouted. “I wanna see Cavendish flip the fuck out-“

“Sucy!”

“Just saying!”

A/N: I don’t really know what to say. Hope you enjoyed, haha. So many stuff is just happening and I’m trying to escape to writing. whoop. Anyway, til next time.

~Shintori Khazumi 

[shintorikhazumi]

“Do You Regret This Purchase?” Chapter 1: Curses, Sighs, and Bad (?) Decisions (MayaKuro AU)

A/N: I dunno if any of you have read that one manga. Something about this OL whose first time is with an android who is actually a well… s3x bot that she ordered on accident. Well. This… is kinda inspired by that.

Idk…. Why I wrote this. Uh.

This is terribly written and dumb.

Idk anymore. It’s like… midnight rn. I am dumb.

I have other, better (???) stories I should be updating. Instead, I’m starting another trainwreck about two dumbasses. Yeah. Makes sense. Man, life sucks, y’know?

Anyway, uh.. bye? I guess?

Bye.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

Oh, dw. No explicit anything on this thing. Just Kuro cursing the world.

 “Do You Regret This Purchase?” Chapter 1: Curses, Sighs, and Bad (?) Decisions

//

“Mother.”

“Yes, my love?” The older woman felt a chill run down her spine at the sickeningly, threateningly sweet smile her one and only, beloved daughter wore on her face, hands gripping a stack of papers, wrinkling them with the force by which she held them. Even the way she was addressed unnerved her somewhat.

Where was her precious baby who always called her, ‘Maman’ and snuggled into her bosom? Where was that Claudine?

“She’s right in front of you, and she’s quite… infuriated, Maman <3.” Claudine, reading her mother perfectly, took a step closer to the woman, showing her the papers that had been in her possession since this whole event began.

“O-oh? And who would dare get on my baby’s nerves like that?” Saijou Cathleen was not one to be daunted by anything, really. But her daughter right now? She scared her.

She watched Claudine sigh, easing off on the pressure, as she turned about to drop the papers on the nearby coffee table of their living room before falling back onto their couch with a resounding ‘thump’.

“Who got you to agree to this and which of you three paid for it?” She asked, throwing an arm over her face to shield her eyes from the ceiling lights.

“Whatever do you mean, mon amo-“

“Mamaaannnn~…” Claudine whined, turning to her mother with a look that was as pointed as it was pleading, her arm still over her forehead.

The sight was scarily adorable. Or adorably scary.

Whichever it was, it was the push Claudine’s mother seemed to need to finally cave.

“Well, you see… Kao-chan and Yacchan-“

“I KNEW IT.” Claudine growled, quickly jumping to her feet and sweeping the papers into her hand haphazardly as she readied herself to head for the door to hunt down some uselessly nosy assholes that needed a throttling.

“My love!” Saijou Cathleen begged, holding Claudine back by embracing her around her waist, squeezing her in a silent request for her to calm down.

Claudine huffed, not wanting to move rashly lest she hurt her mother.

“Mamannnn.” She groaned, breathing out her anger slowly. “Please let me go?”

“And possibly have to bail you out of prison for murder? No, thank you!”

“Mam-“

“I’m saving up for a yacht this year.”

“…”

“…”

“Maman, with all my love, I just want to ask you, okay?” Claudine- ignoring what her mother had just revealed to her- turned around in her mother’s arms, loosely wrapping her arms around her waist as she stared into an almost mirror image of herself. “Please respond honestly.” She requested.

“Okay.” Her mother nodded.

Claudine saw the sincerity in her eyes and trusted that her mother would tell her the truth and nothing but that. Of course, she had always been a little sneaky around it, but if Claudine asked the right questions, she was sure to get the answers she wanted.

And Claudine knew what the right questions were, after doing this for so long.

…but she didn’t really want to ask this particular set of them.

“Claudine?”

Taking in a deep breath of air and hoping the answer she’d get wouldn’t snap her dying patience and sanity, Claudine parted her lips, words at the tip of her tongue. With a small blush, she managed to ask,

“Why, in the world, would you buy me a sex doll?”

//

“Come on, Kuro-han. It was just a tiny joke.”

“Haha. It was hilarious. Thank you.” Claudine responded drily, crossing her legs and resting her feet on Kaoruko’s favorite coffee table, enjoying the way the woman’s eyes widened as she began to seethe.

“Oi, oi, oi. You can retaliate any other way you’d like, but those things on my nice wood? Get. Them. Off.” Kaoruko commanded with a glare.

-And glared some more when Claudine simply grinned at her, a sadistically happy sparkle in her eye.

“What kind of revenge would that be if it didn’t rile you up, Kaoruko~?” She sang, swapping the position of her legs, purposefully making a thud on the table, grin widening as Kaoruko began to turn red. “You don’t get to be mad at me this time.” Claudine huffed, smile dropping as she crossed her arms. “Not after this scandalous stunt you’ve pulled.”

“Scanda- I’d never!“ Had Kaoruko not been bound by the ropes Claudine had brought over with her, she’d probably have a hand on her chest right now, feigning offense at such an outlandish accusation. Guess she’d have to make do with her facial muscles for now. “It was an act of love!”

“Sure, love. A lotta love I must be about to get from that”. Claudine rolled her eyes, taking a sip from the tea she harbored from the blue devil’s cupboard. “Gotta thank you for that, I suppose, my oh-so-generous benefactor.” Claudine sarcastically remarked, giving a mock bow in Kaoruko’s direction.

The Kyoto woman smirked, unperturbed by Claudine’s reaction. In fact, it amused her and gave her more fuel by which to rile her up further. “You’re very welcome. I’m sure it will really help you to finally loosen up. I can’t even imagine how bad dry season must be for yo-mph! HEY!“

Claudine no longer responded to that, eyes trained on the television across from her, dainty fingers popping a macaron into her mouth. She made a small hum of delight, the corners of her mouth tipping upwards as the sweet filled her with an irreplaceable joy that not even Kaoruko could tamper with.

Of course, her being tied up to a wooden chair in her own home, annoyingness taken down a notch, was a plus for Claudine.

“Kuro-han!” She complained.

Seeing as the French-born wouldn’t be giving her the time of day anytime soon, she leaned backwards, falling onto a warm figure’s back that was equally restrained as her. Kaoruko sighed, throwing her head back to rest more against her companion’s fluffy pink hair.

She then realized something, frowning at the thought. “How come she didn’t rant your ear off?”

“Probably because I know my limits when it comes to messing with people.” Yachiyo shrugged, tapping her feet as she hummed a melody familiar to everyone in the room as it was from one of the more popular plays they’d done in the past.

Kaoruko would have contested that fact. Yachiyo was a little shit, a gremlin worse than her. She had no limits when it came to messing around. But maybe, well… Maybe this time, it really was Kaoruko’s fau-

“Also, we both know I’m Kuro-san’s favorite asshole.”

“You little fuc-“

//

Upon entering her apartment, Claudine immediately frowned, brows tightly knit together as she braced herself for the terrors she was about to battle again tonight, having had enough of it this morning.

Beyond the scare she got from waking up to a stranger in her bed, naked as the day she was born, and feeling her up, what Claudine detested more was the fact that she had maybe-probably-kinda-just a little, tiny bit-might have… enjoyed it.

What exactly?

Well… the warmth of another body, curled up against hers in a mutual embrace; the soft skin that her hands had accidentally roamed in her thoughtless state, as well as the nips and kisses to her neck that she was luckily able to hide from the evil demons that were her best friends; the brown tresses that curtained over her as a body shifted atop her own; the full, pink lips- Claudine… hated that she couldn’t hate that.

And above all those things, what Claudine seemingly enjoyed the most were the eyes of amethyst, sparkling as they met Claudine’s own. In them, there was a swirl of mixed emotions that Claudine wasn’t all-too familiar with, but… she… she liked them. How they made her feel under the expressive gaze. It was warm, but also a scalding heat.

It almost made Claudine think she was loved and… desired.

She admitted, she almost gave in and leant forward.

And then that voice called,

“Master”.

The spell was broken, quicker than a flick of a magic wand, and Claudine… well… panicked.

She finally realized her abnormal proximity with a complete stranger, eyes darting everywhere and everywhere in attempts to not stare at a view full of boob that she had somehow gotten a front-row seat to.

In her frazzled state, mind now in fight-or-flight mode, Claudine had shoved the stranger backward, making the woman fall backward with an audible thud and a groan of pain that immediately halted Claudine’s internal crisis, protective instincts kicking in as she clumsily shuffled over to the woman’s side, dumbly inquiring, “Are you hurt?”.

‘Of course, she is, Claudine! What are you even asking!’

“S-s-s-sorry. I just.” Claudine tried her best to communicate with this unknown being, eyes striving to stay loyal to her gorgeous face and not traverse down the milky expanse of silken skin and curve- Claudine felt her face flush hotter as her hungover mind was clearly still in the gutter.

Just what the hell had happened last night after Kaoruko’s party?!

Claudine rubbed her suddenly throbbing temples, aching in all their agonizing glory. Really. What had happened?

Claudine shut her eyes for a moment, willing her sudden migraine away (hopefully) as she had things to do, mainly figuring out what the fuck was going on and who the hell this gorgeous specimen was, and if Claudine had done anything that could have ruined both their lives because of her known occasional rashness.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw her companion staring at her calmly, almost curiously, still not responding to the question she’d asked her possibly five minutes ago.

“Um?” Claudine waved a hand in front of the woman, checking if she was sober, or conscious or just… with her at the moment. “You good? Do you hear me? Do you understand, er, English? Japanese? Oh, what the actual fuck. Did I just really pick up some random woman off the streets or something?” Claudine regretfully muttered. God, she hoped not.

Something could have transpired, and Claudine hadn’t the slightest idea if there was a chance for her to go back- heck, she didn’t think she could even do that despite nothing happening!

The woman continued to stare.

“Excuse me, uh…” Claudine was starting to feel uncomfortable under that piercing stare. “Did I perhaps… wrong you somehow? Or are you just unresponsive because-“ Claudine, with her senses coming in order bit by bit, recalled what she’d just done a few minutes ago, this morning. “Shi- Did I accidentally give her a concussion? Agh- so much for… I am so sorry.” She apologized, immediately shuffling behind the mystery woman, muttering a small ‘excuse me’ before she awkwardly parted brown locks to check for any reddening or swollen areas.

Finding nothing, Claudine sighed in relief, thoughtlessly leaning forward to rest her head against the shoulder of her newfound company, tired and utterly confused. “Comfy.” She mumbled, feeling her eyelids droop in exhaustion.

Feeling her consciousness begin to slip as Claudine headed for the door to the realm of sleep,

“I’m glad you find me a comfort, Master.”

-She was harshly jerked back to the unbelievable reality that made her flat out scream an apology she’d never get to live down if heard by anyone else,

“Sorry if I fucked you!”.

//

Claudine groaned into her palms as she relived that particular memory, desperate to erase it from the face of the earth- or at least her mind.

That was not how she expected her morning to go. The night prior, she was sure she’d just get stupid drunk after a playful competition with Yanagi Koharu at the afterparty of the award’s ceremony, then she’d probably be herded home by a- praise all divine forces of the universe- sober Futaba or Nana, then she’d just crash onto her bed and sleep the next fourteen hours away and wake up, feeling like she was just runover by the shinkansen, before finding her pain-relievers and some microwavable food left by her guardian angels before they left after dropping her off.

By then, it would have been well into the afternoon where Claudine would have taken a warm bath and recovered a bit to do a little training at night and then get some relatively early sleep just to reset her body clock and prepare for another hectic schedule the next day.

This was it. This was what she was used to. Her norm.

And… the elegant goddess striding down her hallway, dressed in nothing but one of Claudine’s oversized hoodies… was not.

“Welcome home, Ma-“

“Claudine.” Said woman cut off, a finger pressed to the softest pair of lips she’d ever felt.

There was a brief pause before the other woman nodded, taking Claudine’s wrist, and lowering her hand so she could do as requested.

With a smile that Claudine couldn’t decided whether it infuriated her or made her feel all pleasantly warm inside, the woman leaned over, planting her lips against the flustered French actress, lingering a tad too long for the safety of Claudine’s poor, poor heart.

“Welcome home, Claudine.”

“I’m home.”

Claudine did her best to ignore that compelling gaze, the one she knew was being given to her as a means to pressure her into giving in to the request her ‘guest’ had been pestering her about since earlier; something she just couldn’t seem to do.

“Claudine.” She called. The blonde did her best not to look remotely in the other woman’s direction, grounding herself with the potted plant by her doorway.

“Y-yes?” She cursed her weak mouth.

“Are you ready to register me now?”

Mind suddenly clear as a slate, with a throat drying fast at the question, Claudine swallowed- and swallowed hard- as she felt those fingers still wrapped around her wrist begin their gentle, tempting caress up and down, inching Claudine’s hand closer to a place radiating warmth form under her hoodie.

Coming to her senses, she yanked her hand away, eyes shaky and wide as they stared at the brunette in front of her, smiling gently as if she’d done and said nothing out of the ordinary.

“I-I-I already told you, what is all this registering and w-why are you… down there… my h-hand…”

Cocking her head to the side with an expression containing all the innocence in the world, Claudine got her response.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier, Claudine?” The woman said with a pout that Claudine could just kis-

‘Saijou Claudine, what in the devil, Kaoruko’s name are you even considering?!’

“After purchasing me, Unit: T3ND0, Model: M4Y4,” The woman continued on, ignorant to Claudine’s inner turmoil. “You need to perform the registration proper. Identification such as fingerprints, eyescans, and saliva and sweat samples need to be taken to ensure that no one else may use me and my services, even if I’m taken from you.”

That last line didn’t seem to sit quite well with Claudine, and she was yet to know why.

“But I didn’t purchase you.” Claudine argued, ignoring the unfamiliar thoughts and feelings that stirred within her with regards to ‘Maya’, as she requested to be called.

Maya’s eyes widened a fraction but lasted too short a while before she was back to her composed self, a hand moving to her chin as she seemed to be running diagnostics through her head.

“Well… your name was written on the order form, and your card was used for my purchase… so… I am unsure of how to deal with it as it wasn’t accounted for in protocol.” Maya uttered, looking up to Claudine with… remorse?

Claudine felt her chest constrict painfully. All the more when Maya bowed deeply and apologized for ‘not knowing what to do’.

“Shall I… Shall I contact the factory then? And ask if I can be sent back instead?” Maya quietly asked, face still to the floor. “I… I’m sorry I hadn’t noticed before, but… does… Mas- Claudine… possibly not have wanted me?”

Now Claudine was starting to feel a little remorseful.

Scratching the back of her neck and looking up the heavens- that she supposes was hidden behind her ceiling, Claudine sighed, pinching the bridge of her other nose as she contemplated what would possibly the dumbest decision of her life, or the greatest. Her greatest regret or greatest move, she guessed she’d just have to figure out later.

For now…

“Ah, damn it, Yachiyo and Kaoruko… Maman…” She cursed them in her head. This was definitely all their fault. She was going to ensure that they made it up to her.

“Claudine?” Maya’s soft timbre tickled Claudine’s ears in a way that made her want to hear more of it.

Curse this dumb situation and her inability to get out of it.

Curse her- as Kaoruko would probably put it- ‘useless lesbianism’.

And she’d probably agree with the little jerk for once, not that she’d ever admit that to her or let her know. Not in a lifetime.

Claudine groaned as her hands found purchase on Maya’s upper arms, gently guiding the girl until she stood upright, looking down at Claudine slightly in all her beautiful stature.

Ah, why did Maya have to be so. Damned. Attractive.

And why did Claudine just so happen to be utterly, terribly, and undeniably… gay.

With another sigh, and another internal curse… and another bad decision made, probably, Claudine mouthed the life-changing words,

“You should stay.”

Well, fuck. That didn’t sound like a free-will invite or an option at all.

But with the beatific smile that graced Maya’s features, was it safe for Claudine to think she was pleased with this arrangement?

Who knew?

What Claudine knew- and maybe didn’t hate as much- was that somewhere deep down inside her,

She was.

A/N: I dunno anymore. I have no clue what I wrote.

Uh.

Til next time?

~Shintori Khazumi

[shintorikhazumi]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

MY GIRL’S ANIME IS OOOUUUTTTT!!!! GO WATCH MIERUKO-CHAN!!!

 I loved the manga, honestly hoping the anime turns out as awesome!

[shintorikhazumi]

Random share to you all on my life

So i’ve been hospitalized for 2 weeks and missed a lot of my classes. And it’s midterm season when I got released. I also have a shit ton of family problems, with my dad being ICU status in the hospital. So anyway. today was a win.

okay so yesterday, I cried for about 2 hours because a teacher wouldn't give me a chance for a make-up exam in a minor subject. He said I had to take it today as the last chance (was supposed to yesterday) or not at all. And I was gone for 3 of the lessons included. and did you know the material spanned 100-200 pages, plus nearly 200 slides as well? And I wanted to pass the crap outta this exam anyway.

so, out of spite...I actually managed to read all that within the night

and did pretty well on the exam and crushed the crap outta the essay portion.

So.

yeah. Feels great.

[shintorikhazumi]

What's your kofi? I lost it if you posted it here..!

Just posted and pinned it awhile ago anon :'> thank you for your generous heart, you really don't have to :'>