#//Lord...... their makoto is SO GOOD

[bigbobbiehorror]

I remembered that I pulled Queen in Nier Rein so I might as well take some pics of her. I’ll be posting pics of Yusuke next.

[hopebvllet]

So. Uh.

Did they force his ass into mandatory therapy after that? Because surely they did, Right?

Might be a bit silly and goofy. Might stop being a little bitch and finally watch the Despair Makoto scene for the agony of it all

[btsugarush]

GANGSTA | myg - 002

summary: rough sex, blood money, drugs, and gang related activity; four things you never predicted to experience in your simple life. not until you opened your mouth and caught his attention

pairings: gang leader!yoongi x f!reader

warnings: smut, gunplay, drugs, drug addiction, dark!yoongi, drug lord!yoongi, strong language, gang violence, blood and gore, murder, manipulation, possessive/obsessive behavior, abuse, cheating, angst, fluff, dubcon, implied noncon (not from yoongi but within his gang with his knowledge), 18+, minors dni

word count: 3K

author’s note: sorry if you asked to be on the taglist and didn’t make it. i’ve reached over 50 and couldn’t add anymore people. i’ll add more of you in the comments.

“I’m glad you’re okay after all of that,” Jungkook says on the other end of your phone; you had just spilled about the chaotic situation at Makoto as it was still weighing heavily on your mind. You couldn’t shake what Jimin had said about that Yoongi guy killing someone, though it could have just been a rumor. If he had actually taken someone’s life there would be no way they would allow him to walk the streets. He’d be too much of a flight risk.

“You should really be careful in the future. I know you like to stand up for people that can’t stand up for themselves, but Yoongi is bad news. There’s no telling what he would’ve done to you on the wrong day.”

“So you know him too?” You quiz. It seemed as though everyone knew who this guy was besides you. Maybe you don’t get out enough. Or maybe you were just good at staying away from trouble– until this afternoon at least. “I know of him, but not personally. He came to the shop once like five months ago with the same tall guy you were talking about. He told my coworker Si-Woo to step outside, and the next thing you know he's pistol-whipping him nearly to death. Rumor around the shop was that Si-Woo sold drugs for Yoongi, and owed him a lot of money.”

“Really?” Your mouth drops in shock. “What did Si-Woo say about it?”

“He never talked about it, ended up quitting the next day, and told us ‘not to get the police involved because it wouldn’t be of any help and it was all just a misunderstanding’.” He quoted. “Well, three days later Si-Woo’s body was found hacked to pieces and stuffed in a suitcase behind an alley on Gongdan lane.”

You heard about that case on the news some time ago, but had no clue that Jungkook knew the victim on an intimate level. It honestly made you shiver a bit. Imagine being the one to discover the body, and how gruesome the sight must have been. Stuff like that was common in slum areas though. Crime was especially high in Gongdan lane of all places, which is why you made sure to never venture in that area. “You think Yoongi had something to do with his murder?”

Jungkook scoffed. “The guy was viciously pistol-whipping him three days before his body was identified. I know he had something to do with it, but none of us were willing to risk going to the cops, so we just moved on like it didn’t happen.” Jungkook pauses for a moment before he speaks again. “You know… sometimes I think that maybe we could’ve saved his life if we did report the incident. Sometimes I still look at his station and feel like he’s there, tattooing.” He sighs heavily, like it was a great weight lifted from his shoulders to even tell you.

“You did what you felt was necessary. As fucked up as it may seem, you had to think about what was best for you.” You try your best to comfort him as he seemed to hold on to a lot of guilt regarding Si-Woo’s death, and reminiscing didn’t help. To have the man who could have potentially murdered your friend roaming free to terrorize all of Daegu couldn’t be a great feeling. You felt for him.

“I know. It’s just fucked to know he went through such a fucked up death. I don’t even want to imagine how scared he must’ve been,” you could hear clanking on the other end, as though he was biting down on his lip piercing. “I don’t even like the thought of knowing you tangled with them. He seems the type to hold grudges, and I don’t want you to get hurt. I’d lose my shit and go after him myself.”

You smile softly. “And I just know you’d kick his ass, my tough Kookie.” You both laugh at the nickname, which is one of many you had with the word ‘cookie’ in it. You could be so cheesy sometimes, but Jungkook loved everything about it. “You don’t have to worry though, apparently he likes me so maybe I’m in the clear?” You say unsuringly, still not understanding what he meant by it. It was very abrupt and cryptic. “Well whatever he meant, he’s out of luck because you’re spoken for.”

“As if he’d ever had a chance to begin with, I don’t think I’d mesh well with a criminal,” You chuckled. “I’m more into sweet, sensitive guys with tattoos and piercings.”

“Yeah? I think I know someone like that.” You could tell that he’s cheesing on the other end, which made you cheese. Everything always felt so natural with Jungkook. Him being your best friend in high school really played hand in hand with that. He was no different from a lover than he was a best friend. You two were absolutely the same and you loved it.

“You should probably get some sleep now, Angel. You don’t want to go to work exhausted, and I don’t wanna be blamed for you oversleeping again.” You simply roll your eyes in a playful manner, but agree nonetheless. You couldn’t chance being up so late, Mr. Kim was very strict about being on time.

“I guess you’re right,” you pout. “Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow when I get off work.”

“Okay, Angel. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Kookie cake.” You pull your phone from your ear, ending the call before you get up from your bed to switch off your bedroom lights. You crawl back onto the mattress, pulling your blanket over your body. Picking your phone back up again, you swipe through your apps until you locate the clock app. You set your alarm to wake you up at 12:00 PM on the dot. Just as you were about to place your phone down on your nightstand, something overcame you and you got the urge to search Yoongi’s name on Google.

When you type in his name, you are shocked to see so many results come up effortlessly. Several different mugshots from several different instances, all dating from when he was a teenager to one that seemed recent. You click on the one that looks most recent, letting it redirect you to the Daegu booking website.

Name: Min Yoongi

Age: 30

BOOKING DETAIL

Status: Released

Building: Public Safety Building

Area: Maledorm

Booking number: 575857

Booking date: 3/26/2023 11:56:00 pm

ARRESTS

Arrest number: 680071205

Arrest date: 3/26/2023 10:06:00 pm

Arresting agency: Daegu Police Department

Agency case number: 25-18056

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON

ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO SELL

You read over the arrests in shock, completely dumbfounded by how a man of his caliber could be released from jail and not behind bars rotting for the rest of his life. He practically lived in jail anyway, why not just keep him there? You eye his mugshot, his intense stare giving you the chills. You didn’t need to wonder how the officer taking the photo must’ve felt considering you too have felt those daggers looking into the depths of your soul.

You pull your sight away from the photo, swiping away the page. You didn’t want to spend any more time on Yoongi. What happened at Makoto is behind you now. You just wanted to forget about the situation, and never run into Yoongi– or Joon for that matter, again. You plug your phone to your charger, sitting the device on your nightstand before you drift off to sleep.

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.” Mr. Kim looks surprised as you step into the kitchen, taking an apron from the hook on the wall. “Why wouldn’t I show up?” You quirk a brow, tying the black fabric around your waist. “Because I thought you would’ve been too scared to show your face after going toe to toe with the devil’s minions the other day.”

You click your tongue, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. You couldn’t believe people were still on that. Just as you walked in you overheard a customer whispering ‘she’s still alive?’ to her friend. It’s absurd at this point. “I think everyone is blowing what happened yesterday way out of proportion.” You shake your head, grabbing a notepad and pen from the pencil holder.

“I’d like to say we are, kid, but you got lucky. That Yoongi is no joke to be played with. The guy is a menace. Some people say the only reason he’s not in jail is because he has affiliations within the police unit, and I wouldn’t doubt if it’s true. Our system is corrupt.” The older man sighs. ‘Oh great, here he goes with politics and corruption again…’ you thought. You had better get out on the floor before you’re caught in a whirlwind of it.

You leave him to discuss the topic with himself as you step out onto the floor, and start taking customer orders. “Hey, you’re that crazy girl from yesterday.” A man says as you approach his table. You frown, already knowing what he was referring to, so you avoid it at all cost. “What can I get you?” You redirect the conversation.

“Oh! Uhhh,” he picks up the menu from his table, skimming through it. “I’ll have the Jajangmyeon.” He answers quickly. You scribble down his order. “Anything to drink?” You ask. “Ginseng tea, thank you.” He places the menu back on the table. You nod, taking down his drink. “Okay, I’ll be right back with that tea.” You smile kindly before heading back to the kitchen. You rip the orders from the notepad, clipping them to the ticket holder.

“Hey, kid. We’ve got a delivery order for dumplings.” Mr. Kim informs you as you’re preparing tea for the customer. The older gentleman approaches you, the order already made and secured in a brown bag. You take the bag from him, looking at the order ticket attached to it.

As you read over the address on the ticket, your eyes practically bulge out of your skull. ‘2357 Gongdan Lane’. “Um… Mr. Kim, this location is in the slums of Daegu.” You look at him with concern. “I know.” The man simply nods, taking the tickets you set from the holder. “Yeah, well, I can’t go to Gongdan lane. It’s dangerous, especially for me as a woman.”

“Look kid, I’m sorry. If Jimin was here I’d have him go but he doesn’t work on Saturdays and you’re my only worker.”

“Exactly. I’m the only worker, you need me to be at the shop taking orders.” You knew that wasn’t going to go over as it was a slow day, and there were hardly any customers in the shop to begin with. “I can handle the customers and cook the ramen until you get back.”

You couldn’t believe this. Just as you had prided yourself in never stepping foot in Gongdan, here was this old dirty bastard making you go. On top of that, the restaurant didn’t even own a company car for deliveries so you had to ride a bike. You read over the ticket again, noticing that there wasn’t even a name on the order. “There’s no name on the order, this could be a trick that ends with me getting robbed for free food.”

“All this time wasted on talking about it could be used on getting the delivery done. Stop complaining and do what you’re paid to do. The faster you get it done, the faster you can come back.”

You wanted to stomp your foot like a child and continue to protest, but you couldn’t risk your job by not listening so you did the only sensible thing you could do. Your job. You grab a plastic bag, shoving the brown one inside of it before leaving through the back exit in the kitchen. You spot the red delivery bike lying on the ground, and pick it up, looping the plastic bag around the bike handle.

As you mount the bicycle, you pull out your phone to use your GPS. The ride was about 12 minutes away. If you ride fast you could undoubtedly make it at least an 8 minute ride. You kick back the breaks and set off on your journey. During the ride as you make it into the slum area, you could truly see the separation from Sangsu-dong to Gongdan lane. The sidewalks were cracked and unpaved, the buildings looked more rundown, and homeless people laid out in sleeping bags.

You got an uneasy feeling as you noticed a group of men smoking weed on a corner and intensely watching you go by. You probably stood out like a sore thumb, riding through Daegu’s slummiest on a red bike. You swallowed the lump in your throat, keeping your eyes forward as you paid them no mind. As you continue going, you notice the streets become more isolated. Your GPS directs you to turn, which you follow only to come upon a big warehouse that looked abandoned. ‘You’ve arrived’, your GPS says. You furrow your brows, confusion written over your face.

“Stupid thing must’ve sent me to the wrong location.” You grab the bag of dumplings from the bike handle, circling around the warehouse just in case you were mistaken. You find a door on the other end, cameras surrounding it like it was a government building. You inspect the door, seeing that there was a red button of some sort on it.

You scope the perimeter, making sure no one was trying to sneak attack you. The whole thing seemed completely sketchy. You take a deep breath before pressing down on the button, a loud buzz coming from it. You take a step back, waiting for someone to come open the door. You stood there for about two minutes, not wanting to wait around any longer. You knew this was a scam. You should’ve just gone home and pretended like you delivered the food. It would’ve saved you the trouble. As you turn to walk back to the bike, the door suddenly opens with a loud creaking sound.

You direct your attention back to the door, locking eyes with an individual that you dreaded to ever see again. “Oh my god… i-it’s you…” you stutter in shock, seeing Yoongi stand in the doorway with a smirk plastered on his face. “Wonder Woman, we meet again.”

You’re silent, not really saying a word as you feel too stunned to speak. “You got something for me, sweetheart?” His eyes darted to the bag in your hand. You snap from your fearful trance, remembering why you were there in the first place. “Uh… yeah. Here’s your order.” You stretch out your arm to hand him the bag, not wanting to come any closer. The raven reaches forward, his hand brushing yours as he takes the bag from you. You quickly turn away, rushing back over to your bike.

“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday.” He says, following behind you. “I already know who you are.” You mumble as you mount the red two wheeler. “Really? You didn’t seem to know who I was yesterday. If you did, you wouldn’t have shot your pretty mouth off like that,”

He grabs the handles of your bike, preventing you from leaving. “You look scared. Guess my reputation precedes me.” He says almost too proudly. “Not in a way that a decent human being should want it to, but I guess decency isn’t what you’re aiming for.” you say slickly, which causes the raven to smile. “There goes that smart mouth again,” he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, giving you the same predatory stare from yesterday. “Normally I wouldn’t tolerate anyone getting slick at the mouth with me, but from you it’s kind of a turn on.”

You scowl, ignoring his sexual advance. “Can you let go of my bike? I need to get back to work.”

“How about you let me drive you?” he offers, but you quickly decline. You’d be an idiot to get in the car with a proclaimed murderer. “I’ll take my chances on the bike, thank you.” The raven lets go of the handles, taking a step back to allow you to be on your way. “Be my guest, sweetheart.”

You kick back the break, not wanting to waste any more of your time in Gongdan speaking to this thug. You back away from him, turning the bike to ride down the path you came. “I hope to see you again, Y/N.” He calls out. You come to an abrupt stop, looking back at the raven. How did he know your name? “I don’t remember telling you my name.”

“You didn’t need to. I have my sources and connections, Princess. Whatever I need or want, I get.”

You cringe at the nickname ‘princess’. Jungkook doesn’t even call you that, with all the cheesy nicknames he does use. Him knowing your name suddenly made you question how coincidental this whole encounter was. You were starting to wonder how much about you he knew. As if he read your mind, he starts to read you like an autobiography. “You were born in Busan and raised right here in Daegu, you’re an ex nursing student, an only child, both your parents passed away in a tragic car accident, your best friend is Sang Mina, and your boyfriend is… Jeon Jungkook? Am I right?”

Your heart pounds against your chest as he spoke information that only people close to you would know. You felt sick, creeped out even, but you tried not to display that on your face. “So, I guess you know my work schedule then. You set this little encounter up knowing that I was the only worker today, didn’t you?” the raven simply shrugged like he couldn’t answer whether that was true or not, but you knew that it was. “I don’t know what your deal is, but just stay away from me, okay?”

Yoongi sneered, as he turned on his heels, heading back to the door from once he came. The raven makes sure he gets the last word though.

“I can’t make you any promises, sweetheart. Like I said, whatever I want, I get.”

Taglist

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[stainedglassthreads]

The Traveler being around is probably good for Furina. In Marcel's trial, we see Melus and Silver speculate on why Furina's suddenly taking everything way more seriously--and they think it's either because the Traveler humiliated her, or because she's so embarrassed and horrified by pressing charges against an innocent.

In a way, I feel like the people of Fontaine kinda encourage Furina to act as she does--spoiled and immature, dumping responsibility on Neuvilette and the Oratrice. But she also encourages them to not question the justice system, by struggling so hard to put on a show and save face. It's something of a vicious cycle. The people treat her as a celebrity and only really expect her to amuse and reassure them, not actually DO anything. So she's encouraged to act like a bratty and spoiled child. But the Traveler being around is someone who's NOT impressed or amused by her--and, even better, they're someone she really, really does WANT to impress, who she greatly respects. The Traveler will treat Furina as a person and an Archon, and force her to take responsibility for her people and actions. 'Cause like, she sucks at her job and needs to either take responsibility or find a way to retire like Zhongli. But also I feel like she's probably kinda lonely.

Like. Venti and Zhongli are highly respected and beloved by their people, and are the most proactive and responsible with their roles, at least in the present day. They're also the most oldest of the Archons, so they are the most experienced. It makes sense.

Ei, Nahida, and Furina, though, all seem to be foils of each other to varying extents. While Zhongli and Venti rule their country from behind the scenes, the three younger Archons initially appear to be in positions of power and authority...but aren't really.

Ei has a great deal of power and authority, and is feared or respected by most of her people. But due to her grief over the losses of Makoto and her generals, she has given up responsibility and stopped caring what her people want. She orders Visions be collected and does the war against the Resistance, but she's not really...present, letting the Raiden Shogun and the Tenryou commission run things. She knows the Fatui are in Inazuma apparently, but doesn't seem to care. Only when the Traveler and Yae Miko beat/talk sense into her does she really start to act like a leader and try fixing her mistakes. Up until that point, Ei has been isolating herself.

On the other hand, the Akademiya were grieving Rukkhadevata so much that they forcibly rejected, isolated, and imprisoned Nahida. She did her best to interact with her people and help them when she could, but she wasn't really allowed to rule, and lacked the power and authority she needed to properly lead Sumeru. Largely, Nahida only needed more confidence, and to be believed in--she was already much more mature than Ei or Furina were.

Ei is treated as an Archon, but lacks the maturity of one. Nahida had maturity and a sense of responsibility, but people didn't treat her as an Archon until Rukkhadevata was erased from memory. Furina inherits the worst of both Ei and Nahida's positions and personalities. She lacks the maturity of an Archon, but also no one actually treats her as one. When the Oratrice malfunctions people turn to her for reassurances...but really, the Oratrice seems like way more of a God to them than she ever was. It's not Furina who is the final authority in the Court, it's the Oratrice.

Honestly, Furina might be what would've happened had Nahida lacked the maturity and wisdom she had, and been completely replaced by the Shouki no Kami. Aside from the lochfolk and the Pari, people in Fontaine don't grieve the Lord of Amrita like Rukkhadevata was grieved, but the people replaced their Archon with a machine that tells them comforting lies about how easy and straightforward Justice is, and their Archon helped them do so.

I feel like Furina must be a lonely individual, since she's dismissed by most in her country, and even other Archons likely find her unpleasant, annoying, or immature. She has some growing to do, too, but I hope that by not being impressed by her at all, and instead being blatantly annoyed by her, the Traveler can reach those parts of her.

[imaginehappyhavoc]

Could i ask for the thh boys with an artistic reader that likes drawing them? Thanks! -🌠

Pairing: thh boys x artist!reader

Genre: fluff!

Warnings: N/A

Makoto Naegi:

♡ Makoto thinks it’s the sweetest thing!

♡ He considers himself pretty average in all aspects, so it was a shock to him when you said he was your favorite model.

♡ He gets really flustered every time you show him one of your sketches, but it doesn’t stop him from telling you how amazing it is.

♡ You’re just so talented! It’s hard not to get butterflies when you draw him so pretty!

♡ The little heart you drew next to him was also a pretty great addition, he thinks.

Byakuya Togami (platonic):

♡ I’m gonna be honest, drawing Byakuya is like submitting a sketch to an art show.

♡ The first time he notices you drawing him, he demands to see it. He has to make sure you’re representing him properly, after all.

♡ His critiques, while unwarranted, are surprisingly constructive.

♡ He’ll then say something along the lines of: “Try again. Here, I’ll even give you a better angle.” And he’ll pose.

♡ He’ll never admit it, but he loves the attention.

Yasuhiro Hagakure:

♡ It takes him forever to realize that you were drawing him, and not just doing random sketches.

♡ When he figures it out, he quite literally makes the “:0” face, followed closely by the “:D” face.

♡ He all but begs you to let him see your drawings, and he hyped you up endlessly once you let him.

♡ Now, he keeps trying to convince you to make a career out of your art. He says he’ll even be your first investor!

♡ You wonder where he plans to get the money for that, but you decide not to ask.

Leon Kuwata:

♡ This mf goes wild.

♡ He tries so hard to hide it, but oh dear lord he’s so in love with you. How did he manage to bag someone so talented and sweet?

♡ Like Byakuya, he’ll pose for you. Unlike Byakuya, he’s joking.

♡ He’ll totally ask if he can keep the drawings you make of him.

♡ If you let him, he’ll keep them in his school bag, and pull them out to show people at the slightest provocation.

Chihiro Fujisaki:

♡ They have absolutely no idea why you think they’re such a good model, but they’re certainly not complaining.

♡ However, it’s hard for them to keep still once they realize you’re drawing them.

♡ They just get so nervous! In a really good way!

♡ When you’re done, they’ll shyly ask you if they can see. If you say yes, they’ll blush about it so hard they can hardly speak.

♡ They want to keep your drawings, but they’d never ask. Maybe someday they’ll find the courage to take one back to his dorm, just to admire your work.

Mondo Owada:

♡ Speaking of flustered: Him.

♡ This man is a mess about any kind of affection that isn’t physical touch. He has no idea how to cope with it.

♡ He can’t wrap his head around the fact that he’s the one you wanna draw. He never thought he was all that attractive.

♡ Once he sees one of your sketches, he’s suddenly made very aware of the way you see him. You think he’s beautiful, and Mondo just can’t deal with that kind of adoration.

♡ He ends up shouting his thanks to you, as he always does when you get him flustered.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru:

♡ He is so deeply moved by your work.

♡ He would praise you until his last breath, if he could. However, it wouldn’t be efficient, so he settles on displaying your art.

♡ According to him: “It’s an incredible skill that you’ve honed so well! It deserves to be appreciated, not just by me, but by everyone!”

♡ If you get flustered about it, he’ll reassure you that you have nothing to be embarrassed about. He’s so proud of you, and he’ll tell everyone who’ll listen about it.

♡ While he’s very flattered that you chose him as the subject matter, he’s far more focused on the quality of your drawings. The hard work you must have done to achieve such beauty is truly admirable, in his opinion!

Hifumi Yamada (platonic):

♡ Hifumi is an artist as well, so this makes him happier than anything else!

♡ Once you reveal that you’ve been drawing him, he reveals that he’s been drawing you, too. Art trade ensues.

♡ He’ll model for you enthusiastically. If you need help figuring out how an arm would look when bent this way or that, Hifumi will happily demonstrate.

♡ He gives the most useful, constructive criticism you’ve ever heard in your life. Real, good advice that helps you improve.

♡ You two will sometimes just sit in silence with each other, drawing your friend while they draw you. Good times, all around!

[max1461]

Recommend me TV shows or movies. figure out what will appeal to me with your own powerful brain. I don't like tumblr type shows steven universe, I don't like salacious straight people movies competitors or whatever the new zendaya whatever the fuck is called, I don't like dune because baron harkonnen scared me when I watched dune 70s on tv as a child.

Shit I've liked, a brief recapitulation (non-exhaustive):

Movies:

lord of the rings

several of the wes anderson ones my favorite was grand budapest hotel

makoto shinkai movies

ghibli movies

what's that other guy. he made paprika and millennium actress

star wars original trilogy

indiana jones

die hard. now that's a great fucking movie

anastasia (1997)

movie everybody likes but I got BORED OF half way through the godfather

TV shows

fullmetal alchemist brotherhood

nichijo

gilmore girls

bocchi the rock

spice and wolf

foyle's war

the x-files

TV show that I turned off immediately cause I thought there was too much sex which is fine but bullshit to me game of thrones

You're supposed to recommend me FILMS and TV SHOWS in the comments and so on. GOOD FOLLOWERS of max1461 who GREATLY DESIRE to receive my favor will do this SUCCESSFULLY and their recommendations will be much liked by me.

[kuni-is-daddy]

Going on a date.

Boss scara X bodyguard female reader

Fluff(Smut if you count kuni being touchy and horni)

Thank you for 130 followers! :)

Scara fic list. Part 1 of boss scara

1.21k words.

"But besides that ill keep this letter short for you Kuzushi', Ive heard word from Miko while i resided in tenshukaku about the wonderful things you've been doing for the Gakaden company, I truly am proud of you, and I hope you can continue to bring glory to our bloodline. Your aunt Makoto would be proud of you as well-"

The letter continued but Kuni couldn't be bothered to read the rest. Closing the lavender smelling letter within its envelope and resting his head against the window of the car. Could it be his coldness? He thought. Something about the letter just felt too good to be true. His mother never was that kind nor even asked about his personal life so why now? It felt as if his heart began to sink in his chest. But that feeling resided once he was tuned out his emotional daze by your smooth voice. "My lord- I mean kuni, we've arrived at Komore teahouse." You turned your head to look at him in the rearview mirror as he sighed and adjusted his tie. "Alright..Just pull over here."

Your routine remained the same. Always getting out of the car before your lord and doing a perimeter check of your surroundings. Dates are rare with scara even though you two practically spend every second together, its morally because he has to maintain the shoguns army from the shadows along with the gakaden company. Yet his creator is 'so busy dealing with inazuma.' So you wore a Kimono in honor of your Lords culture since this was so rare. And god did he love it. Scara would undress you with his eyes when he'd watch you walk around and open the door for him to get out the car. Looking you up and down while opening it. "Shit you look good..Say..How about we skip this and go back to the penthouse?" He said while whispering into your ear and trailing his hands along your waist. "N-No Kuni- you spent alot of money on our date! you're just going to have to wait master." And there he goes getting riled up, He loved when you talked back, either to punish you for it or just get turned on even more. "Oh yeah? What if master doesnt want to wait? Your gonna help me out like a good girl?" From that point your just flat out BLUSHING. You want to walk away out of embarrassment but try to stay formal as possible because of your job being his bodyguard. Meanwhile kuni is enjoying every second of teasing you. Even daydreaming about taking off ever piece of clothing your wearing and making you scream out his name. From the way your delicate hips swayed with the bow as you opened the door to the teahouse, To the badass way you'd sheath your signature weapon when you sensed danger just for him.

He walked towards you already fangirling over the luxurious spot he chose out himself for you to dine at with a beautiful balcony view of Inazuma's sunset. "This is AMAZING KUNI! We can walk out and feel the nice breeze and OOO. WE CAN TAKE SELFIES TOGETHER!!" You paced around the room like a child in a candy store while kuni gave a light smile at your childish reaction as he settled the payments again for your day out. "Ahem. Excuse me, Lord Scaramouche?" kuni reluctantly shifted his attention towards the servant. "Yeah? What do you want?" "I- sorry, I was just asking. Is this on official business with My Lord Kamisato? If so ill inform him right away and-" kuni cut him off and looked at the young servant with a purple glow in his eyes. "Hah. You think id waste this much time and mora on that Yashiro rascal? The audacity to even ask me that." the servant began to stutter "My apologies lord scaramouche ill-" "Go make yourself useful and fetch some tea for me. Get out of my sight."

Kuni took off his jacket and sat across you. Resting against the back of the chair with his hands in his pocket and observing how you looked out towards the sunset. "Dont think anyone's gonna try to attack me through 'the sun' Y/n." You looked at him and sighed. "Kuni...He's just doing his job, Why do you have to pick fights with everyone when we go out." "Hah. Picking fights? You make it sound like im a child, pet. I wasn't the one just fawning over a fancy room now was i? Even though you we're kinda cute doing it." he smirked as you blushed at his words. Resting your hands on your thighs over the suggestive nickname he had for you.

Throughout the date it would mostly be you initiating the conversations, Kuni didnt mind silence since he wasnt a really 'talkative person' ever since his mom left but with you it was so much different. Even though it looked like he didnt care, He was interested in anything you talked about even if it was something as mundane like your daily schedule or stories about your past experiences in natlan. Sometimes he'd even say things that would contradict what you'd say or believe in just to get a reaction out of you that would warm his cold little heart.

After finishing your meal, the both of you sat at the balcony watching the moon rise into the sky. "This is the part where you usually say 'finaLly aNOther boRing day drawing to a close." You'd mumble to him and laugh. But he'd have a completely different reaction. Raising his eyebrows then turning to look at the stars again. "Actually. I wish this day wasnt over yet. Wouldnt mind staying here with you if it meant it wouldn't." You give a shocked reaction at his shift in tone. Looking down to see his smooth fingers intertwined with yours. When you looked back up towards him, Kuni smashed his lips against yours. Trailing his hands under your kimono while hearing you moan out his name as you tried to catch your breath. "Hah..Kuni-mm Love you~" he parted the kiss, shifting his attention towards you neck as you leaned back in on the bench. "Say that louder for me baby." He said while biting and sucking on your neck. "Kuni~ I love you~ Mmm id do anything for you~" You tugged on his tie, Drawing his perked body closer to yours. "There's my good girl." He pulled away, leaving a hickey on your neck then Cupping your face in the palm of his hand to see your already wrecked expression while the dim light of the moon rested against the both of you.

As the night went on you sank into his embrace. Letting the steady beat in his chest and the smell of his cologne put you in a deep feeling of comfort. "Hey..Y/n.. i Love you. I know im..Not a saint but.. Im hard on everyone including myself, that's just how I am and I wouldnt ever hurt you-" Kuni then looked down to see you fast asleep on his shoulder. Ugh didnt the same thing happened before when you two visited the abyss? The pained feeling in his chest in his chest began to happen again making him give a confused look. He wasnt reading his moms letter nor did he think about her in the moment. He use to despise these emotions, Deeming them as a sign of weakness and the reason why his mom abandoned him..but at the same time she gifted him with a dynasty, The gakaden company. Along with meeting you. These feelings of his was like a double-edged sword. But he didnt care anymore or want to question it. He just wanted you, and this wonderful night to never end.

[ask-the-byakuya-togami]

I dare u to say smth nice about all ur classmates AND urself cus self love is best love 😎

No cop outs on either front, silly!!! One sentence for your classmates each will do and TWO sentences for urself b/c u deserve to be a bit greedy with the self compliments! I believe in u! Don't care if u "don't need some peasant hyping u up" or that u "don't need to do this idiotic exercise" or something. This shall be training for u for when u become THE LORD OF ULTIMATE HYPE and the inevitable ULTIMATE LIFEFORM! yes u'll be stealing that last one from shadow the hedgehog but it'll be fiiiiine! u can get him to settle in court if u must!

*sigh* Fine, I suppose... I'll start with the hardest so I can just have them done.

Toko's writing... isn't all that bad, I suppose. While it's a genre I would never read, her talent... is there.

The same goes for Hifumi. No matter how disgusting he might be, his work is popular and that's something.

Yasuhiro is also so idiotic that he's actually funny sometimes. Not in the way he intends though.

And Aoi... She is very passionate about the things she loves, I suppose.

Mondo's lack of intelligence isn't so bad considering he does seem to care about his 'gang' and is quite a good friend from what Chihiro told me...

And I suppose that Leon's talent is quite something, even if he pretends to dislike it.

While Celeste might be... nothing more than a fake, she truly is a sharp minded induvidual.

Oh, and the fact that Mukuro doesn't feel the need to talk every two seconds is wonderful in this class.

Now moving on to some of my better classmates.

Sayaka did work hard for her position, that much is true. The pop idol industry is far from friendly...

And Sakura is wonderful at calming situations down. She also isn't loud.

Kiyotaka is also just very passionate, even if he is quite... loud about that. His passions are something quite good though.

And while it may not seem like it, Junko's mind is nothing but sharp. She is nothing like the bimbo she pretends to be.

Now for the final few, the classmates who I like best I suppose.

Makoto's kindness isn't as grating as it used to be. It seems like he actually has a brain in his skull.

And Chihiro's technology skills are truly exceptional. The work he has done for me has been nothing but perfect.

Finally, Kyoko... Her mind is as sharp as it could be. Whenever we talk, it doesn't feel like I lose braincells.

As for myself, I'm obviously perfect. Nobody other than Father could even think of matching my business skills and I am very smart. I also have perfect looks and observation skills.

[nacrelysis]

wanderer as nahida's right-hand is perfect. they both have a history of abandonment, neglect, and exploitation, plus for similar reasons.

nahida was imprisoned in the sanctuary of surasthana for centuries, left to wither as a failed god her people chased the shadow of a 'better' ideal: greater lord rukkhadevata.

wanderer was abandoned by his mother in shakkei pavilion because he was the failed prototype for her ideal ruler of eternity: a puppet who could execute the lightning's will without regret, whom she intended to create after having makoto die in her arms.

the people involved in wanderer and nahida's pasts - both, in a sense, have convinced themselves that their actions were for the greater good. the sages don't even see nahida is a god, much less a human - to them, all she is is the reminder of what sumeru once had and never could again.

raiden ei abandoned kunikuzushi because she saw him cry, and, knowing he could never be the shogun she needed, left him to his own devices. it's been stated in canon that ei believed she was setting kunikuzushi free. and maybe she was, during those dark days after inazuma's first archon died. but, perhaps, what drove kunikuzushi to assign her actions as 'abandonment' was the fact that he was, in a sense, a lesser god. that he was created for reasons he didn't know. the first thing kunikuzushi did upon creation was cry - in the same way that a baby's first instinct is to cry, because their first impulse is to seek help. from this perspective, the thing kunikuzushi needed the most was guidance and acceptance from his creator (because he knew he was created by someone), while the thing ei thought he needed the most was solitude. miscommunication in the delivery room, am i right.

raiden ei's motives were not the same as the sages - you could argue that she really did believe she was doing it for kuni's benefit. i think she did. but what stands is that both these acts feature a theme of abandonment and neglect. they were carried out by people in the aftermath of grief, executed as neglect upon the people they were done to. and these acts catalyzed nahida and wanderer's development into the characters they are now.

they are not the same as the other archons.

venti's arc is focused around mending the wounds of the past, though it could be implied that he is re-assessing what "freedom" means for his nation. zhongli stepped back as yanwang dijun to allow liyue to move forward on its own while he could re-integrate as one of their common folk. ei is brought forward to re-evaluate her decisions as inazuma's absentee god.

good or bad, they all have experience with being a god.

nahida doesn't. she was intentionally kept from fulfilling her duties as archon for hundreds of years. anything she learns now, once free, is the first time she's learning it as kusanali.

wanderer can't. he tried. he took the electro gnosis and tried to transplant it into his own body - but, at the moment as we know it, gods technically can't be artificially created. the closest dottore could get was a mimicry.

so you have this unique circumstance, where nahida and wanderer both have no idea of what being a god really entails. but they don't need to know what being a god is like, do they? they just need to know how to be an archon: how to protect, how to decide, how to execute.

nahida is very forgiving. in my opinion, she's too forgiving (only because i hate the sages and would've called cps on them if i could). she sees the best in humanity. she works to engage with her people. she tries to listen to their hopes and dreams while moving towards a collective vision for the nation.

wanderer is cynical. he's been betrayed three times, in his words, and been taken advantage of far more than thrice. wanderer has seen the worst of humanity, and he continues to carry this critical eye. he's not afraid to do what nahida can't do (go undercover + beat up people) and he's not afraid to confront people when their motives stray towards the worse.

wanderer can demonstrate the things that define the worst of humans, while nahida can show wanderer the things that make humanity worth preserving. wanderer can execute orders with precision and make decisions on the fly (ha), but nahida is here to level his head and point out clues, motives, or implications that perhaps were not considered before.

and, isn't it a fitting conclusion to the sumeru archon quests? two former puppets, both alike in dignity, in sumeru where we lay our scene. together, they can reconcile the pains of their past - and together, they can build a better, kinder future together...the kind that both must have, at their worst, dreamed of living.

[zukadiary]

Kazuki Sora taidan diary 〜 2024.2.11

(also kind of a Boiled Doyle on the Toil Trail / Frozen Holiday write up)

I've now woken up eight times in a world where Kazuka Sora is an OG (changing that number daily, as I've been trying to write this for six days), and the sense of having somehow slipped into a severely incorrect timeline is getting progressively stronger. Coupled bizarrely with that is deep, deep gratitude that, despite everything that's happened in the last four years, and especially in the last five months, she got a gut-wrenchingly, absolutely devastatingly beautiful taidan. I can't say perfect, because perfect would have been after a well deserved top star run. But barring that, I never dreamed it would get this close.

Long post incoming.

I have to set the stage...

Once upon a time in 2013, Asaka Manato, then nibante in Ouki Kaname's Soragumi, got her turn starring in Brilliant Dreams +NEXT, a multi-part Sky Stage series where you got to like, do some stuff of your choice with other people in your troupe. She decided to recreate some of her favorite revue choreography, and a friend alerted me that one episode was dedicated to the infamous Rosso scene from Takarazuka's Dream Kingdom (which, as you can see in the linked post, completely short circuited noob me from a decade ago). Maasama was still a good 2+ years from winning me over at the time, and I think I reluctantly watched it with some level of offense that she touched a Komu thing. As I'm sitting in front of my computer rolling my eyes, out comes this tiny thing in capri pants, mismatched socks, suspenders, and thick glasses: ken-4 Kazuki Sora, here to report on the situation in the rehearsal room.

She spent her airtime cracking jokes, tripping on her tongue, riding on Susshi's shoulders, and generally acting like Soragumi's annoying kid brother. I thought she was funny.

Another friend told me she thought she was tracked. I absolutely did not believe her.

Then, against a fair amount of adversity, she got the 100th anniversary Rose of Versailles shinko lead, and my eyes widened a bit. The next time I found myself in Japan, I was gifted a 9th row seat to what coincidentally happened to be her first ginkyou crossing in PHOENIX Takarazuka! I'd been spending the show curiously scanning the stage for her, and when I witnessed the gap between reporter and performer, my jaw hit the floor.

Afterwards, my kangeki companion asked if I was interested in anyone in the troupe. I said Kazuki Sora. She recoiled and said "but she's so short."

***

Something that I noticed during this taidan trip is that covid-era fans met a wildly different Sora than I know. Growing up in 2010s Soragumi was uniquely rough. I'm not even talking about ::hand waves:: the present circumstances and what may or may not have lead up to them; I mean they persisted with a level of star saturation through the dawn of the pandemic that had kinda crazy consequences for the otokoyaku track. Not only was the track itself overcrowded, but the troupe also held onto a number of non-tracked upperclassmen to whom they seemed unwaveringly committed to casting in juicy roles. I remember when things seemed so untenable that Soragumi fans were universally on pins and needles waiting for what felt like an inevitable big transfer out, and I remember freezing in shock on the side of the road when instead they transferred Serika Toa in.

Here's some analysis for perspective:

Kiki is the third oldest top of all time, and spent more time as nibante alone than Tamaki Ryou took to get from debut to top.

Lord knows how long Soragumi will be in this state of flux, but if they come out of it and Kiki gets a normal number of shows, AND Sakuragi Minato is next, Zun could immediately overtake Kiki for third place

Speaking of Zun, her first two-city lead was in 2020. Looking at her top star douki, Rei Makoto's and Yuzuka Rei's were in 2017, and Tsukishiro Kanato's was in 2018.

Rukaze Hikaru's first bow lead was in 2019, two years later than her other tracked douki, Akatsuki Chisei (four if you count A-EN).

Slightly more invisible but just as devastating, the lessened exposure on stage between leads has likely resulted in lower fan club numbers and less overall popularity.

...and back to Sora. Hundreds of us filled Hibiya Park this past weekend, but Sora spent her early Takarazuka career so buried that, despite being a triple threat on stage and an utter delight off, her fan base was small enough that at ken-7 they let me, not yet even a club member, accompany my friend to demachi where I became the third attendee. For years, Sora was, frustratingly, an in-person only watch. I'd go to Japan, memorize her positions, miss the rest of the show for following her with my opera glasses, and pop in the DVD at home only to find her always just off screen. A Motion was one of the most fun times I've had in a Takarazuka theater, and on the DVD during my favorite Sora SOLO, the camera is on Sorahane Riku wordlessly dancing.

I was floored when she got Anita. I was livid that she could give THAT PERFORMANCE and immediately afterwards be cast as an ensemble soldier in Red River (although she was so good in Citrus Breeze that after 5 years of deluding myself that I "couldn't betray my beloved Yukigumi like that" ((ironic, right?)) I finally caved and joined club). I stress dreamed multiple times about the impending bow announcement before she got Hustle Mates. I cried when she finally came down the stairs between two musumeyaku in Ocean's Eleven at ken-10, in which she played Linus, a role that felt like a big break even though it had previously always gone to ken-6s. FINALLY, the massive Ocean's taidan relieved a little pressure, and I felt a tangible thrill when suddenly she was all over the Aqua Vitae shonichi digest, something that had never happened before.

That's where we left off in February 2020, when the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama, and my therapist didn't know what I was talking about when I said I was giving myself a stomachache watching live case numbers ahead of my scheduled trip, and I canceled my flight, and I put my freshly printed pack of homemade Suleiman postcards under my bed, and I didn't see her for 4 years 4 months and 3 days.

***

It's hard to talk about Sora's taidan announcement and not come off as biased and overly dramatic, given that she's my girl. But in 11 years of countless taidan announcements, I've never come close to being as blindsided by one as I was with hers. The vibe I've gotten is that fans, siennes, and patrons alike were all properly shocked.

I'd spent the better part of a decade internally screaming for Takarazuka to act like they recognize her undeniable talent. Frustratingly, it finally started happening during covid. While I was living under the impression that Hustle Mates was a genuine miracle, she got an unimaginable second lead... then, thanks to the breathing room in her new Yukigumi home, a third... and then a fourth. Having been burned for so long, I've always firmly been team I-don't-think-Sora-is-going-to-make-top, but despite that, I was actually starting to believe it could—dare I say would—happen. I wasn't even certain the people murmuring on twitter that she might leapfrog Aasa were completely delusional. I went into Hyperbolic Chart, my looooong awaited reunion, excited to assess Kasumi Sana as her potential future partner. I enthusiastically bought all her postcards for future writing, because the last time I'd seen her, she, at ken-10, didn't have postcards.

Two days after that I found myself again frozen in shock on the side of the road.

Two days after that.... yeah.

***

Somehow, despite 11 years of knowing how this works, of weathering various taidans with friends, of crying in bathrooms until they started cleaning the theater at taidans that weren't even technically mine, I was also completely blindsided by the taidan experience itself.

Part of it was definitely the time skip, from years of intimate Sora fandom to nothing to a couple of A-seki (she's the it girl now!) for a lead I wouldn't have chosen with a troupe I barely recognize anymore to bye, she's gone. Part of it was being thrown back into this after 4+ years of pandemic-dulled emotions, followed by the exhaustion of Takarazuka's crisis era. Part of it was lowered expectations from the largely uninspired and under funded lineup of forgettable shows churned out by tired directors of dubious morality. Part of it was the disaster-shortened Mura run, the self-preserving dissociation fueled by the pain and disbelief that there was a dinner show and I wasn't at it, followed by a month and a half stretch of work so busy it was still going while I sat at the ANA gate for my 1am flight.

But I got here and squeezed into one of those red seats and then all at once I was an unsealed vacuum, cracked wide open, and Doyle and Frozen Holiday rushed in and filled the airless void till it burst.

Boiled Doyle on the Toil Trail

I've been down on Yukigumi.

Yukigumi has been my home troupe for the vast majority of my fandom. I had the fancy Swarovski crystal Yukigumi bag charms, the whole Yukigumi getup from Sports Day '14, Yukigumi albums, Yukigumi chopsticks, etc etc etc. I literally didn't join Sora club for years because I couldn't imagine being pulled out of Yukigumi. But while I was locked out of the country, the march of time took my favorite top star and the vast majority of my emotional support upperclassmen. The pandemic spit Yukigumi out in a state that just made me reeeeeeeeally sad. So I stopped watching them. That's the exact moment they picked to put Sora there.

I hate to admit it, but I still haven't totally caught up on her Yukigumi time.

Which is probably the main reason this show caught me SO off guard... even having watched AND enjoyed the Mura livestream. Sora is best watched in person, after all.

Doyle—a silly take on Arthur Conan Doyle's life, and how he used a magic pen to write Sherlock Holmes by accident, thus setting into motion a runaway series of events—is not only a fun and joyful show, it's a masterpiece of casting. The top 4 were at their absolute peak, and it was a thrill to watch.

I've been watching Ayakaze Sakina since her shinjin kouen days, and my write-ups over the years probably betray my rollercoaster hot and cold journey through her career. I really liked Doyle as a lead for her though. She essentially plays a big idiot wifeguy with a dream, an imaginary best friend, and little conviction; she was very funny and charming. If you were one of the lucky few who managed to see On the 20th Century, think that guy but earnestly the main character vs. dude with main character syndrome. The older I get, the more I have a soft spot for shows where the top combi has "ecstatically celebrating at least their tenth wedding anniversary" energy, and this was one of those.

...Thanks in large part to Yumeshiro Aya, who is absolutely everything. She may be boosted by consistently reminding me of Shirahane Yuri since her partial lead in the 103s Bunkasai, but she also has a very particular type of girlboss energy that I don't feel like I've seen in quite a while. It isn't wearing the proverbial pants energy (a la early TamaChapi), but it is overwhelming I got this energy. I find her to be the absolute embodiment of a top musumeyaku, in that she understands the assignment (making the top star better), while perching on the edge of the backseat just enough that she doesn't overpower Saki, but she's still a knockout in her own right. She probably exudes an extra dose of this energy as Louisa Doyle, who plays a very similar role in her husband's life and writing career. I could not be more thrilled that Aya isn't retiring yet.

Asami Jun plays the aforementioned imaginary friend/magic pen-generated apparition, who happens to be Sherlock Holmes. Some people I've talked to seem a little disappointed in her stage time, but I really felt like this was also peak Aasa. She seems to have broken through a layer of ceiling and gotten really comfortable leaning into her c***y unique energy, which, though I can picture it being polarizing, really does it for me. I sure as hell have never seen an interpretation of Sherlock Holmes REMOTELY like Aasa's, but I was enjoying the Aasa of it all so much that I really didn't care.

When I saw that Sora was playing the editor of Strand Magazine, I was somewhat disappointedly imagining a role like Lestrade (not to invoke another Sherlock), the sort of there-but-not character that has dominated her Takarazuka career since she started getting named roles. My first surprise was how good of a role this was in general, and then how well suited it was to her. She gets to be aloof and handsome, but also incredibly upbeat and funny at times. Her little coworkers at her utterly failing magazine are obsessed with her (which is the mood of the century), and there is a cute little meta moment where Doyle threatens to stop writing Sherlock and Sora tries to quit her job, only to be restrained physically by said coworkers (which is the mood of the moment). Everything from the set of her off-gray permed wig to her 4 or so different plaid suits to her opening solo number was absolutely perfect (not as perfect as it was gonna be later!!!!!).

FROZEN HOLIDAY

It's weird watching a Christmas show in February

I rapidly stopped caring

Speaking of rollercoasters of hot and cold, Noguchi used to be my most hated revue director, hands down. Circa 2017-18, after being deeply personally burned by Super Voyager (and deeply personally confused by Beautiful Garden), the tension I felt while awaiting show announcements hoping I wouldn't have to watch another Noguchi was intense. Noguchi revues being something people covet nowadays still feels unfamiliar, but I count myself among people.

He turned it around for me with the Takarazuka equivalent of winning the grocery store ingredients episode of Project Runway: Delicieux, a covid-budget masterpiece of public domain music and foam macarons (incidentally, also a goodbye to Sora of sorts, as it was her last Soragumi revue). I officially owe him my life after what he did for her in Frozen Holiday.

Firstly, going into my 11th year of watching live Yukigumi, I've never seen Saki shine brighter. While ostensibly a Christmas spectacular, Frozen Holiday was also meant to celebrate Yukigumi's 100th anniversary. Despite the aforementioned rollercoaster, I'm so glad that the top star for the anniversary was someone who has not spent a day outside of Yukigumi in her sienne life, who I've been watching since before my first trip to Japan. And I think the joy of it really showed on her. Aya was an angel, so visually perfect in her snow queen dress that I believed she was destined to be top musumeyaku of Yukigumi from birth. Aasa continued to out-Aasa herself; the wave of feral energy she set off during the first livestream was well earned.

But... remember the disembodied arm just off the TV screen? The utter SHOCK I experienced when they treated her like a friggin' nibante...

Nanami Hiroki, who pulled top star numbers and probably had double our last day crowd at her average Hoshigumi ochakai, and Miya Rurika, who needed a simulcast for her last ochakai, didn't even get the final revue treatment that Sora did.

The disbelief that they did so good by her, the disbelief that I missed the transition, the disbelief that she was really leaving, shattered me.

In addition to general prominence throughout the revue, she gets a whole white-clad taidan number, complete with lyrics designed to blind her fans with saltwater, and one of the best bits of dancing I've seen out of her. After a seemingly impossible quick change, she rejoins the troupe for a very chuuzume-esque anniversary number (assuming the Christmas kyakusekiori is the real chuuzume), and that might actually be my favorite bit of dancing in the whole show. She co-leads the Noguchi-signature boyband number with Aasa, which I forgive because it's them and it's also T.M. REVOLUTION. She even gets a spotlight moment alone with Saki during the kuroenbi. And through all of it, she was so, so good. Good does not even begin to describe Kazuki Sora.

I felt like I cried for 48 hours straight.

***

I didn't manage to get myself actually into the theater for senshuuraku, but I did end up with two Hibiya cinema tickets. When I tried to pass one off onto one of the fellow jilted Sora Club members trying her luck outside of Chanter, I got pounced on by an old lady while those in their white wear were moaning about the cinema not being good enough. I was too tired and nervous to tell her I'd prefer to sit next to someone in club, so she got it. She and I ended up crying the hardest of everyone in the cinema by far. Thanks, old lady <3.

***

One thing that struck me was how desperately, frightfully grateful I was that Sora retired from Yukigumi. Sure, if she hadn't, her taidan would have probably just been canceled... but I don't even mean that. The anniversary aspect of Frozen Holiday was beautiful, and filled me with a joy and nostalgia I wasn't prepared for. It was my first kyakusekiori since 2019, and after Sora ran by me, I was blessed to find myself next to Kujou Asu, someone I adore enough to be in her club in an alternate universe. It was my first iride since 2019, and I had the privilege of seeing off one of my favorite musumeyaku, Sara Anna, as well. The way the troupe members talked about Sora, and what she gave them, and how thrilled they were that she joined them, made my heart swell. As genuinely mad as I was when they broke up KikiSora, I could see that Yukigumi gave her the space to blossom.

The farewell dinner was even entirely gluten free by complete accident, down to the fancy manju omiyage with mountain yam flour dough.

***

Five onsen dips, a massive weeb shopping spree a lifetime in the making, and one extremely bizarre Komu show later, I'm on the plane home, finally not crying on command.

But not having a runaway fave for the first time in ten years feels really desolate. I miss her so much.

[annon-guy2]

Guilty Gear X BlazBlue: BlazBlue Reactions to Heavenly Potemkin Buster

Here's what I think the BlazBlue cast would say in response to Potemkin's Heavenly Potenkin Buster Super in a hypothetical Guilty Gear X BlazBlue Game.

Ragna The Bloodedge

● "SHITTTTTTTT!"

● "GYAHHHHHHH!"

● "God damn muscle head!"

Jin Kisaragi

● "How could this happen!?"

● "AHHHHHHHHH!"

● "I can't use Yukianasa!?"

Noel Vermillion

● "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

● "Mother! Father!"

● "Please! Don't go through with THISSSSSSSSS!"

Rachel Alucard

● "How utterly barbaric of you!"

● "Remove your hands from me this instant, you savage!"

● "Gii! Nago! How dare you lead me into this!?"

Taokaka

● "MEOOOOWWWWWWW!"

● "We're so high up, meow!"

● "Going up... and DOWWWWWNNNN!"

Iron Tager

● "You copied my Genesic Emerald Tager Buster!?"

● "Preparing for impact!"

● "For you to lift me up this high!?"

Litchi Faye-Ling

● "Where do you think you're grabbing!?"

● "Are you the reason my recent patients have broken spines!?"

● "PLEASE NOOOOOOOO!"

Arakune

● "GYAHHHHHHHHHH!"

● "DANGER! DANGER! DANGERDANGERDANGER!!!"

● "Touching... the Azure Sky!"

Carl Clover

● "SISSSSSSSSSS!"

● "Put me dow...! NOT LIKE THISSSSSSSS!"

● "Sis! Get clear of the landing!"

Bang Shishigami

● "How could I make a simple mistake!?"

● "I can't break free!"

● "MASTERRRRRRRRR!"

Hakumen

● "I let my guard down!"

● "I got careless!"

● "Impossible!"

Nu-13

● "A fatal error."

● "Escape impossible."

● "Rag... na..."

Tsubaki Yayoi

● "Assulting an officer is a serious crime!"

● "We should be talking this OUTTTTTTTTT!"

● "N-no! Not like THISSSSSSSS!"

Hazama

● "H-Hey! Don't do this to MEEEEEEEEE!"

● "You wouldn't hurt a non-combatant, would you!?"

● "Yes... this will bring me a new sensation!"

Mu-12

● "I didn't anticipate this!"

● "Even the power of the Godslayer can't escape this!?"

● "I... I must endure this!"

Makoto Nanaya

● "I not a flying squirrel you know!"

● "HEY! Watch the tail!"

● "I wanted to fly, but not like this!"

Valkenhayn R. Hellsing

● "I've taken much worse than this!"

● "Tch! I must be losing my touch!"

● "Madam Rachel... please forgive my blunder!"

Platinum The Trinity

● Luna: "LET LUNA GO YOU PEDOOOOOO!"

● Sena: "Please let us go! This will break us!"

● Trinity: "P-please! Think of the children in this body!"

Relius Clover

● "Impressive strength! I must make a note of this!"

● "An oversight on my end!?"

● "To be crushed when there's so much more research to be done!?"

Izayoi

● "We should be on the same side!"

● "Jin! Noel! Makoto!"

● "You would impede my justice!?"

Amane Nishiki

● "This will dry out my makeup!"

● "Despite your size, you're quite elegant in the sky!"

● "Such strength and determination!"

Bullet

● "How can an enemy this size be capable of this!?"

● "DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

● "I'll pay you back for this! I swear it!"

Azrael

● "HAH! Bring it on!"

● "I MIGHT release a limiter afterward!"

● "Hmpf! This might be good for popping the crick in my back."

Kagura Mutsuki

● "Ugh! A dude's grabbing me of all things!"

● "Hope your grab's not as bad as the Red Devil's!"

● "Great... Hibiki's not gonna let me live this down..."

Yuuki Terumi

● "YOU MUCLE-HEAD BRICK SHIT HOUSEEEEEEEE!"

● "I'm gonna slice your arms off soon enough!"

● "Your helmet will make a good bucket for your servered head!"

Kokonoe

● "I can use this data to upgrade the Genesic Emerald Tager Buster for Tager later on."

● "Impressive rocket boosters! Zepp REALLY is something."

● "YES! This is what science is all about!"

Celica A. Mercury

● "Don't let go Minerva!"

● "You shouldn't toss or throw people mister!"

● "Don't worry Minerva, I'll heal you when we land!"

Lambda-11

● "Danger. Situation critical."

● "Escape not possible."

● "Ragna... help..."

Hibiki Kohaku

● "LORD KAGURAAAAAAAAA!"

● "I miscalculated!?"

● "How could raw strengh overcome tactical planning!?"

Naoto Kurogane

● "Aw man! This is gonna SUCKKKKKKKKK!"

● "Raquel! SAVE MEEEEEEEEE!"

● "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nine The Phantom

● "I'll burn you for grabbing my legs!"

● "I'll take whatever you dish out!"

● "How dare you!?"

Izanami

● "Your attempts to kill me are futile."

● "Perhaps I should do this to you later on?"

● "Can you truly kill a Goddess of Death?"

Susano'o

● "YOU DARE TOUCH A GOD, YOU FILTH!?"

● "I'LL KILL YOU AS SOON AS WE LAND, MAGGOT!"

● "SUCH BLASPHEMY TOWARD A GOD WILL NOT STAND, YOU MONGREL!"

Es

● "I have made a mistake...!"

● "The damage will be severe...!"

● "Touya...!"

Mai Natsume

● "Nononononono! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

● "Ulp! I'm in for now!"

● "Please don't break my back!"

Jubei

● "Guess I got a tad careless this time!"

● "Alright, let's see what you got, ya youngster!"

● "Didn't think ya could outsmart me! Well done!

========================================================================

Hope you all enjoyed this!

[rougekithes]

I'm so sorry, I need to go into Lore...

So... there isn't much power scaling in lore right. Venti says of himself he's the weakest Archon and that's kind of it (I think he's lying btw, but that's beside the point). I think Nahida and Rukkhadevata don't have any show cases of their raw power/strength, I think creating the Rain Forest is Rukkhadevata's doing. We don't yet have much info on Egeria and Furina. Makoto wasn't particularly powerful but a great strategist and good with her people, Makoto was the brains, and Ei the brawns. Ei's biggest achievement probably is killing Orobashi and cutting Yashiori Island up in the process. I assume she's slain a few other gods too during the Archon war, but I thinkkkk, there has been no explicit mention of it. But perhaps she's quite near the top. Murata in Natlan... I could imagine they might come out on top, because sheer force/power is a pyro thing. We don't really know anything about the Tsaritsa as far as I know.

And then there's Morax...

terraformed Guyun Stone Forest by hurling mountains at other gods

terraformed/raised Mt. Tianheng after Liyue was flooded so his people would be safe

terraformed Jeuyun Karst

one shot some random god that abused the fuck out of Xiao

ruthlessly killed numerous other gods (confirmed in lore)

dug out some random geo dragon, giving him sight like it's no big deal

creates life that somehow can flattens mountains (mind you how special the art of khemia seems to be for creating life, looking at you albedo who's oh so powerful for creating crystal flies no shade I love you bby)

was still more than confident to take on Osial, should Liyue not have been able to protect itself

BUT, ya know what had him struggle?

Azhdaha. Zhongli does state that he had a hard time confronting the eroded Azhdaha, "let alone seal him away" (Zhongli's own words). He called 3 other Adepti to help and they still struggled, so in the end Azhdaha's benevolence won, remembered the contract he had with Morax and he let himself get sealed away willingly. And see, the thing is; while Azhdaha has quite a few titles that mighttttt imply that he is the Geo Dragon Sovereign - Like, he's refered to as "Sealed King of the Geo Dragons", "Dragon King", "Lord of Vishaps", which is in line with how the Hydro Dragon is refered to, as well as the other sovereigns. (Zhongli does refer to him as THE Earth Dragon) - there's no confirmation yet. But you could probably make it a case that he's at the very least related, or part of the same race as the Sovereigns.

WHICH GIVES YOU TWO OPTIONS,

If you think he's the Geo Dragon, then - Geo Dragon without his full draconic Authority still overpowers an insanely powerful god + Gnosis + 3 Adepti.

Or

He's "just" some minor Geo Dragon (Possibly similar'ish to Dvalin), that still overpowers a god + Gnosis + 3 Adepti, which should speak volume about the sheer power of a Sovereign that has their full power.

... So like, I don't doubt that if Neuvillette gets his full power back by the end of 4.2's Archon quest, he's very much dwarfing Zhongli and would be, at least among the currently known/playable characters, the most powerful one.

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

How the Archon’s Love (As Told by Tarot) pt 1

tags: gn!reader, tarot, headcanons (bonus: platonic!nahida because she is my precious daughter)

a/n: it has been a long minute since i made one of these tarot style headcanons for genshin so i might as well do it for everyone’s favorite archons. as more archons get released, i’ll make more of these even if it’ll be slow going considering we get one nation released each year. this year it’s the focalors wanters time to be fed, any of y’all planning to pull for the hydro archon or are there other fontaine characters that you want? i’ll probably skip for venti and get her on a rerun tbh...

deck: true black tarot

venti

five of swords, death, five of pentacles, nine of pentacles

venti’s love is selfish. cheerful he may seem, the god of freedom has lost many friends as the years have gone by. he has put mondstadt first plenty of times and he always will when a moment calls that he knows is his people cannot handle on their own. but for now, venti is doing things differently. he’s being indulgent. he wants to savor what the two of you have and not take you for granted. mortal lifespans pass in the blink of an eye for gods and despite his cheerful demeanor, barbatos is very aware that your light is will shine only briefly compared to his own. as such he is going to fully enjoy your company as mondstadt’s most talented and spirit-loving bard as long as you’ll have him.

zhongli

seven of swords, the lovers, ten of wands, four of wands

as rex lapis, he has done many a service to benefit liyue. has struck down gods, cultivated mountains and provided the world its currency. but as zhongli the man he is no longer tightly tied to those obligations as he once was. now he is free to love you for as long as time allows. his true identity as the lord of geo is still a secret he keeps from you, he plans to tell you soon enough but as it stands zhongli wishes to enjoy your relationship as it is without that knowledge hovering over your head for a while longer. should you accept him and his love fully, knowledge of his identity included, your contract is as follows: you will remain by each other’s side as each other’s sole partner’s until death do you part. it’s life-binding and as good as marriage although zhongli isn’t opposed to a wedding. if you leave it to him, you’ll have the most extravagant wedding ever seen in the history of liyue- no in the whole of teyvat. just try not to let his fanciful tastes put you in bankruptcy.

ei

six of pentacles, five of swords, the moon, six of cups

in some ways ei is just as selfish as venti when it comes to you. ei knows loss, she knows it too well in fact. losing makoto was enough to nearly destroy her and cause her to hide away in a realm unseen by the mortal eye. she doesn’t want to entertain the thought of the pain losing you would cause her but it is never too far from her mind. still, ei loves you as much dedication as she places in leading inazuma, perhaps even more so. you have a prolonged honeymoon phase in this relationship. there’s something innocent about it, you’re likely her first love and she revels in the new memories she makes with you while opening up about the fond memories she shared with friends long since passed. it’s hard opening up to her people. she’s spent so long in the realm of euthymia and the reverance inazumans hold for her make it hard to connect, but you are one of the few people she can simply be “ei” with and that is good enough for her.

rukkhadevata

the hierophant, destiny, king of cups, ace of cups

rukkhadevata’s love flows as easily as the soothing rain nurturing saplings to grow. you’d think it would be hard to forget that she is a god and yet somehow you do when you’re with her with how easy it was for you to connect with her. fate is a fickle thing but perhaps you were meant to love the dendro archon and she was meant to love you, your lives are intertwined as a tangle of vines. your relationship is one that wasn’t merely by chance, at least that is what the god of the wood believes. (and who are you to doubt the god of wisdom?)  rukkhadevata didn’t shy away from her feelings when she realized how deeply they ran for you and she doesn’t shy from them now even when she has an entire nation to lead. it’s easy to love rukkhadevata and for her, it is more than easy to love you.

bonus:

nahida

four of wands, king of swords, the hanged man, temperance

the smallest archon with the most amount of love to share with everyone. she’ll put aside her needs for sumeru even if it means putting her own life at risk. nahida knows she is a long way from the archon the people of sumeru need her to be, but these things take time. rushing the progress of trial and error benefits no one, least of all an entire nation depending on her, but nahida knows you are one of her closest friends she can rely on for help. nahida is wise but still naïve in the way of human interaction. she’s 500 years old but still a child by the standards of the divine. so nahida likes that she can still be that child with you and learn the ways of mortal interaction so she can be the best archon for her people. just don’t be surprised when she stumps you with her analogies or with questions to deep even for you to understand. it’s all fun and games in the eyes of the young dendro archon and she’s an adorable companion to have.

[madam-kumo]

Back and Here to Stay

(Probably should've put this sooner but major spoiler warnings)

Kunikazushi x Mother Reader (platonic)

PT.2 of Don't Leave Me Too!

"Mother!"

Scara shouts as he looks up from your chest. So many emotions were clear in his eyes. Anger, sadness, grief, but there was a spark of relief and pure happiness in his irises. Tears continue to run down his face in globs as he looks upon your illuminated form. He sniffs while rubbing his face with his hands.

"Why did you leave me?!" He yells in anger, though, his arms betray him and his arms grow tighter around you. "I know you're angry with me Kuni. But we need to get you out of here and taken care of". He was to tired and injured to retort and just collapsed in your arms; he was still awake- but barely.

You turn around to look the archon in the eye. "Thank you for helping him, Lesser Lord Kusanali" You praise the girl. A sweet smile appears on her face and she carefully steps over to you and Kuni. "We need to get him out of here. If I may ask, please pick him up". You nod and gently pick up the small boy. He hides him head in your chest, no longer wanting to see the outside world, wishing more to fall asleep in your arms and stay with his mother, and only his mother.

"A letter from the Dendro Archon" An attendant held out the letter to Ei. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why would Kusanali be reaching out to her. They barely interacted as their nations were too far apart to do so.

Ei hesitantly accepted the letter from the attendant before sending him away. Why was she so scared to open the letter? She had a weird feeling that this letter was something she didn't wish to see.

She ripped the green seal off of the envelope and left it to fall on the ground. Ei slowly red the note. Nahida had taken her son, no, her creation into her care and told her in case she had any words to say to him.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she red the note over and over again. She completely forgot Kabukimono was even one of her creations. Ei had given him away so long ago. Just hearing his name makes her want to forget all over again but he was useless to eternity. She shouldn't care... right? So, why does she?

Would Makoto want her to let him go or to bring him back? If she brought the puppet back, he would fight her. And she didn't want to harm one of her own creations. She can't hurt her own creations.

"You seem quite conflicted don't you, Ei?" Yae Miko teased behind her. "What do you want Yae" Ei said harshly. "Oh, so angry! I was just stating a simple thing" Yae giggles at the angry goddess. Her chuckling dies down once she realizes the gravity of the situation. The shrine maidens face turns serious.

"You know better than anyone that you were the one to let him go and abandon him.". That word: Abandon. It played in her mind like a broken radio. His broken and betrayed eyes still haunted her like a ghost.

"So what the hell do you want me to do...." Ei mutters to herself begrudgingly. "Give up on this dumb guilt of yours and let him move on, you did that to Makoto after all- so why can't you do it now".

She wanted to smack that grin off of the fox's face but held back and reluctantly agreed.

After a few days, Kuni had woken up, and like before- refused to leave your side and was attached to you at the hip. He had brought you to Irminsul to help Nahida gather data on a topic that he had not informed you of. Because it was you he wasn't telling it to, it was probably for a good reason.

And there you stood, behind Kuni and next to Traveler and his floating companion. You and the other ladies had been having a conversation in your mind. "How did he turn out this way in the first place?" Paimon asked, scratching her head in confusion. You sighed but answered "Revenge is a blinding goal, it changes people for the worst". "How come every conversation is good when I'm not in it" Kuni interrupted your conversation.

A glowing branch suddenly appeared in front of the boy. "Anonymous date?" Kuni muttered, looking cautiously at the packet of information. "Hey! Remember to share it with us!" Paimon squealed while throwing her fists in the air. "Shush!" Kuni says harshly. Visions of Tatarasuna flash in past his eyes like a projector, allowing you and the traveler to see it as well.

The story of Niwa betraying your son never sit right with you. Niwa just never seemed like that kind of person; he was always so sweet and kind to you and your son- welcoming Kuni with open arms. Kuni had also buried something in your backyard but when you asked- Kuni never answered. At that point, you probably didn't want to know.

Once Nahida had finished her summary of what had happened, Kuni balled his fists and gritted his teeth, cursing the fatui member under his breath. "Kuni..." You mutter his name, but before you could touch his shoulder, Nahida told you to give him a moment.

Moments had past before Kuni pushed you away from him and grabbed the travelers hand, creating a shield. You only saw them hold hands for a few minutes before the shield dispersed. "I only thanked him for helping me" He said to Paimon. Kuni turned around and made an opening into the Irminsul tree. "Kuni, what are you doing?" You asked, panic increasing in your voice.

He hesitated before coming over and wrapping his arms around you. "Don't wait for me" He whispered in your ear and soon launched himself from his place and into the opening of the tree. "W-where did he go!" Paimon shouted while you looked around frantically.

"I don't know how he did that with so little power, but what I do know is that you three have to get out of here now" Nahida commanded, and you knew better than to question here.

You had been pacing in the inn for hours at this point desperately trying to find an answer for where your son had run off to. You had already cried and begged Nahida and the traveler to find your son, but they had no answers. As a response, you had isolated yourself in your room.

You two had already been separated for hundreds of years. Being separated again was the last thing you wanted!

You had no reason for sleep or food as ,ever since you came back, you felt no fatigue when it came to normal human needs; It was strange to get used to but you delt with it none the less.

The archon and traveler were very concerned about your wellbeing but they knew better than to bother you. After all, now they have a wanderer to take care of.

A knock broke you out of your deranged state, Nahida had only checked on you once and hadn't bothered you since, so why now? You sigh but open the door anyway, knowing it was probably important. You hesitantly open the door. Your eyes widen and you throw the door open wider to throw your arms around the smaller boy.

"Kuni!"

You yell into his shoulder as you hold him. You wanted to slap him for leaving you without answers but that could wait. You felt him wrap his arms around you. He sighed into you and relaxed in your arms.

"Where have you been!?" You ask between sobs.

"That will be told later, but know that I'm back and here to stay, mother"

-----------------

Tag list: @swivy123

[danganronpa-obsession-hell]

Makoto, chihiro, taka, and junko celebrating xmas with an s/o headcanons please?

Hope you don’t mind it’s quite a bit after Christmas, apologies-Mod Junko

Makoto, chihiro, Taka and Junko celebrating Christmas with reader

Makoto Naegi

• Christmas is actually really important to makoto since he loved his family so much, so he wants it to be as special for you as it is for him

• Makoto isn’t the best gift giver, especially cause he doesn’t exactly have a job besides his allowance, but he still searches for the perfect gift for you

• loves decorating a tree, he has so many ornaments he should just be called “ultimate Christmas celebrater”

• if you like making cookies for Christmas he definitely helps, even if he’s not fantastic at making cookies

• you both definitely fall asleep on the couch wrapped in a blanket watching Christmas movies on Christmas Eve, he’s a romantic like that

• whatever Makoto ends up getting you, it’ll be perfect to you no matter what, just because it came from him, no matter how “normal” he is

Chihiro Fujisaki

• Chihiro loves Christmas since everyone is so kind usually for the holidays, it always makes him feel so warm inside despite the cold weather

• since chihiro is so good at programs he tries to make a program for any hobby you have for chirdtmas, like drawing? He’ll program an art app that makes drawing super easy. Like writing? He’ll make a program that corrects any grammical errors and proof reads your work.

• chihiro adores Christmas movies even though they’re cheesy, still they take him back to when he was a kid and things were a lot easier

• he really likes decorating, you have to give him a boost on your shoulders so he can put a star on your Christmas tree, not that he’s complaining

• Christmas is so cuddly and soft with chihiro, he shows his love off so much when it’s the holidays, not that he doesn’t show it every day you’re with him

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

• honestly, Christmas wasn’t always the best when Taka was a kid, since his family was in debt the holidays were always very stressful and not very enjoyable

• so you try to make new memories with Taka for Christmas, showing Taka all the things he couldn’t do when he was young

• Taka would enjoy a nice sleigh ride, he has so much fun riding on a sleigh with you, with his arms wrapped tight around your waist so he doesn’t fall off

• Taka tries to get you a gift that he thinks will be handy, a gift you would get use out of, lord help him he’s trying his best

• Taka is literally the only person in the entire school who likes fruit cake change my mind, nobody understands why and they all give their own ones to him since he’s the only one who likes the taste

• Taka is so thankful you’re trying to make this the best Christmas ever for him, he’s incredibly grateful to have you

Junko Enoshima

• Junko is.. so interesting during Christmas, you can’t tell if she hates it or loves it, it’s like she swaps between the two things

• Junko definitely trips someone on the ice, and definitely put coal in someone’s stocking for despair, you gotta keep wraps on her before she destroys someone’s Christmas

• Junko is practically rich so expect to get showered in gifts like expensive clothing, she’s not taking no for an answer

• she put a monokuma on top of the Christmas tree and made monokuma cookies, someone please stop her

• you cold? Expect Junko’s giant and very soft leopard print jacket around your shoulders, she has so many expensive and warm clothes it’s unreal

• despite making everyone else miserable she makes you perfectly happy and pampered during the holidays, she scares you when she’s like this but honestly what can you do?

[polahusband]

“Where is Nagisa?! I want to see him right this instant!”— Rei, to Makoto and Haru.

SUCH CUTIES !! I love the theme of Future Fish, it's so silly, I love astronaut Nagisa and scientist Rei

Also, LOOK AT THE WAY REI HOLDS ONTO NAGISA

HIS HAND PLACEMENT

THE GRIP

GOOD LORD /pos