#( two faced | sumire threads. )

[softausterity]

i'm drawing right now but i need to sumigoro parallels post because ghrngfhgrbh!!!!

long ass post and full p5r spoilers. you know how it is

THING ONE: LOCALIZATION BAD

i have mixed thoughts about the choice to add more cognitive characters in p5r but it is good because it very clearly displays some things about like, how people are perceived. right? like cognitive haru sucks for other reasons but it's a good display that her father does not understand her. she's a robot mindlessly following his orders, very literally. same thing with kamoshida and madarame and everyone else. and it's very easy to look at cognitive haru next to cognitive akechi and go "these two act exactly the same" but with one major difference:

that's goro akechi! correct dominant hand and everything! yusuke, who you can also draw easy comparisons to, is Literally A Fucking Painting to madarame. and that right there is Just Akechi.

i'm going to go into the localization because they beefed it up real bad here which is a personal insult to me. everything taken straight from this pastebin i have had bookmarked for like 2 years so i have no idea where i got it from originally.

the 'puppet' bit starts with the line "I was wondering how he'd protect himself if I used my power to tear though his Palace. Turns out you're how. So he's making a puppet kill me… Sounds like something he'd do." in japanese, the second bit of this line is "お前がその係…同じ顔した人形に殺させるって訳だ。…あの男らしい" which our pastebin translates as "You're in charge of that… in other words, I'd be killed by a puppet with the same face as me. …That's just like him."

the notable thing here is that akechi identifies the cognitive double as "A puppet with the same face as (him)" at the start of the interaction. what he's getting at here, with the "that's just like (shido)" is that he's saying "Shido still thinks i'm just some puppet he can order around to do whatever he wants!"

and cognitive akechi responds to that: "Aren't you, though?"

the localisation has completely lost this thread by this point and will continue to completely ignore it despite the fact this is the resolution to akechi's entire character in vanilla P5 no i'm not mad about it - "That's right. I'll do anything. But look at yourself… you're the true puppet." which is just "uhhh no you lol" - the pastebin translation is "That's right, I'm a puppet. I'll do anything. But if I'm a puppet… then the true puppet is you, isn't it?" ("そうとも、オレは人形さ。何だってする。 けどオレが人形なら…ほんとの人形は、お前だろ。")

like. cognitive akechi IS akechi. shido thinks that he can tell akechi to do whatever and he'll do it, and he's right. the entire time, akechi's big plan has been "i'll trick him into thinking i'm co-operating with his plan by co-operating with his plan, and then once he's the prime minister of japan, i'll tell him i was his son the whole time, and he'll be sooooo owned! that'll totally get his ass and I'll Win!" (preemptively addressing a common misconception: he was not going to kill shido. he never says he is going to kill shido. the exact phrase he uses is "living hell.") akechi is the puppet.

and then after the PTs have the heart to heart with akechi and he makes the decision to disobey shido & sacrifice himself for them, his final line in english is: "So, my final opponent is a puppet version of myself…"

which is Nothing. in japanese, it's:

"My final opponent is the puppet I used to be, huh…" ("最後の相手が『人形だった俺自身』か…")

which is EVERYTHING. he changed! he throws away both his life and everything he was working towards to have one real moment of free will!!! that's His Real Actual Death without maruki, and with him it shows why akechi is so fucking horrified at everything that's happening.

anyway, this post was also about sumire.

there she is :)

maruki thinks about sumire as some waifish wilting flower who needs kasumi to do everything and is so consumed by grief that she can't do anything on her own, and it looks like he's right!

pulling out the dogmeta again:

sumire is that weak and helpless when we first meet her, because maruki isn't giving her the tools to help herself and grow. you know, like a therapist? he's making her Feel Better in a way that does not address the problem and will instantly explode and ruin her life again if he's ever removed from the situation. sumire cannot get better because the person who's supposed to be helping her get better doesn't believe she can get better.

akechi and sumire are both completely reliant on Shitty Father Figure who have correctly identified them as useless on their own, akechi changes when he realises he's being controlled, sumire changes when she realises she doesn't need to be controlled.

THING TWO: LOCALIZATION STILL BAD

so you know the part in the sumi boss fight where maruki tentacle-crucifies sumire and makes her persona freak out and then he's like "waaah how horrible you have to save her amamiya-kun!!!" because he's the good guy?

the first thing akechi says is "Tch, it's gone totally berserk..." and in japanese the word he uses here is "暴走" now, berserk is a completely accurate translation of this! but the word comes up a couple other times earlier in the game, you may have spotted it, and it's translated there as.. "(making someone go) psychotic" and by a couple other times i mean every single reference to akechi's powers except weirdly one time with this random old couple in the very beginning of the game.

so akechi and sumire both have a second phase in your boss fight with them where they 'go berserk/psychotic'! just that maruki's making sumire do it a little more noticeably than shido is with akechi.

i'm normal.

[andtheyreonfire]

microorganism

Ao3

WC: 1989

AN: happy holidays, ya'll <3

~

Sumire arrives at Ren’s desk at 2 p.m., sharp.

She cranes her neck back, walking forward to try to take in the expanse of her partner. He’s hunched over a book on the table. Makoto and Haru sit next to one forearm, engrossed in their own. Compared to him, the books look like accessories for a doll. Sumire tries, again, to get a better angle at his form. She knew he was big, sure, but seeing it from any angle lower than his shoulder always gives her butterflies.

 —Not entirely the bad kind, mind you, which is why she’s here. Her first Official Hang-Out Date. She’s trying not to be too nervous. She hasn’t known them as long, but she’s determined. She will make a good impression on her girlfriend, and her other girlfriend, and her partner, and her girlfriend’s girlfriends, and her partner’s partners—

“Excuse me,” a calls comes from below her. She’s standing right behind Ren’s other arm. She peeks her head over to see a familiar shock of blue hair, hunched over a sketchbook in his lap. “You appear to be blocking my light source.”

She is, in fact, casting a shadow over Yusuke. She jumps out of the way with a speed usually reserved for a gymnastics meet. “M—my apologies! I should’ve—uhm...“

“it’s quite alright.” Yusuke gives her a genuine smile. He’s tucked in the crook of Ren’s arm, various art supplies strewn in the folds of Ren’s jacket. “I believe the others are here somewhere. Ann and Ryuji should be in his pocket, perhaps? You may find Futaba in his hood.”

He turns back to his notepad without another word.

Sumire breathes out. She assess Ren’s arm. He’s taking a page out of Ann’s closet, today, wearing a hoodie underneath his school jacket. Even though it’s the middle of fall, she’d be worried about him overheating. He runs much, much warmer than she does.

Two layers does mean plenty of material to climb. Sumire slings her bag over her shoulder, and begins to scale his arm.

Ren was the first she’d gone out with. Of the mix of emotions she’d felt upon meeting him—awe, hesitance, pure, unbridled envy—she’d eventually identified infatuation to be one of them. He’d accepted, but not before he asked, twirling a strand of hair between massive fingers, “I’m dating 6 other people, is that alright with you?”

She’d known, of course. She’d seen their dates, their gifts, the tiny lipstick marks on his hands. Sumire accepted, and that was that.

Then, Ann invited her out to crepes. They hit it off, well enough that Sumire now owns a third of her shirts and vice-versa. Then Futaba came, serenading her like a particularly introverted bird. Sumire didn’t quite know what she “computer specs” were, or any of the things Futaba showed her with pride, but she wasn’t able to resist how cute she was during her rants. Now, she has two girlfriends, two more than she ever thought possible.

The two layers of giant cloth under her do make an excellent climbing wall. She digs her fingers in the threads of Ren’s jacket, using the creases of fabric as footholds. Finally, she reaches Ren’s shoulder. She takes only a second to breathe, before ducking down to check which of his pockets might house her girlfriend.

She’d greet Ren if he wasn’t so engrossed in his own activity. He knows someone’s on his shoulder—if the slight tensing of his muscles was anything to go by—but it was a practiced motion, as if he were used to the group crawling on him willy-nilly.

Sumire stifles a fond smile, and begins to look.

The pocket under her lumps, slightly, so she crawls over to it. With—a lot of finagling, she manages to duck under the flap, and slide into the pocket.

She manages to halt her fall just before she collides with Ann and Ryuji’s tangled forms. At seeing them, she isn’t able to stop a grin from blooming on her face.

Ann notices her first. She’s laying flat, one arm intertwined with Ryuji’s, and the other laying behind her head. Ryuji himself lays on his side, curled around Ann’s right. His free hand is circled around Ann’s head and chest. When Sumire hesitates, Ann lifts her left arm to make grabby hands. “Sumi!”

Sumire smiles, before finagling herself into the pocket. She shoves her bag in a corner and hovers over the pair. Ryuji grins, gazing up at her with a puppy-like expression. “Hust lie on top of us, dude. We’ll make room.”

Sumire does, sandwiching between them. Ann and Ryuji adjust, until Ryuji has his arm under both their heads, and Ann’s dragging her nails across Sumire’s scalp.

Sumire’s not dating Ryuji—yet, her brain supplies, the smell of his cologne hitting her directly in her dopamine receptor—but it felt weird to abandon him for Ann. He doesn’t seem to mind, using his free hand to pull out his phone the second she gets settled.

Which, she seems to be doing a poor job, if Ann’s quiet voice is any indicator. “You’re all tensed up, sweetheart. Is something the matter?”

Sumire bites her lip. “Just, ah...what do you do, on these types of outings?”

“It definitely ain’t an outing,” Ryuji answers, eyes still locked on his phone, “But—I dunno. Hang out, study, sleep. Ren’s pockets are the best to sleep in, bro. If we feel like it, we might do a round of Jackbox, or watch a movie, or something.”

“Oh, right.” Ann’s fingernails catch a particularly sweet spot. Sumire melts. “You haven’t been on a group thing yet, have you?”

Sumire shakes her head. “I—I've been too busy with gymnastics meets. I've only been able to do one-on-one dates.”

“Well,” Ann murmurs. “Just relax. There’s nothing to worry about. We got you, alright?”

Insecurity has always cut into Sumire’s skin, telling her she could be smoother, faster, so much better than she is. The memory of things lost will always haunt her. There will always some part of her telling her she’s stealing her opportunities from someone else.

But, love something big enough to share. If Ann’s nails on her skull, her hand intwined with Ryuji, and the love she shares with all of them is any indicator. If Futaba’s custom emojis and memes and messages to all of them, even if Sumire’s the only one she’s dating, is any indicator. If Ren, being able to hold his loved ones close as if it were the act of breathing, is any indicator.

Sumire notices Ren’s heartbeat, now, thrumming right beside their forms. It seems to reverberate through them, surround them. The sound is sweeter than drums to her ears.

Sumira’s able to relax, held by the people she cares for, and, little by little, drift off to sleep.

~

Sumire wakes up less than an hour later, perfectly content.

—Well, she’s well rested. She’s also covered in sweat. She’s sandwiched between two heat slabs, both of which seem to be drooling on her. Her left leg is completely asleep, and her arm feels like it’s mildly dislocated. Perfectly content.

She untangles herself from the mess of limbs, trying not to step on Ann or Ryuji’s dozing forms. To their credit, they sleep as hard as they run warm. She climbs out of Ren’s pocket—left leg dangling awkwardly behind her, having set alight with pins and needles when she tried to shake it—and hoists herself on his shoulder.

Ren’s gone to scrolling on his phone, but reacts all the same when she sets a hand against his cheek. He turns, slowly enough so he doesn’t dislodge her, and gives her a small, genuine smile that sends butterflies fluttering in Sumire’s stomach.

“Ryuji told me you were here,” he whispers, as not to damage her hearing. He pouts, ever so slightly, and it takes a few seconds for Sumire to realize why.

“I know you would’ve given me a ride, but I didn’t want the others to be dislodged.” She scoots closer, enough to lean in and plant a kiss on his jaw. Even if Sumire doubts he can feel it, he leans into the touch, giving something suspiciously like a purr. “I can handle myself, Ren.”

“Okay,” he murmurs, “I know. We’re here for you if you need it, alright?”

Sumire smiles, running a hand along his jaw. He closes his eyes, as if in bliss, and Sumire feels her heart grow 3 sizes.

While she—pets him, she’s petting her, her partner is a giant cat and she loves him—she looks around for the others. Yusuke seems to have stayed in place, pen moving as furiously. Haru and Makoto have migrated to Ren’s other shoulder. They give her a wave when she makes eye contact, and she returns it.

She cranes her neck back, and finds a flash of orange hair peeking out from the folds of Ren’s hood.

“You should go to her,” Ren murmurs, following her line of sight. “I'm sure she’d love to see one of her key items.”

Sumire still has no idea what that means, but she nods. She braces herself against Ren’s cheek as she stands up. Her partner stays perfectly still, letting Sumire grasp onto his curls. She murmurs into his ear, “Stay put while I'm gone, alright?”

He snorts, but gives her another soft smile, before turning back to his phone. Sumire slides down his hood, stopping just as its altitude evens out enough for her to sit. She immediately scoots over to her girlfriend, watching her fingers fly across the laptop on her chest.

It takes a second, but Futaba does notice Sumire’s presence. She brightens, sliding one headphone off her ear. “H—hi.”

“Hello,” Sumire beams, “Can I touch you?”

Futaba nods, and Sumire immediately curls around her side. She hit a growth spurt during her second year. Now, Futaba’s head rests just above Sumire’s shoulder, firmly solidifying her place as the shortest among them. If Futaba looks small to her, Sumire can only imagine how small she looks to Ren.

But, her height does mean she can cocoon around her completely. Sumire melts into the fabric of the hood, arms wrapped around Futaba, a smile on her face.

Futaba starts the conversation, “So, y’know uuh, shiny Pokémon? I've told you about them, right?”

“Yes?” Futaba tried to get her into that game awhile back. She had to hand-hold her through most of it, Sumire being overwhelmed by the cute designs and the fact that she couldn’t jump. Incredibly unrealistic, for a game so filled with ledges. “What about them?”

“S—so, in previous Gens, the shiny rate was 1/8192. But, in Gen 6, it was cut down to almost half, even further with methods like the Masuda method, radar, etc. That’s not even counting RNG manipulation. Anyways, i—In recent games, it’s even easier to get one of those bad boys. But, there was a shiny in Pokémon Gold/Silver that you could get for free. Cool, right? I have an emulator pulled up right now...”

Sumire recognizes exactly none of those words, but she can’t help but listen as her girlfriend begins to ramble, nodding at the pixels on her laptop. It is a cute sea-serpent-thing, but she doesn’t get the chance to say so as Futaba continues to talk.

Sumire doesn’t mind. Quite the opposite, really. She sees why Futaba chose this spot. It was a place to get away from the group, but still feel Ren’s presence behind them. Every time he shifts makes them shift, a little, too.

His presence is there, but not cloying. A steady pillar of support. That’s what they all are, if the group chat pinging beside her is any indicator. Surrounded, by people who understand them like no one else. Surrounded by their affection, their love.

Sumire lets Futaba’s steady stream of words wash over her, plants a kiss on her cheek, and lets her heart glow.

[blossomcd-blog]

“Never seen it in my life.” She chirps, staring at her own little business card like it’s a foreign object. It seems she’d accidentally dropped that one and someone had seen it fall from her. She didn’t want it traced back to her. // akaego, sumire starter !! 

[ikeromantic]

More Than Life

A mini-fic for @scruffymctee featuring Shingen and his honeyed tongue (cough) for my 400 Follower Celebration! Approx. 1900 words

May, Shingen, Sweet and (very) Spicy!

Shingen did not love flowers as much as Yoshimoto did, but flowers, as every wise man knew, were one way to please a goddess. He focused on that as Yoshimoto walked him through hanakotoba, pointing out each type of blossom, color variation, even the shape of the leaves and stem . . .

“The perfect bouquet for a woman should indicate your reverence for her beauty, your passion, respect for her wisdom and will, the qualities you love in her, and -”

Shingen stopped, confused as Yoshimoto stopped talking. The Imagawa clan head was staring off into the distance with a sublime smile. He followed Yoshimoto’s gaze to one of the garden paths. There, his goddess walked. Petals fell around her, landing in her hair and shoulders, covering the path beneath her feet. As if the world sought to worship her as he did. His beauty.

After a moment, both men coughed, shuffling their feet. Yoshimoto’s gaze slid to a vining morning glory as if it was that which caught his attention.

“I think I know what flowers I will choose, Yoshimoto. Thank you for helping me with this.” Shingen smiled at his friend.

“Of course. It is the least I can do.” The Imagawa clan leader bowed low.

After Yoshimoto left, Shingen sat on one of the sun-warmed stones. Though he meant to be looking at the flowers, his eyes strayed to her. She’d found a shady spot to watch the koi pond while she worked. A bit of cloth lay in her lap, and thread.

Shingen wondered what she was working on. He loved her creativity. Was there a flower for that? He couldn’t recall if Yoshimoto mentioned it. Something with ‘a’ . . . aster? No.

“Are you watching me?”

He started in surprise, wondering just how long he’d been lost in his thoughts.

“I don’t like being stalked.” His goddess frowned at him, her hands in small fists at her hips.

Shingen thought fast, trying to come up with something smooth. Words to win her back to him. But his mind hit the same refrain he’d been stuck in since their argument. “I - I’m sorry! Please, just talk to me . . .” but she was already turning away. Damn. Shingen’s fist connected with the stone, painful, but not as much as the hole in his chest.

He saw Sasuke approach and take her arm. She leaned on his shoulder as he guided her out of the garden. Shingen wasn’t jealous. He knew Sasuke too well to worry the ninja would try to steal his girl. He was her friend and it was good she had someone to talk to.

Shingen stood and stretched. His hand was throbbing but he ignored it. He had a plan to win his goddess back and it started with a bouquet. Something so beautiful that she would soften her rage and let him apologize.

He heard footsteps and turned, hoping it was Sasuke. A word with the ninja would be good. He might have some insight, afterall. But it was only Yukimura. Yuki was a fine young man, but he knew nothing about women and even less about romance.

The two men scowled at each other in a friendly way.

“You look awful,” Yuki said after a moment. “You’ve got a stain on your collar and leaves in your hem.”

Shingen brushed at his clothes self-consciously. He hadn’t really been thinking much about his clothes the last few days.

“Anyway, Kenshin says to leave you be but I figure he knows less about this than I do. I mean, he hates girls. Not her - but most of ‘em.” Yuki’s frown looked more sad than anything else. “You really messed this up, didn’t you.”

It wasn’t a question. Shingen nodded, feeling another wave of sharp pain in his chest. “I only meant to go drinking and be back by dark,” he sighed.

“Sure.”

“Nothing really happened.”

“Right.”

Shingen sighed. They’d had this conversation a thousand times. Telling Yuki again did him no good. It was his goddess that needed to know. She had to believe him. The girls with their tokkuri, pouring him drink after drink. He’d barely noticed them. It was only his bad luck that one had . . . well, not fallen. Jumped. On him. Right at the moment she’d come through the door.

It looked bad. Shingen couldn’t deny that. But he had eyes only for his goddess. Only wanted to touch her. His princess was the only woman he could see, and if she didn’t want him . . .

“Come on. Don’t make that face or we’ll both end up crying.” Yukimura slapped Shingen’s arm lightly.

Shingen swallowed. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Is there - did something happen?”

It was Yuki’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I, uh, I’m not - I mean, girls are - anyway - I wanted to help you. If you need it. ‘Cause you can’t fight like this.” He shrugged.

“You're a good man, Yukimura.” Shingen tried on a smile. It almost fit. “There is something you can help me with, actually.”

A few minutes later, Yukimura hurried from the garden with his marching orders.

Now to find Sasuke. Or rather, to be found by. The ninja leapt down from a rooftop just as Shingen reached his rooms at Kasugayama.

“She is still angry.” That was what the ninja said, one eyebrow slightly raised for emphasis.

Shingen nodded. “I figured. And I deserve it. I shouldn’t have let those women treat me to a round.” Several rounds, if he was honest but it didn’t bear mentioning right now.

Sasuke nodded. “I am glad you realize that. She said, and I quote, ‘He probably called them all princess,’ and then burst into tears. You are FUBAR.”

“What? Food . . . bar?” Shingen shook his head. Something from the future, he guessed. “But . . . you said she was crying. I - I promised I wouldn’t make her cry.”

“I know.” Sasuke watched him, his expression flat and unreadable.

Shingen thought the ninja might be a little angry with him too. “Did you tell her I said I was sorry?”

“Affirmative, but there was no positive reaction to that statement.” After a moment of silence between them, he added. “I hope you have a better plan in mind.”

“I do.” He pulled the ninja to the side and gave him the general outline.

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. “It might work. So what do you need me to do?”

“Keep her out of her room for the day - preferably outside the castle.”

“I can do that. But fair warning. If this doesn’t work, I didn’t know and I wasn’t involved.”

Shingen gave a pained grin. “It’s on my head. And don’t I know it.” He went back to his rooms and began his part in this plan. A letter. Words to open the heart of a goddess, he hoped.

The next morning, he put his plan into action. Sasuke took his goddess to the town to see a new fabric dye he'd found. Yukimura brought sweets and new wine from a local shop she liked. And Yoshimoto helped Shingen pick the finest flowers. When they were done, her room was covered in blossoms.

There were sakura bunches, the last of the season. Delicate purple sumire, and white anemone. Lilies, roses and camellias. Yoshimoto arranged them in layers of meaning. Apology, remembrance, all of the things he loved about her, and finally, love and passion. The center was a red burst of camellia and rose, the petals lying against each other in a profusion of delicate beauty. And there beside them, his letter, the sweets, and wine.

And just in time too. He could hear her laughter from the gate. And Sasuke’s voice, though he couldn’t make out the words.

“We should go. I don’t want to be here when she first sees it.” Shingen followed his friends out of the room.

Yoshimoto gave him a heartfelt smile. “She will see the truth of your heart, Shingen. Good luck.”

Shingen retired to his room. He tried to read, but couldn’t focus. Then he stood, pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. Waiting was impossible. He had to know if his princess could possibly -

His door slammed open and she stood in the glow of sunset, red light glinting off her skin. His goddess. Her eyes were damp from crying. The curve of her lips trembled with some strong emotion.

He opened his mouth to say something - anything - but his throat closed tight.

“I hate you so much,” she whispered hoarsely, closing the distance between them.

Shingen was ready for a slap. For her to shout. For whatever she wanted from him, whatever it took to earn her forgiveness. He wasn’t prepared for her to throw her arms around him and kiss him.

He could feel every inch of her beneath the thin fabric of her kimono and after days of distance between them, she felt like heaven. Like coming home. Shingen drowned in the taste of her, the way she smelled. He felt like a man dying of thirst, finally granted spring rains.

She pulled back, her eyes studying his face intently. “I should still be mad at you. But I - I just can’t . . .”

“I’m so sorry, princess. I was an idiot. I am an idiot.”

“You are.” She gave a laugh that was half-sob. “I feel like you tore my heart out.”

“And mine with it.” Shingen cradled her like the treasure she was.

She kissed him again, her tongue claiming his mouth with a possessive passion. Her teeth scraped his lower lip lightly as she pulled back. “Mine.”

“Every piece of me,” Shingen agreed.

Her lips traced from his mouth down the line of his jaw, and nipped his neck. “Mine,” she breathed.

Shingen’s voice was hoarse, almost a groan as he agreed. It wasn’t just her kisses. Those wicked hands of hers slid under his clothes, scraping little lines of fire down his sides. His goddess wanted to mark him and he wanted to let her.

She pulled open his kimono, mouth hot on the skin of his chest. She kissed his nipples, her breath making them hard and incredibly sensitive. “Mine,” she growled.

Shingen could only groan agreement as she went lower still. He’d never realized she had such a possessive streak. Nor that it would feel so good to be possessed.

Her fingertips trailed down the tender skin at his hip. Teasing. Drawing little circles that brushed against his most sensitive places.

He was so hard that he ached to be in her. To feel her heat. But he held himself still, letting her lead. And lead she did, pushing the cloth of her kimono back to show how very deliciously naked she was underneath.

His goddess wrapped her legs around him, kissing back up his chest. When she reached his lips she stopped and held his gaze. “God. I missed you so much, Shingen. Don’t you ever, ever, ever do that to me again. Because if you do . . .” her voice shook.

“I am yours, princess. Heart, soul, and body. I never want to be without you.” Shingen held her by the waist, resisting the urge to do more. He could feel how much she wanted him though, with her pressed this close. It was maddening. How could one woman be angel and demon all at once? Filling his heart and driving him mad with desire for her. She was everything.

She smiled. It was a hurt smile, one that said trust would take time to rebuild. But it was a smile nonetheless. “Do you . . . want me?” A question heavy with meaning.

“More than life.”

“Show me.”

Shingen did. He gave her every breath of longing he’d had since their fight, every shred of himself. He worshipped her with his tongue and his hands and his cock. With his eyes and his words of love. And angel that she was, she blessed him with her pleasure until, exhausted, they slept.

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 80: Past, Present, and Future

Monday morning, and Makoto was in Principal Kobayakawa’s office. Kbayakawa was looking at a report Makoto had handed him. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“This is my report on the Phantom Thieves,” Makoto stated. “Over the course of my investigation, I have found that the Phantom Thieves are truly just, and therefore, no further investigation is warranted.”

“But…but…” Kobayakawa said, confused. “Ahem. Do you know who they are?”

“No clue,” Makoto answered. “Whoever they are, they are good at covering their tracks.”

“Ha ha, I’m sure there’s a crack in the system,” Kobayakawa insisted. “Surely you could find it.”

“I’ve been trying ever since you asked me,” Makoto retorted, “and I haven’t found anything. I cannot investigate further, even if I believed they were rotten to the core.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Kobayakawa said, trying to hang on by a thread “What about that letter of recommendation?”

“I happily deny it,” Makoto rejected.

“WHAT?!” Kobayakawa shrieked.

“I want to enter the college of my choice on my own merit,” Makoto explained. “Therefore, I have no need for a letter like that.”

“I see…” Kobayakawa said, becoming more stern. “Well, I guess I can’t force you. However, might I ask you to reconsider your conclusion? I get that you see the good in them, but a fake justice, especially one like they pedal, can be hard to see at face value.”

“Are you insulting my investigation?” Makoto asked.

“Of course not,” Kobayakawa rebutted. “I’m just saying that matters like justice can be a bit complicated for a teenager, such as yourself, to grasp, no matter how smart they are.”

Makoto slammed her hands on Kobayakawa’s desk. Kobayakawa was now cowering. Makoto looked him dead in the eye. “My father died three years ago to the day upholding his justice. A justice which he imparted on me and my sister with every breath he took. So don’t lecture ME about justice! Especially when you can’t see the criminal in your own backyard!” Makoto continued staring him down for a bit, while Kobayakawa sweated profusely. She let go of his desk. “I think we’re done here.” Makoto left.

Kobayakawa was shaken. Once he felt like he could move again, he fell back in his chair and sighed heavily. “What am I going to do?” He got a call. Hesitantly, he answered it. “Hello?...Ah, of course…Yes, everything is under control…I know…just a bit more time and-...yes sir…I understand…thank you.” He hung up. “Guh… What am I gonna do?” He sat himself back up. “Perhaps I need to take things up to the next level myself.”

After school, Makoto was working on a few things in the student council office. Kisa approached her desk. Makoto looked up. “Oh, hey Kisa. I’m just about done here, and then we can go, OK?”

Kisa nodded. Makoto went back to work. She averted her gaze. “Hey…” Makoto looked back up. “Thanks…for everything.”

Makoto smiled. “It’s what we do.” She finished up her work.

As Makoto and Kisa were leaving, they saw that Ren, Sumire, Ann, and Ryuji were waiting for them. “Wha…wha?” Makoto stuttered.

“Well, we knew that today was…well…” Sumire said.

“Yeah, we thought,” Ryuji then continued, “you know, we could keep you company.”

“But if you don’t want us to…” Ann said.

Makoto smiled. “Thanks guys.”

Ren smiled back. “Jose and Yusuke are meeting us at the station.”

Makoto nodded. “Well then, let’s get going.” The group left.

After meeting up with Jose and Yusuke, Makoto led the group to the cemetery where her father was buried. They stood outside of the gate. “Here we are,” Makoto said.

Kisa took Makoto’s hand. “It’ll be alright.”

Makoto looked at her and nodded. “Yeah.” The two of them walked in, with everyone else following behind.

They arrived at his grave. They looked upon it, and it read “Nobuyuki Niijima: Beloved Father. An Officer, and a Gentleman.” Makoto cleaned the area a bit, and lit some candles, and everyone paid their respects. Makoto sighed. “Um, if it’s alright with everyone, I would like to be alone for a moment.” Kisa looked at everyone else and nodded. They all nodded back and left without a word.

It was just Makoto, staring at her father’s grave. She sighed again. “It’s been three years, huh. Heh. Sometimes, it feels like only yesterday that this happened. Other times, it feels like it’s been ten years. As you can see, Kisa’s doing just fine. I’m assuming sis and Naoko will come by later.”

She frowned. “Losing you has been really hard. For so long, I thought I would never find a light strong enough to overpower the darkness of that day when those officers told me you weren’t coming home.” Makoto smiled. “But now, I have some new friends. And they really are the best. And I feel like for the first time in a while, I can smile again. Smile the way you told me you loved. I’ve been wanting to for a while, so you wouldn’t worry, but I never had the strength until now.

I really wish they could meet you. I bet you’d just love them to pieces. And I bet they’d love you as well. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together. And I’m sorry for whenever I was being bratty about you and your job. I know I say that every year, but it never stops being true. I know no one could ever replace you, but I’ve found my own strength, and I am never going to give it up.” She bowed. “Thank you, dad, for everything.” She proceeded to walk out.

Meanwhile, when everyone else made their way back outside of the gate, Sumire said “I hope she’ll be OK.”

After a bit of silence, Kisa assured them “If I know her, she will be.”

Sumire looked up at her and Kisa nodded. Sumire smiled. “Thanks.”

Kisa smiled. “Switching topics: You guys are the Phantom Thieves, right?”

Everyone was caught off guard. “Ummmm…” Ryuji said awkwardly. Ann elbowed him. “Ow!”

Kisa chuckled. “It’s fine. I won’t tell. After all, you saved me right?”

Again, there was a bit of a silence. Ren then stepped forward. “That’s right.”

“I thought so,” Kisa said. “So, is Makoto also a member?” Ren nodded. “Huh.”

“So, how did you figure us out?” Yusuke asked.

Kisa was slightly surprised. “Oh, well, I’m just very close with Makoto. So, I just know what to look for.”

“Fascinating,” Yusuke remarked.

Kisa giggled. “I know you guys are going to continue this. I can imagine it’s dangerous, but I won’t stop you. I will tell you this though: This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen Makoto this sure of herself. I know that she needs something like you guys to help her, and I admire that. But if something bad happens to her because of you, I won’t forgive you.”

Ren smirked. “Trust us. If something bad happened to Makoto on our watch, we wouldn’t want to be forgiven.”

Kisa smiled. “Thanks. I’m going to get going now, but I think you should be with her for a bit longer.”

“Thanks,” Ren replied. Kisa walked off.

Morgana popped out. “Well, I’m glad someone like her figured us out. But maybe we should be more careful.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Ryuji snapped. “You don’t gotta worry about shit.”

“I’m thinking of the team here!” Morgana shouted back.

“Calm down you two,” Ann said. “Now’s not the time.”

Both boys cowered. “Sorry,” they said at the same time.

A few minutes later, Makoto arrived. “Oh, where did Kisa go?”

“She left…” Ann said.

Makoto was confused. “What was that about?”

“Well…uh…” Ryuji stammered.

“I’ve got it,” Ren said. She proceeded to inform her of the conversation they had with Kisa.

“Huh. I see,” Makoto remarked. “Hm. I’m impressed. She has a good head on her shoulders.”

Everyone smiled. After a bit, Jose said “So, Kisa asked us to stay with you some more, but if you’d like to just go home…”

Makoto shook her head. “I know just what to do. I managed to sell that briefcase. What do ya say we go celebrate?”

“I’m down!” Ryuji said. “I need a little something to psych me up before exams.”

“Hm. Very well then,” Makoto said. “To Ginza!” The Thieves began walking to Ginza.

A little while later, they were at the sushi place, enjoying themselves. “Aw yeah, this is great!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Indeed!” Yusuke agreed. “So well crafted, and so delicious!”

“Mmm, can I have some?” Morgana asked.

“I told you!” Ren said. “I’ll get you some for later. But for now, be quiet.”

“Yeah, you don’t want them to kick us out?” Ann whispered to Morgana.

Morgana pouted. “Very well.” Ren rolled her eyes. She looked over at Sumire, who was enjoying her food. Ren shook her head, knowing very well that she’d behave just like Morgana if Sumire told her something similar. She continued eating.

Jose looked up at the TV in the restaurant. He looked puzzled. “Hey! Look!” Everyone else looked up. The TV read “Tokyo Assemblyman Praises Phantom Thieves.”

“WHAT?!” Ryuji yelped.

“Let’s check it out!” Ren said. They got out their phones.

“I’m here at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building,” the reporter said, “and I am joined by Assemblyman Kei Kaneshiro; the first sitting politician to endorse the Phantom Thieves.”

“Kei…” Makoto said, confused.

“Kaneshiro?” Jose finished, just as confused.

“Assemblyman Kaneshiro, can you tell us why you support the Phantom Thieves?” the reporter asked.

“Of course,” the assemblyman said. “As you may be aware, they recently stole the heart of a notorious crime boss.”

“Right,” the reporter interjected.

“Well, that crime boss was my brother,” Kei continued.

“So it IS him,” Sumire said.

“My brother did some truly terrible things,” Kei explained, “some of which cannot be forgiven. However, he’s still my brother. I can never forget that. I visited him after he was arrested, and it felt almost like old times. Before everything went south.”

“So, you support the Phantom Thieves because they helped your brother?” the reporter asked.

“Not quite,” Kei said. “Like I said, he has committed unforgivable crimes. But I support the Phantom Thieves because they helped him see the error of his ways. I don’t know if you know this, but there have been instances where it is said that the Phantom Thieves help out in instances that haven’t gotten as much fanfare as these bigger stories.”

“I am aware of such claims, yes,” the reporter answered.

“THAT is also why I support them,” Kei said. “When The Phantom Thieves arrived on the scene, it was alright too late for my brother. But for some, it’s not too late. If the Phantom Thieves can help before those people become too far gone… Well, I know I would have liked something like that before Junya went off the deep end. I wish that they not only continue exposing the big evils we face, but also the smaller ones before they become bigger. Thank you.” Kei walked off.

“Well, there you have it,” the reporter said. “Phantom Thieves, if you are listening, well, I hope for your sake his trust in you isn’t misplaced.”

They turned their phones off. “Woah,” Sumire said.

“Holy shit” Ryuji exclaimed.

“This is big, Jose said.

“Totally,” Ann agreed.

“My word!” Yusuke exclaimed.

“Huh,” Makoto said, taking it all in.

“Hm,” Ren smirked. “Well, we don’t want to disappoint, now do we?”

“Heh heh heh, of course not,” Morgana whispered. Everyone looked at him the best they could. “Sorry,” he said even quieter.

They sat back up. “I will say though,” Makoto said, “this is a big responsibility being imparted to us. We need to be ready.” They all nodded. “‘I hope one day there will be a time where our services aren’t needed, but until then, we have to give it everything we got.’” Everyone looked at her, impressed. “Oh uh, I didn’t come up with that just now.” She explained. “That was something my father said.”

Ren smiled. She raised her drink. “To Makoto’s father!”

Soon, everyone else was raising their glass. “To Makoto’s father!” they said.

Makoto was touched. “Hm.” She smiled and raised her glass. “To you, dad.”

Fool-The Phantom Thieves: Rank 5

They finished their food, and left for the evening.

A little later, Sae arrived at the graveyard. She stood outside for a second before heading in. She walked to her father’s grave. “Hm. It looks like Makoto was here earlier. It’s been three years, huh. What I wouldn’t give to have you back. I don’t know how you do it, but I know I’m not doing it. I wish I could do better. I wish I could be better.” She sighed.

“You know, there’s this new mysterious group of vigilantes calling themselves ‘The Phantom Thieves’. Makoto asked me if you’d support them.” Sae smiled. “I’m investigating a series of mental shutdowns, and I think the Phantom Thieves are somehow linked. Although I don’t knowhw much, or even if they’re linked directly. So, when she asked me that, it took me everything I had not to say…’yes’.

I know you. You saw the world glass half full. Of course you’d love these purveyors of justice. And part of me really wants to, but I can’t. I can’t discount anything when it comes to cases. Because if I do…” She sighed. “Everything will fall apart.”

After a bit of silence, she continued “I know I have to use my own strength a lot of the time, and I know how to use it well enough, but if you’re watching, and if the Phantom Thieves are really innocent like you and Makoto believe, then please, lend my your strength., if even for just a moment.” She said her prayers and bowed. “Thank you.” She left.

At the gate, she came across Naoko. They looked at each other. “I have some questions for you,” Sae said. “But they can wait.”

Naoko smiled. “Thanks.” Sae left as Naoko walked in. He found his way to Nobuyuki’s grave. “Hey,” he said, taking out a sake bottle and two glasses. “I brought something for you.” Naoko sat down and poured himself and his partner a drink. He took a shot. “Ah!”

He looked at Nobuyuki’s grave and smiled. “I know you’re worried,” he said, “but from what I’ve seen, Makoto and Sae are turning out to be fine young women. Still, I’ll be there whenever I can to help them, and I hope you’ll be too.”

He frowned. “You know, I almost went down a dark path recently.” He smiled. “But it was Makoto who helped me find the light. Heh. Even now, I’m getting saved by a Niijima.”

He frowned again. “You know, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss you. Ever since you left, I’ve been feeling lonely and lost in a fog of uncertainty. But now, seeing Makoto and her friends, I’m thinking I should finally get some help, ya know? Not just bare the load on my own.”

He stood up and set the sake bottle down. “Thanks, partner. Until next time.” He walked out of the cemetery.

At LeBlanc, Morgana was chowing down on the sushi Ren brought over. “Oh man. This is marvelous beyond belief!”

Ren giggled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She then got out her phone.

Ren: Hey sis?

Ren: What do you think of The Phantom Thieves?

Sasa: I hate them.

About a minute passed before Ren got another message.

Sasa: Just kidding.

Ren: I knew it.

Sasa: I was just saying that because I saw you defending them on that TV show.

Ren: YOU saw that?

Sasa: It's been passed around quite a bit.

Sasa: It has over a million hits.

Ren: Ugh…

Sasa: Don’t worry little sis, I’m sure things will calm down.

Ren: Yeah…

Ren: So, what do you really think?

Ren: About the Phantom Thieves?

Sasa: Hmmm.

Sasa: Well, they operate more where you live, but from everything I’ve seen and heard, I love them.

Ren: Really?

Sasa: Yeah!

Sasa: I mean, they fight for the little guys. How can you not like them?

Ren: Believe me, as someone who’s made this point on live TV, I’ve gotten plenty of reasons from people.

Sasa: Lol

Sasa: Despite that, I doubt you changed your mind.

Ren: I have not.

Ren: You and I are in the same boat.

Sasa: Of course.

Sasa; You are quite stubborn.

Ren rolled her eyes.

Ren: As much as I’d like to continue this, exams are coming up.

Sasa: Right. Same here.

Sasa: We’ll talk more during the summer.

Ren: Right.

Ren: Good night.

Sasa: Good night.

Ren put her phone away. She continued preparing for exams while Morgana finished eating. After which, the two headed upstairs and got ready for bed.

As they were lying in bed, Ren asked “Hey?” Morgana looked up. “You think we can do it?”

“Of course,” Morgana said. “What do you take us for?”

“Hm hm,” Ren laughed. “I’m just thinking about what Kaneshiro’s brother was saying. So many people are putting their trust in us. I don’t want to let them down.”

Morgana smiled. “I get it. It’s a huge burden. But I think together, we can manage.”

Ren smiled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks Morgana.”

“Good night,” Morgana said. The two fell asleep.

[hatari-translations]

This is a short segment about Matthías’s play Griðastaður from RÚV, with a few clips of the performance and interviewing both Matthías and Jörundur Ragnarsson (the actor in the play). It’s pretty fun and one of the clips seems to show Matthías bouncing around like a maniac while directing Jörundur in the security guard scene, which delights me. Transcript/translation below.

Icelandic transcript

HOST: Gott kvöld. Billy-hillur og Nockeby-sófi prýða leikmynd utan um nýtt íslenskt leikverk sem frumsýnt verður hér í Tjarnarbíói á laugardaginn. Það nefnist Griðastaður og fjallar um Lárus, sem tekst á við persónulega krísu inni í IKEA-verslun.

[LÁRUS: Komið þið sæl. Velkomin. Lárus heiti ég. Ég... eh... IKEA. IKEA, IKEA var stofnað 1943 af Ingvar Kamprad. Ingvar Kamprad, hann fæddist í Svíþjóð, í Entaryd í Agunnaryd í Svíþjóð, og hann var ungur maður með stóra drauma, og hérna, allt byrjaði þetta nú á einum eldspýtnastokki.]

MATTHÍAS: Ég stíg hérna mín fyrstu skref sem leikstjóri í íslensku atvinnuleikhúsi, sem er auðvitað mikill heiður. Efnistökin í þessu verki eru margþætt. Ég myndi kannski einna helst vilja tala um dauðleikann sem svona flöt sem við reyndum að draga fram í ferlinu, og það að spegla sig í eigin dauðleika. Persónan mætir þarna dauða móður sinnar, og einhvernveginn kemst til móts við þann atburð, í IKEA.

[LÁRUS: Sumir fara í jóga eða ræktina, og aðrir fara í langa göngutúra í kringum Tjörnina eða við ströndina. Sumir fara í kirkju eða mosku. En ég, ég bara fer... ég bara fer alltaf í IKEA, og... af því að IKEA, IKEA er minn griðastaður.]

MATTHÍAS: Í rauninni vissi ég ekki hvað ég var að fjalla um fyrst þegar ég byrjaði að skrifa, en það tínast saman allskonar þræðir úr mínu persónulega lífi og sýningum sem ég horfi á á meðan á ferlinu stendur, og á einhverjum tímapunkti tekur verkið svolítið sína eigin stefnu. Og ég held að allir geti tengt við það, að á öllum stórum vörðum í lífinu, hvort sem það er ferming eða brúðkaup, eða flutt út eða flutt saman inn eða hvað, þá kalla öll þessi helstu tímamót á IKEA-ferð.

HOST: Þetta er einleikur, þannig að þið eruð tveir sem standið svona í forgrunni í þessu öllu saman, hvernig gekk samstarf þitt og Jörundar?

MATTHÍAS: Ég myndi segja að traust sé stóra orðið í okkar samstarfi. Náttúrulega með svona sterkt handrit og svona sterkan leikara, þá var eiginlega fátt sem gat farið úrskeiðis, að mínu mati. Við lögðum bara upp með það að treysta ferlinu, og treysta lögninni(?).

[LÁRUS: IKEA er minn griðastaður!]

JÖRUNDUR: Ég þekkti hann ekki neitt þegar hann hringdi og spurði hvort ég væri til í að gera þetta með honum. Þetta var útskriftarverkefnið hans í Listaháskólanum, og ég hafði séð hann svona í öðrum hlutverkum og hélt að hann væri kannski svona... harðari. Hann er mjög mjúkur og skilningsríkur, það er svona mikið ljóð í honum. Gömul sál í ungum líkama. Traust er náttúrulega lykilatriði, sko, í svona samstarfi.

MATTHÍAS: Ég hef verið í IKEA og farið að grenja án þess að vita hvers vegna, þannig að það er eitthvað sem Lárus ætti að tengja við. Ég held að þetta sé tilfinningaþrunginn staður fyrir marga, IKEA. Ef það eru einhverjar erjur í samskiptum þínum við þína nákomnu, þá koma þær kannski fram í IKEA, eða þá að þið fagnið gleðistundum og áföngum í IKEA, og eins speglarðu þig og þína staðsetningu meðal manna, hvaða sófi er minn sófi, á hvaða hillu er ég í samfélaginu? Það svona kemur fram í IKEA.

English translation

HOST: Good evening. Billy shelves and a Nockeby sofa decorate the set of a new Icelandic play premiering in Tjarnarbíó this Saturday. It's called Griðastaður [Sanctuary] and is about Lárus, who faces a personal crisis in an IKEA store.

[LÁRUS: Hello. Welcome. I'm Lárus. I... uh... IKEA. IKEA, IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. Ingvar Kamprad, he was born in Sweden, in Elmtaryd in Agunnaryd in Sweden, and he was a young man with big dreams, and, uh, it all started with one matchbox.]

MATTHÍAS: I'm taking my first steps as a director in professional Icelandic theater, which is of course a great honour. The subjects tackled in this piece are multifaceted. I'd perhaps chiefly name mortality as a facet that we're trying to draw out in this process, and seeing your reflection in your own mortality. The character is met with the death of his mother, and confronts it in a sense, in IKEA.

[LÁRUS: Some people do yoga or go to the gym, and others go on long walks around Tjörnin or by the beach. Some people go to church or a mosque. But I, I just go... I always just go to IKEA, and... because IKEA, IKEA is my sanctuary.]

MATTHÍAS: Really I didn't know what I was writing about first when I started writing, but then all kinds of threads from my personal life and other plays that I watch while the process is going on start to come together, and at some point the piece sort of starts to carve its own path. And I think everyone can relate to how for every great milestone in life, whether it's a confirmation or a wedding, or moving out or moving in together or what, all these milestones call for an IKEA trip.

HOST: This is a monologue, so there's two of you in the foreground of all this. How did the collaboration with Jörundur go?

MATTHÍAS: I would say that trust is the big thing in our relationship. Obviously, with such a strong script and such a strong actor, there wasn't a lot that could go wrong, in my opinion. We just set out to trust the process, and trust the pipeline(?).

[LÁRUS: IKEA is my sanctuary!]

JÖRUNDUR: I didn't know him at all when he called and asked if I was up for doing this with him. This was his graduation project from the Academy of the Arts, and I'd seen him, you know, in other roles and thought he might be... harsher. He's very gentle and understanding, there's a lot of poetry in him, so to speak. An old soul in a young body. Trust is of course always a key thing in a collaboration like this.

MATTHÍAS: I have been in IKEA and started bawling without knowing why, so that's something Lárus should relate to. I think it's an emotionally charged place for a lot of people, IKEA. If there are conflicts between you and your loved ones, they might surface in IKEA, or you might celebrate joys and milestones at IKEA, and similarly, it reflects you and your place among men: which sofa is my sofa, what's my place in society? That sort of comes out at IKEA.

Notes

Why are you calling your own script strong, Matthías.

I think he says “lögninni” (piping) in that one place with the question mark, which doesn’t reeeally make sense, and I’m not sure what he might mean by it, so I made a wild guess.

The “what’s my place in society?” bit in the last quote is literally “what shelf am I on in society?” which is an Icelandic idiom for that and explains a bit better why he’s saying that here while talking about how you’re reflected in IKEA.

Matthías has previously written about the time he had a breakdown at IKEA.

Jörundur had definitely seen a Hatari performance, hadn’t he. He’d seen Matthías screaming about fascism and the death of poetry and thought he was kind of terrifying, only to find he was actually a gentle soul. I love this.

[arcanisluna]

Her breath hitches just slightly as she feels his face bury into her neck. The cold chill of crystal on his cheek, and the warmth of his still-flesh skin sent shivers down her spine.

It’s been about a week since Emet-Selch had been defeated. The Warriors of Darkness, all six of them, were taking a much-needed break in the First. Kokejin was training, Sumire was observing said training, Corellion was cleaning his gun, Hikari was usually in the markets and Maira was in the Cabinet of Curiosity. Summer, on the other hand, spent most of her time in the Ocular with the Crystal Exarch.

It wasn’t uncommon for one of the others to come in to see Summer hugging him while trying to find her to pry her away for ten minutes just to eat. She would usually tug him along, and he would find himself chatting with them. Regardless of their stances on his lies (oh, how guilty he still felt for keeping them in the dark about everything), they seemed to be doing this for Summer’s sake.

She laughs at something Corellion says, and nudges him before poking a piece of food in his mouth as he goes to ask her what’s up. Hikari has to stop Maira from saying something embarrassing, as she seemed raring up to call the scene “adorable”, which would’ve ended up with both Summer and the Exarch finding ways to excuse themselves.

It’s nice, she thinks. It’s nice to just sit and laugh sometimes while forgetting the burdens of the world on their shoulders. It’s comfortable, and it’s warm. Like a family...

--

She finds herself in the Ocular later that night, with his lips against her neck to replace the pressure from him nuzzling her. Gentle, soft kisses with a nip here or there, sharp canines grazing against sensitive skin. She swallows her noises as best as she can, her back up against the cool crystal wall behind her. His fingers thread through her hair as he kisses her softly on the lips.

A mutual attraction. One that hadn’t ceased for the years they spent apart. Distance made the heart grow fonder, as the sayings went. She felt the soft graze of teeth against her skin, picking at her clothes, as he stared up at her with those soft crimson eyes that still held that ethereal glow to them...

“Raha...” She breathes, a hand coming to rest atop his head. He’s purring, she realizes, as there’s a soft noise coming from the other. He unbuttons the shirt she’s wearing, both hands moving to slide it off and let it fall to the floor. As he goes to remove her bra, he finds himself stalling at the fact her shoulders were bare.

“Summer, where’s...?” He looks at her questioningly before she giggles a little, pressing a kiss to his lips. His robe is soft against her bare skin, and she doesn’t mind it at all. The question he was wondering was answered when his hands met nothing as he pulled her close.

She wasn’t wearing a bra at all.

Had she anticipated this? Or had this been her sleepwear? Neither question would be answered in that night alone. His hands made easy work of her shorts, which left her in naught but her panties.

“It’s not fair...” She pouts against his lips. He chuckles, giving her another kiss. It’s deeper this time, and she groans into it. They pull apart after a few moments, and he pulls his robes up and over. Off of his body. They hit the ground with a soft plop, and she sees the extent of crystal on his body. It wound to his waist, covered his collarbone and extended to his right arm but... other than that, his body was still normal.. Still warm and comforting.

But she realizes she wouldn’t care if he was completely crystal.

They meet again for another kiss, longer this time. Her back meets the wall again, a shiver going up her spine as she realizes that the wall is as cool as the crystal on his body. He parts his lips, and she does in kind. She feels his tongue invade her mouth, and can do naught but return the kiss. Her face is red, flustered and her body feels warm.

Summer wraps a leg around the Exarch’s waist, and pulls him closer. She feels the bare crystal, his bare skin, against her own. It’s nice, she thinks, and doesn’t want to let go. It reminds her of the day before they went to the World of Darkness, where the two of them stole away in the night to a more secluded part of the Fogfens. Where their bodies became one for just that night, and they had said words they had always thought.

I love you.

“Summer...” He exhales her name, kissing her neck and tugging off the last bit of clothing keeping her from being naked. She does the same with his pants, and feels him pull her up just a bit. He was holding her, she realizes, and she feels a long-forgotten sensation. The Exarch moans low in his throat, burying his face in her neck.

It’s been so long for him, he could barely contain himself. It takes him a moment to remember how to breathe, as they both adjust to being together like this again. The wall is cold and hard against her back, but she’s in the arms of someone she loves.

She can take a bit of wall sex.

He’s slow at the start, pulling out before thrusting back inside. She moans at the movement, the feeling foreign but good. The walls are thick, and the doors aren’t as thin as they seem to be. If things were quiet, the noises outside would echo in. But instead, the air was filled with the sounds of skin smacking against skin, Summer’s moans and his own moans. A hundred years, he’d waited to see her again. And it was time he no longer regretted spending away from her.

Though there was a pause, it was only to reposition on the floor. He’s kneeling at first, her legs up against his shoulders before he loses the will to stay apart from her and moves to press up against her instead. His thrusts quicken as he chases after his orgasm, feeling her tighten up around him. Summer is crying out in pleasure, and he finds himself kissing her deeply as he tries holding off on his own orgasm to bring her over the edge.

She moans loud into the kiss, clinging tightly. Desperately, even. As if she didn’t want to let go. He finds himself unable to hold on, and comes inside of her as he hits his peak. They break apart and laugh a little. It’s uncomfortable, with them still being joined together, but they don’t mind.

The next morning, Summer is late meeting up with the rest of the Warriors of Darkness, but she has a bright smile on her face.

“Sorry I’m late! The Exarch and I needed to cover some things.”

“I think you may want to cover the hickeys he gave you before you say something like that...” Corellion pointed out.

“I have a scarf you could wear-” Maira pulled one out of her bag somehow. “-and that may hide them!”

“....You owe me 1k.” Sumire told Hikari, who paid up. The only oblivious one was Kokejin, who was already a half a mile ahead. So the rest of them had to catch up to him before he left them all behind.

[kusunokihime-a]

OKAY rant part two time for @littlelilypetal – this time about the more general plot of Arc Three because...reasons.

Also small disclaimer AGAIN for anyone else who pops in here, curious: this is from a fic written from a verse I wrote with two friends LONG before I joined Tumblr. It was written over literally hundreds of pages (I have the threads saved don’t try me boi, and the fic itself is 300,000 words and counting), and it’s very dear to me. It’s nothing that has to happen here, but it’s still a thing, and any whining about OC x Canon pairings will be met with fingers in my ears going lalala can’t hear you.

SO. Small disclaimer: this first part here is still a bit of a WIP, as my original draft had a plot hole in it. This is my attempt at fixing it xD

Arc three starts technically before the end of Shippuden, aka before Sasuke leaves. Ryū ends up going with him to raid Obito's old lab to make sure all the Uchiha bodies and parts are properly disposed of or buried. Among them is Itachi's body.

Now, Ryū at this point already has Itachi's permission to resurrect him (as noted in the other rant lol - he’s gotta come back and clean up his mess, and take care of his kids), she just doesn't have the means how, as she's lacking his body. And, of course, the body he had was ravaged by illness and worn out, let alone missing its eyes. So, while clearing the lab, she takes a DNA sample without Sasuke's knowledge, and then proceeds to help him clean up. She hasn't told Sasuke her plans yet, as she's still not 100% sure it will work.

As a test, she uses her soul retrieval technique on Neji, managing to retrieve his soul and replace it into his healed corpse. Knowing she can get it to work, she moves forward.

(Quick note about that technique: it's HELLA dangerous. Basically, a person uses a very thin connection to their body, and goes into the void to take ONE soul at a time. BUT, the longer a soul has been departed from the mortal plane, the further away it is – so she can't just take anyone who's died like a hundred years ago. Her limit is like...a few months, at best. But the void constantly eats at her chakra, and if she stays too long, she'll just...die. So it's a powerful technique, but EXTREMELY risky and limited. Hopefully it seems balanced that way ='D)

So, Sasuke then leaves a few months later, and she begins her work. At this point she’s still working in the hospital, focusing on surgeries to give her more time at home with the twins, who are about 8 months at this point. But, after her shifts, she sneaks to the basement of the hospital (aka the morgue), where there are cryogenic pods for storing bodies. They're almost always unused, and it's there she pours every spare ounce of chakra she has into regrowing an entirely new body for Itachi. It takes her months, and she nearly kills herself doing it, using up too much energy, but eventually she finishes it.

After her collapse, Tsunade confronts her, and she has no choice but to reveal her plans. Of course, Tsunade FLIPS her table, because one: that's hella dangerous, and two: how is this going to work? A few select people know the truth behind Itachi, but there's a few issues with him being revived. One is that he's still guilty in most eyes. And even if they break the truth behind the massacre, that's highly dangerous. The administration of Konoha – the Hokage and the elders – WIPED OUT an entire clan due to dissent. If the other clans learned of this, it would surely break the village apart.

Ryū announces she has a plan. Due to her connections with Sasuke as his guardian/sibling figure, she's also bumped into most of the Konoha Twelve during her years in Konoha. Most of which are heirs or at least high-ranking members of large clans. She plans to speak to them first, as they're likely the most receptive after everything they faced in the war, and knowing Sasuke's loss as his friends and comrades. By securing their agreement to help with the issue, she hopes to avoid a total meltdown.

She also has a few favors owed to her by the Hyūga, who are arguably the most powerful clan now that the Uchiha are “gone”. One for attempting to protect Hinata during Pain's invasion (I didn't elaborate on that in the other rant, but if I wrote the whole thing out we'd be here for DAYS lol), and then of course reviving Neji. She plans to rely heavily on them and her friendship with Hinata to help keep the other clans in line, by talking to her and Neji first. Hopefully, that way, the Hyūga - already knowing the plan - can lead by example by being calm, and hopefully help the other clans keep from flipping tables.

Unfortunately, Tsunade lets the plan slip to Sakura...who then tattles to Sasuke. She confronts Ryū about it, asking why she wouldn't tell him, and Ryū argues that she didn't want to get his hopes up if it failed. But, Sasuke shows up anyway, and agrees to stay and help with the plan to break the news about the coup and the massacre.

With Tsunade and Sakura's help, Ryū performs her technique, their Byakugō helping bolster her chakra alongside her sage state. Normally, Itachi would have been dead far too long. But thanks to Edo Tensei, the “distance” has sort have been...reset. It wipes her out, but she manages it, and returns the soul to his rebuilt body!

Of course, one thing they have to deal with is getting Itachi mobile. The body is basically the same as a newborn's – it has NO muscle strength, so he ends up needing months of physical therapy to get up and moving. And until he's fit (and able to defend himself, as there's fears he'll be attacked), they work with the young heirs of Sasuke's generation to move their plans forward. Ryū has a meeting with the Konoha Twelve and explains everything, and of course they all agree to help.

Once Itachi is ready, the elders are called into a meeting with Tsunade...only to find themselves surrounded by the leaders and heirs of all the major clans. They reveal that they know the truth, that Itachi has returned, and if they refuse to admit to it, they can Edo Tensei summon Hiruzen to confirm their story. Basically backed into a corner, the elders are forced to step down, where they can't bring about anything else like the massacre.

The last thing that remains is Itachi's official pardon. Tsunade decides to use Kakashi's coronation as a platform, as everyone will be gathered anyway. He explains the truth behind the massacre, and official pardons Itachi. But there are some in the crowds that look...less than happy about it.

So, from there, the general premise is how the Uchiha have to get back on their feet – forming an alliance with the Hyūga, and doing their best to settle into Konoha again.

But it doesn't end there :3c

One day, while Itachi is speaking to Kakashi about rejoining the shinobi force, Ryū senses an intruder in the compound, walking up the Naka river. She runs out to confront them...only to realize that it's SHISUI.

(which is actually the Shisui from my sideblog lolol)

BASICALLY...I think it's bull that Shisui leapt into a RIVER to dispose of his body...like...really? There's a HUGE chance it would have washed up on shore and been found by gods know who. SO, MY Shisui instead went into hiding – the only way he could know his body was safe was to keep it alive, but have everyone THINK it was dead. Even Itachi. Of course, he PLANNED to die later, but couldn't be 100% sure it would be safe. So instead (super short summary), he lived in a cave along the Naka for about ten years and learned echolocation via chakra from bats (think Toph from ATLA, only with chakra lol)

So...suddenly, Shisui is alive. Ryū is ecstatic, of course...but Itachi is PISSED. Because...had he known Shisui was still alive, he might have kept trying. He might not have had to kill the clan. A LOT could have been different. So...it takes time for him to come around, due to the guilt he feels about the massacre, and now knowing there was a chance it could have been avoided. But in reality...not really.

So now we suddenly have five blood Uchiha rather than three: Itachi, Shisui, Sasuke, and the twins. It's obviously nowhere near the clan it was before, but it's more than it was!

And this is where things start to go to shit, lol

So, remember those people, unhappy about Itachi's return? Well...there's a rather volatile group who feel the same way. See, some of the old Root members, led by Danzō, still harbor a LOT of resentment, and are still loyal to his memory. Among them is Okano Sumire, a woman obsessed with Danzō, who was a high ranking officer under his regime. She's been plotting revenge against Sasuke already for “killing” Danzō (though he technically committed suicide), and now she's got a whole lot more to be pissed about. With the massacre's truth revealed, Danzō's name is now just...dragged through the mud. And with the revelation of Itachi, she now also knows that the twins are blood Uchiha.

So, she regathers the scattered remnants of Root who are still loyal to Danzō, becomes their new leader, and basically begins plotting to wipe out the Uchiha for GOOD, as she feels they are all guilty for Danzō’s death and subsequent dishonor.

This causes the family problems all throughout Arc Three. It starts small – threats left on their doorstep, people jeering at them in public, etc. Though it's partially helped by the Hyūga, who – as the Uchiha's allies thanks to Ryū's work with them – do all they can to help bolster the tiny clan's reputation. But Sumire begins spreading dissent into the village with rumors and lies, and eventually things starting getting dangerous, including Ryū and the twins being attacked in broad daylight. She manages to hold them off with barriers, but she's obviously pretty freaked out after being attacked in the middle of the street with her KIDS with her.

So that's like...the main conflict, alongside the twins' conflict with each other. They end up on a team with Mirai, as I mentioned, with Shisui as their team leader. They later enter ANBU when able, and do their best to counteract Root. The rest of the story is basically them trying to wipe out Root before Root wipes THEM out. Of course they don’t face it alone, but it’s also pretty much THEIR problem.

And, uh...there's a rather volatile event just before the actual epilogue where it's Ryū who confronts Sumire...and someone gets killed.

But I won't spoil that :3c

ANYWAY. So yeah. That's the basic conflict (well, conflictS) of Arc Three. I had to kinda change things a wee bit after chapter 700 and Boruto became a thing, but...it's mostly unchanged. Just gotta account for other kiddos, like Sarada. Otherwise, I’m completely ignoring the PLOT of Boruto, and just sticking the pairings/kids in it to keep close-ish to canon.

But uh..yeah! Second rant, finished xD

[cheryyori]

Red Thread - P. SH AU

pairing(s): seonghwa/oc

genre: social media au, fluff, angst, strangers to lovers au, college au, fantasty elements, past life/ reincarnation au, fated lovers au, playboy!seonghwa, hwa is a bit of a dick at first, sumi is still a nervous baby like in the sk8terboy au, lots of pinning on hwa’s end later on bc i’m soft

summary: Park Seonghwa—business major, son of the CEO to Park Corp. and an overall cold-hearted playboy dickhead—has to help his father’s company by finding a new graphic designer, after firing the last one, for the company’s upcoming project he’s tasked to work on in order prepare him for the future (and maybe highkey work on his people skills). So when Yeosang mentions a particular graphic design student in mind, he wasn’t expecting his world to turn upside down by a red thread.

word count: 3.1K

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD & PLAYLIST

06. it’s just stress << | >>

To say that there was a tense and awkward air lingering around in the cafe was an understatement. Some could feel the air become suffocating as two individuals sat in the corner of the cafe. Sumire was shaking in her seat, making sure to busy herself with her phone as she eyes staring at her. 

Why, why, why, why?! She screamed internally as she wanted to repeatedly bang her head against the table. Why him?! She cried. Meanwhile, Seonghwa sat directly across from her, eyes staring at her in deep thought.

He was...confused, least to say. No once did he thought the cute girl that bumped into him yesterday would be the very same girl to help him with his dilemma. His eyes watched as she remained quiet, using her phone to distract herself and avoided any direct contact with him, her form closed off as she tried to make herself smaller by keeping to herself. 

Somehow it tugged at his chest to see her like this, a frown on his face at the thought that he was the one that made her felt like this. Then again, as he had been told many times before, he was him.

Although it made him even more confused as he had these thoughts, why did he felt like this towards someone he just met only now, he asked himself. A sigh escaped from his lips as he decided to push those thoughts away.

“We should get started,” he suddenly spoke up, clearing his throat as he ignored the nervous flutters in his stomach.

“R-right!” She squeaked, her back sitting up straight, “Um...” she paused, a small frown on her lips. He glanced back up, seeing her twiddle with her finger nervously.

“Yes...?” 

“Uh,” she paused once more sway side to side in her seat. Cute, he thinks again as a rosy hue was seen on her cheeks almost prompting him to reach out and pinch them before he realize the thought that crossed his mind and stomped them out.

“What?” He sighed out, although he winced as he saw her lips quivering.

“S-sorry, it’s just...I don’t know your name...” she muttered. Seonghwa sat up straight, wide eyes staring at her. Did she really not know who he was?

“...did Yeosang not tell you who I am?” He asked. For a second, he thought she was acting like this because of his many reputations around the campus.

“He only told me that you’re an acquaintance of his and that even though you can come off as...” she paused, trying to find the right words without repeating the exact words Yeosang used to describe him, “...that you can come off as aloof and intimidating, that there’s more to you than that...I’m just saying what he told me but nicer,” she confessed.

“...I see,” he mutters, “So he never once told you my name?” She shook her head in response, he carefully noticed that her nervous state was slowly diminishing as they continued to talk, her shoulders were still stiff but at least she wasn’t mumbling and stuttering like before.

“No, just...a lot of bad comments...” she shrugged. Seonghwa frowned, of course Yeosang would talk badly about him behind his back though he was amused by her honesty at least.

“Of course he would,” he clicked his tongue, “Well since he didn’t tell you...” he trails off, “It’s Seonghwa,” he said. 

“Oh,” she uttered, “Seonghwa,” she repeated slowly, her voice was soft as the fluttering feeling in his stomach erupted in his chest, “That’s a nice name,” she said, a small smile on her lips. He felt breathless as she smiled, even if it was small. He opens his mouth to speak when he hears a faint voice near his ear.

“I like it a lot. It fits you very much.”

He snaps his head, glancing around for a second. Sumire tilts her head, as she watched him glanced around suddenly, “Are you alright?” She asked. Seonghwa glanced back at her, seeing her staring back at him with confused eyes.

“No, it’s just...did you say something just now?” He asked. She scrunched her brows together, only becoming more confused.

"No, why?" She asked. He paused, furrowing his brows together before shaking his head.

"I thought I...” he paused, shaking his head, “No, never mind that," he sighed, "We should start working on the design now," he says. Sumire was still confused, but nodded her head as he pulled out some designs. Her eyes sparkled with interest as he laid them across the table.

“Oh, these are...?” She stared at them, grasping out for the one in his hand, their fingers brushed against one another. A sharp intake escaped from his lips as he felt a shock, causing him to suddenly jerk his hand away from her. She stared at him with wide eyes, her hands retracted as they were placed firmly in her lap, “O-oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t reached out like that so suddenly,” she said.

“No, it wasn’t that,” he said, “it’s just...you didn’t feel that shock just now?” He asked, his eyes carefully watching as she tilted her head at him.

“Shock? What shock?” She asked, sound more confused than before. Seonghwa frowned, wonder if it was all in his head. Perhaps the sudden stress of this whole situation was slowly staring to get him, though something in the back of his head told him otherwise.

“Forget it,” he says, “Anyways, these were some designs my...last partner made before leaving,” he says delicately. When he hands her the design, he noticed the corners of her lips twitch and brows furrowed together. After a minutes, she placed them down and stared back at him.

“Um,” she shifted nervously. He knew she wanted to say something, but held back her tongue as if she was afraid to set him off. He sighed, leaning his chin under one hand.

“Something you want to say?” He asked, raising one brow at her. She fidgeted nervously in response.

“Can I be blunt?” She asked in a small voice.

“By all means,” he replied, curious on what her answer would be.

“Well...no offense to your last partner...but these are pretty ugly...” she states. He felt his lips twitch into a small smile at her sudden declaration, “I-er-well,” she stuttered feeling her cheeks redden, “The colors don’t correlate well with one another either,” she added.

He hums, watching as she continued to nitpick at the design before speaking up, “I guess it is pretty ugly,” He agreed, making her cheeks even more flushed, “At least I wasn’t the only one that thought it was too,” he said giving her a small smile.

Sumire felt her heart heavy and cheeks burning as she pressed her hands against them, “Y-yeah,” she said letting out a small laugh. He fought the urge to smile as she glanced away nervously. He thought it was cute how nervous she seemed, how she fumbled with her fingers and bit on her bottom lips.

“I suppose we should get started on this right?” He said as he started to explain the original idea for the designs to her. She nodded her head the whole time, taking out a small sketchbook as she started making small thumbnail sketches that fit the description given to her. 

Once she was done, she would show him the sketches in hopes they fitted the original goal the company had in mind. And Seonghwa had to admit, they were much better than the original designer he worked with before that he had a bit of a struggle deciding which one was better before giving his input and opinions.

He watched as she concentrated on more sketches to improve on, her brows furrowed together as she tapped her fingers against the table to pause and think of more ideas. It was nice, relishing in the peaceful silence between the two, Sumire had been too focused that she didn’t noticed how he had been staring at her from behind his laptop.

A strand of hair fell out of place as she stared down at her sketches, without realizing his hand was already outstretched to place to lose strand back in its place when the door to the entrance slammed open.

“SUMIRE! I’M HERE! DON’T CRY ANYMORE!” A voice yelled, making the two jump in their seats. Sumire turned her head to see Rentaro by the front entrance, a bag in hand as a small furry tail poked out of it.

I’m going to kill him! She thought as she pressed her hands to her face. Seonghwa glanced over at the boy that came in and then toward her, noticing her expression. She sighs as Rentaro made his way over and pulled a chair next to her before plopping down in his seat.

“Uh...” He paused, glancing between her and Seonghwa, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Yes.” Both Sumire and Seonghwa said at once.

“O-okay?” Rentaro paused as he shifted nervously in his seat, before leaning close to Sumire, “I brought Iroha by the way,” he said as he opened his bag to reveal the small kitten.

She merely sighed before noticing Seonghwa staring at them, more so Ren in particular. A frown was seen on his face as Ren shifted nervously under Seonghwa’s gaze.

“Someone you know?” He asked, raising a brow at her.

“Yes, unfortunately,” she replied, she grabbed Ren by the ear and pulled him close, “What are you doing here?!” She hissed.

“I was bringing Iroha, remember? You know! Cuddles, because I thought you were going to have a nervous breakdown and cry?!” He answered, pulling away as he rubbed his ears.

“Well you can go now, don’t you have to come back later tonight for your performance?” She said. He merely shrugged, brushing her off.

“It’s fine, as a musician, I already have everything prepared, I’ll just have Yusung bring everything here then,” he added. Seonghwa’s ears perked up at their conversation.

“A musician?” He hummed, “That doesn’t mean much,” he says. Sumire sucked the air between her teeth, watching as Ren stiffened and frowned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  He asked, an annoyed look on his face as he stared at Seonghwa.

“Nothing, don’t mind me,” he said with a shrug as he went back to staring at some random documents, “Though, I’m curious on what your relationship is to one another,” he said eyes moving from Sumire then to Ren. 

He thought it was childish of him to engage in bitter feelings he felt towards this boy, especially over feelings he didn’t understand why he felt like this all of a sudden.

“Oh, Rentaro is my roommate-”

“Uh, I’m her boyfriend!” He blurted out suddenly. Sumire almost choked on air and stared at him with wide eyes. Seonghwa felt his fingers twitch suddenly in response, fingers crumpling the edges of the documents in hand.

“My what?!” She hissed, slapping his thigh in response as he winced. Ren kept his lips shut, not wanting to tell her that he wanted to tease her, but also he wanted to see how Seonghwa would react.

“You’re her boy...friend?” Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at him, a slight prick in his chest made him feel uncomfortable as the boy moved closer to her, one arm wrapped around her tiny frame. Irritation was the first thing he felt.

“No!” “Yes!” The two glanced at one another, eyes wide at one another’s answers.

“Yes?” Sumire asked, narrowing her eyes at Ren.

“No?” He echoed back, giving her a wide eye expression, one filled with mock hurt. She brushed him off knowing that he was messing around and glanced back at Seonghwa, who had been watching the two carefully.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Sumire insisted with a flustered face.

“I’m her boyfriend,” Ren started again, earning a harsh elbow to the side as Sumire turned towards him, giving the boy a nasty glare. He immediately shrunk back, “Kidding,” he said with a nervous smile, “I’m her roommate actually.”

Somehow, hearing that didn’t make Seonghwa feel better (though he wonders why he felt relieved when the boy admitted he wasn’t her boyfriend). The only thing he could do was sit back in his seat and let out a hum. A soft mew could be heard from Rentaro’s bag, gaining Sumire’s attention before Iroha poke her tiny head out.

“Oh, Iro,” Sumire crooned as she picked up the tiny kitten. She was thankful that Aurora was pet friendly and allowed pets inside as long as they behaved. Seonghwa watched as she coddled the kitten in her arms, a small pout on her lips as she kissed the top of the kitten’s head.

Cute, he thinks. Ren didn’t miss the way Seonghwa’s eyes softened as Sumire coddled with Iroha and had a thought.

Oh, Ren thinks before turning back to Seonghwa. 

“So,” Ren started, “Are you two friends?” He asked, eyeing between the two curiously. Seonghwa snapped out of his stupor and cleared his throat as he looked back at his papers.

“No,” Seonghwa sat up straight, eyes back on his papers in an attempt to focus his attention off of the girl before him.

“Oh,” Ren’s eyes widened slightly, “Is this a date?” He asked in a low voice, “If it is, I’m so sorry-”

“No!” Seonghwa snapped, his cheeks suddenly flushed at his suggestion, “We’re just working on a project together,” he said, straightening himself. His eyes went over to Sumire, watching as she was too busy playing with the kitten.

“Huh,” Ren paused as he saw how the other had a stiff posture, his eyes going back to the papers in hand, attempting to make them less crumpled as they were before.

Seonghwa felt slightly uncomfortable as he felt Ren was staring at him before clearing his throat, “Maybe we should end it here for today.”

Sumire glanced up, “Oh? Are you sure?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. He felt a slightly jolt in his chest and cheeks suddenly burning as she stared at him with wide eyes. He cleared his throat once again.

“Yes,” he said, “I have other things to do later on, plus we have been here for some time,” he notes at the time. Sumire pulled her phone, noticing the many messages from the group chat and that a few hours had passed. She wonders how did that happen.

“Oh,” she says, “I-I guess I didn’t notice,” she mutters before gathering her things, moving anything important out of Iroha’s grasp as the kitten stood on her lap and attempted to climb on the table. A soft mew was heard as Iroha moved towards Seonghwa.

His eyes glanced down at the kitten, seeing how they were staring up at him. He suddenly felt nervous as the kitten stared up at him with wide eyes, as if begging him to pet her. Hesitantly, he reached out and petted the small feline.

The soft purring Iroha let out made him relax as he smiled. As soon as Sumire was done gathering her things, she noticed Seonghwa petting Iroha, “Oh, she likes you,” she smiled as she petted Iroha’s back, not noticing how his finger stifled as they brushed against his.

“She’s...cute...” he said slowly, his eyes glancing back at her as he said that. She smiled before cooing at Iroha.

“She is, isn’t she,” she agreed, a sparkle was seen in her eyes as she continued to coo at the small kitten. Seonghwa smiled once again, his eyes lingering on Sumire before she picked up the kitten.

“Um,” he started, clearing his throat once again, “I’ll text you on when we can work on the project again,” he said. Sumire nodded and settled Iroha in her arms.

“Oh, alright then,” she said, for once she felt fully relaxed since upon entering the cafe. Maybe it was because Iroha was here in her arms, or maybe it might be that Seonghwa wasn’t as bad as she initially thought.

“I guess we’ll be taking our leave now,” Ren suddenly spoke up, reminding the two that they weren’t alone. Seonghwa frowned as Ren took her hand in his before leading her towards the entrance.

She glanced over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips as she waved back at him. Seonghwa felt his heart stutter as he hesitantly waved back, ignoring how there was a prang in his heart again as she left through the door.

As soon as she was gone, he sat back in his seat as his hands ran through his hair, “What the fuck just happened?” He asked himself as he felt his hands clammy and his cheeks hot. As he was deep in his thoughts, he heard a chair pull up.

“So?” Seonghwa glanced up to see Hongjoong staring at him with a grin.

“What?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at the cafe owner. Hongjoong only shrugged, that stupid grin still on his lips.

“Nothing, just wondering if you enjoyed it,” he said with a wink. Seonghwa only grunted in response, slowly feeling annoyed by the other.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he glanced over at his laptop.

“Oh, really?” Hongjoong said, “So you’re telling me you didn’t try to reach out and fix her hair before her friend came?” 

Seonghwa slammed his fist against the table, his cheeks now red as he stared at Hongjoong, “Y-you saw that?!” He stuttered, making Hongjoong chuckle.

“You’re not as slick as you think you were,” he said, “I think you’re losing your touch against her,” he continued, “Hell even Jongho saw how hopeless you were being!”

Upon mentioning the youngest, the two turned towards Jongho who immediately looked away from his post behind the register, whistling as he did. Seonghwa huffed, running his hand through his hair again.

“Look, nothing happened, we were just working on the project and then her friend decided to show up,” he answered. There was no way he’ll tell Hongjoong the odd palpitation of his heart he felt whenever he saw her shift nervously in her seat. 

“Uh huh, sure,” Hongjoong grinned, “Whatever you say lover boy!”

“Shut up!” He grumbled, his eyes glancing to the side as he noticed a red thread in the corner, one end slowly floating down toward the ground next to him. His eyes followed as the thread extended out and saw it lead towards the entrance and outwards.

What the...?

“Seonghwa?” His eyes snapped back to Hongjoong, who seemed to have been trying to grab his attention just now. Seonghwa glanced back to where he saw the thread, only to find it gone. “Hey, are you alright?” Hongjoong asked, noticing how spaced out he was acting.

“Uh...” Seonghwa paused, before shaking his head. It’s just stress, he tells himself once more. “Nothing, just...nothing.”

“You sure, you seemed off just now,” Hongjoong said, giving the older a slightly concerned look. 

Seonghwa wasn’t sure what to say, his mind was already filled many thoughts of his own. “I’m fine, Hongjoong, thank you for your concern,” he told him.

It was all stress, he told himself, that had to be it. 

[cheryyori]

Red Thread - P. SH AU

pairing(s): seonghwa/oc

genre: social media au, fluff, angst, strangers to lovers au, college au, fantasty elements, past life/ reincarnation au, fated lovers au, playboy!seonghwa, hwa is a bit of a dick at first, sumi is still a nervous baby like in the sk8terboy au, lots of pinning on hwa’s end later on bc i’m soft

summary: Park Seonghwa—business major, son of the CEO to Park Corp. and an overall cold-hearted playboy dickhead—has to help his father’s company by finding a new graphic designer, after firing the last one, for the company’s upcoming project he’s tasked to work on in order prepare him for the future (and maybe highkey work on his people skills). So when Yeosang mentions a particular graphic design student in mind, he wasn’t expecting his world to turn upside down by a red thread.

author’s note: Don’t @ me, I don’t know how to write but enjoy this train wreck okay.

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD & PLAYLIST

01. strawberries and vanilla << | >>

The Aurora Cafe had always been a popular hangout spot in KQ University. Students of all age and majors frequent the cafe with its rich coffee and of course, it’s live performances from various musicians. Specifically the ones that are aspiring amateur musicians.

“Jongho, can you grab the beans from the shelves,” Hongjoong asked the young freshman. Jongho resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he sighed and left his position at the front register.

“Hyung, you do know we have a step ladder right?” The young teen asked. Hongjoong shrugged him off, his eyes on his phone.

“Yeah, but I have you and I’m your boss so you have to do what I say,” he muttered. Jongho only frowned in response before sighing as he tip-toed to reach for the bag of coffee beans that were resting on the top shelves.

“Hyung, I know you gave me this job, but please just use the step ladder next time,” Jongho said as he set the beans down on the counter next to him. Hongjoong merely waved him off, eyes still trailed on his phone for whatever reason. Seeing how Hongjoong won’t be paying attention to anything else other than his phone, Jongho went back to his spot at the front.

Today was surprisingly a slow day, for the cafe. This gave Jongho the opportunity to work on some homework before the small chime of the entrance bought his attention. Looking up, the freshman frowned at the person before him.

“Oh great, you again,” He rolled his eyes at the sight of Park Seonghwa. 

“Is that how you treat a paying patron?” Seonghwa raised a brow at the younger male.

“No, but you’re the exception,” Jongho replied, “So what? The usual strawberry frappe?” He shrugged off, putting in the order before Seonghwa could interrupt him. “Anything thing else?”

Seonghwa didn’t answer, rolling his eyes instead as he paid for his order. It was moments like this he wonders how Hongjoong manages to tolerate Jongho’s attitude.

He managed to find a seat away from most of the others inside the cafe, using their time to study in between classes. Seonghwa already had much on his plate considering that his father was a CEO after all and he was already spending much of his time working there despite still being in school. He used the calming atmosphere of the cafe to help him think.

He ignored the sound of the bell chiming as another person entered the cafe, sounds of a soft laughter following perked at his ears before he heard Jongho’s voice called out his name.

He stood up from his seat and made his way over, Jongho look at him annoyed as always as he placed the strawberry frappe on the counter, “Here,” he grumbled.

“I hope you didn’t spit in it,” Seonghwa mutters, eyeing the frappe in the younger’s hand. 

“That’s for you to find out,” Jongho smiles and Seonghwa bites back a snark remark, thinking he has better things to do than entertain the young teen. He was about to make his way back when he felt a small bump against his shoulder. His mind too preoccupied with his own thoughts that his grip on the frappe loosened as the frappe fell to the ground.

A sharp intake was heard from behind the counter, Jongho watching the scene unfold before him. The younger winced as he looked and saw that it was smaller girl, her form slightly hunched over as she stared at Seonghwa with wide eyes from behind those large round glasses. Jongho couldn’t help but pity her as he knew that Seonghwa was going to let out a snark remark now.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! God, I’m such an idiot!” She sputtered. Seonghwa was taking a moment to process what just happened. His eyes looked to meet the person that bumped into him, brows furrowed together and mouth parted slightly, ready to berate them only to pause.

His mind froze as he saw a small pout on her lips, quivering slightly as tears were in the corner of her eyes as she stood in place with hands close to her chest. He tried to speak, but his mind suddenly short circuited as she picked up the cup with a flushed face. For some reason, an odd sensation pricked at his chest as he stood up straight and glanced away from her. The light fluttering feeling was foreign to him as he felt suddenly nervous, something that rarely happened to him.

“U-um, I’ll buy you a replacement one-!” She spoke up suddenly.

“Wait, Sumire, you don’t have to do that, I can pay for it-” the other next to suddenly spoke up to try to stop her, but she was already making her way over to the register. Jongho was surprised as she stuttered out the order making him wonder if she was anxious or going through a whole nervous break, he wouldn’t be surprised if it was both. Her voice was soft as she continued to apologized for the inconvenience, something about the way she looked so small make Jongho’s heart melt.

He only gave her a small smile and nodded as she paid for the frappe, watching as she stood stiff in her place before Jongho returned. With a thanks she went over to Seonghwa and handed him the strawberry frappe. He slowly took it from her grasp, feeling a slight shock as their hands touched. He flinched slightly from the shock, but the girl remain neutral, as if the shock didn’t happen on her end. When he took it, he was about to speak when she suddenly turned to leave, her face completely red now.

“O-okay, sorry for making you drop your frappe! Bye!” She shouted before suddenly running out of the cafe. Her friend sighed as he followed behind her. Seonghwa watched, seeing the two from the window he sat at, as the girl and her friend were standing outside of the cafe, her from hunched over as she had her face in her hands while her hand patted her back in hopes of reassuring her.

Seonghwa only frowned in response, feeling another prick at his chest as he turned away and tried to focus on the work he had to do, but it suddenly became hard for him to focus on the words on his laptop as his mind kept drifting to the girl.

“Fuck,” he suddenly sighs as he pressed on hand against his forehead, leaning his forearms against the table.

It was only a few minutes later did her friend return inside the cafe and walked up to Jongho, “Can I have a latte and a vanilla frappe?” He softly mutters with hands in his pockets. Jongho could only nodded, putting the order in.

“Y-yeah, um...anything else?” he said. The other only only shook his head, ready to take his wallet out and pay.

“It’s on the house!” Hongjoong suddenly appeared, apparently he had saw the train wreck earlier and felt bad that the girl had to go through that experience.

“Really? Are you sure about that?” He asked, but Hongjoong waved him off as he went to make their drinks. It was only a couple of minutes later did he return with their drinks ready.

“It’s fine, just think of it as an apology for our...friend...” Hongjoong mutters before hand the other the drinks. The other merely raised a brow at Hongjoong before shrugging, taking the drinks as he mutters his thanks.

Seonghwa watched as he left from the corner of his eyes before glancing out the window as he saw the girl sitting on the bench, her face still in her hands before her friend appeared by her side and pressed her drink against the side of her face.

Even from where he sat, Seonghwa could still see the small pout on her lips as she took the frappe from the other, watching her nose suddenly scrunched up in annoyance at whatever her friend said before smacking his arm.

Cute, he thinks before slowly forcing himself to focus on his work. Unaware at how both Hongjoong and Jongho shared a glance at one another, interested and perplexed grins on their lips before busying themselves with work.