#(Sonia is good about asking questions. Perhaps a little *too* good about asking questions)

[theoldaeroplane]

fiddling with how I want to write Mineru for some things I have in mind, so have a sample interaction

---

"It makes good sense to me that you're who you say you are," Mineru tells Zelda, watching her as she subjects her cryptolith to another battery of tests. "Rauru gets that same look."

Zelda's brow furrows. She lifts her head and tries not to feel self-conscious about how large and awkward the "secret stone" feels in her hands. "What look?" she asks, frowning.

From where she leans on her cane by the doorway, Mineru's elegant mouth curls into a smile. "Like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders."

It's strange, going from being recognized everywhere to having your identity constantly questioned. While Rauru and Sonia are willing to believe to her mad tale, Mineru exudes a certain aloofness and distance, one that drives Zelda to distraction. But she is still the sister of the king (king like her father). Irritating or not, Zelda must not bite back. "I fear that to be the natural reaction to knowing that thousands of lives rest on the back of your ability and wisdom," Zelda says stiffly. "As king, I'm sure Rauru feels the same pressure on occasion. You must excuse me if I am distracted."

No answer. Mineru does not so much as pretend to consider the reply. She simply stays right where she is, watching Zelda with her steady, unblinking gaze. She leans motionless against the threshold, like a statue, with the bulk of her weight split between it and her cane.

(Is physical weakness common in Zonai, Zelda wonders. Is it common to see one with walking sticks or crutches or one of those rolling chairs she has seen Mineru in? With their long, spindly bodies, are they simply easier prey for gravity? Or was Mineru in some kind of accident? Perhaps she can find some texts on the subject. Perhaps she could use a break from throwing herself at the problem of the cryptolith. Perhaps it would make her find Mineru less frustrating.)

A minute passes, agonizing in its slowness. Every time Zelda dares look up, Mineru is unchanged. Zelda is accustomed to being watched in silence, her childhood under scrutiny of the court and her adult life with Link at her side. Somehow Mineru's observation still crawls beneath her skin. It's neither the judgemental eyes that follow royalty nor the careful intention of her knight. "May I ask why you're looking at me in that way?" Zelda asks, mustering every ounce of politeness she can find.

Mineru says, "Am I?"

The politeness cracks apart. "Every time I look at you you're staring at me," Zelda says curtly. "I am in the grip of an upsetting ordeal, currently---"

"Being flung back in time."

"---yes, and the staring is not easing my nerves."

"I understand," says Mineru. "It's not my intention to distress you."

"Then what is your intention, pray tell?"

Silence, again. Zelda is about to give up and flee to somewhere more private when Mineru says, "I'm interested in your process, but I don't want to interrupt you further."

Zelda pauses. "My process?"

"Your examination of your abilities," Mineru says at once. "The way you inspect everything from your surroundings to what is said to you. I would call it meticulous. I find it endearing."

There had been a few seconds in Mineru's explanation where Zelda had been to feel a bit flattered. To feel, a little, as if she has judged Mineru too harshly. Upon her last sentence, however, irritation again rears its snarling face. "Endearing," she echoes. "So pleased to hear I can be of entertainment for you, then." She begins to scoop her notes together, stuffing the cryptolith into her satchel alongside them.

Mineru's ears, long and lapine, fold backwards. Her flat expression doesn't change. She does push herself up off the doorframe when Zelda gets to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"Elsewhere."

"I've upset you," Mineru says. "Why?"

"I am not upset," Zelda replies, and sweeps past her on her way out the door.

[the-bar-sinister]

What might have been, what might yet be (866 words) by thesavagesabretooth

Luffy lay with his head in Hancock's lap, the rest of his body flopped out across the grass. His hands were occupied idly weaving the stems of flowers together, and he'd been quiet for a while when he asked.

"If you could change things, would you still become a pirate?"

Hancock looked down at him, her fingers stroking gently through the stretchy strands of his hair as she propped herself up on her other hand.

She favored him with a smile as she nodded once. “I believe I would, yes…I think no matter what I changed I would still feel the call of the sea, just as my mother and father had.” 

"Me too," Luffy said quietly, scrunching up a little bit against her. "Sometimes I wish I had gone earlier."

She shifted to hold him a little closer against her stomach and thighs. “As early as you could, dear Luffy?”

She could relate to it…she often haunted herself with ‘what if’. What if they had left Amazon Lily earlier despite her mother’s warnings? What if they took a different route on that fateful adventure to ‘become Kuja Pirates’. Would she have still been made a slave? If she’d left a year earlier with Mari and Sonia they may never been.

Luffy nodded against the softness of her stomach. The lines on his face were sharp, drawn out by the tension in his jaw now where so often there was smiling softness. He added another flower to his weave.

"Me and my brothers. We should have left as soon as we could. It would have worked out somehow."

“I am certain it would have, somehow, Luffy. My sisters and I should have left sooner too, perhaps things could have been different…” Hancock’s fingers drifted down to brush against the tense muscles along the side of his face. “'What if' is a powerful question, isn’t it?"

"Yeah," he nodded, biting his lip. "Not really one that has a good answer, either, huh? I think I really meant— do you like being a pirate?"

“Do I like being a pirate…?” Hancock looked down at him with her heavily lidded eyes and a warm smile “as opposed to an Empress…or anything I can imagine being?”

She thought for a moment, giving the question the diligence it deserved as she tugged a few stands of his hair between her fingers.

“Yes…I do like being a pirate. The world has been unkind, dear, and my dream of being a pirate had inadvertently put me in the worst situation I’ll ever face, but at the end of the day I cherish the freedom being the head of the Kuja Pirates has given me.”

She smiled down at him. “Queens in their castles cannot change the world beyond the limits of their island. A pirate is unbound by such constraints…a pirate is unbound by any chain at all.” 

Hancock watched as all the trouble and tension in Luffy's face drained away at her answer, the lines going soft again as he smiled his wide, passionate smile. Leaving the daisy chain on his stomach he reached up and he put his hands around her face.

"You get it." He grinned even wider. "That's what being a pirate is really all about."

She smiled back, his grin was infectious…she never could help herself when he started smiling. “I do, I do get it. Piracy is a life of freedom, with the power to never let yourself be bound down by anything. My parents were pirates living how they wished…I was saved by the Sun Pirates…”

She closed her eyes, still smiling brightly as she held him closer to her lap. “The gold, the jewels…they all come second to that lovely feeling of the open sea, no?” 

"Uhuh." He nuzzled against her, and she felt his hands leave her face. "Not that I'd ever say no to gold and jewels. Finding treasure is always a fun surprise."

His fingers brushed her hair, and she felt a soft weight on her head.

“A nice surprise and a beautiful marker of your success…something to remember the thrill with.” 

She opened her eyes, and her free hand reached up to touch the top of her head, against the gentle weight. 

The daisy chain had vanished from Luffy's stomach, and Hancock could see the edges of flower petals hanging over her forehead.

She flushed, and her smile went from ear to ear as she looked down at Luffy. “and I see you’ve bestowed a pirate’s treasure on me once more.” 

Luffy giggled. "I'll make one for myself next. It's the right kind of crown for a pirate king."

Hancock leaned down to plant a gentle kiss upon his lips before she brushed her fingers along the soft petals atop her head. It was such a simple thing, formed of the beauty of the world itself by clever hands out of care. Despite the allure of gold and jewels, these sorts of moments captured Hancock most of all— the sort of quiet tenderness she was so often denied in the past.

“A perfect crown for Pirate King and a Pirate Empress alike.”

[science-lings]

IM TRYING TO SEND AN ASK BUT TUMBLR ISN'T LETTING ME AUGH anyways i wanted to ask about au things but im so bad at questions so this is permission to infodump about literally anything, judgement free /gen

lol I'm glad tunglr allowed it in the end

I've honestly been thinking of my totk role swap au(s) a lot recently, and I think since both versions (sage of time link and sage of spirit link) seem like good ideas as voted by the populous, I think I have a way that I want to do them both simultaneously. Like I would write and do art of them side by side to be able to show how they differ and how they're the same.

Sage of Time Link loses his arm and I'm not sure if I'm going to give him a prosthetic or not, maybe he gets one eventually but definitely not right away. I want him to get used to fighting lefthanded without a shield, bc it's implied that he's ambidextrous, or at least he writes with his left hand but fights with his right, and I'm almost certain he'd be able to still fight with his seemingly non-dominant hand. I want to have him become friends with Sonia and Rauru, I want to have him openly missing Zelda and fighting against Ganondorf's army of Molduga's, not just with some vague light power, but with his own abilities. I want to explore how his time abilities are different than Sonia's recall abilities and how they still won't help him get back to his own time. This version of the story would more clearly center around how Link and the new royal family deal with Ganondorf and more political matters, he's kind of like a one-armed adopted prince with how the king and queen take him in after he was injured. (they also see his secret stone as a reason to trust him)

Sage of Spirit Link AU would focus more heavily on the depths and Link's connection to the dead. (I really want to give him the champions and their powers back as his spiritual power is strengthened by the secret stone but idk if that would make him too op or not) And this time, he gets his very own maternal figure in the form of Mineru, like how Zelda forms a bond with Sonia. This version would focus more on how Link is kind of a nerd too, and how he really knows his way around technology. Perhaps he's one of the play-testers for the shrine puzzles and he's having a blast doing it. I would want to have him spend a considerable amount of time in the depths and really drive home the idea that it is some sort of afterlife or mirror world where the walls that divide the spiritual world and the moral world are thin and that's why there are so many poes stuck there. Maybe he could become friends with the bargainer, or maybe their connection is a little more complex than that.

anyway that's all i can think of for now as I have to go but I would love to talk about them more!

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Hi Jan!! Please read this when you’re ready! And if you have anything to say, I’d be pleased and thankful to see!!

I’m so very sorry to be asking such a random and not so common question… (especially at a time when you’re going through something rough… my condolences to you and your grandma/grandpa, they’re very strong alongside you. For doing their best trying to stay strong possibly with you by their side…) I was just wondering if you have maybe a view or opinion on people adding (I’m not sure if people changing the skin tone of others is bad? Something they don’t need to do? Although I’d never do that myself regardless of the reason…) a race (most likely their fan version of them) to a character that I can perhaps learn from? I'm still quite puzzled about the concept of myself and yeah, I wouldn't necessarily want to do that personally to anyone but I still want to understand if it's wrong to be doing or if it doesn't matter and I should be neutral on it. It seems harmless and supportive (in a way, not just in the DR fandom. Although yeah, I don’t see it a lot as I’ve come across/ seen a user recently (no offense/ Im not trying to be rude or anything!!!) who had their pfp of Ibuki (coincidentally!! My forever love but) but balsian (sprite edit). Now, I’m not at all against it and I thought she still looked very beautiful but, is that okay to be doing is my question? I won’t be doing it still even if it is okay as I’m not interested in doing such personally (I Love characters just the way they are simply put!! So I don’t feel the needed/ want to be doing something like that. And as I’ve seen, some people who do that too them do love them originally as well!) but, I feel out of place with my viewpoint as I don’t even view it necessarily in a bad way…

I’m also so very sorry if you could barely read/ understand my grammar as I don’t have good/ barely decent grammar right now… (I am also going anon for this as I am afraid of being bombarded with ask harassing me, possibly but, you probably might know who I am based on my grammar and damn behavior regardless.)

Hi! I appreciate the consideration, and I absolutely don't mind receiving asks about different fandom related topics right now, as it might even be helpful to take my mind off things sometimes. Of course, this is a long question about a complex topic, so the main reason I have to answer it right now is that otherwise I'll... forget... ... but generally speaking, don't worry about it. If I had to talk about my personal life instead, right now, we'd be there a while OTL

I'm not sure I can give you a satisfying answer, however. I think it's a step in the right direction to ask about it sincerely, and take into consideration other people's appreciations of things you don't relate to. It's important to note, though, that I am Very White, and as such I can't possibly have all, or the best answers. All I can try is to be an ally to the communities impacted by this or that topic by pointing out elements I've been made aware of.

The first thing I'll have to point out is that the awkward phrasing of this question here would be good to rework for your future consideration of the topic:

I was just wondering if you have maybe a view or opinion on people adding a race to a character that I can perhaps learn from?

Though I'm not in the best position to comment on how the word "race" should be used exactly as a non-native English speaker, this strikes me as odd as it implies that people are giving characters a race... because they didn't have one before? I thought from this that maybe your ask would be about Fantasy, but you mentioned Danganronpa, so I think you rather meant "change" or "swap" their races (at least those are the terms I've seen in use).

Unfortunately, this is a little tricky, and I haven't come across a straightforward answer, neither am I in a position to pick one. The characters from Danganronpa, save for a few obvious exceptions (Sonia Nevermind comes to mind) are Japanese. This means that they are not white. For that reason, I have seen Japanese fans mention that they don't appreciate that Japanese characters are being changed by fans in this manner, because they feel as though their ethnicity is being forgotten even by people trying to uplift people of color (poc). This is something with, yet again, a complex answer, as there are indeed fans who conveniently forget the Danganronpa cast isn't white, but there are also fans who do know, respect it, but are choosing to represent the Blasian community with their headcanons. There is also an argument to be made that this is Japanese media, so the majority in this instance is Japanese, and believe it or not, racism also exists in Japan - something I really can't speak on because I have no close experience with any aspect of it.

There are possible other debates to be had about characters with darker skin, who are sometimes read by Western audiences as being black, from ignorance of the fact that there are Japanese (and generally Asian) people who look like this in different regions. But this is again not black and white (ha) as there are very much Blasian communities, who get largely ignored as well - Danganronpa makes very little effort to clarify its characters' origins, so there's not always a reason to confirm either party is right or wrong. (This is of course not mentioning the actual racism exhibited in Danganronpa, which other users can explain much better than I can.) Either way, since you mentioned Ibuki, who has pale skin in canon, this isn't exactly what you were talking about.

tl;dr: like I already said, I'm not in a position to make an accurate judgement. My observations are that it's common, fairly well accepted, and is oftentimes done by reasonable parties. It's important to note that the answer would be completely different if these characters were white in canon; no one is being erased by "raceswapping" in those instances, because white people are privileged and overrepresented. (It goes without saying that the all-too common practice of making a black character white is extremely racist.) Of course, if any of these headcanons/AUs doesn't speak to you, the best thing to do is to scroll past it; regardless of your reason - maybe you see yourself in this character, maybe their design seems accurate to a group they already belong to to you, anything - headcanons, AUs, fanfics and the like are meant to entertain and no one is forced to engage with or enjoy them.

[quickdeaths]

As Sonia explained her situation, Shinobu found herself possessed of two conflicting emotions. It was awful, what had happened to Sonia - how she'd been treated as a status symbol or an accessory. That any man could look at her, with how interesting and charming she was, and see her only in that way was the height of male myopia. And yet, there was some part of themselves that was happy her date hadn't gone spectacularly, and that Hasegawa would not continue onwards in her life as a boyfriend, or, eventually, something even more than that.

The only feeling that wasn't conflicted or in any doubt was her awareness that she should have beaten him harder. For that sort of person, it would have been fair to take a few of his teeth, or to crack a rib. Perhaps if she'd pierced a lung with a broken rib, he'd have been too laid-up to even attend his little function. Of course, that would have brought with it all manner of complications, but... Anzu was a good liar, and she'd have covered for her, if asked. Yes, she should have allowed her violent urges to play as they liked, knowing that it might have been some while before the opportunity surfaced again. Hasegawa should hope not to cross her path again, she thought, for she'd surely enjoy dismantling him.

They became aware too late that that dark shroud had settled over their features. "That's awful, Miss Nevermind," she said, taking a breath and forcing her sharp eyes to relax behind her glasses, and allowing the tension she'd been holding in her jaw to release. "Even for all my own dating misfortunes, that sort of experience stands out as uniquely unfair." Without her mind realizing what her body was doing, Shinobu reached out and gently took Sonia's hands in her own. "I've... said as much, before, but I repeat myself - you are rather extraordinary, Miss Nevermind. Any man who refuses to see that deserves not a moment of your time."

Looking at Sonia like this, so close, always seemed to soften her expression. "If you've made that decision for yourself, I'm no one to question it, but..." She shook her head, casting off the errant thought that had nearly made its way to her lips. "Whenever it is, I suppose, now, or some point in the future, you surely deserve someone who will treat you as you desire to be treated. Not as a prize to be displayed, or some thing upon a pedestal to be guarded and hidden away, but rather..."

The blush on Shinobu's face stretched past her cheeks, reaching the tips of her ears. This kind of nakedly honest vulnerability ill-suited her, in her opinion. "Rather, as you are, I mean. After all, you have to know that you're quite special, as far as people go." It was embarrassing. So embarrassing, and yet, she didn't let Sonia's hands go. "You could be a penniless orphan with no title, with nothing at all to your name, Miss Nevermind, and I hardly think it would change how lucky someone would be to have your affection."

She was talking far too much, wasn't she? "I regret if I've been unduly running my mouth, Miss Nevermind," they murmured apologetically. "I just wouldn't want you to think that you were in any way at fault for what transpired. Ha- he, rather, clearly missed out." Awkward... She truly had too much connection to the situation, and to speak plainly about it would only raise more questions. Shinobu would need to approach it carefully. "I'm not sure if it would bring you any comfort, but, I have my suspicions as to whether or not that was even his gift in the first place - the gentleman."

He'd seen the dessert himself, hadn't he? And yet not even realized that the red strawberries were mixed with white ones - Japan's hatsukoi no kaori strawberries. The scent of first love. What an embarrassing name for such a sweet fruit. Frankly, had Hasegawa any understanding of them, surely he could have parlayed it into a more romantic point. That he'd stolen credit was bad enough, but then to so... what was the word Anzu used in situations like this... 'fumble' the situation was even worse. Then, so important was it to correct Sonia's understanding, so she might not think such a personal and thoughtful gift came from someone so unconcerned with her.

With a soft hum, Shinobu gave a light shrug of their shoulders. "I'm in the same class as Miss Sato, you see - the baker - and we're on decent enough terms." After Anzu and Sonia, Ayaka could, perhaps, be considered her next closest regular acquaintance, if not quite a full friend. "Anzu spoke with her, and inquired about it, and though Miss Sato declined to reveal the identity of the person who solicited it, she mentioned they brought a detailed plan of what they wanted. She didn't seem to think it was a reserve course student, either, and Miss Sato... for her sharp exterior, is rather sensitive to these sorts of romantic things. I don't imagine she'd accept so elaborate an order if she didn't detect some manner of genuine feelings behind it." She took a breath, her speech having lost a bit of its even, measured tone. Honestly, they had to mind themselves. "If it's any comfort at all to you, then, it might be the case that the person who had it sent to you is still out there."

Was that enough? She felt some small measure of regret, of course, for involving Ayaka in the situation. She and Sonia didn't speak, so, it was unlikely that things would get back to her, and it wasn't as though she'd said anything particularly untrue, or damning. Ayaka was, after all, both sensitive to, and perceptive regarding romantic gestures and feelings. They'd learned that much at that ridiculous party that Anzu and Momoka had thrown involving half of their class. Even just thinking about it... what a bizarre night that had been.

"Ah, and as for the Valentine's chocolates..." Shinobu had, as she recalled, said thank you, but, perhaps Anzu was right. She texted so strangely that perhaps the message didn't get through, surrounded as it was by other things. "Actually, yours are the only ones I kept. I receive too many, and I'm not especially taken with chocolate in the first place, so I seldom eat them, but..." Abruptly, she became aware of the fact that she was still holding Sonia's hands, but, to let go now seemed as though it would draw too much attention to it. "I greatly enjoyed yours, Miss Nevermind, so thank you."

There was a moment, standing with her in the corridor like this, away from the eyes of others, holding both of her hands, where Shinobu imagined that something could happen. What, exactly, that something would look like, they weren't sure. There was just... something. Some kind of potential energy. Then, the moment passed, as Shinobu heard in the distance the announcement over the PA. First in the auditorium itself, then in the hallway. "Ah..." She murmured, letting go of Sonia's hands. "I suppose that's our sign to go to our seats, isn't it?"

Oh, that was it. It was clear to Sonia that she had taken a step too far: so entrenched in her personal sense of justice and fairness that it had bristled against her friend's already-prickly shell. And making a scene in the courtyard to boot: she sighed, idly reaching for a small tangle in her long hair and smoothing it out. Another thing she wasn't supposed to do in front of others: see to her beauty needs while enforcing her personal views on moral fortitude.

Shinobu had begun, Sonia thought, to retreat into themselves, and she began to wrestle with two conundrums of her own: why had they even asked her to come, if her opinions and presence would only serve to upset them in the end? And did they regret it yet, trying to take Princess Sonia of Novoselic on a perfectly normal outing that she, even without opening her mouth, would manage to make a disaster of? "Thank you," Sonia replied at Shinobu's offer. "I feel awful for what happened in the courtyard already. I do not want to make this afternoon worse for you or your friend. I am sorry, I realize I have said too much."

Was it the way Shinobu held herself, or the way her lips curved into a deep frown of displeasure? Sonia wasn't entirely sure, but what she did know was that she didn't like it. Or rather, she didn't like seeing Shinobu like this: a look and posture of disdain and disappointment, the look she was used to her friend giving the throngs of young women who loitered outside of Hope's Peak's gates waiting for her nearly every afternoon. The look she'd given to her date when she'd dumped that soda atop Sonia's head. Maybe it was contrary to how so many saw Shinobu Yaguchi, but Sonia would really preferred her to be smiling, or at least content about her life at present.

She just wasn't sure if she could help her achieve it, but that wouldn't stop Sonia from trying.

"Yes, I remember," She said. She couldn't bring herself to lean against the wall beside Shinobu, so she took to standing straight, shoulders back and head high, near her instead. "I was worried about being trampled, so I asked Anzu-san to give you my chocolates instead. I was not sure if the candy would have arrived intact otherwise. I hope you liked them." She smiled softly at the thought. Sonia had never heard from her friend if she did like them: she'd always assumed Shinobu didn't like chocolate at all. Maybe she tasted a few offerings just to be nice, but she doubted she kept any of them. Still, it was a nice thought: that Shinobu Yaguchi enjoyed, instead of merely tolerated, her gift. She didn't want to receive special treatment most of the time, but there was something about her friend appreciating her gift over others that gave Sonia butterflies.

"But that is unfortunate," Sonia continued, her smile now warmer, one that reached her eyes and was directed solely at Shinobu. "You should be able to go about your life in peace, without others constantly in demand of you. Maybe it sounds crass, but I know, truly, what that is like. I would not wish that on anyone, especially you."

She was a dear friend, but even a friend couldn't keep Sonia's smile on her face when asked about her supposed post-White Day 'date.' The disappointment appeared in her eyes before the rest of her face caught up: chin tilted down towards the floor, the frown. "Oh, that," She replied, her tone dull and flat, lacking the compassion she'd felt when talking about Shinobu just before. "I knew he had not made or requested it himself when I asked about the various types of strawberries used. He did not know that there were multiple varieties of strawberries."

Sonia sighed deeply, her blonde brows furrowing. Shinobu hadn't meant to unnerve her, she understood that. But they'd opened a floodgate that, until the privacy of that hallway and their company, Sonia had kept bottled tightly inside her. Complaining was a weakness, one a princess should never show, and yet with the smallest inquiry from her friend it all came tumbling out. "He wanted me to go to a party with him," She continued, "Some large, fancy party for members of the Japanese Diet, to congratulate another law reform that will make the majority of Japanese citizens suffer for the sake of those in power. He was already in a sour mood due to someone injuring his nose, but he needed someone. Me, on his arm, to compete with his friends and their heiresses, actresses, idols, and models."

She paused, swallowing thickly, as her hands balled into fists. "To make sure his father noticed that he was the only one there with a princess in tow. He did not even want to talk to me, to listen to anything I had to say, unless it was about him or his family. That is how it is...that is how it usually, always, is."

Sonia pushed her anger aside in favor of focus, of determination, her hands uncurling and relaxing at her sides. "That is why I think I should not try to date anymore, at least while I am still a student, at least until I must date, and marry, and bear the next heirs to the throne," She explained, nodding, as if the gesture would cement her decision further. "Everyone wants to date me because I am a princess, I am something to show off or something they feel compelled to protect because I am perceived as fragile and elevated over others. And those who do not care about my title...well, my title still hurts them in the end. It would be easier if I did not require a love match, but, I cannot in good conscience enter a relationship, much less a marriage, without one."

[morethanaprincess-a]

@againthemartyr​ said:  ✿, ♡!

Interactions meme

I love writing, plotting, and seeing you on my dash too! I know your muse inspiration tends to ebb and flow, and that’s just fine by me. Let me know if you want to throw a muse at me and maybe we can work out a verse and threads!

That said, what kinds of chocolate do demons like? Do demons even like and eat chocolate? I’m asking for a friend. She’s already asked about how ghosts have sex, do you want me to subject the dash to her inquiries about if demons eat chocolate too?

At least Sonia’s asking the important questions here.

[cinnabun-faerie]

Danganronpa GBD: Playing Phasmaphobia with them

Taglist:

If you want to be added to the taglist for whenever I post, you can comment here on the original post !

Frightfest '22 Masterlist

Chiaki Nanami

As the gaming expert, she would be pretty good at the game

She'd be many levels ahead of everyone and would have bought a lot of items that the group would need

She'd be helpful in giving suggestions on what they all needed to do in order to succeed in the mission

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

he wouldn't get scared by this game

it was just a "game" after all

he would just kinda be quiet while he goes around setting up the cameras

but when Kazuichi was screaming, he'd try to calm him down in his own way

"Calm down. The faster we figure out what it is, the quicker we can be done here."

he would be one of the people who almost never die in the game

Gundham Tanaka

He would try to curse all of the ghosts and demons and whatnot in the game

How dare they come after him and those he cares about

He would absolutely lead the group in what they'd need to do to get rid of these abominations

he might even explain some of the objects like the smudge stick when they need to use it

Hajime Hinata

he would enjoy the game mostly to be with the others

although he might not be all that good at it

he'd have his moment as being a ghost and being a survivor

he would happily do whatever anyone needed him to do

honestly if you were playing with his group, he'd stick by you

especially if he knew you were scared

if you got locked in a room, he would try his best to get you out

even if he failed, he would try his best to avenge you

but honestly it would just end in him becoming a ghost with you

Ibuki Mioda

She would have more fun as a ghost than actually investigating

she's going to follow around whoever's still alive

"Mahiru! You don't know it, but I'm right behind you!"

she would throw things at Kazuichi and Hajime to see if they'd notice

she comes up with new songs while being a ghost

and if you're a ghost with her, she'll tell you all about it

Kazuichi Soda

he doesn't want to play

MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO PLAY

the game is TOO SCARY

"Y/N's/Sonia's playing."

That's all it takes

if you're going to play then he has to!

he's gonna try to impress you with his ghost hunting skills

he's sticking by your character to "protect you"

he's probably the first to die

screams into the mic for help as the ghost attacks him

he tries to act all tough and manly when the round is over

"Y/N, I wasn't really scared or anything."

"I believe you."

he will volunteer to stay in the van to monitor everyone

Mahiru Koizumi

she would be the one with the camera taking pictures of the ghost

or anything that needed a photo taken of

she would feel a little unnerved by the darkness as well as the noises in the game

she might let out a shriek when she sees the ghost or hears a voice from Nagito or Sonia's spirit box

Nagito Komaeda

Well, a seeing as Kazuichi and Nekomaru try to lock him in rooms with the ghosts, its a miracle that he survives

however lucky he may seem in some games, he's also rather unlucky

it's a bummer that he couldn't help you figure out the ghost type

perhaps next time he could be a better help

he would use the spirit box to ask questions

would he provoke the ghosts? yeah, most likely

they need to come out if the group wanted to find out what they were

Sonia Nevermind

If you, Chiaki or Gundham recommends this game, then she'll play it

she actually enjoys it very much

and she only dies in the game once

she always goes around with Gundham with the smudge stick or asks questions on the spirit box

she's probably the one who figures out what the ghost is before the others

[mudskip-muses]

Maybe 14 with Kaz and gundham? I feel like that would be funny lol -drabble anon

“Well, this is awkward…” (X) 14. Throwing an object across the room out of frustration.

With a resounding clang through the garage, Kazuichi threw his wrench as hard as he could at the adjacent wall by the door, a loud curse sounding out from his lips as it flew through the air. Of course it would be just his luck that someone would come traipsing through the door as the tool hit, and of course it would be Gundham, someone who the mechanic had been getting on better terms with after a long conversation and a series of apologies to him and Sonia, someone who he almost just brained with a wrench.

"Fuck! Shit, I'm sorry dude! Bad timing on that one." He tried to say with a laugh after watching the breeder full body duck away, a look of fear on his face that maybe at one point in time, Kazuichi would have bragged about putting there, but now it just made him feel like shit.

One hand coming up to remove his hat, the other ran through his hair with a frustrated sigh, the overburdened mechanic turning to kick at the tires of the car he had been working on, the knowledge of all the rest parked outside that he still had to fix only serving to grind his gears all the more.

"Sometimes it fucking sucks being the ultimate mechanic. Does nobody at this fucking school know how to change a tire? O-Or check their oil?" He turned to the breeder suddenly, the other man having slowly made his way across the room, not because he was afraid of Kazuichi's temper, but because of all the stuff laying about the workshop floor. Project after project half finished, some close to completion and others in nothing but pieces upon tarps to keep everything together.

"Gundham, quick, do you know how to check the oil in that creepy ass hearse you drive?" He pleaded as the breeder came to a stop beside him, the man eyeing the the inner workings of the car Kaz had previously been working on with trepidation.

"...I...take it this is not a good time to ask you to assess the wellbeing at my metal steed?" The question pulled a long, drawn out groan from the mechanic, his hat now being thrown across the room, only for the cap to land in a small puddle of oil.

"Fuck it! I give up! Someone else can be the ultimate mechanic, I quit!" He shouted to the ceiling before plopping down to the ground with a frustrated huff, his head being propped up by a fist as the fingers of his other hand picked idly at a thread on his coveralls.

Gundham watched the display with a blank expression, the gears turning about in his head as he crouched down next to Kaz. "...I believe that you are in need of a break, Tamer of Automatons."

"Gee, you fucking think?" Was the mechanic's huffed reply, fingers wrapping about the thread to pull it off with a small snap. "I got too much shit to do. All these cars gotta be good to go by the end of the day. It's a bunch of little shit, but it's just-" He finished the statement with another groan, the palms of his hands pressing into his eyes in exasperation.

Gundham stayed silent for a moment, looking about the shop and all the projects Kazuichi had pilled onto his plate, perhaps seeing a bit of himself in the overabundant workload.

"If you allow yourself to take a short respite, perhaps by assisting me with a few of my beasts, I will attempt to make myself of use with the more mundane tasks you have been assigned." Kaz slowly looked at Gundham, searching his face for any hint of a lie.

"...What kind of beasts?" He asked cautiously, still bearing the scar around his wrist from Gundham's, well...bear.

"A small litter of what you mortals call puppies. Their mother requires a break every few hours to avoid stress, so I take that time to socialize the small creatures to prepare them for their future masters."

"Okay...do you know how to check oil?" Kaz asked, already standing from the floor with a small smile at the idea of getting to spend time with Gundham pet a bunch of puppies.

"...I...am afraid such a spell remains out of my skillset." The breeder reluctantly admitted as he stood from his crouch, brushing off dirt from the end of his coat for the sole advantage of not having to make eyes contact. Kaz just laughed, clapping a friendly hand to Gundham's shoulder as he lead them to the shop door.

"It's easy, you just gotta check the dipstick."

"Is...that not what the devil dancer called you earlier in the week?" Gundham asked with brows knit, a genuine question that had Kaz laughing again.

"Well, yeah, but this one's different. It's this stick thing with a yellow handle that you dip into the oil tank and see where the oil goes up to on stick, so you know how much is in there."

"...Dip...stick..."

"Yeah, exactly! So, ideally you want it to be in between the two lines, but..." He rambles on, previous frustrations forgotten as he walked across campus with Gundham. And if his hand lingered on his shoulder well after what was considered "normal?" Well...Gundham wasn't about to say anything, too afraid that he'd pull it away.

[princesskokichi]

Kazuichi and reader keep Gundham and Sonia away from eachother

I think this one is a good way to get back my motivation to write- it's just chaotic and fun!

Thank you for requesting, anon! Have a great day!

- Mod Kaede

- When Kazuichi first approached you, you had thought nothing of it: the two of you were good friends, so you thought he wanted to just chat about the usual things

- Those usual things consisting of him talking about his really weird fascinations and you explaining how a girls organs are not to be viewed like they're a car engine

- Nonetheless, this had to have been one of the few times you had agreed to go along with his questionable ideas when he had asked for you to join him in his diabolical scheme of keeping the close pair of Gundham and Sonia away from eachother

- Perhaps he had thought he would have a chance with the out of reach princess had her prince of darkness been kept away long enough for him to have a chance at not being ruthlessly rejected- though you had your doubts of his plans actually working, you had agreed with the intentions of following your own desires through this plan

- It had seemed, however, that Kazuichi had not expected you to go along with his plan as quickly and with as little resistance as you did, indicated by his widened eyes and hesitant, yet excited, grin. He proceeded to pull out a folded peice of paper out of his pocket, which he then unfolded to become a large sheet of paper with what appeared to be a surprisingly well made plan

- It wasn't too soon before you had went through the plan a few times and the two of you sprung into action. Though, originally, Kazuichi had suggested that you go with Sonia at first ('in order to hype me up' he lied, you knowing he was just nervous about speaking to Sonia on his own) you had persisted with the idea that he should just get it over with now and you go straight to Gundham first, for both of your sake

- He wasn't really sure why you were so determined to go with Gundham first, nor what your true intentions were, but had decided to overlook it, in favour of keeping you in his plan and getting to spend more time with Sonia

- The plan was pretty simple, all you had to do was distract Gundham while Kazuichi talked with Sonia elsewhere. Most of the planning on that paper were potential places you could take Gundham that would avoid the general area that Sonia will be in, as well as containing a few conversation topics that were bound to keep the interest of both Sonia and Gundham

- It was easy, at first, you had already spent a little time with Gundham beforehand, and had won over enough of his trust to get him to follow you to one of the assigned locations. Just in time too, as you had previously saw Sonia on her way to Gundham. Luckily, Kazuichi had acted quick enough to distract her so you could steal away Gundham before it got to that point

- After you had moved locations, far away from both Kazuichi and Sonia, you had begun to get nervous, forgetting almost all of the conversation topics you had supposedly memorised earlier. This was your crush you were spending time with, after all: what would you say? You had to speak soon, however, as failing to do so could result in Gundham leaving and the plan failing too.

- Fortunately, it was rather easy to speak of one topic Gundham was passionate about: animals

- "So, what is your opinion on trees?"

- How did you even mess that up?! It suddenly became apparent that you spend to much time with Kazuichi, having adopted his inability to be a normal, sensible human being and also being an idiot. You'd have to stop being friends with him after this, for the sake of preserving what is left of your braincells and social capabilities

- Gundham's facial expression changed to one of a scared cat. Honestly, he acts as if he had never been asked about the wellbeing of vegetation before!

- "Ah... I much prefer the animals that live in them..."

- "Ahahaha.... Yeah I really like ducks..."

- "....."

- "Ducks don't live in trees, do they?"

- "I'm afraid not, S/O"

- Yeah, definitely stop hanging out with Kazuichi. Especially since Gundham looked as though he was about to leave. It was at that moment that you had an idea, though you were sure that he thought you were too stupid for it to work

- "Could you perhaps teach me about animals so that I never make that mistake ever again?"

- It seemed as though some greater force was on your side that day as Gundham's face had immediately lit up, and he suddenly went on to talk about animals for the next hour. Though you didn't get much talk in, he looked as though he was enjoying himself, and you didn't trust yourself to say anything intelligent, anyway

- Pretty soon, you saw Kazuichi walking towards the two of you, a sign that your time with Gundham was coming to an end. He was without Sonia, but wore a bright smile on his face, which could mean anything for him. You said your goodbyes to Gundham once Kazuichi had arrived to where you sat

- "Goodbye, S/O, I would thoroughly enjoy hanging out with you again. I shall be testing you on your animal knowledge next time!"

- You nodded before showing him a soft smile, not failing to notice the slight blush on Gundham's cheeks, which made your heart pound louder and faster than usual. You were glad that the duck thing didn't put him off

- As you walked away with Kazuichi, he started talking about how his 'date' went, mentioning how he managed to go a whole hour without scaring Sonia off, only because he let her talk the entire time (which you can say is a great tactics for someone as socially incompetent as the two of you). He asked how your time with Gundham was spent, though you responded vaguely

- "I've been meaning to ask but, why were you so easily persuaded to help me earlier?"

- "I have a crush on Gundham, obviously-"

- "WAIT WHAT-"

- "Wow, what an attentive friend you are-"

- You spent the rest of the walk thinking about what to do with Gundham next, also contemplating how to make Kazuichi less of a dense idiot

- "Hey, Kazuichi?"

- "Yeah?"

- "Name an animal that lives in trees,"

- "Ducks."

- "We're no longer friends-"

[more-than-a-princess]

@arslivitia​ asked:  “say the word and i will crush his ribs.” [ from akira! just got back home from first day of work, so i apologize for not sending one in sooner, otl ;; ]

When He Was Wicked Sentence Starters - Accepting 1 or 2 more of these!

It was the sort of scene Sonia, in the moments she chose to fret about her friendships, her normal life in Japan, and how it would fit in with what she really was, had worried for most. The sort that kept her up at night when even a good horror movie couldn't lull her to sleep (much less a cozy drink). In the end, watching a serial killer slash away at their victims or an evil presence terrorize a family was far more appealing than watching both of her lives collide in front of her and her, unsure of how to proceed or react next.

Literally. Considering Akira had shown her his usual convenience store and the places where he trained in martial arts (but not where he socialized with his friends. Or friend, she should say: she'd never met Amanome but Akira gave few personal details about him and Sonia didn't feel it was wise to press him further), the area was still not the sort of place the Princess of Novoselic had any reason to be in. Full of organized and unorganized crime alike, it was a neighborhood of mostly lower middle class families and establishments, save for an affluent all-girls school in the area with questionable reviews. At least compared to Hope's Peak, which made every other school in the nation questionable.

To that end, it had been refused for her to walk alone: she'd agreed to allow him to retrieve her at the train station despite the reality of it: a car with black-tinted windows had dropped her off and waited a block and a half away, as inconspicuous as possible. It had been perfect: she simply would've arrived early (as Novoselic custom dictated) and he wouldn't have been any the wiser.

That is, until several hours into their outing, one of her plainclothes security (a demand made by her family once they'd learned the area of Tokyo their daughter was visiting regularly) made himself a little too obvious and stood a little too close to Sonia, eyeing Akira Kijima a little too closely behind his sunglasses. In a moment, her friend had taken down a professionally-trained bodyguard and now threatened to crush his ribcage beneath his foot.

"No! Absolutely not, Kijima-san!" Sonia cried. Truth be told, she didn't know quite how this would turn out. How he'd react, and perhaps even more crucially, how the bodyguard would act. Akira knew Sonia was rich, that was for certain: but she'd kept the rest of it, the important bit, hidden. For as long as she manage it. Clearly that was going to end today.

"You mustn't hurt Claude!" She replied, eyeing the dark-haired man beneath Akira's sneaker. With his sunglasses on and his dark hair, he could easily blend in with the rest of the crowd. However, the blue eyes beneath the lenses were enough to show that the day's security wasn't a 100% Japanese citizen: instead, he was half-Japanese, half-Novosonian, and had completed ten years in the military before Gabriel, the Royal Family's Head of Security, had dispatched him and half a dozen others to keep an eye on the Princess at official royal events (and, Sonia rather suspected, most other times as well, as discreetly as possible). "Please, let him up! He...he works for my family, you see. He is watching over me and doing his job, as acutely as possible."

She sighed deeply. In perhaps an overly dramatic fashion, she'd thrown herself between both men and placed her hands on Akira's chest, her attempt to gently restrain him, if not calm him down. Before she dealt with two very pressing problems: telling him what she really was and communicating home that her personal security was taken down by an eighteen-year-old high school student.

"He was following a bit too closely, but it's the only way I'd be allowed to visit your neighborhood, this area of the city," She explained, taking a half-step back once she was sure Akira didn't plan to murder Claude in an alley. "It's a security risk, for me and my family, if anything befalls me here. We're not...well. We're not exactly a normal family. We've got...quite a lot to live up to."

[ultimateluckystudent-writes]

hello! if this isn’t too weird, i’d like to request nagito and his fem s/o being heard having...seggs...... (maybe? possibly? perhaps? you can include the seggs scene?? if it’s not too much..) and the next morning their classmates are literally like 🧍‍♂️🧍🏻‍♀️ and it’s so awkward 😭😭 I CAN JUST IMAGINE HIYOKO AND MAHIRU LIKE 😀🤬 and everyone else like 😅😐please don’t feel obligated to do it but if you do then thank you so much!!! have a great day/night

Nagito and S/O being overheard

Anon, you're a genius. Absolutely, this is my favorite request I've gotten so far I had to do this first (even... if I'm... really late) It kind of spiraled into a little fic with smut and fluff but eh, the more the merrier right?

-Mod Usami

Word Count: 1.9k

Content Warnings: Island Mode AU! Some smut at the beginning, the rest is pretty fluffy. If you don't wanna read it, skip to where you see *****

“Fuck! Oh, fuck, yes!” Nagito’s hips hit yours with a fervor that was unfamiliar but completely welcome. His long, bony fingers held your waist tightly to hold himself steady as he fucked you while you lay on your back. Above you, he had a look of complete focus as he worked to keep up his pace. Usually he was quite gentle with you, making you take the reins if you wanted something rougher, but tonight he touched you with a drive you couldn’t place.

It had been much the same earlier, when he brought you off the first time eating you out; however, you had grown accustomed to Nagito’s eagerness when his face was between your legs. You’d been much too distracted by that very tongue laving your clit to notice any difference. When his hips slotted between yours though, the difference was so clear.

One of Nagito’s hands moved from its place on your torso to the back of your thigh, pushing it back towards you gently. His eyes remained locked on yours, and though his pace didn’t relent, his eyes were soft and questioning. When you could moaned in response, he couldn’t help but grin to himself a bit. The new angle allowed him to go even deeper,

“My hope...” He choked out, obviously attempting to remain steady even while he was so pleased. “I- you- you sound beautiful already and- and I know this is a selfish request-”

“Wh- What do you want, Nah- ah! Nagito!” You’d meant to continue on, but it was rather difficult. Your fingers dug into the sheets. Nagito moaned aloud at his name, his brows furrowing.

“Yes! My- my name! Just like that!”

��Of course, my pretty boy.” You managed to give him a sloppy half-smile. You let your head fall back once more as he continued. “Nagito! Oh, ah, Nagito! Fuck, baby you’re- you’re so good!” Your hand began to reach down to your clit, but his voice interrupted you.

“P- please, allow me-” He adjusted himself so he was pressed further down into you, one arm supporting himself on the bed and the other beginning to rub circles around your clit, one of your legs over his shoulder. All at once you were enveloped in how good he was making you feel, and knew you weren’t going to last long.

“Oh, Nagito, Nagito, Nagito!” Your voice was almost a whisper, chanting his name like a prayer. The leg not already against him came to wrap around his waist, pulling him closer, deeper. “I’m- I’m close-”

“Yes!” He moaned. “Please, please cum for me- I want to see you, I wanna see you-”

“Nagito!” A particularly electric motion from his hands caused your own to fly into his hair. “Nagito, Nagito- ah!” Your legs shook as you came, left trembling in his hands, and he didn’t last much longer. As he came, he leaned down as much as he could while still pumping into you to kiss and bite down on your neck. He peppered kisses all over you as you both lie in the aftershocks, panting in between nips and kisses. At last, he sucked hard on a spot by your pulse point, making you shiver while he marked you. “Nagito...” You whined. “You’re gonna leave marks...”

“Forgive me, my love, I selfishly crave nothing more than to see you completely marked up by my hand.” He murmured, his voice breathy and sleepy. You giggled, a bit out of it yourself.

“You talk funny.” You nudged him to move and he finally stood back up and wiped the sweat off of his brow. After cleaning up a bit and hitting the light, the two of you crawled back into bed to finally get some rest. You held his head close to your chest and played with his hair, and you were quickly asleep. Nagito needed to try a bit harder to fall asleep. He was facing the window he’d noticed he’d left open earlier, and tried not to laugh too much and make you stir.

*****

“Good morning everyone! It’s another beautiful day on the island! Please eat breakfast and do your very best today! Love, love!” Usami's voice crackled through the tv in your room. You internally groaned, upset that you could never find a way to turn that damn monitor down, until the events of last night came back to you. You smiled to yourself as you pulled Nagito closer, right while he was in the middle of a yawn.

“Morning breath.” You grumbled, moving to kiss him on the cheek.

“Nobody made you kiss me in the middle of my yawn. Least of all me.” He protested, but he sounded pleased. “Good morning.” You simply grumbled in response, tucking your face into the crook of his neck. “We’re expected at breakfast eventually.”

“So what?” You grinned deviously and peeked open your eyes just enough to press hot, open-mouthed kisses to his neck. He made a little squeaking noise and tilted his head to give you more access.

“Ah- as much as I- oh- enjoy your intimacy...” He swallowed hard, as if he was preparing himself for what he was going to say next. You didn’t relent. “We really shouldn’t do this every time we wake up together- we end up la- hah- hmm.” His voice died down into a hum as you began to suck on his neck. “Didn’t you complain about marks just last night?” His voice was strained. His hands found your sides and held on tight, despite his hesitant words.

“Yeah, but they’re probably already there, so it doesn’t matter now, does it?” You said in between your kisses. You pulled away just for a second to see that you were in fact leaving red marks something deep within you hoped would bloom into something darker. My precious boy… maybe they’ll all stop being so rude to you if they understand you’re mine.

“Well, there wouldn’t have been anything to connect it to me.” He said seriously. A laugh bubbled up out of you. “What?”

“Nothing.” You lied. Nothing would connect it to you except all the time we spend together, the way you cling to me when other people are around, those puppy-dog eyes you give me in front of everybody whenever we’re sent to collect in different areas… “But your logic is flawed.” You argued, moving to straddle his hips. He looked awestruck under you, something that made you falter for a moment. “Everyone else would know it wasn’t them, and that would likely narrow it down because...”

“Because?”

“You’re not the best liar when asked something directly, Ko-chan.” You giggled, tapping him on the nose. His eyes crossed trying to follow it.

“You’re probably right.” He beamed. You rolled your eyes. He seemed like he was in too good of a mood now to disagree with anyone. You leaned down to kiss his forehead and your feet finally found their way onto the floor. You felt much more energized now. You and Nagito began to get ready for the day. Nagito had begun to keep clothes in your cabin at your insistence and desire to have as much time with him in bed in the mornings. Still, between your conversations and extra kisses you both snuck, you found yourself late to breakfast.

“You don’t want to walk in separately?” He asked. “It might be rather… suspicious if we walked in at the same time. Especially with… these.” He gestured at your necks, which were marked up in matching fashion, though yours were a bit darker due to time. Despite his words, you’d seen the way Nagito smiled when he caught sight of himself in the mirror earlier, something you hadn’t seen him do… ever.

“I don’t mind, really, Nagito.” You took his hand and kissed his knuckles, making him blush once more. His face was already almost permanently red around you. “Besides, it’s not like anyone actually cares if we’re fucking… they probably won’t think at all about ”

“Ah...” Nagito pursed his lips as you finished climbing the stairs to the hotel’s restaurant. “About that...” His words fell on deaf ears however, as you pushed open the doors. All your classmates were already there, and though you expected to be able to slip in without much notice, all conversation paused as the two of you walked in. Everybody’s eyes turned to you at once.

“Good mo-or-orning lovebirds!” Ibuki sang, waving her utensils and accidentally splattering some of her food onto Byakuya. You froze completely, your eyes widening.

“Good morning, Mioda-san.” Nagito said from behind you. You turned to him, but he seemed most unfazed. There was still a light blush on his cheeks, but you couldn’t tell if that was from earlier or now.

“Mioda-chan!” Mahiru said crossly. “We agreed I would talk to them about it first!”

“Oh, fuck.” You covered your face with your hands. “Oh my fucking God. They all already knew.”

“Well… if it helps, we- we didn’t know until last night.” Mikan laughed nervously, before her own eyes widened. “Oh no! That probably doesn’t help! I’m so sorry, Koizumi-san!”

“Last night? What- oh no.” You could feel your face begin to burn. “Did.. did you...”

“A lot of us… heard you last night, yes.” Chiaki nodded. “Though I believe it was mostly the girls, as it came from the girls’ side of the dorms.”

“Komaeda, my man, I never thought I’d say this but like… how’d you do it?” Kazuichi asked.

“Now is not the time Soda-san!” Sonia chided. “(L/N)-san, did he at least pay you first?”

“I’m gonna do it.” You whispered to yourself. “I’m gonna walk into the ocean and never come back-”

“It’s somehow not that sort of deal. I keep trying but-” Nagito shrugged. You turned and glared at him furiously. “I sense I’ve made a mistake of some sort.”

“She doesn’t make him pay!” Hiyoko smirked, and just from the look you knew you wouldn’t like where this was going. “We all heard last night how much of a cum dump you are!” Several people gasped. Your face froze in what must have looked like a delirious grin. Your mind wouldn’t even register the words she was saying.

“I wish I could have heard.” Teruteru whined. “I’m sure the lady sounded… orgasmic in more than one sense of the word.”

“Haha!” Nagito said the words instead of actually laughing as he stepped out in front of you. He was smiling, but his eyes were cold. “I believe, besides last night, those sounds are usually reserved for me.”

“Whatever, weird choice aside, if she’s getting it from who she wants it’s cool!” Akane said around a mouthful of egg. “As long as she keeps it down! I almost didn’t make it to my early morning run today!”

“Thank you for getting us back to the point, Owari.” Byakuya sighed. “I hate this conversation with a newfound passion. Keep it down, please. Make sure your windows are closed.”

“What? But my windows are almost always closed!” You protested, thankful for the further change. “We’ve got AC, why would I-”

“It doesn’t matter!” Fuyuhiko groaned, shoving his chair away from the table. “And now I’ve completely lost my appetite. Can we go, Pekoyama?” She gave a curt nod, and they left to clear their plates.

“That’s cool! I’m gonna throw myself off one of the bridges today anyways!” You waved at them all. “Toodaloo!” With that, you began to walk away.

“She’s joking… I think.” You heard Nagito say behind you.

“I’m not!”

“...I’ll go with her. Ah, we’ll see you all at morning delegations- hey, wait up!”

[babytortie]

unexpected

unexpected. ❘ stanley uris x reader.

a/n: this was requested by anon - love ur recent stanley fic! was wondering if you’re cool with doing a smut for him? (aged up of course!) if you’re comfortable, could you make the reader more dominant in bed/stanley being more submissive? perhaps and enemies to lovers, hate sex type. other than that, any plot line is just fine.

* hope this lives up to your expectations! tyty for requesting this one.

summary: in which stanley and reader argue worse than richie runs his trashmouth. after burning some pent-up tension one day, the two take a turn for the better and become more than just enemies.

warnings: s m u t. some fluff at end. <3

contains: enemies to lovers, degrading, hair tugging, harsh kisses w/ slight blood, mild orgasm denial, praises, rough and unprotected sex.

* all characters ( including reader ) of the loser's club are 18+ in this one-shot.

~ 3.4k words.

you twirled a strand of hair between your fingers, a magazine placed on your lap, and beverly's head rested on your shoulder, looking at the pages with you.

it was the summer and the group was all back home on break from college. the loser's wanted to hang out and all eight of you were at bill's house right now. on various couch cushions and seats in the living room. his parents were away for the night and the seven brought clothes to stay at his just in case it got a bit late.

"oh, do you think he's hotter? or him?" bev asked, leaning in closer to point at the page. it was some magazine about the hottest actors of the year, achievement wise. though some hot men that were in it was currently grabbing beverly's, well, and your attention too. you glanced down at the page, slightly comparing both actors and voiced, "definitely him."

the guys overheard this and rolled their eyes. they were taking turns playing on bill’s newest nintendo sixty-four. on the floor below you, sat the four a few feet away, this was because they wanted to be scooted closer to the television. even though it was perfectly fine to put their backs against the couch. typical males.

you worried for their eyesight, especially richie’s, since right now he and bill were battling on some game you didn’t know the name of while being too close to the screen. eddie was on a chair next to the couch and sat by you, wheezing as he watched how close of a tie it was between them. mike and stanley were sitting on the floor with them on either side, cheering on who they wanted to win.

this was while ben sat on the other side of bev and read some book that just came out earlier this week. a quarter of ben’s focus was on his hand. it was resting on beverly’s thigh and drawing small, mindless shapes in content. the two were newly dating after pinning on each other for forever.

"i think we should play would you rather!" mike turned his head and suggested after hearing your conversation with the red head. bill had just died on the game causing richie to jump up and cheer while blowing out the other three's ear drums.

ben closed his book and sat up straighter. he took a glimpse over at beverly to see what her decision was. eddie hesitantly agreed when you and bev nodded. “s-sure!” bill got up and pulled stan with him.

one weekend about four years ago when the denbrough’s were home and bill had the group of losers over, they noticed how you all squished on the seats in the living room. surprising bill with an extra couch a month after this, they were able to successfully squeeze it into the room and push it against the other wall.

the four others started to pile on the other couch a few feet away from the three of you and eddie who still sat on the single chair next to you. beverly pulled her head up and leaned over to whisper in your ear, “be nice to stanley please.”

knowing it wasn’t funny, looking at her anyway with a confused expression, you lied. "stanley who?" she immediately turned her neck back at you, probably receiving some whiplash and raised an eyebrow to challenge you.

"i'm serious y/n." beverly laughed dryly. you sighed and replied a short agreeable response. “alright bev, as long as he doesn’t start it, then i won’t do anything.” after, you zipped your lips and threw an imaginary lock in the direction behind eddie.

she smiled at you in thanks and then you two turned towards the room, noticing everyone was ready. “b-being as it w-was mike’s id-dea, he can g-go first.” bill announced while glancing around the room.

mike nodded and turned to the one who still wore coke-bottle glasses years later. “richie, would you rather never wear underwear again or never wear socks again?”

ben and bill stifled a laugh, already knowing what his response was going to be. eddie rolled his eyes as richie answered, “underwear since i go commando sometimes anyway.”

you put your finger in your mouth, pretending that you were about to throw up and mike shook his head at richie. you turned to your right and left, seeing eddie’s and beverly’s disgusted faces.

”okay, eddie spaghetti.” he paused. the seven of you looked at eds, who had already put his hand over his face in annoyance. you and beverly laughed when the shorter boy muttered, “here we go.” richie smirked and continued. “would you rather, accidently send a nude to your boss or your parents? and by parents i mean your mom and i.”

he rolled his eyes, “absolutely not richie. my mom would never get with you and i would die of embarrassment if it were sonia. she’d probably kidnap and lock me in my old room, never to be seen again. probably boss.”

eddie turned to you after the group cackled of laughter, especially richie at the response he was given. the two of you currently shared a science class together in college and the asthmatic based some of his question off of this. "alright y/n, would u rather hook up with one of football players or with mr. jackson down at the science lab?”

you placed the palm of your hand on your cheek, into a thinking position and replied. "well, i kind of answered that question at last weekend’s party?" beverly jumped up at this and gasped. "no way! with which one?"

"i don’t kiss and tell." you smirked. the others gagged at that. “ah okay, i see. that’s where you went when we couldn’t find you again.” ben commented. stanley had been a bit quiet during the conversation and decided to speak up. adding to this, while looking at you pointedly. "you kind of just did tell and admitted at the fact that you sucked off some guy.”

you weren’t usually the type to get flustered during conversations like this. instead owning it as if you weren’t bothered. this helped you avoid any teasing or any richie’s usual jokes. "at least i'm getting some!" muttering in stanley’s direction.

"i swear if you guys argue for one more minute, i'm going to shoot myself. go y/n. it’s your turn." mike spoke up in between you and stanley, trying to get the game rolling again.

you smiled, feeling a little eager at the next question. you looked at the curly haired sitting across the room from you. the others groaned knowing you were about to pick on him in some kind of way. "uris. for the rest of your sex life, would you rather be the top or bottom?”

he blinked in your direction, probably wanting to smack you for the inappropriate question. “depends, is it with anyone specific?” you looked down sheepishly, then back up. is this a trick question? i mean sometimes you did find stanley a little bit too attractive. “do you want it to be?” deciding to quip back with equal attitude, you asked.

the group looked between the two of you while waiting for a response from uris. the tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. letting out a scoff in return, he looked at you in the eyes and glared. speaking in a low tone, you almost didn’t hear him. "uh, i don’t know.”

"what do you mean? you don’t know?" richie snickered.

bill, beverly, ben, and mike started to get the picture together. eddie figured it out just a second before them, when you burst out giggling. before you could stop from helping yourself, you let out a harsh jab. “oh shit, that explains why you’re always so uptight! maybe you should unbutton some of that polo? might help so you aren’t choking on all that innocence."

that only made matters worse, the last pin in place to set him off. stanley angrily spewed some words under his breath. only catching your name, you figured it was most likely something badly about you. quickly getting up from his spot, his curls bounced up and down when he rushed upstairs to one of the bedrooms.

the others watched him disappear from the top step sadly and looked back at you with the look. you had the decency to look a bit guilty, an awkward grimace on your face. "uh, why are you all looking at me like that?"

eddie leaned over to elbow you and gave his puppy dog eyes in pleading. you sighed but started getting up anyway. you laced your hands together in front of your stomach, nerves a bit jittery at being in a room alone with him. "well, to state my case we were all having that kind of discussion! if he wasn't such a prude..." you trailed off.

ben got up, patting your shoulder. "we all know this but stanley is sensitive about these kinds of things. go apologize while we're on break now and we’ll get some drinks going."

you nodded and turned back around, starting towards the stairs and walked up slowly. richie decided this was a good time to be the loud trashmouth that he is and shouted. "it was nice knowing you, y/n!"

shaking your head, you reached the last step and rounded the corner. hearing a slap noise, you assumed tozier was probably getting hit on the back of his head. a moment later a "beep beep" came from mike and you let out a small laugh in relief that they had your back against the loud mouth.

strolling down the hallway, you spotted the second guest bedroom door closed and decided to knock on it. stan heard a faint knock and got up from the bed to open it, seeing y/n he groaned. "oh, it's just you."

you ignored his disappointed comment and bit your lip. looking up and down to observe his new look. he must have just changed. wearing a regular light blue t-shirt and grey sweats. you shook your head and looked up to see his grin, catching you in the act of checking him out.

rolling your eyes in response, like he usually did and walking around him, you closed the bedroom door shut after stepping inside. you grabbed a handful of stanley’s shirt and pushed him against the back of the door. more like he allowed you to do this but you were definitely in control of the situation.

you leaned in towards him and swiped the back of your thumb over his bottom lip to test his reaction. when he didn’t swat your hand away, you went on the tip of your toes and brushed his lips against yours.

stanley gasped into your mouth and deciding to use this as an opportunity, you placed the tip of your tongue on the bottom of his lip. right before you could actually do this, he apparently read your mind and left his mouth open purposely. you wanted to slap him.

nonetheless, he allowed you total access. surprising him on purpose, you shoved your tongue in his mouth. wishfully thinking about how you wanted to somehow choke him with it. he grabbed both sides of your shoulders and scooted you closer, clashing his teeth with yours. not wanting to let up the control he tried to grab, you grasped the back of his neck tightly and felt light-headed. sensing wetness pooling between your thighs from enjoying this too much, you cursed to yourself.

a small moan escaped out from your lips and as if it was his fault, you nipped his bottom lip. you tried to quickly get rid the thought of ever giving into stanley uris. he hissed sharply, tasting slight blood from the nick. uris mumbled. "bitch."

this angered you more. pulling away from his lips, you put on a fake smile. moving in a bit closer to mess with the collar of his shirt, you tugged on it roughly, your face still close with his. "ready to not be a virgin anymore, virgin?" you retorted.

he smirked, "as long as i'm not one anymore, i don't care who it's with. even someone like you." he emphasized in a nasty tone. you pulled the shirt up over his head and uttered out. "shut the hell up." stan hummed happily after his shirt was pulled up to see that you were glaring from his reply. the two of you heard loud steps down the hall by the stairs, so you placed a finger over his mouth.

after a moment later, you heard what you assumed was someone in the bathroom, closing door the shut. letting out a breath not realizing you were holding it, stanley took this as a distraction to slip your finger into his mouth. you gasped, eyes widening, "what the hell!"

pulling your hand back, you spoke and stared in his eyes to let him know just how serious you were. "here's how it's going to go if you want to get laid, uris. we're doing this my way. don't play around anymore and definitely don’t talk too much so i can picture literally anyone other than you."

stanley looked into your eyes, searching for any hints of a lie from your remark. when he saw your eyes looking clearly back into his, he sighed in defeat. not letting it show, he grinned nastily. ”fine by me, y/l/n.”

"now, bird-boy are you sure you can handle this?" you stated more than questioned, an eyebrow quirked up. you held onto the top of his sweats with an eyebrow quirked up. he clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth together so hard he hoped they wouldn't crack. "fuck you y/n."

“no, that’s what i’ll be doing to you.” disagreeing and putting your palm over him. “what do we have here?” you asked out loud, in general all snarky. he let out an annoyed noise when he felt you tease fingertips across his hard length. so, in retaliation, he grabbed your wrist and pushed the palm of your hand harder onto him.

you gasped at how big he was. you tried to cover the surprise, a ‘tsk, tsk’ falling from your lips. not letting go quickly enough stanley noticed this and smirked at you. frowning, you murmured. "ever heard of patience? such a bad boy."

uris let out a small, quiet groan from feeling your hands come off of him. which was something you caught and figured having teased him enough, you put your hands around the waistband of his pants. tugging them off along with his boxers. afterwards you pushed him down onto the bed and before he could do anything, you quickly made work of your shirt. pulling it over your head and unclipping your bra as well.

he put a hand through his curls, smoothing them out from the fall when he fell into the comforter. watching you, he could feel himself hardening painfully. he felt needy and done with the wait. pulling your wrist closer he pleaded. “come on, hurry. please y/n.”

”fine, you’ve waited long enough like a good little boy.” stanley flushed at your approving compliment and tried to hide it, looking down. you saw this when you moved to sit on top of him and smiled. grabbing his chin lightly, you tilted his head back up. while looking into his light brown eyes, you held his wrist and tugged his hand so it laid over on top your breast.

stanley’s breath hitched and you moved inwards toward his neck. your warm breath was touching his skin, feeling cheeks reddening more. uris felt, palmed, and squeezed a little as you sucked small hickeys on his neck. not to dark but enough to be just visible if one were close up.

kissing his cheek and tilting back up, he dropped his hand and you happened to see his cheeks and neck all red. the quick switch of his attitude still shocked you to the core. ”are you sorry for calling me a bad name, baby?” he ignored your comment like a brat and kissed the inside of your wrist. you melted a little in his touch before going back to the task at hand.

you slowly let out of his grasp to unbuckle the belt and unbutton your shorts. you shimmied out of them and wanting to hurry up, you just moved your panties to the side and out of the way. pumping him a few times, you started to align him to your center. before you moved down onto him, you placed your hand on his cheeks in a sweet gesture and silently asked for reassurance. he nodded and you slowly slid down into him, both of you letting out small moans. “feel so good.” you muttered.

stilled for a moment, you let yourself adjust to his length and him to the feel. your hips went back up and you moved in forward, kissing him again. it slowly turned into a sloppy make out when you slammed your hips back down again. his tongue shoved in your mouth when you gasped in pleasure. after you found a rhythm you babbled on and on about how stanley was doing so good for you.

"i need you to put your fingers on my clit and rub." you said softly but still in a demanding tone. directing his hand exactly where you wanted it, you nodded when he looked at you again. his fingers moved quickly, drawing out an orgasm that you felt nearing.

lacing your fingers through his curly hair. stanley let out a loud moan as you tugged the locks. "now for the sake of you being able to cum, i'm going to ask again. are you sorry my baby boy?" he really didn't want to have to see the satisfactory in your face if he apologized. though, after a small moment went by, he realized that you weren't joking.

he let out a small, almost incoherent whine. pleading you with his big hazel eyes, "i-i'm sorry y/n. so sorry, c-can i cum please?" stanley would have never thought he'd be the submissive type but he found himself melting at your praises, quite easily. he liked letting you have some control and for once being able to sit back.

you smirked at him and let go. patting his cheek in almost a mocking way. "awe such a good boy but i think you can wait another minute." his eyes widened and you placed your hands back up onto his chest, steadying your balance before moving your hips back up and down repeatedly and harshly against his. he moaned when you kept going back down on his cock. feeling his pelvis right up against your very sensitive bundle of nerves, you squirmed.

stanley smirked, feeling you tighten around him. knowing you were close was a relief. constantly feeling so good on him made him hard and straining inside of you. tears prickling in the back of his eyes and wanting to cum so badly was difficult. uris felt not wanting to disobey you was more important as he patiently waited. pushing harder on your clit is what caused you to unravel, tightening completely around him. "oh fuck! s-such a good boy. cum with me now."

he came so hard, the hardest ever. which wasn't much to go off on, from the obvious conversation before. feeling euphoria, you rode through your high and his, milking every last drop of cum. you started to feel shaky. before your hips gave out, you placed one last kiss on his slightly darkening hickey.

after you fell on the bed next to him, he pulled you close. you turned your head in his embrace, eyes widening. you knew without a doubt they looked like they were probably about to fall out of the sockets. assuming even bigger eyes then richie's usual ones due to his glasses.

uris pursed his lips, kissing the top of your forehead before he could overthink it. “we need to talk. y/n/n." you tried to open your mouth, but closed it again. stanley used your nickname, he has never used it before. you were in disbelief, frozen, and unable to say a word. he rescued you and spoke up again. "you know i don't hate you, right?"

you swallowed feeling like a brick was falling from your shoulders and nodded. "i don't hate you either stan. this is not what i was expecting though to make up." you giggled causing him to chime in. the awkwardness was finally settled but you paused and asked nervously. "do you think we're worse than eddie and richie?"

he shook his head, not even needing to think on it and responded sweetly. "no, we're okay now and i have a feeling that richie will tease eddie even after we're all dead."

you laughed together once more, agreeing with stan’s opinion which would probably be a proven fact one day. "that's true. poor eddie!" snuggling closer into his back and finally, truly feeling at peace.

© babytortie on tumblr + wattpad.

[araxiis]

Family Found- Kuzupeko

CW: Verbally & physically abusive parent, fighting/violence

Angst, but not between Fuyuhiko and Peko

Also Fuyuhiko's parents are never named so I just picked a name

Words: 3001 (oop)

Read it on Wattpad here

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The curtains were open in the modest house on the corner, letting the morning sun dance about inside like a pleasant houseguest. The violets in the garden were growing beautifully, a lovely surprise to those who may be passing by the house. A casual pedestrian may take note of the house, and find it quaint or cozy, but not something quite worth note, and continue on with their day. 

This is exactly what the Kuzuryuus had wanted when they bought their home. 

After a lifetime each of being in the public eye, and never for good reason, Peko & Fuyuhiko had agreed that a life of anonymity would be beneficial to them both. They were married quietly, their only witnesses being their fellow students of class 77-B, who had all grown very close to one another during their recoveries. Now, a few years later, Peko stood in the nursery of the sun-dappled house, holding her four-month-old daughter in her arms. 

"Good morning, bunny," Peko whispered to her baby. The little girl was called Riki, her name meaning 'little bunny', the nickname her parents so often used. The baby was so blissfully unaware of the frightening world she was born into, and her mother hoped it could stay that way for at least a while. Riki was born at home, her parents hardly ever daring to take her out of their neighborhood, for fear of being recognized. They had a lovely backyard for her to play in, after all. Whenever a shopping trip became necessary, Fuyuhiko or Peko would travel individually, never together. It was a difficult life, to be sure, but a peaceful one. A normal life was never in the cards for them either way. 

On this particular morning the baby had been sleeping soundly, and Fuyuhiko had opted to stay in bed and relish the rare moment of quiet so scarce with an infant. Peko, ever the morning person, was never one for sleeping in. She chose to rise at the same time as usual, and spend the morning simply admiring the miracle that was their daughter. She had no engagements that day, choosing to stroll about her home in her pajamas, her hair loose and unkempt. In the nursery with Riki, who was still soundly asleep in her arms, Peko walked to the open window that faced the street. It was a rather high window, the lowest sill at the level of Peko's chest. When Riki was upset, it always calmed her to be held up near the window (safely, of course). But now she was dozing contently, so Peko kept her resting in her arms just below the window. The baby had a soft head of silver hair just like her mother's, and the features & sharp green eyes of her father, now invisible behind her sleeping eyelids. She was the perfect mix of her parents, and had taught Peko that displaying emotions was not something to be ashamed of. Peko gazed lovingly down at her little girl, wishing she could freeze time and stay in this exact moment forever. 

As luck would have it, the moment was broken by a harsh knock at the front door. Peko glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just past seven AM. Laying Riki back in her crib, she wondered who could be at the door this early. Perhaps Teruteru had brought them something freshly cooked from his family restaurant, or perhaps Sonia was returning the book she had borrowed the week prior. Still engulfed in the peacefulness of the day, Peko opened the door without looking through the front window first, a very uncharacteristic decision that could only be attributed to the laziness of the morning. She was punished for this choice in due time, though, as the door swung open and Peko's blood turned to ice in her veins. 

 Dressed sharply in a black business suit, a short blond woman in her sixties stood on the front step as if she owned the place. Truly, her presence could make any room feel impersonal. Peko knew this well, as she had grown up in fear of this woman. A woman she had sworn to keep her family away from.

Aika Kuzuryuu, Fuyuhiko's mother. 

Any words Peko had thought to say froze in her throat. How would she even address this woman now? It felt wrong to call her Mrs. Kuzuryuu, since that was also Peko's name now. Aika? No, she wouldn't dare. As a child she had addressed the matriarch of the clan as Mistress, the thought of saying it now burned like poison. Her mind was swimming as Aika began to address her.

"Ah, Pekoyama," her voice was as cold as it had been when Peko was young. "As excellent as it is to see you're continuing to fulfill your duties this many years later, this is quite an inappropriate state for you to be seen in." Aika sneered at Peko, green eyes glancing from Peko's undone hair down to her pajamas. "Though I suppose we never did keep you around for your looks," she laughed cruelly. Peko flushed pink, still unable to muster any words. 

"Anyway," Aika continued, examining the nails on her right hand. "My sources tell me Fuyuhiko is living at this address, and judging by your presence, I assume this is true. He has evaded my contact and his responsibilities for too many years. Now that I have his location, I am here to stop this childish charade. Let me in now, Pekoyama." 

Peko didn't move. Her mouth was dry, her hands shaking. Uncountable thoughts ran through her head, and she had no idea where to start. Something dangerous flashed in Aika's glare.

"Let me in NOW, Pekoyama!" Aika shouted. 

A piercing wail carried down the hall to the door. The yelling had woken Riki. Upon hearing the cry, Aika's eyes widened. 

"Is there a child here? Does Fuyuhiko have a child? Where is his wife? Is she here as well?" Aika fired off questions like bullets at Peko, one finger pointed at her accusatorily. "Do you even UNDERSTAND how inappropriate it is for you to be here? Dressed like a slob in the home of my son and his family, unbelievable." 

Riki was still screaming. Choking on tears and unable to think rationally, Peko turned on her heel and ran to the nursery, Aika's belittling chasing her down the hall. She heard Aika shout "come back this instant, Pekoyama!" before Peko turned the corner and collapsed against the nursery wall, silent tears streaming down her face. She slowly lifted Riki out of her crib with shaking hands and held her daughter close to her chest. As Riki's crying faded, Peko's only became more intense, causing her to fall to her knees on the carpeted floor. Across the hall from the nursery, she heard the bedroom door creak open. 

"Peko?" Fuyuhiko was still drowsy, she could hear it in his voice. From the bedroom doorway Fuyuhiko saw her, knelt on the floor with Riki and sobbing. Suddenly, he was wide awake. "Peko, what-?" His question was cut off as he took his first step into the hallway, and saw Aika, still standing haughtily at the door.  

"What the fuck," Fuyuhiko growled in a voice Peko hadn't heard in years. 

"Fuyuhiko," Aika greeted her son in a tone that could only be described as borderline indifference. "I was speaking with Pekoyama, but she ran off when that child started screaming. I can only hope she's assisting your wife in caring for the child, since keeping her around for any reason other than that would be WILDLY improper." She examined her son's ruffled form. "I was going to suggest you lecture Pekoyama on how she presents herself, but it seems you yourself aren't doing any better. How humiliated your wife must be." 

Fuyuhiko's had his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. Aika was still talking.

"Of course, I only assume you're married to the child's mother. I suppose it wouldn't be beyond you to father a bastard child." 

If looks could burn, Aika would be ashes. Glaring daggers, Fuyuhiko spoke through clenched teeth. 

"What the fuck are you doing in my house," he spat. Aika remained unbothered. 

"Is it not obvious why I'm here? I've come to bring you back to the clan." Fuyuhiko paled as she continued. "You've had your fun, avoiding your birthright, but you have responsibilities to fulfill. Your wife and the child may come with you, but not Pekoyama. She is of no use to you anymore, to any of us." 

Peko, still on the floor of the nursery, slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. Fuyuhiko saw her move out of the corner of his eye, his concern & love for her mixing with the rage he felt towards his mother, who was somehow still talking.

"Go fetch your wife and the child, Fuyuhiko. I must see if they are up to clan standards. If not, adjustments will have to be made. I'm sure you understand."

Suddenly and inexplicably, Fuyuhiko seemed to completely relax. He smiled tightly at Aika. "Of course, mother." He spat the word like an insult, turning his head to face the nursery and Peko. "Honey, could you come here a moment?" He asked her.

Peko was terrified. What was he thinking? He nodded once at her, quickly, his face certain and stern. Despite everything, she still trusted him. She stood slowly, wiping tears from her face, and moved to lay Riki in the crib. 

"No, bring her too, please," Fuyuhiko said. 

Cautiously, Peko obliged, laying Riki's head on her shoulder and creeping into the hallway, into Aika's condescending gaze. 

Aika raised an eyebrow. "That's just the child, Fuyuhiko. I asked for the child and your wife." 

"I know," Fuyuhiko said simply, taking Riki from Peko's shoulder and cradling her in his arms, making sure Aika could clearly see the baby's crown of silver hair. 

Peko's wish from that morning seemed to have arrived late, as time froze still in that moment. Aika's eyes flashed erratically between the three before her, her sharp face turning a dozen different shades of red and purple as the pieces fell into place in her mind. Peko's heart was racing, though Fuyuhiko remained completely composed. 

"You-" Aika sputtered, stepping further into the house. "You- you disgrace. How dare you-" She was approaching them at a steady speed down the hall. Fuyuhiko passed Riki back to Peko and stretched his arm out in front of her, forcing her to step back and behind him. Peko held her baby close as Aika reached them. Fuyuhiko stood confidently, his chin up and his arms crossed. Aika jabbed a finger at him, just as she had done to Peko earlier. 

"You disgusting, pathetic disappointment of a son," Aika snarled. "Running off with the help. How dare you leave your family, your clan, your future, to waste your life on this miserable girl?" 

Peko wanted to disappear. She wanted to melt into the floor, and only come back when everything was back the way it was before she'd blindly answered the door. In front of her, Fuyuhiko lowered his arm slowly, clenching his fists at his side.

"Get out." His words were flat, dangerous. 

Aika opened her mouth in shock, then closed it. Her fists were clenched as well, and Peko distantly thought that they had never looked more like mother and son than they did now. They stood still, facing off, for a good moment, before Aika raised her arm and smacked Fuyuhiko across the face. 

Peko gasped as Fuyuhiko fell against the wall, shocked. Riki was sobbing quietly, almost as if she was aware of what was happening. Wild-eyed, Aika turned on them. The composed woman who had entered the house was gone, and in her place Peko saw a glimpse of what she herself used to be; what this woman and her clan had instructed her to be.

A killer. 

Aika raised her arm again, and Peko held Riki as close as she could, bracing for the impact. 

But it never came.

 Fuyuhiko had caught Aika's wrist in the air mid-swing, and had twisted her arm behind her back at a painful angle. Aika was struggling, she was strong, but her son was stronger. He caught her other wrist, twisting them both further with murder in his eyes.

"Don't you fucking dare," he snarled. Years of knowing him, and Peko had never seen him quite this way. This was something new. Something more intense.

"I'll kill you." His grip on his mother's wrists tightened. "If you even touch my wife or my daughter, I will fucking kill you."

Aika laughed once, rudely. "How dare you threaten your mother?" she spoke over her shoulder. "And for her? She's not worth this. How could you choose a tool over your own mother?" 

Something cracked in Aika's wrists, and she shrieked in pain. Fuyuhiko let go of her arms, and slammed her back against the wall, holding her firmly by the shoulders. 

"You..." His breathing was shallow. "You are nothing to me. After what you've done to me, to her, you mean fucking nothing to me. Peko is everything to me. She's not a tool, she's not worthless, and she is not a mistake. She's my wife, and the mother of my child, and I know damn well she's better at both of those things than you ever were. This is my family, and you are not part of it."

He let go of her shoulders. Aika had her wrists clutched against her chest, and was staring at Fuyuhiko in shock. Peko stood back, a hand over her mouth, with Riki still quietly crying against her shoulder. Fuyuhiko took a step away from his mother, gaze never breaking.

"Get out." 

Wordlessly, Aika stumbled towards the door, which still stood open from when she entered. One foot outside, she turned clumsily to face Fuyuhiko. 

"I hope you know how big of a mistake you just made, son." She had the same wild look in her eyes as she had before. "You will face the repercussions of your actions. You and your pathetic family." She spat the last word harshly before leaving the house. Fuyuhiko slammed and locked the door before falling against it, heaving. Peko had fallen to the floor for the second time that morning, once again crying in sync with her daughter. Peko hardly ever cried before becoming a mother, but she now felt emotions just as strongly as her baby did. Riki hiccupped through her tears, the little noise snapping Fuyuhiko back to reality. Quick as a flash, he was knelt on the floor next to Peko.

"Shit. Shit, fuck, hey, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. It's okay." He ran his hand through her hair and down the side of her face, gently brushing away her tears. His other hand rested gently over Peko's hand that was holding Riki to her shoulder, and Peko brought her free hand up to cup her husband's face. Her fingertips brushed his cheek, and only then did she realize he was also crying. 

"Here, love, give her to me. Let me take her." Fuyuhiko gently took the baby off Peko's shoulder and into the crook of his own arm. Riki was still crying, though quieter now. "Sit back, against the wall. That's it, love." Peko's back hit the wall and she buried her head in her hands, her whole body shaking. As Fuyuhiko took his place against the wall beside her, he heard her mumbling over and over; 

I did this. I did this. I did this.

He wrapped his free arm around her and held her close, as close as he possibly could. "Hey, hey, no, you didn't do anything. You didn't do anything wrong." His thumb rubbed small circles into her shoulder. Still shaking, Peko lifted her tearstained face out of her hands to look at her husband. 

"I didn't check. Before I opened the door, I didn't check." She took a shaky breath. "It was such a peaceful morning and I- I was so relaxed, and I could have gotten her killed. I could have gotten you both killed." 

Fuyuhiko looked at her with so much love in his eyes, not a trace of anger or disappointment. She didn't understand how he wasn't upset with her after such a dangerous misstep. He simply pressed a kiss to her hair, and quietly said "hold out your arms." 

Peko shakily obliged. Gently, Fuyuhiko laid Riki in her outstretched arms, keeping his hand under the baby's head as Peko held her. Upon seeing her mother's face, the baby's howls turned to quiet hiccups as her tears steadily stopped. Peko couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"See that, love? Bunny's okay. She's safe." Peko turned her head towards her husband, and pressed her forehead to his. "I'm safe," he mumbled quietly. "I'm here. We're safe." 

They stayed like that for several minutes, focusing on the fact that despite what happened, they were all alive and safe and together. Eventually, Peko spoke. 

"I suppose we have to move now." 

Fuyuhiko laughed breathily. "Yeah. Too bad though. I liked this place."

Peko nodded once in agreement. "Perhaps our new home shouldn't have a window in the nursery that faces the street. Something tells me that might have given us away."

"Ah, man, you're probably right. Why didn't we think of that right away?"

They both looked down at Riki, who had exhausted herself crying and dozed off in their arms. Peko smiled.

"Because it made her happy. Nothing else mattered."

What a sight, two reformed Remnants of Despair and their infant daughter, collapsed on the floor of their hallway. Much like their life as a whole, their little family would never be normal.

But it was theirs.

[gumnut-logic]

A Minute

Okay, a few nights ago I was feeling crappy and vented into this fic. Unfortunately, because I was feeling crappy I couldn’t find the energy to finish it. So the last few nights have been spent wrangling with it.

The wonderful @tsarinatorment​ and @janetm74​ are amazing and say it works, but to be honest it is 1am, I have work tomorrow and I have been fighting with this for more than three hours trying to write the last six hundred words, and can’t see the fic for all the words splattered all over the page. So I’m dumping it here and running.

Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy it. Virgil, Scott, buckets of angst and hopefully a little comfort to help.

-o-o-o-

Her VTOL flared as she came to a halt above the ocean miles from nowhere.

Securing her autopilot, Virgil let his shoulders drop and his head fall into his hands.

Deep breaths.

His ‘bird breathed around him.

“Thunderbird Two, report. Why have you stopped in transit? Is there a problem?”

He didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t want to answer. Couldn’t answer. He just…

“Need a minute, John.” He waved his brother’s signal away.

And closed his eyes.

The throb of VTOL supported his heart.

“Virgil?” Scott’s voice.

No.

Just stop.

Need. A. Minute.

He pushed away from the dash as the comms on his baldric lit up, his big brother’s worried voice tinny in his ear. Standing up, he unclipped his baldric and dropped it onto his co-pilot’s seat.

Where Gordon usually sat.

He spun away only to be faced by the back of the cockpit.

There was nowhere to go.

His name issued from the dash again.

He clenched his fists.

He just needed a minute.

He stepped onto the hatch, grabbed a safety line and clipped himself to his ‘bird.

A shove and he threw the overhead hatch open. Wind whipped around him, tangling in his hair as the roar of his ‘bird battered his ears. But as he rose up into the cold air, it bit into the skin of his face.

He sighed and sat down on the hatch, falling rather inelegantly more than anything else. Cahelium vibrated through the material of his uniform, though his fingertips.

He closed his eyes.

Atmosphere combed through his hair and cupped his cheeks. The beat of his ‘bird echoed his heart and kept it going. And the sound encapsulated him, keeping the rest of the world out.

So he could stop.

Breathe.

Take a minute.

Gordon was okay.

It had been close, but he was okay.

Four had seen better days, but that could be fixed. He was taking her home himself while Scott flew their brother to London and to a very worried Penelope.

Gordon was fine.

Unfortunately, it was becoming very apparent that Virgil was not.

Why a close call like this was affecting him so badly was a question the analytical medic at the back of his mind was desperately trying to ask him. But honestly, he…just…needed…a moment.

He let his sense of touch steal away the terror of his little brother not answering on comms. The roar of his ‘bird shook the image of Four crumpling before him on the dash. Yet again. Again. He was losing his little brother again.

A sound issued from his throat, but he didn’t hear it.

But Gordon was okay.

He was okay.

Virgil’s hands shook as he wrapped his arms around himself and just hung on.

He sat there for he didn’t know how long. At one point he realised he was rocking back and forth.

A part of his brain was yelling at him. He couldn’t stay here forever. He was sitting on his ‘bird, for goodness sake. She needed attention. She needed him to fly her.

But he knew his girl. She was keeping him safe and could keep him this way for some time.

After a while, his mind shut down and gave him some of the peace he was craving. Caught between the roar of his beautiful ‘bird and the world around him.

His breathing slowed.

And an arm slipped around his shoulders.

He should be startled. Should flinch away. But there were only two people in the world who could approach him like this and both of them were brothers. So, instead, he turned towards Scott. Because it was Scott crouched beside him, jet pack strapped to his back, worry in his eyes. Thunderbird One hovered unheard over Two’s roar not far away behind him.

Virgil grabbed at his brother.

Scott’s eyes went wide and his mouth said something unheard as Virgil pulled him close and buried his face in his uniformed shoulder. His brother’s helmet clapped against Virgil’s skull.

Scott’s arms flexed against him, startled, but gripping him tight, nonetheless.

No words made it between them. But Virgil didn’t need them anyway.

He just needed…time.

But Scott was anxious and obviously wanted answers. His brother pulled away and reached for Virgil’s wrist control.

Tired of everything, Virgil let him have it, and quick fingers had the lift lowering before anything more could be said, verbally or not.

As soon as they cleared the overhead hatch, Scott shoved it closed with a grunt.

The quiet was startling and Virgil blinked, staring up at his brother as Scott turned around and pulled off his helmet.

“Talk to me, Virgil.”

Virgil looked up at him with eyes that wanted nothing more than to close and not open for a very long time.

“Is he okay?”

“Gordon? You know he is. Penelope has him. Virg-“

And then there were tears running down Virgil’s face and his throat was trying to strangle him.

Arms wrapped around his back, a hand gently nudged his head to a blue-clad shoulder, stroking through his hair, and his brother muttered worried words that tried to comfort.

It was exhausting, confusing and a little terrifying that he was reacting this way. But it was as if his body had taken over and was demanding release.

Tears ran off his brother’s uniform, the material ever water resistant.

Scott’s fingers were still in his hair, combing gently.

Words bubbled to the surface. “It happened again. I was up here and he was down there and the bridge. All that concrete. So close. So close. I thought he was going to die! Again!” A gasped-in tremble of a breath. “Why? I tried, but…” He pulled away a little and sought his brother’s eyes. “Why? Hasn’t he been hurt enough? Haven’t I…watched enough?”

Scott held his arms. “He is okay, Virgil. He is safe.”

Virgil wilted in his brother’s grip, chest heaving as if he couldn’t get enough oxygen. His forehead dropped to Scott’s chest and he closed his eyes. “I can’t lose him, Scott. Not Gordy, please not Gordy.”

Scott sighed and held him tighter, his voice parched. “We didn’t lose him. He is safe.”

Virgil heard the words, knew their truth, but he couldn’t escape the thought of next time. What would happen next time?

The possibilities leapt up and crowded his brain. But at the same time, he could see no solution.

“Gordon is Gordon.” Scott took the words from Virgil’s mind.

They couldn’t cage the fish.

The thought just wilted Virgil further. This was on him. Gordon was just doing…his job.

A torn sound dragged past his lips.

“Virgil?” Scott’s voice was ever so soft.

He drew in a breath. “I’m sorry.”

Scott shifted, curling around Virgil as he sat down beside him. Virgil’s face ended up nestled into his brother’s collar bone.

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Scott’s tone tolerated no argument.

Virgil groaned quietly, slumping against his brother. Eyes closed, Virgil once again sought calm.

Scott’s pulse danced silently against Virgil’s forehead.

His brother spoke ever so quietly. “When I came back from…Bereznik…I had trouble sleeping.”

Virgil froze. Bereznik was taboo. Scott never mentioned it. No one mentioned it. Topic forbidden.

Because Scott had suffered so much more than just trouble sleeping.

“I tried to hide it, but Dad…Dad knew.” Scott swallowed and his pulse picked up, his skin warm against Virgil’s hairline. “I had trouble with…memories.” Another swallow and Virgil almost pulled away. But Scott must have sensed it and his fingers curled tighter around Virgil’s arm. “He caught me in the liquor cabinet late one night.” A disgusted noise rumbled through his chest. “I’d had it. I just wanted it to all go away. Joe, Sonia, all the faces.” A sigh. “It hurt.”

Virgil shifted, pushing himself up. “Scott, no-“

Blue eyes fastened on him and took his breath away. “I know it hurts, Virg.” Those eyes dipped. “I see him, too.” Scott looked away, but pulled Virgil to his side, holding him close. “Dad saw Mom.”

The lump in Virgil’s throat threatened to overwhelm him.

“I know you remember. You were there. Dad didn’t have anyone to pull him away from the liquor cabinet. I…I didn’t know.”

God, Scott. Again, Virgil tried to sit up, but this time his big brother simply just held him down. “Listen to me, Virg.”

Virgil swallowed and attempted to relax against his brother’s side. Perhaps Scott needed to say this as much as he wanted Virgil to hear it.

“I was angry with Dad for denying me that escape route. After all, it worked for him.” A grunt outlined exactly what Scott thought of that statement. “I wasn’t in a very good place.”

The hand on Virgil’s arm spasmed.

“Dad said memories are to be cherished. For…every bad thought, there is a good one. We can’t choose all of them, but we can choose some.” Another swallow. “I think if something did go horribly wrong, that Gordon would want us to be thinking the good ones.” A half-hearted snort. “Possibly the ones involving pink dye.”

Virgil’s lips pressed together. If only it was that easy.

“Mom had the most beautiful eyes. I can still see her smiling.” Scott looked down at him. “Don’t let her death take away her life.”

His mouth dropped open but Virgil said nothing.

Scott looked away. “It’s not a magic wand, but it is a start.” He straightened. “That and any help you need, Virgil. I’m not kidding. You need it, I’m there.”

And Virgil found himself drawn in close once again. Mouth still open, he let his brother hold him.

A moment and Virgil was returning the embrace, clinging to Scott with every heavy lifting muscle he had. His brother oomphed and almost ended up flat on his back. “Virg, god.”

Virgil had no words. His eyes squeezed shut, still wet with emotion.

He held on for quite some time. A hand returned to stroking his hair.

But reality and responsibility were always waiting. Eventually he pulled away, ever aware of the rumble of his girl, still hovering over the ocean.

Scott didn’t ask if he was okay. It was obvious he wasn’t. But his brother did help him to his feet. A trip to the head and he splashed cool water on his face and took just another moment to finally compose himself.

As his mind righted, embarrassment for his conduct began to swell.

But then Two’s engines shifted an octave and he staggered slightly as she started moving.

Hurrying back to the cockpit, he found his big brother in his pilot’s seat flying Virgil’s ‘bird while One kept pace outside.

“What are you doing?”

“Flying us home. You need rest.”

“Scott-“

“If you say you are fine, I will knock you on your ass. You need rest and home. I’m making both of them happen.” He waved at Gordon’s seat. “Strap yourself in.”

Frowning, Virgil stalked over to the co-pilot’s chair and, picking up his baldric, put it aside and sat down. It was much easier to secure his belt without all his tools in the way.

They sat in silence for a while, both just staring out over the ocean.

“Mom was beautiful, wasn’t she.” The words fell from Virgil’s lips with no thought.

Scott’s voice was quiet. “Yeah. Yeah, she was.”

Silence fell again.

Virgil broke it. “Thank you, Scott. For…trusting me.”

“I’ve always trusted you, Virgil.” Scott turned to look at him with the faintest of smiles. “Always will.”

Virgil stared back at his brother flying his ‘bird. His eyes tracked every line, all the shine and shadow, recorded everything about the man in that moment.

After all, memories were precious.

He might need this one.

-o-o-o-

FIN

[kingofstarlightandcomets]

I like talking with you (and I like you)// Nagito Komaeda X Reader

Synopsis: The reader brings Nagito breakfast while he is tied up at the old building and they both spend time together

Tags: fluff, gender neutral reader, reader is an ultimate, set during chapter 2 of goodbye despair

Warnings: Nagito is a bit depressing sometimes

The dining hall door was pushed open with a loud noise that alerted it's occupant of someone entering the room. Lifting up his head Nagito saw his beautiful and hopeful classmate with a tray in hands, completely concentrated on closing the door with their hip.

"Hey, breakfast time." They smiled softly and Nagito couldn't help but smile back. The thought that someone had bothered to come to that despairing building just to bring him food filled him with hope. His classmate helped him sit up next to a wall and eyed him carefully.

"You're not hurt are you? Nekomaru is not exactly the gentlest guy I know." 

"No no I'm okay, no need to worry about me." Nagito shook his head frantically. He didn't want to bother an ultimate more than he was probably already bothering.

"Okay, I'm glad." They picked up the tray and put it next to Nagito, sitting down in front of him "Let's see, I got you grape juice, it has a straw so you can drink it just fine. Here's some cereal, I got this one that has the colorful pieces and marshmallows. There's also toast, I didn't know if you liked the crust so I cut it. I also brought these cookies, there's chocolate chips and m&ms. I also have coffee, but I wasn't sure if you preferred it with sugar so I brought some sugar packets."  

' did I overdo it?' they wondered looking at Nagito who had an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes seemed to shine brightly and his cheeks seemed to have some newfound color.

"Thank you very much Y/N, I don't even know what to say, I can't possibly thank you enough." Y/N proceeded to free the boy's wrists, rubbing the reddened skin in an attempt to soothe it. Nagito looked to be in deep thought.

"Is everything okay?"

" You're very kind...but there's no way I can eat all this myself. Say...would you like to join me?"

There was no way they could say no. Y/N had eaten breakfast already but it's not like they were going to pass the opportunity of spending more time with Nagito. He was a bit confusing sometimes but casting him as a dangerous freak of nature wasn't going to solve anything. They needed to decrease tension around the island, not increase it. That was the only way to fight against the despair inducing atmosphere that monokuma was trying to create.

'He's not a criminal... he's done some fucked up shit but everyone is capable of doing messy stuff. He's not the only one who could've done that. At some point desperation will consume us and more sketchy stuff is bound to happen. And if we keep treating him like a zoo animal I wouldn't blame him for snapping.'

The two classmates sat down in front of each other in the old building and ate while exchanging some small talk. They didn't know much about each other, Y/N preferring to hang out with Sonia or Togami. Nagito wondered if they weren't mad at him for killing their friend, but they didn't seem to blame him for the death of the affluent prodigy. 

"Would you mind if I asked you something?" The white haired boy inquired. His classmate looked at him curiously gesturing at him to keep speaking. "Why are you hanging out with me? Don't get me wrong, the others simply leave my food here and don't say much, but you... you're talking to me. You don't resent me. You're being nice to me. Why are you so nice to me? I don't understand." After his words left his mouth Nagito instantly regretted it. Y/N looked ready to start crying. Perhaps he was too harsh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No no, it's not your fault, I'm a bit emotional." The ultimate dried their eyes with a napkin before talking again. "To be honest with you, I don't think you deserve to be treated badly. You're not a bad person. And honestly I just want to get along with you and possibly be your friend."

Y/N wondered why it was so hard for him to believe that someone would want to be on his company. ' Nagito komaeda what the hell happened to you?' they wondered while looking at the tall boy who looked a bit stunned. Now Y/N was sure, that boy needed a friend. Badly. And they were going to try their hardest. ' I'm going to befriend this guy so hard he's going to forget what it's like to be alone.' 

"You are definitely way too kind, to want to be friends with someone so lowly like me...I don't even know what to say."

"Don't say such bad stuff about yourself for starters...and let me be your friend."

The boy shook his head smiling softly like he couldn't believe what was unfolding in front of him. That was the brightest hope he had ever seen. 

Both of the students sat in silence. Their plates were emptied. Nagito gazed at Y/N who was looking at their hands pensively.

"You look deep in thought...may I ask what's in your mind?" He questioned his newfound friend.

"It's nothing. Just wondering if you liked your breakfast."

"It was very good, thank you."

"I can bring you lunch too. And I got some books from the library, we could read together. I have the catcher in the rye and watership down but I can get others if you already read those."

"You really want to spend the whole day with me? Don't you want to hang out  with the others?"

"I like spending time with you. You're surprisingly calm compared to the others. Mikan is still too scared of me. Gundham makes everything he can to be as distant as possible from anyone. Everytime I try to talk to Fuyuhiko he tells me to fuck off. Kazuichi is too busy chasing Sonia, and while that is very amusing to watch, it gets tiring easily, and mahiru is always with Hiyoko and I kinda prefer to be away from her. That little twerp is very good at making me feel bad about myself." They rolled their eyes proceeding to tell Nagito about what the other ultimates have been up to while he was absent. They both laughed at Kazuichi's dumb antics to get Sonia's attention, Hiyoko's new inuslts to fire at all the other people in the island and how Mahiru tried to get her to be a bit nicer and Y/N even made a perfect Gundham impression that made Nagito snort with how accurate it was.

Nagito smiled softly and decided that it was best to leave his insecurities about how good of a friend he could be aside for now. He was not about to ruin something that made him feel so good about himself. He sure hoped that him and Y/N could get along for a long time. 

[more-than-a-princess]

She'd gone from champagne to wine to whiskey, and yet it hadn't felt like time had passed at all. The only indication was the empty bottles that had been taken away and Anzu's gradually increasing sense of comfort and ease amongst the hosts, King in particular. It would be impolite to show her shock, especially in a country where restrained physical affection was the norm, but Sonia couldn't believe how her friend regarded the hosts. Currently, Anzu was draped over Mr. King's lap with the sort of intimacy Sonia only found in committed, dating relationships and in turn, he seemed to be entirely comfortable with the state of things. She had to wonder if it was an act, or if he truly relished in such affections. Something about him gave her pause on his interest in women in general, but again, she was too polite to say.

"Is our scheduled time finished, then?" She asked, still unsure of how it all worked, particularly at the end. Did the hosts cut off clients who were too drunk, or did they simply not wish to pay for their time anymore? What she did know was that conversation had flowed smoothly, a testament to Mr. King's skill, and the bill was brought over discreetly. There was a subtle art of reaching for it before anyone else had the chance, and it was ingrained in her whenever she went out. It was a rare situation that someone was more financially well off than she was, and thus she felt responsible to cover whatever fees accrued. After all, she had been the one to suggest champagne.

But even the bill had earned several looks their way, from other patrons at their tables to, Sonia noticed out of the corner of her eye, about half a dozen hosts peeking out over Monsieur's shoulder from the curtain leading to the back of the club. They'd appeared for the early champagne call and now found it a challenge to hide their interest for the newcomer who had requested it. Just as well that they were leaving: once she settled the bill, her name would be recorded in the financial statement and she could be traced.

With Mr. King's departure, though, Anzu's full attention had returned to her and their evening together, this time sharing what Shinobu had planned for the very same night. "I am not opposed to ramen, that would be lovely. Thank you, Anzu-san," Sonia replied with a smile. Though, the question that sat on the tip of her tongue was 'Why would Yaguchi-san agree to a lame date? It sounds like a waste of time, if it is already considered to be unwelcome.' She had to remind herself that not everyone dated the way she did: careful, hesitant, and only agreeing if she truly felt some sort of pull, a connection, to the man who asked. She turned down far more requests than she agreed to, from anyone from princes and other members of the aristocracy to the likes of Kazuichi Soda (many, many times). Her friend, however, seemed to do the opposite: she agreed to far more than she turned down, if any. It all sounded rather taxing to Sonia, though she wouldn't voice it. To Anzu, at least.

"Thank you for your company and conversation this evening, Mr. King," Sonia told him as he approached the table with the bill and a credit card reader. "You and Monsieur have made this an intriguing and relaxing experience, I must commend your good work." She tapped her chip card against the reader with no hesitation. It was, perhaps, one of her faults: Sonia had little idea as to what made a total bill not be 'too bad.' She'd seen her uncle purchase several new cards at once, and her mother acquire enough luxury fashion in one trip to go well over six figures in Euros. While Anzu grimaced and Mr. King looked apologetic, Sonia was simply confused as the card reader gave an affirmative 'ding!' that her payment had been processed.

"Shall we be on our way?" She asked, before quietly thanking another host as he helped her into her coat. Doing up the buttons and belt, she grabbed her clutch and followed Anzu when she was ready. Her friend was far more familiar with the area after all, and had suggested a late dinner.

King smiled, giving Anzu another pat on the head as he nodded to Sonia. "I meet many interesting people in this job, from all sorts of walks of life. I think that sometimes people just like to have a space to gripe, no matter what their life outside here is like. Everyone likes to feel heard. Everyone wants to feel understood." A feeling even Anzu wasn't immune to, though at the moment, she was more content just to receive King's physical affection. "But then again, that's just my opinion."

Shinobu's fingers were already flipping through the bills in her wallet, carefully organized between 1000, 2000, and 5000 yen notes, before a hand reached out gently push the wallet to the tabletop. "Shinobu-san, what are you doing?" She looked up, catching the eyes of the woman across the table, smiling softly at her. "Oh," Shinobu murmured. "I thought we were ready to depart, so I was preparing to pay. If I misjudged that, then I regret doing so."

The laugh that followed from the other woman was gentle and kind. "That's not what I meant." Once it was clear that Shinobu wasn't reaching for her wallet any longer, she reached inside her coat, a mix of trendy and formal that, to Shinobu's eyes, made her the best-dressed person in the restaurant. It was at the same time that Shinobu noticed her nails, trimmed shorter than they had been the last time they'd met, and with the dark nail polish she remembered stripped off.

"I invited you." From her coat, she produced a small clutch, drawing out a handful of bills and laying them flat on the table. "And I picked the nice restaurant. I wasn't planning on making you pay." "Oh." Shinobu wasn't entirely sure what to say to that, so instead merely stowed her wallet. "If you're sure, Miss Ji-yeon." So atypical was it in relation to their typical experience that Shinobu felt strangely about not covering the bill. "I'm sure," came the response, accompanied by another pleasant laugh.

"I'd thought you'd given up playing." "Hmm?" Ji-yeon tracked Shinobu's eyes to her hands, and then gave a sheepish grin. "Oh, you noticed. I guess not a lot gets past those eyes, huh?" She shrugged, turning her hands over to get a better look at them. "I didn't quit altogether, I just stopped performing. Nails don't get in the way too much when you're just playing for fun." For a moment a complicated expression grew on Ji-yeon's face, enough that Shinobu couldn't quite read her feelings. "It's a long story, but the university wants me to play at the end-of-year concert. It's a whole-" she waved her hand dismissively "- big thing. They were promoting me for a while, so they'd look bad if I didn't play."

Shinobu nodded, having found a more comfortable place for her own hands in her lap. "That's unfortunate. I thought you'd made your feelings clear, so it isn't fair for the administration to put you in an uncomfortable position like this. I'm sorry." Ji-yeon shook her head, forcing a smile. "It's not a big deal, Shinobu-san." The archer shook their head. "I just don't like the idea that your wishes were disrespected. It isn't your responsibility to clean up their messes." "Don't worry too much for my sake, okay? Besides, they're flying me in a Guadagnini to play with, so that should be fun."

There must have been some expression on her face, Shinobu realized, because Ji-yeon still seemed to be staring. "I know you're busy, but if you can make the time work, you should come, actually. If I'm going to be playing either way, I'd be happier knowing you were listening." Shinobu nodded, slowly. "...Mm. Please send me the details, and I'll try to be there." That earned a return to the earlier smile, as Ji-yeon gathered up her money and stood, moving to the other side of the table to help Shinobu up. "Great. It was really good to see you, Shinobu-san. Thanks for making time for me, but I'll let you get back to things now."

After more drinking, conversation, and borderline inappropriate physical contact between Anzu and her handsome men of choice, the night seemed to be coming to a close. The club, of course, would continue for a few hours more, though perhaps without the high school girls who had livened things up with an early champagne call. "I wanna staaay," Anzu mumbled, having, at some point, shifted positions so she was draped fully across King's lap like a cat. "But I have work in the morning, so we probably gotta go." Plus, she was starting to feel a bit tipsy, and an idea had popped into her head that required some planning and execution, and that couldn't be compromised.

King laughed, helping her back into a seated position. "As a host, I really should ask you to stay longer." He winked. "But I'm your friend, first." Once Anzu was upright, he stood, picking up the pieces of paper he'd scribbled notes to himself on throughout the night. "I'll go calculate your bill." After he'd taken his leave, Anzu grinned, directing her attention back to Sonia. "I just got a text from Shinobu-chan. She's done with what she was doing, and she's not too far away from here." With a soft, pleading expression that would put any doe-eyed starlet to shame, she clasped her hands together. "There's a really good ramen place where we could meet her in the middle? She's probably been on some lame date, so I bet she'd love to see us instead."

She, of course, could hold her liquor, and it looked like Sonia wasn't doing badly in that department, either, but still, getting some food in their stomachs probably would help. The ramen stall wasn't far from her theater, either, so it made slipping away easy. All according to her plan. "I'm hungry anyway, so if we wanna grab a quick dinner there, I'll cover it," she offered, as if that somehow offset the amount Sonia would be spending on their many, many drinks - an amount made plain as King returned to the table. "Between your accumulated credit, Anzu-san, and your new customer discount, Sonia-san, I don't think it's too bad?" To Anzu, that seemed like a result of King's unique perspective on things, as she lightly sucked in a breath. Yikes.