#*s: yumiko

[scintillulae]

[letsmakefingerfive]

YUMIKO TAKAHASHI, 1980'S.

here's the sources.

[distantvoices]

Nyaduola Gabriel by Anthony Arquier for Numéro France April 2024

Joana Dacheville (Fashion Editor/Stylist), Yumiko Hikage (Hair Stylist), Marielle Loubet (Makeup Artist), Magda S (Manicurist)

[daddydixonscrossbow]

Summary: Reader travels to hilltop to find out some important news.

Warnings: twd themes, zombies, weapons, blood/gore, strong language, age gap (reader is in their late 20’s), pregnant!reader, talk of pregnancy, kissing, mainly fluff

Word Count: 3.4k | unedited

ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ

“Hey.” You smile at Michonne, “Mind if I catch a ride with you to hilltop?”

She smiles, “Not at all. Hop in.”

You nod, “I gotta go let Daryl know, I’ll be right back.”

You turn, walking back towards the house when Daryl walks out, “You goin’ with Michonne?” You tilt your head, “How’d you know?”

Dog breaks through the crack of the door and runs up to you, nuzzling his nose into your leg, “Hi, boy. I’ll see you soon, okay?” You bend down, allowing him sniff your face.

“Saw you talkin’ t’her.” Daryl walks down, reaching out to scratch Dog’s head, “It’s fine if you are.”

“I want to go talk to Maggie, see if she needs any help. Plus, I want to help Michonne with getting those people a home.” You stand back up, “Why don’t you come with?”

He shakes his head, “I gotta help Rick, goin’ for a run, I’ll come up tomorrow?”

You nod, “Yeah, that works.” You step in towards him, “Good luck.” He smirks and nods, “You, too.” He pecks your lips, “Love you.”

You smile, “Love you.”

You turn around to walk away and Dog bark, following you. Daryl yells, “Hey, Dog. C’mon, boy. Thought you liked me better.”

You smile at Daryl, scratching Dog’s head before motioning back to Daryl, “Go, boy. Go with dad.” Dog whines and nudges your leg with his nose.

You take a deep breath and walk him back to Daryl, “Okay. Now I’m going.” You smile at him and make your way to the wagon, climbing up in with the others.

“Ready?” Michonne asks and you nod, “Yep.”

The wagon starts going and you wave to Daryl as you exit the gate. He lifts his hand, giving you a small smile.

You turn back, extending your hand out to the one girl, “Y/n.” She shakes your hand, “Magna.” She points as she introduces each person in her group, “Luke, Yumiko, Kelly, and Connie.”

Connie signs and you smile, signing back, “Nice to meet you, too.” You spell out your name, “I’m y/n.”

She smiles and nods.

“Have you been with these guys long?” Magna asks and you nod, “Few years, yeah. They’re good people, I came with to help try and get you guys into Hilltop.”

“We appreciate it. It was getting old being out there, constantly on the run.” Magna rolls her eyes and you nod, “That’s how I was, right before I was found by Rick and his group.”

“Were you alone?” She asks and you nod, “Yep. And it was hell.”

The ride to hilltop was mainly smooth, other than a few walkers that people at the front took care of, so you really, and luckily, didn’t have to do much of anything on the ride there, which is what you had hoped for.

You were exhausted, way more than normal, but you didn’t want anyone to ask questions so you played it off as best you could.

Once you arrived to hilltop, you got out and walked up to the gate where you were greeted by Maggie, “Glad to see you. How’s Daryl?”

You nod stepping back, “He’s good. Coming up tomorrow.”

She nods, “Good. Who do you have with you?” She motions towards the people walking in and Michonne walks up, “This group needs a home, I told them that we’d bring them to you, they can help with their part.”

Maggie nods, “Let’s talk inside.”

“Y/n, you comin’?” Michonne looks back at you and you nod, “Yeah, I’ll be in then. I’m going to see if anyone needs any help out here.”

Maggie smiles and Michonne nods, “Alright. Suit yourself.”

You manage to sneak away, subtly and casually making your way to the medical trailer, “Hey, Dr. Carson.”

“Y/n. Great to see you.” He looks you up and down, “Are you hurt?”

You shake your head, glancing back to the door and lowering your voice, “I need you to do me a favor, and it has to stay between us.”

He raises a brow, “Okay? What can I do?”

“I need an ultrasound.”

“Like.. a pre-“

“Yes.” You nod, cutting him off, “And I don’t want anyone to know about it.”

He nods, motioning to the table, “You got it. Have you been having any symptoms?” He gets the machine ready and you sigh, “Um, kind of? I’ve been more tired, eating makes me want to barf, and I’ve been super bloated.”

“Before we continue, I have to ask.”

You shake your head, “Daryl doesn’t know.”

Carson nods, “Okay, but I was going to ask how you feel about this.”

You laugh slightly, “Um, well.” Tears form in your eyes and you take a shaky breath, “I might be pregnant during the apocalypse, so how do you think I feel?”

“Is the grouchiness a new thing, too?” He smiles and you can’t help but laugh, “How’d you know?”

“You usually never had an attitude unless someone does wrong by you or someone you care a lot about.” He shrugs, “Just trying to cover all the bases.”

He motions for you to pull up your shirt and you comply. Taking a few deep breathes as he puts a gel on your stomach.

You weren’t ready for it. But you forced yourself, you needed to know.

“Okay, so there’s your uterine tissue, and if we go down just a tad..” Carson stops talking and you stare at the screen, “h-how far a long?”

“Looks to be about ten or so weeks. Healthy little thing, that’s for sure.”

“Ten!?” You lay your arm over your face, “I think I’m going to be sick.” Carson wipes off your stomach and helps sit you up, “I know, you were probably hoping for other news, but..”

You shake your head, “No, no. I mean we didn’t plan this, obviously..” you stand up, “I just, I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel about this.”

“That’s okay, y/n. As your friend, it’s totally okay to feel unsure, but as your doctor, telling Daryl is the best thing you can do.”

You close your eyes, “Oh my god.” You turn your head, “You said they were good? They’re healthy?”

He nods, “Oh yeah. But I want to see you back here in about three, four weeks if you can.”

You nod, “Three, four weeks. Got it.”

“And try and cut back on the walker killing. Don’t strain yourself, too much. Okay?”

“I’ll try.” You take a deep breath, slowly blowing it out, “I’m going to go now before I puke all over your work space.”

As you walk to the door, Carson walks over, “Here.” He hands you the ultrasound picture and you can’t help but smile as you take it, “Thank you.”

He nods, “Anything at all, you know where to find me.”

You nod, shoving the picture into your back pocket and walking out. As soon as you step onto the ground, it hits you. You run over to the back of the trailer and bend over, puking up what you can.

“Y/n?”

You wipe your mouth and stand up, “Maggie, hi.”

“What are you doing?” She tilts her head, “Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fantastic.” You lean against the trailer and she walks over, reaching up to feel your forehead, “You’re not runnin’ a fever, did you tell Dr. Car-“

“I just came from there.” You take a deep breath, “I’m going to tell you something, but it needs to stay between us, for now at least.”

“How far along are ya?”

You bring your head back and you laugh, “How did you know?”

She smiles, “Please. I have like a weird sixth sense when it comes to that. C’mon, let’s see it.” She holds her hand out and you bring the ultrasound from your back pocket, “Here. Carson says about ten weeks or so. Healthy little thing.”

She just her lip out and looks up at you, “How does Daryl feel about this?”

Your smile fades and tears well up in your eyes, “I-I haven’t told him yet.”

Maggie hands you back the picture and she wraps her arm around you, “C’mon, let’s go inside and talk.” You wipe your face before you start walking and you shove the picture into your sweatshirt pocket.

She leads you inside to her office and closes the door, “When did you first think you were?”

You sit down and sigh, “Probably a few weeks ago, but there’s just so much going on at Alexandria, I never really had a moment to break away and get checked for sure.”

“Would be nice to find a workin’ ultrasound machine for there.” Maggie shakes her head, “But I’m glad you hitched a ride with Michonne. It’s good to get checked out.”

You nod, “Daryl said he’ll be here tomorrow and I just-“ you close your eyes, “I’m scared of how he might react.”

Maggie laughs and you look at her like she just kicked your puppy, “Sorry, I just-“ she shakes her head, laying her hand over her mouth, “in all my years of knowing Daryl, he was never one to give anyone the attention he gives to you.”

“Really?” You ask, your voice cracking as you fight back more tears, “Sorry, these hormones. Everything all makes sense now.” You laugh slightly, “ When I was alone out there, before you guys found me.. I never thought I’d find anyone else, let alone someone to love me like Daryl does.”

“See.” Maggie smiles, “I think it’ll be a shock to him at first, but I think he’ll be happy once that wears off.”

You lay a hand on your forehead, “I hope. I’m just so.. nervous about it all.” You laugh, “Oh my god.”

“It not as bad as you think.” Maggie shrugs, “I had Hershel here. Carson and a few others were absolutely amazing.”

“It’s just scary to think-“

“Don’t think like that. If you want, you and Daryl can stay here for the duration if you want, just so you’re close to Carson.” Maggie offers and you nod, “I’ll have to see what, and how Daryl feels about that.”

“I think it’ll be fine.” Maggie tilts her head, “I think ya’ll are havin’ a girl.”

You smile, “You think so?”

She nods, “Daryl has girl mom written all over him.” She laughs, “I know he’s probably want a boy, but that’s also why I’m thinkin’ girl.”

You laugh and lean back against the chair, “I think I’m still in shock, partially.”

“It never goes away.” Maggie shakes her head, “C’mon, let’s go get you something to eat. I have some ginger lyin’ around her somewhere. It’ll help with the nausea.”

——

You tosses and turned all night.

One, because you couldn’t get comfortable. Two, because you missed Daryl, you hated being away from him, and three, your nerves were still eating you alive.

You sat up, swinging your legs off the bed and you just sat there.

Different ways of telling Daryl running through your mind.

“Fucking hell.” You get up, quietly making your way to where the radio is set up. You click the mic and take a deep breath, “Hilltop to Alexandria.”

You give it a little before calling again, “Hilltop to Alexandria. This is y/n, over.”

“You’ve reached Alexandria, this is Eugene speaking, over.”

“Eugene.” You sigh, “Do you know if Daryl is around, or even awake?”

“Is everything all good on that side of the trees? I do believe he’s patrolling because according to my observation, he can’t stand it when you aren’t here.”

You laugh slightly, “Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine, I just.. can’t stand it when I’m not there with him either.”

“Sit tight, hold your horses. I’ll be back before the goose can squawk, over.”

You shake your head, smiling as you rest your chin in your palm as you wait. A few minutes later, you hear the click and let out a sigh of relief when you hear Daryl say your name, “Y/n, what’s goin’ on?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Yeah.” Daryl chuckles, “Me either. I shoulda’ came with ya.”

You laugh slightly, “Or you could have just let Dog come with me.” Daryl laughs, “You know damn well if I gave that dog a’choice, he’d pick you.”

“What can I say.” You sniffle, trying to stay calm, “I’m his favorite.”

“What’s wrong?”

You knew hiding something from Daryl was impossible. He could sniff it out a thousand miles away, “Nothing, nothing, I just.. wish I would have stayed, that’s all.”

“It’ll be okay, darlin’. I’ll be there as soon as I can, too dangerous t’ride at night like this.”

“No, honey. I know. I’m just, being a.. a big baby right now.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.” He laughs and you nod to yourself, looking out the window, “Should only be a few more hours until day break, right?”

“That’s right, baby.” Daryl sighs, “Why don’t y’try and get some sleep, hmm?”

“I’m not making any promises.” You laugh quietly, “I love you.”

“I love you, I’ll see you in the mornin’ alright?”

“Alright.” You can hear him walk off and Eugene picks up, “Goodnight, y/n.”

“Goodnight, Eugene. Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

You walk back to your room and lay down. You stare up at the ceiling, hand on your stomach. You remember the ultrasound picture and pull it from your pocket. You look at it in the glow of the moonlight, a small smile resting on your lips.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing, children were the future after all, right?

You tucked the picture back into your pocket and rolled over, getting as comfy as you can before you finally got some sleep.

You up as soon as the light started shining through the window, glaring right in your eyes. You sat up, making your way to the bathroom to get as ready for the day as you could.

An hour or so later, you hear the gates open, the sound of Daryl’s bike and Dog barking.

You turn, bending down to meet Dog as he runs up to you, “Hi my handsome boy! Did you miss me? Huh?” You laugh as he licks your chin and you look up, seeing Daryl walk up to you with a smile, “Did y’get any sleep?”

You walk over to him, wrapping your arms around him, “Took a little, but yeah. Eventually.”

He holds you tight and kisses your head, “Ya eat anything yet?”

You shake your head and he nods, “Yeah, me neither, c’mon.”

You walk inside and Maggie walks up, “Hey Daryl.” As she’s is hugging him, she gives you a look and you shake your head.

She nods and leans back, “Breakfast is almost done. Hang tight, okay?”

Daryl nods and turns around, “I don’t think you can ever do that again.” You smile, tilting your head, “Do what?”

“Leave me back home like that.” He pulls you into a hug and dog nudges at you again. Daryl groans, “Dog, what is your problem? Can’t I get five minutes with her?”

He whines and you look up at Daryl, “I think I might know what’s going on.” He tilts his head and you look around, “Come with me.”

You lead him to a room and close the door, “I didn’t..” you take a deep breath, “Fuck, okay.” You shake your hands and rub them on your thighs, “I’m nervous, hold on.”

“What are’ya nervous about, y/n?” Daryl walks up to you and you reach into your pocket, slowly pulling out the ultrasound, “This is why I came here.”

He looks down at your hand and takes the picture, flipping it over and he scoffs, a small smirk on his lips, “Ain’t no way.”

“A-are you mad?” You can feel your eyes burn from the tears that are forming and he looks up at you, shaking his head, “Mad? Why the hell would I be mad?”

He places his hands on your hips, “Look at me.” He reaches up, gently pushing your chin upward, “We’ll figure things out, alright? Things change, and that’s okay.”

He swipes away a stray tear on your cheek with his thumb, “We always have, right?” You nod, sniffling and he cups your cheek, “We always will.” He kisses your head and pulls you into, “That’s prolly’why dog has been up your ass lately.”

You laugh, “Yeah, maybe I’m not the favorite.”

Daryl chuckles and shakes his head, “Don’t say that.” He steps back, walking over to the window to look at the picture in better light.

He studies it for a few seconds, “How far along are ya?”

You walk over, “Carson said about ten weeks. They’re healthy, too. Which is a good thing.”

He nods, “Yeah, yeah it is.” He looks up, shaking his head, “I just..” he scoffs, laughing slightly, “Did you know before, or?”

You shake your head, “I had a feeling, and a few symptoms, but things have been so crazy back home I just didn’t have time to-“

“Nah, you don’t need to be doing anythin’ like y’been.” Daryl shakes his head, “You have two things to worry about and that’s you and our baby.”

You smile, nodding your head.

“Does anyone else know?” He asks as he turns towards you. You nod, “Carson and Maggie. She walked up on me puking outside of the medical trailer and she just knew.”

“Yeah, she’s got some sort’a sixth sense when it comes to this kinda thing.”

“That’s what Maggie said.” You laugh and step towards him, your arms wrapping around him. His arms snake around you and he buries his face into your neck.

“I’m sorry I was nervous.” You whisper and Daryl shakes his head as he stands up, “Don’t, you don’t ever have to say sorry.” He pinches your chin gently, “Not to me.”

You nod, reaching up to tuck hair behind his ear, “Maggie says you’re a girl dad.”

He scoffs, “I’m sure she did.” He smirks and holds up the ultrasound, “Y’think Carson is busy?”

“Only one way to find out.” You smile and take Daryl’s hand, walking out to the medical trailer. When you walk in, he turns around and smiles, “I see you took my advice.”

You nod, “Yeah, I did.” You motion to Daryl, “He wants to see, if you have some time.”

Carson nods towards the table, “of course.”

You walk over to the table and Daryl is right there, his hand in yours while his other presses into your back to help you lay down.

You pull your shirt up and Carson puts the gel on again.

Daryl keeps a hold of your hand, watching everything Carson down intently, “Now what that?” He points to your stomach and Carson smiles slightly, “It’s a gel, basically helps the picture be clearer.”

Daryl nods, watching as he places the wand on your stomach, “So right here..” Carson points to the screen, “Is your baby.”

You look from the screen to Daryl, “That’s our baby.”

Daryl shakes his hair from his face and takes a deep breath, “Yeah, yeah it is.”

You push your bottom lip out, “Are you okay?”

He nods, “Yeah, it just..” he looks down, wiping away his face and you smile, turning your head back to the screen as you squeeze his hand.

“When can we find out what it is?” You look up at Carson and he shrugs, “usually, between eighteen and twenty two weeks, but it really comes down to if the baby wants to cooperate.”

“They’ll be stubborn.” Daryl chuckles, squeezing your hand, “Just like mom.”

“Excuse me?” You raise your brows, giving him a laugh, “I don’t think I’m as anywhere as stubborn as you are, Mr. Dixon.”

He laughs and shakes his head, bending down to kiss your forehead, “Alright, alright.”

Carson wipes off your stomach and Daryl helps you sit up, “When do you want to see her back?”

“Few weeks, but I told her that if she needs anything, she knows where to find me. You both do.” Carson looks between you and Daryl and nods.

“C’mon, let’s go get you somethin’ t’eat.” Daryl runs your back and you look at him, “Maggie gave us an offer to stay here if you want.”

He thinks for a moment and nods, “Let’s go talk t’Maggie.”

ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ᖭི༏ᖫྀ

Thank you so much for reading! 🖤

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[metamorphesque]

🌼 poems (and a love letter) that helped me live through july 🌼

One Or Two Things, Mary Oliver

Kitchen Song, Laura Kasischke

The Breathing, Denise Levertov

Trapped, Charles Bukowski

Precognition, Margaret Atwood

Rain, John Burnside

Looking, Walking, Being, Denise Levertov

At Joan's, Frank O'Hara

You, Carol Ann Duffy

Time, Louise Gluck

Effort at Speech Between Two People, Muriel Rukeyser

Still, A. R. Ammons

Sonnet XL, Edna St. Vincent Millay

Sonnet XLIII, Edna St. Vincent Millay

Listen, W. S. Merwin

A Thin Line, Ryuichi Tamura (translated by Samuel Grolmes and Yumiko Tsumura)

Driveway, Richard Siken

The Sentence, Anna Akhmatova

Wanting to Die, Anne Sexton

Eating Together, Kim Addonizio

The Look, Sara Teasdale

The Starry Night, Anne Sexton

Hammond B3 Organ Cistern, Gabrielle Calvocoressi

Richard Feynman's love letter to his deceased wife, 1946

[xlxvesxckx]

Turbulence [Chapter II]

Synopsis: The Academy was the most prestigious scoop to go to. If you had money, you ruled the school, and if you were poor, you were the stepping stools to the others. And if you're Y/n L/n, your life was going to become a living nightmare.

Pairings: Poly!Ateez x Reader, Original Characters x Reader, Original Characters x Ateez.

This Chapter: Kim Hongjoong x Reader, Slight Kang Yeosang x Reader

Word count: 2.6k words

Au: Academy Au.

Theme; Angst, Yandere.

Chapter Synopsis: After being triggered by some girls, Y/n spends some time with Hongjoong, only to be told not to trust him by the very girls who taunted her. Confused, she dwells on it, wondering if she should let what she heard go, or keep it in her mind for later

Warnings: Bullying(Verbal and Physical), flashbacks, s, obsession, possessiveness, slight suggestive content. It’s a tame chapter..

a/n: I apologize for getting this back to you so late! But i hope you still enjoy it! More at the end!

Here's My KoFi if you'd like to support!

In case you missed the first part :

Turbulence Chapter I

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

Chapter II : [New and Old Memories]

You were still in shock, the next couple of days you still thought about it.

How in the hell did you manage to get yourself into this shit. Being best friends and Becoming friends with two of the most popular boys in this academy.

Just your fucking luck.

You sighed as you arrived at school, you didn’t know what the hell you were gonna do.

Youwalk into the school, confused on what you were going to, you ended up bumping into someone.

You fell back on your ass and heard a scoff followed by a couple snickers behind it.

“Oh so this is what the boys have been obsessed over?…”

You looked up to see three girls looking down at you.

It was three girls looking down at you from your position. You recognized them from a few of your classes.

There was Ye Ann, A nursing major who was known around school as the one of the most popular and beautiful girls. You've seen her hanging out with Yeosang and one of his friends.

Next was Yumiko Watanabe. She was an arts major alongside you and Hongjoong, you’ve seen her a lot in class and seen her interacting and laughing/joking around with Hongjoong.

Lastly was the ringleader and the one who pushed you.

Her name was Lola, you didn’t know why she was here attending this school, but you knew she was one to be feared. You’ve seen her intimidating many other girls and even causing them to leave the school for being around anybody she deemed hers.

And now she had her eyes on you.

“Listen up and Listen good bitch.” Lola started walking over to hover over you.

“I don't know what you did to make all the boys so obsessed with you so quickly. But I know they are ours. We already have pasts and. Futures with them and they do not include some poor looking bitch like you.”

"I don't think they'll like a dumb bitch like you..."

"You shouldn't waste your time. Go ahead and fuck right off. They are ours."

With that, Lola turned on her heel, with her two lackeys following closely behind, leaving you to think about what she just said.

You sighed heavily as you slowly got up bad brushed yourself off.

You shouldn’t let this bother you, you went through this before, you could survive it again.

As you brushed yourself off, you felt someone tap your shoulder.

Turning you see a guy you’ve only seen in passing, but know him as one of the members of Ateenagerz.

“Hi, Are you Y/n?”

“Yep, That’s me..”

“Great! I’m Song Mingi! Hongjoong is loooking for you and sent me to come get you, his in one of the private studios.”

You took the time to take in Mingi’s appearance, he had short pink hair and was built like what your old friends would call a dorito. He was built, tall, and seemed like an adorable person. This was far from the personality you thought he would have.

You allow him to take your hand as he led you to the studio. You knew Hongjoong spent too much time in that damn art studio, because it was what he did when he was younger.

——————-

“Hongjoong! It’s time to go home already!!! Hurry up!”

Hongjoong chuckles as he finished his final details on his painting for the day. He stepped away from the canvas as he felt arms wrap around his torso.

“N/n stop, you’re gonna get paint on you!” He heard you giggle behind you before turning around to wrap his arms around you.

Hongjoong placed his forehead against yours for a bit.

“We still on for our sleepover?”

“Duh, that’s why I came to get you! My Mom said it was fine, so I don’t want us to waste any time.”

Hongjoong laughs at your words before leaning down a bit more to place his lips on yours. He holds you close as his lips move against yours.

It was not secret that the two of you were close, but behind closed doors, where no one could see the shared touches and kisses between you two.

And you wanted to keep it that way.

Hongjoong was your little secret, and something you wanted to keep all to yourself.

But alas.

Fate had other plans for you that day.

You cried out in pain as you felt kicks and punches land on your body. Someone had seen you and Hongjoong together, that someone being Yui.

Yui was a girl who was known to be obsessed with Joong. She wanted to be his everything and despised anyone who was close to him.

And you were her target.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOUR STUPID ASS HE IS MINE?!"

You cried out as she continued to punch you before pulling you up by your hair.

"Next time you get near him, you're going out in a body bag bitch. "

—————————————————-

"Y/n"

“Y/n?”

"Y/N!!"

You snapped out of your mind as you now found yourself in the large Paint studio, Mingi was long gone from your side, and Hongjoong looked at your head tilted in confusion and concern.

“What were you thinking about?” He asked watching you walk over to him.

You sigh, stopping directly in front of the male. “I was thinking about us.”

"Oh really? What about us?"

You decided not to sugar coat

"About how I was not allowed to be with your. Or else I'd get beat up..."

Hongjoong went quiet before going to grab your hands. “That’s why I called you here. I..” He trails off before locking eyes with you.

"I want to continue what we lost. What we never got to have because of others interfering..."

You looked at him, confused as Hongjoong continued his words.

“I want to continue what we had Y/n, I was so devastated when you left, I felt like I lost a piece of me. I lost what made me happy, I lost my muse…the reason why i breathed and choose to continue on..”

Hongjoong leaned down so that his lips were ghosting over yours.

You give a slight smile, “Who says we ever stopped?…” You say, punctuating your words by placing your lips against his. "Who's stopping us now?.."

Hongjoong let out a small sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around you. He then pulls one of your legs to wrap around his waist.

He waited a bit for surprising you by lifting you, so you had no choice but to wrap your legs around his waist.

You pulled away slightly to playfully hit him. “Hongjoong! We are in school!” He smirks at your words before leading you over to a couch that was in the room. He had other plans for you, and he seemed he could care less where you were.

It was usually used for the painting models to wait before class started. But Hongjoong seemed that he had other plans for it.

“It’ll be quick 자기야…I’ll be quick…”(jagiya)

You let out a squeak as your back hit the couch, and his lips were soon on yours. You barely had time to react as he placed himself between your legs.

Hongjoong let out a soft groan as he finally held you in his arms.

He had always dreamed of a moment like this. Finally getting his chance to be intimate with you, after months of hoping and praying that you would simply waltz back into his life …And you finally did.

His head dipped down to be in the crook of your neck, you let out a gasp as you felt his lips on your neck, peppering it with kisses as he trailed down.

“My pretty 자기야…all for me..”He chuckles as he leans down to capture your lips again.

You could feel him begin to grind against you earning a desperate whimper from you.

And you were about to say something but heard a loud banging on the studio door.

“Joong! Did you forget about the meeting today?! Hurry up in there, your art projects can wait”

Hongjoong let out an audible groan as he rose up off of you. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. Joong helped you up and went to unlock the door, leaning on the doorframe afterwards.

Two guys that you’ve seen around before walked in. Both were dark haired and around the same height. Ones hair was a bit longer than the other, and one seemed alot more playful with Joon.

“Jeez, captain what was taking you so damned lon- Oh Hello~”

One of the males walked over to you with a sly smirk on his face. “Ah you must be Y/n! Joong talks so much about you.” You feel a blush come across your face.

He held out his hand "I'm Wooyoung, Culinary art's major!" He then points over to San. "That's San he's my best friend. " San have you a polite wave.

"Is nice to see who Captain has been talking about all these years..."

Hongjoong talks about you? And for years to? It must be a lot for some of his closest friends to remember you. Especially after being apart for so long.

“She’s even prettier than you described Hyung.”

"Definitely, a very pretty woman...,"

“Aye, back off you two. No flirting.”

You watched as the three bicker and talk, you stood there awkwardly.

It was weird seeing Hongjoong go from nearly about to claim you as his to a tired dad of two so fast. You decided to give him some space and let them talk amongst themselves.

It made you chuckle, before you gave Hongjoong a wave.

“I’ll catch you later Hongjoong! Just call me!’ You call out and he nods to you, waving back with a dorky smile before turning around to face his friends.

You left the studio and went down the hallway a bit before letting out a squeal of happiness.

Part of you was fucking scared, not only was Hongjoong one of the most popular guys in school. He had a posse of girls obesseed with him and wanted your head on a platter already.

But then again.

Hongjoong only wanted you. Just you.

What could possible go wrong with this equation.

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

Everything.

Everything could go fucking wrong.

You don’t know how, or why or when. But someone snitched to the Ateenagerz fan club (that’s the name you gave the trio) about how close you and Hongjoong were and your days have been hell ever since.

"I think she fucked him already..."

"Oh my God, such a fucking whore..."

"She's only been her like two months.."

And rumors were beginning to spread, you were doing your best to avoid confrontations

“So you think just because you were ‘friends’ with Hongjoong in Highschool you can waltz in and win him over?”

You sighed as Ye Ann and Lola sat in front of your table. You were studying before your next class as you had a pop quiz and you kinda didn’t want to fail.

You ignored her mostly.

“You think just because he took you in the Studio and made out with you, that you’re special?”

That caught your attention.

You looked up at her in confusion. “How did-‘

Lola leaned close to you with a devious smirk. “I have eyes and ears all over this school” She then leaned back in her seat.

“You aren’t the first Y/n. And you definitely won't be the last one to be underneath him.”

Ye Ann snickered “Maybe he just wanted to fuck his childhood ‘friend’ and knock that off the bucket list.” Lola looked at Ye Ann and then laughed. “Holy shit! You might be right!”

“Maybe he just wanted to get in your pants because he couldn’t before. But i mean, wanting to fuck someone who’s been institutionalized seems like something he would do. He does like them crazy I guess..”

You froze.

How did she know all this information about you?

No one asides from your mother, Hongjoong’s mother and the dean of the school were supposed to know about your past. You tried to block that part of you out.

It was a place you didn’t deserve to be placed in, but because of others at your highschool you were broken,

You can barely remember what happened that day, but you do remember Hongjoong finding you in the classroom and was the one who got teachers to help you.

Everything after that was a blur, you just remember waking up in the hospital, your mom arguing with the principal of the school for allowing the bullying to get this bad.

You shook your head and decided to stand up.

“Look. I don’t like you, and it may seem like I’m picking a fight with you for no reason Y/n.”

You looked over at Lola, who was still leaning back in her chair.

“I’m just warning you, that yea we like Hongjoong and his crew. But they aren’t good people. Don’t let them fool you into to thinking they are knights in shining armor.” She started before leaning forward once again, now standing on her feet.

“They are criminals, they do shady shit, why do you think they practically run the school?”

“Why should I believe you?” Is the first thing to leave your mouth since the start of this conversation. Lola rolls her eyes.

“Fine, don’t believe me, but when you get your heart broken and whine up dead somewhere, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”She laughed at your distrust.

Lola stood up and came around the table to stare you straight in the face.

“You can’t handle them Y/n. It’s best you drop them and-“

“Y/n!”

The three of you look over to see Yeosang standing there with a smile, he hasn’t been at school the past few days and you wondered where your new bestie had gone to.

Yeosang walks over with his hands in his pockets and Lola quickly fixes herself to try and get the males attention.

“Hi Yeo~ Y/n and I wer-“

He ignores her and pulls you into a hug. You freeze at first before slowly returning his hug. Yeosang hums softly before pullling away.

“I missed you so much! My Parents had some things to do and wanted me to tag along, so I had to be away for a while.”

He says looking down at you with a smile. “I hope I didn’t have you eating lunch by yourself…”

You giggle at his comment and shook your head.

“No, I just sat with Hongjoong instead.” He hummed in response before grabbing your hand.

“Well, we better get going before we’re late to our class.” He says, pulling you away from the two girls who simply glared at you in response.

You started to wonder if what Lola was going on about true. That Hongjoong and his group were dangerous and weren’t to be trusted.

You shook your head to rid it of the thought as Yeosang rambled on to you about his day and what all he did,

You just decided to focus on the day, and hopefully what she said would leave your mind.

——————————————

It was the end of the day, and Yeosang was coming into the meeting room, seeing all his friends already sitting in random spots. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“Lola and Her friends have been spreading ‘rumors’ about us.”

Wooyoung was the first to speak up, “So? Haven’t we learned that they are just some dick obsessed girls that Hwasa had the mistake of laying down with?” Woo then let out a yelp of pain from being hit with something Seonghwa threw at him.

"Ow!! What did I say wrong? I'm right!"

"Yea, but now is not the time, idiot."

Yeosang shakes his head. “I caught them mid conversation with Y/n.”

That is what peaked everyone’s attention.

Hongjoong stood up from his chair, were he was editing more pictures for his portfolio. “This bitch annoys me…why can’t she get it through her thick skull that none of us want her.”

Jongho, who was usually quiet during these meetings spoke up.

“Probably because San keeps flirting with them…”

“Hey! How else am i supposed to figure out what the hell is going on in the school?” San shot back only to earn a middle finger from the younger male.

Hongjoong let out a long sigh, “Goddammit.” He then slams his hands on his table spooking everyone around him.

“We are going to have to do something, either get rid of the bitch trio, or have Y/n so involved with us that she trusts us.” He then said,e arming hums of acknowledgement.

“Hwa.”

The dark haired male raised his head, “I’m giving you Y/n’s address.”

“You are to go out with her tomorrow. Get her to trust you, and tell her mom that you’re friends with me. That way she’ll trust you to let Y/n go alone with you.”

He turns to the rest of his group. “You guys keep listening out for any other rumors floating around the school.”

He then turned to his computer screen, images of you that he was editing flashed up on the screen.

“I have some work to do.”

—————————————————

©️ xlxvesxckx - 2023

—————————————————-

I hope you guys enjoyed! I am so sorry that this chapter is so late, life has been kicking me in the ass after moving,

I’m currently in debt and trying to pay it off, but my job is kinda eh and writing so my only avenue of work kinda.

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Sorted caps from The Walking Dead seasons 10 & 11, Walking Dead: Dead City S1, Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon S1 and Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. You can also find sorted caps from TWD S 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 here.

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Shoujo Manga's Golden Decade (Part 3)

Shoujo manga, comics for girls, played a pivotal role in shaping Japanese girls’ culture, and its dynamic evolution mirrors the prevailing trends and aspirations of the era. For many, this genre peaked in the 1970s. But why?

Part 1

Part 2

Follow the Trend

Before we move on to the third movement of the '70s, let's take a quick look at an essential characteristic of shoujo manga: its sensitivity to trends.

The early '70s were a confusing time for the industry. There was extreme freedom in certain corners, with Yukari Ichijo, Machiko Satonaka, and other prominent artists drawing very adult-like drama in shoujo magazines for very young girls. In contrast, there was also a lot of moralism. The fact manga wasn't taken very seriously meant magazines could get away with a lot since adults considered them terrible influences anyway. But, at the same time, since manga wasn't a respected medium, they were also prone to hysteria. Nothing illustrates this scenario better than the controversies surrounding "Harenchi Gakuen," the first full-length series by Go Nagai, who went on to become one of the most celebrated manga artists of the '70s.

Shameless! The nudity and erotic jokes in Go Nagai''s "Harenchi Gakuen" were a hit with kids and teens, scandalized parents and teachers, and made the shoujo industry chase after their own erotic hits.

Nagai, already a respected yet fledgling name in the industry, was recruited by Shueisha to be part of Shonen Jump's inaugural team in the late '60s. Jump, as any manga fan knows, is by far the biggest success story in manga's editorial history. However, back then, it was just a newcomer in a field dominated by Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine and Shogakukan's Shonen Sunday. Go Nagai's series, whose translated name meant "Shameless High School," is Jump's initial smash hit and one of the titles behind its extraordinary ascent.

But "Harenchi Gakuen," a gag manga with erotic jokes, scandalized adults across the nation. The Japanese Parents and Teachers Association successfully led a Shonen Jump boycott, getting the magazine banned in several shops across the country and triggering a media circus. At the time, agitated journalists often accosted Go Nagai at airports and public events, aggressively pointing their mics at him, a consequence of manga-kas celebrity-like notoriety during that era.

Meanwhile, the reaction around "Harenchi Gakuen" did not intimidate other manga magazines. In fact, all of them were pursuing their own "harenchi"-like phenomenon and publishing stories with erotic dirty jokes. And yes, that included the manga magazines for little girls. In Ribon, male manga-ka Hikaru Yuzuki was responsible for the "dirty" manga series. At Weekly Margaret, Yuzuki also had a considerable hit with the high school comedy "Elite Kyousoukyoku," which, while not precisely "ecchi," had a tone reminiscent of Nagai's work. At Nakayoshi, the artist in charge of this type of content was none other than a pre-"Candy Candy" Yumiko Igarashi.

Before finding success with the smash hit "Candy Candy" manga, Yumiko Igarashi was the Nakayoshi artist in charge of recreating the "harenchi" phenomenon in the pages of the magazine. Above, in a good display of how public manga artists were in the '70s, Yumiko describes her panties as part of a Nakayoshi feature.

The "harenchi" phenomenon hinted at a shoujo field that wasn't yet wholly solidified and, therefore, was taking cues straight from the shonen segment, which would later become uncommon. But it also illustrates how the genre projects readers' dreams and preferences.

An example of this is one of Ribon's most popular series during the '70s, Yukko Yamamoto's "Miki to Apple Pie." Serialized between 1973 and 1976, this gag high school manga was full of absurd humor and nudity in the "Harenchi" vein. The twist is that it also had everything girls dreamed of. 

The "apple pie" in the title was a reference to the lead character's favorite dessert during the time the American apple pie had just arrived in Japan and was considered the trendiest sweet. Miki Miyazawa, a popular and beautiful girl who served as the proxy for readers and was loosely modeled after talento Aki Aizawa, also loved astrology and the horoscope, and the romantic lead was a transfer student named Hideki Nanjo, who was a carbon copy of Hideki Saijo, the biggest popstar heartthrob of the '70s. Basically, "Miki to Apple Pie"'s central premise was "What if the popstars girls go crazy for was your silly gorgeous classmate?".

In fact, a testament to Saijo's popularity was how many shoujo manga romantic partners of the era used him as a model. Besides "Miki to Apple Pie," inserts of him were present in Satonaka Machiko's "Spotlight," Shigeko Maehara's "Kimi Iro no Hibi," Mayumi Yoshida's "Lemon Hakusho," among others.

With nudity, slapstick humor, and numerous references to trends and pop culture, "Miki to Apple Pie" became a sensation in the pages of '70s Ribon. The romantic lead, Hideki Nanjo, modeled after heartthrob Hideki Saiji, frequently performed impromptu renditions of popular hits from stars like Agnes Chan, Finger Five, Momoe Yamaguchi, Junko Sakurada, and, of course, Hideki Saiji himself. Full of shockingly offensive and scatological jokes, very little was considered off-limits, making "Miki to Apple Pie" a quintessential example of the distinctive '70s shoujo manga published during the peak of the "Harenchi" boom. It also serves as a perfect time capsule of its era, satirizing and commenting on everything popular at the time—from iconic products like the Panasonic Quintrix television and memorable TV commercials to celebrities, the toilet paper shortage during the Oil Shock, the Discover Japan campaign, and the widespread teenage girls' fascination with horoscopes. This manga elevated shoujo manga's trend obsession to unprecedented heights and mixed it with absurdity.

Saijo is a relic of the past, but shoujo echoing the trends of its time is a timeless characteristic of the genre. That's why most shoujo artists are women who are close in age to their readers: this sensibility to girls' desires is a vital component of the market. From the way the characters look to how they dress to even the shape of their eyebrows, everything is supposed to reflect its time. Therefore, to successfully create shoujo, one has to understand how girls perceive themselves and also how they want to be perceived. How they dress and look, but also how and what they dream of looking and wearing. What they aspire to and, above all, what they find attractive in the opposite sex.

It was precisely that sensitivity and this unique sense of what girls want and dream of that led to the creation of what is now the number 1 shoujo manga trope: the high school romance starring an unassuming, ordinary heroine. Leading the way was another group of artists that, while not as internationally celebrated as the Year 24 Group, are definitely equally as crucial to shoujo history.

The Otometique Fervor

An "otometique" girl by Mutsu A-ko and some of the artist's popular furoku.

Yoshiko Nishitani, another of Shueisha's top shoujo artists of that era, is often credited as being the first to create a series around ordinary high school love. She did that in 1965's "Marie Lou," published in Weekly Margaret. "Marie Lou" was set in an American high school and had a very fashionable white girl as its lead. On her next manga, "Lemon to Sakuranbo" (Lemon and Cherries), she'd once again achieve immense success by bringing the teen romance closer to reality, using an ordinary Japanese high school as a backdrop.

While Nishitani pioneered this narrative style, the rise of more realistic, everyday stories gained momentum about a decade later. One catalyst for this was the "Otometique boom," a phenomenon that unfolded in the pages of Shueisha's Ribon magazine in the latter half of the '70s.

The term "Otometique" combines "otome," meaning "maiden" or a pure young girl, with the "-tique" (tikku in Japanese) suffix. A-ko Mutsu was the artist who spearheaded this movement.

A-ko made her debut in Ribon in 1971 at the age of 18. Her popularity skyrocketed four years later when her first short stories, led by "Tasogaredoki ni mitsuketa no" (What I Found at Twilight), were compiled into a tankobon that became a best-seller. This success elevated her status in Ribon, and soon her "otometique" style became the talk of the town.

Mutsu A-ko's art.

In contrast to the dramatic narratives of the "Satonaka-domain" faction, "otometique" stories adopted a more straightforward structure devoid of major plot twists and intense drama. Instead, they focused on modest love stories where the exhilarating moments were ordinary occurrences, like spotting a cute boy on the street or touching a crush's hand for the first time. While some stories included sad or supernatural elements, readers were captivated by the uncomplicated, heartwarming moments. 

Ako's heroines were ordinary, unassuming schoolgirls, often characterized by shyness and insecurity. Different from extraordinary characters like Lady Oscar from "BeruBara" or the iconic Madame Butterfly tennis star in "Ace wo Nerae," Ako's protagonists were life-sized. 

"Otometique" manga often incorporated romantic comedy tropes, such as chance encounters with cute guys on the way to school or the transformation into beauty after removing glasses. The happy endings typically featured a boy reciprocating the girl's love by accepting her as perfect and beautiful just as she was.

In otometique manga, girls were often in cute plaid and gingham check dresses and skirts, while boys were impeccably dressed in Ivy style, as seen in Mutsu Ako's art above.

While the stories may have seemed mundane, their distinctiveness lay in the meticulous attention to detail. As significant as the exploration of falling in love and discovering inner strength were all the visual details in "otometique" art. Girls had braids or long wavy hair and wore adorable clothes with plaids and gingham-check, as well as cute accessories. At a time when most Japanese girls still had Japanese-style rooms, "otometique" heroines had gorgeous Western-style rooms. They hung out in cozy cafes, made handmade goods, and ate tasty-looking sweets. Houses had French windows and balconies. Boys were tall, lean, with fluffy hair, and were always dressed impeccably in Ivy-style clothes. The "otometique" artists created an atmosphere that perfectly matched girls' aspirations at the time.

Girls often dreamed with having Western-style bedrooms like the ones in Otometique manga.

While Mutsu A-ko was the trailblazer, she was soon joined at the top by two other iconic artists, Yumiko Tabuchi, and Hideko Tachikake. Each of them had their quirks. Tabuchi, for example, often had college girls as her heroines, mirroring herself as a student at the elite, trendy Waseda University. While Tabuchi and A-ko preferred short stories, Tachikake had a penchant for longer series with a bit more drama. But they all had a similar aesthetic and relied on the charm of ordinary love.

The "otometique" phenomenon reflected the trends of the time and foreshadowed the emerging consumer culture that would swallow the country in the next decade. The sophisticated visuals attracted people of all ages, from elementary school-aged girls to highly educated women and men. Both the top public and private universities in Japan, Tokyo University and Waseda, respectively, had famous "otometique" clubs full of students who loved the genre and the style. The mangas were so trendy that they were often referred to as "Ivy mangas," in reference to the iconic Ivy style that was the catalyst of Japan's youth fashion, which was going through a second revival around that time.

While projecting an atmosphere that girls dreamed of, "otometique" also showcases '70s youth and girls' culture. Melancholic, simple love stories among young people were also the theme of the big folk hits of the time. Ivy or country fashion and long hair for men were the top fashion trends. Western-inspired ideals- in decoration, fashion, and musical taste- were pervasive. And creating subcultures and hobbies around consumption was the path society was taking. Simple life-sized stories as a narrative preference echoed the reality of Japan, which was stabilizing itself after decades of turbulence. These stories brought what the country was craving: comfort.

Above, a Mutsu A-ko's bedroom that lived in girls' imagination. Below, the room is recreated in a 2021 exhibition of Ako's art.

Meanwhile, the rise of consumer culture among young girls led to a "fancy goods" boom, with stores selling cute stationery, stickers, and small items popping up everywhere around the country. Illustrators and companies, eager to capitalize, spared no time in creating appealing mascots and drawings to adorn these goods, and it was in that period that Sanrio created Hello Kitty. 

Ribon and Nakayoshi, which were "furoku" magazines, also benefitted. Furoku are extra gifts that come with the purchase of the magazines. And the "otometique" boom meant Ribon could include "fancy goods" -- like notebooks, stickers, letter sets, and small paper goods readers could assemble -- with the illustration of these highly sought-after artists. Most girls around Japan could only dream of Western-style rooms, a closet full of cute Ivy fashion, trips to trendy cafes, and homes with French windows. But they could recreate a bit of this sophisticated atmosphere by having letter sets, notebooks, stickers, and small accessories with A-ko Mutsu, Hideko Tachikake, and Yumiko Tabuchi's art. These popular furokus and the "otometique" stories were critical for Ribon magazine to surpass 1 million copies in circulation.

Girls admired A-ko, Tabuchi, and Tachikake not only as artists creating heartfelt stories with attractive atmospheres but as personalities. The trio, who were in their late teens and early 20s, closely resonated with their fans due to their proximity in age and shared interests. The readers were moved when Ribon featured an article in which A-ko Mutsu had the opportunity to meet and interview her favorite singer, the rock star Kenji Sawada, a prominent teen idol of that era. The positive response was so overwhelming that, a few issues later, Hideko Tachikake, an avid folk music enthusiast, also had the chance to interview her idol, Kosetsu Minami, the lead singer of Kaguyahime.

An otometique girl by Yumiko Tabuchi (left) and a collection of furoku illustrated by her as seen on a 2021 exhibition on her art.

The popularity of "otometique" peaked in 1977. By 1981, the boom had almost faded, and A-ko, Tabuchi, and Tachikake published their last works on Ribon in 1985. Tabuchi and Tachikake married and semi-retired, while A-ko successfully transitioned to manga for adult women.

Despite the end of the style, "otometique" permeated every corner of Japanese society. Its furoku and atmosphere were one of the bases for the almighty "kawaii" culture which now rules the country. The life-sized heroines and focus on mundane love stories and everyday emotions went on to become one of the main characteristics of the shoujo manga industry.

The Iwadate Domain

For years, the influence of "otometique" has been downplayed, one of the reasons why the movement is almost undiscussed in the West. However, in the last few years, best-selling books reminiscing the style were published, and exhibitions of A-ko Mutsu and Yumiko Tabuchi's works were big hits across Japan. A-ko, who moved back from Tokyo to her hometown in Fukuoka and never stopped creating manga, was recognized by the local prefecture as an honorary citizen and gained a permanent museum in the area, signaling her importance to the industry.

But while the "otometique" phenomenon happened on the pages of Ribon magazine, Mutsu, Tabuchi, and Tachikake weren't the only three attracting a massive audience to this type of real-life love story.

Mariko Iwadate's work was extremely popular from the late '70s to the mid-2000s. Above, a collection of her work from her Margaret era.

Going back to the research of sociologist Shinji Miyadai, three domains divided '70s shoujo. There was the "Moto Hagio domain," which included the Year 24 artists. The Hagio domain was more highbrow and intellectually challenging, and many considered it an equivalent to literature, attracting the intellectual elite that sniffed at manga in general. It is by far the most discussed and debated '70s shoujo movement, as well as the most famous in the West, but it was the least commercially successful at the time. Then there was the "Machiko Satonaka domain," with emotionally driven stories full of drama, plot twists, and larger-than-life heroines. Most of the '70s best-selling shoujo series fall under this category, which includes the work of Yukari Ichijo and Ryoko Ikeda and sports manga like "Ace wo Nerae," among others.

Finally, there's the domain in which the "otometique" stories were created. And Miyadai doesn't name it after any of the Ribon artists, calling it the "Mariko Iwadate domain" instead.

In the Satonaka domain, the heroine served as a proxy for the reader in a fantastical world, while in the Iwadate domain, the heroine represented the reader in the real world. But, after all, who is the influential Iwadate?

Mariko Iwadate, who made her debut in 1973 at the age of 16, rose to prominence by embracing the "otometique" style during its peak in the late '70s. Similar to Ribon artists, Iwadate, who mostly worked for Weekly Margaret, captivated readers with her elegant and stylish art, featuring cute clothes, accessories, and intricate details.

Miyadai's choice to name the category after Iwadate rather than the genre pioneer A-ko Mutsu may be attributed to Iwadate's sustained success. After leaving Ribon in 1985, A-ko remained prolific and had a dedicated audience, but she couldn't replicate her peak. Iwadate's popularity, on the other hand, continued unabated even after she transitioned to adult women's manga. Iwadate's work, recognized for its emotional depth, became a significant inspiration for trailblazers like best-selling novelist Banana Yoshimoto and avant-garde manga artist Kyoko Okazaki. In 1993, when Miyadai wrote his book, Iwadate's fame and respect probably made her a more recognizable figure for readers to associate with the category.

Iwadate's soft girly art and story-telling made her extremely popular and influential.

Mariko Iwadate's narrative, especially her post-80s work, has a more psychological and mature element to it when compared to Ribon's artists. She, as an artist, bridged the gap between "otometique" and another highly influential "Iwadate domain" artist, Fusako Kuramochi.

Fusako Kuramochi, debuting while still a teen in the early '70s at Bessatsu Margaret (Betsuma), initially emulated her favorite artists, Moto Hagio and Keiko Takemiya, before finding her style—a realistic portrayal of romance with a substantial psychological element. Her success contributed to shaping Betsuma, alongside Ribon, as arguably the most influential and commercially thriving shoujo title -- the go-to magazine for high school rom-com.

Like the otometique artists, Fusako Kuramochi first gained prominence with short stories and one-shots. In 1979, she wrote her first series, "Oshiaberi Kaidan," in which each chapter depicted the life of a young girl from junior high to her graduation day. In 1980, she published "Itsumo poketto ni Chopin," a classical music manga that also dealt with growing up as a teenager in the city. From then on, she'd publish about two hit series every year in Betsuma before graduating successfully to adult women's manga in 1994.

Kuramochi's success was due to her great skill in portraying girls going through crushes, heartbreaks, and jealousy. The psychological elements struck a chord with readers and helped her create male romantic leads that were extremely popular.

Another component of Kuramochi's work was her sophistication, a result of her upbringing. Her father was the chairman of one of Japan's biggest printing companies, and she was raised in Shibuya, in the center of Tokyo, while attending an exclusive all-female institution. The fact she spent her youth in the middle of Tokyo's hustle and bustle meant she knew the capital well, and her works were full of references to trendy cafes, restaurants, nightspots, and neighborhoods. Her Betsuma work was published right before and during Japan's ostentatious Bubble years, so many chasing an exciting city life referred to her work. 

While her stories reflected the reality and aspirations of the Bubble years, Kuramochi's true gift lay in providing readers with a realistic depiction of growing up and falling in love, making her work immensely popular. In general, consumerism -- displayed through clothes, accessories, and decor -- isn't as crucial to her success as the three Ribon "otometique" artists.

While Fusako Kuramochi is part of the "Iwadate domain," you can argue that Kuramochi evolved into her own category, which was vital for the development of real-life love stories in shoujo in the '80s and '90s and the rise of other highly-influential artists like Ryo Ikuemi.

But going back to the three '70s movements, "otometique"/"Iwadate domain" was definitely the most influential one in steering shoujo manga in its current direction. On the other hand, all of these domains co-existed together and fed from each other. In 1977, during the "otometique" boom, Yukari Ichijo remained untouched as one of Ribon's most popular artists with her emotionally charged dramas. It was the success of Ichijo and other "Satonaka domain" artists that allowed the "Hagio domain" to debut and take risks. In turn, it was the "Hagio domain" that showed there were rewards for young risk-taking shoujo artists.

Yumiko Oshima, known for her girly art and sensitive story-telling, is the inspiration behind the otometique boom.

When asked which artist inspired them the most, both A-ko Mutsu and Mariko Iwadate gave the same answer: Yumiko Oshima. Oshima, known for her quirky love stories and girly art, is an artist who trained alongside Hagio and Takemiya at the Oizumi salon and rose as part of the "Year 24 group," publishing risk-taking manga in Shogakukan and Hakusensha's magazine after a brief stint in Weekly Margaret. In other words, despite the striking differences, the origin of the "Iwadate domain" is the "Hagio domain."

While the influence of the idealized real-life romance is the one we can better observe today, contemporary shoujo would not exist if not for all these three styles meshing together and creating something new. And from that, things kept evolving and changing and gaining new forms. Because, once again, manga, and especially shoujo manga, is about reflecting the girly ideals of its time.

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 97: Under the Gun

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: language, violence, lots of guns, scary situation, injury, basic TWD stuff tbh ❧ Word Count: 5.2k

❧ In This Chapter: It will take some effort to convince Daryl that you're capable of helping at the Commonwealth. Of course, who is he to stand in your way? A deadly trap ensnares you all, and confronting Governor Milton is going to be more challenging than you'd anticipated. Blood will be shed.

❧ A/N: So um ok Tumblr was being weird last night, so when I tried to schedule Chapter 96 to come out at midnight PST, it actually came out three hours earlier than that, so technically THIS is the first post of 2023! Cool! Anywho, um yes I know reader is being stupid look I need her to be stupid ok? Sometimes she can be stupid, as a treat. It would be boring if she was always perfect and made the right decisions. Also Daryl gets to be stupid all the time in the show let her have this. Oh and stream Under the Gun by Sisters of Mercy because a) it's a banger and b) it inspired the vibe of this chapter and some of the lines (but I couldn't fit some of my favorite lines like "you can set the controls for the heart or the knees and the meek will inherit what they damn well please" that line is 🤌🏻)

The crate you carried was heavy, straining your aching back, but you’d risen early that morning to help load up the bus. The plan was to bring as many people as possible back to the Commonwealth, with emphasis on finding the missing children, Eugene and Yumiko, and taking down Pamela, whatever that may entail.

You had a plan of your own. Well, not so much a plan, but a conviction. You hadn’t spoken to Daryl yet this morning, and you knew he’d object, but you were headstrong about one thing: you were going with them.

Perhaps you weren’t in the best physical state to be going, having delivered a baby exactly a week ago. Still, you’d put together an argument in the incredibly likely case that Daryl would refuse to let you come. It didn’t matter what he wanted, though. You wanted to see Pamela get taken down. You wanted to see everything the Miltons and the Commonwealth stood for crumble. You wanted to be a part of it. 

Was it stupid? Yes. You were aware.

“Here’s the last of the supplies,” you said, handing the crate to Maggie. She stood at the back of the bus, loading it up. “There’s plenty of ammo, mostly M855’s, or whatever those big guns use.” Your knowledge of guns was reluctant and minimal, and you much preferred your axe, which you’d been so lucky to find tucked away in a crate in one of the houses, along with Robin’s spear and Daryl’s bow. For what you were about to do, though, you’d need guns. 

“Thanks,” she huffed, checking the crate before sliding it in. “You talk to Daryl yet?”

Maggie knew, of course, but Daryl didn’t. He assumed you’d be staying to watch Robin and Wes, which, admittedly, sounded like a much better idea than what you had in mind, but there was such a strong urge to see justice restored, to be a part of it, to help make history.

“No,” you said. You turned as you dusted off your jeans, eying Daryl, who sat upon the deck of the town hall. In his arms was baby Westley, bundled up in his blue blanket, with his bear hat poking out. Robin and RJ sat beside him, each peering over his shoulders to look at the baby boy. “I know he’ll be upset.”

“It’s your choice,” she said. “You’re a grown woman. He can’t tell you what to do, you know.”

“I know, it’s just… I hate arguing with him about this kind of stuff. And if I do go, I don’t want him to be worrying about me the whole time, getting distracted.”

“He’ll live with it.”

You made your way to the town hall, where others had also gathered as they prepared to board the bus. Daryl had handed Wes to Robin, who was eager to hold him. 

Daryl nodded his head to you, his face a portrait of confusion. “You should be in bed,” he said. “Ain’t you tired?”

“Aren’t you?”

He hadn’t slept in days, of course he was tired. More tired than you, and you’d just given birth. Everyone was tired, but the sooner you got to the Commonwealth, the better.

Chewing his bottom lip, he eyed you suspiciously. “You ain’t goin’,” he said. 

Your eyes widened as you scoffed. “Yes, I am. I’m not missing this.”

He moved further from the earshot of others, gently but firmly holding your arm to take you with him. “I need you here.”

“That’s ridiculous,” you said, even though you knew it really was quite reasonable. Still, this is what you wanted. “I want to be part of this. I mean, how else am I supposed to write down what happened in my journal?”

“Woman, you just had a damn baby.” His voice raised, becoming more impassioned. You could see in his eyes that he was scared, that even the idea of something happening to you because your body was weaker than usual made his eyes go cloudy. “How in the hell are you gonna be able to fight?”

He had a point, and you knew that, but your need to see this through eclipsed whatever lingering pain and weakness you felt. Your body was healing well, you were healthy. Daryl had spent nine months making sure you were able to have a successful birth, and you did. It wasn’t traumatic, you were lucky. Twice. Your luck hadn’t run out, either. You were sure of it. 

“I can fight if I need to,” you said. “I will fight.” 

There were few things in your relationship with Daryl that caused contention. Rare were your fights, your lovers’ quarrels. Daryl had a temper that came out at unexpected times, but he never hurt you, or said anything that shattered your heart beyond repair. The vast majority of the few heated arguments you’d had over the years followed this pattern—Daryl urging you to stay home, safe and sound, and you refusing. 

So far, every one of these arguments ended the same: Daryl giving into you. 

“I’ve almost lost you too many damn times, (Y/N),” he said. “I ain’t almost losin’ you again, or worse.”

You knew his overprotectiveness came from a place of love, but it could be suffocating. Daryl clinged to you like you were a teddy bear, but that was his way. He was always so loyal, and his love was deep and at times overwhelming. Sometimes, you wondered if he really didn’t want you to leave, or if he was just so used to protesting that it became second nature. 

In any case, you were, as Maggie had reminded you, a grown woman. Daryl could argue till he was blue in the face, but the final say was yours. 

“I’ve almost lost you so many times, too,” you said. “That’s just how it goes. I can do it. I feel fine… I’m going with you.” 

With a deep huff, he squinted his eyes, the morning sun having begun to pierce them. Yours, however, were noticeably wide, like two big doe’s eyes. It was subtle, of course, but you knew what you were doing. It might’ve just been instinct at this point. You could’ve not cared enough to get Daryl’s approval. You could’ve just gotten on that bus with him and not asked at all for his permission, but you didn’t want to fight. You wanted Daryl to be on board with your decision, and if anything got Daryl to cave, it was your wide, pleading eyes. 

“You’re gonna be the death a’me one day, woman,” he huffed. “All right, but you gotta promise to stay right by me. No splittin’ up, and don’t strain yourself too much, just for my peace of mind, all right?”

As much as you were reluctant to admit it, you did love when Daryl appeased you, when he showed his soft side by giving into you. He really did love you, and that was always so apparent to you. You’d never known anyone to love you as much as he did. 

“Thank you, honey,” you said, wrapping your arms underneath his to hold his shoulder blades as you hugged him. He didn’t stiffen at all anymore, not even in public. He just held you back, his hand tangling in the hand on the back of your head. “I promise I won’t do anything reckless.”

He scoffed, causing you to pull away and look at him in mock offense. “What?” you asked. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not after what I saw last night,” he said. “When ya went lookin’ for the kids. Never seen ya so… scary.”

“I scared you?”

“No, jus’... Saw somethin’ crazy in your eyes.” He thought back to that moment you pushed him away from the door, and he chuckled a little to himself. “Maybe I was a little bit scared of you.”

You lowered your head as you felt the blush begin to bloom in your cheeks, but his hands caressed your jawline to lift your head back up. 

“Ain’t a bad thing,” he said. “I kinda liked it… I love my crazy woman.”

You let out a loud snort, and he broke into a wide grin, always amused by your little mannerisms. “Stop it,” you laughed. “I was worried about the kids.”

“I know, I was, too. Just ain’t ever seen ya like that. You’re always so damn sweet.”

“Well, it’s good to know I can still surprise you.” You leaned in to peck his lips, but he didn’t let you pull away, instead pulling you closer to deepen your kiss just a little. 

There wasn’t much more time to stand around, though. When the bus was loaded, it was time to head for the Commonwealth. 

You said your goodbyes to Robin and Westley, leaving them and the Grimes children in the care of Nabila. 

The bus took you to the same train you’d hijacked just the other day. It was rather convenient that one of the Commonwealth prisoners was himself a train conductor before being taken into custody. 

Of course, you brought along your journal. Well, the thirteenth or fourteenth volume. You’d gone through so many journals over the years, keeping track of both personal events and the ones that you considered history. The Commonwealth was at least six hours away by train, going at full speed. You’d have plenty of time to catch your future readers up to speed. 

Date: April 17, 2021

Time: 1:45 PM

We set out at 8 AM, now we’re nearing the place where the border between West Virginia and Ohio once was. The primary objective of this mission is to return the Commonwealth citizens who were unlawfully imprisoned and sent to the labor camp at Alexandria back home. At that point, it should become clear that Governor Pamela Milton is a corrupt tyrant who must be removed from power. 

I must be honest in saying that I don’t know what will happen to Milton, but I don’t think killing her is the best solution. Years ago, I thought Negan should’ve been killed after the Savior War, and I still stand by that, but Milton isn’t like Negan. She is weak on her own, posing little threat. What’s dangerous is her power, her greed, and those things are fueled by her influence over other people. Without that influence, she’s weak. We’ve already gathered support from the Commonwealth Army at Alexandria, and I am willing to bet that once the citizens of Commonwealth realize where their missing loved ones have been taken, they will turn on Milton, too, and there’s strength in numbers. 

I am unsure of the future for the Commonwealth, but whatever it is, it must be better than how it is now. 

You paused for a moment, no longer able to continue your mostly factual account. Instead, you turned the page to reveal a fresh one. You’d never been too good at separating your personal entries from your historical ones, but in a way, you found it comforting. Perhaps one day someone would read about your life, too.

It’s been a week now since Aaron, Lydia, Elijah, and Jerry left the Commonwealth with the hopes of bringing supplies back to Alexandria. They weren’t there yesterday, when we got there. I am starting to worry. Daryl tried to tell me that it would take much longer for them to get to Alexandria, considering they took a wagon. I know he’s right, he’s always right, and so damn rational sometimes. I almost like it better when he’s irrational, but he keeps me grounded, which is good. My hope is that perhaps they will reach Alexandria while we’re away, and maybe we’ll see them there when we get back. 

I know I shouldn’t be here. I should be home, with Robin and Westley. The thing is, I want to be here. I want to be part of this. I haven’t told Daryl, because I know he’d worry, but I do feel tired, and still a bit weak from the birth. I know I will read this back someday and think, “God, you’re such an idiot,” and I (or you) would be right. 

I’m an idiot, but at least I’ll get to see Pamela taken down. At least there will be reckoning for the lives she destroyed. That’s why it matters to me. 

Daryl told me something funny yesterday. He told me he’d take me on a “vacation” once all this is over. I don’t know where he’s getting that from. We can’t just up and leave the kids, but I have to admit, there is something tempting about the idea. It would be really nice, just the two of us for maybe a week or two. I’ve got no idea where we’d go. Daryl said we could just hop on his bike and drive somewhere. I’d like to go to France, or Italy. I know it’s impossible, but just for the record, it’d be nice to see the Eiffel Tower and all that. Well, if it’s still there and hasn’t fallen apart or anything. I wonder if French walkers are different from American ones. Could that be possible? Perhaps their groans have an accent. I’d like to find out someday, though I know I never will. 

By the time the train arrived at the nearest Commonwealth depot, Princess had rigged a radio signal to contact Mercer. She informed you all of the news—Eugene’s trial deemed him guilty, but Mercer and the other Commonwealth soldiers that followed him were keeping him in hiding, safe from Milton’s forces. 

Mercer promised to meet Princess and your group at the gate, letting you all in. You had an in. The only problem was, here you sat just outside the gates, waiting. You counted thirty minutes on your watch. 

Negan voiced your own concerns: “Hey, we are sittin’ ducks,” he said. “He ain’t comin’ and we can’t wait.”

As much as you hated to agree with Negan, you did. Silently, but you did. 

Itching to get inside, you peered through the bush that blocked view of your group from the guards. There were only four, that should’ve been easy to get through, you figured. But if they shot, you knew their bullets were tracked. It would draw attention to any of the other Commonwealth soldiers that weren’t on your side.

“Guys, please,” replied Princess. “Mercer’s gonna show up.”

Daryl kept an eye on you from the side, always keeping you in his sight, as he said he would. “We’re runnin’ out of time,” he said.

“I’m gonna head around,” said Carol. “Try to find another way to slip in.”

“How many are there, (Y/N)?” Maggie asked.

You squinted through the bush, trying to cover any blind spots in case you missed any. “Four.” You made the signal to Connie—four soldiers. 

“We could take ‘em,” said Maggie. 

You turned back to keep an eye on the guards’ movements. Their guns were drawn, but they were low. They were, unfortunately, doing their job. With what you knew from Daryl about the Commonwealth Army, a lot of them didn’t do their jobs. You really wished these guards were more negligent, solely for your group’s benefit.

They were so attentive, in fact, that they must’ve heard someone’s whispers, or perhaps a movement. They began to approach the bush.

“Those guards go missing,” said Rosita, “clock’s ticking on us.”

“Hey,” you said, still in a whisper, but noticeably a lot more urgently. 

“Hold on a minute,” said the foremost guard. “Did you hear that?”

The others held still, quiet. If your heart was beating any faster, you swore it might’ve become audible. 

You kept your hand on your axe, just in case. There was a perfect space between the armor plates, just at the base of the neck. You could drive the tip of your axe through it quite quickly, without having to draw your gun. A silent kill was always better. 

Mentally, you prepared yourself to strike, to take a man’s life, something you had always been uneasy with, but the voice that came from one of the guard’s radios saved you the trouble of the inevitable moral dilemma. 

“Sector D, gather all available units,” the grainy voice said, “and report to the east gate immediately. Mercer needs bodies to deal with an incoming swarm.”

A herd was the last thing on Earth you needed, but at this moment, it was, dare you say, incredibly convenient. At the very least, the Commonwealth’s walls were well-fortified, and their army was equipped to deal with the possibility of a herd getting close. There was no way it would get inside.

The guard spoke into his radio, “Sir, does that include tunnel H?”

“Yes,” the now slightly exasperated voice responded. “That includes tunnel H.”

“So are we supposed to just… abandon our post?”

Please. 

“Goddamnit, soldier, it’s locked!” the voice replied harshly now. “We’ve got it covered on this end. Stop wasting time, move!”

Oh, God, you thought. That sounds serious. You exchanged a look with Daryl, but he didn’t look worried. He nodded to you, his face a resolute sculpture of heroism. Well, to you, anyway. He made you strong with just one look. You’d be able to last a while longer before you’d need that reassurance again.

“All right, let’s move!” said the soldier. “You heard it, move!”

Your eyes diligently followed the four guards’ moves, and when they boarded a jeep, starting the engine, you breathed a sigh of relief. The vehicle drove away, out of your line of vision, and you turned to face the rest of the group, nodding as you said: “I think we’re good.”

“You sure?” asked Daryl. 

You turned back to confirm. “Yes,” you said firmly. “We need to move now.”

Tunnel H was the destination. Daryl knew it ran underneath the city, and it would lead you to the center. If the radio communication was anything to go by, the tunnel wasn’t guarded. Luck was on your side.

Maggie led the way in, the others following. Daryl stood guard, vigilantly looking out for any hostiles. You kept your word, staying with him, but when you began to make your way into the dark corridor, he pulled you aside, his hand holding yours.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “Always together, right?”

“Always,” you agreed.

Tunnel H was more like a sewer, with dripping pipes and soaked floors and a foul stench permeating in the air. Quite literally, you were seeing the dark, festering underbelly of the Commonwealth. 

Guns drawn, you traveled deeper, until you reached a ladder attached to the wall of the tunnel, with the letter 2 printed on it. According to the plan, that was the closest entrance to Union Station, where Pamela was more than likely to be.

Indeed, it took you there.

You came out from the underground in a maintenance room, then filed slowly, cautiously, one by one into the station. 

The Commonwealth citizens moved first, eager to make their stand against Milton. They were led by Tyler Davis, the young man who’d been the first to stand against Pamela. He’d been sent to Alexandria not long after Daryl’s encounter with him at the Halloween Masquerade.

You came through next, but it was quiet, empty. It didn’t feel right, but Tyler and other Commonwealth citizens were already in the center of the station, above which were balconies that wrapped around the perimeter, looking down to the first floor. 

“Somethin’ ain’t right,” Daryl said behind you. You could feel it, too, so you kept your gun drawn. 

Daryl studied his surroundings, and his suspicions were confirmed. Padlocked chains were laced around the handles of the doors that led to the outside. Your eyes followed his, and a sinkhole formed in your stomach.

“Come on guys,” Tyler called out to your group. “We’re almost there.”

Daryl only had a moment to register the trap, but it was too late. “Get down!” he bellowed, instinctively grabbing your wrist and pulling you with him as he scrambled into one of the alcoves of the corridor. 

All the while, a rain of gunshots came from the second floor balconies above the station. You caught a glimpse of Tyler and some of the others meeting their fate, pulverized by bullets. The men shooting in the balconies weren’t armored. They were in plain clothes, not unlike the men who jumped and kidnapped you. You figured they must’ve been agents for Pamela, loyal to her and only her, not the people of the Commonwealth.

The group became split several ways, with some taking cover underneath the stairs, others scrambling underneath benches and archways. Across the corridor from you and Daryl was Maggie, tucked away in the opposite alcove. You took stock of where the others went, making mental notes to not lose anybody in the chaos. 

In the span of just thirty seconds, the once quiet, empty station became a battlefield, with the enemy firing rounds of .50 caliber bullets in merciless succession. Glass shattered, screams erupted from those who had been hit, or were still clinging to life. You swore you even heard the men shooting at you cheering for each other, encouraging one another to “take them out.”

In times like these, whatever reservations you had for firing back were squandered. They were trying to kill your people, and doing it with glee. Your position wasn’t ideal for shooting back, but the guards were mobile, with little coverage on the balcony. They had the advantage of being above you, but you had the cover. 

You shot at one man, attempting to make his way down the stairs. Another shot went through a man’s torso, while Daryl’s went through a head. His aim was always better.

You aimed to shoot another one of Milton’s cronies, but the trigger was stuck, and you remembered now one of the reasons you hated guns so much. “Shit,” you murmured, then raised your voice to say, “My gun’s jammed!”

Happiness is a loaded weapon.

Daryl only pushed you back behind him, then shot again. “I got it!”

You felt powerless now. All you had was your axe and a few knives, and you wished that, somewhere along the way, you’d learned to use a bow. Daryl had offered, but you found it somehow cliche that you’d learn the same weapon as your husband. Go figure.

In the meantime, you’d keep a sharp eye out behind Daryl, looking out for any windows, but there were none. At least, not from this angle. It was absolute bedlam, a circus of blood and bullets. Time seemed to move so fast—explosive bolts, ten thousand volts, a million miles an hour. 

You weren’t just under the gun, you were under at least twenty of them, cold, silver pipes spitting hot molten metal, all for an idiot, chosen to hold the highest card, wielding a power much too immense for any living human being to have.

That’s when you saw her, the governor herself. Eyes wide, you were transfixed on her, her shocked face. How could she have any shock? She didn’t deserve to feel such a thing. She’d created her own reality, built on the backs of people who had been made to believe that this was how things were, that things were worse outside the walls.

She made the ultimate mistake when she tried to take your home away. She should’ve known better, after what she knew about your people. She underestimated Alexandria, and that would be her fatal mistake. 

When you thought of all the damage she caused, the lives she’d ruined, your hatred rose like bile in the back of your throat. You could taste it on your tongue when she kneeled down beside the guard Daryl had just shot, and picked up his rifle. 

Your lips agape in confusion, you exchanged a look with Maggie across the corridor. She looked for a moment, taking a deep breath before stepping out from the alcove, her body almost fully unprotected as she shot up at the balcony. 

Volleying between Pamela and Maggie, you noticed that the governor had her sights on her, your friend. Your best friend. She’d always been your best friend, and you weren’t about to lose her. You’d lost too many friends. 

Your inner voice was muted, everything was, except the beating of your heart. Something, maybe pure stupidity, or maybe heroism, or something in between, propelled your body forward, sliding across the floor, into the line of fire. Your gun now dropped, you pushed Maggie back behind the wall, with the intention to get yourself there, too.

Intentions were always nice, in theory. 

Your ears popped open when one single gunshot seemed to resound above all the rest. You didn’t feel pain at that moment. You only saw blackness, and heard a faint, bellowing, pleading cry that echoed through the station, lulling you into some kind of unconsciousness.

“No!”

He launched himself across the tile floor, his scream having silenced the barrage of gunfire. Your head in his hands, he murmured under his breath, “No, no, no, no, no…”

It all came back again, flooding back. 

“Wake up, (Y/N),” he said, his hands gently shaking you to no avail. “Wake up!” he roared. 

Maggie looked on in shock, her eyes wide and her lips agape. Carol emerged from underneath the stairs where she’d hidden, seeing what happened, Daryl knelt by your bleeding body. 

“We gotta go!” he cried out, his voice faltering, but still strong. 

Machine fire broke out as Carol took the opportunity of the confusion to shoot at the remaining goons. Negan and Maggie joined to fire up at the balcony, forming a human barricade around you. 

He begged, pleaded, for you to wake up, to tell him what he needed to do, to be alive. You were breathing, but barely. There was blood beginning to show beneath you, but he frantically looked to find the source to no success. 

More gunfire, more blood. A million thoughts raced, and yet there was nothing, blankness. All he knew was you needed help, and in his panic, he cried out again, this time more in anger than in fear. “We gotta go!”

He lifted his head to turn, trying to locate some exit or something that could help. The answers had to be somewhere. 

His gaze fell upon Ezekiel across the station, himself hidden behind a broken glass partition. He peered over the top, looking in horrified confusion at your near-lifeless body, strewn on the cold, bloody tile. 

Daryl didn’t meet his eyes, he only spotted the fire extinguisher just behind him, strapped to the wall. “Throw it!” he bellowed, pointing to the device. 

He procured the auxiliary handgun he’d haphazardly tucked in the waistband of his jeans, an occasional habit you often scolded him for, half-joking that he was likely to accidentally “shoot his dick off.” It would come in handy now.

Ezekiel flung the extinguisher into the air, though not without slight confusion at Daryl’s orders. It made sense when Daryl raised his gun, narrowing his eyes to point, aim, and shoot at the flying canister. The shot was enveloped by a plume of grey that soon shrouded the whole station, a kind of smoke bomb. 

The rest was a blur, quite literally. 

Daryl knew he could carry you, if just from the sheer panic and need to get you help. He tucked both arms underneath you, one at your shoulder blades, the other under your knees. With a great expenditure of strength, every last bit of it in him, he hoisted you up. The air was thick with smoke, gunshots still raining from somewhere, but he was invisible. 

His own vision, though, was compromised, and frantically he turned in each and every direction to find a way out, until a voice called to him. It was Maggie, or maybe Carol, or maybe Diane, he couldn’t quite tell, it didn’t matter. “Daryl! This way!”

Emerging from the smoke, they came out into the open air, into Union Square. They veered off into an alley, with Ezekiel leading the way. Something about a clinic, that’s all Daryl heard. That’s all he needed to know. 

He tried so hard to keep you stable in his arms, but it was hard. He struggled to keep you up, your body weighing him down. Still, he didn’t let you fall.

“The clinic’s not far now!” Ezekiel called out, pointing in the direction. In that same direction, a large military jeep had approached, blocking the way through. The group staggered momentarily, until Ezekiel called out again, leading them down another path that jutted from the alley. “This way!” This way!”

This time, a black van. No way around, no shortcuts. “Fall back,” Ezekiel said.

It became clear when Daryl looked back, when they all looked back. Troopers were at the other end of the alley, but they weren’t shooting, they weren’t concerned with your group. They instead placed Commonwealth branded partitions, and chain link fences. 

“They’re not following us!” Carol said. 

And then he heard it. He didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to believe it, but it was hard not to know just what it was. 

Magna must’ve heard it, too. “Wait! What is that?”

Snarling, wheezing, rattling, growling. 

That’s when they started flooding the alleyway, and they all realized where they were: the slums. This was where the poor lived, the lower classes. They were driving the herd into the home of the Commonwealth’s poor, where once you lived. It was evil, and it had Pamela Milton written all over it. 

“They’re penning us in!” shouted Ezekiel. 

They weren’t just walking, though. They were climbing. 

“What the fuck?” said Negan, watching the lone walker rise about the rest, climbing upon the abandoned cart as it approached. 

Daryl saw it, too. He didn’t care. He took a glance down at you, still unconscious, still barely breathing. 

Somewhere in the chaos, Eugene and Max had found your group, and Luke and Jules emerged from the herd, barrelling towards them. None of that registered to Daryl, though, who quickly jumped back into action. 

“Move! Move!”

They rounded another corner, where more walkers were flooding in. Carol was observant, though. “Cat ‘em off!” she cried. “We got that alley! Clear a path!”

The labyrinthian alleyways they ran through seemed to dead end after dead end, with the dead literally blocking the end. Carol guided Daryl as he carried you, taking out walkers with the others to clear a path. 

He squeezed through, between the corner of a wall and the impending herd. He sidestepped, narrowly escaping the clutches of a walker, whose rotten hand came much too close to grabbing you. 

For a moment then, your eyes seemed to flutter open, just for a brief moment. He kept moving, losing his breath but never giving out. He looked down at you, a small burst of relief, but you looked so weak. 

Still, you recognized him, how could you not? In the haze of your stupor, you mumbled his name. Looking back, you saw past his arm—a stampede of walkers tripping over each other, flooding into the alley, but not following you. 

That was the last thing you’d see for several minutes, during which you swore you heard him say, “I’m here.”

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs of any kind are always appreciated!

Series Masterlist Next Chapter ➳

[thebeauregardbros]

you should really read The Sword of Paros (1986) written by Kaoru Kurimoto (Guin Saga) and illustrated Yumiko Igarashi (Candy Candy).

A gorgeously illustrated fantasy shoujo romance comic about a prince born in the body of a princess and the romance between him and a peasant girl who sees and accepts him as the prince he is inside.

trigger warnings for the story under cut;

misgendering galore, transph*bia, sexi*m, discussion of forced marriage, discussion of pr*gnancy regarding a transmasc character, insinuated r*pe, h*mophobia, s*icidal ideation, possibly more but I'm not done re-reading it. come back later for more thorough tws.

it's still a shoujo story, meaning it's intended for a teenage audience, so it's not too gruesome in it's dark theming. but stay safe!

[scintillulae]

[yumikoshigarakirp]

Pinned Post

Owner’s Info: Owner is 18+, uses she/her pronouns. Main blog is @yumiko-shigaraki, ranting blog is @oc-rants I was going to have it just be for Yumiko but I have more ocs that I know I’ll end up ranting about.

Yumiko’s Basic Info: Yumiko/Yūka is 19/20, uses she/her pronouns, pansexual (with a male preference), and is Tomura’s younger sister. She also has a girlfriend named Katsumi up until the League becomes more well known/around the time the bar hideout is raided.

Things To Keep In Mind When Interacting With Yumiko: 

Yumiko is fairly flirty, and not a very loyal partner, so if you want your muse and her to be together, keep in mind that she will most likely not be loyal to your muse unless we are in DMs. 

Yumiko is frightened of AFO, if he is your muse she will not give very long responses.

Yumiko shows favoritism towards Dabi, Toga, Twice, and Spinner.

Yumiko is likely to lash out with certain topics, especially if they are about her/Tomura/AFO/stuff like that.

Yumiko does not want to be touched without warning.

Tags Used For This Blog

The Discord Server (16+)

Yumiko/Dabi Stuff

Under the cut is info on her quirk, backstory, and rules

Her Quirk(s) (it makes sense if you read her story):

Her born quirk is hypothermia. When all five of her fingers make skin to skin contact with another creature, she can give it hypothermia. The colder her body temperature is, the more deadly the effects, and it can potentially make frostbite form over and around the contact area. Due to her quirk, her normal body temperature is 96°F, and it is much easier for her to suffer a heatstroke, since her body has a lower threshold until it overheats.

Her Quirks Given To Her By AFO:

Regeneration, the user can regenerate body parts/heal wounds at an increased rate.

Resurrection, she can revive a person within a thirty-minute time frame of death, but she is not aware of this quirk.

Increased Muscle, it makes it easier for the user to increase muscle mass/strength. While a normal person might work out for weeks before seeing results, this quirk would cause them to see results within days. 

Tiger's Bite, this gives the user the bite force of a tiger.

Shock Absorption, y’all know what this is already.

Blog Rules: 

Under no circumstances should minors send suggestive or full nsfw asks or submissions to Yumiko. 

If you are an adult and your muse is under 18, the same applies unless your muse is explicitly aged up. 

Be respectful to the owner. 

AUs are allowed, just specify if that's what you want the RP to be.

Understand Yumiko’s backstory and trauma is not pleasant. Her backstory will be posted with the appropriate content warnings, if they trigger you, do not read her backstory or engage in those topics with her.

If I block you, do not make a new blog to interact with me. This has been an issue on my main, don’t let it be an issue here too.

Yumiko’s Backstory

[distantvoices]

Nyaduola Gabriel by Anthony Arquier for Numéro France April 2024

Joana Dacheville (Fashion Editor/Stylist), Yumiko Hikage (Hair Stylist), Marielle Loubet (Makeup Artist), Magda S (Manicurist)

[dregs-leftovers-parsley]

Hello! I just wanted to say, that I don't think I'm as well read in shoujo/yuri as you seem to be. Ever since RGU changed my life ~2 years ago, I've been trying to fix that! If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to know if you have any particular recommendations (both for things that are very good, or critical reads/genre defining stuff).

Cheers, and I hope this isn't too vague an ask!

hiii! I mostly read shoujo/yuri (or as I call it, proto-yuri) from around the 70's, a lot of it isn't very good in a traditional sense, especially if you don't have a taste for melodrama and tragedy, but I find it deeply interesting and valuable nonetheless.

right now I have a list of proto-yuri I'm working through reading: https://www.tumblr.com/dregs-leftovers-parsley/748591148718833664/aries-no-otometachi-1973-satonaka

a lot of these are japanese only but some of them have fan-translations (namely sakura namiki, shiroi heya no futuri, maya no souretsu, utsukushiki kyuketsuki, oniisama e, and sakura no sono) I would highly recommend checking out sakura namiki, oniisama e, and sakura no sono (and its 1990 movie adaptation) especially.

if you want to look into some of the many works that have had an influence on revolutionary girl utena. I'd recommend oniisama e (again, read oniisama e), rose of versailles, heart of thomas and its movie adaptation, summer vacation 1999 (1988), kaze to ki no uta (be sure to check the content warnings on this one first), and sukeban deka (both the original manga and the ova series), specifically the witch hunt arc from ~volume 9

as for stuff I just personally enjoy consider checking out tokimeki tonight (long series), saint rosalind by watanabe masako, the hanshin anthology by hagio moto, the visitor by hagio moto (prequel to heart of thomas) and wata no kuni hoshi by oshima yumiko

I don't even have an excuse for saint rosalind it's not very good I just find it very endearing for some reason

thanks for letting me ramble ^_^ I'll turn you loose now

[nordie-scribbles]

Recent OP oc art - including @magithy ‘s girl Yumiko

Finally reached Wano and I’ve finally gotten to onigashima so obligatory outfit madee

[takigawa]

Mackenyu Arata (who became an internationally popular actor for his roles as the main character in the live-action "Knights of the Zodiac（Saint Seiya)The Beginning" movie and ZORO in the live-action "One Piece") and Min Tanaka star in this serious drama series “House of the Owl”about a Japanese, hidden political and financial mastermind known as the "Owl". https://x.com/takigawa_w/status/1790365255169904916?s=46&t=8Vf8aUwk_B-ZbQ5UAGv05w The owl sees everything with eyes that can see anytime, even in the middle of the night. Seventy-year-old charismatic Ryutaro Ohgami (Min Tanaka) has four children. His eldest son, Ichiro (Masanobu Ando), is unreliable, does not get along with his wife, has a Ginza hostess as his mistress, and is planning a new luxury restaurant without borrowing funds from his father so that he can leave his father's influence. Yumiko (Kyoko Hasegawa), the firm eldest daughter, has two seemingly happy children with her handsome trading company man husband, but her husband is doing shady deals (of a different kind than an interpreter for famous Major-League players) behind her back. The second son, Ryu (Mackenyu Arata), does not get along with his father, and after studying in the U.S., he returns to Japan to work for a small non-profit organization without contacting his family. One day, Ryu bumps into a beautiful American woman while jogging in the park, and her phone falls into the street and breaks. Ryu promises to pay for it, and when he asks for the woman's contact information, she gives Ryu her business card, which says "reporter" on it. Risako (Nakata Seina), the youngest and second daughter, aspires to be a singer-songwriter and is already 25 years old, but she has a natural singing voice and talent for songwriting and is expected to make a major debut. Risako tells her father, Ryutaro, about her dream, but Ryutaro is afraid that Risako will be swallowed up by the darkness of the entertainment world. One night, the son of Takeuchi (Masatoshi Nakamura), a candidate for the next prime minister, is killed after a bar fight. The son was also suspected of being on drugs. The murder suspect is caught, but "commits suicide" in jail. Overall, the story has a cool taste and a serious development. A scandal involving a politician, Ichiro's mistress, Yumiko's husband's ruinous dealings, Ryu starting a relationship with a beautiful reporter, Risako going for her dream, and their lives are vividly depicted. Hisako Manda's restrained performance as Ryutaro's wife, Kyoko, shines. The show's portrayal of the Tokyo club　(the one with hostesses)scene, with Tae Kimura's performance as a hostess, adds a touch of realism that makes the show feel all the more authentic. Tae Kimura's performance as the hostess Ryutaro values as a source of information has a realistic feel as if she actually works at a club in Tokyo. What sets "House of the Owl" apart from other Japanese TV drama series is its serious, captivating depiction of the family's struggles, without resorting to over-the-top acting or exaggerated music. There is none of the over-the-top music, over-the-top acting, or over-the-top (unintelligible) jokes that are common in Japanese dramas, nor are there any male celebrities from famous entertainment companies that have caused scandals in Japan, nor any female casts from dozens of female idol group members performing not-so-good songs and dances. Thus, we can calmly observe the whereabouts of this charismatic, mastermind owl, Ryutaro Oogami, and his family. And just as real owls have natural enemies, those who are after "owls" are also heavily represented. If you have watched the episodes carefully, you may be shocked by the series of events that occur in the latter half of the season. The series culminates in a shocking series of events that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next season. This is a must-watch for anyone looking for a drama that offers a glimpse into the complex lives of a family caught up in the world of politics and finance. I can't wait for the second season. #HouseOfTheOwl