#ALSO MINAMI i love him too

[deus-ex-mona]

i miss kohachi…

[ikilledamanforthisurl]

Minami x6 you are okay boss everyone needs to recharge sometimes……. Im actually extremely head empty today so apologies if this is like just Entirely Words V_V But real real…… I wish there was more general discussion of Majima's relationship with his family because iirc it wasn’t even something he asked for initially but he gets it Anyways and now he just has to deal with it. But not only that it soon becomes somehow The Biggest Family in the tojo which leads now to Majima basically being responsible for like so much of the clan to the point where he’s constantly getting threatened because there’s no one else TO threaten anymore the tojo is in such shambles…. and well how are you expecting him to act normally and kindly in this sort of situation. I wish the games took it more seriously because I feel like at least w what we see of Nishida Majima's casual violence and abuse is treated a bit too Jokingly but like I get why he’s Like That. World is a hell the cycles just keep continuing forever! Also nah you’re okay for tangents I also actually love Majima a lot I just feel myself break out into hives whenever I have to witness fandom Majima Family stuff where a lot of it treats it as though it’s just like funny cutesy hahas and not like an Organisation of extremely violent and fucked up people who realistically probably don’t know how to really interact with each other and the interesting ways this could be shown. Like i love shitposts top but come on gang. Png

Also I hope you don’t take this poorly but I have no idea who Aratani is <///3 I couldn’t find him on the wiki and Im not super far yet in the yakuza franchise so you’ll have to excuse me if your points In Regards to majima family members which one actually is taken seriously and which one is not Im just nodding along. But YES real I loooveeeeeee the whole minor theme of like reputation and stories in yakuza…. I think Kiryu is the most notable example of this with how much reverence people put on his name and how it affects like important characters (nishiki most obviously but also Ryuji and the whole debate of “There can only be one dragon” etc) but Majima would definitely also have stories about him that would spread far and wide and it doesn’t matter if they’re true or even real at all because it’s the Image that lingers and that would affect the people around him too most importantly to this discussion Minami. Wants to be somebody ism IS real and i am shaking it around by the neck

Minami might be a lil side character goofy guy but he is my friend and ill put the work into developing him if i must. RGG hire me for my spin off game where you are a employee at Majima construction and you do building minigames and get to hang out with and get to know better Nishida and Minami respectively amen. And i hope the playlist making of one day goes well <33

FEAR NOT! i have pickture of the sulking wretched fiend.....

I'm afraid i don't have a screenshot of him not going on about his whole deal but he's literally patriarch-gunner personified....... Aratani (and most other M.Family men that i'll ever mention for a while besides Minami and Nishida) is a Dead Souls exclusive! i am currently watching a playthru of DS because i've already exposed myself to spoilers a'plenty cause idrc + i think having the most atrocious watchorder of Yakuza is really really funny. We've gone from all of Y0 shown to me by an ex > a lil bit of Y1 > Dead Souls > and then imma do either Y7 or Y3. i enjoy making things harder for myself

also ive had the exact same wishful thinking to myself....... sidecharacter spinoff game...... where u just hang out with them or some shit whatever. most loserific iteration being a Minami focused one because Who Even Wants That but i'll own it idc i have ideas. i have plans. the haters (rggstudios legal team) will sabotage me etc etc. i'd like to think i could have an okay shot at balancing the At First I Lol'd with the But Then I Serioused in a way that's satisfying 'cause both are integral to these characters to me. just like, two more seconds of thinking implications of Anything through would do this series Wonders

but sidetracking cause you mentioned M.Construction and its got me Thinking Again cause like.... i like the idea of balancing Nishida + Minami as opposites in many ways who clash and struggle to fit in with the other. they're not perfect opposites by any means but they function pretty closely. i like stressed, decent Nishida representing the side of the family involved with M.Con while lenient punk twat Minami is firmly planted in the Yakuza side. if Junior Leader is at all involved with a training position then that kind of helps prop up this idea a little bit.... though, ofc, there would be plenty overlap, having so many men on payroll practically requires you to make jobs for them, so it's not like the Family is divided into these two sectors or anything.... lots of mixing of shifts goes down no doubt. whether there is a method to this assignment is another story entirely (probably depends on each person's strengths, abilities, whether they applied for sitework specifically, or as punishment/reward)

(shit i made up territory) Minami is probably assigned to M.Con worksites often.... probably as punishment 'cause you already know this man got the 80HDeez he can't sit still and not cause trouble for the life of him. it both keeps him in one place and occupied while still holding over his head that he Fucked Up, Dummy. oh great, now I gotta deal with Nishida's bullshit (petty squabbling ensues in the office that's my setup to get the two to interact on a regular basis anyways.... there's lots of fun to be had with these two, but so little actually bridges them together. they're SOOO WORSTIES but they work on the other ends of the Family. one's at Oyaji's beck-and-call and the other is kept as far away from Oyaji as possible the millisecond he annoys him a lil too much. one belongs in finance and requires anxiety drugs while the other can't dress himself and needs rehab. oh my god theyre so (crushes them in my hands like putty

[godhandler]

Rent A BF!

#3.5 | young toji fushiguro x reader | fluff, mentions of prostitution, aged and sometimes offensive terminology | 780 words

previous next series masterlist

2nd  February, 1996

Toji peered over the bottles of makeup strewn over the dingy floor. The client had demanded that he cover all his tattoos and scars, so here he was, sitting amongst all the street-hookers and getting his face painted over. He made sure that he grumbled enough. 

Whether or not either side would accept it, the street-hookers and Toji were friends. Everyone in Minami-Senju was, to some degree. It was a rough place in a rough city in a rough time; the bullies and the bullied were the one and the same. They stole each other’s watches and fed each other’s children all the same. 

There was no greater demonstration of this unhinged sense of community than their shared pool of makeup. Every evening, anyone who wanted some blush or mascara ventured down to Morufi Auntie’s garage (one of the very few to have one). Morufi Auntie would sit her aching back down on a stool and personally mix-and-match foundations till everyone got the shade they came for. 

Right now it was Toji who kneeled down to her level, allowing her to test her match on his cheek. She usually gets the colour right on the first try, but once she realised that she was matching the layer of grime on Toji’s face rather than his skin, she screamed for someone to get his nasty ass off her before she brought her slipper out. 

“Hag bitch,” Toji swore. 

“Gutter orphan,” Morufi Auntie swore right back.

It was the benevolent fish-seller lady who took Toji aside and taught him to rub sweet almond oil (borrowed) to get the blackheads out his nose-tip and wash the dirt off his cheeks with a foaming face-wash (borrowed). “Good for your oily skin,” she said, “like all the young ones of your age.” 

She then poured some milky rice-water essence (borrowed too) into his palms. “Pat it into your face, and now dab this–” she squeezed out a teeny tiny dot out of an already-wrung tube, “–neem gel I got from the Chamars. Put a little on your pimples, works like magic.”

“I just came to get my scar painted over.” He pouted. This was severely tanking his big bad guy persona, but at least none of the guys who’d care about it were here. In here, in the Morufi Auntie’s Makeup Garage, people called each other shit like ‘glowing’ or ‘radiant’ or ‘OMG I love your eyebrows’, disparaging guy-talk was strictly prohibited. Toji couldn’t help but feel calmer here too. 

The fish-seller lady just shook her head. “My boy was just like you at this age, never put on sunscreen even though I’d get on his ass. That reminds me– sunscreen! But before that a light moisturiser (also borrowed)– there, aren’t you looking so decent? Now, sugar, go run along to Auntie.” 

Toji didn’t like the way she baby-talked him, but he could not deny that his face felt cleaner and fresher than he ever remembered. 

Morufi Auntie kept true to her fame, churning out his colour match in one go. It didn’t take a lot of (borrowed) foundation, Toji was pretty fair, true to his noble Zenin blood, it was only the sun-tan that darkened patches of his cheeks and forehead. 

Auntie knew not to touch his scar. Toji caked the concealer on himself, and then, following her instructions, patted the colour in with a setting powder. “Blend it out, down to your chin and neck, always. Follow the shadow of your cheekbones and blend, blend, blend it in,” she’d repeat to everyone who came to her. 

He stared into the hand-mirror a street-hooker lent him. The scar crossing his lip was completely gone, almost like… 

“Like it was never there,” he breathed out. A version of him that grew up without the events that led to him getting that scar. A happier alternate universe. “Not bad.”

“It’s art, alright. No one leaves here unhappy.” Morufi Auntie leant back to admire the young boy. The garage was full of people, mostly women, patting, tapping, glossing, shining, yelling, laughing. Shared mirrors, shared makeup, shared tin-wall garage. “We’re artists here.”

“Just like geishas!” Shiki shouted from the other corner of the room. He didn’t want to miss watching his friend getting dolled up and throwing a fit and causing a huge commotion, but it went disappointingly okay. At least he won’t get on my ass about how makeup is cheating now. Shiki shrugged. Win’s a win.

“I’m not a fucking geisha,” Toji bit back, his masculinity pinched. 

“You look pretty as one, or maybe an idol singer?” Shiki stuck his tongue out. “What, I’m saying positive things!” 

Poor Shiki couldn’t duck Morufi Auntie’s slipper in time.

previous next series masterlist

a/n: the last chapter would've raised the question, "how did toji learn that you need to blend your foundation?" he lives and he learns, lol.

morufi is a bantu name from botswana. after ww2, japan offered scholarships to african students for postgraduate studies, many of whom ended up living here. chamar is a low-caste hindu surname from india. compared to an upper caste indian immigrant who often migrate abroad with a strong financial and educational safety net, one might wonder how and why the chamars came to japan.

[fictional-twink-bracket]

Propaganda

(PT: Propaganda)

Joke

he's a little shit (affectionate). definition of fighting a guy to get him on me and then going "ohh you want to kiss me so badddd"

Yelena

sometimes it takes a 190cm woman to win the best twink bracket

Edgar (art by @lazy-toad. He has no official art, so I have permission to use his)

deranged twink that fell in love with the guy trying to steal top secret government info from him and now they’re in a loving relationship. he’s going to die of a brain hemorrhage (possibly????) in six-ish years. there’s an evil version of him that cyberbullied his boyfriend but a little bit to the left. he’s the brains of the time travel organization that he, his boyfriend, his boyfriend’s friend that has killed said boyfriend before, and two of his coworkers. he killed two versions of his boyfriend to save one. he can’t eat gluten. he can’t stop saying the wildest shit. he has a thing for cowboys and it becomes a central theme of the plot. the first description we ever get of him is “he’s a twink, i don’t need to explain what a twink is, you know, i know, blond twink at the desk”. he and his boyfriend call each other gross and sappy pet names that make everyone want to puke up their guts. he’s even left handed.

Literally the first time he's introduced he's first described as being a twink. He's also first described to be a relatively normal person but as the show goes on it turns out he's actually a little bit deranged, he claims that iterations (time travel duplicates) of people are no different than the "original" person yet is weirdly willing to kill iterations of his boyfriend whenever necessary. He and his boyfriend do have a healthy relationship however, and it's maybe even TOO healthy as they are disgusting and annoy everyone around them with their love. He met said boyfriend because he worked at a front desk at a top secret government facility and this guy manipulated him into sharing top secret codes with him. He is aware of this and they are in a loving relationship regardless and we know from future iterations of his boyfriend that they are going to continue to be gross and in love untill he drops dead in eight years from a brain hemorrhage. That's right! He's not just a deranged twink! He's a doomed twink! An iteration of Edgar found out that he was going to die in eight years and as a result he decided he'd turn to cyber bullying an iteration of himself and his boyfriend in an attempt to turn all of his friends against him. He even got axe murdered inside a wall one time! He thinks cowboys are hot and as a result the future widowed iteration of his boyfriend is now a cowboy.

Kurapika

No propaganda submitted

Akito Shinonome

he has to be gay or homophobic (look at him) and because pjsk is for the queers we're gonna have to go with gay

Kenjirou Minami

No propaganda submitted

[doublechocolate]

Haibara dissecting Conan/Shinichi like he's some kind of experiment ksjksjf

I think it was around this time when I started to seriously ship them. Haibara, at this stage, was still given the "cold and mysterious" status of a character but the story didn't shy away from showing us how her empathy extended beyond her own needs. She was well aware of Conan/Shinichi's pain, and also Ran's, because she finds herself to be in that same position as them, and has gone through layers of her own emotional turmoil by this point to recognize this.

But more than that, it's blatantly obvious here that if there's anyone who can understand Conan, it's her. There's a level of understanding between them that's deep and personal. And yes, Conan has that with others too, you can argue that, but what he has with Haibara is slightly different. You see, their "friendship" was born out of pain and trauma. They were each others' "doom", in a sense. Haibara created the APTX4869 drug while Conan failed to save Akemi. They saw the sides of each other that others haven't and had to learn to trust each other in their own way. Slowly, they grew to understand one another and from doom, they became each others' hope.

(Long rambling under cut)

There are many instances of Conan being able to understand Haibara's thoughts by merely watching her actions but to me, the one that stood out the most was none other than m26 Black Iron Submarine (not canon to you but canon to me) when they were underwater and Haibara is about let Conan's hand go but he pulls her back up. The entire conversation takes place inside their heads yet they knew exactly what each other was saying. Remember that post I made about them being drift-compatible?

That's why I think Conan is still unaware just how big of a presence Haibara is in his life. He came close to that in m26 but with Pinga, BO and Haibara's kidnapping, he didn't exactly have the time to sit and ponder over it. Surely people (non-shippers) would chalk it up to you, "aakchuallyyyy he just needs her for the antidote". But... are you sure? Are you really, really sure that that's all he is to her? Is that all you understand about Conan/Shinichi as a character? Even Takayama Minami and Hayashibara Megumi commented on how Conan losing his cool and becoming short-tempered when Haibara got kidnapped was unusual of him. In their opinion, the only reason why Conan calmed down was because of Agasa and how the Prof almost risked doing something reckless to save Haibara. Only then Conan realized he needed to remain calm to keep Agasa in check.

And also, Haibara noticed Pinga and Vodka's presence in the hotel first but Conan only noticed when Haibara was in danger. His train of thought literally went; something happened to Haibara -> it's the Organization -> oh shit they've taken her. Like, hello?? Excuse me?? What is this soulmate-level telepathy going on here right in front of my salad??

I've ~kinda~ mentioned this before in a passing before, but CoAi lowkey reminds me of SyaoSaku (from CCS) but in a different font - a more painful and (perhaps) tragic one. Haibara being Syaoran's counterpart, and Conan being Sakura's counterpart. Example; Sakura's infatuation for Yukito was loud and out there, literally everyone knew about it too (Conan/Shinichi with Ran). Meanwhile, Sakura's love for Syaoran was already growing quietly within her. She was showing signs of it but was too distracted to realize it, until the time came when Syaoran was going to leave Japan and return to Hong Kong. All of a sudden it hit her like a train that it was too painful to let him go (Conan/Shinichi with Haibara/Shiho).

This is why I'm convinced that when all of this is over, Conan will have to face the reality of just what Haibara means to him. It doesn't matter if Aoyama doesn't want to explore this, or chooses to address this in a different way. It's his story, he can do what he wants. But personally for me? I know Conan simply cannot go back to his original life as Kudou Shinichi anymore. He's too far changed, forced to recognize the grayness in a world he deemed black and white, empathize with people he would have classified as "criminals" in the past, and live a life of white lie even it meant hurting the people he cared for the most - in short, Conan/Shinichi simply cannot go back to being the same person he was before Tropical Land. And the one person we know for sure who will be able to understand him despite all of this, is Haibara.

I saw a comment once saying that CoAi/ShinShi are supplementary and wouldn't work. I disagree because I think they are more of a narrative foil. Haibara's existence in Conan's life taught him that he isn't invincible (failure to save Akemi) and that not everyone from the Black Organization are cold-blooded assassins. Haibara had her life and freedom stolen from her. Conan, otoh, taught Haibara to live. To not run away from life and to learn to trust people again. All the important people in life left her at some point, but Conan was the only one who kept coming back for her when she chose to give up, holding her hand as tightly as he can.

Conan, the boy who has everything. Haibara, the girl who lost everything. Conan, the boy who keeps trying to dig deeper into the viper's nest. Haibara, the girl who has lived in the viper's nest trying to pull him back from diving further. Conan, the boy who wants to keep tempting fate to save his friends. Haibara, the girl who is willing to die to save her friends. Conan, the boy who thinks his actions of holding back his love is immature. Haibara, the girl who understands his pain enough to know he is anything but. Conan, the boy whose life changed because of the drug Haibara created but in a way also saved his life (Gin chose to not shoot him in the head but fed him the drug instead). Haibara, the girl who lost her sister because Conan couldn't save her but now he'd do anything to make sure she stays alive.

Whether you ship them or not, or see them merely as friends, you can't deny that they play huge roles in each other's lives. We know that when the end comes, Haibara will be willing to let Conan go. She might have already prepared herself for this, even, because Ran is the last person she'd want to hurt at this point. Her resemblance to Akemi is too strong now and she knows Ran adores her a lot too. And from that scene above, we know Haibara feels the same pain Ran and Conan/Shinichi are going through.

But. Will Conan be able to do the same? Can he simply let go of Haibara and return to his old life? Even if Haibara/Shiho does remain in his life, when the dust is settled, can he truly move on from the person whom he has experienced so many life and death encounters with, and in a way, shaped him into becoming the person he is today?

We know the love is one-sided now because we're almost always seeing it from Haibara/Shiho's perspective. But how can we be so sure that something isn't growing deep down in Conan/Shinichi's heart too? If it's something subtle and quiet like the flap of a butterfly's wings now, eventually growing into something that could literally change the course of his life?

If you understand Conan/Shinichi as a person, beyond the shipping lenses, then I think the answer is already obvious.

"It's not cause the creator said so. They're just friends and Shinichi already confessed to someone else". Okay, like I said, the creator can do whatever he wants with his story. I AM choosing to read between the lines based on what that same creator has presented to us. I'm also always reminded of the Akai/Jodie/Akemi love story and how that panned out. I'm saying, things can happen because feelings are complex and sometimes you go through experiences in life that changes you inside out. Both Akai and Conan have had their lives stained by the Black Organization.

Not to mention that, in terms of their personalities, CoAi/ShinShi's relationship are quite a stark parallel to Yuusaku and Yukiko's relationship as well. What Conan/Shinichi needs is someone who can match his level of eccentricity yet at the same time call him out when his head floats too high in the clouds. Haibara is that person. And the best part about it is she didn't even have to change herself to match him - that's pretty much her personality already. Fitting in exactly like a puzzle piece.

Anyway, this is long-winded already. i'll stop rambling here. Also, if this breaches containment and reaches a non-shipper/anti and you have something negative to say, please do me a favor and be a mature person. Leave this post and let's both live in peace.

Love you, CoAi nation, bye!

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Do you have any friendship headcannons for Senku and a 21st century de-lithified reader?

(Some plot points if it's not too specific and within your wheelhouse: Loves the hard sciences to the point of once heading a science club. More versed in the theory than in application though. Could be described as the token extravert and psychology geek.)

Hello!

I sure do! As an engineer, i sure do have some HC!

Thank you for requesting! I hope this is of your liking, please let me know what you think!

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

You were de-petrified, thanks to the Minami - she remember you made the headlines for a perfect score on a mock test to a renowned university.

Senku needed some help with the math and to guide everyone to build stuff, so, it was reassuring for him to have you around.

And thus, you came around to the science team!

Senku tested your knowledge right away. Of course, you knew what he was talking about when he mentioned the theory behind the GPS but...

Would it really work? Calculating and building are two very different things.

You knew it wasn't going to be a modern GPS but still....

You were a little scared of your teammates reaction - you knew all the theory, physics, chemistry, all of it, but you never actually built something.

To your surprise, no one really cared about your lack of experience. Senku said " And? that's why we have the building team and the gorilla team. If it goes wrong, we just have to adjust."

This kind of reassured you. Knowing that Kaseki was a very good craftsman with a decent knowledge of " this will not work" in the practical side of the story, it put your anxious heart at ease.

Senku also mentions that he, himself, did a lot of trials and error. So no need to worry about it!

As time went on you gained confidence on your theoretical knowledge and helped Senku in tons of projects.

You helped him calculate, consider variants, external implications and test out theories.

He also taught you a lot, about what works according to theory and what doesn't - which pretty much nothing works according to theory, that, you came to learn.

He absolutely loved having you around, you made his life so much easier.

He also enjoyed talking to you about the modern world. You knew about things that were impossible to build right now in the stone world and actually understood their purpose.

A HPLC? you knew what it was for and how important it s.

He loved it. He could lament about these equipments with you.

The thing he loved the most, was that you always had something to consider when you guys built something new. A possibility he overlooked, a procedure he forgot about, a math mistake. Anything!

Senku also enjoyed to see you grow. Getting out of your shell and doing experiments, here and there.

Chrome admired you tons too !! you knew so much!!

Kaseki also taught a few things about craftsmanship. Year of experience are golden knowledge!

If you thought you would tag a long with Senku all the time, you are wrong.

He trusted you, so when it was needed to divide the science team or needed someone with modern knowledge, you bet he placed you there.

He often said it makes things easier and quicker.

And when you met again, he expected some kind of report from you? Did things go well? He also gave you insights on his end.

Gen lowkey preferred to be tagged with you because you were kinder with the manual labor. Sometimes they had to redo things because of your lack of experience, but, He rather you anyway.

Kohaku didn't mind at all if you made mistakes while experimenting. She actually encouraged you tons!

Chrome was always learning with you, since you had to do all those experiment from scratch he took a sit next to you to learn.

Senku kinda supervised your work.

All in all, being friends with Senku while having great knowledge in science is fun.

You guys chat a lot about the modern world technology and what you wish you had.

You also had long and confusing discussion ( in the eyes of some) about theories.

Sometimes you went on a tangent, making the project a bit late, going deep into the night.

That's when Gen shined, telling you both to go to sleep.

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

Thank you for reading!

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

Taishin reads as a neurodivergent kid whos ernest curiousity and innocent wasn't forcebily destroyed by the world.

As a neurodivergent person (90% sure currently self diagnosed only) it reads to me that Taishin was probably very loved and very sheltered. He also probably never had that many friends. The sheltering was probably a little to his detrument, but I think it's preferable to the alternative.

He is curious and ernest and eager to learn. Social situations and relationship are confusing. He also feels a lot for others. He latches onto the rules of a stan because that explains what he is feeling and the rules are simple and easy to understand and follow.

The problem of course that Takara doesn't want a stan and you can't have a close relationship (friendship or romantic) to someone you are stanning.

And also I think Taishin realized at the end that he wasn't a stan, or at least was about too, because even on the surface the idea of being a stan matches to what he was feeling. The idea of not being hable to be next to Takara or interact with him in any way made him sad.

His questions are not being answeared (as @lurkingshan pointed out here) and he doesn't know how to navigate new feelings or new situations with no guidence or knowledge of how to correctly identifying what the feeling of being in love or having a crush is.

There is only an actress for a Taishin Mom and we only saw a Mom and a sister in the phone call in the previous episodes. So I think his Mom might have been a single Mom. And he doesn't read to me as someone who is super into media or fiction or watching tv. That plus the sheltering and protecting and not having a relationship to observe probably left him very unware about love in general.

I definately agree with @lurkingshan that Takara is not answearing his questions because he wants Taishin to arrive there on his own and because of his own influence on him.

I think the new relationship between Emiri and Akira might put love and relationship in his head a little more and he will either arrive there on his own or ask for advice from someone else. Maybe Minami since she was so helpful during the welcome party.

I'm very intrigued and curious about Takara's backstory reveal next episode.

Another thing about Taishin that is very neurodivergent coded (at least in a very similar way to what I am personally used to) is that he is pretty good at realizing when he said something "weird" after he said it (he can recognize emotions and reaction in others decently well but not in himself and he is also probably used to getting reactions when he says something that other people find "weird"), but he doesn't seem to be able to recognize if something is "weird" to ask before hand.

Also the umbrella clutching at end, and how it turned to tense and stiff to exicted fidgeting. Perfection.

[nauwuna]

Singing a lullaby for them 2

Warning:English is not my first language

Minami Terano/Izana Kurokawa/Kakucho Hitto

Part 1

South

Oh! Oh! You have a good taste in man

This man loves to sing with you

He likes to make duets with you

And he can also play the piano!

Please this man can't sleep without your lullaby!

At first you didn't tell him you can sing

He discovered one evening on his way home that you two shared

You were singing unaware that Minami was listening to you

Your voice was soft and sweet

He stare at you with loving eyes

He feels like he feel in love with you more

You didn't notice his presence

until you stopped singing and he clapped his hands

<<you sing beautifully>> he smiled

<<M-minami!? how long have you been there?>>

<<enough to say that you are wonderful>>

and since then he has always asked you to sing him a lullaby

Izana

You woke up in the middle of the night to find Izana awake sit on the bed

<<Izana?>> you say with sleepy voice

He look at you

<<did you have another nightmare?>>

<<no...>>

Izana didn't show his weaknesses easily

But you know him to well

You hug him

His body initially stiffens

<<let me help you>> you stroke his hair

You start to singing for him

he relaxes between your voice and your caresses

<<sing again>> he told you when you finish

You smiled and started singing again

When you finish the song again you look at Izana

He had fallen asleep

He seemed so peaceful while he slept

<<goodnight>> you whisper and give him a forehead kiss

And since that day Izana has always requested that you sing him a lullaby

<<you are my queen, and it is your job to sing lullabies to your king>> that's what he told you when you asked him if it was because he couldn't sleep for the nightmares

Kakucho

Oh oh! He loves it!

He likes to have a goodnight kiss on his scar

But God! If you sing a lullaby for him he look at you like you are an angel

He loves your voice

He can't sleep without your lullaby

Everything start when you sleepover at his house

You two stay awake in the late night

You two talk alot and cuddles a lot too

<<so Izana beat me hard for this>> he tells you

<<what? Really?>>

<<yeah>>

Kakucho yawned

<<I think it's time to go to sleep>> he look at you

You nod and say:<<maybe I can sing you a lullaby?>>

he didn't expect such a proposal at all

<<sure, I would love to hear you>> he smiled

You start to singing for him

Kakucho was amazed by your voice

Your sweet voice was lulling him to sleep and before you could finish he was asleep

And from that day Kakucho always love to hear you singing

He also have some videos and recordings where you singing

He watches or listens them before he going to sleep

[thebroccolination]

SCANDALS BY CULTURE

I was talking to a friend the other day about the different cultural perspectives on what constitutes a scandal in fandom. As a western fan, I’ve learned over the years that a lot of what rolls off my back can be taken quite seriously in fandoms based in countries like Thailand and Japan.

[above: former member of Japanese pop group KAT-TUN Taguchi Junnosuke following his arrest for cannabis]

As an example, take dating. In East Asia (and spreading elsewhere), the traditional arrangement between idols and their fans is that, in exchange for monetary support from fans, idols will create and uphold a Fantasy of availability and moral uprightness. Thus, dating breaks part of that illusion, which means an idol has reneged on their side of the bargain. An idol gets fame and money in exchange for the sacrifice of their private identity, in a sense. In practice, this means you can date, but you can’t get caught.

I spent eleven years in Japan and saw dating scandal after dating scandal with various degrees of backlash from fans. Naturally, female idols got the brunt of the hate and judgment.

[above: former AKB member Minami Minegeshi begging for forgiveness after breaking her company’s no-dating policy]

Minami Minegeshi is probably the most internationally well-known idol affected by a company’s no-dating policy. In her video posted over ten years ago, she told the public of her shaved head, “I don't believe just doing this means I can be forgiven for what I did, but the first thing I thought was that I don't want to quit AKB48.” As far as I know, the reaction to the video was mixed, with many even in Japan saying she didn’t need to feel that guilty about it.

In 2022, however, she announced her marriage and seems to have received a much warmer reception.

Most idols—even if they’re contractually free to Date—tend to keep things simple by hiding their relationships from the public unless they intended to marry, and even then, most of them seem to wait until their thirties or later to announce it.

Nagano Hiroshi of the Japanese pop group V6 announced to his fans through the group’s official newsletter that he intended to marry almost a decade ago. From what I saw and what was reported, the fan reaction was overwhelmingly positive and congratulatory.

Personally, I think it helped that Nagano is an enthusiastic foodie and designed his announcement to look like a menu.

Like, please look at this adorable bullshit we all got in the mail:

But it’s more likely that Nagano was a grown man in his forties by then, his fanbase was also on the older side, and his future wife, actress Shiraishi Miho, was also well-liked and close in age to him.

(Speaking of V6, fellow member Morita Go later married actress Miyazawa Rie and received equally positive reception from fans. This was even lovelier to see because Miyazawa was older and divorced with a child, and Morita’s statement included something incredibly sweet about wanting to be a stepfather just as much as he wanted to be Miyazawa’s husband. Like, goddamn! By all appearances, V6 are lovely dudes and I wish them all well. Miyake Ken even learned and taught sign language all because a deaf fan tried signing with him once and he felt bad that he couldn’t understand her! Okay, I’m done talking about V6. For now.)

As a western fan, I don’t feel any kind of way at all about anyone’s dating life unless there’s something unusual about the relationship or, y’know, allegations of abuse or bigotry. But even then, I don’t feel entitled to know anything about or have an opinion on a stranger’s personal life. I didn’t grow up with idol culture, and while I saw plenty of U.S.-based fans complain and spew hate whenever the Backstreet Boys had girlfriends, U.S. American society at large saw that as obsessive behavior, and I remember older fans encouraging distance if your personal attachment was getting too intense.

In the conversation of Should Idols Be Allowed to Date without Sneaking Around About It and Not Get Socially Executed if Caught, though, I’ve seen the general opinion growing more and more nuanced across all cultures. For many, it’s not that the old system is outdated, it’s just unfair. Why should fantasy take priority over someone’s personal life? Especially when upholding that fantasy effectively means someone is “on the clock” permanently? Isn’t that basically indentured servitude and, y’know, not a thing society as a whole should encourage?

Also, hey, what about drugs and alcohol?

I mentioned above that part of the pact idols make is maintaining an image of moral uprightness. This includes, y’know, not breaking the law.

When I was a fan of the Japanese pop groups NEWS and Kanjani8 in university, I learned about one member of both who got ejected for getting drunk underage and, infamously, kicking a cop car. I heard this and thought, “Awesome,” mostly because he kicked a cop car (based) but he was demoted hard. Even though it had arguably been the responsibility of the industry adults who were out with him and allowed/encouraged him to drink, he was dropped from debuted artist to trainee, even lower than Junior. No capital letter for him. Despite years of working to recover his reputation and rise back to debuted artist, he never did.

Over in Thailand, vaping is illegal and therefore understandably a Big Deal for many fans domestically and in surrounding countries. I can’t speak from a Thai perspective, but I once watched a documentary about the Thai prison system in which a monk solemnly told the filmmakers that he believes marijuana dealers deserve the death penalty. This led to me assuming that there’s probably a bit of a religious bias underscoring the issue.

Meanwhile, you couldn’t pay me to care if a Thai actor was caught vaping. I just saw someone vaping on the sidewalk ten minutes ago. Societally, I’ve been desensitized to most drug use, and I’ve done enough independent research on my own to see drugs and even addiction through a lens of compassion rather than judgment. At most, I’d feel mildly concerned about their lung health if it was an actor I like, but that’s their body and their choice, so I wouldn’t think badly of them in the sense of who they are as a person. Just, y’know. “Oh, they vape. Eh. I’d go for edibles. Do I have any couscous left for dinner?”

If you’ve been in Thai QL fandom for a while, though, odds are you’ve seen or heard of a case like this: I once saw an actor’s friends accidentally film him vaping on an Instagram live, and because the footage cut away so fast, interfans shared the clip on Twitter thinking it was silly that his friends were acting like they’d caught him cheerfully murdering a small animal. But of course in Thailand it’s illegal, and these actors’ reputations decide things like 1) sponsorships, 2) job opportunities, 3) fan support, and more. Thus, Thai fans quickly assembled and told interfans to delete the clips and stop talking about it. Vaping may be quietly common in Thailand, and I’m sure plenty of actors do it, but it’s best for them if we, y’know, pretend otherwise.

In a similar vein, years ago, Japanese idol and former KAT-TUN member Taguchi Junnosuke and his girlfriend were busted for marijuana, and I was on Twitter watching the fallout.

It was on the news.

After posting bail, Taguchi bowed with his forehead on the pavement for twenty seconds. For marijuana. Meanwhile, I just had a holiday in Denver where a friend offered me a range of colorful weed gummies to help me fall asleep. Whee!

But the reaction I remember seeing on the Japanese fan side of Twitter was pure anguish. Tweets like, “I had no idea he was like this,” or, “I feel betrayed,” and, “I’ll never look at him the same way.”

Because that false image they had of him was part of the facade he implicitly (and likely contractually) agreed to uphold when he took the job. Of course most fans knew he was just a regular dude, but that’s not who they loved. They loved the idol, the fantasy, and he’d betrayed them by burning the facade.

Is that system exploitative? Absolutely, if you believe it’s wrong to expect a performer to be permanently “on” without rest or the right to authenticity. But whenever I see western fans rolling their eyes and asking, “Why do they care?” and saying, “[Asian country]’s fans are insane,” then I always want to make wide gestures with my arms at the words: “CULTURAL DIVIDE.” They’re not insane, they’re just accustomed to a system we don’t have, and even within any given country you’ll find nuance in the conversations surrounding these systems. Never paint with too wide a brush. You know yourself how diverse the opinions are in your culture and country, after all.

These issues benefit so much from (respectful) discussion. Is it fair to expect a human being to hide their relationship in exchange for money? And if they choose to hide, is it truly a choice if it’s under duress? What if they choose to hide out of a desire to protect their partner from the public eye? If the system stops demanding the Fantasy, will fans still uphold the expectation?

And are drugs a moral failing? Or only certain drugs? Is morality tied to legality, and if so, does the decriminalization of a drug mean society should also adopt an attitude of leniency to the people using that drug? Where does the connection between drug use and morality come from, and should there be one at all?

I think one of the benefits of joining a fandom whose base is in a culture outside your own is that you have the opportunity to look at the world with different eyes. You meet fans of different ages with different life experiences. And you may not change your own beliefs as part of being a foreign fan, but it’s such a rare opportunity to learn why people believe what they do in such a casual setting. We’re a cooperative, adaptable species at heart, and I think we’re at our best when we find ways to connect and thrive despite or thanks to our differences.

What’s culturally scandalous to one person may not be to another, and sometimes having the opportunity to break down your kneejerk cultural judgments in very simple terms can actually lead you to questioning them yourself. Or maybe you’ll bring someone to a conclusion they’d never made before.

All because an idol got caught with a boyfriend while smoking a vape.

/long post dismount

[oro-kapi]

i hope one day we can get the full cover arts of after god

Orokapi crying makes me want to explode tbh

Volume 8's cover- he looks so goooooood I love the snake scale tie I think we need more character design like that.

A promo of volume 8 was posted without the small title card, revealing that Orokapi is actually crying. Somehow I do feel like the covering of the teary eye detracts a bit, but it is really cool symbolism and a mindblowing one to come by it on your own. If the actual covers had it like a peelaway sticker that would be pretty neat 🤯

[Vol 8 Cover] [Vol 8 Promo]

Spoiler warning up to latest english chap (67 as of current) below

In another tweet, Eno notes all the volume covers share a similar motif where the title card obscures something the character wants to hide.

ア���ターゴッド８巻の内容+描き下ろし内容です。 &タイトルロゴなしverのカバーをチラ見せです。 タイトルロゴの位置は毎巻、「本人が隠したいもの」の位置に置いています。[Tweet Link]

Google Translate: Contents of After God Volume 8 + newly drawn contents. & A glimpse of the cover of the version without the title logo. In each volume, the title logo is placed in the position of ``something the person wants to hide.''

各巻のロゴの下に隠したもの一覧です。 1巻→目、2巻→舌、3巻→（代里子への）指輪、4巻→目、5巻→口・タヌボーグミ、6巻→ない左目、7巻→（池に投げた母の）指輪、8巻→涙 [Tweet Link]

Google Translate: This is a list of things hidden under the logo of each volume. Volume 1 → Eye, Volume 2 → Tongue, Volume 3 → Ring (for Yoriko), Volume 4 → Eye, Volume 5 → Mouth/Tanubogumi, Volume 6 → Missing left eye, Volume 7 → (Mother's thrown into the pond) Ring, Volume 8 → Tears

Thoughts/Interpretations:

Waka wanting to hide her eyes checks out especially in volume 1. Chapter 3 she exclaims she didn't want this either.

I'm not really sure why Tokinaga wants to hide his tongue; with only the context from the first two volumes one could assume it's because of the in-world thing about hiding one's face. But the specification it's the tongue with future insight, it could be an overarching thing where he technically hasn't been very truthful to others and has been lying, hiding the truth.

Minami and Yoriko canonically don't hide their engagement status, so could Minami's decision to hide his engagement ring be related to their work relationship possibly hindering their own personal lives? Snake imagery is pretty present here too. And we know later on in volume 3 what happens to him, and it literally separates the two.

Obikawa hiding his god pupils specifically is pretty self explanatory. But I'd also like to think of in chapter 32, he tells Tokinaga he doesn't want to use his god eyes on him.

Apparently there's a Tanuboo Gummy there in Waka's mouth?

Tokinaga's left eye holding a lot of secrets... the thing in his eye and his birthmark. COUGHS and chapter 66 was a massive exposition dump to be honest

The wedding ring of Yako/Furuya's mother, in which was what Furuya used to incite the death of over 80 people. I still love the drop at the end of chapter 58 where Yuma puts two and two together while his sisters ask what Furuya meant. The juxaposition of us, the audience knowing too with the child's innocence really hits the horror tenfold.

Orokapi's tearful eye, in which we see in the chapter he misses Vollof.. We also see potential parallels of Vollof in Tokinaga momentarily too from his perspective.

---

There is a photo of what Waka looks like under the cover of Chapter 1

[Image Source]

Someone replied asking if there will be plans to show the rest of the characters similarly. Eno says there's no plans right now, but maybe in the future. [Source]

I hope so! The covers are gorgeous and I'd love to see them all one day. I already adore staring at Eno Sumi's work

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Another great batch of episodes this week, as Kasuga and Nomoto settled into dating life, all the gals got together for various food related events, and Nagumo began seeking treatment for her eating disorder. This show is just always so compassionate with its characters, and manages to find interesting conflicts without going for high drama. I am very much enjoying seeing Kasuga and Nomoto figure out how their relationship should look now that they're dating and also how to communicate and respect each other as they make decisions. Kasuga's tendency to let Nomoto steamroll her feels harmless when it's about picking fruit or vegetables, but it won't be when it comes to making decisions about where they live and how to set up their home, so it's great they're addressing it early. It's also awesome to see them expand their circle of friends and deepen their bonds with Yako and Nagumo--I was high key jealous of the curry and s'mores parties. And Nagumo just has my whole heart. When she expressed profound relief at learning there is a name for her illness and ways to treat it, my mind immediately jumped to Rachel Bloom. Looking forward to her healing. I can't believe there is only one more batch of episodes coming, love and gratitude to @furritsubs!

Chaser Game W

I’ll keep this brief. This show was a mess, and not even in a fun way because unfortunately it was also extremely misogynistic. @twig-tea covered the major issues well in her post. Wild that this show aired simultaneously with TsukuTabe, what a dichotomy.

My Strawberry Film

This one is really not grabbing me. It feels kind of slow and muted and uncertain about what it's doing. I am not finding the mystery or the love rhombus compelling, and this week's focus on Hikaru's infatuation with Minami had me yawning and picking up my phone a lot. But it's early, I am hopeful it will pick up some steam.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

This was a cute episode about Sakae and Soga getting past their initial awkwardness, learning how to communicate with each other, and moving into a more intimate phase of their relationship, and I think I would have loved it if we'd gotten it two weeks ago. This should have been the episode that followed their initial confessions, but instead the show did a two week diversion into love triangle nonsense, and unfortunately, I think it really threw off the pacing and the connection to these characters for me. It just feels too late in the show for this relationship to still feel so new. We haven't had time to settle in with them as a couple, or for them to develop a strong foundation to make us root for them to overcome the coming obstacles in the final arc. Still, this episode had some delightful scenes--Soga finally paying a visit to the sauna was my personal fav, and I also enjoyed the metaphor of Sakae literally catching Soga's love (and knowing @bengiyo would lose it over another important SPORTS moment in bl). This is a show I really want to love, but something just isn't connecting.

Perfect Propose

I love this final episode and I love this show. Hiro quit his job, Kai resolved things with the shop owner and his son, and they finally got on the same page about their relationship and made out about it. 10/10 no notes for this finale. It was lovely to see Hiro finish his project and make a decision to quit the daily grind--I loved, too, that he is still in touch with his former colleagues--and we saw the change in him so quickly. He looked happier, lighter, brighter. His skin was cleared and his crops were watered! And Kai got to have his moment of catharsis too, sharing his fear that he is a burden on others and having Hiro affirm for him that he wants him in his life and he's a help, not a burden. And I loved that we got all that plus a great kiss, a bed scene (with a very cute leg cramp diversion) and a small peek at their new domestic life together. This show makes me happy and it will definitely be one I return to for rewatches.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'm of two minds on this finale. On the one hand, I really loved it as a single episode of the show, was happy with where all the resolutions landed, and was left with a very warm feeling toward the show overall. The cherry blossom scene especially really got me right in the feels; I've loved the progression of Maki and Haruta's relationship this season and I love the way they talk to each other. They have earned themselves a spot on my list of favorite drama couples who I actually believe are going to stay together. I also loved everything about the big chaotic group scene and all these characters coming together to pour love on Haruta; it felt earned after a season of him knocking himself out for all his loved ones. The end joke with Chief moving in next door, and getting a final Maki/Kurosawa battle, was *chef's kiss*. And Takegawa's perfect life partner being a cat? 10/10 no notes. I will be clutching my aroace Takegawa read tightly to my bosom.

On the other hand, the episode reinforced for me that the way we got to a lot of these resolutions didn't feel quite right. In particular, I don't think the way Kurosawa's health scare played out across the back half of the season worked, and I'm not too pleased about spending three episodes in a downbeat, tragic mode for the sake of a simple pun joke. I think the whole plot would have landed a lot better for me if the audience was let in on Kurosawa's mistake at the start and the tone of his overwrought goodbyes was farcical all the way through. Not only would that have maintained the comedic tone of the show, but we could have used that story time to better seed some of the themes of this episode with Haruta's crisis of confidence and yearning for family. I'm pretty much agnostic on Kiku and Izumi; they never sold me on that pairing but I wasn't mad about their ending.

Overall, I am very glad I jumped into this show and enjoyed the watch experience a lot, despite my quibbles with some of the overarching writing choices. The cast is amazing and all the characters make me smile. If they make another season, I'll be watching!

Bonus: Josi teki Saikatsu

I finally watched this drama this week--I held out for awhile hoping to find it in better quality, but no dice, it's 480p in the grey--and despite the potato lens I loved it so much. This is the story of Miki, a transfemme lesbian, just trying to live her life in the way she wants, and all the barriers she comes up against in that pursuit. Our story begins when her childhood friend, Goto, comes looking for his old pal in a moment of desperation and is stunned to see how she's changed. The show is only four short episodes, but they manage to paint a full picture of Miki's life at home, at work, with friends and lovers, and with her estranged family, and show us how she became who she is. Miki is whip smart and perceptive and generous, but also wary of trusting anyone after she's been let down by so many loved ones. I love her so much, and you will too. This story was written by a trans woman and it shows! Brave the 480p and check it out.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 63: Mission Dark

''Get out your guns, battle's begun! Are you a saint, or a sinner? If love's a fight, than I shall die, with my heart on a trigger!''

– Angel With a Shotgun by The Cab

xXxXxXx

Sonic felt waves of agony washing over his body, as if he was being pricked by thousands of tiny needles. He didn't want to even open his eyes, wishing to just fall asleep again and embrace the dark void, but the voices he was hearing in his head kept him awake. At least, he thought those voices were just in his head.

''Sonic? Sonic, wake up?''

''Lu… cas…''

The familiar voice Sonic picked up among the noise caused him to stir, slowly opening his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he had managed to take note that he was lying on a bed and that he was surrounded by people, Lucas being the most prominent one. Sonic blinked tiredly, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and tried to sit up, but was gently pushed down on the pillows by Lucas.

''You're not going anywhere,'' Lucas said in a firm tone, reaching for his hand and giving him a look of concern. ''Do you think you can perform Chaos Surge? It'll help you heal.''

''I… I think so…'' Sonic said, feeling the warm energy that developed between them, quickly absorbing it as he felt another wave of energy, this one soothing as it spread through his body, like a spring breeze. Sonic felt his body relax, focusing on the sense of relief that pushed the pain back. The moment was fleeting, however, as Lucas was forced to cut the supply of the energy to avoid hurting himself. Despite knowing that this was necessary for his partner's safety, his body still demanded more of that soothing energy.

''This should help you.'' Sensing Sonic's pain, Lucas gave him a glass of water and a painkiller pill, hoping that this would be enough for the meantime.

''Thanks,'' Sonic said, returning the glass and trying to breathe normally, only to feel pain in his chest. He winced, noting how how his chest was wrapped in bandages, with a plaster covering the cut on his cheek, as well as bandages also being carefully wrapped around his head and quills, even though he had no idea how he ended up with a head injury. He could see faint bruises underneath his peach and blue fur, but they weren't as visible on the first glance.

''Sonic, are you okay?''

''How do you feel?''

''Does it hurt a lot?''

''We thought you had died!''

Sonic finally turned his attention to the rest of his friends, with Tails, Amy, Silver and Knuckles surrounding him, while Warren, Minami, Makoto, Lily and Touka stood in the back. Touka was turned to the hallway, talking with someone Sonic couldn't see.

''I'm sorry for making you guys worry so much.'' Sonic flashed an assuring smile, his friends feeling relieved to see him being back to his usual self, but they still remained a little concerned. As for Sonic, he felt his heart sink a little when he realized that Shadow was missing. Despite that empty sensation, he still kept a positive attitude. ''This isn't anything that a chili dog can't fix.''

''Unfortunately for you, this isn't fixable with just food. You're lucky Lucas and Touka knew how to patch you up,'' Knuckles told him. Sonic gave both of them a thankful look, with Lucas nodding and Touka just waving back in acknowledgement.

''What had happened to you? We know you've been attacked by Neo Metal Sonic, but how did he end up injuring you so much?'' Tails asked.

''I… I don't really know…'' Sonic admitted, the memories of the battle flashing in the back of his mind. ''I remember him using my, Shadow and Silver's powers, along with some powerful lightning power.''

''Neo Metal Sonic is capable of copying your bio-data, which is how he was able to use all of your powers,'' Minami explained, with Sonic nodding in response.

''What surprises me is how you're still alive,'' Lily said. ''I thought Neo Metal Sonic would end your life for good.''

''That surprised me too. He told me it was an act of mercy,'' Sonic replied.

''He probably wants to fight you again later on,'' Knuckles said, with Sonic agreeing with that sentiment. He gave him a determined smile.

''If that's so, then this time, I will be ready to kick his ass,'' Sonic said.

''However, for now, you're not going anywhere,'' Lucas said. ''I know that the Chaos Surge had probably healed the worst of your injuries, but you'll still have to stay in bed and recover properly.''

This appeared to be the cue for everyone to leave, with the team wishing Sonic good luck recovering and promising too keep an eye out for Metal Sonic in case he decides to cause more trouble. Sonic was glad to have his friends' support, but that sense of emptiness still lingered in his chest… at least, until he heard someone entering the room. Sonic's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

''Shadow?'' he muttered, still stunned, only to smile, feeling a sense of relief. ''I should've figured that you wouldn't go down so easily.''

Shadow was silent, only to walk up to Sonic with a serious expression, leaving the azure hedgehog slightly puzzled. Shadow's crimson eyes flicked slightly to the side, feeling slightly anxious, and then inhaled sharply, gazing at Sonic. ''I apologize for what had happened with Neo Metal Sonic.''

''What?'' Sonic stared at the dark hedgehog, completely bewildered. ''Shadow, what happened is not-''

Shadow shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he took a more aggressive stance. ''If I had reacted just a little faster, we could've fought Neo Metal Sonic together and you wouldn't have gotten injured like this.'' He lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly, his voice heavy. ''It was… horrible seeing you in such state.''

''Shadow…'' Sonic understood well how Shadow felt, despite doing his best to keep his emotions under control. He had seen him how he acted whenever Touka was in serious danger or back when he thought that she was dead because of him, and considering how he and Shadow were now in a relationship, with Shadow willingly opening his heart to him, it wasn't surprising that his reaction to him getting hurt would be like this. Sonic could see the guilt in his eyes, and knew that the dark hedgehog would continue blaming himself for his boyfriend's condition. Sonic sighed, propping himself on his elbows in a sitting position, leaving Shadow alarmed.

''Hey, you shouldn't be moving in this condition!'' Shadow tried to help him when Sonic suddenly felt a wave of pain in his chest, leaving him wondering whether he ended up with a bruised rib. Still, he managed to lean into the pillows in a sitting position. Shadow shot Sonic a glare when he saw Sonic grinning back cheekily.

''Don't worry, I'll sleep it off,'' Sonic told him, trying to lighten the mood, with Shadow sighing.

''You could've gotten an arm ripped off and you would still call it a scratch,'' Shadow grumbled, causing Sonic to give him a half-lidded, teasing look.

''I'm sure that you would react the same way,'' Sonic told him, only for his expression to change to a more serious one, something Shadow caught on. ''You don't have to be all broody and feel guilty for Neo Metal Sonic catching you off guard. We had no idea that this would happen, and you can bet that next time, I won't let him beat me again.''

Shadow had to admit that there was something inspiring in Sonic's perpetual optimism, confidence and determination, and while he admired his positive attitude, he also had keep reminding himself that whenever the azure hedgehog got carried away, he would end up in trouble.

''I hope that in that case, you have a plan on how to take him down,'' Shadow said, only to see Sonic's expression fall, only for a sheepish smile to creep up.

''Uh, yeah! I totally have a plan,'' he said nervously.

''Let me guess; it's rushing into a battle blindly and hope for the best,'' Shadow responded in a deadpan tone. Sonic kept smiling, despite knowing that he got caught.

''I'm sure I'll come up with something eventually,'' Sonic said, with Shadow just giving him a grumpy look, arms folded across his chest. ''But, hey, I'm glad to see that you're back to your usual self, instead of kicking yourself down for what happened.'' Shadow remained silent, his gaze softening, with Sonic patting the free space on the bed, wanting him to sit down. Shadow did as motioned, with Sonic continuing, ''You know, I also thought I lost you there…''

Shadow's eyes widened and his ears drooped, realizing he completely forgot about how Sonic felt when he saw him getting hit by that lightning blast and thrown off the warship. ''Sonic…''

''It's fine, though,'' Sonic added, flashing a bright smile as he placed his gloved hand over Shadow's and squeezed it lightly. ''You're here now, and that's all that matters. In fact, I'm looking forward to our next race.''

Shadow couldn't help but smile softly. If this was months before, when they weren't as close as they were now, he probably would've been baffled by Sonic's reaction and have a hard time understanding why he acted like this. However, now he simply felt exasperated whenever Sonic made such comments and just went along with it, well aware that this was simply who Sonic was. Shadow then leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss on Sonic's temple, Sonic's ear flicking as he appreciated the sign of affection.

''You better stay and recover,'' Shadow told him, only for Sonic to pout in response.

''I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow,'' Sonic said, only to feel a several stings of pain piercing his body when Shadow lightly pressed his hand against his bandaged chest, causing his rival to recoil and grimace due to the aching sensation.

''I sincerely doubt it,'' Shadow said, showing only mild irritation, his voice returning back to the usual matter-of-fact tone. ''Don't do anything stupid.''

''Mmmm, but I feel like doing something stupid,'' Sonic replied, grinning cheekily, while Shadow rolled his eyes. ''Hey, don't give me that look. If I do something stupid now, I probably won't try it later.''

''Then, what do you want to do?'' Shadow asked, figuring that he could indulge a little longer. Suddenly, Sonic leaned towards him, planting a deep kiss on Shadow's lips, with Shadow reciprocating. However, it the kiss didn't last long because Sonic couldn't anymore ignore the pain in his chest and quickly pulled back, slumping back into the pillows, hurt, but satisfied. Shadow just gave him an exasperated look. ''Indeed, this is your brand of stupid.''

''It was worth it,'' Sonic replied, still grinning as he watched Shadow leave the room.

xXx

Lucas was with Touka in the living room, both of them talking about what had transpired, as well as figuring that they should give the two hedgehogs some privacy. Their attention was drawn to Shadow as he approached them.

''How is Sonic doing?'' Lucas asked.

''Good luck on keeping Sonic resting for a longer period of time. He'll bolt the moment he gets an opportunity,'' Shadow told him, with Lucas sighing.

''I'll talk to him,'' he muttered, glancing at the two. ''I suppose using Chaos Surge repeatedly would help in his healing.''

''You'll have to be careful with it and not use it recklessly,'' Touka said, giving Shadow a pointed look, her eyes narrowed. Shadow stubbornly avoided her gaze, feeling a little anxious as he knew what she meant. Lucas felt a little sorry for the dark hedgehog.

''I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your help,'' Lucas replied, watching the two leave and quickly walking over to Sonic's bedroom, furrowing a brow when he saw Sonic attempts to get up. The moment the hedgehog saw the annoyed teenager, he quickly lied down, acting as if nothing has happened.

''Oh, hey Lucas!'' Sonic gave him an innocent smile, trying not to show how much the movement hurt him. Lucas shot him a glare, but then shook his head.

''I won't be scolding you for trying to get out of bed, but if you don't want to get yourself hurt even more and spend weeks recovering instead of a couple of days, I sincerely recommend you to just stay put,'' Lucas told him in a firm tone, with Sonic understanding that he as still in trouble and that he shouldn't challenge Lucas. He might be The Fastest Thing Alive, but he had a feeling that Lucas would somehow catch him and drag him back to rest.

''Fine, I'll stay in bed,'' Sonic said, realizing that he shouldn't fight this. There were a few things he was curious about. ''How long have I been out?''

''For a few of hours,'' Lucas replied, sitting down on the bed, figuring he should fill Sonic in on what had happened. ''The Chaotix, Rouge, Omega, Cream and Big were fighting with us against Ferra and her army of Badniks inside the Grand Metropolis AR Field, while you and Shadow, from what I understood, were stuck at Final Fortress and confronted by Neo Metal Sonic. Once you were beaten and sent to our location, Shadow had used Chaos Control to immediately warp us to our home, so Touka and I could patch you up.''

''I'm surprised that Shadow had enough energy left for using Chaos Control,'' Sonic said.

''Touka did use Chaos Surge to heal him, but the moment he saw just how bad your condition was, he became quite distraught and channelled all of that energy into Chaos Control, and then collapsed. He was actually resting on the couch in the living room with Rouge and Omega watching over him while Touka and I tended to you,'' Lucas explained. ''To say that Touka was furious at him for using all of his energy to warp everyone to Eas would be an understatement, even if she did agree to use Chaos Control to get you here. Shadow did respond how he only wanted to warp you to somewhere where you could get medical assistance, and the rest of the group just got caught in it, resulting in him depleting almost all of his energy.''

''Heh, and he calls me reckless…'' Sonic smirked.

''The Chaotix, Cream and Cheese, Big, Rouge and Omega left once we made sure that you were fine, so we waited until you woke up and could use Chaos Surge consciously instead of draining my BioEnergy instinctively, because your body did react like that while trying to heal itself from its injuries,'' Lucas added, humming in thought. ''I suppose that, even if you're an Irregular not actively going after BioEnergy, your body still recognizes it and tries to absorb it when placed in a dire situation. Speaking of which, I'm still a little tired, but I'm planning on to use Chaos Surge again to help you heal faster, so don't worry, you'll only be confined to the bed for a day or two.''

''Even that's too long,'' Sonic snarked back, his expression changing to a nervous one, followed by a sweatdrop when he saw Lucas' annoyed expression. ''I promise, this was my last quip. I'll stay put. In fact, I'll go to sleep right now.''

''Okay,'' Lucas said, standing up. ''If you need anything, just call me.''

Sonic nodded, trying to shift into a comfortable position that would help him fall asleep easier despite the aching sensation. It was a bit difficult to find a good position, as he either felt as if he was punched in the ribs or pricked by thousand needles. Even the painkiller could only do so much in numbing his senses, with Sonic deciding to let his mind wander to not think about the pain, landing eventually on the image of Neo Metal Sonic.

I wasn't strong nor fast enough to defeat him, but I'm not going to let him bring me down. That would be the moment I would be truly defeated, and I refuse for that to happen. So, as long as I can get up again, I will continue to fight.

He nuzzled his pillow, the image of Neo Metal Sonic fading away and, as Sonic nuzzled the pillow, the image of black and white fur forming in his mind. Sonic whined into his pillow, having to admit that he wished Shadow was by his side and that they could cuddle. He missed his warmth, the soft scent of lavender mixed with the bitter taste of coffee, the deep, purring voice that made his heart flutter. While he had fun messing around with Shadow whenever he was his aloof and serious self, he also loved his gentle, caring and protective side. He chuckled lightly, noting how anxious he was initially about confronting his own feelings in regards to Shadow, and now he genuinely wanted to spend time with him like this.

But, that will have to wait.

xXx

Rouge smiled contently as she observed the three people she had called to her club. Omega was already working there as the bouncer, while Shadow had recovered quickly despite the events that had happened the day before, mostly thanks to his healing factor and the fact that Touka was keeping a close eye on him to make sure that he'd be fully rested for this, even adding Chaos Surge to speed up his own recovery. After all, there was a reason Rouge and Omega appeared at Solar Stadium when Ferra and Neo Metal Sonic sent out the Badniks, and this distraction cut any conversation they had planned short. Therefore, they decided to resume it the next day at Club Rouge.

''I will cut to the chase, since none of you is interested in long conversations,'' Rouge said. ''I got a call from a client who had asked me to go on a special mission to retrieve a valuable item, and I had figured that I could bring back Team Dark for this mission.''

''Why?'' Shadow asked. ''You claim that you're the world's greatest spy, so why would you ask for help?''

''The same reason you, The Ultimate Lifeform, are willing to work together with others instead of always being on your own,'' Rouge said, smirking slyly when Shadow frowned, avoiding eye-contact with her and not responding. She then turned to Touka and Omega. ''What about you two? Do you want to join?''

''Will there be Eggman robots to destroy?'' Omega asked. Rouge put a finger on her lips as she thought about it.

''I'm not completely sure about it, but it is possible that we might come across a few robots,'' she replied.

''1% chance of encountering Eggman robots is still 1% of me getting the chance to destroy them,'' Omega said, with Rouge knowing that he agreed with the mission.

''Where are going to? What are we even supposed to retrieve?'' Touka asked, giving Rouge a questioning look. ''I need more details.''

''I was just getting to it. My client, who is working for CyExLabs, had told me that someone stole the prototype for a directed-energy generator they were working on. To put it in simple terms, the device was initially supposed to be used as a part of a new secret weapon for ARMS, but after that fiasco, my client started having second thoughts about it. The information then got leaked, and a few days later, it was gone,'' Rouge explained. ''I have spent most of my time trying to track it down, and eventually found a warehouse outside Souto posing as an auction house for so-called high-class clientele. Unfortunately, I couldn't get inside as it appears to be invitation-only and the Irregulars guarding it weren't exactly a jolly bunch. That's when I realized that I would need proper back-up.''

''How do you know that the device wasn't sold to someone by now?'' Shadow asked.

''Do you really think that I don't do my homework thoroughly, especially when I'm being offered a generous reward for completing it?'' Rouge countered, giving him a teasing smile. Shadow huffed, figuring this was less about returning a stolen item to its owner and more about getting paid in gems.

''I apologize for even asking,'' he responded in a deadpan tone. Rouge just kept smiling, well aware that he was just being grumpy, and gave the whole group a confident look.

''So, I take it that Team Dark is back in action?'' she asked. There was a firm nod from all three of her teammates, agreeing to the mission.

xXx

''Hm.'' Rouge tapped on her AR Visor eye-piece, having used the binoculars feature, having been observing the two Irregulars standing at the entrance to the warehouse. It was nighttime, and they were at an area just a bit outside Souto that was filled with various warehouses, some still in use, some abandoned. Not many people came here, and even if they did, they only minded their own business, so it was a perfect place for those with less-than-honorable intentions to do whatever they wanted. ''It seems like there are only two guards, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more inside it.''

''It shouldn't be too difficult to knock them out without raising any alarm,'' Shadow said, pulling his own AR Visor goggles back on the top of his head. He and Rouge were crouching on top of a different warehouse, hidden from the guards as they observed the situation. As for Touka and Omega, they were on the ground, remaining hidden behind the building and waiting for the two to form their plan.

''I suppose we'll rely on your speed and combat skills for that,'' Rouge said.

''It depends on whether you want them to get knocked out or blown up. If it's the latter, I believe that Omega would be happy to contribute,'' Shadow replied. Rouge giggled at the response, with the two leaping off the building and relying the information they gathered to Touka and Omega.

''We got two guards outside, no patrols,'' Rouge told them. ''Unfortunately, we don't know whether there is anyone inside the warehouse, since no one entered or exited the building, but the light is on.''

''There are probably guards inside,'' Touka said, arms folded across her chest. ''I suppose we'll have to sneak inside. Sorry, Omega.''

''There is still 1% chance for complete destruction. There is always 1% chance for complete destruction,'' Omega replied.

''Nice to see your optimism,'' Rouge commented, placing her hand on her hip. ''I haven't seen a back entrance, but some of the windows are shattered, so we have two ways of getting inside. Touka, you're with me. Shadow and Omega, you'll take the front entrance. Don't use excessive violence unless necessary. We want to keep things clean, boys.''

Both Shadow and Omega gave her an annoyed look, while Rouge and Touka countered with a knowing look. They certainly knew their teammates well enough. After performing Chaos Surge, Rouge motioned Touka to follow her, the latter using her hoverboard to keep up with the bat. Meanwhile, Shadow and Omega were rushing towards the front entrance, keeping a close eye on the two rather burly Irregulars. Neither of them could even react when they got knocked out via a kick to the head by a dark figure who appeared out of nowhere. This was followed by Shadow and Omega dragging their unconscious bodies behind several boxes and covering them in tarp so no one would find them and get suspicious. The two then entered the warehouse.

''I know this is a warehouse, but this…'' Shadow muttered, a bit surprised by what he saw.

''It looks like a hoarder house,'' Omega finished his thought.

The two were met by mounds and mounds of clutter; robot parts, all kinds of scrap, boxes of who-knows-what, items of value like jewelry, broken household appliances, and even what appeared to be a black gun case right at the entrance. Shadow sincerely hoped that it was empty. It was a neat freak's worst nightmare, looking like whatever was brought here was just dumped without any thought, turning the whole warehouse into a maze.

''Let's start searching. If we come across someone, we'll take them down non-lethally,'' Shadow told Omega.

''What if they decide to use lethal force?'' Omega asked.

''I don't think any kind of lethal force will be enough to take the two of us down,'' Shadow told him, with Omega making a sound of disappointment. ''But, I suppose if it comes to that, lethal force is approved.''

This immediately caused Omega to perk up, with the two resuming their mission.

xXx

''Called it,'' Touka muttered when she and Rouge spotted a guard walking between the mounds of clutter. The two had entered through the broken window and landed on the catwalk, with Touka slotting her hoverboard back in the bag she was wearing on her back so it wouldn't get in her way. ''Any idea where we should start? The device could be anywhere.''

''I wouldn't be so sure about it,'' Rouge said, pointing at the mounds. ''It looks chaotic, but that mound is solely scrap metal. I think that, despite the lack of organization, certain items go on certain mounds.''

''Now that you mentioned it, yeah, I agree…'' Touka followed Rouge as they swiftly walked over the catwalk, making sure to keep as low as possible so they wouldn't be seen and making sure they didn't make any noise. The two then stopped when they saw a guard right below them, with Touka pressing a finger on her lips to make it clear to Rouge that they couldn't talk and motioning for her to stand still. Their hearts raced as the guard stopped for a moment, looking around, and then continued to walk, not noticing the two above him. Rouge and Touka quickly made their way over to the other end of the building, keeping an eye on the clutter to see whether the device was anywhere close to them as, fortunately, Rouge's client also provided them with the blueprints of the device so they at least had an idea what it looked like.

''This is like searching for a needle in a haystack,'' Touka whispered to Rouge when they reached the other end.

''Fortunately, you're with the world's greatest treasure hunter,'' Rouge replied.

BOOM!

Both Touka and Rouge recoiled when they heard an explosion from where the entrance was, their eyes wide and glancing at each other in disbelief, with Rouge muttering, ''So much for keeping a low profile…''

''I'm sure they'll be fine. Let's go!'' Touka said, grabbing Rouge's hand, with the two running across another catwalk, being ignored by the guard who rushed towards where Omega and Shadow were, not noticing the two above them.

xXx

Shadow had to admit that he was planning on sticking to the plan of not alerting anyone to their presence, but that was a bit difficult due to a partially rebuilt Badnik suddenly waking up just as they passed by, resulting in battle between the three, with Omega gleefully firing at the Badnik. While they had managed to take it down easily, it seemed that this Badnik alerted another one, which was also partially rebuilt. Shadow decided to let Omega deal with it, while he fought off the guards that came running to their location. Some of them were armed with recycled cannons taken from the Badniks, but Shadow was too fast for them, skating between them and punching them right in the face. He could hear someone shout, followed by a blast of energy, and quickly vanished in a flash of light, appearing above his attacker and knocking him down with a swift kick. He grabbed the guard by his neck, lifting him up.

''Where is the directed-energy generator?'' Shadow growled menacingly, with the guard flailing, looking rather frightened.

''I ain't got any clue man, I was just hired to guard this place! I don't do inventory!'' the guard responded in panic. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any answer from him, Shadow threw him into a mound, the latter getting knocked out due to the impact. He turned to Omega.

''Let's find someone who can give us a proper answer,'' he said, with Omega agreeing. The two then sped through the warehouse, fighting anyone who came across them, only to come across a giant polar bear Badnik. While Shadow decided not to question the presence of Badniks inside the warehouse, he did have to wonder whether Dr. Eggman had something to do with it, but part of him doubted it. As for Omega, he didn't care, pointing his cannon arms at it, firing a missile at it and damaging its chest. Shadow wanted to help him, but he was suddenly grabbed by what appeared to be a mini-mecha, tossing him right across the warehouse. The Irregular inside the mini-mecha leapt across the mounds of clutter, landing right in front of the dark hedgehog.

''Not so tough, are we?!'' The guard grinned maliciously, with Shadow getting on his feet. Chaos Energy crackling between his fingers, he rushed towards the mini-mech, avoiding the blade that popped out of its arm and damaging the leg via a summoned Chaos Spear. His AR Visor suddenly buzzed, a small holographic screen popping next to him.

''Shadow, we secured the device,'' Rouge said. ''We're going to get you and Omega.''

''No. Go get Omega and leave this place. I'll find my own way out,'' Shadow replied in a curt tone, hearing a sigh of exasperation, with the screen closing. He turned back to the mini-mech, avoiding another swing of the blade, and spin-dashing right into the chest of the mini-mech, knocking it down. The mini-mech started to spark, with the alarmed Irregular quickly abandoning it as there was a small explosion that caused permanent damage to it. Shadow then scanned his surroundings, wondering if he could find something that would point him towards an exit, only to see some kind of vehicle partially covered by a tarp. He walked up to it and removed the tarp, his eyes widening in surprise at what he saw.

He then smirked.

xXx

Omega was grappling with the polar bear Badnik, the latter having gotten too close for his long-range attacks to properly work. Fortunately for him, a white and pink explosive got dropped on the Badniks head, alongside a Chaos Spear, causing the Badnik to stumble around and Omega firing another missile to finish it off.

''We need to leave now.'' Rouge flew up to him, holding a bag with the device inside it, followed by Touka on the hoverboard, whose eyes were now glowing orange.

''Where is Shadow?'' Omega inquired, following the two to the front entrance.

''He said he'd find his own way out. Hurry up!'' Rouge replied. They suddenly heard an alarm going off, feeling a chill running down their spine when they saw the steel door slowly pulling down. Touka pressed the accelerator on her hoverboard, grabbing Rouge's arm and speeding up, with Omega being just behind them as he used his twin jets to go faster. They managed to reach the entrance just in time, getting outside the warehouse, with the steel door closing behind them.

''I really hope that Shadow made it out,'' Touka said, worried for her brother.

However, before either of them could even say or do anything, they heard an explosion from the side of the building and ran over to it, noting how part of the wall was broken. Suddenly, they heard a mechanical noise of a growling engine, with a Shadow on a black and red motorcycle leaping out of the smoke and rubble, performing a sliding bike stop as he landed on the ground, sparks flying as the metal came in contact with the asphalt.

Touka and Rouge dropped their jaws, completely baffled by this entrance, while Omega was rather impressed. Shadow, on the other hand, had a self-satisfied smirk on his lips, looking incredibly proud of himself.

''You really couldn't help yourself…'' Touka snarked after snapping out of her stunned state. Shadow revved up the bike.

''If we're done here, we should leave now,'' Shadow said, still smirking. The rest of his team could only agree, following Shadow's lead.

Links:

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[jewishvitya]

Looking at the trivia part on YOI wiki just for a bit of fun. Ignore me, I’m not doing well in summer, the heat is killing me.

Kenjirou was planned as Yuri's Planned Design.

Help, Minami is what Yurio was supposed to look like. Yurio was supposed to be an angry chicken nugget.

Georgi is known in Japan as the "pigeon".

DFJGLJGHJLHKL WHY??

Seung-gil has an extreme aversion (a strong dislike or disinclination) to women and vegetables while he likes meat and dogs

Dislikes women and vegetables. That’s the same category. I hate cabbage and also half of humanity. Where’s that meme. “You’re gay because you love men. I’m gay because I hate women. We’re not the same.”

Seung-gil doesn't look good in anything, but he wears sportswear when he dresses himself as he basically has no interest in fashion since he's so devoted to his sport

SDKGHJLSHFGLKFHSLDH “DOESN’T LOOK GOOD IN ANYTHING” WHY SO MEAN TO HIM. He didn’t do anything, he just wanted to skate as a rainbow parrot.

He also has many mischievous friends.

This is about Otabek. What does it meannnnn. I wish I could read the source.

According to SNS, Phichit is one of the Three Most Adorable Men's Figure Skaters in Asia.

The others are Minami and Guang Hong. I love that this is a thing.

The caption on his Instagram post during the credits reads "Reunited with bae".

This is about Chris. Captioning a post with his cat. I want to know if that’s the cat’s name or if he’s just being ridiculous. Probably just being ridiculous.

Chris is near-sighted. He uses contacts when skating.

See, Yuuri, you don’t have to skate practically blind.

Emil does extreme sports during the off season, which makes his coach nervous.

dhfghdjhghjkfg I did not know this. I love. “I swear to god if you come back with a broken leg--”

It is likely that Celestino has a low alcohol tolerance.

The way this is phrased compared to the image of him passed out on the table with Phichit taking pictures

Toshiya does not know much about figure skating as he is more of a soccer fan.

That’s not an excuse, Toshiya, your son started doing it when he was a child.

On the official site, she is described as "the woman of Yuuri's dreams"

About Yuuko. I’m. What fgjhghjlfhkjg Even with my interpretation of Yuuri being bi, this is a lot.

According to Mitsurou Kubo, while the staff did their best to portray the appeal of the skaters, they didn't try very hard with Takeshi. 

GSLJHSLKDGKHJLDH SO MEAN

Mila is seen during the Sochi GPF banquet taking pictures of Yuuri Katsuki pole dancing.

And I want to see her pictures too. We got pictures by others, give me hers too.

Sara's Instagram is sala-crispino

And I find this now, years after we had the naming discourse.

Michele is ironically described as a virgin.

The ��Ironically” is the part that kills me here.

A portion of Michele's free program is skated by Yuuri Katsuki in the opening credits

Does he deserve the honor? And he was so rude to Yuuri too ( ᓂ︿⁾⁾⁾)

Actually this made me think about Viktor deciding to get back at Mickey for disrespecting Yuuri, and encouraging Yuuri to skate his program just because he’ll do it better. I think Viktor is that kind of petty.

Some part of one of Michele's skate program "Serenade for Two" have been a part of Yuri Plisetsky's skate for the opening of anime.

Definitely Viktor’s idea. And Yuri was in on it.

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Minami Natsume - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 1 - Motorcycle License

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections

Tsumugi Takanashi: Good work today, Natsume-san! Thank you for taking the time to greet us earlier despite being so busy.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I didn't know ŹOOĻ also had a recording at the same studio. The IDOLiSH7 members were happy to talk to you all, even if it was just for a short time!

Minami Natsume: Good work today. Thank you as well.

Minami Natsume: We heard Yotsuba-san and the others having fun from the hallway, so Isumi-san became curious. I'm glad we got to greet everyone.

Minami Natsume: Actually, I wanted to apologize for being the only one to leave early.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Oh, there's no need! Were you able to make it to your next appointment on time?

Minami Natsume: It wasn't for work. I'm currently attending driving school to obtain a motorcycle license.

Tsumugi Takanashi: What!? A motorcycle!?

Minami Natsume: Is it really that surprising?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Well, it's just that you didn't strike me as the motorcycle type…!

Tsumugi Takanashi: But I think it would suit you very well!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: I see. Everyone has the same reaction when I tell them about it.

Minami Natsume: Isumi-san, Inumaru-san, and Mido-san too. After being surprised, they all thought for a moment and said, "It suits you."

Tsumugi Takanashi: I can understand how they feel…! It is unexpected, but when I imagine you riding one, it's just so cool…

Tsumugi Takanashi: Are you perhaps getting a license because you have plans to ride one for a drama or a movie?

Minami Natsume: No, I just thought it seemed fun when I saw Inumaru-san riding one. I would like to take on such a role someday, though.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Now that you mention it, Inumaru-san did ride a motorcycle during the 'NEXT Re:vale' Valentine's date project!

Tsumugi Takanashi: The IDOLiSH7 members all watched the broadcast and couldn't help but admire him. They said they wanted to try riding a motorcycle as well.

Minami Natsume: His riding was so impressive it felt almost unfair. I heard there were many requests from people wanting to ride with him.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: But you're very busy, so isn't it hard to attend driving school while you're working?

Tsumugi Takanashi: It took me a long time to get my car license too > <

Minami Natsume: That is true. My schedule is indeed packed, but it's refreshing because it's something I have not studied before.

Minami Natsume: Obtaining a car license is more difficult than obtaining a motorcycle license, after all. The course period is longer, so it's understandable that it takes time.

Tsumugi Takanashi: No… in my case, I had trouble passing the provisional license test…

Minami Natsume: I see.

Minami Natsume: I always thought you were very capable, but this is an unexpected side of you.

Tsumugi Takanashi: However, I've practiced a lot since then to be able to drive everyone around, so now I'm perfect at it!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: Impressive. You worked hard for your job. I will follow your example and do my best too.

Minami Natsume: Thankfully, I just so happen to have knowledgeable mentors around me that can teach me many things about riding a motorcycle.

Tsumugi Takanashi: You mean Inumaru-san?

Minami Natsume: Yes. And Mido-san as well. They are both quite passionate about teaching me traffic rules and even things like the correct riding posture.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Wow! Having both of them around must be reassuring!

Minami Natsume: They've been teaching me more thoroughly than the driving school, so it feels like I have already attended the classes.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I can tell they're excited for you to be able to ride a motorcycle…!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: They are truly such lovely people.

Minami Natsume: We had an argument earlier today about who would get to have Isumi-san as their passenger if the four of us were to go touring.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Who does Isumi-san prefer riding with?

Minami Natsume: Mido-san. He said that because Mido-san is good at driving cars, he's likely stable on motorcycles too.

Tsumugi Takanashi: What about Inumaru-san…?

Minami Natsume: His driving is a bit rough. It's not as bad on a motorcycle compared to a car, but Isumi-san still gets motion sickness when he drives.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I see…!

Minami Natsume: Therefore, it seems Inumaru-san is currently working hard to practice driving more smoothly.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

End of Part 1.

[onlyhereforghosttrick]

A painting- or at least, a photo of one.

There's a letter attached.

Dear Makoto,

How are you?

I'm sorry you had to miss out this year.

We got a Smeargle to take a little sketch of us to send to you instead, hope this makes you feel better.

He said that it'd be better if we were all fully in frame next time, but I don't know what he meant by that... We're all there, aren't we? Regardless, though.

I do hope Aigiel's getting better... I know you haven't gotten an update in a while, but I'm sure she's fine- the girl's taken a fair few falls, and gotten up anyways.

For new additions to the group this year, though...

Ephim finally convinced Minato to tag along. (I don't know what they're doing in the photo either, but I think some part of him was enjoying it too.)

A new pair- Safira and Higashi, bottom left of it. I gave talking to them a try, and they seemed familiar somehow nice. Apparently they helped stop the natural disasters of the air continent.

There's also Feysara, the Eevee girl- that's her talking to Auren on the right. She's polite, if a bit quiet at times. I have a feeling you'll like her.

Well, hope you're doing alright, partner.

Happy New Year. I'm glad we made it this far.

With love,

Minami

Well. Happy New Year!

This post has been set to go up at sometime in the afternoon/evening of the 31st, meaning this is some of this year's last hours.

So, I'd like to thank you while I still have time.

Thank you all for everything you've done for me, for being so friendly, for caring as much as you have- I don't think I'd be here without all of you.

Now, for some more fun stuff- I don't have refs or anything but I can at least give a lowdown on the picture.

Chronoconvergence is my current idea for a collective name for my PMD stuff, likely to be replaced once I think of something better, but it stands for now. ...I am still too lazy to update tags though.

As said in the letter, Ephim the Lucario is doing ...whatever that is with Minato (Bulbasaur) on the left, with Safira (Skitty) and Higashi (Wooper) talking with Minami (Grovyle, yes, The Grovyle PMD2) right below.

Taking center stage are Everus (Fraxure) and Spark (Ninetales), my Gates team, with Ephris (Mew) hovering close by alongside Serri (Celebi, again, yes, The Celebi PMD2). also nearby is Feysara standing far off to the right

Lastly, is one that might require a bit of explanation- Auren (Dusknoir, you know the drill) talking with... Feysara, the Eevee mentioned in the letter. Just one small problem. Feysara is someone else's name.

Well, Feys (as I've effectively renamed her) is the protagonist of the fic I've been trying to write for a while now called An Empty Reflection which is also meant to serve as the opening act to a grander story called New Future's Dawn. Her story is yet to be told, but I hope to do so soon!

I want to promise when my next big thing or whatever will be but really, I'm probably gonna end up liveblogging Vivid/Stasis Chapter 5 for a bit so I might be occupied with that. As this goes up, I'm probably just finishing up what is effectively meant to be me re-familiarizing myself with the game as a whole.

But just know that writing is not abandoned, and art is not abandoned, both just planned to be pushed to the side as I write this. I'm probably at least thinking of writing by the time you're reading this, so not all hope is lost.

And as a last note... This combination of characters being alive and such is not canon, even if we all (or at least I) wished otherwise. Well, Happy New Year. It's been a hell of a ride so far and I can only hope it gets better from here.

[tsunflowers]

list of which precures I think are lesbians

nagisa: we see her suffering from terrible comphet. one day she will see herself as bi honoka: lesbian hikari: I don't know her :(

saki: doesn't know she's bi yet. probably will swing more towards girls once she figures out mai: lesbian michiru: I think she would go on a date with a boy to gather intel and feel nothing but if she went on a date with a girl she would feel something kaoru: I can't imagine her crushing on anyone but maybe that'll change

I feel like I still don't know the yespre girls well enough but I do think karen and milk are both lesbians

love: bi but completely oblivious to romantic overtures from any gender miki: I could see her dating another girl one time but she's mostly straight inori: ally setsuna: lesbian

tsubomi: probably bi or lesbian but the idea of romance in real life is still kinda scary erika: girl who calls her friends her girlfriends and it makes tsubomi uncomfortable for reasons she doesn't understand yet itsuki: bi but around the end of the series and immediately after she'll explore her interest in boys more bc she never thought she could express that before yuri: lesbian

hibiki: lesbian bc if she dated a boy she'd be letting us girls down kanade: bi ellen: I just can't imagine ellen having a crush on anyone bc it's been so long since I watched the show ako: still too young to be interested and also the examples of romance she's seen are hibikana and whatever her parents have going on so she's sort of down on the whole concept

miyuki: well her crush is peter pan. I think she's not interested in romance in real life. maybe she will be someday, maybe not akane: I remember shipping her with nao but somehow it's funny to me to say she's straight. she did have a crush on brian yayoi: like miyuki she's more interested in fictional romance. if she dated someone she would expect it to be like in anime nao: bi. she's like makoto sailor jupiter where she thinks boys dont like her bc she's too tall so she has to date girls reika: lesbian

mana: canonically straight rikka: canonically into mana. lesbian alice: I think she's still working on developing her own self-image outside the expectations of her family, who would certainly want her to marry a man makopi: disease where instead of brain you have princess marie-ange. lesbian aguri: still at the age where she thinks romance is something that happens in a movie where a prince rides in on a white horse

megumi, hime, yuuko, iona: bi

haruka: lesbian minami: lesbian kirara: bi towa: bi

mirai and riko: lesbian kotoha: I don't see her ever being interested in romance due to her whole thing

ichika: bi himari, aoi, yukari, akira, ciel: lesbian ciel flirts with guys but it's like when a gay man jokingly flirts with a woman. no real interest

hana: I don't have a strong feeling for her. wait she was into homare that one time. bi saaya: I don't have a strong feeling for her either homare: I think homare's straight actually emiru: lesbian lulu: no interest in boys, ever. lesbian

hikaru, lala, elena, madoka, yuni: lesbian I don't know if they have lesbians on lala's planet though

nodoka: I think for most of her life she was like "romance is something that happens to other people" so she hasn't spent time figuring it out yet chiyu: bi hinata: bi asumi: doesn't have those feelings which is good bc can you imagine asumi trying to date

manatsu, sango, minori, asuka, laura: lesbian

yui: bi but oblivious, like love kokone: lesbian ran: bi amane: lesbian

sora: lesbian. replace every time she says hero with lesbian mashiro: she definitely thinks she likes boys but I'm not sure if she does tsubasa: his curse is that if he hangs out with anyone his own age ageha will keep elbowing him and raising her eyebrows and he has to be like "it's not like that!!" so he doesn't know what it is like yet ageha: I feel like she does kind of have straight girl who calls her friends girlfriend energy elle: I dont know what to say about elle due to her situation

komugi: lesbian in dog years iroha: I think bi but hasn't explored it at all bc she's told herself it's not important yuki: lesbian cat mayu: lesbian human