#And Yukito just..... So confused

[akutasoda]

how do you think Jouno, Tecchou (and anyone else you want to add) would be with an S/o that doesn't stand up for themselves?

Your writing is amazing <:

how do i keep going?

synopsis - you never really stood up for yourself, and as your lover they can't have that whem you're so amazing

includes - fyodor, jouno, tecchou, ayatsuji

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, comfort, small talk of being taking advantage of, brief mentions of bullying, threats, wc - 691

a/n: ahhh tysm anon! all i could think about when writing this was 'they asked for no pickles' im so sorry

fyodor dostoevsky ★↷

↪fyodor wasn't exactly know for his communication skills, he preferred to be left to his own devices but he would absolutely not tolerate someone talking down on him or trying to take advantage of him. and same would go for you.

↪you were part of a very exclusive group, even more so as his lover, to see the slight softer side he normally kept shadowed away. and seeing youe hesitance to stand up for yourself in any given scenario kind of ticked him the wrong way. you were practically perfect as can be in his eyes why do you tolerate it?

↪he's not the greatest when it comes to emotions but would try his hardest to understand why you would let that happen, whatever the reason would support you in his own weird way. would try and convince you to atleast try to stand up for yourself once.

↪he wouldn't, or try his hardest not to, intervene unless it got bad or really started to annoy him. and would understand if you don't talk about it with him, again he wasn't that good with emotions either. although you seemed to notice that you were left alone more often. weird, almost as if something scared them away huh.

saigiku jouno ★↷

↪very confident person definitely and would absolutely not stand people trying to take advantage of him. so seeing you letting it happen and not sticking up for yourself would leave him confused and slightly annoyed. not at you however.

↪he would kind of understand why you might let it happen but would want to try and encourage you to stick up for yourself. sure he could do it for you and sometimes he would but he knows that you're amazing and more than capable of sticking up for yourself.

↪death glares and threats. he isn't the interrogation specialist for nothing. eventually you might start to notice a decrease in things bothering you, and if you know it's him you might have to tell him to stop before he gets in trouble.

tecchou suehiro ★↷

↪he may not be the most vocal person, opting to stay quiet for some time but that doesn't mean he wouldn't stand up for himself. so seeing you not standing up for yourself and either letting people make fun of you or take advantage of your kind nature would confuse him.

↪why wouldn't you want to stand up for yourself? and maybe not until you would open up to him would he realise why. or he would figure it out on his own but wouldn't pry about it until he truly had to intervene or you finally talked to him about it.

↪but that wouldn't stop him from doing something about it himself. if he was in the vicinity, which is most likely, he wouldn't physically do anything apart from send death glares and take you else where.

↪he knew you were strong enough to take care of your own battles he just silently wishes you would do so more often. you were amazing, you deserved to stand up for yourself. maybe he would try and coax that out of you but if you didn't want to do that that's fone aswell he was always there for you anyway.

yukito ayatsuji ★↷

↪doesn't care what people think. he is well aware if what people think of him and he just doesn't care so that means that he won't tolerate them trying to take advantage of him. he would stick up for himself anytime. so seeing you let people walk over you would weirdly break his heart.

↪why are you not sticking up for yourself? he may figure out why if you don't tell him, so he would understand but that still doesn't help in his confusion.

↪wouldn't stick up for you unless you wanted him to or it got really bad, he wants to let you fight your own battles, he knows you're strong enough to. again would encourage you to do so however.

↪maybe if it got specifically bad and you were still not standing up for yourself he would definitely intervene. he might just get a bit carried away.

[lovelynim]

Attention seeker

Cardcaptor Sakura - Syaoran Li & Touya Kinomoto

A/N: Third and last comm of this batch for @wertzunge! Again, thank you for your patience and support, my dear client, ehe ~

Also, thank you for letting me write for such a fun duo! I couldn't help but tot feel a little nostalgic, hahah

Summary: Touya notices he has a contestant for Yukito's attention.

Word count: 1003 words

Silence filled the whole room as the two stared into each others’ narrowed eyes. If looks could kill, this would be the fiercest of battles. Meanwhile, Sakura and Yukito chuckled, nervously, and tried to find a way to ease the tension that took over the place.

“Why are you here?” Syaoran asked, nearly hissed. It was clear he had made no effort to conceal his disgust or annoyance.

Touya, on the other hand, was a tad more skilled in doing so. The snark and sarcasm in his words, however, remained as clear as daylight. “Oi, Yukito is my guest. You shouldn’t be talki-”

“I wasn’t talking about him,” the younger retorted, crossing his eyes in front of his eyes and puffing out his cheeks slightly. Of course the problem here wasn’t Yukito, but rather the one currently taking all his attention to himself.

That little brat, Touya thought. If it was Sakura acting like that, he wouldn’t think twice before smacking her head. “I live here, you-”

“Caham,” a soft, gentle (and fake) cough interrupted, deciding to stop this whole scene before it unfolded into something worse - as if it was possible to do so. “Hmm, I think we will have more people for dinner than we first anticipated,” Yukito commented casually, wearing his friendly smile on his lips as usual. “Sakura-chan, could you help me prepare some snacks?”

“U-uh? Me?” She blinked, pointing at herself in confusion.

“Yeah, why her?” Touya continued, tilting his head and, now, directing his concerned look towards his boyfriend. “You’re the guest, you shouldn’t be doing the cooking.”

Yukito chuckled, of course his little attempt would make it unnoticed. “Well, it seems you and Syaoran-kun have a lot to talk about, right? Besides, Sakura-chan wanted me to show a new recipe. Isn’t that right, Sakura-chan?” He winked, giving her a subtle hint.

“T-that’s right!” She nodded promptly, not even sure what Yukito meant with that, but feeling it would be better to agree than question it. “I will show where we keep the, um… t-the ingredients!”

Barely giving the other two time to question it, Yukito was already back into his feet, walking towards the kitchen, while Sakura fetched her apron. “Wait a bit, Li, I will be right back!”

“B-but, Sakura,” I don’t want to be alone with [him], he wanted to say, but she was already joining Yukito over the other side of the kitchen’s counter. Damn it. 

One couldn’t not deny that Yukito’s plan of making peace worked - the little banter was over, after all - but it took them barely a couple of seconds before silence sunk in again. “Tsk,” Touya groaned, resting his elbow on the armrest of the couch and leaning his head on his hand.

All he wanted was a peaceful, nice evening with Yukito, just that. And just when he thought Sakura would stop bothering them, her friend also began to fight for Yukito’s attention. Just his luck, Touya thought.

Having his eyes closed to drift into his thoughts, Touya failed to notice the moves around him. It was not until he felt a shift in the couch that he looked around again, only to find Syaoran sitting on the other end. In Yukito’s place, to be more precise. 

As if that wasn’t enough, he had a dumbfounded look on his face, his eyes glued to - of course - Yukito, following his every move in the kitchen. That’s it, Touya thought.

“You’ll scare him like that,” Touya muttered out loud, hiding his smirk behind his hand while avoiding eye contact.

The reaction came immediately with Syaoran nearly jumping off the couch, startled. “W-what? What do you mean? I’m just watching them!” He groaned, frowning.

“I’m not talking about that,” Touya continued, showing the boy his smirk before tapping the corner of his own lips, “you should see your face right now. So scary ~” he teased. “Here, let me help you!”

Closing the already short distance between them, Touya closed his hand around one of Syaoran’s ankles, pulling his leg into his lap and forcing the boy to lay on his side. “W-what are you dohoh- AHAhaha, n-no! LehEHEhet go!”

All Syaoran could see was his slipper being tossed over Touya’s shoulder before five fingers skittered across his socked sole. Thanks to their sizes’ difference, Touya could easily go from Syaoran’s heel up to his toes in a single swipe of his finger, making the whole process of tickling that brat into his place much easier. “Ah, that’s better. Don’t you think you should greet Yukito with a friendly smile instead of that ugly frown?”

“I dihihihdn’t!” Syaoran laughed, trying to pull his leg free from Touya’s grip, but lacking strength to do so. “AhahAHah, i-it tihihickles! StahAHAHap!”

“Eh? But Yukito is busy cooking,” Touya muttered, chuckling along with the other as he raked his fingers down Syaoran’s arch, scratching his foot and focusing the tickling on random spots of his sock. “He didn’t see you smiling, I can’t stop yet.” Touya mocked, his words barely audible over the boy’s laughter, but extremely effective in making Syaoran blush even harder in a matter of seconds.

If you asked him, Touya would promptly deny that he was moved out of jealousy. Him, feeling insecure and bothered because Sakura’s friend wouldn’t stop staring at his boyfriend? Never. Still, if that little brat wanted Yukito’s attention so bad, then Touya didn’t mind giving him a hand. 

A couple meters away, over the kitchen’s counter, Sakura glanced back at the couch, a bit stunned by the scene. Poor Syaoran seemed to be having a tough time dealing with her annoying big brother.

“Anything wrong, Sakura-chan?” Yukito hummed, barely minding the squeals and giggles coming from the other end of the room - he was too busy cutting the vegetables to do so, anyway.

“N-no, it’s just that they seem to be having fun,” Sakura nodded, turning back around. Hang in there, Li, she thought, I will come to rescue you once I finish this dish with Yukito!

[fuedalreesespieces]

one of their downtimes in the present after school, kagome braids inuyasha's hair (twins, french, dutch, etc.) while they watch magical girl anime. inuyasha is surprisingly into it (the anime and having his hair played with)

oh, you are so right about this.

.

.

.

"So he's the other guy?"

Kagome's fingers raked through his hair, parting it in two. He had no idea what she was doing, but it felt nice. So nice, in fact, that his attention was starting to wane from the television screen in front of him, if that was possible.

"Sort-of," Kagome amended, bringing a comb to the right side of his hair. Silver locks spilled down his shoulders, brushing against the enormous bowl of potato chips they shared. "He's kinda like a vessel for him, but he doesn't know it."

"Geez," Inuyasha grumbled. "All that power and he doesn't even know it exists."

Kagome let out an airy laugh. On screen, the boy called Yukito transformed into Yue. The bright colors fascinated him just as much as the feeling of Kagome's hands carding through his hair. He didn't quite get the concept of animation until she made him an example and even then, that simple jumping ball she'd created was leagues away from...whatever this was.

How did this even get on the screen, anyway? He'd suspected there was someone trapped in the back, but the box was much too tiny for even a kit like Shippo, and it was all clogged up with tangled wires. She'd explained the broadcasting system to him, but he still didn't understand how waves could translate to pictures. Eventually he'd given up on working out the concept, and his confusion never kept him from settling under her gentle hands and letting the story unfold in front of them.

She'd called it anime, a category for the style of art and animation used in the show they were watching, and Inuyasha had to admit it was wildly entertaining. Convoluted plots be damned, the fights were terribly engaging. Sota had told him that the sort of shows Kagome dragged him into were called magical girl anime, and which thereafter prompted a giggle from the younger boy. Inuyasha didn't quite get the joke, if there was one to be had. The way he saw it, the magical girls were just like the metal golems ("Mechs," Sota had corrected him) in the things Sota liked to watch - albeit better dressed.

On screen, Yue spoke, voice eerily cold compared to his counterpart. A chill ran down Inuyasha's spine. "He looks like Sesshomaru," he muttered.

Kagome finished one his braids and peered over his ears, her chin digging into his shoulder as she leaned in to see what she'd missed. "You know...I haven't really thought about it, but he sort of does. Minus the angel wings, of course." At Inuyasha's bark of laughter, she inched closer and smirked. "Think he'd make a good magical girl?"

An image of Sesshomaru wearing a skirt seemed to enter their minds at the same time, and upon making eye contact, they both collapsed in a fit of laughter. "Evil," he said between breaths, "absolutely fuckin' evil, what you just said."

"I was merely asking a question," she said innocently, her grin wicked. "But now that I think about it, I think you'd fit in better than him."

"Me?" he said incredulously.

"Why not? You've got a weapon-"

"A massive sword, not a magic wand-"

"-transformations-"

"One of 'em is useless and the other kills people-"

"You are not useless," she said immediately. "You're wonderful just as you are."

He was thankful the room was dark. "Kagome-"

"All you really need," she said, "is a change of clothes. Have you ever even been out of the Fire Rat?"

He scoffed. "Why should I? It's my armor. Why, you suggestin' I wear your clothes?" His attention returned to the television, where Yue was drawing an arrow back, but Kagome's ridiculous smile quickly emerged in his vision. She'd finished his hair and had come to sit beside him, fiddling with one of the two braids she'd done.

"Well...I do have an old school uniform-"

"No."

"Oh, come on, Inuyasha! Please?"

"I'm not wearing one of your skirts!" he shouted, face as bright as a plucked tomato.

"But I just finished your hair!"

"And what the hell does that have to do with it?"

"You would look good, I promise!" she assured. "Nobody's around."

"Your entire family is in the house, Kagome."

"And I'm sure they would all support your decision to finally be the magical girl you were born to be."

He rolled his eyes and twisted his head so she couldn't tempt him with that smile of hers. "You're crazy."

She slipped into his view and batted her eyelashes. "For me?"

"Woman, if you don't-"

"Please, Inuyasha?"

He told himself not to look. Her voice alone couldn't tempt him. He thought of happy things in his mind, like ramen, or cooked steak, but the image of her sad, droopy eyes kept tainting the images, and when he eventually cracked one eye open, she was still kneeling in front of him, hands clasped and wide, grey eyes lit up like silver by the artificial light of the television. The decision to keep staring at her, like a stubborn fool, damned him. She had him wrapped around her finger the second he chose not to close his eyes - or perhaps he'd been doomed to agree from the start.

Either way, all paths lead to him wearing the skirt.

"Oh my god," Kagome whispered. "Oh my god."

"Shut up," he snapped. The waistline was too tight, but he'd somehow managed it. The outfit he wore was simply a spare uniform she had stashed away in case hers was ripped up in the feudal realm, but she insisted that plenty magical girls wore similar clothing (did the schools purposefully let their girls dress up as magical girls?) At her request, he'd worn a pair of elbow length gloves, boots, and "Happy?"

"Oh, Inuyasha," she sighed, and his face turned another shade of red. "You have no idea."

[completeoveranalysis]

[6]

Nadeshiko is PAINFULLY optimistic in a way that even the readers can’t really connect with at this point. We KNOW something happens. 

And maybe she’s thinking more long terms, or maybe she really is just hoping so much that she might just pull through, but you can really see where Sakura gets it from. 

Also I think the translators might have slightly confused the phrasing on the Touya page, since to me it looks like Touya is replying to Fujitaka but it has him phrasing it as if he’s correcting himself. But either way! He’s picking up on The Vibe, and it’s not looking great. 

(Fantastic that we get an outfit detail here too, as if it’s a fun moment - like he’s walking into the room from another genre entirely. He’s still living in the fun CCS lifestyle while everyone else has been in the slow build up to a horror story that they haven’t been able to avoid)

(And how could he have known that he was in that horror story too? They never told him)

And they can’t even say. It’s too sad. 

But then Enter: Sakura

Oh and it’s gorgeous! In gorgeous robes with Yukito gently leading the way - dressed appropriately with the winged moon and star symbols that Nadeshiko has. 

Sakura is having a very lovely moment as she enters the ceremony for her birthday. 

[ribesrubrum]

✌ - a memory of a relative

Carmine isn't supposed to be hearing this conversation. She knows this; her grandfather had sent her and her brother out to get some stuff from Peachy's for dinner tonight while he talked to their mom, but Kiki, shy and uncertain, had asked her to go back and clarify something. But she's stopped in her tracks as she hears the conversation, and...

(cws below: talk of parental favoritism, and talk of abuse (verbal))

"Why can't I just take him with me? Why are you so insistent on stopping me?! I can take care of him, I can be a good mother--"

"After what you said to your daughter, do you truly think I believe that?" There's a quiet fury in Yukito's voice, barely restrained and deeply admonishing to his own daughter. And even so, one can't help but feel the undercurrent of disappointment. "...How could you grow to resent your own flesh and blood so deeply?"

There's a pause after that, and she swears she hears her mother sniffling. Crying like a child. Not unlike she has, for many nights. "You can't--you can't do this to me. You don't know. She's just like him, and I can't--I'll get the court if I have to, I--"

"No." Yukito's words are sad, but firm. "Hanako...I'm disappointed in you. You're unfit to mother a Sentret, let alone a child."

"Leave this place, now. And do not ever return."

Her grandfather's words carry a finality to them, one that finally sees her mother leave--they briefly catch eyes for a moment, and Carmine isn't sure if she should say something. If anything at all.

Her mother looks at her one last time, and Carmine isn't sure of it--she could've sworn her lips moved, though no sound came from them. I'm sorry. As if two simple words could mend a relationship like that.

She's gone before Carmine can respond, and her grandfather walks out after--though he startles upon seeing Carmine, eyes wide as he looks to her. "...Carmine, didn't I ask you to go to Peachy's?"

"I...we...Kiki and I got confused about something and...and...!" Carmine doesn't bother with the words she needs to say, though Yukito's eyes soften in sympathy--she practically barrels her grandfather down with a hug, and he wraps his arms around her, warm and kind.

"Th--thank you..." Carmine sobs out, tears falling freely and horribly. "Thank you for standing up for me, Grandpa..."

[harukirai]

Queer history of Final Fantasy

I am replaying all the old final fantasies(mostly psp psone releases), first time with english localization and not the original jp.

Now i get it.

It all make sense now.

I couldn't understand the wave of "why shove the gays in our face" backlash of 16(even though, the non homophobic felt it was lacking since they didn't want to 'push it in yall face'). Like apperantly moat of the implication or straight up fruity moments in the old game was completely removed, or changed to the point of it being a 'silly thing'.

So lets clarify -

*Cecil(iv), your homeboy- an Non-binary (language is the best indication, but yeah i think it was a decision made for both female and male players to be able to relate to them, but yeah funny outcome non the less)

*Bartz(v)- outright bisexual, they didnt even hide it- next person on this list gonna make it make sense.

*faris(v)- an ftm transgender( at least in the original version, i know in some new iterations they scrapped the whole concept, but left it in in others?)- mainly speak about himself with (ore/boku- which is conventionally usally by male speakers), after finding out soem of the cast either use a female pronounce on him, but bartz constantly either avoid it or use male pronounce(or the nonbinary version which is usually reffered to kidz) but yeah, bartz was crushing on faris where he thought he was a cis male and unlike the other guy didnt shy away.

Lets jump a bit to 8-

Irvine(viii)- even though considered very handsome to the point he could get with any girl hed want, was even flirted with by selphie i think i need to remember, but he usually brush it off.

If anything he is either asexual, or gay(its very subtle, but its what called queer coding, and well see that allot from now on cause japan caught up to westerns norm on media)

Quina Quen (ix)- literally, a nonbinary- but i think they kept it in eng as well cause they are not human, but like black mages they have no sex, but unlike black mages they are 'genderless' and dont care for human norms.

Kuja(ix)- either gay/intersex/both.

Look at him.

Seriously that character confused a whole generation sexuality.

Like sephiroth, but unlike sephiroth he also have effeminate mannerisms, and until it was revealed by text it wasnt so obvious.sephiroth in jp have a confusing language because he himself is possed by jenova, so evem though i love this headcanon, sephiroth isnt trans actually.

Auron(x)- ahh yes, your favourite broody guy and probably where im gonna get tons of hate.

Auron is very subtle, but once you notice it its hard to deny.

I think Auron is gay, unlike jecht or braska- he did not have kids, denied arranged marriage, and followed jecht to dream zanarken just to save jecht only son- it was pretty obvious that auron loved jecht. He also loved braska but not as much, and it shows- that for auron it was more than friendship. You can see it with his attitude towards yuna vs tidus- with yuna he is nicer, politer. Liem you act when you babysit your friends /cousins child.

But to tidus, he is a full father figure.In their journey together they grow, and i think if he wasnt the boy of the man he loved he wouldn't treat tidus as his own. With all the scoldinngs in mind.

Paine(X-2)- qlmost forgot her, but yeah she's pretty gay for riku

I dont remember much though because if the mission structure of the game.

Larsa(xii) - ohh i see you boy, i see u. He is sus as hell. He is a kid so its pretty innocent(and relatable to us queer kidz)

Its pretty obvios that he is crushing on basch, innocently though. I know some ppl who shipped him with penelo, but canonically by spinoffs at least she and vann are an item.

Also they made sure it was obvious cause japan have this thing that a young character is crushing on a teacher,mentor , older characters in general(aka cc sakura- her friend crushing on a teacher, syaoran & sakura crushing on yukito, also happens in tons of pop culture media at that time, so im not surprised, but im happy this time its one sided, THANK GOD)

But yeah if you reached the ending its pretty obvious.

Fang & vanille(xiii)- the first lesbians couple! Terra(VI) was supposed to be the first but they were afraid it will make her less marketable so they scrapped her gf. They made them clear, but at the same time they tried to make sure pple wont be fetishizing them(they tried, at least).

I want to explain their story more but i think ill mess it up since i tend to mix up 13's lacie, falcie and all that jazz.

So ill just say that basically there are 2 world in 13, pulse and cacoon. Pulse is basically earth and cacoon is the moon. There is a god for each world called a falcie.

Few of them but ine for each major ones. Our main gand from cacoon, branded by a falcie to be slaves(lacie) vanille and fang are from pulse, and slaves of pulse lacie, so basically they are with the task of creating Ragnarok which is like the end of time and but limw they dont know cause the gods in this game is like 'yeah imma give you a mission but wont tell you beside weird non undersandable feaver dream and you need to figure out and fast or youll become this universe version of zombie, and if you do complete it you become a ceystal living forever but like, sleeping beauty style. So lose lose situation.

The focus of them both is different from the gang, caus the falcie of cacoon is evil so he gove them focus destroying cocoon while if fang& vannile mannaged to ruin that falcie and bring ragnarok theyll become a crystal, and they used it to save coccon from falling and crushing killing all the people in it, basically became a pillar in eternal sleep when they hheld each other.

But they are saved in later game only to... Lightning return which we wont talk about cause i hate timers.

I love the story of xiii, big part of it is vanille & fang, i havent played in english yet, but i will say, their story is one of the more meaningful on this list, very well developed and i will do it disservice if id try to explain it in few sentences - so do yourself a favour and play or watch the playthrough.

Ignis& gladio(xv)- here is when localization ruimed it. I know cause i palyed on jp dub with eng sub and heard the differences live- first of all gladio and ignis are completely different in jp, as individuals and as a pair- they were supposed to be the first dion& terrence moment, but it got scrapped and they went the vannile& fang route, only that bec they are men, the localization team missed the mark.

Gladio got pissed at noctis in the train because of ignis.

In jp its clear their bond is beyond friends, and not mention the fact that their AI is always stuck together, and that gladio isnt a womenizer in jp at all, and there is no fiancee/girlfriend.

In jp he said suggested there is someone he wants to be with but bec of the state of the world and them both being constantly in the battlefront he couldnt ask.

(and ignis clear his throat when everyone is like oh great, very subtle but it was leading to that)

Every stop of the train or erea post blindness gladio was with ignis not leaving him .

Also tabata san also said that they are more than friends. So there's that too.

But its no secret 15 localization is tereible, the massacared prompto, he is so cringy in english, in jp yeah he is funny but like he says more stuff then random pop colture references, he breaks the 4th wall occasionally but not on the same level of the localization. Also, jp noctis is a little shit because he can and will, in localization he is more relatable while ignos and gladio are kimda mean. In jp its the other way around and up until chap 13 (when he is alone) noctis is a bratt. He has some moments when he is nicer, but when struggle shows he is a bratt about it- and its done purposely since he is a spoiled pronce who never done anything alone in his life.

Thats why in chap 13 he has a change of heart, because he was alone and learned to appriciate his friends when he was stuck alone in the dark with no weapons and i think it was a good call storytelling wise, but yeah the english localzation ruined it and made the whole chapter pointless .

Those are the implied/canon gays of final fantasy up to 15(we got a kiss so its obvious).

The series has always been kinda Fruity and i know some of yall will be like, 'but there's no proof'. Well, japanese speakers(who arent homophobic at least) will agree with me that we tend in media that is not specified like BL or GL to make things subtle. So what in the west is called 'queer coding' is very common in japanese media and it comes in way more shape and forms.usually implied with a desper conncetion relationship or linguistics.its funny cause in the 80's and very early 90's gay pple wasnt hidden in jp pop culture (no kisses or anything but it was straight out told to the viewer/player)

And only later 90's there was a trend of removing us completely from the media, but around that time a specific genre was created so it wasn't out completely.(like yaoi/yuri as erotic mangas existed aince the 80's but usually only love stories or main gay characters were mixed in with the straight media, kimda like what netflix does today, but around 96, 97 the shounen ai and shoujo ai genres rose in popularity(mainly cause of clamp) and things got seperated. In games- because it became a bigger deal in the west square took caution with how clear they gonna make stiff not to piss of the christians after the backlash of Pokemon (idk how it was really but through japanese media and news it seemed at the times that the american patents were pissed so game companies started sensoring their games from all things might piss off christians/monotheistics ).

*also i dont live in japan but i am mixed so i grew in a jp speaking house and family from there always sent games on holidays and birthdays+nhk was always running in the backround to check on the motherland😂

[dzvelinaskebiyars]

WAIT YOU'RE ALSO IN BSD FANDOM????? CAN YOU PLEASEEE TELL US YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS AND WHY PLS I'M GENUINELY INTERESTED!

Yes, I'm also in bsd fandom but I'm active about Tokyo Revengers on Tumblr and, so far, I doubt I'll be posting any bsd character x reader hcs/one shots here at all. Just saying in case.

Now about my favourite characters. (I won't write paragraphs about them tho)

1. Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I know that because of recent chapters, a lot of people might dislike him now and they probably do, which is understandable but personally, I love his entire character a lot and I can talk about it for decades and never get bored. He's such well written villain that I want to thank Asagiri for creating him. And I'm really excited to see more about his character and especially his backstory. I do find him relatable to certain level but no, I don't kin him. Anyway, he's my number one favourite character in Bungou Stray Dogs.

2. Ayatsuji Yukito

Many don't know him, unfortunately. He's from Bungou Stray Dogs spinoff/Gaiden. Ayatsuji Yukito is one of the smartest detective and is on the match of Ranpo. He's smarter than Fyodor and Dazai. But I don't find his smartness as appealing as his entire character in general. Like what do you mean he has entire collection of antique dolls? What do you mean he talks to his cats? What do you mean he killed 2 billion peo-- He's really amazing and admirable. Many might think that he's heartless at first but he genuinely cares about his allies/friends, he just shows it in different ways and not straightforwardly. I'm literally in love with his character and that's final. He's my second favourite one.

3. Nikolai Gogol

I'm sure plenty of people will agree with me that Nikolai is rather complex character but that complexity is what makes him likable to me. I can talk about his character for decades and just how much I relate to him and on extremely deep level. He's seriously one of the best Bungou Stray Dogs character ever made.

4. Lucy Maud Montgomery

I love her so much and I also relate to her on some extant level. It's true that she doesn't get much role in the plot (if bsd even has it atp) but the guild arc had big impact on me, especially because of this girl.

5. Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

Okey, I genuinely LOOOVEEEE his character so much. I feel like he might even be fourth my favourite but I decided to put him on fifth, probably because of my mood. His character development, his character's goal and his entire character in general is very relatable and also very well written. If you haven't noticed, I love well written characters and Akutagawa deserves place here. I will never shut up that he probably found another reason to live besides Dazai's acknowledgement in newest chapter and how he's protector by nature.

6. Tsujimura

The BEST female character I've seen (probably after Lucy). Not only is she relatable but also so well written. She's just so human in every possible that I think lot of people will find her relatable in one way or another and she's also very easy to like. No, she's not pick-me or blue Higuchi. She's one of the best agent of Special Division For Unusual Abilities. She has strong morals and values and I absolutely admire that. Aspiring to be like her.

These are my top 6 favourite characters that I'll forever love no matter what. My seventh is probably Kenji Miyazawa but I'm too lazy to write more! I also love Atsushi but I'm very bothered by the fact that he doesn't have a goal, which just makes the plot very confusing since he's a main character.

And no, I don't like Dazai at all. He's my first hated character^^

[mahou-furbies]

Closing thoughts on Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card

To my surprise this had already ended, and over a year ago too. Apparently CCS isn't big enough in my circle for it to have been bigger news.

First things first, the worst sin this manga commits is that there aren't nearly enough magical girl outfits! CCS is known for Tomoyo crafting a new one for every event, but this time most of the Card Catching happens so spontaneously that there's no time for a costume change. Which I suppose technically makes sense in-story, but I still reject this and would instead prefer any kind of excuse to get Sakura into a cute new fantasy outfit every chapter, no matter how nonsensical it might be.

Then for the actual content. In general I can see why CCS is such a beloved classic, but personally I've never been too big on it. Which makes it a little difficult to judge the sequel, like is it actually meh, or am I just being a hater again? I just can't get into these characters, I can like a good wholesome story like Yotsuba& where everyone is super nice, but in CCS the cast is just so saccharine that they barely feel human, so it's hard to get invested. It's like Sakura is rather meant to be someone's ideal daughter instead of her own person, like she's eternally pure, ever so helpful and well behaved, never has a nasty thougth in her mind, and so on.

Another issue I remember from the original manga that still persists here is how almost every character hides important information from Sakura. You can "well actually" most of it, like a lot of the time there is a decent reason, but there's just so much of it that to me it feels kind of patronising, or frustrating when the main character is always several steps behind. Some of the secrecy doesn't even lead to anything interesting story-wise, like eventually the information gets out and Sakura is a little upset for one panel, and then everything is forgiven. I don't know how much of a fair criticism this is, but the "keep secrets from the main character to protect them" trope is one of my pet peeves (unless you lean into the broken trust aspect, then it's good) and I feel it strongly here. Also in general it's a good thing that the side cast has their own thing going on so that the main character is not the only one who gets anything done, but here Sakura sometimes gets lost in everyone else's planning.

The new girl Akiho is at least cute, I got no complaints on her. I'm also always a sucker for any kind of twin/clone/otherwise similar and paired characters, so my favourite thing about the manga was how she kept being compared to Sakura. As for the story otherwise… Eh. Feels a lot like a retread of the original manga, Sakura's Cards disappear and she must get new ones one by one. The character relationships are pretty static and I don't think I really learned anything new about Sakura. There are a lot of Alice in Wonderland references, which for the most part felt superfluous. Towards the end Sakura's class puts up a play that's a pastiche of Alice in Wonderland, and then Sakura gets sucked into the world of the play, and the story gets pretty confusing when the characters are both acting their roles and doing the actual plot.

Also if you're into Tomoyo/Sakura or Toya/Yukito you don't need to bother with this because you'll be scrambling for crumbs, there is little else in terms of shipping besides Sakura/Syaoran. Which is like the most vanilla ship ever, sure it's wholesome but man I just can't get anything out of them.

[wifeswarmacademy]

Its still wild to me that like cardcaptor sakura has such a good portrayal of plurality with yukito and yue. Like yeah, its made from magic. But like. Its done so well. Like, before going onto my mega clamp binge, i only saw a few episodes here and there and well before i realized i got others in my brain.

Yukito and Yue are very deliberately established to be different people, and this isnt really a struggle for the cast to accept or understand.

Yukito struggling with memory issues whenever he switches in is just really relatable. just dissociating through the day while someone else fronts, and then he switches in. He is lost snd confused about how he got there, worried hes goint crazy while he tries to piece together what happened. And he is clearly extremely distressed but tries to avoid showing it to avoid seeming crazy around others.

But then eventually, his boyfriend finds out. He figures out how his system works. He starts to get a support network. His boyfriend is so supportive, and helps him do things like relay messages. And he tries to improve that communication with written notes and meditation. The most heartwarming part of clear card is just seeing him come to front near touya or sakura or kero. And just being visibly relieved, he has his support network that he feels safe to ask what happened while Yue was at front.

Its all made to feel better because when you are plural, system stuffs can make you kinda something other than human, this can be a negative thing at times, but with the right community, it can be a thing of celebration for each of you to be your true self.

Also, they use like some real terms, they talk about things like switches, and its just. Really nice to see. It makes everything just feel really familar, like stuff i remember having when finding friends understanding of our plurality.

Plurality is a really common theme in clamp works, from Ashura, Fuuma/Kamui, Subaru becoming Sakurazuka, the cats in wish, some talk in angelic layers of them acting as a seperate mind inside them, chii/freyja. But yukito and yue are easily my favorites.

[saline-coelacanth]

Ever since you told me about Trixie meeting Sai’s spirit, I’ve been thinking about Fallon meeting Yukito. Most I can think of is just Yukito looking at this kid and thinking: “who is this sassy child?”

Now I'm just picturing Fallon looking at Yukito and asking "Who's this demon guy?" and Zane would explain, "This is Yukito, he is the first elemental master of ice"

And then Fallon would get confused for a second asking if that makes him part demon because for a moment he forgot that Zane didn't get his powers genetically so he wouldn't be blood related to Yukito

I also thought about Fallon finding out about Yukito freezing himself due to grief, and Fallon would just respond with "Why would you do that? That sounds so boring."

[akutasoda]

Uhmmm ahhhhh can I request for Ayatsuji Yukito ( and other characters you want to) with reader who make cute things or see cute things for them. Like " oh this thing is cute, gotta give it to them"

just for you!

synopsis - your habit of giving/making them cute items has lead to quite the collection

includes - fyodor, nikolai, sigma, ayatsuji

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, wc - 730

fyodor dostoevsky ★↷

↪would secretly cherish them. the first time you had presented him with either a handmade or brought gift of a cute little trinket that you wanted to give to him, he had acted like normal, hesitant to take it insisting he had no need for it.

↪you had felt inclined to believe him and believe he truly didn't care but that was until you had caught a small glimpse of the little hanging on the inside of his cape, tucked away in a inner pocket. and that spurred you to gift him even more.

↪every time you had seen or made something that you immediately thought of giving to him, you would have the same nonchalant attitude from him but you now knew better. he truly did cherish the items you would gove him - sure they weren't his normal thing but something made him wnat to keep them.

↪personally would love the ones you make from scratch the most. those ones stay pristine and well looked after in a private location.

nikolai gogol ★↷

↪cherishes them openly. first time you had given him one he was estatic. thanked you and immediately asked why you got/made it for him and if he could get another. absolutely adored how cute it was and was not afraid to immediately try and find someway to show it off.

↪the most likely to tire them out. he would constantly have one on him at all times in some way, so it would only be natural that they eventually wear down. he says it gives them character and it does indeed shiw how loved they are. although if he absolutely loves the one you have given him he will try and preserve it - no promises.

↪would very much bring up the idea of matching ones. just don't expect his too last that long. finds it absolutely flattering that you want to give them to him, will proudly bring up that fact.

↪loves both the brought and handmade ones. would more likely take care of the handmade better as he appreciates the time you spent on it, but you may have to make it a couple of times.

sigma ★↷

↪would cherish them deeply. may be a bit confused at first, he didn't really understand the notion or the intention behind you gifting him a very adorable item. but from your insistence and his curiosity he took it and soon learnt why you were gifting them to him.

↪you always became curious as to what he did with them, that was until you noticed that wherever they were they all had a special place in a small display. the first one you probably noticed was the small collection on his work desk or his favourite that he kept in his breast pocket at all times.

↪maybe would try and gift you some back, as a thank you. he loved the items you gave him and thought the proper thing would to do was to do the same. would absolutely want to make you one himself as it made it feel all the more special. still melts inside whenever you gift him one.

↪loves the ones you make but also loves the ones you just gift to him that you bought. he would cherish each and everyone with just the same care.

yukito ayatsuji ★↷

↪mix between cherishing them openly and secretly cherishing them. when you first presented him with a cute item he had thanked you for it and that was it. you didn't know of he liked it or not. but he had very muched cherished it.

↪but then you had heard that he had openly been boasting to other people (tsujimura) about the items you had given him. and later on you would find him holding a similar collection that he had for his dolls but for the items you gave him. all looked after and kept absolutely perfect.

↪would subtly hint at little adorable items that he wants to receive next. and maybe cant help but tease you when you giftt him them, not much because he does get a little flustered at the items you give him.

↪would be indifferent toward the ones you make compared to the ones you buy. they're both gifts from you so he isn't comparing them. although does find a more personal element in the ones you make.

[strangermask]

Random idea that popped into my head, but what if some silly time shenanigans happened and the First Elemental Masters and the current ninja swapped time periods temporarily? (Either just the four elements of creation or all of them, whichever you prefer)

That would be amazing and it could so many ways depending on when in each time they swapped

My brain first goes to - Wrong place, wrong time but wrong time periods

So we all know that Garmadon tries to go the past to stop the ninja team up, but the og4 stop that. But ya know how the four were turned into kids by interfering with Garmadon making the wish? Yea, the four interfere Garm making the wish again and accidentally make him wish the four went to the distant past where no one would find them. Then uh, they get sucked up by a time portal and the time portal spits out the first elemental masters

They would be post-true potential (they all found it in diff arcs and be 15 at this point) and so fuckin confused. Then Yukito, being a demon who can very easily recognize souls he met, does a double take at Garmadon. Because Garmadon was a baby and now he’s this four armed adult man. And they all would be surprised at Wu because wtf First Master had another kid???

Meanwhile, the other four would panic because they don’t know what to do or how to get back. Thankfully, they have Master of Reality Genjistu there to help. And with a siren-like voice to charm everyone, he’s able to convince everyone that the FEM were out far and he was able to summon temporary replacements. And the og4 get to meet lil baby Garmadon who is just fascinated by these new people while they go wtf

So now its just an episode of era swap shenanigans and trying to get the guys back to their right time period.

[silverbladexyz]

Hey bae I saw that you write for yukito so I wanted to request general dating yukito headcanons if that’s okay💕

Yes!!! Anything for our hot blond smexy detective <3

The image does not belong to me. It belongs to it's original owner.

TW: None

General dating headcanons with Ayatsuji

-Dating Ayatsuji requires a lot of effort and patience. First of all, you have to prove to him that you're worthy of his trust, then you have to prove to him that you're not as dumb as he thought you were

-He also isn't used to affection, so don't be too affectionate at the start of the relationship. Start by merely doing casual touches, then advance onto hand holding, hugs, cuddling, and kissing. Ayatsuji would be kind of stiff at first, but afterwards he will warm up to you and even start reciprocating those actions

-Who is Ayatsuji without some teasing? Expect a few light-hearted teases everyday, ranging from trivial stuff that he bested you at to how cute you would look in an outfit that he bought you. He finds it amusing when you tease him back, especially when you got him a princess outfit and called him ‘My pretty princess’ #PrincessYukitoAyatsuji2023

-If you like cats, you’re in for a treat. Your partner has 2 cats, and they are quite well-behaved, not to mention they are cuter than any other cat in Yokohama. If you two aren’t busy, Ayatsuji would take you to feed and play with his cats

-Doll-making!!! Yukito wouldn’t pick a partner that didn’t like dolls that much. In his eyes, a relationship also consisted of exploring and doing each other’s hobbies, so be prepared to spend a lot of time in his basement admiring his exquisite dolls and making them with him. He is quite skilled with his fingers, so he will make model a doll off you in a couple of days

-When the relationship progresses, Ayatsuji might take you to some of his cases if they’re safe enough. It’s a marvel to you on how he always manages to solve even the most difficult crimes. You tried once but failed miserably; after a lot of teasing from Ayatsuji, you opted to watch from the side-lines. Don’t worry, he’ll still teach you tricks for solving a case if you wanted him to

-Now onto dates. I feel like Ayatsuji wouldn’t have a lot of time to take you out on dates, because 1. He’s busy solving cases and 2. He’s basically stuck in that office everyday. But he can pull some strings with the Special Division for Unusual Powers and take you out to quiet places for dates. I am sorry if you like to go to amusement parks or concerts, because this man hates anywhere that is loud and chaotic

-Coffee shops are a must go-to during the weekend. Even though Tsujimura brews really good coffee, the ones brewed in coffee shops are normally better (sorry Tsujimura ;-;). So just imagine you and your partner drinking delicious coffee while lightly chatting, or just gazing out into the lovely scenery in comfortable silence

-Ayatsuji probably doesn’t listen to much music in that office, so share some of your music with him! He might like classical or some old pop songs; mostly classical because he thinks it’s fun to analyse the music (same here). Tsujimura was so confused when she heard Debussy’s ‘Deux Arabesques’ coming from his office that she thought it was somebody else’s office

-He cares for you very deep down, even when he might not show it often. But just know that you have a very special spot in that complicated heart of his ♥

@pixyys @i-just-like-goats @xxelfmamaxx @yuugen-benni @lakeside-paradise @yukitomybeloved @arisu-chan4646 @nekokinax

[itsuki-minamy]

"AYAKA – SIDE STORIES 11": JINGI, A DREAM AFTER A DREAM

TRANSLATION: NARU-KUN

* List of Chapters

Deceased.

(I'm definitely dead.), Sagawa Jingi thought.

He could feel the boundaries of his body becoming blurred.

He could feel his heart getting thinner.

He was sad and lonely.

But more than that, he for some reason felt a refreshing sense of fullness.

A long time ago, Makoto Yanagi took Yukito to Ichinoshima to attend to some business, and while he was away, he and two of his brothers went out to sea. That was when Kurama Haruaki and Ibuki Aka were even closer than biological brothers.

He put on a swimsuit and a small jacket, carried his backpack and headed to the beach where he could swim. He asked Momoko to prepare rice balls for lunch, filled his water bottle with plenty of barley tea, put on a straw hat, and planned to play for more than half a day.

In fact, that day was great.

The summer sun was intense, but once they were in the shade of a tree, he blew a cool breeze. When he looked out to sea, he could see small fish swimming and seaweed swaying. On the way, he took a sip of cold barley tea from the ice-filled water bottle and soaked it all over his body.

Having thoroughly enjoyed their summer vacation, the two brothers began to jump into the sea as if to take their last dips, just when it was time to retire. They dived one after another from small rocky areas that could not even be called cliffs to the surface of the sea.

Its height is about three meters. Aka had a bold form and Haruaki had graceful movements, landing headfirst into the water beautifully.

"Jingi, you too!"

As he swam, Aka covered his mouth with his hands and called out to him. His tone was as if he was scolding his younger brother.

"Jingi. There's no need to force yourself!"

On the other hand, a smiling Haruaki simply waved at Jingi from the sea. Jingi was lost. To be honest, he was scared.

But...

When he received the expectant and worried gazes of his two brothers, his heart naturally calmed down. Swallowing heavily, he ran, kicked the rocky area and raised his arms high as he jumped into the clear sky.

It was very similar to how he felt that day.

It may be a strange way to put it, but he felt as if his two brothers had "shown him how to do it."

His two brothers also swam to Jingi and praised him when he sank under the water and then surfaced again.

That's all.

He did what he had to do.

He always ended up doing what he was supposed to do.

Just when his consciousness was about to disappear, he remembered that glorious moment that summer and Sagawa Jingi's existence disappeared.

It was supposed to be like this.

But that didn't happen. Strangely and mysteriously, his inner world, once completely obscured, suddenly took a new form and regenerated while retaining clear cognitive abilities.

(Huh? What happened?)

Long before he was happy to have regained consciousness, he was simply wondering.

(I'm dead?)

After his vague senses began to function properly, he slowly looked around him. (So this place is definitely in my neighborhood!)

There is no doubt that this is Ninoshima, where Jingi lives. A peaceful rural landscape with rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see. From there, it takes about ten minutes to reach the house where Momoko, Jingi, and now Yukito lived.

In the midst of the confusion, Jingi suddenly heard voices approaching from ahead and directed his attention towards them.

Upon seeing them, he saw that two older ladies from the neighborhood, whom he knew well, were approaching while they were talking.

"Oh! Tanaka Oba-chan! Nomura Oba-chan!"

He greeted and called faces he had known since he was a child. However, neither of them responded to Jingi at all, instead they walked directly towards Jingi while smiling and chatting with each other.

And...

They passed through him easily.

Jingi was surprised.

Without a doubt, the two ladies passed through Jingi's body and continued away from Jingi along the path behind him.

Jingi suddenly noticed a possibility and looked at his hands.

"Wah!"

He was still semi-transparent. He quickly checked every part of his body. Before he knew it, he was wearing a pure white suit that he didn't remember ever wearing. It is the so-called death costume worn by classic ghosts. As a courtesy, he even had a triangular piece of cloth over his head.

Nowadays, that is rarely seen, not even in comedy parodies.

Jingi sat on the spot, exhausted.

"Oh, I'm dead after all."

And then he became a ghost.

Jingi was stunned for a while, but the change was relatively quick. He spontaneously said:

"Well, it can't be helped since I'm dead."

Thinking like this, he slowly got up from the ground. He dusted off the dirt that had stuck to his clothes like a habit since he was alive (although it wasn't actually stuck to him since he was a ghost) and headed towards his house with light steps.

He was now curious to see how the people of this island spent their time after his death. It's obvious, but it's a sight he could never see if he were living a normal life.

There was a plan in Jingi's head.

After all, he did a great job hiding the mission he had set out to do and, in the end, he single-handedly put an end to the disaster.

Isn't it safe to call him the hero who protected this island?

He was sure that everyone would praise him and mourn his death. Maybe they'll even make a bronze statue.

"Or "Jingi-san Memorial Day", a holiday for islanders?"

As Jingi slowly walked forward, feeling a little encouraged, he noticed a familiar figure walking ahead of him.

A person dressed in the traditional priest's costume. That's Kurama Haruaki, Jingi's older brother.

Jingi became happy and shouted loudly.

"Hey! Haru-nii!"

However, Haruaki did not respond to the call at all and moved forward at a fast pace.

"I see, you couldn't hear me."

Jingi desperately tried to chase him, but he couldn't control his body. Maybe it's because he is a novice ghost, although he has some speed, if he takes a step forward, he feels like he is just floating in the air.

His steps were like those of an astronaut landing on the moon. He had no choice but to take a big leap.

"Hehe, I got it."

He landed on Haruaki to carry him on his shoulders. Haruaki stopped for a moment and put his hand on the back of his head suspiciously, but he didn't seem to notice that a ghost had attached itself to him.

He turned his head and started walking forward again.

"Go, go."

Jingi let himself go and patted Haruaki on the head. It didn't seem like he was aware of Jingi's existence, but Haruaki kept tilting his head in confusion.

As Jingi expected, Haruaki went directly to the house where Jingi, Momoko, and Yukito lived.

There is a sign in front of the entrance.

"Meeting to remember Sagawa Jingi."

That's what it says. Jingi read the words and nodded once. On the other hand, Jingi was still impressed.

After all, everyone remembers him. Maybe Haruaki also came for that purpose. He got off Haruaki, who he had been using as a horse, and stared at the sign.

On the other hand, Haruaki, who used to live in that house, opened the sliding entrance door in a rather casual manner.

"Momoko-san? I've come to visit you. Momoko-san?"

He called the house.

Then from the kitchen...

"Ah, Haruaki-kun! I'm sorry. I can't get out of here right now. Could you come up?"

A response came along with the sound of something stir-frying. It seems that it was in full cooking.

The essence is...

(You haven't changed, Momoko-san.)

That's what he was thinking. Haruaki put a smile on his lips.

"Ok, excuse me."

He took off his setta, placed them carefully in the entryway and walked down the hallway to the living room. Jingi followed him.

When he entered the room, the first thing that caught his attention were the buckets of sushi and the large plates of food on the long table, as well as the rows and rows of beer cans, shochu highs, and plastic soda bottles.

The scene was reminiscent of a memorial service held in a country house.

However, Jingi was not impressed and frowned. Since it was a memorial service for someone who protected the island, he thought there would be more people from the entire island, but there were only three people inside: Yashiki, Saruwatari, Mitarai, and other loyal friends.

This isn't much different than drinking at an izakaya, when it comes to those men.

They were sitting cross-legged in a completely relaxed atmosphere, eating chips and jerky and drinking beer, but when they saw Haruaki, Jingi's older brother and a local celebrity, they straightened up a little.

"Ah, Kurama-sensei, hello. We're starting now."

Mitarai, who is the eldest, bowed his head slightly.

Haruaki immediately smiled and stopped him with his hand.

"Please take it easy."

Haruaki also took a position near them, took a can of beer and opened the tab.

"Jingi liked this kind of thing, right?"

He made a toast. Yashiki and Saruwatari's faces broke, and Mitarai also had a smile on his lips. Everyone made a toast with the beers they were drinking together.

"A toast to Jingi."

"Hurrah."

"Wow."

(Eh?)

Jingi thought those guys were strangely bright, but since he didn't really like humid weather, he decided to keep an eye on them for now.

Before he knew it, the memorial gathering had begun, which was too small for the hero who saved the island.

"By the way, what happened to the others?"

Kurama asked those who were remembering Jingi. Yashiki, a dear friend of Jingi, was drinking beer.

"It seems that a new enka singer is coming to sell at a nearby supermarket, so all the grandparents are heading there massively."

"Enka singer?"

"Apparently, this is a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian singer named Solemio Togashi, who wears a Mongolian sumo suit and whose special skill is singing while juggling."

(Eh? What? I lost to a singer like that?)

Jingi was surprised.

Saruwatari put his hands behind his head.

"Well, for a moment I wondered if I should go there or not."

"Do not miss!"

Although he couldn't hear it, he was pushing him.

"He's been my friend since you were a child!", Yashiki added.

"And the other neighbors generally said, "If I can go, I'll go"."

It seems like the memorial service for the person who risked his life is being treated like a party for college students.

Jingi's eyes widened in shock.

Haruaki nodded.

"Everyone is busy with various things. Apparently, the mayor, Inou-san, also has plans to get bugs out of the futon and get a haircut."

"He can do that another time!"

Unable to contain himself, Jingi screamed again. Then they began to happily remember Jingi.

However, when he heard them, they did not speak well.

"He drank a lot and was bad."

"He was gathering food."

"He was trying to commit a loan scam against elementary school students."

"He lost so much playing pachinko that he rolled on the floor screaming."

(Hey, you guys...)

Jingi trembled with anger.

(They are saying things that are not true!)

Actually, most of it is true, but he would like them to limit their memories to only the good ones. So, as if they felt that feeling...

"Well, I feel a little sorry for him. Next time, let's say something nice about him, okay?"

Jingi nodded vigorously.

Then, the atmosphere that had been so lively a moment ago fell silent. A heavy silence. In fact, the current environment is more appropriate for a memorial gathering. Everyone looked at each other and was silent.

Haruaki, who had been thinking with his arms crossed, finally spoke.

"No, that's right, Jingi... he always cut his nails properly, right?"

"Ah..."

Everyone started screaming as if they had been saved.

"Yes!"

"I'm sure that guy's nails were pretty good!"

Everyone congratulated him as if they had fulfilled his responsibilities. Jingi screamed irresistibly.

"I guess that's all I can do if I try to figure things out!"

However, the tsukkomi did not reach him. Instead, he heard a voice coming from the hallway.

"Oh, everyone is in high spirits."

A calm and meek voice came from the hallway. Jingi looked at the Goddess of Salvation with a desperate expression.

(Momoko-san!)

Unlike those heartless people, he was sure that she would be saddened by his loss and praise his bravery.

Even now, she made preparations for the memorial meeting (laughs) and even cooked the food. Momoko was the only kind woman who hadn't changed.

But...

"......"

Jingi's mouth dropped open.

Momoko had changed a lot. Although she was inside the house, she was wearing a thick fur coat, a dazzling diamond ring on her finger, and a pearl necklace around her neck. The decorations alone would cost millions.

However, her facial expression was still the same kind smile as before, so it was a strange mismatch. The men in the room were not only depressed by the impressive outfit, but also fell silent.

Before long, Yashiki and Saruwatari were secretly whispering to each other.

"Look, Momoko-san, it seems that she has taken out a considerable amount of life insurance for Jingi."

"I see, that's why she made a lot of money."

"Keep it real!"

Jingi paled.

"This is the first time I've heard it!"

Momoko heard whispers from Yashiki and Saruwatari.

"Hey, listen. I haven't changed at all. Look."

She grabbed a plate of freshly prepared food from the tray and placed it on the table.

"Slow-cooked caviar and foie gras and fried truffle."

"She's changed after all!"

She was not the kind of person who would prepare incomprehensible dishes with such extravagant ingredients. Money is scary.

Saruwatari and Yashiki were talking secretly again.

"By the way, according to information from a construction company I know, it seems that this house will be renovated in a big way and will be eye-catching in the near future."

"I see. That's why Jingi's belongings were sold at Memekari the other day. There were a lot of things that got in the way."

"Momoko-san, the change is too fast!"

Momoko probably didn't hear Jingi's voice, but she laughed and said:

"That kid did a really good job in his final moments."

She was whispering that.

"Momoko-san!"

Jingi is now terrified by the darkness of her. So, Haruaki said to take it easy.

"By the way, what happened to Jingi's grave?"

"Eh? A grave?"

When Jingi seemed to suspect something, Momoko looked at them with a knowing expression on her face.

"Ah, over here."

With that, she put on her sandals from the terrace and went out into the garden. Others followed her example.

So...

"Here it is."

Momoko had a big smile on her face and pointed to a small, thick clay bun. A shamoji was glued on top and the words "Jingi's grave" were written on the front with a marker.

"My name is spelled incorrectly!"

Jingi was screaming.

"No, nowadays, if your pet turtle dies, it will have a better grave! If you have the insurance money, at least make it a little more elaborate!"

However, Jingi's statements went unheeded, and Haruaki, Yashiki, Saruwatari, and Mitarai closed their eyes with solemn expressions on their faces and clasped their hands towards the shamoji.

"Hey! At least one person should have doubts!"

So there...

"Please take it easy!"

A young, raw and angry voice was heard from behind. When Jingi turned around, he saw Yukito Yanagi standing there with a manajiri in his arms.

Jingi slowly shed tears of joy. That's all. That guy was there. Yukito, who was his favorite disciple and loved him more than anyone.

He's sure it's him.

But...

"Please, Kurama-san. We're supposed to start training today, right? I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Haruaki smiled and apologized.

"So, let's get this over with and get started, shall we?"

"Thanks, teacher."

Yukito was leaning beautifully at an angle of almost 45 degrees.

"He changed teachers!"

Jingi screamed loudly.

"It's too early for many things!"

Finally, Yashiki lost his balance, staggered towards the clay bun, and kicked the Shamoji to the ground.

"Tehe."

Yashiki put his fist to his forehead and stuck out his tongue.

"Hey, don't do that! Fix it properly! Oh, don't step on it! Don't step on it! You idiot! Ah! You're all idiots!"

Jingi shouted.

It was already a tsukkomi from the bottom of his soul.

Immediately, the image of Haruaki, Momoko, Yukito, and their friends chatting loudly in the garden became blurry, his hearing became distant, and his vision narrowed.

And Jingi's senses...

Once again it was painted an overwhelming gray color.

The first thing he felt was strangely similar to the summer day when he went to the beach with his two brothers, jumping from a cliff into the sea.

At that moment, sea water entered his nostrils and he almost panicked. That time he couldn't breathe for the first time either and waved his arms and legs involuntarily. He couldn't tell what was up or down, he was disoriented and felt like he was going to scream.

He opened his eyes,

"Ah? Eh? Huh?"

He looked around frantically. He tried to breathe, but he stopped reflexively. He felt like he was underwater.

But...

(What is this place?)

The area was filled with a color that was neither gold nor ocher. It was not cloudy at all, but visibility was not very good. Although he was still short of breath and felt like he was drowning, Jingi gradually regained his composure.

(This place... maybe...)

His experience and knowledge as a person of connection naturally taught him the answer.

(Am I on the line of life?)

A torrent of life where all lives return and become one stream. The source of all power. A large underground flow of energy that penetrates underground on Ayaka Island.

He was floating inside it.

No, he was slowly but surely disappearing.

What fills his environment as liquid is life force. Looking up, down, left and right, there was no end, just an enormous amount of life surrounding Jingi. As he trembled, he felt a surge of power that made his body tremble.

(In other words, what happened before was a dream, right?)

And the response was natural.

(Guess I'm dead after all.)

Right now he was probably about to be immersed and assimilated into the life cycle. Before long, his consciousness will completely dissolve into the life energy and his ego will eventually disappear. He seems to feel that fleeting moment, which is like a slight illusion.

(But...)

He couldn't help but smile bitterly.

(What a dream.)

It was quite an advance.

(If I had a dream, I would like to have a better dream.)

Probably the more he sleeps, the more his disappearance progresses. However, the more he struggles within that life line, the more his consciousness recedes.

His body felt warm and his mind became flat. Then, feeling the most intense drowsiness he had ever felt, Jingi closed his eyelids again.

The next thing he knew he was back at the Ninoshima camp. The place was exactly the same as when he first woke up. However, the surrounding landscape changed from day to night. A faint moon adorned with clouds hung in the sky, and the cries of frogs and insects could be heard loudly in the surrounding rice fields filled with black water.

And one more thing.

The biggest difference from last time is that Jingi himself is very aware that this is a dream he is having in the middle of the life line. He checked his limbs and took a closer look at what he was wearing.

Instead of the classic ghost costume from last time, he was wearing the green hoodie that he normally likes to wear.

"Well, it's happening again, I guess I'll just have to get up and walk."

He knew it instinctively. The more often he dreams, the more likely it is that he will become absorbed in the cycle of life and eventually completely lose his sense of self.

And, at that moment, he would await pure harmony with the vital energy, that is, a definitive death.

"But how did I wake up?"

It was then that he crossed his arms and was lost in his thoughts. He noticed two figures slowly approaching him from the darkness.

"Onya?"

Jingi strained his eyes. There were no streetlights around, so it was difficult to see who the other person was. However, as soon as the clouds passed over the moon and the area was once again enveloped in soft light, he realized it.

"What? Tanaka Oba-chan and Nomura Oba-chan?"

That was the same dream as last time.

In his previous dream, he met those two old ladies from the neighborhood.

"Hey!"

Jingi waved his hand tentatively. He thought he would ghost herself again, but this time they both responded to his voice. Everyone seemed surprised and turned their heads towards him.

Jingi became happy and tried to wave even more vigorously.

But...

He immediately noticed something strange and stopped moving.

Before he knew it, the sounds of frogs and insects had stopped.

"Eh?"

Jingi backed away a little, still smiling. Something was wrong. First of all, the two ladies were acting strangely.

They stiffened their arms and legs and walked towards him with extremely clumsy movements.

The advancement was strange, as if all the joints were broken.

And...

"Uuuh~"

"Aaah..."

Their eyes were blank and they were constantly making noises that didn't make any sense.

(I don't like it very much, but... I've seen movies and games that feature something like this several times.)

Jingi slowly withdrew. Meanwhile, the ladies extended their fingers towards him and closed the distance.

There was a hint of longing.

They called Jingi, like fresh human meat.

"Hahaha."

Jingi turned his back on them.

"See you later, ladies!"

He ran as fast as he could.

They were zombies.

No doubt.

The two ladies had turned into zombies.

So...

"Gaaah!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Both Tanaka-chan and Nomura-chan have been carrying out the mission together.

And they were quite fast.

(It's the type of zombie that comes running depending on the situation!)

Jingi screamed desperately in his heart as he ran across the furrow with the speed of a sprinter, his fingertips immobilized.

(This is a dream! This is a dream!)

However, his most sincere wish did not come true and he continued to be chased by two old zombies while he said things like "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

The place Jingi jumped to was a two-story barn that was right in front of him.

That's the kind of place you would normally keep your farming tools. It smells like hay and a little moldy. Although out of breath, Jingi desperately turned his body, raised his shoulders, and closed the door.

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of zombies crashing outside.

"Ah~"

"Eh~"

Jingi was scared and horrified, so he sank to the spot, leaning his back against the door. He was shaking.

(I am very aware that it is a dream I am having on the line of life.)

The situation seemed too real.

Knowing it was a nightmare was one thing, but knowing it was enough to cover the trembling fear was another matter.

It's that moment...

"Jingi-san?"

A faint voice came from deep within the darkness of the barn. Jingi looked at him surprised.

A boy stepped out into the moonlight shining through the second story window. Jingi shouted the boy's name with an expression of disbelief on his face.

"Yukito? He is Yukito?"

That person was definitely Yukito Yanagi. The moment Jingi saw that delicate face with a sad expression on his face...

(Good! Nice to see you!)

That feeling suddenly grew and he didn't even pay attention to the long, thin object in his hand. He tried to run towards Yukito.

At that moment...

Zudon.

A trembling roar echoed through the area, and Jingi was on his butt. There was a hole in the ground a short distance from his feet and a slight amount of smoke.

"Y-Yukito?"

Jingi finally realized it.

Yukito was holding something that looked like a rifle.

Besides...

"Jingi-san."

"Eh?"

"Now say the tongue twister."

He held the barrel of the gun pointed directly at Jingi's forehead. The explosion that sounded earlier was the result of him firing a single shot.

"Okay! Tongue twister!"

Yukito shouted in a strained voice. Seeing his finger press the trigger, Jingi panicked.

"Na, Namamugi Namagome Nakakago."

"......!"

"No, that's not true! Wait! I just took a bite. Raw wheat raw rice raw eggs!"

He understood it immediately.

Yukito was checking if he had turned into a zombie. He was relieved to be able to respond for the moment.

"Next. Roll, roll and keep rolling, six rolling."

There was another question from Yukito. Jingi grew impatient.

"Eh? Wait a minute. I can't say things like that normally."

"Then, red capybara, blue capybara, yellow capybara, red paprika, blue paprika, yellow paprika. Either apologize to Aya or your parents. I apologized to Aya and the greengrocer. A singer comes and tells me to sing, but I can sing well enough to sing, I will sing, but since I can't sing well enough, I won't sing, but that's okay."

"Ah, can you say Akakapibara? Well, you're very good at tongue twisters!"

"Suspicious."

Yukito looked at Jingi with suspicious eyes and tried to shoot him. Jingi shouted without caring what he was doing.

"I'm Sagawa Jingi! You're Yukito Yanagi! I'm your teacher. I'm the one who picked you up on this island! You remember, right? I was waiting at the school gate, drinking sake. I was the one who threw you into the river! What I said at that moment was "Just fly!"."

Yukito's body stiffened for a moment. In an attempt to dissuade him, Jingi rolled up his sleeves and hiked up the hem of his pants, showing every part of his body.

"Look! Look! There are no bite marks anywhere, right? There are no scars, right? I haven't turned into a zombie at all! I'm a human!"

A drop of water fell down Yukito's cheek.

He lets out a sob.

"Uh, uh. I'm sorry. Jingi-san, I guess you haven't been bitten yet, right? I was really scared. I'm sorry. I was very suspicious."

"No, it's fine."

Jingi said as he broke out in a cold sweat.

"If your suspicions are cleared, could you put down the gun first?"

Yukito regretted it with tears streaming down his face, but he didn't move the muzzle of his gun and kept it pointed at Jingi.

He had the air of a trained soldier.

Yukito looked scared.

"Ah, ah. Sorry, sorry."

He finally abandoned his stance. Jingi took a deep breath.

"So what happened?"

He asked Yukito with a bitter smile. Yukito began to respond with tears streaming down his face.

"Yes. At first, I went to Inou-san's house for some business. But then those guys came in, and Inou-san was bitten, and his group joined Inou-san right in front of me. So, I had no choice."

(I see. That's why he killed Inou.)

Jingi felt sorry for Yukito.

It was understandable that he was nervous, since he had done something to someone he knew.

He tried to put a hand on Yukito's shoulder to comfort him. Yukito continued speaking.

''Then after that, I shot the city hall employees one by one, and Ichijou-san, Yako-kun, Chatarou-kun, the police officers, the supermarket employee, the head priest of the temple, and the thief who he was hiding. I knocked down the people who seemed to be attacking me at random, and also Mitarai-san, Yashiki-san, Saruwatari-san and everyone else.''

Jingi gently removed his outstretched hand.

(This boy, Yukito is the crazy type.)

How many people has he killed?

Jingi thought for a moment. Then, he cleared his throat and placed his hands on Yukito's shoulders again.

Looking into his eyes.

"It's okay, Yukito."

"What?"

"Listen carefully."

He paused for a moment.

"This is a dream!"

At that moment, Jingi felt an incredible shock on his cheeks and was impressed. After a while he realized that he had been hit with the butt of a rifle.

"W-what?"

Jingi sat with her legs diagonally like a girl, put his hand on his cheek, and looked at Yukito with teary eyes. Yukito let out a sigh and said sadly.

"Jingi-san."

He smiled slightly.

"Please, faces reality."

(Damn.)

An alert pulsed at a dangerous level in Jingi's head.

(This guy, what's worse, he can't understand anything at all!)

When Jingi was stunned...

"......!"

Yukito looked surprised and turned towards the door. Attracted, Jingi also directed his attention there.

He immediately understood why Yukito had reacted.

Mishi.

The barn door began to creak. Outside, he heard multiple moans of "Aaaaaaaaaah~". He felt like dozens of zombies were gathering.

"......"

"......"

The moment Jingi and Yukito looked at each other as if to say, "This is bad", a strange explosion sound was heard and the lock that had been closed broke in two. Since it was an ancient item, its strength was probably lower from the beginning.

And the worst...

The zombies ran into the room in an avalanche. Some of the zombies in front fell forward too hard, but those following them calmly stepped over the pitiful zombies and defeated them, rushing towards Jingi and Yukito like a murky current.

"Ah, here! Yukito!"

When he saw Yukito, he was running up the stairs to the second floor, carrying a rifle.

He didn't think twice about Jingi, that he was depressed.

Naturally, Jingi wanted to do the same, but...

"Awah! Awawawawah..."

His hips gave way and he couldn't get up properly.

If he panics, there is nothing he can do to save himself.

"Ah~"

"Uh~"

The smell of rot reached his nose and the zombies came so close that he could almost see their empty eyes.

(We're screwed!)

At that moment, Jingi closed his eyes as he thought.

"The softest and most solid things in the world are conquered and nothingness enters nothingness."

A gust of wind broke out and Jingi's body floated in the air. Surrounded by pure white light.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

Jingi's body turned and flew into the sky from the door opened by the zombie. For a brief moment, zombies could be seen being dragged, rolled, and crushed against walls, farm tools, etc.

Jingi realized it immediately.

(This is Haru-nii's technique!)

When he looked to the side, Yukito was flying in the sky in almost the same conditions. The local tornado took Jingi and Yukito to a large pine tree growing on a small hill, and the roaring sound there was carefully dispersed, as if it were a lie.

At the same time, Jingi and Yukito suddenly fell on the spot.

He hardly felt any shock, as if an invisible giant had pinched him with his fingertips and gently placed him on the ground.

"Hey, I'm glad I made it on time. Are you guys hurt?"

A person sitting near the base of the pine tree called to them in a low voice. Jingi recognized his face and immediately let out a cry of joy.

"Haru-nii!"

As Jingi expected, it was Kurama Haruaki, the priest of Kaizumi Shrine and Jingi's older brother.

"You really helped me!"

He must have known about Jingi's situation and went to rescue them. The same skill as always. He was a model of a reliable older brother. Just as Jingi came over to express his gratitude.

"Do not come!"

Came a sharp scolding voice that was uncharacteristic of Haruaki. Jingi stood there, surprised. Haruaki laughed weakly.

"No, I'm sorry for yelling, Jingi."

Looking closely, he could see that Haruaki's face was sickly pale. A large amount of sweat dripped down his handsome face, as if he was enduring some kind of pain.

"What's wrong, Haru-nii?"

Jingi was upset.

"Kurama-san..."

Yukito, who was standing next to Jingi, also frowned worriedly.

He had a somewhat sinister feeling. With a smile on his lips, Haruaki calmly gave instructions.

Pointing in the direction with trembling fingers,

"If you go straight down this hill, you'll reach your house. Run away, both of you. Don't worry about me, I'll stop the zombies here."

"What are you talking about?"

Jingi cleared his throat.

"What will happen to Haru-nii? Why...? Won't you come with us?"

There were no words beyond that. Haruaki laughed a little. He took off his clothes and exposed his collarbone to the moonlight.

"They took me by surprise. It means I still lacked training."

There were painful scars there.

It's probably a scar caused by a zombie.

"......!"

Jingi was speechless. Haruaki corrected his messy clothes and continued to press the area with the palm of his hand.

"Hurry up!"

He looked Jingi in the eyes and spoke harshly.

"I don't know how long I'll be conscious! Hurry up and leave before I join them!"

A kind older brother. The oldest and most trusted member of his class. Even if it were only in his dreams to abandon such an important person who had been with him since he was a child, there was no way he could do it so easily.

However, Jingi...

"I understand! Haru-nii! I'm sorry. I'll leave you here for now! See you again!"

There was a reason why he hurriedly pushed Yukito's back and started down the hill.

Yukito.

He saw him open the barrel of his rifle and check to see if it was loaded with bullets.

He was trying to kill him.

"Hey, Yukito."

Jingi asked as he moved to a small trot.

"Where the hell did you get that rifle?"

Yukito, who was running ahead of Jingi, turned and smiled briefly for a moment.

"It was in a weapons cabinet that I found by chance at the police station I was at. Is there a problem?"

The look in his eyes was scary. He was gripping the barrel of the gun tightly, as if he was trying not to have it taken away.

"N-no, not really."

He decided not to broach the subject further.

The two ran for about five minutes and managed to reach the house where they lived. It was locked, but Yukito opened it with the key he took out of his pocket.

Jingi took the initiative to enter, followed by Yukito, who closed the door from the inside. Then, as he took off his shoes and was about to go up to the front door, Jingi was caught in his tracks.

"Wah!"

He lost his balance. Maybe he was just tired. He managed to grab the corner of the shoe box with his suddenly protruding hand and managed to keep from falling.

"Haha. I'm confused."

He lightly scratched his palm and a small amount of blood flowed out. He showed Yukito the small amount of bleeding that couldn't even be called a scratch with a shy smile.

"......"

The expression suddenly disappeared from Yukito's face.

"Eh?"

His blood suddenly ran cold.

"Ah. Are you a zombie?"

"No, no, wait! You were watching! Don't you remember that I almost fell?"

"Zombie. You, enemy."

"Why are you speaking in one sentence?"

"Zombie. Kill..."

Yukito then raised his rifle and suddenly pulled the trigger without warning. There was a roar. Jingi narrowly avoided it by ducking. It was an impressive headshot that targeted the zombie's vital point, his brain.

He heard the sound of the wall breaking behind him.

"Tch."

Yukito clicked his tongue. Jingi left the place running while he stumbled.

"Awawawawah!"

(Yukito is broken!) Jingi thought.

He ran for his life down the hallway. Yukito, who had become a killing machine, slowly began to follow the trail.

"Jingi-san!"

Zudon.

"Let's talk!"

Zudon.

"It's okay. I'm sure we can understand each other!"

Zudon.

"Aren't we master and disciple? It's so sad to have such a suspicious relationship!"

Zudon. Zudon. Zudon.

Rifle shots were interspersed with tearful lines.

(He's much scarier than zombies!) Jingi thought.

It was several times worse than zombies, given his emotional voice. Desperately running through the house, Jingi finally found himself in a corner of the hallway with nowhere to escape to.

"Wawawawah!"

He sank, leaning his back against the wall and scratching his feet desperately, but it was a dead end and he could go no further.

"Booboo..."

Yukito approached, gently replacing the bullets in his rifle like an experienced soldier.

"Jingi-san."

He prepared his rifle.

"Jingi-san, finally, Ayakai, is there a proper way to use it?"

"Who knows, idiot!"

At that moment, Jingi closed his eyes as he thought.

"Guh..."

Yukito suddenly made a strange noise. Jingi widened his eyes suspiciously. And he was left speechless.

Just now, a woman was biting Yukito's neck. A completely unexpected ambush appeared from somewhere.

"W-why?"

Yukito collapsed with a tearful expression on his face. The woman stepped over Yukito and slowly approached him.

Momoko was dripping blood from her mouth.

"Ah~ uuh~"

Zombie Momoko opened her mouth wide and charged towards Jingi. Furthermore, she wore beautiful fur and precious jewelry.

"Why is it the same dream as before?"

Jingi shouted.

There was nowhere else to flee to.

Jingi woke up, still screaming. He looked around his with a start and realized that he was once again in the dense flow of life.

No, he had been floating in the flow of life for a long time, perhaps the correct expression would be to say that he had awakened from a foaming dream.

However, the dream he was having was so real that he felt as if his body had been instantly transported from Ninoshima, which was dominated by zombies.

And although he knew it was a dream, he was so afraid that in the end he screamed.

"Anyway, it was a terrible turn of events."

Jingi was sad. Yukito and Momoko still do not appear in minor roles.

Maybe deep down he has always considered them dangerous people?

"I just want to dream of being pampered, relaxing, eating delicious food and drinking quality alcohol."

If he was going to continue melting into the flow of life, he would at least like to end his life with good thoughts. Jingi held his breath and tried his best to close his eyes.

He wanted to have a pleasant dream this time.

When he came to, he found himself back in the Ninoshima camp. It was probably in the afternoon.

The sun rose above his head, casting a warm light, and he could smell the faint scent of flowers.

Although the times and seasons were slightly different, the two shadows were slowly approaching each other on the road.

(Are those ladies in my dreams by default?)

They were Tanaka Oba-chan and Nomura Oba-chan from the neighborhood. Last time, they turned into a zombie and attacked, so Jingi kept his back alert so he could escape at any time.

So...

"Ah..."

"Oh, Jingi-chan?"

The two looked surprised and ran towards him. For a moment, Jingi struggled to make a decision, but from the expressions on the ladies' faces, he didn't feel there was much danger, so he stayed where he was for the moment.

When they got to Jingi's left and right...

"Were you in a place like this? Everyone was worried, you know?"

"Well, if you're going out, you have to let me know."

They started walking, dragging Jingi with them.

Whenshe returned to his house with the two ladies, he was surprised to find his older brother, Aka Ibuki, standing there.

No, he wasn't the only one.

All the members of "Ayaka Security", including Ichijou Ibara, were there. When they recognized Jingi, everyone seemed surprised or relieved.

"W-what? What's going on?"

Originally, they were mainly active in Ichinoshima. It was rare to see so many members gathered in Ninoshima.

"What's wrong, Aka-nii? Has the entire company gathered here?"

When Jingi asked curiously...

"Uh."

Aka shook his head with a bitter smile. He tapped Jingi on the shoulder with his hand.

"There's nothing I can do about it. You're the cause."

"Eh? Me?"

Jingi gaped and pointed at himself. Ibara said with a rather harsh voice.

"Sagawa Jingi. We came together in a hurry to find you. I want you to feel responsible."

"Don't say that, Ibara."

Aka gave a quick warning to Ibara and looked at his subordinates.

"We're leaving. Apply for a special subsidy later."

"Wait a minute, Aka-nii. Are you leaving already?"

When Jingi called him...

"It looks like I'm going to meet someone I don't want to see. As long as I can confirm that you're safe, it's fine."

Without looking back, Aka walked away from him, hands behind his back. The members of "Ayaka Security" did the same with a slight nod. Ibara was the only one looking at him with an expression that seemed to want to say something, but she quickly turned her back on him and ran after her friends at a trot.

Both ladies...

"Well then, Jingi-chan, see you soon."

"Your body is important."

After saying that, they headed home. Jingi looked at them in shock.

Then, he tried to switch places with Aka and the others.

"Jingi-san!"

He heard Yukito Yanagi's voice from inside the house.

"Ah, Jingi-chan!"

Then he heard Momoko cheering and the two jumped. For a moment, the nightmares of last time and the one before returned to Jingi, and his body stiffened, but there was no sign that they had transformed into the Yukito and Momoko of before.

The two cried with joy at Jingi's return, took him by the hand and invited him into the house.

Jingi was thinking as he let himself go.

(I wonder why? Did I disappear for a long time?)

It was a great welcome. First, they forced him to take a bath, and when he came out of the bathroom, he put on freshly laundered clothes and was taken to the living room. Yukito took the initiative to uncork a bottle of beer and pour it.

"Uh, oh. That's bad."

"What are you talking about? As a disciple, it's natural!"

For Yukito who said that with a smile...

(This is a bit unpleasant.)

He thought about it for a moment, but he didn't feel bad about it. Before long, Momoko brought a variety of freshly prepared homemade dishes from the kitchen.

Braised bonito marinated in sesame oil, seaweed cream cheese, japanese-style salmon and avocado tart, gizzard ponzu sauce, lightly pickled tofu, chicken breast with chili sauce and fresh squid carrots.

It wasn't something like "caviar and simmered foie gras and fried truffles" that he had seen in his previous dream, but rather Momoko's repertoire of dishes that he especially liked.

All of them combine perfectly with sake.

While he happily ate those delicacies and drank beer...

"Hello, Jingi. I'm glad you returned safely."

Haruaki arrived with a bottle of local sake hanging in one hand.

"Hey, Jingi."

"Hello!"

"Hey, don't make me worry so much."

Also appearing is the trio of bad friends, Yashiki, Saruwatari and Mitarai. Besides them, Momoko and Yukito, who had finished cooking, also joined the banquet and everyone toasted again. Everyone praised Jingi.

"Jingi is actually quite manly."

"I'm so glad to be your friend."

"He is my proud little brother."

"The guidance he gave me was precise and I have nothing but respect for him."

Even if it was just a dream, it made Jingi happy.

Because that's exactly what Jingi wanted.

Good sake and delicious food.

Sometimes...

"Being able to drink alcohol so carelessly and non-stop is, in a sense, a talent."

"Not thinking about anything is the best way to manage stress. Jingi is ahead of the times."

There were some comments that he didn't know if they were praise or criticism, but he didn't care. Besides...

"Jingi-san, you are so cool!"

"Okay! Good drink!"

The way they praised people was becoming more and more careless, but for the moment he would close his eyes.

Just when he thought that...

Although it was a dream, he still didn't understand why everyone was so worried about him. What's more, if Jingi showed even the slightest sign of leaving his seat, everyone would turn around and ask why. In the end, he was annoyed that Yukito even followed him to the bathroom.

It's like they're watching him...

The rest was Momoko.

For a moment now, she had been shedding tears from time to time, and was constantly wiping them with her handkerchief, which made him feel really uncomfortable.

The person claimed that onion juice got into her eyes while she was cooking...

That is not true. There is definitely something behind that banquet. Even with that in mind, Jingi continued drinking in a good mood until he completely lost consciousness. In a way it was an escape.

It was easier and more fun to put an end to the doubts that had arisen in his mind.

And the behavior of that principle of not doing everything has had serious consequences and has turned against Jingi.

After waking up from his intoxication, Jingi realized that he was tied to a grid-like board. Carefully, not only his wrists and ankles, but also his neck and torso were tied tightly with rough ropes.

With his legs spread, Jingi was stretched out against the board.

"Damn! That's what I thought!"

Jingi screamed, but Yukito quickly gagged him.

"Tch. It seems that the drug was not as effective as I expected, Kurama-san."

Yukito clicked his tongue with an evil look on his face. The situation was different from when he was a zombie, but it seemed that this was also Dark Yukito.

Apparently they had given him something strange to drink.

Before he knew it, he saw not only the people who had been at the banquet earlier, but also Inou and other islanders he recognized. They all wore white robes similar to those worn by mountain priests. As they looked at Jingi, who was lying there...

"Jingi. Please don't hold a grudge against me."

Haruaki said with a serious face.

"Now you can offer yourself to the fire dragon."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jingi-chan."

Momoko said as she wiped away her tears.

"It's to protect the island. If you sacrifice yourself, everyone will be saved."

"Alright, let's throw him into the crater and go back home."

Yukito said as if he was throwing flammable trash.

(He's the only one with a strange personality!) Jingi thought.

It's true, but his gag prevented his from complaining. Among them, the islanders, led by Haruaki...

"Okay!"

"Let's do it!"

He shouted and lifted Jingi onto the board.

"Noooooo~! Stop it!"

The group then walked around the volcano (probably) in Shinoshima for a while.

"Jingi!"

"Bye!"

Jingi was suddenly launched into the air from what appeared to be a volcanic mouth. An overwhelming feeling of falling. And a sense of urgency approaching behind him.

(Swallowed by fire!)

The moment he thought that...

Jingi's body bounced violently from the depths of the earth and then rose into the air again.

As he rose slightly from the crater, he saw Yukito, Momoko and the others applauding loudly.

"So, there's actually a trampoline inside!"

Jingi let out a tsukkomi cry and woke up in the middle of the life line.

"What is this?"

Thinking about it a little...

"Is there a system where you can't wake up unless you scream out loud from the bottom of your heart?"

Jingi was complaining in the middle of the life line.

He had enough time to cross his arms and frown because he was already used to it.

But it was another nightmare. It seemed like he was being sacrificed to quell the fire dragon, but the people around him were too dangerous. Especially Yukito.

"That's why everyone was so excited, damn it!"

Jingi has been wearing down little by little. Even when he dreams, he feels that his existence is gradually shrinking. At this rate, it won't be long until he is completely immersed in the life line.

"Oh, no. What I want to see is... that's right. It's fine, as always. Yukito is a little cheeky, but honest. And Momoko-san is kind and a little natural. And..."

Just one thing.

If he is allowed to dream in the truest sense.

"I guess I'd like to see Haru-nii and Aka-nii getting along like before."

Jingi closed his eyes, withdrew all the strength he had left in his mind and body, and surrendered to the flow of life. And while he slept, he had a new dream.

By the fourth time, it was much easier to realize that it was a dream and understand the situation. Rural landscape as far as the eye can see. White storm clouds and dazzling sunlight. Although there are slight variations in seasonality and timing, so far they have all appeared in the same location in Ninoshima.

(Maybe it's like the starting point of the game?)

And the two ladies in front of him.

(I guess those people are default characters too.)

The mission is to run.

"Tanaka Oba-chan, Nomura Oba-chan, hello!"

He ran between the two, greeting them.

"Oh, Jingi-chan."

"Hello. You're always in a good mood."

They both smiled and waved. He had a kind of premonition. He was sure that his wish would come true this time.

He was in a good mood with the pleasant (probably) summer scenery. He kept running all the way home, breathing lightly, stopping in front of the entrance and taking a few deep breaths.

After making sure that his breathing was normal, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and entered through the front door.

The first person he met in the hallway was Yukito.

He was a little nervous because in all of his dreams so far, Yukito had a terrible personality.

"Eh? Jingi-san, where have you been?"

He seemed like a normal Yukito, the same as always. He pouted and protested.

"You promised to watch me train in the morning! You drank too much yesterday too. I'm going to tell Kurama-san and Ibuki-san that you're being too casual too!"

A naive and sensitive boy. Even though he was hated and slapped, Jingi could see that he really respected him.

"......"

Without realizing it, Jingi extended his hand towards Yukito's head and was playing with his hair.

"W-what?"

Yukito rolled his eyes and walked away. While he held his head with both hands...

"Hey, are you still drunk?"

He looked at Jingi accusingly. However, Jingi did not respond and looked for his next target.

He went to the kitchen and found Momoko cooking. She set the bowl she had been using to taste in the sink and looked at Jingi.

"Eh? Jingi-chan, are you back? Wait for me. Lunch will be ready soon."

Momoko Amamiya.

She is like an older sister who has always lovingly watched over Jingi. Without her, not only Jingi, but also Haruaki and Aka would have lived completely different lives.

Has he adequately expressed his gratitude to her?

He now deeply regretted it.

"Momoko-san, thank you as always."

Jingi took Momoko's hand and bowed cordially to her.

And...

"I'm sorry."

He couldn't even apologize for passing away first. She must have cried a lot.

Momoko is kinder than anyone. Yukito too. He was sure that, although he complained, he cried profusely.

Suddenly, Jingi understood. The reason why Yukito and Momoko were so scary and abnormal in his dreams was because Jingi feared that from the bottom of his heart. Since they were such important members of the family, everything seemed to turn into a nightmare.

"Jingi-chan?"

Momoko frowned and tilted her head slightly.

"You're drunk?"

She came to almost the same conclusion as Yukito. She glanced at Yukito, who followed Jingi, but Yukito simply shrugged, as if to say, "I don't know what's going on.".

Meanwhile, Jingi staggered towards the living room. He opened the sliding door and waited to see the scene he always wanted.

Haruaki and Aka.

Seeing his brothers get along.

"Hello, Jingi."

"What happened? Did something happen?"

Kurama Haruaki and Ibuki Aka were definitely there.

Two adults live in that house. Things like that haven't stopped since his teacher, Makoto Yanagi, passed away.

"Haru-nii, Aka-nii..."

Jingi's voice became hoarse with emotion and then he said:

"Then why are you both dressed like that?"

He asked, his face suddenly half serious.

"Eh? Are you acting really weird?"

Haruaki, who was only wearing a swimsuit and a T-shirt, looked at himself curiously. He usually wears the solemn costume of a priest, so seeing him in a simple figure with so much skin feels even more strange.

"We're going to the beach, so it's natural, right? You should hurry up and change your clothes."

Aka, who quickly put on his snorkel and underwater goggles, ordered Jingi to do that. Again, instead of the tight suit he always wears, he wears a t-shirt and navy pants.

Then the two began to talk happily about what they would do when they went to the beach.

"Alright, let's swim as hard as we can!"

Haruaki said as he turned his body around and did something similar to gymnastics.

"Let's use the harpoon to hit the fish, okay?"

Aka, who was trying to contain himself, but looked clearly more excited than usual, suggested that. Together, the two remembered their mission.

"Come on, Jingi, let's go!"

"Let's play as hard as we can!"

Sparkling eyes. The innocent smile of his childhood. However, both of them had the same faces and physiques as the adults. Jingi held back, trembling slightly.

"Jingi!"

"Look!"

His two brothers who had become adults pulled him left and right.

"They get along like before!"

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and snapped. The awakening trigger activated and Jingi woke up again.

Jingi finally lowered his head in despair. He realized that the energy that made up his consciousness was running out.

"Damn, I have so many incomprehensible dreams..."

He whispered that resentfully. He couldn't help but feel sleepy from before. As it was, he would break into small pieces and be swallowed by the flow of life energy.

The next time he falls asleep, he will never wake up again.

(Damn.)

The last dream was the one that touched his heart the most.

Well, leaving aside Haruaki and Aka.

(That made me realize that I had a lot of unfinished things.)

He had more things to teach Yukito.

He wanted to thank Momoko.

Why couldn't he tell Haruaki and Aka to get along?

He wanted to hang out more with his bad friends. Enjoy a glass of sake while he enjoys the peaceful scenery of Ninoshima. Being able to go fishing or play pachinko.

He wanted to apologize for causing trouble for Inou.

He wanted to see everyone's faces.

He wanted to see them smile.

(Damn.)

Tears fell. He bit his lip and let the tears fall. Suddenly, the words of his teacher Makoto Yanagi came to his mind. He commented on the qualities of his disciples as connections:

"Haruaki is, well, a genius. I guess it's a matter of lineage, but there's something he's born with. He'll be able to fly to the heights as easily as a gust of wind."

He continued.

"Aka is a theoretical person. One by one, he practices what he can't do and shapes it. Since he can see his surroundings clearly, I am sure there will be many people who will admire him in the future. He will surely become a pillar thick and strong that will never break."

Makoto laughed as Jingi asked, "What about me? What about me?"

"Maybe you don't have much talent. Even at this age, you're still lazy and, surprisingly, cowardly and careless."

That's what he said. Makoto pouted at Jingi.

"That's why you look more like me."

He ruffled Jingi's hair and stroked it with his large hand.

"Jingi. Even if the road is ugly, get up. Being in good shape is not the style of people like us."

In the middle of the life line, Jingi silently opened his eyes again.

"I understand... Master."

Even if he is in the mud...

Maybe it's a murky stream of life. Even if it's ugly...

(I'll hold on to life until the end!)

Jingi began scratching his hands and feet frantically. Imagining levitation, he did his best to hold on to his fading existence and began to swim frantically, aiming only for the top. Every time he felt like he was about to break, he thought about Yukito, Haruaki, Aka, Momoko and his master. The only thing he thought about was his family and his friends.

(Once again, just one more time.)

Then, with all his strength, he finally surfaced from the life line and took a deep breath.

However, the current is too fast and buoyancy is almost ineffective.

"Gaaak! Whoops!"

If he does not move his limbs with all his might, the flow of life force will engulf him in no time.

"Shit! Damn!"

At that moment, Jingi felt as if he heard the interesting voice of his master in his ear.

(Here, Jingi. It's time to take a breath. Good luck. I've prepared some help.)

Jingi regained his strength and crawled. Somehow he had a hunch. He was sure that a helping hand would be waiting for him when he swam there.

And what he saw was...

"Master! Is this?! This is it!"

It was a giant pipe protruding from the inside of the life line. It looked familiar. Although it is larger than the standard, it is definitely a masterpiece that master Makoto Yanagi loved. He felt so homesick that he felt like crying.

Jingi held on to the Kiseru and used his remaining strength to skillfully climb up the body.

Note: Kiseru is the Japanese term for the ancient Japanese pipe. Kiseru were used to smoke a wide variety of substances, including tobacco, cannabis and opium.

Then, he came to a place where he could maintain his posture and shouted as loud as he could.

"Yukitooooooooooooo!"

He called to the being in which he had to believe the most.

"Help me!"

Beyond life.

He felt that he could see the face of a child who was destined to become a water dragon through a very faint slit that connected to that world.

Without hesitation, Sagawa Jingi decided to simply live.

[completeoveranalysis]

... SO IS THE REAL SAKURA JUST DEAD?

LIKE IS THAT REALLY IT?

SURELY NOT... RIGHT?

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE THE CHAPTER ENDS.

CLIFFHANGER: OFFICIALLY WORSE THAN LAST TIME, AND THIS TIME ISN'T EVEN A CLIFF HANGER

I can't believe I just have to live in confusion like this. I'm writing Clamp a letter of complaint as we speak.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, thank you for suffering alongside me and/or watching me suffer and clapping your hands with glee. Both are appropriate and appreciated!

EXTRA huge thank you to everyone who supports me on Patreon. I have had a. Stressful. Few months. And the support given to me over there has been a LIFELINE in certain scenarios, so I will never be able to say exactly how much that has meant. <3

First Tier of Patrons

Rien [Ri]

Sapphireswimming

Luke Wilson

Stupid Kitsune

Jordan Fredriksz

Shynerdycactus

CloudMenaceBird

Corinne Burr

Qatari Pekarsky

Fer E

MokoCharm

limitless_paper

And the Higher Tier of Patrons:

Thank you all greatly!

Now I think I've officially decided that even if Evil Wolverine thinks Sakura is dead I'm just going to headcanon that Yukito teleported her out just in the bick of time!

There are no flaws in that headcanon! Don't even worry about it!

Until next time, please know how much I will be suffering! :D

[gamerdog1]

Another Anime Review

There’s some series that, over the years, you hear about from other people in the anime fandom at large. Usually its just about the overall series, and people will tell you to not look it up, just to start it. You just kinda have to take their word for it. Then there’s others, where its the events of the series are what people talk about. Some pieces of media have a moment so iconic, that they’ll tell you about it first, then what the series is about afterwards. Scenes like those are often cut up and put into YouTube compilations, titled things like ‘Top 10 WTF Moments in Anime, Part 3′. Those clips often stick in the mind for years, waiting for their chance to be rediscovered and understood in full context. This just so happens to be the case with this month’s Anime Exchange assignment, a 12 episode series simply titled Another. 

Another, based on the manga by Yukito Ayatsuji, is a supernatural mystery series that follows Kouichi Sakakibara, a teenage boy who is a transfer student at a small town high-school. Upon arrival, he discovers a mysterious girl with an eyepatch who nobody acknowledges, and learns about the mysterious ‘Calamity’ that seems to befall the third 9th grade class every year. One by one, students and their families die mysteriously, and its up to Sakakibara and the mysterious girl to figure out why. 

Series like these are usually out of my usual range, but I found that I was pleasantly surprised with what was offered. I was immediately grabbed by the sense of mystery and dread steeped into every frame of this series. The visuals are muted, with even bright sunny days lacking their typical shine and luster. This, combined with the resting gloomy faces that every character had, really set the tone for the entire series from the get-go. Wherever scenes took place, the series maintained this depressing atmosphere, something which is quite impressive given that it attempts the time-honored anime tradition of a beach day episode in the second half of the series. 

However, what made itself apparent just as quickly as it’s tone was this series’ love for lore-dumping. In the very first episode, we see Sakakibara recovering from a collapsed lung in the hospital, where he meets three students from the high-school that he is transferring to. Their full names and titles are thrown at the viewer so fast, it’s quite difficult to process. This is something that, unfortunately, happens quite a lot in this series, as it needs audiences to be familiarized with the entire class before it can start killing them off. I found myself remembering characters by a key characteristic of them, not their names or titles (’Glasses Girl’, ‘Pigtails’, ‘Carsick’, etc), which lead to confusion whenever they were brought up in an important conversation.

This problem is only compounded when the series starts playing with names to keep up the mystery. In the earlier episodes, Sakakibara discovers that years ago, a student named Misaki died in the third 9th grade class, an event which started what is known as the ‘Calamity’. What makes things complicated is that there is revealed to be two other Misaki’s in the series: one who died in the hospital on the night that Sakakibara was discharged, and the other who is the mysterious eyepatch girl. Everyone in the series refers to all three of these characters as ‘Misaki’, so good luck figuring out which one they’re referring to, unless you were really paying attention, or have already seen it. 

The main Misaki herself (or as I call her, Eyepatch Misaki) is really not much of a character at all, which is quite disappointing. Her role in the story as a whole makes sense, being the creepy goth girl who everyone is fine pretending doesn’t exist to try and stop the Calamity. However, beyond that, she really doesn’t do much. For someone who gets nearly as much screen time as the main character, and could be considered a deuteragonist, Eyepatch Misaki does little to progress the plot. Most scenes she is in, she simply gives vague hints about the mystery, follows Sakakibara from place to place, and hardly shows any emotions. She could be replaced with a stuffed animal and she’d still have about the same level of agency or importance. 

What makes this all the more disappointing is that the series has enough time to develop many other characters in it’s 12 episodes, yet excludes Eyepatch Misaki from this in order to keep up her air of mystery. Characters like Akazawa, the Head of Countermeasures, are given full and satisfying arcs, yet Eyepatch Misaki remains as she was in the very first episode until the end. In a series whose main cast is a classroom of students, screen time and character development is precious. Every character is fighting to be the one that audiences latch onto, to be the the one who people remember the most, or whose death hits them the hardest. What baffles me is that the most important one (aside from Sakakibara), the one who is on every poster or cover of this series, is little beyond a macguffin or, to borrow a phrase, an eyepatch-wearing lamp. 

What saves this series from being just another creepy high-school mystery series is its brutality. I wouldn’t consider myself a gore aficionado, but when I learned that this is the series that the infamous ‘Umbrella Girl’ clip came from, I was immediately excited. That one clip is just a taste of the bizarre and sometimes downright cruel deaths in this series, as one by one, the students of the third Grade 9 class succumb to The Calamity. The deaths in this series are also pretty creative, and prey on common fears that anyone might have in the back of their mind. Combine the fear of falling down the stairs with the old ‘Don’t run with sharp things!’ adage, and you get something so perfect and brutal that you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

The best thing that I could compare this series to would be the Final Destination films. The comparisons to Final Destination are pretty easy to see; a group of teenagers do something to anger Death itself, and are picked off one by one in highly improbable ways to atone for that. However, I would say that this series is less stomach-churning than those films, as the characters’ bodies still stay mostly intact even after death. This might have been a budgeting decision from the studio, but if it allows me to eat my homemade guacamole while watching, I’ll say that’s a plus.

Another is a series that really made the most of it’s short episode run, albeit by rushing here and there. The visuals are good (though I wish they’d stop putting the highlights of hair in the shadows...), and the story is pretty engaging, such that I found myself trying to work out the mystery on my own between watching sessions. However, the series also has a penchant for dumping lore on the viewer, bombarding them with names and dates that it refuses to help the viewer process. This is a series best watched with a pen and notepad in hand, so you can write down all the information characters drop before its too late. 

As well, I wish this series had spent some more time developing and fleshing out it’s second main character, Eyepatch Misaki. She really had the potential to be cool, especially with the mystery behind her second eye and the doll shop, but she was often pushed aside in favor of side characters. Perhaps she is more developed in the manga, but who knows when or if I’ll get to that. 

7/10