#Gaku Space

[lgspears]

for the Transformers x G.I. Joe movie, i nominated Daniel Brühl as Cobra Commander, Sam Heughan as Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV/Destro, Adelaide Kane as Anastasia DeCobray/Baroness, Gaku Space as Thomas S. Arashikage/Storm Shadow, Stefan Kapičić as Serpentor, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Brian Binder/Doctor Mindbender, Clive Standen and Michiel Huisman as Tomax and Xamot Paoli, Josh Lawson as Zartan, Xavier Samuel as Sebastian Bludd/Major Bludd and James Badge Dale as Scrap-Iron.

[nirbanox]

Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014)

Directed by : Joey Ansah

[asian-heart-92]

A Real American Hero fancast (part 4)

Anthony Mackie as Thomas R. Rossi III/Dee-Jay

Milla Jovovich as Anastasia Cisarnova/Baroness

Dominic West as Zartan

Eva Marie as Shana M. O'Hara/Scarlett

Gaku Space as Thomas S. Arashikage/Storm Shadow

Manu Bennett as Maj. Sebastian Bludd

Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Mindbender

Ray Park as Firefly

Will Poulter as Robert M. Blais/Cross-Country

Ethan Hawke as Ronald A. Stone/Cutter

[iffdwrandomizer]

So, I was able to find an interesting youtube channel. This is Gaku Space, the voice of Genji from Overwatch. I couldn't believe that I was able to find this.

[satyascarwash]

support main gets a genji POTG in mystery heroes

[ladybyakuya]

| SWOON + NATSUKI SEBA .

+cw.—f!reader, canon-typical elements and themes, borderline yan themes, explic!t smūt, s/d dynamics + s/m themes, voice k!nk, strength k!nk, edging, use of sex toy ( vibrator ), orgasm denial,dubcon, begging, sub!space + sub!drop, praising, dacryphillia, aftercare

+wc.—2.6k

+syn.—Natsuki wanted to do something for you but that did not include hurting you; then, why are you crying ?

+notes. —This has been in my drafts for a few months when i made my debut post to the fandom but it's finally out. ngl the borderline yan behavior was a little hard for me to write given his character profile but i couldn't get that particular scene from my head. you'll see which scene I'm talking about when you get there and if you ended up spotting it please yell in tags / comments.this is also cross posted to ao3 & biker!gaku is my next post tho. | redirect to blog navigation.

Your relationship with Natsuki is ambiguous at best. You are an assassin. He is a weapon engineer. That is how things started between you two. You still remember the first time he asked you to volunteer for a test run for a particular weapon he made all by himself. He was so nonchalant as well as so tactless that it made you dismiss it. But you caved in eventually because he constantly kept nagging. He had the privilege to do so since you practically lived under the same roof as him, and ran into each other so many times throughout the whole day, making it impossible for you to avoid him.

“This is not going to be a habit,” you mentioned when you first volunteered and he just nodded. You swear you saw him laugh when he turned while nodding or could it be your imagination? 

Somehow this thin layer between being a test subject for his newly invented devices and batchmate diluted to the point that now he is testing you, your patience, and your sanity without using any of his newfound devices. You can not pinpoint when it all started, the dilution of such a boundary. A boundary that you dared not to cross with him. A boundary that you drew with the sole purpose of ceasing all sorts of expansion of his relationship with you. It was for him: to keep him out, not for you, and it failed to keep you safe yet it managed to shock you  whereas the mere existence of such a boundary tempted Natsuki enough to explore it, blur it, erase it, little by little until there was no trace of it.

Now, you are sitting on his lap legs sprawled apart to be as close to him as you can afford. He has both of your arms held under a tight grip keeping them at the valley of your waist. 

“Comfortable?” he asks, his lips grazing underneath your ear over your cheek ever so slightly as he inclines to check his grip on you. You give him a hum as a response. With his free hand, he pushes a hard bulb inside your pussy. You know what it is, a pleasuring toy, a vibrator but with your knowledge you considered it quite small. 

Seba-san said he wanted to surprise you with something. You have been so good to him, so helpful with his work, and needless to say so patient with him that he wants to do something for you; something that will make you content and happy, maybe wanting more of his surprises and thereby be dedicated to continue working with him on a pro-bono basis. 

What could be more rewarding for you than making you cum? That too for the first time? He heard you once. Talking about it to Shin, saying how you always had to take care of yourself. How nobody bothered enough to make you cum! Always busy with just getting themselves off first. Natsuki practically felt his body shiver. You have never orgasmed before? That's hard to believe. How could such no one make you cum with a face like that? So pretty, so expressive. Moreover, he knows— he is aware of it that he can achieve this feat, oh dear the range of pleasure he could provide you— makes it hard for him to think it through.

Natsuki turns on the vibrator and the intensity has already swept away all your attention from the surroundings channeling it all onto him. “Is that the highest bar?” One of his eyebrows stretches upwards. So, you want more. . .? Is this too little for you, dear? Natsuki does not give you an answer but increases the intensity just one more bar making your lips curl inwards. You tip your head down, let your eyelids fall and your vision goes dark for a second. The sound of vibration reaches your ear. He increases one more bar and it just threatens you to hold on to something, anything. 

Looking up you let out a wry awkward chuckle followed by a heavy gasp you ask, “Are there more?” Natsuki’s eyebrows pinch a little and then go back to normal.

“Yes.” His voice is low, raspy, and impatient. You try to loosen his grip but he is strong. You feel his grip on your wrist tightens further. “Three more buttons.” By now your legs have encapsulated his torso yet the urge to move your hips against his lower half does not go away. You do not want this sensation to stop either, just a little toned down but saying that might not give you the result you want.

Natsuki is not doing any better though. The choice of your clothing is bothering him, hindering him from studying you properly. He should have thought of that, perhaps buying you an outfit that would not expose your excited state too ludicrously. Honestly, he is holding back the urge to put his mouth on one of your nipples and suckle on it over the cloth. He can see it properly, your buttoned nipples. Do they match the color of your lips? 

You have started to whimper, just a little though like a wounded cat but that is not the sound he wanted to hear. He increases the intensity by another progression and your forehead rests on his shoulder sniveling. You are in desperate need of distraction. You just can not let him see you like this, crumble like a house of cards. You refuse to give him a glimpse of such an intimate moment. Not to mention it will be your first time too.

“You are so impressive.” Natsuki opined, placing a chaste kiss on your cheek. “I would not have lasted this long.” He lies. He lies because he knows he will win if you two make a bet to see who lasts longer. Maybe Natsuki should save it for the next session. Turning your head, you glance at him, gasping with your mouth open as he intently watches your eyes glisten with water. “Just one more left. You can do this. I think—he pauses to glance at your lips for a second. “I believe you really can if you try,” he soaks his lips by running the tip of his tongue in a quick swipe.

It's obviously tempting. You lean for a kiss but he sways his upper body away. Ah! The hurt in your eyes. The shock. The frustration. The anger. This is what he wanted to witness: the downfall of your tranquil demeanor that you always carry with you in each step. He increases the intensity to the fullest making you close your eyes. The way you are whimpering and breathing could easily be mistaken as the sound of a dying creature. His is hard but that does not bother him as much if he can see the tears rolling down your cheeks as you arch your body. There are beads of perspiration over your forehead, and chest a little bit on your face and hands.

“Stop.” you welp. “Make it stop.” Natsuki keeps the remote aside on the table, running the tip of his index finger over his bottom lip rashly.

“Why do you want to stop? You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He brushes his fingers against your cunt over the cloth making you jump releasing a hiss of pleasure. “Look. You are so wet.” Even after touching you through the cloth, his fingers are so sticky. He stretches his fingers revealing the strings of your arousal and glances at you. You can barely hold back your tears. You can not figure out if those are tears of pleasure or the embarrassment seeping into you as he licks his slick fingers staring right into your eyes.

“Then, at least leave my hands.” You say huffing it out with a pained sob then, start to cry making him go silent for a few seconds. He probably forgets to breathe until your whimpers start to get elongated, louder and finally turn into lewd cries of pleasure. This is a pleasure, yeah! It definitely is. He does not know what pleasure would look like on your face. So, he assumes it; even fantasizes about it a couple of times.

“No, that I can’t do.” He whispers but a mumble reaches to your ears. “But I can do this,” He states, taking his free hand behind you and interlacing his fingers with yours. It relaxes your strained muscles. He still kept his grip tightened while filling the gaps of your fingers with his not giving you even a bleak chance to free your hand. 

Now his face is closer to yours but you know better than to pursue the desire of putting your lips on his. He rests his chin just at the advent of your cleavage on your chest watching you as you start to twist and turn your body, buck your hips. Your feet stretch out as farther it can as the wave finally stops hitting the shore. The way you inhaled through your mouth and then exhaled it felt like you were about to puke. Natsuki was the first to question, “What just happened? I didn't…

“Why did you stop?” 

“I didn’t.”  Is he lying? Is this fun to him? Tormenting you to the point of ruin. Natsuki can see your lips droop like the wilting petals of a flower, eyebrows growing closer to each other. You roll your bottom lip inside your mouth unable to take it anymore, feeling a wave of sorrow building inside your ribs. But you do not feel Natsuki’s hand anymore. So, without wasting any further seconds to got out of his clutches and ran towards the bathroom. Natsuki follows without thinking anything only to be met with the chocolate of the wood. 

As soon as you bolt the door of the bathroom it all comes crashing down— flashes of his face when he was touching you, looking too fondly than he should, pushing your limits, and making you cum. You could not help but feel the guilt of it all since it was truly your fault all along. You could have said no and he would have listened. He is not that cruel. No. Never that cruel to you but you gave in because you were curious too. You were eager to know how it would feel to orgasm, to be touched so fondly and full of desire. And, you saw that desire in his eyes: that greedy lustful desire but you were wrong to think that you could contain it all in. Now it is oozing out of you, out of him. This realization that came so suddenly and so strongly which has been dormant for years, perhaps when you started frequenting his room often after being his mock-up weapon tester lets another wave of misery wash over you. Does he like you back the way you like him?

“I’m sorry.” You hear Natsuki’s voice. It is faded but you hear it, his breathing too. “I’m sorry.” Then again, “I’m sorry. . .I’m sorry. I— I will never do this again.”

“You don’t know that.”  You shout from the inside of the bathroom, your voice hitting the walls howls back at you, and then you gasp before finally breaking into a sob. It hurts. It pains. It aches. It agonizes you to think of anything or even touch yourself to release that piled up pressure in you. You feel as if there was no spark fiery enough to create wildfire in your body. All those hook-ups and bad dates that ended up with you being used as a thing to get off . . . they are all coming back to you now . . .maybe it's you. . .maybe it's you who can’t cum and that is why they did what they craved: took care of themselves with your help.

Natsuki can hear you; your faint sob coming through the locked thick wooden door as he stands leaning his head on it. He knows saying sorry no matter how many times would be useless now but he still wanted to say it because it was never his intention to hurt you like this. He just wanted to see your pleasure and push you to the high end of your limits, show you something so strong, so impactful that every time you would touch yourself you would think of him, so every time you ever think of going out with another guy you would think of him. As Natsuki’s head rests on the wooden door he draws lazy patterns on the doors while waiting for you to come out. 

It has been over half an hour. Natsuki does not mind standing even though you have not replied. But one thing has changed you have stopped crying. He can not hear your sobs anymore. He finally sits on the ground hearing something from the other side, his face still facing the door. He is waiting for you to come out, and see your face.

“Natsu, are you still there?” Your voice is murky. It wobbles as you speak more.

“Yes. yes. Of course. Am still here. Still here.” Natuski hears the lock of the door open with a click but you wait before pulling the door inside the bathroom to open it. You see Natsuki flopped on the floor, legs one of the other loosely placed with his headphones still as it was.

“Congrats. You broke the vibrator.” That was the first thing he could say when he saw you, your red swollen eyes. You are drenched from head to toe, water dripping on the floor as Natuski is forced to remember certain days when you would come home like this. Is this your coping mechanism?

“What?”

“Well. It was my fault too . . .” his eyes pull away from you as he confesses. He can’t think of anything other than being near you. He does not want you to watch you fall apart. If you do, he will be there to pick up the pieces and build Rome again. He knows it’ll be different Rome, he knows that but still worth a try. “Shall we go eat something? You must be hungry.” 

“Nah!” you walk past him, fully drenched looking for a towel. You appreciate his sentiment, you really do but right now you do not want those pair of eyes to look at you. Natsuki gets up and walks up to you holding you by your upper arm and jerking you towards himself. You do not protest much. You are tough. You can handle it when he is rough with you but lust and desire are oozing out of you. It’s hard to just watch and not do anything about it, about the spill. 

Natsuki cups one of your breasts and you cling to his touch like a branch of a tree reaching out for sunlight. He wets his bottom lip before pressing his thumb over your nipple. It does not take for him to wipe the boundary off that you had put up to keep him away. His lips on yours cascading like waterfall from a mountain,hand tending to your breast while your hands find a way to clamp around his shoulders pulling him into the kiss, dampening his clothes more and more till he squeezes your breasts a little too hard making you come back to reality, pushing him away to breath again. Your shoulders are against his chest now. His grip over your upper arm is still intact. He won’t let you go. He won’t let you go. He won’t.

“If you don’t take care of yourself then I'll be forced to do so.”  Your eyes are so sharp as you swat your head to look at him. 

“Yes.” You murmur and glance at his lips. “Yes. Yes. ‘course.” You lean towards him a little saying, “I’m hungry, very much hungry.” as your lips clash against his again.

[cainpain]

Drawing Yan Sim characters daily !

Ignore how I missed like 3 days teehee !!

Day 45, 46, and 47 !! The wheel has spun on GAKU HIKITSURI AHHHH !!!!!1!1!! Ichiei Nakayama and Mina Rai!!

I hate this. I hat ethis guy. Stupid guy,,, I HAT EHIM *kisses

Added a little scar to show his car accident, I think he might be a prosthetic user,, but I couldn't really show it with little space

Omg I could not find my giant eraser to get rid of the pencil lines,, so like ignore it !! Anyway I think she's a blue belt

[babyniigo]

Little brother Len and big brother Kaito!!! They're definitely baby and toddler regressors together, Len a baby puppy and Kaito a toddler seal!

Little brother! Len and Big brother! Kaito!!!

OMG they love love love playing around together!

I think when they’re tiny, they tend to run around so much and become hyperactive ૮꒰⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝꒱ა

A game of tag or hide and seek is their favorite when they’re in toddler space ໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১

But if len’s in baby space, I think his CG Miku tends to be a bit coddling of him ૮ ⸝⸝っ·̫ •⸝⸝ ྀིა

And Kaito wants to play…

So instead she gives him baby rattles and just seeing baby len giggle, makes Kaito happy!!

Also len tends to be a sleepy baby, just clinging to Miku and sleeps; (っ˕ -｡)ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

It makes Kaito bored!!! He wants his sibby to wake up so they can play (* ´ ﹃｀*)

I think he becomes a sneaky toddler <- tries to shake len awake without Miku noticing but that’ll lead to big meltdowns ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১

Instead his cg Gaku picks him up and takes him away to distract him with other toys while he waits for Lenlen to wake up! ૮꒰ ྀི >⸝⸝⸝< ྀི꒱ა

Whenever they’re regressed together, they’re always put in their childproof little play pen, where they have sooo many plushies and fun toys ૮꒰ྀི∩´ ᵕ `∩꒱ྀིა

Also also! Gaku builds them a pillow fort so that they can watch movies together while sharing snacks and snuggling under the billion blankies their CGs set for them hehe!! ໒꒰ྀི˶˃ᆺ˂˶꒱ྀི১

When it’s meal time, Kaito tends to try to be a big brother and spoon feeds Len his food! Len’s also a very kind baby so he shared his meal with Kaito and they get to enjoy meal time together!

They never fight over toys either :0 neither mind sharing toys because they’re more than happy to play together ! ૮ ྀི◞ ⸝⸝ ◟ ྀིა

And if Miku and Gaku put them to bed in different beds or rooms, Len tends to sneak out so he can cuddle his big brother and they can snuggle to sleep together!!!

[wildestgirls]

Sam headcanons

Diverse music taste

Ranges from evanescence to beyonce

Big Beyonce fan

Is a horrendous driver

Like multiple tickets speeding parking you name it

He cannot parallel park he gets out of the car sees that he's parked over two spaces and just calls it a day

I feel like when they first came to the human world he would be scared to go to the gym cuz he felt like everyone was judging him (they were checking him out)

But he started going and now it's his second home

Loves to work his core

#never skips leg day

Has probably punched through a wall or two

Sokka from the last airbender is his fucking spirit animal

He's an earthbender argue with the wall idgaf if he has wings made from fire

Probably uses like 19 in 1 shampoo, conditioner, body wash, perfume, nail polish remover, you name it in the shower

Once Erik found out he forced him to throw it out

But it works :( nobody cares 😐

(absolutely personal headcanon) but Damien or Mika got him into Yellowjackets and he had an obsession with Natalie and Lottie- especially older Lottie. (so me)

Hates small dogs. And hairless cats they're like his mortal enemy

Doesn't wear fancy/dressy clothes unless he's forced too

Most of the clothes he owns probably double as pyjamas like sweatpants and hoodies

sorry but I hate his vest from the first game with a passion he just looks too thin for his description.

Absolutely perfect teeth. Perfect shape, so white not crooked

He has fangs but they're perfect

Switch lol

His sleep schedule is so random sometimes he's up the earliest and working out and sometimes he doesn't wake up until dinner time

I've said this before, but I just cannot see him as a police officer and in my world he's like a devil hunter.

Imagine like

He has a small team that he's with and they get told to go to places where there was like sightings of devils and take them out.

I thought this because not only can I not see him as a police officer, but I feel like he wouldn't give up fighting even if he got his anger under control.

Has one of those loud ass Mr krabs laughs when somethings rlly funny

Dressed up as a cowboy one year for Halloween and looked amazing -absolutely inspired by @poddle99 fanart 🩷

Him and Gaku were together before he left

He plays with his dog tag necklace when he's thinking and doesn't realise it or when he's sad or nervous

@not-another-lesbian-stereotype this photo changed my life 🩷

[hunieday]

8th Anniversary story - Chapter 1 : Open the door and be lead out.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access them, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!

[Car engine SFX]

Riku Nanase: Fuwah… Is the car Manager sent to pick me up here yet?

Riku Nanase: Banri-san?

Riku Nanase: Ah, here it is. Huh…? It’s the company car, but who’s inside…

[Car door opens]

Banri Oogami: Good morning.

Riku Nanase: Good morning. Are you not with MEZZO” today?

Riku Nanase: Wait…Huh?!

Riku Nanase: Why are you in our company car, Momo-san?!

Momo: Good morning, Riku! I actually have no idea either…

Riku Nanase: It's Yaotome-san?!

Gaku Yaotome: Neither do I…

Torao Mido: I don’t know either…

Riku Nanase: Mido-san is here too?! Where are we all heading to!?

Riku Nanase: Banri-san…

Momo & Gaku Yaotome & Torao Mido: We don’t know…

Banri Oogami: I’m sorry. I can’t go into details.

Riku Nanase: At that moment, it struck me. We are celebrities.

Riku Nanase: From this moment onwards, there are definitely hidden cameras and surprises  waiting for us…

[Cut to inside the car]

Riku Nanase: Y-Yes. Yaotome-san, can I sit next to you?

Banri Oogami: Well then, please get in.

Gaku Yaotome: Sure thing. Do you want some Nigirimeshi (rice balls)?

Riku Nanase: Yay! Thank you so much! I wonder if it’s salmon.

Gaku Yaotome: Oh, you got that right.

Riku Nanase: Yippie!

Momo: Tora-chan, Tora-chan, don’t worry.

Torao Mido: How can you eat so calmly? We don’t even know where we’re heading, there’s also this camera in the car… 

Torao Mido: Don’t worry, you say…

Torao Mido: Relax…

Momo: The more you worry and fuss about it, the less you’ll enjoy yourself. Just relax and let it go.

Momo: Relax.

Gaku Yaotome: Isn’t that a different mountain?

Riku Nanase: Oh, we can see Mount Fuji today!

Banri Oogami: Alright everyone, we’re leaving.

Momo: Yes! Everyone, salute MEZZO”’s manager for driving us today!

Riku Nanase: We’ll be in your care!

Torao Mido: We…we’ll be in your care…

Gaku Yaotome: We’ll be in your care.

Banri Oogami: …This is awkward…

Banri Oogami: Ahaha, thank you.

Momo: Your handle of that wheel is extremely cool, MEZZO”’s manager!!

Banri Oogami: Ahaha, I get that a lot.

Momo: Aw man, too bad… Well I’ll just burn it into my memories…!!

Momo: Ah! As expected!! Then…can I take a picture?!

Banri Oogami: Ahaha, that would be embarrassing.

Riku Nanase: Ah, Look! Mount Fuji’s over there!

Gaku Yaotome: That’s not Mount Fuji either. There’s only one Mount Fuji.

Gaku Yaotome: See that hazy mountain? That’s its direction.

Riku Nanase: And where is it?

Gaku Yaotome: Well yeah! It’s the number one in Japan!

Riku Nanase: Do you like Mount Fuji?

Torao Mido: What is this, am I dreaming…

Torao Mido: …

Torao Mido: …Kenta Eternal Private Property Act (1)…

Torao Mido: …

Torao Mido: I’m trying to relax…

Gaku Yaotome: …? What are you talking about all of the sudden?

Riku Nanase: If you try, it won’t come naturally.

Torao Mido: When I space out, I remember things I’ve memorized a long time ago.

Riku Nanase: You think about studying when you space out ?!

Gaku Yaotome: I relate to that. Sometimes when I’m staring at my hands I remember Fleming’s right-hand rule. 

Gaku Yaotome: That’s right! Oh, do you want some rice balls too?

Torao Mido: Yeah, something like that.

Torao Mido: Ah, well then…

Riku Nanase: Which one do you want, the left or the right one?

Torao Mido: …Left?

Riku Nanase: Left! You won't regret it will you?!

Torao Mido: Uh, yeah… Maybe.

Riku Nanase: Ta-dah! The rice ball on the left… Yaotome-san, what flavor is it?

Gaku Yaotome: Bonito flakes.

Riku Nanase: Bonito flakes! Do you like bonito flakes? 

Torao Mido: Well, I guess.. I like them the normal amount.

Riku Nanase: Bingo!

Gaku Yaotome:  Good for you, Mido!

Torao Mido: Ah, thanks..I…somehow I’m happy… Maybe I do like bonito flakes in my rice balls…

Momo: Uwaaaaah ! MEZZO”’s manager’s U-turn was super cool…!

Banri Oogami: Ah, I missed the right turn.

Momo: It’s completely fine! It’s so cool! A national treasure! A world heritage that mankind has been waiting to see for generations! 

Banri Oogami: Sorry about that, I missed it.

Momo: Uuu.. and you just boosted my self-esteem by telling me my praise boosted yours…!

Banri Oogami: I missed the right turn and now my self-esteem is being boosted from being praised by a top idol.

Momo: I’m gonna cry…

Torao Mido: Is there some kind of connection between Momo-san and MEZZO”’s manager?

Torao Mido: There’s definitely something going on, are you sure? His excitement is scaring me a little bit ?!

Riku Nanase: Ermm, no!

Riku Nanase: Yeah, but the camera is on so…

Gaku Yaotome: Momo-san, if this gets broadcasted Yuki-san will definitely sulk. 

Banri Oogami: And I’ll get scolded for this. Everyone, we’ll arrive in about 40 minutes, feel free to sleep if you want to.

Momo: Don’t worry!! I’ll negotiate so that they cut this part out!!

Torao Mido: … Is it okay if I contact our manager?

Banri Oogami: Ah, yes. Go ahead.

Torao Mido: Got it.

[Phone rings]

Torao Mido: I’ll contact our manager Utsugi-san to see if he could explain…

[Beep]

[Cut to another car]

Torao Mido: Oh, hello. Utsugi-san?

Haruka Isumi: Hello, Torao?

Torao Mido’s voice: Haruka?

Haruka Isumi: Utsugi-san is driving so I picked it up for him.

Torao Mido’s voice: Are you guys with Utsugi-san?

Haruka Isumi: No, it’s just me but, it was all too sudden…

Tamaki Yotsuba: Isumin, who’s on the phone?

Haruka Isumi: To…Torao…

Tenn Kujo: Mido-san? Is someone from TRIGGER with him?

Nagi Rokuya: OH! IDOLiSH7 as well?

Haruka Isumi: Hold on, I’ll ask.

Haruka Isumi: Listen, Torao. Who are you with right now? I’m with TRIGGER’s Kujo-san and IDOLiSH7’s Yotsuba and Rokuya-san…

Haruka Isumi: Huh ?! G-Got it… I’ll hang up

[Beep]

Tamaki Yotsuba: Who’s Toracchi with?

Haruka Isumi: He says he’s with Momo-san, Yaotome-san and Nanase-san…

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ho, Rikkun’s with them!

Nagi Rokuya: There are four people here, and four people there.

Tenn Kujo: So Gaku is with them. I wonder if we’re headed towards the same place?

Haruka Isumi: Not sure… is this a TV program or something?

Tenn Kujo: I don’t know. Why don’t you ask your manager who’s currently driving us?

Haruka Isumi: I tried earlier but he wouldn’t say a thing!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Be more assertive about it! Go for it!

Nagi Rokuya: It's a mysterious drive for mysterious purposes, how about you ask for hints instead of answers?

Haruka Isumi: Be more assertive about asking for hints… I see. Okay, Utsugi-san.

Shiro Utsugi: Yes?

Haruka Isumi: Give me a hint on where we’re going!

Shiro Utsugi: No, I’m sorry.

Haruka Isumi: You’re sorry?! Why? What about Touma and Minami? Are they with others like Torao?

Shiro Utsugi: Who knows. Ah, there’s a small refrigerator in the back seat with drinks inside.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Really? Can we open it?

Shiro Utsugi: Dig in, dig in.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Yay! Thanks for the food!

[Fridge opens]

Tamaki Yotsuba: Oh, there are so many drinks! Which one do you guys want?

Tenn Kujo: I’ll have the Rooibos tea.

Haruka Isumi: I’ll have uhhhhh…

Nagi Rokuya: OH …!! There is the collaboration drink with Magical★Kokona! It’s the Magical Beauty Soda!!

Tenn Kujo: That’s right.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Good for you, Nagicchi!

Haruka Isumi: Do you like Magical★Kokona?

Nagi Rokuya: Rather than me liking it or disliking it, it’s more like whether it’s me or not.

Haruka Isumi: Well that’s deep…Then, I’ll go with that one too. Did you like your Magical Beauty Soda?

Nagi Rokuya: It was unique.

Haruka Isumi: Unique?

Tenn Kujo: I could guess.

Tamaki Yotsuba: I drank it too, but the taste changes with every sip. At first it tasted like banana, then lemon…

Haruka Isumi: That sounds interesting! I’ll try. Cheers!

Tenn Kujo: So?

Haruka Isumi: … Oh. It does taste like bananas at first… then it gradually shifts into…

Haruka Isumi: Steamed egg custard…

Tenn Kujo: Steamed egg custard?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Wh- Steamed egg custard.

Nagi Rokuya: Yes… Even the description in the back says it’s salty pudding flavored…

Tenn Kujo: Steamed egg custard…I can’t imagine drinking that…

Haruka Isumi: Wanna try it?

Tenn Kujo: No, I’m good.

Haruka Isumi: C’mon, it’s not as bad as it sounds. I think it’s actually pretty good, even if it’s steamed egg custard.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Did they have to make it salty? Pudding flavor would have been better. It’s yummy…

Shiro Utsugi: Um…

Tamaki Yotsuba & Haruka Isumi & Tenn Kujo & Nagi Rokuya: …

Shiro Utsugi: It’d be for the best if you didn’t criticize it too much…

Tamaki Yotsuba: We shouldn’t criticize it?

Haruka Isumi: You’re saying we shouldn’t complain?

Nagi Rokuya: The Magical Beauty Soda was manufactured by the major beverage company Jyuurokugumi (Group 16)…

Tenn Kujo: All the drinks inside this refrigerator are from them…

Tamaki Yotsuba & Haruka Isumi & Tenn Kujo & Nagi Rokuya: …

Tenn Kujo: I get it. We are celebrities after all.

Tenn Kujo: and Jyuurokugumi… If I remember correctly…

Tenn Kujo: Well, let’s focus on what’s in front of us for now. The cameras are rolling after all…

Tenn Kujo: Yotsuba-san, what would you like to drink?

Tamaki Yotsuba: I’ll take the orange juice. They keep telling me to eat more vegetables ‘cause I snack too much. Oranges are their cousins, right?

Tenn Kujo: Well, you’re not completely wrong. Rokuya-san?

Nagi Rokuya: Mineral water, please!

Haruka Isumi: So I’m left with the Magical Beauty soda huh…

Tenn Kujo: This tea, developed as a collaboration with a long-established tea shop, is very rich and full of history…

Tamaki Yotsuba: The orange juice is super yummy too!

Nagi Rokuya: This mineral water has incredible thirst-quenching properties! 

Haruka Isumi: A-Amazing! A true magical beauty!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ah…I got a rabbitchat from Sou-chan.

Haruka Isumi: Osaka–san? Why?

Tamaki Yotsuba: He says he’s heading to an unknown destination.

Nagi Rokuya: OH… the same as us.

Tenn Kujo: I think he’s worried about you. Tell him you’re safe and sound.

Tamaki Yotsuba: I wonder if he’s worried…

Haruka Isumi: I think he might be feeling down as well. Why don’t you cheer him up?

Tamaki Yotsuba: He’s not the type to do that…

Haruka Isumi: Really? I think Osaka-san has a kind, reserved and delicate aura.

Tamaki Yotsuba: You think so?

Haruka Isumi: Is that not the case?

Tenn Kujo: I don’t think so. He’s tougher than I imagined.

Haruka Isumi: Tough? Is he like Minami? He seems kind as well, but when he’s angry he’s real scary.

Nagi Rokuya: Mister Natsume is not scary. He’s not kind either.

Haruka Isumi: W-Why are you speaking as if you know him more than me? You know we’re members right.

Nagi Rokuya: OH, of course. I think highly of ŹOOḼ’s bonds of friendship.

Haruka Isumi: Are you and Minami close?

Nagi Rokuya: I don’t know. You ask him.

Tamaki Yotsuba: …Okay, I sent him a message.

Tenn Kujo: What’d you say?

Tamaki Yotsuba: I said I’m okay, so he should be fine too.

Tenn Kujo: Haha. That’s something you would say. I’m sure Osaka-san and the others feel cheered up.

To be continued…

Konden Einen Shizaiho was promulgated on May 27, 15 (June 23, 743) during the reign of Emperor Shomu in the middle of the Nara period. It is also called the Konden Einen Shizai Law, which is a law that allows the permanent privatization of Konden (newly cultivated land by oneself). Later this system collapses. It is a decree that was the basis of the outbreak of a villa.

[pinkroseblooms]

Hippity-Hop into Your Heart

Summary: Usahara is all too happy to play the role of boyfriend so you can shake off a creep, but of course, the night ends with him developing an all too real crush. 4.1 k A/N: Art from Gaku Kaze! Usahara Tobikichi/F!Reader. I have a soft spot for this dumb bunny and I think he needs more love. Enjoy! TW: Stalking, cursing (mostly for reader getting called a b*tch by said stalker).

Usahara’s drunk. Again. 

The night has hardly begun and he keeps slumping over the table, cheeks flushed and eyes bleary while he struggles to sit upright. “I wish I was funny.”

“I wish you were sober.” Uramichi slides another glass of water, moving aside the collection of empty shot glasses. “I thought we were only doing beer.”

“We should order motsu nikomi for him.” Kumatani suggests; he’s only on his third beer. 

They did start a bit later than expected for a weeknight. There’s hardly anyone else at the tables around them; hopefully Usahara doesn’t end up getting them kicked out for disturbing the peace. A server comes around with their next round of beers and Kumatani speaks up to request more water while they look over their options for food.

“I want gyoza!” Usahara slurs. “And a girlfriend. Ugh. I really want a girlfriend.” 

“You can have one of those things.” Kumatani glances at the paper menu. “Seeing as how gyoza’s on the menu and you’re a degenerate, let’s keep this based in reality.”

“I’m not a general!”

“Let’s leave him here.” Uramichi whispers, leaning over to Kumatani on his left. “He’ll pass out soon enough.”

“I’m drunk, not deaf.” Usahara grumbles; he sighs and sheds his jacket. “It’s hot. Can we get ice cream?”

“Why do you drink so much when you know you can’t handle booze?” Kumatani rests his chin on his hand. “If you think I’m paying your tab, you’ve got another thing-”

“Honey! There you are, sorry I’m late, I was stuck at the office.”

Usahara raises his head up; there’s a girl sliding into the booth seat next to him. For a split second, he thinks he might be having a hallucination, but you scoot closer and touch his arm with a strained smile. Not to mention Uramichi and Kumatani are also staring at him and you, visibly taken aback at this stranger joining their table, so Usahara is 100% positive the alcohol isn’t making him see things.

“I’m sorry.” You’re leaning in to whisper in his ear, still smiling but now your voice is considerably less cheerful. “A man’s been following me since I left my job.”

“What?” Usahara straightens up and stares at you, bewildered, trying to keep his tone low. “Did he come in?”

“He followed every time I changed directions.” You pretend to look at Uramichi and Kumatani but you’re actually sneaking a peek at the entrance. “He’s outside in the smoking area. I think he’s waiting.”

Usahara glances at the door; there is a man outside. It’s not easy to make his features out, but he can see him turn his head to look into the bar. 

“I’m sorry to intrude.” You drop your fake smile. “This place is the closest building with people and I thought he would keep following me if I sat down by myself. Could I wait here until he leaves? I’ll pay for your next round.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Uramichi frowns. “Do you want to call the police?”

“No, I mean, what could they do?” You release your grip on Usahara’s arm and give him some space. “He could just say he’s going the same way as me. I just didn’t want him to know where I live.”

“I’m going out there.” Kumatani stands up. 

“Oh please don’t!” You say hurriedly. “You really don’t have to get involved.”

“Scum like that need to have their asses kicked before they get the message. He looks weak.” Kumatani glares over at the door. “I’m not gonna be intimidated by some gross stalker.”

“But he could have a knife.” You say worriedly. “Even if he doesn’t, you’ll get in trouble for making things physical. Please, um…”

“Kumatani.” Usahara supplies. “He’s Kumatani, I’m Usahara, and that sad sack over there is Uramichi-”

“Kumantani, let’s use this drunk as a human shield.” Uramichi addresses the still standing Kumatani but his cold eyes are directly on Usahara’s. “If the creep has a knife, you’ll do your part as a concerned citizen, right?”

You glance around at the three of them. “Look, I already feel bad to bother you guys. I can get a ride; I doubt he’ll chase after a car, you know? I just,” you swallow hard; the last thing you want to do is start crying, not now in front of these strangers you had basically forced to be involved in this. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt, okay?”

“Alright.” Kumatani finally takes his seat. “You’ve got a good point.”

“You must have been scared.” Uramichi looks at you with some sympathy. “I’m not eager to do any heroics myself and I don’t blame you for not wanting to stir the pot. How far away is your work?”

“About ten minutes. I work for a family, well, a few different families in the area.” You explain; your teeth have stopped chattering and your heart has stopped pounding. “I actually do babysitting and cleaning jobs. Today the parents went out for a date: they offered to drive me home, but they had a few drinks at dinner and I didn’t want to spend money on a ride share app when my place is so close. I actually come here every now and then to wind down after work…I didn’t think I’d be coming in tonight to escape that asshole.”

“Uh, so,"  Usahara clears his throat. “Why did you sit next to me? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Dude.”

“Are you serious?”

“What?” Usahara holds up his hands as if to block himself from the death glares being shot his way. “Just curious!”

“The seat next to you was empty.” You answer honestly. “Why else would I?”

“Because I’m…cute?” Usahara grins but it fades as you raise an eyebrow at him. “Sorry. Okay, no more joking: are you hungry? You might as well eat something, my treat.”

“I thought you were broke?” Kumatani snips. “I told you, I’m not covering your tab.” he turns to you. “Order what you want.”

“Ice cold.” Usahara crosses his arms. “I just so happen to have some extra funds. I helped my folks in their store earlier, so they floated me a few bucks.” he winks at you. “Since I’m playing your boyfriend, I should treat my girl to something nice.”

“You made your poor parents pay you for helping them?” Uramichi shakes his head somberly. “I didn’t think you could sink lower.”

“They insisted! I’m not gonna turn down money in this economy.”

“Don’t blame the economy for your piss poor spending habits.”

“They’re so mean.” Usahara pouts to you. “Aren’t you going to stand up for your boyfriend?”

You look at him for a moment before your face breaks out into a smile, a real one. Before you can stop, a laugh escapes you and you keep laughing until you start wheezing slightly. 

“Wow, I think you broke her psyche.” Uramichi comments lightly. 

“I’m so-sorry, really, I don’t mean to laugh at you!” Your voice cracks as you press your hands to your mouth. “Usahara? I’m sorry, you’ve all been so great to help me out.”

“I’m glad.” Usahara smiles bashfully, rubbing the back of his head; he realizes he must seem hilariously pathetic, but hey, it’s not like this is a real date. “If you’re laughing, it means you’re feeling better, yeah?”

Your giggles die off and you wipe your eyes. “I am.” with a deep sigh, you’re able to calm down and breathe normally. “I was really scared. Thank you. I feel better mostly.”

“You need a good laugh, I’m your guy.” Usahara hands you his untouched glass of water. “Here, it’s just plain water. Do you want a beer or something?”

“You know what? I could use a drink.” You confess tiredly. “So, what brings you guys here?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nearly two hours pass in the blink of an eye; Usahara plays his role well. He pours you drinks, stays close, but not too close to you, and even hand fed you a couple of snacks. To the casual observer, the four of you would never know you were all strangers.

Despite the cordial mood, Usahara kept up the charade, just in case the man outside was still lurking around, though they haven’t seen his profile in the window for some time now. It’s an unfortunate truth that some men will only back off if they know a girl already has a boyfriend who can potentially beat them up. Usahara, although not quite as intimidating looking in comparison to his friends, is the tallest and he does spend a good amount of time training on his own. He’s confident that if nothing else, all three of them are more than enough to take down one shady weirdo. 

It’s too bad though. Usahara can't smother the twinge of bit guilt he feels at how much fun he’s having; there’s no need for him to put up a front or try to play it cool since this is very much not a date. There’s no pressure to look good in front of you, so Usahara can relax and not think about what he says too much or how he holds himself. 

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s awesome!” You tell him excitedly, hands grabbing onto his arm as if to shake sense into him. “An absolute classic, how the heck have you never heard of Killer Clowns from Another Dimension? Do you even watch movies?”

“Sometimes” Usahara sips a new glass of water you made him order. “I can’t believe you’re judging me.”

“I saw it.” Kumatani raises his hand. “The effects are next level.”

“A man of culture.” You give him a thumbs up. “This guy knows. Uramichi, make Usahara apologize.”

“Don’t drag me into this.” Uramichi drones. “I don’t get what any of you are saying.”

“Now who needs to watch more movies.” 

“I saw one recently.” Uramichi cocks his head to the side. “It was a comedy; some idiot didn’t know when to stop running his mouth so his co worker buries him alive.”

“That’s a horror movie! If I go missing, you’re gonna be the first one the cops talk to.” Usahara clings to your arm. “Babe, tell him to leave me alone.”

“If you coddle him, he’ll never learn to shut his trap.”

“There, there, honey bunny.” You pat Usahara’s head lightly. “I promise to light a candle for you until they find the body.”

“You won’t even look for me?!”

“I think it’s more likely you’ll be disposed of by some loan sharks.” Kumatani deadpans but even he has a hint of a smirk on his lips. “Keep up the gambling and you’ll be found in a river instead of a shallow grave.”

“You guys are terrible and when I hit the jackpot none of you are seeing a cent.” Usahara tells them before leaning his head on your shoulder, sticking his tongue out at the both of them. “She’s been way nice to me and we only just met.”

“Because she doesn’t know how insufferable you are yet.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” You glance down at Usahara as he gives you puppy eyes. “He’s doing a pretty good job of letting me know.”

“Babe, not cool.” 

“Sorry, honey.” You giggle and poke his flushed cheek; it’s funny how comfortable you feel right now and you don’t think it’s because of the beers. Maybe it’s because Usahara has no filter; you were so tense before, yet now you’re joking and chatting like this was the plan, to show up and hang out with these odd characters. “So, what would you do if you won the lottery?”

“Hm…”

“You should pay your rent on time.” Uramichi remarks; he’s eating his own plate of mackerel, sashimi style. “It would be nice to never have to get up for work again.”

“I want to take time off and buy a boat.” Kumatani closes his eyes. “Just floating out to sea, nice and quiet, fresh saltwater air.”

“Lame.”

“Usahara.” You smack his shoulder lightly. “Knock it off.”

“Hey why are you defending that jerk?” 

“This jerk is going to leave you to pay for all our food and drinks if you keep running your mouth.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” You shake your head somberly in disapproval as Usahara sulks. “Apologize or you’re sleeping on the couch, mister.”

“You sound more like a naggy wife than a cute girlfriend…”

“What’s that?”

“Sorry.” Usahara bows his head. “Sorry, Kumatani.”

“Good one.” Kumantani reaches over to refill your glass with a fresh pour of beer. “I’ll lend you the Man-Eating Salmon boxset if you can keep him quiet for the rest of the night.”

Usahara sips his water as you grin at Kumatani; oh well. He gets it. On paper, Kumatani makes sense: even he admits, it was pretty cool how Kumatani was going to go out there and take on that creep head on. It’s not Usahara’s style; he’s scared to get beat up and can barely throw a punch. Sue him. Still, it stings that even on this pretend date, Kumatani is still showing him up. 

“Hey guys?” It’s Uramichi that breaks the silence. “I think that creep got tired of waiting.”

They all look to the door; it’s not clear at first, but from your shaken expression, it’s apparent the man who’s made his way inside the bar is the same one who was stalking you. The smile is gone from your face; he’s approaching the table with an almost apologetic smile. He looks like a fairly normal person, to Usahara’s slight surprise, not like a thug or anything. Hell, he looks more intimidating. 

“Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping to get your number?” 

“What?” You sink into your seat. “That’s why you followed me?”

“Followed? I didn’t do anything like that.” The man looks surprised. “I go here all the time. I just saw you, thought I’d shoot my shot, you know? Besides, I don’t need anyone’s permission to come inside and have a drink-”

“Excuse me, but we’re trying to have dinner.” Usahara stares at the man blankly. “We saw you out there. If you just came to eat here coincidentally, why were you lurking outside?”

“I wasn’t-”

“Cut the bullshit.” Kumatani glares at the man, grip tightening on his mug like he wants to smash it against the offending stranger’s head. “Get the hint already, asshole.”

“You’re making everyone uncomfortable.” A dark look crosses Uramichi’s face; he’s poised as though he’s about to rise from his chair. “I think you ought to leave. She’s not interested.”

“Let her tell me herself-”

“She shouldn’t have to talk to some freak hounding her in the dark.” Usahara takes his jacket and drapes it over your shaking shoulders; he puts his arm around you. “You’re bothering my girlfriend; who do you think you are? She doesn’t owe you shit.” he forces himself to temper his anger and speaks to you gently. “Don’t feel like you have to say anything, okay babe? You haven’t done anything; it’s not your fault this loser is bugging you.”

“Fuck you.” The man snaps, posture rigid; he’s shaking, but he doesn’t move any closer. “I didn’t do anything, this bitch-”

“Don’t call her that!” Usahara stands up, but doesn’t try to attack the man; he stands in front of you, arms out slightly to obscure you from the stranger’s eyes. “You can either get your ass handed to you by my buddies-”

“Really? What are we, you bodyguards?”

Usahara ignores Kumantani’s dry stare. “-or leave in handcuffs.” he makes sure you’re blocked from view. “Your choice.”

“Go to hell.” 

But the confrontation ends there. With a sneer, the man storms out of the bar, rather quickly in fact; one of the staff members comes out from behind the counter with a concerned frown and asks if she needs to call the cops. Kumatani explains the situation and Uramichi actually goes himself to check if the man is just hiding around the corner of the bar. Usahara stays with you; despite how relieved you are, tears come to your eyes, dripping down your face.

“It’s okay.” Usahara hands you some napkins. “Do you need these?”

“Thank you.” You sniff and blow your nose into the offered napkins, but the tears aren’t stopping. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t even tell that asshole off, it was like I couldn’t even speak. I feel so dumb for being scared.”

“Not gonna lie, I was kinda scared too; Uramichi still has him beat in the dead eyed stare competition though.” Usahara chuckles; he tentatively holds one of your hands; your palm is clammy and your fingers are cold. “Sorry you had to go through that. I really thought he had left; I think the owner’s gonna call the cops anyway, dude seemed unhinged.”

“Oh, your jacket,”

“You can hold onto it. Your hand’s freezing.” Usahara ignores the slight chill he feels as you squeeze his hand. “You want me to get you a hot tea or something? Sorry, I have no clue what to do for these kinds of situations.”

“You’ve done more than enough.” You smile at him; your cheeks and eyes are red and puffy. “Thank you; the only reason I was able to feel okay at all is because of you guys being so kind. I’m so sorry for all this.”

Usahara feels bad for your gratitude; he’s also angry. He’s half tempted to go outside himself and chase after that creep, but more than that, he could cry himself from how sad you look, how you actually felt like you had to apologize for someone else's horrible actions.

“Don’t apologize. Hell, I didn’t do anything.” Usahara has to stop himself from trapping you in a big bear (bunny?) hug. “Look, do you want one of us to take you home? It’s past midnight and sometimes you get creepy drivers on that app if you request a ride this late at night.” Usahara averts his eyes to the table, trying to sound assuring despite the pit forming in his stomach. “Kumatani seems grumpy, but you won’t find anyone more reliable and Uramichi is a decent guy, even if he mopes a lot. They’ll keep you safe on your way home.”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

You look nervous. “I trust you…of course, you’ve already helped me so much. I can walk home alone, I’ll pretend to be on the phone.”

“No, not at all!” Usahara scrambles to talk. “I’d be totally okay walking you home! Just leave it to Tobikichi Usahara, you won’t have anything to worry about!”

“Are you trying a stand up routine?” Uramichi reenters the booth, unmoved by Usahara’s objections. “Anyway, I think he’s really gone this time, but the owner’s still going to call the police and have them take a look around. I guess this isn’t the first time they’ve had a problem, she’s pretty sure it’s the same guy too. With any luck, he won’t be bothering anyone again.”

“I hope so.” You wipe your eyes. “Thank you, Uramichi; where’s Kumatani?”

“Settling your tab.”

“What?!” You gap at him, almost expecting this to be a joke. “That’s way too much, I was going to pay for you guys-”

“Give it a rest.”

“Uramichi!” Usahara is scandalized. “This is why girls don’t talk to you.Would it kill you to show a little tact? She's upset.”

“Are you seriously telling me that? Who asked you anyway? Look, I’m just saying, it’s no trouble.” Uramichi’s eyes soften a smidge as he looks at you. “Don’t get me wrong, I really hope this never happens again, but tonight was almost fun.”

Kumatani approaches the table, tucking away what you assume is a receipt in his wallet. “Let’s finish up and call it a night: Usahara, you owe me half the tab.”

“Saw that coming.” Usahara shrugs and manages a weak smile. “Fair enough; but I’m only paying for her and my stuff.”

“Okay.” Kumatani chuckles. “I expected you to put up a fuss like usual. We should invite your girlfriend out every time we get drinks.”

“Dude!” Usahara’s already flushed face turns bright red. “Jokes on you, I’m never inviting you guys out with us.” he sends you a lopsided grin. “If I win the jackpot, it’ll be dinner for two, wherever you want to eat.”

“Actually,” You fiddle with the sleeve of his jacket. “I was hoping we could all do this again sometime; you know, without the looming threat of being stalked. Is that weird?”

“You want to put up with us again?” Kumatani asks, but you can tell he’s mostly teasing. 

“I guess.” Uramichi concedes. “It’s nice to have a buffer.”

“Buffer? What, so you can ignore me and get drunk in peace?” Usahara sighs dramatically. “Well, that’s fine with me; having another person around makes your mood swings less stressful-ow, ow, ow! I’m sorry, I give up, you’re not moody!”

Uramichi stops grinding his fists on either side of Usahara’s temples. “Just take her home already and try not to fall over in the street.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, that’s us.” Usahara laughs somewhat embarrassed. “Did you really have fun tonight?”

“Yeah.” You say honestly; you’re leading the way to your apartment, walking slow. “You’re looking pale; do you always drink that much?”

“....yeah…” Usahara admits reluctantly. “I know, I know, I’m a mess.”

“Without a doubt.” 

“So mean…”

“But you’re very nice.” You offer him with a half smile. “And brave.”

“Me?”

“Uh huh.”

Usahara stares at you from the corner of his eye; the street lights overhead shine a dim glow on your hair and face. You’re still wearing his smelly old jacket, a grease stain on the front from dropping fried chicken on himself the other day. It looks better on you.

“Uh oh.” Usahara could slap himself. “Dude, not cool. She’s been through enough tonight. You were pretending so she could feel safe. It’s not like she actually wants to date you. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the moment. She’s a nice girl who needed your help and as it stands, she doesn’t think you’re a complete loser. Let’s keep it that way and call this a win.”

“This is me.” You come to a stop in front of a complex Usahara has gone past quite a few times before. “I’d invite you in for tea, but I should be going to bed. Can I give you my number? If you want to hang out again sometime.”

“Sure thing.” Usahara switches phones with you. “Call, text, whatever; let me know when you’re free.”

“I’ll do that.” You nod and hand him back his cellphone. “Wait, don’t go yet.”

Usahara was about to leave. “Is everything alright? I can wait until you get inside to-”

“You’re sweet.” You take off his jacket, putting it around his shoulders; you peck his jaw, not quite able to reach his cheek. “Next time, maybe we can go on a real date?”

“Am I passed out at the bar?” Usahara touches the spot where you had pressed your soft lips against his skin. “Sorry, let me get this straight: you want to see me again? Me, Usahara, specifically? For a date? Like a ‘date-date’?” he frowns, examines your face carefully. “Are you drunk? I don’t want to take advantage, I mean, you might have second thoughts later, which is totally okay, I-I don’t mind just being friends-!”

“I am a bit tipsy, but I don’t think that’s affecting anything.” You smile a little. “Maybe you should text me first thing in the morning? Just to make sure.”

“I’ll probably be super hungover.” Usahara looks at you like you’re too good to be real. “I usually go to this breakfast place, if you’re interested. It’s a cheap spot but the food’s good. Sorry, I-”

“Are you treating?”

“Yes! And I’ll pick you up?” Usahara is on pins and needles, utterly failing to reign in his excitement. “I have a spare helmet, if you don’t mind riding on a motorcycle. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“It’s a date.” You start to walk away. “Tell the guys I said thank you, again. Do you think they’ll want to get breakfast too?”

“NO!” Usahara hates how his voice pitches so high in panic; he looks down at the ground, a little ashamed of himself, but not enough to be unselfish. He really is shameless. “At least for this time, I want it to be just us. You can see for yourself if I’m worth your time; I swear, you won’t be disappointed.”

“I’m holding you to that.” You smile playfully. “Honey bunny.”

Usahara blushes so much he thinks his face might be on fire, waving in a daze as you disappear into your apartment. 

“Oh crap." It almost hurts how hard Usahara's smiling as he thinks about seeing you again. "I'm so screwed.”

[genoskissors]

All the victims listed in the Genocide Jack file.

Likely because English takes more space, the English version did not include all of the names. I’ll mark those ones with a star. They also mixed up first names and last names a lot so mine will all follow the typical format: [First] [Last] ([Last Kanji] [First Kanji])

Ken Harada (原田 剣)

Tetsuhiro Honda (本多 鉄広)

Gaku Shouji (庄司 岳)

Issei Kanno (菅野 一聖)

Takeshi Yoshida (吉田 威士)

Tarou Komatsuna (小松奈 太郎)

Takefumi Gouno (郷野 武文)

Youji Onda (恩田 洋治) ☆

Erio Kishida (岸田 絵李夫) ☆

Osamu Tsuji (辻 修) ☆

Naohisa Uchida (内田 直久)

Masamune Takashi (貴志 正宗)

Yuuto Yumejima (夢島 由人)

Japanese books are read right to left and the first victim is listed as 32 (when we know the first victim was her age), so I assume this list starts at 37 (her victim count) and goes down to 25.

[rabbitenn]

Love your blog! I've always been a Re:Vale fan (and still am) and didn't have eyes or ears for the other groups…but your characterizations have made me start liking Trigger too. This may be a bit of a controversial request so I won't feel bad if you pass on it. Could I have the Trigger boys reacting to their s/o's tummy growling in front of them? This is not coming from an ED mindset--I've been extremely busy/stressed (working 6+ day weeks, juggling 3 part-time jobs, and having random SNAFU stuff come up with family that results in more responsibilities/duties etc.) and so meals/eating has kind of fallen by the wayside for me. Still eat…but maybe only managing to eat breakfast in a single day or something. Made me crave being taken care of/fussed over by the Trigger boys. Thank you!

SLOW DOWN.

Your schedule is packed and you’ve been neglecting your own health. However, your boyfriend is not having it.

ft. Yaotome Gaku, Kujo Tenn, Tsunashi Ryunosuke x gn! reader.

cw/genre: fluff, comfort, soft caring boyfriends.

hello, lovely ! thank you so much for requesting. Your words honor me, really ! I’m very happy my fics could make you love TRIGGER, that’s really one of the highest compliments I could ever get, so thank you, truly <3 My apologies that I’m quite late in posting this, I hope it’s still to your liking. Also, I hope you can find a moment to take a break too, take care, please !

♡ YAOTOME GAKU

— Gaku misses you.

— The moments you two spend alone together are becoming more and more scarce.

— And it’s not due to any fallouts or misunderstandings, no, far from it, actually.

— You miss him too.

— Because for the last few weeks, all you’ve been doing is work. Commuting from one workplace to another, providing for your family, with barely any days off.

— Which resulted in your time with your boyfriend being affected; fleeting kisses and ‘see you tonight’s are the longest conversations you’ve been sharing lately, your nights cuddled by each other’s side watching movies being cut short when you helplessly fell asleep on Gaku’s shoulder.

— He sighs, a little saddened. It’s unfair you are exerting yourself like this… Without barely a moment to breathe… He hopes you’re only taking on so much work for a short while.

— Laying you down on his bed and pulling the covers snuggly around you, Gaku decides to reserve some time from his own schedule to come see you at work the next day.

♡

Carrying another flowerpot, you heave a sigh the moment you place it on the shelf.

With the back of your hand, you wipe the sweat from your brow. Your arms are slightly shaking, having spent a good part of the morning moving boxes and arranging the shelves of the flower shop you work at part time.

With a sideways glance at the ticking clock, you realize it’s almost lunchtime.

Though it was never really lunchtime for you, as you usually spent the hour you had going over several papers that needed to be sorted for your office job.

Switching the door’s sign to ‘closed’, you pull a chair next to the counter, as a flurry of documents begins to cover the entirety of the wooden surface.

Then, a chiming sound makes you momentarily lose your focus.

“Sorry, we’re closed.” You announce, not even bothering to raise your gaze from the work at hand.

You hear the door closing with a dull ‘thud’, footsteps approaching.

“I said,” You brace your hands on the table, standing up from your seat. “That we are clo-“

Steel hued eyes meet yours in the middle of your sentence.

“Gaku!” You smile up at him. He doesn’t miss the dark circles under your eyes. “What are you doing here?”

One of his hands cups your cheek, the pads of his fingers smoothing over the tiredness of your skin, as if just like that, he could erase the clouds of sleepless nights from your stare.

“Inviting you to have lunch with me, of course.” He utters, in the blossom scented space that separates you.

You lower your head, hair falling in front of your eyes.

“Dear… I would love that but… I don’t have the time. I’m sorry…” You trail off, thinking of the meager energy drink you’ve had time to buy on your way here this morning.

As if to announce that it is time already for you to have a proper meal, your stomach growls.

Heat rises to your cheeks. This is so embarrassing! For your gut to make that kind of noise in front of your hot boyfriend.

“You didn’t hear that…” You mumble, looking everywhere except at him.

A chuckle causes you to look at him wide eyed.

“Gaku, please, don’t make fun of me…” You whine, holding onto his arm.

Those crystalline eyes of his soften, his hand finding yours.

“I’m not making fun of you, but you need to eat. So I’m taking you to the soba shop, yeah? I’ll drive you back to your other job afterwards.”

“But I… You have work too… I just can’t waste your time like this… driving me afterwards…”

“[Y/n], look at me.” Your boyfriend’s tone is serious, yet still warm.

When your gaze meets his, his expression is solemn.

“You never waste my time. Never.”

You sigh, a tired smile making it to your lips. It warms your heart, really that your partner is so sweet.

“Alright.” You utter, gathering your stuff. “And Gaku?”

“Yes, love?”

“Thank you.” You tell him, as you nuzzle against his side.

“Nothing to thank me for.” He whispers, with a kiss to the crown of your head.

The midday sun outlines your intertwined hands against the concrete as you make your way to his car.

You promise to make time for him soon.

♡ KUJO TENN

— Tenn is very perceptive, so, honestly, it will be hard for you to neglect yourself before he notices and “forces” you to take care.

— He sees how you barely have any energy left whenever you two happen to have the same day off.

— How you’re so flooded with projects for work you barely tell him about your day anymore, dismissing the topic with a ‘busy, as usual.’

— And well, he knows what you’re doing. How, in order to provide for others, to make enough money and keep your superiors at work pleased, you’re running yourself ragged.

— How does he know? Well, because he pretty much does the exact same thing; just giving, to his fans, to his family, to everyone, even at the cost of his own happiness or health.

— But with you, he wants you to put yourself first. You’re so dear to him, Tenn can’t bear the thought of seeing your light dim like this.

— And he will not hesitate to confront you about it.

♡

The shuffling of steps causes for Tenn to look up from his book.

Usually, his face lit up whenever he saw you, but today, the image of you breaks his heart a little.

You look sickly. Your hair is a mess, your clothes are all rumpled, and nasty looking shadows seem to have been permanently etched under the bright eyes he loves to look into.

Tenn swallows; he has to do something about it, your condition is just going to worsen if you keep this up.

“[Y/n]…” Your boyfriend calls you as you rummage through the kitchen cupboards.

“Tenn, do we have any energy bars left?” You ask, still searching.

He sighs. It’s your day off today. And you’re not even going to have a proper meal?

“[Y/n].” He repeats, his tone a tad colder.

“Where did I put them…” You muse to yourself.

Well, you’re bent on not paying attention to him, so he’ll have to snap you out of this vicious cycle.

Your lover’s hand wraps around your wrist, firm but gentle. He spins you around, making you face him.

You let out a gasp, taken aback by his bold action right now.

“[Y/n], listen to me.” Tenn commands, still not letting go of you.

“Tenn, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time now-“

He pulls you closer to him.

“You will listen.”

He can feel your shallow breathing now, his silken strands of starlight on snow brushing the side of your cheek, his comforting and sweet scent surrounding you.

Oh, how you wish you could just bask in his warmth, curled up with a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of the donuts he so adores as you two read on the couch.

But sadly, your situation doesn’t exactly leave you the time for such hedonistic actions.

“Tenn…” You breathe, wide eyed.

“Why do you keep doing this to yourself?” He lets out, voice breaking a little, barely above a whisper.

“Doing what?”

“You’re not hydrating properly, your lips are all chapped; you’re not sleeping enough, and when was the last time you had a real meal?” Your boyfriend questions, his thumb running soothing patterns over your wrist.

As if in response, your tummy decides to rumble right then and there.

You slump your shoulders, burying your face in his chest. The softness of his sweater is welcoming, akin to a comfort blanket that’s been with you since childhood.

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” You laugh, humorlessly, closing your eyes to all the burdens you’ve been shouldering alone.

Your shoulders start to shake. Tenn’s arms wrap around your form, so frail now, as if a simple gust of wind could shatter what remains of your sanity.

“Not when it comes to you, my love.” Your boyfriend answers, his voice a sweet melancholy symphony. “Now, why don’t I run a hot bath for you and make us something to eat?” He suggests, his fingers lacing with yours. “It’s our day off, so, please, rest.” He murmurs, honeyed lips leaving the softest kiss ever known to your cheek.

“I’d like that.” You reply, squeezing Tenn’s hands a little tighter. “I’d really love that.”

Your boyfriend gives you a tender smile, bringing you close to him again, wrapping you in the sweetness of his delicate hug.

“I’d love that too, my [Y/n].”

You look up at him. Then:

“I love you, Tenn-Tenn.”

Shades of vibrant pink flower across his cheeks at your use of the cute nickname, eyes of rosé dreams softening even more when he regards you.

“I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.”

Protected in Tenn’s embrace, you feel the exhaustion and hunger of the last few weeks seeping away.

Your Tenn really is an angel, you think, as you bathe in his comforting light for a few more instants.

♡ TSUNASHI RYUNOSUKE

— Sweet Ryu, who just wants to see you always smiling.

— He’s been feeling this ache lately; the time you two share together has been diminishing; your smiles have become more rare; you’re not there when he wakes up or when he goes to bed.

— And in moments when you two are actually together, you barely talk, just cuddling up into him, your face buried in his chest.

— Don’t get him wrong, he loves holding you close, he really does, but there’s something in your smile that feels… off.

— As if you were a candle, out in a windy night, threatening to topple over and either extinguish or go up in flames.

— Ryu’s worried… Have you been eating properly lately? He knows you work at different places and don’t really have the time to sit down and have nutritious meals nor to prepare them.

— He’ll have to make up for it.

♡

The sound of the front door opening and closing announces your return.

Outside, it’s pitch dark night, mid-autumn wind blowing with force, the trees lining the street inevitably bending to its imposing tune.

You carelessly throw your bag to the floor as you remove your shoes, too exhausted to even sort out the files inside. That’s a future you problem, for now.

Releasing a breath, you pull back your shoulders, an attempt at releasing some of the accumulated tension.

“Long day?” A voice you loved, no matter if it was whispering sweet nothings or singing on bright stages, asks.

Your lips curl up in a soft smile, following the sound of his voice to the kitchen.

“You could say that.” You sigh, slumping on one of the chairs.

Your boyfriend turns around, switching off the fire momentarily.

It’s cute, you think, the sight of him donning an apron, cooking so peacefully and joyfully… If you weren’t so tired you’d love nothing more than to help him with it… But truth be told, lately you don’t even have time to pack your own lunch boxes.

“You know,” Ryu takes a seat next to you, his hand on yours over the table. “If there’s ever anything troubling you, I’m here to help you through it. No matter what it is, we’ll face it together.”

His eyes of melted sunlight stare at you with determination; so inviting, a blank book beckoning you to write in a language only you two speak all of your worries.

“Well it’s just…” You begin. “Lately, I’m… I feel…like work is taking up so much from me… I barely have time to spend with you or to eat…”

As if to prove your point, your belly chooses that exact moment to grumble.

“Damn it, that’s embarrassing.” You curse through gritted teeth.

Ryunosuke offers you one of his serene smiles.

“Dinner will be ready in a minute, my dear.”

He stands up, lips brushing against your forehead in a kiss that’s loving and reassuring.

“Just relax and let me take care of you tonight.” He softly tells you as he parts.

You’re glad you have the day off tomorrow. You’re so making up for lost time with him.

[idolish7imagines]

Could I request aged-up Tenn, Riku, & Iori drunk headcanons? including how they would interact with their sober S/O. thank you!

Drunk Headcanons for 21+ Tenn, Riku + Iori

A/n: this ended up being so much longer than i thought it would be so i hope you enjoy it

tw: alcohol

.::.

Kujo Tenn

Tenn thinks he has SUCH a good control on how much he drinks, but really its just that he isn't a lightweight so he can drink more than say Ryuu or Sogo and be fine

Usually stops once he feels slightly tipsy, which can lead to him being seen as a bit of a buzzkill when someone offers another drink and he declines

He likes the more fruity and fancy alcoholic drinks, making Gaku roll his eyes thinking he has 'higher standards for alcohol than the rest of them that just swig down beer'

8/10 in terms of handling after drinking, Tenn is typically at least fine enough to drive after waiting a half hour

With his s/o however, it depends on what kind of night he's having when they take him home

Sometimes he becomes flirty (a pretty obvious sign he's drunk because he would never, at least in public) if you approach him and doesn't care if there's one or two people nearby (meaning idol coworkers not a staff or anyone else thats too risky-)

Not in a lewd or terribly risque way though, he'll whisper in your ear or wrap his arms around your waist

On nights like a wrap party or concert afterparty though, he's tired. He's happy to go home with you so the two of you can lie together in bed and cuddle. Bonus points if you're taking care of him even though he isn't even fully drunk. He's very open to letting you do that as opposed to having a few protests normally.

Nanase Riku

Riku is the happy, emotional drunk; a little similar to Ryuu and Sogo

however, he crashes quick.

After a burst of spontaneous ideas and telling everyone how much he loves them and that he's happy to just be there, he's asleep before you can even process it

He's not picky with his drinks, he'll try anything anyone recommends...unless Tenn tells him not to

He can drink a lot if he does it quickly, but he is a lightweight

Riku's face flushes an adorable shade of pink up to his ears once he's fully drunk and usually can't stop giggling; also thinks everything everyone says is funny for better or for worse

6/10 in terms of handling, he'll usually do what you say after you tell him he's drunk, but you'd wish he'd stop laughing. Or if he's already asleep its hard to wake him back up to leave

With his s/o, he's usually latched onto them for the rest of the night after they come close for literally whatever reason. He'll hug you from behind and rest his head on your shoulder, just wanting to be close and touching you. Unfortuately he probably smells like alcohol all over.

As stated earlier, if you tell him its time to go he won't argue on it or even try to convince you he isn't drunk; the most you'll get is probably a pout.

On the bright side going home means more cuddles with you and thats what he wants.

Izumi Iori

Like Tenn, he thinks his alcohol intake is carefully calculated just because he doesn't get drunk as quick as everyone else

His intake is probably as good as Mitsuki's, or even better

He doesn't drink often and claim he doesn't care for it, but once there's a party or other event with alcohol he ends up with a drink at some point (after shaking his head at Yamato and his brother for being the same way-)

Usually starts off light and gradually goes for more heavy drinks if he's in the mood for it

Honestly is probably the type that drinks because of stress and less because he enjoys the taste

Because he doesn't seek out alcohol himself he just drinks Mitsuki's reccomendations (stopped taking Yamato's because 'he'll drink anything as long as alcohol is in it')

8/10 to deal with, he's a little quiet and a bit sleepy after drinking

Sometimes he spaces out after having a considerable amount of drinks and someone has to ask if he's alright

Face only turns pink around the nose area, his whole face doesn't turn a different shade even when drunk

With his s/o, most times he wants them to take him home so he can go to bed. He's good enough to drive but simply doesn't want to at that point.

Will actually ask you to stay with him and rests his head on your chest (he will scream about it in the morning)

[redgoldsparks]

May Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon.

Boys Run The Riot vol 2 by Keito Gaku

I really wanted to like this series, but unfortunately, I don't. The pacing feels rushed, the characters aren't very realistic and burst out into outsized emotional reactions that don't feel earned, and at the end of this volume the trans character is outed against his will on a youtube channel with a million followers. I'm going to have to give up on this story. 

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

This book is short, accessible and very informative! Price is trans and autistic, and was only diagnosed later in life. He blends narrative of his own lived experience with many interviews and thorough research. This book encourages compassion, self-knowledge, community building, and unmasking- the process of shedding the habits many autistic people employ to hide or mask their autistic traits. As a queer person pondering my own potential place on the autism spectrum, this book was an excellent introduction and gave me a lot of food for thought!

Thick as Thieves by Megan Whelan Turner read by Steve West

These books continue to delight! This deep into the series, I don't want to summarize the plot, as one of the pleasures of this series is how each book has built on the previous ones. The volatile political machinations between the the three peninsula countries of Eddis, Attolia, Sounis and the Mede Empire grow increasingly complex. Eugenides continues to make moves that appear petty and childish, whose deeper purpose is only revealed much later. I continue to be amazed at the character arcs, both of new characters and returning favorites. Read these books! I can't recommend them highly enough!

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link

Another magical short story collection from Kelly Link! These stories are more directly inspired by existing fairy tales than Link's other work, but each one has been moved into the modern day, and generally changed so much as to be only loosely recognizable. A Game of Smash and Recovery, inspired by Hansel and Gretel, does feature a brother and sister; but they have been stranded on a foreign moon by their space-traveling parents, and live by scavenging supplies from vast warehouses left behind by previous inhabitants, while evading the vampires which flutter around the edges of their downed spacecraft. As the younger sister gets older, she comes closer and closer to a realization that neither she nor her brother nor their parents are who she thinks they are. The Lady and the Fox, based on Tamlin, does involve a young woman clutching her beloved to her chest through a series of painful magical transformations, but the woman is a charity case goddaughter of a rich actress who's family hosts ridiculously elaborate Christmas parties in their family mansion. Skinder's Veil, loosely Snow-White and Rose Red, does contain two nearly identical sisters, but the main character is a grad student struggling to finish his thesis who takes on a house-sitting job in a cabin in Vermont that might be visited by immortals. And so on and so on, Link weaves her threads. This one didn't unseat Get in Trouble as my favorite Link collection, but I enjoyed it very much. 

Return of The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner read by Steve West

Once again, Turner introduces a new POV character, and once again she knocks a complicated, emotional, satisfying tale of historical fantasy out of the park! I can't get over the fact that this six book series book the author over 20 years to write, and yet is so internally consistent, it feels as if she knew from the very beginning exactly how to she wanted everything to go. This series is technically YA, but the majority of the characters are adults; it was started in the era before YA existed as the genre we know it now. If you are a fan of any Tamora Pierce books, or Steven Brust's Jhereg series, or Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor, I think you'd like these too. 

Different for Boys by Patrick Ness illustrated by Tea Bendix

This illustrated book tells an impressively nuanced story in a very short space. The narrator, Ant, ponders the meaning of virginity as a high school boy questioning his own sexuality. Ant and his best friend from childhood, Charlie, regularly mess around with each other, performing sexual acts which are blacked out in the text. The characters themselves are aware of this textual censorship and comment on it, adding a level of meta to this already nonlinear and nontraditional narrative. Charlie is sweet in private but vocally homophobic in school, hurling insults at another mutual friend, Jack, who isn't publicly out but is read as queer by his peers. Ant struggles with how much, or when, to step in and defend Jack without outing his and Charlie's secret relationship. The story has an open but hopeful ending, and its questions and unresolved aspects feel deeply true. 

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

Told entirely in slack messages, this nontraditional novel unfolds the minor and major dramas of a public relations firm with a speculative twist. The main character, Gerald, has accidentally uploaded his consciousness into the slack app and is unsure what is happening to the body he left behind. The slackbot is becoming increasingly sentient as he sends it help query after help query. His co-workers think this is an elaborate ruse to take advantage of their company's lax work from home policies during a particularly snowy New York winter. Meanwhile, his coworker Lydia is being haunted by spectral howling, Tripp is regularly the only man in the on-site office and keeps leaving the heating on overnight, Deepu is feeling left out of office in jokes and Doug, their boss, is convinced that someone is sabotaging his office furniture. This story is snappy, queer, and never gets bogged down by what could have been a gimmicky premise. It took me one Saturday afternoon to read! 

The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner read by Steve West

After finishing this whole 6 book series I went back to re-read book one and it is DELICIOUS to catch all of the hints and foreshadowing once you know how the story ends. Here’s the review I wrote after my first read in 2018:

This book was DELIGHTFUL. Set in a fantasy Mediterranean Renaissance world, the prose is simple and the initial plot set up is uncomplicated. Gen is a master level thief who made a mistake and ended up in the King's prison in Sounis. After months of imprisonment he is summoned by the Magnus, the King's most trusted adviser, who threatens Gen into joining a covert mission. A small party (the magus, the thief, one soldier and two of the magus' students) will sneak into the neighboring country of Attolia, in search of a powerful and ancient artifact. But every member of the party is intentionally or unintentionally carrying secrets, and in the end few of them are who they appear to be. I already feel like I've said too much. Go and read this book to find out the rest!

Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying

I'm refraining from giving this book a star rating because I feel genuinely unqualified to rate its effectiveness. This story deals with two very heavy topics- a character struggling with an eating disorder and grief after the death of a parent- which I have no experience with. The book portrays the main character binging and purging, which could potentially be very triggering for some readers in ED recovery, but could also be extremely cathartic to those who haven't seen their experiences reflected before. That's really going to depend on the reader. What I can say is that the art is very beautiful, I enjoyed the limited color palette, and I hope this book finds the readers who need it.

Freestyle by Gale Galligan

Eighth grader Cory is part of a tight friend group of dancers who practice every weekend. It's their last year of middle school and they want to make the most of this year- and hopefully win the annual winter Bronx Dance Battle! Unfortunately, Cory's parents aren't thrilled with his grades, and they hire a tutor three afternoons a week after school, cutting into his free time with his friend crew. Worse yet, his tutor turns out to be the best student in his grade, a girl named Sunna who he immediately clashes with. But then Cory realizes that Sunna also as a secret talent: she can throw a yo-yo like no one he's ever seen. The art in this book is fantastic, colorful and energetic, with beautiful panels capturing the movement of dance, running, yo-yo tricks, and physical humor. I had to set aside a little bit of disbelief that any eighth graders might be this motivated and organized; I've also seen a couple minor critics of the way Sunna, a hijab wearing Muslim character, was portrayed as attending a school dance and spending time tutoring Cory in his bedroom with the door closed. However, the overall tone of this book is so joyful, positive, warmhearted, and well-intentioned that I'd still absolutely recommend it. 

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky

I am not a very active reader of poetry, but this collection contains one of the poems I think about possibly more than any other: "We Lived Happily during the War." I first read it in the New Yorker magazine sometime before 2017, though I don't remember exactly when. I saw the poem circulating the internet again when Russian began to invade Ukraine. Kaminsky was born in the former Soviet Union, and the majority of the poems in this collection unfold a story of an Eastern European town occupied by enemy soldiers. Reoccurring characters tell of the violence and tragedy of this occupation: a newly married couple expecting a child, the owner of a puppetry theater, a young deaf child killed by soldiers, neighbors who defend and betray each other. Read it almost like a poetic play in two acts, relevant to our times. 

[prozd]

my favorite things this year

Best Games I Played in 2022

1. Yakuza Kiwami 2

2. Pokemon Legends: Arceus

3. Vampire Survivors

4. Pokemon Snap

5. Kirby's Adventure

Best Shows I Watched in 2022

1. Ranking of Kings

2. We Are The Champions

3. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

4. Murderville

5. Aggretsuko 4

Best Movies I Watched in 2022

1. Turning Red

2. Shoplifters

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once

4. Luca

5. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

6. On-Gaku: Our Sound

7. Drive My Car

8. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

9. Jackass Forever

10. Glass Onion

also good: Bodies Bodies Bodies, Nope, Belfast, Barbarian, Uncut Gems, The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Board Games I Played in 2022

1. Clank! Catacombs

2. Forgotten Waters

3. Long Shot: The Dice Game

4. So Clover

5. Rolling Realms

6. Tyrants of the Underdark

7. Sniper Elite: The Board Game

8. Sidereal Confluence

9. Aeon's End: Legacy of Gravehold

10. Paleo

also good: Ark Nova, Eclipse: Second Dawn of the Galaxy, Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery, Smartphone Inc, Aquatica, Dinosaur Island: Rawr n Write, Super-Skill Pinball: 4-cade, Flamecraft, Iki, Kanagawa, Trapwords, Insider, The Guild of Merchant Explorers