#Got dam. I feel like it was told a bit better than in the manga too like it was given more focus idk

[darklight-owl]

So I read the Sonju and Mujika light novel chapter-

[zmalkarnar1]

What About Us? Part II: Oikawa x Male Reader

Here is the second part of the Oikawa x Male reader I posted the other week. Wasn’t satisfied leaving it where it was. 

Again, if you aren’t ahead in the manga there are spoilers. Enjoy.

“Iwa-chan, I have to get this done!”

“No. You need a break Y/n.” Iwaizumi said, pulling Y/n away from his computer and through his pigsty apartment.

“But Iwaizumi, just another thirty minutes...no, just another hour and I can be done with this piece,” Y/n whined, pulling back towards his pc. 

“Y/n, we agreed to meet with Hanamaki and Matsukawa for lunch. We would’ve been there already, but I swear you’re as bad as Trashykawa, forgetting everything except your art.”

“Just a little bit, I just need a little more time,” Y/n pleaded, trying to pull away from Iwaizumi.

“Y/n. I will carry your ass outside and drag you by your ear.”

“But Iwa-chan…”

“Now,” he said, arms crossed, exasperated as if he was dealing with a child. He probably was. Y/n wilted under Iwaizumi’s gaze, and slowly got up, shoulders slouched. Iwaizumi hung his arm around him. 

“It’ll be fine. Some time with friends will do you good.

Giving d/n a pat goodbye, Y/n let Iwaizumi lead the way to the restaurant they had promised to meet their friends. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Y/n’s eyes gazed at the surrounding cityscape, the final vestiges of winter fading away as the new birth of spring sprouted forward. Iwaizumi was right; he needed a break. Though he’d never admit it to his friend. Even his walks with d/n have been little more than fever dreams to him, everything was focused back on his work.

“Man, it's nice out. You should have told me the weather was this great,” Y/n teased knowing full well Iwaizumi had done just that.

Iwaizumi stopped and stared deadpan at Y/n. He’d forgotten that Y/n was sometimes just as bad as Oikawa, well, not quite as bad. At least, he’s gotten worse ever since they left high school. Iwaizumi always let it slide; he figured it was how Y/n dealt with all the stress piling up on him. Y/n was always cheerful, and a bit of a tease, but Iwaizumi knew that more often than not, it was a façade, a smokescreen. He was hiding his pain, just like he did in high school. Iwaizumi wasn’t fooled however. 

“You’re really tired, aren’t you?”

“Huh? No more than normal,” Y/n said, that ghost of a smile returning to his face. “Why’d you ask? Worried about me?”

“Yes, I am. Trashykawa told me how you’ve been working yourself into a mental breakdown,” 

“Oikawa, that snitch!” Y/n cursed under his breath. He should have known Tooru was going to rat on him to Iwaizumi. 

“Yea, he is, but you really can’t keep on like this. Ever since he went back to Argentina you’ve been even more of a recluse. You barely even check your texts!” Iwaizumi said

Y/n sighed, letting his walls lip for a moment. Iwaizumi was right. He was always consumed with work. He loved his aft, his animation. He loved that his work was enjoyed and held dear to thousands around the world. Despite the high demands of his employers, and the fact he barely survives week to week, he still loved art. But now it was something else.

Ever since he had met Tooru that winter, it's like he was woken up from a trance. After they left high school, all throughout college, everything had happened so fast. His mother sick, his father leaving; Y/n was exhausted and broken down. Before Oikawa showed up, he was barely alive, just walking through each day, one after the other, barely recognizing the world around him. He had lost so much, and, Y/n admitted, work allowed him an excuse to bury his exhaustion and pain deep inside, trapped behind a wall so thick he became numb to the emotions roiling inside of him. His pain and tears hidden away, his work was the perfect escape, despite the endless tasks his job required. It was his way to shy away from the world. Better to be busy than alone. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t cry, or feel the loss of his family, he just didn’t want to confront it, not alone like he was. He didn’t want to feel so hollow, so torn, alone. So he worked, and worked, until Tooru showed up on his evening walk one winter day, and the dam that had begun to leak from overwork and exhaustion burst. His memories and old feelings he left unresolved boiling to the surface. And now he couldn’t get his mind off of Oikawa. Oikawa, who sent him a text encouraging him each day, a word of support awaiting him on his phone each morning as he woke. 

And every week, Tooru found time to call him, sharing volleyball stories and giving Y/n a chance to destress from work. Each call happened during Y/n’s waking hours, which meant Oikawa must have been getting up at ungodly hours just for a chat. With Y/n’s unresolved feelings with Tooru came all his damned emotions, threatening to tear him apart, and the last thing he wanted to do was show weakness to his friends again.

So, Y/n did the only thing he knew, throwing himself into a job that was slowly killing him. He stopped responding immediately to Oikawa’s morning texts. He let the past two calls go to voicemail. Too busy with work, deadlines with animes being pushed up. He could talk next week.

Y/n vaguely remembered talking with Oikawa for a few minutes before making a weak excuse about work again. In truth, he really didn’t want to handle these emotions right now, and as stressful as work could be, his art allowed him to be numb and bury them all away.  But since Tooru kept coming back, it was getting harder and harder to hold them in check.

“You know Y/n, you’re going to have to deal with your feelings and emotions eventually,” Iwaizumi said

Y/n stumbled, “What? What do you mean?”

“Even a blind man can see that you’re hiding your feelings for Oikawa behind your work. You’ve done that for years. You’re going to have to face him eventually.” Iwaizumi said, shrugging. Perhaps Y/n wasn’t as good an actor as he thought. 

“This coming from you? All your emotion is wrapped up in violence,” Y/n scoffed.

“At least I’m a stable, functioning adult.”

“Hey! I’m functioning!” Y/n argued

“You’d forget to buy food if I didn’t stop around every once and a while.”

“That only happened once!”

“It’s not my fault the two of you have the emotional intelligence of a toddler.” Iwaizumi said

“Iwa-chan, so mean” Y/n whined in imitation of Oikawa

“Don’t be like him or I’ll whack you!” Iwaizumi laughed, “Anyways, you really are going to need to find some way to work through your emotions. You’ve held in everything that’s happened since high school and your mother’s death. Consider this an intervention.”

“I know,” Y/n said, aware that he was right. “Food first. Emotions can wait.” Forever, if Y/n had his choice. “How’s work with the national team going?”

“It’s busy. Honestly, I’m always a little worried that Ushijima is going to break Hinata’s face one of these days at the rare times the team is actually together.”

“Must be fun though,” Y/n hummed. 

Y/n let Iwaizumi ramble on about his work, glad to be off the topic of the emotional wreck that is his life. He didn’t really listen, and he knew Iwaizumi could tell, but he couldn’t focus on the words. Oikawa was back in his head, and he kept wondering when he’d be able to move past it all. 

By the time they made their way to the restaurant, Maki and Mattsun were already there. They already had drinks. Apparently they’d been waiting a while. How late was he? As he went to sit next to Iwaizumi, Makki was already teasing him.

“You know, I remember when you’d get all flustered why you were even a minute late to class,”

Y/n blushed, “Oh shut up Makki. At least I passed all my classes. What was your Algebra II grade again?”

“He’s right. Remember when Y/n panicked when he forgot about the English test?” Mattsun said,

“Oh, I won’t forget that,” Iwaizumi laughed, slapping Y/n on the back, “Was so afraid of failing he skipped class, hiding in a broom closet, and somehow managed to lock himself in.”

“Stop it!” Y/n whined, “I left my work for this!” The others just laughed. It was all in good fun, he knew. 

As their food came and went, Y/n allowed himself to step away from work and enjoy an afternoon with old friends. He still kept his walls up though. He was strong enough to not fall apart in front of his friends. 

“So how is Oikawa?” Mattsun asked, bringing up the topic that Y/n had been purposely avoiding for the entire lunch.

“He’s fine, I guess.” Y/n said, “Big game coming up in a week or two.”

“You guess? Aren’t you talking to him every week?” Makki asked

“Y/n here has been ghosting him because he’s afraid that he likes him again,” Iwaizumi teased

“Iwa-chan, stop it!”

“Oh, stop pretending you don’t care for him. We can all tell you’re still inexplicably obsessed with Oikawa.”

“Stop it!” Y/n begged, a slight blush forming, “Can we change the topic. Please?”

“Ok, we’ll stop teasing you. For now.” Iwaizumi said, as Y/n nodded gratefully. 

Y/n left the restaurant with Iwaizumi, heading back to take d/n for his afternoon walk to the park.

“What are you going to do Y/n? You really can’t keep on like this.”

“I know. I’ll figure something out. Thanks Iwa-chan,”

“I can walk with you and d/n for a bit if you want,” Iwaizumi said, “I have nothing else planned today,”

“No thanks. I need to think this through on my own,” Y/n said, waving farewell to Iwaizumi.

And then he was alone again, walking d/n down the very path that brought him to his fateful reunion with this old boyfriend, and shattered the illusion he had been living under. If he could even call it living.

“What do I do, d/n?” Y/n whispered, scratching the dog’s ears before throwing his tennis ball again, watching d/n rush through the dog park after it. 

I still like him. God I don’t want to feel like this anymore.

Y/n took a seat on the new spring growth of grass as d/n came bounding back to him. The animal, sensing Y/n’s discomfort, sat down next to him and dropped his head on Y/n’s shoulder. 

Y/n chuckled, scratching his ears again, “Thanks d/n.”

Sitting together with d/n, Y/n knew what he had to do. Before he did anything else, he needed to resolve things with Oikawa, however they played out. He took out his phone and rang Iwaizumi. He was going to need a big favor. 

Oikawa sat down in the locker room before the game. It was the biggest game of the year. Biggest game since the Olympics the previous summer. This game would decide if him and his team would enter into the Men's Volleyball Club World Championship Tournament. Tobio was sure to be there. Oikawa would too, in order to show his former underclassmen that he was now the superior setter.

Yet for the first time, his mind wasn’t entirely on the game. No matter how he tried to settle in and prepare as normal, his thoughts drifted back to Y/n./ Y/n had been ghosting him. Not fully, but even when they did talk, he had been distant and full of excuses in order to slip away. And then suddenly he texted saying they had something they needed to talk about. 

Oikawa was worried. Has something happened? Had he pushed too hard? He wanted to give him space, but he was worried for his old friend. His love. Was Y/n okay, or was it that he just didn’t want to talk with Oikawa anymore? Was their relationship truly and fully broken? Never had Oikawa been so distracted from volleyball. He knew he dealt with the break up by throwing himself further into the game. But now that he’d had that chance meeting, he couldn’t deny it; he still loved Y/n. Because no matter what happened, he was always the one who supported his volleyball dream, and was there for every win and every loss. He left the locker room, his thoughts still lost and confused. 

Y/n cheered, poster in hand, as the players emerged onto the court to warm up. He had watched the Olympic games, but this was his first time seeing a league game. It’s not like they showed Argentine Volleyball League games in Japan. When the game started, he only had eyes for Oikawa

Tooru’s game was off. Y/n could tell that something was bothering him. He could see him make mistakes, however slight, preventing his team from getting into a rhythm. A toss too high, one too close to the net. The game was still close, but Tooru’s team just couldn’t seem to take the lead. Y/n felt a little guilty. Was it him, his ghosting, his late night message, throwing his old friend off?

It can’t be. Nothing has ever broken his focus from Volleyball before…

Oikawa muttered to himself. He wasn’t playing well. By no means was it bad, but his tosses refused to leave his hands the way they should. They were always just a touch off. Too low here, too far from the net there. And then he’d scramble, overcompensating for the next one. And his team became unhinged. 

Their receives became shaky, and their spikes wild as they began to rush. A setter's job was to restore balance to his team. That’s what Blanco would have done. But today, Oikawa was spinning them closer and closer to disaster. He was the farthest he’d ever been from reaching his goal. He couldn’t get Y/n off his mind. Even his serves faltered.

They went down the first set. It was okay. It was only one set. The second they brought to a deuce, but fell a few rallies later. His chances of making the Club World Championship this year slipping further and further away. And still Y/n invaded his thoughts. They’d have to be perfect the rest of the match.

But things started off the same way. Oikawa’s first serve slamming down just outside the line. 0-1. The next few rallies were short, but slowly and surely they fell behind. 7-9. Oikawa’s toss went just a breadth too high again, and the spike was dug, blasting back down on their side of the court. 7-10. The serve came at them, their libero flying it high up above the team. A good receive, if a little off center. Under it right away, Tooru set it to his middle blocker, already in the air. It was good, and the quick passed through the block, only to be dug before it could reach the floor. Back at them, barely dug, Oikawa’s team scrambled to get it over, a chance ball for their opponents. The toss flew up, the block in place and shutting down the avenues of attack. The spike came down hard anyways, blasting off the block and heading towards the stands.

Oikawa was after it a split second later, diving into the group towards the sign boards, he blasted the ball back up in the air to his team. But as he scrambled up, something in the second row caught his eyes. He usually ignored the crowds during games like these, but a poster was written in Japanese, and he couldn’t help but stop to read it, even as his team were barely treading enough water to keep their heads above the stormy surf of the match. 

Go Tooru, Go. Rule the Court.

Only one person would create a banner like that for him. Still on his knees, he brought his gaze up and me e/c eyes sparkling down at him, Y/n’s smile full and invigorating, cheering his name. “Go Tooru, go!”

Oikawa froze. His mind went blank. Every time he tried to bring it back to the game, it fell apart. Only one thought remained. 

Y/n is here. Cheering for me. In Argentina, in the front rows, watching and cheering for me. He came all the way across the globe to watch me play.

For the first time that he could remember, Oikawa completely forgot about volleyball as the rally ended, him still staring up at Y/n. He completely forgot about volleyball. At that moment the only thought going through his mind was that no matter what happened, him and Y/n were going to be okay. Then he heard his voice again, screaming over the crowd. 

“Remember Tooru, the team strongest as a group of six is the stronger team!” Y/n called out. 

All the frustration and worries wracking his mind fell away and he was back into the game. With Y/n at his back, nothing could go wrong. And he remembered Iwa-chan’s words. Stronger as a group of six. He’d been trying to force everything on his own, just like when he was a kid.

Tooru stood up, shaking his head and dusting off his jersey. Looking back up to Y/n he gave him the warmest smile he could and a simple nod. Then, he was back to the game.

“Sorry,” he said to his team as he returned to the court, “but I’m back now.”

His team only nodded, seeing something change in his eyes, and the match truly began.

Y/n looked down into Tooru’s dazzling brown eyes, eyes he always seemed to get lost in. Then he realized the rally was still going on, and Tooru was still on his yankees, staring up at him as if he were a phantom. Y/n’s heart fluttered and a tear threatened to fall from his eyes. Had Tooru really forgotten about the rally? For him? Indeed, when the ball finally slammed down a moment later, Tooru was still looking up at him. Yes, Tooru really did forget about volleyball for him. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

Maybe he does think about me as much as I think of him.

Then he was on his feet and flashed Y/n the brightest, most genuine smile he’d even seen from Tooru, his eyes enrapturing for a moment. As Tooru nodded to him, returning to his team, Y/n knew he still liked Oikawa Tooru, and it was okay. 

The rest of the game flew by and Tooru melted into the match. With Y/n’s eyes at his back, he and his team flowed into each set and roared back to life, ruling the court. And every few points, Tooru turned to lock eyes with Y/n, to ensure he was still there, that he wasn’t a dream plaguing his mind. It only helped to serve to rekindle Y/n’s feelings for the brunette. It wasn’t just about volleyball. Maybe it never was.

Oikawa’s serve slammed down for another ace, ending the fifth and final set. Y/n cheered him on as his team won entrance to the Club World Championship. After celebrating with this team, Tooru ran over towards the stands, yelling for Y/n, but it was hard to hear over the screams of the crowd. Y/n took out his phone and pointed to it, screaming “Call me later!”

Y/n knew he had to spend some time working with his team, but knew Tooru got the message as he nodded and waved before trotting off. Y/n could wait one more time. He could wait once more. When Tooru was done with his team he’d come for Y/n and then...then they’ll see. Leaving the stadium, Y/n made his way to his motel, to await Tooru’s call.

What am I doing here? Halfway across the world? To do what? Confess I still love him? Why’d I let Iwaizumi get into my head?

Y/n sat in his motel room, doubt beginning to wrack his mind. He had rejected Oikawa, ultimately, by refusing to come with him again. And now, here he was, in Argentina, unable to speak the language, with no idea what he was doing, following erupting emotions he never dealt with and can no longer control. In fact, they were driving him crazy, he needed to deal with this. All he could do was wait, and he hated it. 

Oikawa joined his team in their locker room. They were already celebrating, jostling each other and him, but Oikawa had thoughts only for Y/n. Even their post game meeting was a blur to him. As it ended, Tooru immediately grabbed his phone. It was flooded with pictures from his game, including a few of him on all fours gazing in disbelief up at Y/n.

“Iwa-chan will love this one,” the message below the picture read.

No! I can’t let him send that to Iwa-chan. He’d tease me for weeks.

Tooru rushed out of the locker room, not even bothering to change, his team looking at his back knowingly. He was lucky it was a home game. Even as he rushed to his car, his phone was already dialing Y/n’s number. 

“Y/n, where are you at?”

“Back at my motel,” Y/n answered

“Where? I’m coming!”

With Y/n’s motel and room number, Oikawa hit the roads of San Juan to find him.

Y/n waited. Tooru was on his way. He needed to deal with this, whatever the result. But now that he was finally shifting through his emotions, the loss of his family, the loneliness, the stress of his dream tearing him apart, he began to falter. Now that he finally recognized his feelings for Tooru, he was afraid, terrified of what was to come. It made him miss the numbness of his work. 

He was scared Tooru didn’t want him like he hoped he did. He was terrified that he did, and it would fall apart. He was afraid of being weak in front of Tooru again. And with those thoughts rushing through his mind, his neurons firing doubt through his brain, Tooru arrived.

“Y/n, I’m here, open up!”

The door opened with a slow whisper, but Tooru burst in, slamming the door open past Y/n, engulfing his (shorter/taller) friend into a crushing bearhug.

“Y/n, I can’t believe you came! What are you doing here? I thought you had work!?”

“Can’t breathe. Tooru, let go.”

“Sorry. But why are you here?”

“You’re all sweaty too! Couldn’t you have at least changed out of your uniform,” Y/n whined as Tooru finally let him down.

“I just had to rush over. I didn’t want you waiting for a second longer. So? I thought you didn’t want to leave Japan? Did you enjoy the game? Thanks for coming!”

“One question at a time Tooru,” Y/n laughed, “like I texted, there’s something we need to talk about. And I wanted to do it in person.” 

“So, what is so important you had to fly across the globe for me?” Tooru teased

Here Y/n began to stutter, and then stop. He couldn’t do this. 

“You aren’t ready yet, are you?”

Y/n shook his head.

“That’s okay. I can wait,” Tooru said, his voice quiet and gentle, stepping back to give Y/n a little space. “How about we go grab some food and head to my place. I have a spare bedroom. Might be more comfortable than this dirty motel,”

“Y/n only nodded, grabbing his stuff.”

“Hungry?”

“Starving. I used just about all of my spending money on the plane and game ticket. I haven’t had much for food.” Y/n admitted.

“That’s some planning,” Tooru laughed, “You used to try to have every detail planned out.

“Oh, shut up and drive.”

The two made their way to Oikawa’s place, eating the takeout Tooru had ordered and picked up on the way. 

“How’d you get off work?”

“I, uh...spent an all nighter, or two in order to catch up. Maybe three? I don’t really remember much of it. Iwa-chan was less than pleased.” Y/n admitted, scowling when he remembered the scolding Iwaizumi had given him.

“I bet he wasn’t. What did he do?”

“Nothing fun. Speaking of Iwaizumi though, you’re a snitch. You told him,” Y/n accused. 

“What? Me? I never!” Oikawa argued, dramatically trying to protest his innocence, his arms flailing around wildly.

“Hands on the wheel! I know you told him!”

“Fine, I did.” Tooru sighed, his tone getting serious, “I was worried.”

“It’s okay. I got payback.” 

“What?”

“Iwaizumi and crew are going to love some of those photos,” Y/n said, smiling

“You didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t Y/n!”

“Oh, I did. Expect some hard core teasing,” Y/n laughed as Oikawa groaned.

“Come on, we’re just about there.” 

To Y/n’s surprise, Oikawa’s apartment was very nice, and immaculate. Y/n imagined it would be a disaster area, much like it was when they were kids. Maybe Oikawa had grown up a bit. More than Y/n had apparently.

Tooru jumped into the shower to clean up as Y/n settled into the spare bedroom, that night they watched a movie in relative silence and turned in. Taking out his phone, Y/n began texting Iwaizumi.

Y/n: I can’t do this Iwa-chan.

Iwaizumi: Y/n, you have to deal with this, and everything else. You can’t keep bottling it up.

Y/n: Iwa-chan, I’m scared

Iwaizumi: Do you still love him?

Y/n: I think so.

Iwaizumi: Then talk to him!

Y/n: But I don’t know. Does he still love me?

Iwaizumi: No buts! I saw that photo. He is, and always has been, completely in love with you.

Y/n: Ok, ok, I’ll tell him.

Iwaizumi: Good. If not I will fly over and beat both of you till you figure this out. 

Y/n slept alone in Oikawa’s spare room. He had it in case family visited, which they did from time to time. 

The following day, Oikawa took Y/n sight seeing through the city of San Juan. Y/n enjoyed the sights and spending time with Tooru. However, with each passing moment his stress and fear continued to build. His gaze shifted away and each time Oikawa could see it, breaking him, what Tooru knew he should have been able to see years ago. When the day came to a close, they found themselves back in Tooru’s apartment, sitting quietly on his couch. Tooru was going to give y/n as much time as he needed.

“Tooru, I…” Y/n stopped and sat back, an exhausted sigh breaking free. Tooru could tell he was holding back tears.

“If you’re not ready yet…”

“No.” Y/n interrupted, “It’s just...I never…” Y/n sniffled, choking back his tears. Tooru’s heart began to throb in pain. He wanted nothing more than to hold Y/n in his arms, to caress him, and make his pain and fears vanish into the night. But he didn’t want to push Y/n if he wasn’t ready. 

“Sorry. I promised myself i wouldn't cry,”

“You’re hurting still, aren’t you. It’s okay,” Tooru said, reaching his hand out to Y/n’s and squeezing it, hoping to reassure him. 

“I just didn’t want to be weak in front of you again. It’s always like this. I hate being so weak,”

“Weak? Y/n, you aren’t weak!” Tooru argued

“Yes, yes I am. All I do is hide from everything,”

“You’re the last person I’d call weak,” Tooru said, turning his h/c friend so he can look into his pained, but pretty e/c eyes. “Y/n, I’ve seen you push through school, with top marks, virtually alone. As your dad practically abandoned you, it was you who helped your mother, even as she was sick. You who, despite everything, came to school with a smile, never late, never missing an assignment, a club meeting or practice of yours, or a single one of my games. You bore everything on your shoulders alone, often to the detriment of your health. And never once did you complain or let it break you, never once did you allow yourself to show your pain to anyone. I know now, deep down, how much pain you were really in, and you hid it so well. I was completely oblivious to it, selfishly obsessed with my own doubts. Y/n, you are my definition of strength.

“Tooru,” Y/n whispered, no longer able to hold back his tears.

“And you know what. It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes. It’s okay to let it out. That doesn’t make you weak. You’ve been my pillar so often, will you finally let your walls down with me?”

Y/n couldn’t hold it in anymore. He fell into Tooru’s chest sobbing. His unresolved emotions from his mother’s death, the stress from his deteriorating finances, even the anger he never really dealt with resolving Tooru, all of them came flooding to the surface. And, of course, the love he still felt and buried deep beneath his skin. He allowed it all to overwhelm him finally. He could deal with it as long as Tooru was there. 

Tooru held him, so gently, understanding that, despite how strong his love was, he was brittle and wounded, and whatever he needed, Tooru would provide. So he held him close and gentle as a babe and let Y/n cry it out. He rubbed his back when Y/n muttered, “I needed you, and you were never there.” Tooru understood. Part of this was because of him, because he failed to see how much pain Y/n was in during their third year.

“It’s okay, you can be vulnerable with me. I’ll never see you as any less.” Tooru whispered. “You can be as strong as you want, or as weak as you need to be Y/n, I’ll always be here. Just please, stop numbing yourself.”

They laid together until Y/n stopped crying. And then, as Y/n didn’t pull away, or talk, only snuggled closer to Tooru, he held him tighter. Together they remained in each other's arms until the early morning hours. 

Tooru smiled, looking down at Y/n who had fallen asleep in his arms. He was tired. Mentally drained. Tooru would be whatever Y/n needed to be. And he’d wait, however long it took, for Y/n to forgive him and return to this permanently. He stayed awake the entire time, running his hand slowly through Y/’s blonde locks. He continued to caress him until Y/n shook awake. It was nearly two a.m. 

“Tooru…” Y/n yawned, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes, “what time is it?” “Two a.m.”

“What!?” Y/n pulled away from him and Tooru freely let him pull away, already missing his warmth. “I thought I was just dozing off for a few minutes.”

“Oh, you dozed straight to sleep.” Tooru laughed

“Sorry,” Y/n said, turning away, “About this...I,”

Tooru interrupted him before he could go any further, “Again, it’s okay. I’ll be what you need me to be, and nothing more until you’re ready.”

Y/n nodded, sitting up straight, “We need to talk,”

“You ready?”

“Yea. About us.”

Tooru waited for Y/n to continue, but he went quiet. “What about us?”

“I don’t want to wait. For you. For you to finish with volleyball. To have room in your heart.”

“Y/n,” Tooru sighed, fear rising in his chest, afraid that Y/n was going to ask him to give up volleyball, to give him the ultimatum he always feared. He couldn’t choose between them, “I’m not going to stop my career,”

“I know. I don’t want you to. But I can’t wait either. I want more.”

“More?”

“I want to try again. With you. Us. I don’t want to wait. I can’t,” Y/n said, “So, is your offer still on the table?” “...you’re sure?” Tooru whispered, hoping that he wasn’t asleep on his couch, that this wasn’t just another nightmare meant to torture him.

“I am. I need to know. Ever since we met at New Years, everything came to a head.  Realize I was drowning myself in my work, using it as an excuse to ignore everything else. I did that in college too. I’ve ignored the feelings of my mothers death, my dream, and you. But when you showed up…I can’t do it anymore. But I need to know. I want more. Is there any way we can work? Yes or no, I need to know before I move on. That’s why I’m here. 

“You aren’t kidding right?”

“No. So, is your offer still open?”

“Yes!” Tooru yelled, pulling Y/n into another crushing bear hug and pulling Y/n down onto the couch on top of him. “Of course my offer is open. And I want nothing more than for us to work. But I can’t be here all the time either,”

Y/n looked away, fearful for just a moment,

“But, that said, if you give me the chance, I will do everything I can to make you feel loved, to be your pillar, to hold you when you need to be vulnerable. I won’t abandon you like before. I’m stronger now. I’ve learned to balance volleyball and the rest of my life. I can make this work. I promise.”

Y/n smiled. “Then maybe, maybe I’ll be alright,”

“Can I kiss you?” Tooru asked.

“Yes.”

Tooru flipped Y/n over so his back was on the couch, Tooru looming over him. He cupped Y/n’s cheeks, pulling them in together, locking their lips. And Y/n’s fears, his pain, they weren’t gone, it didn’t vanish in a puff of smoke like a fairy tale, but with Tooru he knew he could be weak. He could allow himself to feel again. With Tooru, he knew he just might be okay. 

As their lips parted, Y/n felt Tooru pick him up and carry them to his bedroom.

“You’re tired,” he said, gently placing Y/n on the bed and pulling the covers over them. “Rest now. We’ll get the details tomorrow. Sleep my darling, sleep.” Tooru pulled Y/n in close, head to his chest, and together they fell asleep in each other's arms.

“Y/n, don’t go! Not now! Please,” Tooru whined as Y/n tried to make his way to the airport security. 

“Tooru, I left d/n with Iwaizumi. I imagine he’s sick of the animal. Plus, I still have to wrap up a bunch of things before I can move.”

“But we just got together n/n,” Tooru whined, pulling Y/n in for a kiss, asking for entrance with his tongue, which Y/n denied.

“Not here. At home. When I return. Then you can have all you want,” Y/n teased

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“But what if I don’t want to wait?”

“It’ll be a few weeks still. I’ll come back and then we can have some fun,” Y/n said, teasing, moving to whisper in Tooru’s ear, “Then we can figure out whatever citizenship work we need to do if we decide this works.”

“Fine, fine. Just a couple of weeks. And call me every day!” Tooru whined, reluctantly letting go of Y/n.

“I love you Tooru,” Y/n said, as he moved away to get through security.

“I love you too Y/n.”

One year later:

Oikawa’s serve blasted into the back corner of the opponent’s court. The libero dove for it, making contact, but the ball went spinning out of control, well out of reach of any of the opposing team members. The set came to an end, 25-19. There was only one set left.

Y/n cheered for his boyfriend before looking back down at his notebook. He had promised not to work today, but he snuck in some of his art without Tooru noticing. He was working on his own manga. He had yet to get anything officially off the ground. Most of his work had been denied, but he knew that in the writing business, that is the norm more often than not. It was okay. He would continue to work until he made that dream a reality. As for his animation, he still worked from home in their shared apartment, but had lightened his workload. And in a lucky break, one of his supervisors left and recommended him as her replacement. He now almost made something resembling a liveable wage. 

He was lost in his art. He knew that Tooru would be meeting with his team between the sets and could sneak in a bit of editing and drawing. Despite being in the front, right behind the bench, he was sure he’d be safe from Tooru’s eyes. But he was so absorbed in his art, he didn’t notice when Tooru came striding up to him, hands on his hips glaring at the artwork.

“You were supposed to be taking a day off, Y/n,”

Y/n jumped, and slowly closed his sketchbook, trying to hide it beneath the chair, “What do you mean Tooru, I am” he smiled, pretending to be innocent.

Tooru sighed, “You’re as hopeless as I am. Come on,” he said, grabbing Y/n’s arm and pulling him onto the court behind the bench.

“Tooru, what are you doing, the fifth set is about to start!”

“Don’t worry, both teams agreed to a short disruption, come on,” Tooru said, pulling him onto the court.

“Tooru, why are we on the court?” Y/n asked, blushing, unused to being in the spotlight with crowds staring down at them, many as confused as him.

“Look up.”

Y/n followed Tooru’s finger up to the screens above the court. Usually showing the game on the court, or replays, the screens now read the words, “Will you marry me, Y/n?”

Y/n turned to glare at Tooru, “Really. You are proposing to me during the middle of a volleyball game.” “Yes. I wanted to show you that I love you just as much as I love volleyball,” Tooru said, “Maybe a little bit more even,” Y/n sighed, “You know, this is a low move. I almost have to say yes, with everyone watching.”

“I’m sorry,” Tooru whispered, “Are you really that uncomfortable?”

“You’re lucky you already knew I was going to say yes,” Y/n muttered, knowing they had discussed the possibility in detail over the past month or so. Y/n shook his head and pulled Tooru in a kiss on the middle of the volleyball court. “Does that answer your question?”

Tooru pulled Y/n into another hug, leading him back to the bench as the crowds cheered. Y/n watched from the bench as the fifth set continued forward. He still wasn’t where he wanted to be yet, but Y/n knew that he and Tooru were going to be alright. He would let Tooru help rebuild him. He could make it through anything as long as he had his husband by his side. 

Here’s the ending. Not sure I like it, but it’s what came out. Again, sorry it’s so long. Too all those who distract themselves through work. Hope you enjoyed. 

[loplih]

🍓✨ Some Ichihime Headcanons that I wrote some time ago, but never got the courage to publish 🍓✨

(Chronologically)

After Ichigo asked Orihime to make some time for him, she only could think about him. Orihime couldn't wait to hear what he wanted to say to her.

Ichigo took 2 weeks thinking about how he would confess.

During that time his family notice it was something going on. He seemed out of this world, looking tense and nervous.

Finally he made the decision and went after her. Surprisingly, when he opens the door Orihime was outside with some bread to give.

Orihime thought "since he has not said anything after that day, I'm going there by myself bringing some bread to see if he says something".

For both surprises they saw each other at the same time and it was awkward. Ichigo almost fainted. But made a appointment with her, next day.

The confession was late in the afternoon by the river.

The sky was the exact same pantone color as Ichigo’s hair that day. Orihime noticed that and she will never forget. It almost looked like a piece of art: Them & the sky.

They were both surprised that they were in love with each other. It was hard to believe.

Secretly he loves when Orihime blushes. She was blushing during the (confession) date day. He thinks this shows how pure and beautiful she is.

In the beginning they didn't tell about their relationship to anyone, they wanted to take it slowly. But it didn't last that long when people started to notice they had something more.

Keigo got upset with Ichigo because he was the first one to have a girlfriend.

Tatsuki just shouted a big loud ‘’FINALLY THAT BASTARD…!’’ when Orihime told her they where dating.

Ichigo’s sisters sees Orihime as a bigger sister. They want their brother to marry Orihime because they believe they will be again a happy family (like old times) since she reminds Masaki.

But Ichigo just gets nervous and super red about it when his sisters says that. But secretly he already dreams about marrying Orihime.

Prety much everyone in soul society didn't get surprised by their relationship, since they were kinda obvious during the war.

The first date was romantic. They had dinner together at a local restaurant and in the end they stayed outside at Orihime’s apartment watching the stars in the sky. In the beginning they were both shy and nervous, but they quickly forgot about that.

After the first date Ichigo started saving money to by her a ring. Just in case.

The last dates they had before marriage, weren't that "romantic". They usually stayed at Ichigo’s house reading and commenting manga together, watching movies or just laid down on his bedroom talking.

They always forget about time when they are together. And time runs fast when they are having fun.

They started spending summer together like full time. Ichigo having driver license made things easier. They usually do family and friend trips.

But as normal, they always like to be alone sometimes. When they go out alone by car, the Kurosaki’s loves to make speculations. Ichigo gets super annoyed, ‘’as if something more than a little trip is going to happen’’.

They had problems conciling time for being together. But they always got to see each other when they had some time free.

Sometimes at night, on those impossible weeks, just to see each other for a minute, Ichigo goes to her apartment as a shinigami because it's more faster.

One time Ichigo said without noticing " but when we get married we will definitly have more time to be together..." Orihime didn’t know Ichigo wanted to marry her. She cried a little.

Ichigo waited to end university to marry Orihime. That was his plan.

If you think Orihime is a cry baby, imagine how her face whent when Ichigo oficial asked her to marry him.

They wanted a simple wedding, but everyone decided to help and it tourned out much beautiful that they were expecting.

Ichigo changed his haircut days before the wedding. ''oh m-my...! You look so good!'' ''Really??'' ''Yeah, you look more mature, I like it... kinda shock because I thought my future husband couldn't even be more handsome then before...and the better part is that now I can see that scowling face even better...'' ‘’ uh-huh I already knew you'd say that!‘’ ‘’that scowling face that I love! Come on!’’  Orihime said with her hands on the back of his neck, hugging him.

She thought the possibility of seeing a emotional Ichigo was low...But he tried so hard not to cry when he saw orihime in her wedding dress. His face reaction was the cuttest.

Their kiss at the cerimony was one of the few times they were kissing. They were always too shy about it, and respected mostly each other to do it in the right time.

After honeymoon their number of kisses were uncountable.

Their honeymoon was on a paradisic place.

They went to the beach a lot and they got sun burn. Ichigo tourned out looking like a lobster. "WHATS NEW? IM ALL ORANGE NOW, GOD DAM IT".

Ichigo is still the one who takes pictures. He loves to take pictures to his wife when she is distracted doing something. Sometimes she looks at him and starts to smile because she already knows him. Smiling just makes the picture even more beautiful and consequently, that’s what he wants.

Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he felt that way: relaxed and happy.

After intimacy they felt a bigger connection with eachother and they weren't shy about anything anymore.

This is true because: 1) Orihime feels really comfortable being naked in their hotel room and Ichigo doesn't say nothing about it. 2) They both like to...

After returning home Yuzu and Karin couldn't believe the way Ichigo was different. Just like the old times, when their mother was alive, but at the same time wasn't the same feeling. It was a better feeling.

They discovered she was pregnant because Orihime was always feeling sick, and Ichigo said " ...m-maybe you are... pregnant" with a kinda happy and questionable/nervous expression. "I-I don't know...!"

She made a test while Ichigo waited for the result next to her. While that, both nervous in the Kurosaki Clinic, they started talking about the possibility of being pregnant or not.

When they saw the result they hugged each other crying with happiness. ‘‘I can't believe this is really going to happen ...we will be parents’‘, ‘’ Yeah...I’m so proud of us’’.

The Kurosaki's had a lot of fighting about the baby gender... Men's wanted a baby boy because it's already too many woman in the house. Yuzu and Orihime wanted a baby girl because they love the idea of dressing her. Karin just stays away from the scene. She just wants the baby to love playing sports like her, so she can teach everything.

Orihime and Ichigo lying on the couch seeing how big her belly is getting and starting to make future plans about Kazui. ‘‘he is getting bigger and bigger, yes, that’s my boy!’‘.

Orihime suffered from back pains. To help her, Ichigo massages her back and gives her hot water baths to minimise the pain.

Its also a fact that: ‘’I love you’’ ‘’...is that for me or for the toilet’’ Orihime in the bathroom feeling really sick vomiting and Ichigo by her side holding her hair.

Ichigo cried when he saw Kazui for the first time.

Karin and Yuzu taking care of Baby Kazui to give some time to Ichigo and Orihime. They needed to rest and stay together alone for a bit.

They do have a dog. Every happy family has a dogo. Or a cato.

@loplih

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

🍓 I challenge you to reblog and ADD your own headcanon to this post!

If so, don't forget to mencion yourself "@namehere" under it, if you want to be credited!

🍓 Let's make this fandom alive.

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

[setsunatama3]

Chapter 17: growth and complications

AN/ sorry guys, I kinda got busy at work (several call-offs while prepping for a big Thanksgiving party) 😅. I haven’t had a day off to really sit down and work on this for the past month in half as its holiday season. Fortunately, I only have one more party to prep for, and that is on Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (or whatever appropriate religious holiday you celebrate).  I may have to slow down for a bit due to all the hours I am currently working. At my place of work. At least until January. So please have patience with me while I get through the holiday season. On another note has anyone out there caught the manga and historical reference I made in the last few chapters. If not, the reference is the use of the dead Tangut dialect. And its relation to the manga by the title of shut hell it is an excellent historical romance fantasy tale. Based on the actual real-world genocide of the Tangut people by the Mongolian horde lead by the (in)famous Genghis Khan. And I also but Voldemort in my fanfic by his real name Tomas Riddle (killed him off right and proper I did) and yeah its cause I got addicted to hp fics (stop looking at me like that I don't have a problem… 

No, I don’t have a problem. You have a problem.)

For any updates follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/setsunatama3

  Chapter 17: growth and complications

Blake did not know what to think when she had sat down on the center island of the lake before the falls of truth. Honestly, she had felt that naruto was joking when he had told her. The only way for her to grow was to confront her darkness. So as one would expect, she was caught off guard when, after a minute of staring at the hypnotic serenity that was the waterfall, a figure came from its depths. A copy of herself down to the last detail. Only it did not hide its features proudly sporting her cat ears to the world. 

Standing up to walk over to confront her darkness. Blake's first thought was to fight. When Naruto's words rang through her head, they were not to fight but confront her darkness. But the real question was, what was her darkness? Why did she hide who she was from everyone else? Wearing a mask that only one person indeed saw through with only a glance. It was simple to fake who she was for so long that it soon became natural. It became her first instinct to hide who she was. Even when she faced discrimination from the masses for being a Faunus. Her first reaction was to swallow her pride and hate. For a mask of indifference. Just going with the flow. When her parents had founded the white Fang to protect the Faunus. It was one of the few times she felt anything other than apathy for the world at large. Then they changed, and her parents gave up on the Fang to hide away their shame in Menagerie. Her father, rather than curbing the violent tendency of the members of the Fang. He stepped down as leader, preferring to be a lowly chieftain of Menagerie. It was sickening to watch and caused her first act of rebellion to do what she had felt was right. By becoming an active member of the new white Fang. 

While in the service of the Fang, she met the man who would become her teacher. Her master in the art of the sword. She had served him diligently as his tool willingly. Whatever he desired, blake knew she would provide. That was at first. Until she saw the depths of his rage, the lengths he would go to get his revenge. It frightened her to her core. His willingness to kill the innocent and guilty all in the same stroke. Even though the world that they live in is in shades of gray. For her master, it was either you were on his side, or you died. 

It was why she had made a choice, she prepared to leave him. It was the hardest thing blake had ever done. To take the first steps on what she felt was the right path, a path all her own.

So with all her reflection of her past done. Blake knew what she had to do was not fight her darkness but accept it. As she walked forwards towards her double. Dropping her weapons and discarding her bow. She made to embrace her copy as if to tell it it's ok. When she felt the hot steel of the copy's clever in her shoulder. Even then, she did not stop. Not when for rounds from its gun pierced her stomach. The shade screaming at her. "Why, why, won't you fight."

As it backed away in fear using its gambol shroud to perfection, slicing open her throat. Still blake refused to back down with the single-minded determination to express her words. Even if her lifeblood was flowing free.

With blurry vision and losing blood. Collapsing to the floor at the feet of her shade. No longer able to even speak the words she was determined to say. Choking on her own lifeblood. So desperate, she focused on one goal. Even if it were the last thing she would do. She would put her dying will into this one message. 

Then she felt it power welling up from her core. Giving her the power that she needed to write her message in her own blood. And in her last moments of clarity blake wrote. "It's ok, but no more hiding…"

The shade could only stare at the message laughing maniacally. Collapsing to the ground in turmoil. As the last vestiges of her will broke, and with it the dam that held back, her tears broke as well. With remorse at what it had just done. Thinking that Blake was here to destroy her. She was Blake to all of her negative emotions. Her apathy, her rage, her wrath, greed, and, most of all, her loathing for herself. Kneeling down to the still form of Blake, her darkness chuckled. "No more hiding, huh, if you're going to do that, then we will do so together." the shade said.

Hugging her still form in her embrace. Accepting what this will mean. Her last parting words of wisdom to her other self where. "Hey blake, if we aren't going to hide anymore. Then you had better go after that, Uzumaki."

When blake next awoke, it was to a sensation she could not describe other than power. As if by accepting a part of herself self, she had awakened a power hidden within her. When calling back to the lessons of her father. "Your Semblance is the manifestation of your soul. Your truest self," Blake remembered her father saying.

So standing up from the patch of earth and undoing her bow for what she believes will be the last time. She stepped into the shallow water. Only for her shadow to extend like a solid platform. With a destination in mind. With a smirk. It appears that calling her semblance shadow clones is wrong now. Pondering what to call this evolution. When it comes to her from an old book, she had read about the yokai of Mistral from when she was young. At that moment blake decided what she would call her Semblance in honor of the yokai she would call it Hyakki Yakō or Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. 

"Hyakki Yakō," blake murmured allowed. Liking the sound of it. Remarking that she was now indeed a night parade. Not knowing that she had been in that trance for almost two days.

]|[

Weiss had never failed at something she put her mind to. So It was honestly frustrating when she failed to even make the flechettes move like instructed. The explanation was simple. The sealing script use for them enabled for independent flight. To control them was another story altogether, and to top it all off, she had not been able to replicate the proper ratios for the ice transformation. They had found while people with aura had an affinity towards an element or two. Like Weiss and her affinity with both wind and water. They also found that aura users were capable of using all the Elements, and it interfered with the transformation aspect of aura. Making it challenging to use anyone element. Thus the solution naruto and Weiss had worked out was to focus on one element at a time starting with her strongest wind. And through the use of Ninshu to speed the process. Bypassing on the experiences to her so Weiss may get a grasp on nature transformation. Working from there to learn how to do so on her own. It was why, while working on her first step. In the task of training to cut a leaf in halve. She was sitting under a tree in the clearing discarding another failed leaf, only making it partway through.

Taking a slow breath in and out, she grabbed another leaf to cut. Remembering the feelings naruto gave her. The sensation of two air currents grinding against each other as if honing a blade ever sharper. She felt her aura splitting in two. Then the sharpening into an ever fine edge. Building it higher and higher. Inhaling slowly, then exhaling Weiss released the building pressure into the leaf, cutting it in half for the first time in two days. Grinning like a loon, she ran off to find naruto.

]|[

Pyrrha stared blankly at the small tanuki of sand before her playing using its sand to make a castle. For the last two days that this creature had been a companion of sorts. She had thought naruto was joking. When he had come to her with the critter and had told her to learn from it. So for the past two days, she had been observing it, not knowing what to look for. It was honestly something that she thought was a waste of time. Until she felt it in the sand was particles of iron. So small she had almost missed it the finesse used to control all that sand was on a magnitude she had not seen. If she wanted control of her Semblance like the Biju in front of her, it would mean rethinking how she used her Semblance entirely. Starting with the flask of iron dust rather than the quicksilver.

Shukakku took note of Pyrrha's change in training. Rather than starting with the more malleable mercury, she was focusing on replicating his feats with the iron sand. Her control was not what it needed to be, but she was getting there, but with the time constraints of the upcoming mission, she would need help and a lot of it. Following Naruto's directive to aid her, he waddled over to her. He began to pour his chakra into her. Through the use of Ninshu, guiding her to refine her control over the element. It would not be long until she could use the iron sand in battle. But the quicksilver was still a way off. Even with the aid of Ninshu.

]|[

If one could describe the feeling of being one with nature. Yang would have to tell them bullshit because it was indescribable to, but the feelings into words would not do them justice. It was something that had to be felt first hand. But if she had to put it into words. It would be that she felt humbled to be allowed to be nature's avatar. It was why she was working under the steady guidance of Naruto. Focusing all her efforts in finding the balance in her meditation.

"Owwie," Yang shrieked as naruto had smashed what she had begun to call the stick of pain. Into her head once more.

"God, I would have preferred if you gave me spankings. But no, you have to hit me with that goddamn stick every time." Yang pouted. Rubbing the sore lump on her head.

"Sorry, yang, but unless you would like to turn into stone, this is the best way of purging the nature energy." naruto explained. Kneeling down to inspect the wound himself.

Seeing the opportunity, Yang leaned forward and stole a kiss. That Naruto reciprocated before pulling away. 

"Ok, I think you're all charged up and better now. So you can get back to work." naruto teased.

Yang huffed, giving her boyfriend her best pout. But naruto did not give in to her attempts at distraction. Forcing her to get back to her meditations without the oil.

Naruto could not help but think just how fast they were all growing thanks to the use of Ninshu to share thoughts and experiences. Exactly how it was intended for people to grow through their bonds. 

Going over his memories of his clones, he could see that Ren was taken to the medical training faster than he thought possible. Nora was doing good as well; it was rather frightening to see just what she would do with her affinity to lightning and earth release. The flexibility of aura was truly scary. Generating her own lightning to empower her strikes. Naruto shuddered when an explosion was heard in the distance, followed by a yell of "Nora!"

More explosions where the response to the yell. It was apparent that Nora was abusing her newfound ability to terrorize her partner into getting what she wants. Cacophonous detonations rang out in the distance, along with cackling laughter. Shouts of despair soon followed. It appeared as if Nora was having the time of her life. It was a slightly terrifying thing to hear, yet all the more impressive.

He was so focused on the clones and the memories he had almost missed it the flare of chakra. No, not chakra, he had to correct himself but nature energy. Yang had done it, and so much more, she had undergone a sage transformation. A perfect one on her first try. 

Yang's hands had grown claws and red scales up to the elbow. With trails of red script flowing up the rest of her arm to her collarbone and shoulders. Running down her spine and onto her ribs. Her ever-vibrant hair glowed with an ever-present fire. But what had set yangs transformation apart from the imperfect type. Was the markings of a perfect sage over her eyes. When she opened those beautiful eyes, they were red and slit. Yet just as expressive as before. 

When Yang gave him a toothy smirk, With her new fangs. Naruto could not help but grin as well when she leapt up and into his arms, giving him a passion-filled kiss. Losing her transformation soon after.

Breaking the kiss, Naruto voiced one thought on his mind. "How?"

Grinning even wider, Yang kissed him once more before answering. "I followed my instincts." 

The simple answer only leads to more questions. It would need to be investigated. Before allowing Yang to use this in combat of any kind. 

Pondering on what was known so far. Naruto knew a Semblance was the manifestation of one's most genuine self. A reflection of their soul made manifest. It could mean that until one comes to terms with their faults or overcomes some kind of life-changing event. When their Semblance manifests, it could easily be as a distorted weakened form of what it should be. It would mean that in Yang's case, it was always meant to be this way.

Done with his questions, for now, naruto decided the best way to find more. Was to observe the transformation in progress.

 Taking a step back from her, Naruto closed his eyes for but a moment allowing for the energy granted to a sage of six paths to flow through himself. Taking his six-paths form without using the cloak. The only difference was in his eyes. Having taken on the rippled pattern with nine tomoe in each eye showing the activation of the Rinne-Sharingan. And the marks of a sage.

Having transformed before Yang, she was a bit stunned when she felt just a portion of the power he held. Knowing she was not by any means, a sensor like what naruto had described. And she could still feel his power restrained as it was. Waiting to be free to destroy the poor souls who crossed him. She was brought back to the present when naruto called out for her.

"Yang, I need you to do what you did before to attain sage mode." naruto said.

"R-right," Yang stuttered. Blushing at the slip-up.sitting down and focusing on her breathing and soon clearing her mind. Slipping into the state of being to enter the  honored sage mode.

With his eyes, he could see the transformation guided by her will alone. The shading that marked her as a sage came first. Then he saw it that spark of her very soul he had briefly glimpsed came in full force for only a moment aiding in the transformation. As the script began its trek down her spine and her arms turning into claws. Completing her change in full. 

It was breathtaking and amazing all at the same time. It had also shown that Yang had the potential to grow even more.

]|[

As the debilitating migraines increased, Cinder was getting worried. She was having blackouts where she would wake up sore and disheveled with a searing pain in her neck and lower back. Finding bruises around her wrists and legs. Fearing the worst, she had gone to a hospital in secret. The one solace she found was that whatever was happening to her, it was not rape. But the not knowing was driving her up the wall. Making her paranoid causing sleepless nights. Unable to trust anyone. Getting desperate and reaching the end of her rope, she needed answers and soon, not knowing how much longer she would last.

Watching Cinder from the shadows, Mercury scoffed at her. The pawn in this game thinking that she was anything but disposable. In this game between the holy mother and that fool. Idly he could not help but remark how easy it was to manipulate the pathetic girl into doing what the mother wanted. Taking a maiden's power by force. He had to laugh. To do such a thing when you were incompatible in the first place is foolish. But to do so while the maiden in question is still alive is suicidal. Mother had placed him and his father in the perfect position to have one of them join her. The ideal place to keep eyes on the pawn as she danced about to mother's tune. It will be marvelous to see just how Cinder falls. Whether the power she stole rips her apart after her role is done or not is inconsequential. Cinder only needs to last until then. Mercury grinned with malice in his eyes as he watched her pace back and forth. It would be time to deliver the next dose of suppressants soon. They were the only thing keeping the girl sane and whole.

 After all, they were months away from completion, and Cinder must last until the plan is done. All he had to do was wait until she slept, then sneak in with the seer and set to work. 

When Cinder awoke the next morning with the searing pain returning in full force. And her mobility compromised. Unable to move her legs, it broke the damn of emotions inside her something was wrong, something had happened last night that she could not remember it was unsettling. She knew then and there she needed help but from where? Not knowing who to trust with this side of her. Cinder curled up into a ball and wept for the first time.

 Emerald was getting worried, pacing back and forth in her room over what to do. Things had not been working out, and Cinder's condition was getting progressively worse. With mercury acting like he did not care. She had no idea who to trust and little time in which to make a decision. She knew that, at the very least, Mercury could not be entrusted. He obviously has his own agenda. Emerald was quickly coming to the conclusion that she would have to gamble everything on getting Cinder the help she needed. Even if it cost her life.

With her decision made, Emerald stopped pacing and looked to her scroll on its charging dock. Grabbing the phone. Emerald hesitated only for a moment. Biting the inside of her cheek. As she went through her contacts, finding the number of who she was looking for. Dialing the number, she let it ring twice then hung up. All that was left was to wait for a call.

It hadn't taken long for her scroll to ring once more. Answering the call before the first ring even ended. 

"How did you get this number?" was the first thing she heard from the mystery man on the other end of the phone.

"R-Roman gave us the number." Emerald answered, knowing that this was her one and only shot at possibly saving Cinder." your K-Kitsune, right?" she questioned.

Naruto let out an aggravated sigh before replying with a very terse "yes."

"You have three minutes talk," Kitsune said in a clipped tone.

"I need your help. There is something wrong with Cinder." emerald pleaded. The desperation was evident in her voice.

Taking this into account, Naruto could undoubtedly think of several things. That could be wrong, the girl. He also remembered what the panther elder had said to him. Letting out another sigh of displeasure. He knew what it meant.

To get insight into whatever force was trying to infiltrate Vale on his watch, he needed Cinder.

"I will be there in twenty minutes. Make sure it is only those you trust with you and Cinder. Be ready to leave with her when I get there." Naruto said. Hanging up soon after 

The feeling of Annoyance that he had just hung up was only balanced by the fact Kitsune said he would help them.

]|[

Having just ended the call, Naruto was intrigued at the prospect of just what was really going on in Cinder's camp. Putting a finger to his ANBU tattoo, he sent a few quick pulses of chakra into it, letting Sarada know he was leaving Beacon in code. Making a clone to cover for him. Naruto vanished from Beacon in a flash of yellow.

Appearing in a safe house and putting on his armor and mask as his hair bled red. It only took a moment to gather the sage chakra to enter the honored sage mode. In another moment, he had found the apartment complex cinder's faction was using as a base. 

In a burst of speed and honed reflexes, he was traveling across the rooftops of Vale like only a shinobi could. When he reached the building, he paused. Sensing the area around him, many of the people in the crowd below were armed. Likely belonging to Cinder's faction. Sensing that Cinder and emerald were on the top floor penthouse. His approach would be noticed if he scaled the building. It left only a few options, one of which was his favored. Making the ram hand seal thinking (Mujin Meisai). Naruto faded from view as the water vapor in the air bent the light around his form. Utilizing the sensing technique of his clan (Kagura Shingan), Naruto kept track of everyone in the building as he leapt down to the street and made his way to the building.

Once he was at the entrance instead of entering through the front, he leapt to a third-floor balcony picking the lock and letting himself in without tripping the alarm. He pulled out a blank scroll from his vest pouch and a brush writing out the formula for the Hiraishin on the scroll and pressing his hand to the scroll, intoning (Ninpō: Chōjū Giga) the script became a small ink mouse. Scurrying into a vent. All that was left to do was wait until it made it to the top floor.

]|[

Emerald was getting worried that her gamble had not paid off. That possibly Kitsune had chosen not to find them in the twenty minutes he had said. Even so, she had managed to pack a small bag without anyone the wiser. When she walked the short distance to Cinder's room, she had seen mercury leaving her room and a pit of despair formed in her stomach. Worried but not wanting to show it, she entered soon after his leaving. Cinder was unconscious, and her arms and legs had developing bruises on her wrists and ankles. She pushed past her fear, gathering what she could and waited. It was all she could do now. 

As the minutes passed by, Emerald began to panic, looking to the clock on the wall. There was only a minute left on the given deadline. Biting her thumb in frustration of the longest minute of her life. She was about to give up hope. Maybe try to solve this on her own when a mouse crawled out of the vent across the room. It looked at her for a moment as she stared back blankly. Until it swelled to twice its size and popped silently into words. Walking over to the odd sight, Emerald could only stare blankly as she read what was left behind. ~Are you and Cinder alone? If so, press on the text once for yes, twice for no...~

It was a relief that Kitsune was here somewhere. And it was evident that he was taking no chances of discovery. All he was waiting for was confirmation that the room was secure. A confirmation that emerald made sure of one last time before pressing her hand to the ink. 

 It flashed once before an odd mark was formed from the script. Before her eyes, Kitsune appeared in the room in a flash of red light. 

Without speaking, he walked over to Cinder. Who was still out of it and looking paler than the last time they had met. He had to grimace.

Emerald was about to speak when Kitsune raised a finger to his mask. Telling her to be silent. Pointing back to the script on the floor. It read,~ There is someone just outside of the door don't say a word.~

Nodding in response, she could only hope that he had a way out of this. She looked at him, oddly make signs with his hands. When wooden copies came out of his back.

Naruto flashed through the hand signs Tiger → Dog → Snake thinking (Moku Bunshin no Jutsu). The two clones he needed fully formed and sentient transformed into exact copies of Emerald and Cinder down to the last detail. Acting on his instructions as he went to pick up the comatose girl and walked over to emerald. He latched onto her with a chakra arm as she grabbed the bags she needed, and they disappeared in a flash as the ink on the floor faded.

]|[

Reappearing in one of many safe houses, Naruto let go of Emerald. Who paled and looked like she was about to be sick. When he spoke to her directly for the first time that night. "If you're going to be sick, the restroom is two doors down on your left," he said.

She took off at a dead sprint rushing to the restroom. Naruto walked over to the couch and set Cinder down. Pulling out a scroll, he opened the medical scroll enlarging it, and began to write the necessary seals.

By the time Emerald had come back to the living room of the house. She was in awe at what she saw. Kitsune was rapidly filling out a scroll the size of a person. She was somewhat surprised when he lifted his mask enough to pull down the second mask he was wearing. Yet Emerald could not see its face as it was masked by a distortion. When he bit into his thumb hard. It made her wince. As the man bleed freely into the scroll. 

It seemed to glow briefly. Then the script shifted to form the outline of a person. He stood from the floor and made his way towards Cinder. 

It was something Emerald could not abide without knowing just what was going on. 

"Ok, I know I asked for your help. But just what are you doing?" Emerald stated. Quirking a brow as she stepped in front of her savior, shielding Cinder from his view.

"The scroll I just filled out is for a full body medical scan. I intend to find out just what is wrong with Cinder. As you asked me to do." Kitsune replied. To ease her suspicions.

Seeing her relax her as the tense atmosphere faded. Kitsune walked past her to Cinder. He began to undo the buttons of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Removing her underwear as well. Picking up the unresponsive woman, he laid her nude form on the scroll.  

Emerald watched as he formed two distinct hand signs and spoke in a dead language that she could not place. And his hands glowed green. As he ran them over Cinder's prone form.

After making the Modified Ox → Tiger hand signs for the (Shōsen Jutsu). Naruto knew right away that something was wrong with the girl before him. What was apparent immediately was that she was drugged heavily so. 

So much, in fact, it was a wonder that she was still breathing. Naruto knew what he would have to do. Knowing that he only had a limited time to extract the narcotics from her system. Even if she would not wake any time soon. So he made the hand signs Tiger → Horse → Rabbit → Rat → Dog for the (Chakura no Mesu) without a word said. 

With a finger, he made an incision on her chest just above her heart. And with one hand on her chest and the other hovering just above the cut. He pushed hard onto her chest with his chakra. Forcing his chakra throughout her body, gathering the narcotics in her system. Pulling it out rapidly with the other. Once, her system was clear of the drugs muddling her aura. It was plain to see what was wrong with her. Cinder was dying due to the power she contained. Or rather the halve she held. It would need to be addressed, and soon she did not have more than a month left to live at this rate. Sooner the more she used her aura. The two halves were trying to become one, once more. It was ripping her apart from the inside, and this was the result.

He stood up from her prone form with the swirling ball of the drug in hand, pulling out a scroll and unraveling it with one hand. He sealed the narcotics into the scroll for later examination.

He turned to emerald. "follow me to the kitchen. We need to have a discussion. Naruto said. Making a clone to take care of dressing cinder.

Once they entered the kitchen, Naruto set about making tea while emerald waited at the table. When he was done, he set the kettle on the table along with two cups. Pouring out a cup for emerald and himself. He broke the building silence first.

"The power she has is killing her. Whatever that drug I purged from her system was. It was suppressing her aura and thus that power as well." Kitsune said.

Needless to say, that emerald was shocked. The plan to steal a maiden's power failed spectacularly, and they had only managed to get half.

"I sensed that the power is trying to leave her. And it's ripping her apart from the inside out to do so. When she wakes up, we need to have a rather frank discussion with her about what to do next." Kitsune added on. Taking a sip of his tea using a genjutsu to hide his face from view. The pair sat in silence as emerald digested the bitter truth of the situation they found themselves in.

Kitsune left soon after that his only parting words were a warning. "If I were you, I would convince Cinder to give up that power before it kills her. I will be back to discuss things in the morning." with his peace, said Naruto disappeared in a flash of light.

]|[

After leaving Emerald and Cinder Naruto had not made it back to beacon until the afternoon of the next day.upon dispelling his clone, he learned of the events that followed in his absence and was pleased to know that while he was gone blake had confessed to her fellow RWBY teammates. About being a Faunus and their acceptance of it. The girls had elected to go into town to celebrate there growth and progress in their training. His mood, however, was brought back down when he got a text from neo. ~hey foxy, going to rob the latest shipment of dust from SDC at docks Fang is involved see you tonight- neo~

Naruto could not help but curse his luck as he let out a long sigh. Thinking to himself, "man when it rains, it pours."  

]|[

-Sixteen hours earlier-

Yang was focusing on mastering the aspects of sage mode without transforming. Naruto had told her since she was no longer in danger of turning into stone. Yang could practice senjutsu on her own now. That if she mastered sage mode without transforming, then she would have better control over how long the power lasted. So far, she was able to hold the form for a single minute. 

Naruto had mentioned that her transformation, while it allowed her to gather natural energy on its own, so there was no need to make a summon contract for her. It was just that the form was a power hog. Thus it drained more natural energy than it gathered. Making it an issue about control rather than the amount of power gathered.

She was only broken from her meditation. When she had sensed Blake, Ruby, and Weiss coming her way.  

When they entered the clearing, Ruby could definitely say that this was the first time she had ever seen her sister so still. Just like a statue. If she did not know any better, then Ruby would have believed Yang was dead.

When Yang opened her eyes, she gazed at them with slitted pupils of the most vibrant red. They were almost glowing. Weiss definitely would say that it was the most fantastic sight. This was what Naruto was teaching them. In just forty-eight hours, she knew they had all come to some revelation and grown in some way. 

"So, what's up?" Yang asked.

"Well, I have something to tell you, girls." Blake began. Reaching up to her bow and pulling at the ribbon. Undoing it to show the most adorable set of cat ears.

"Ok, so you're a Faunus. That's cool." Weiss said casually dismissed the revelation. "I also suppose that you were a former member of the white fang too right." she snarked.

"How did you?" Blake questioned.

"Huh, never thought I was actually right," Weiss said. Stunned that her guess was right. 

While this byplay went on, Yang and Ruby just started watching the princess work.

"Well, you have been researching any information about the white Fang you can get your hands on. Also, we live together in a dorm. Do you really think I wouldn't notice those extra ears you have? Several other things are not important. But yes, I figured it out, and I don't care, Blake." Weiss explained. 

"B-but you're the heiress of the SDC, and I know just what the white fang has done when targeting your family." Blake started with a tone of derision. "You should at least hate me for joining the white fang."

"Blake, I have had to do a lot of growing up recently. And I have chosen not to let hatred guide me. But rather to seek equality through understanding." Weiss said. Embracing blake in a hug.

Not wanting to be left out, ruby and Yang joined in on the hug.

This was the scene naruto's team and clone walked in on. 

"Aw, isn't this adorable." the clone teased

Team RWBY soon separated. With various shades of red on their cheeks.

"Naruto," ruby whined.

"Naruto, don't you want to tell us something, it's why we were looking for team RWBY," Pyrrha suggested. Trying to get things back on track.

"Uhh, right, so since classes are already over today, you can have today off like a light maneuver day." the clone explained.

Ruby lit up with glee. Quickly pulling up her sleeve and removing the weights faster than anyone else. Dashing off soon after disappearing in a haze of rose petals. Where she was heading was anyone's guess.

As they all separated going about their own methods of personal relaxation. The clone noticed that Yang had simply sat back down in the clearing.knowing that this was definitely odd for the blonde bombshell. He sat down next to her. Taking comfort in the silence as she repositioned herself to rest her head on his shoulder.

"This is peaceful, isn't it?" Yang inquired.

"Yea, it is. I wish everyday could be like this." naruto agreed.

"Yang, I would like to take you out on a date this Friday." naruto asked. 

All Yang could do is meekly nodded with a blush on her cheeks and a small smile. Mumbling, "it's about time, foxy." 

Knowing that the boss would be relieved, the clone replied. "So at six then." the Naruto clone confirmed.

"Yeah, cool, but where are we going?" Yang asked.

"Well, I figured that you would like to go to the latest book signing for the next book Icha Icha: west. Then we can go for a ride and get dinner." naruto idly said.

Yang froze at that moment as what she had just heard settled in. In the next moment, her whole body turned unnaturally, and she hugged the clone. Excited that the next book in the series that the girl loved so much was coming out and having a book signing soon. She was so happy that she accidentally popped the clone in her embrace with her strength.

Coughing as the smoke cleared, Yang let out a meek, "oops." At the lack of boyfriend in the clearing with her. She came to the obvious conclusion that it was a clone. 

She was not surprised when another clone soon appeared in the clearing. Scowling at her, the clone let out a sigh. As Yang reiterated, she meekly stated, "oops." while giving him an adorable pout. The clone cursed the boss for making him an exact copy. With all his personality traits. Including a weakness to forward pouty blondes with a penchant for getting into trouble. It was how Ino snuck up on him after her husband sai died on a mission that when south. She hadn't known she was pregnant when Sai had fallen. But nonetheless a shinobi's life is short. And she moved on not long after his death. Despite just wanting to be there as a friend for the blonde. She almost literally forced her way into his life. Determined to live her life the way she wanted after Sai. 

Ino told him to shove it and kissed Hinata, his wife. Despite the protests and eventually got what the girl had wanted. Forcing her way into naruto's heart. Naruto had to laugh a bit. At the fond memories of Ino even at six months pregnant. Swollen ankles and all still active and ran circles around everyone driving him crazy. It was honestly refreshing to have met a girl just like his Ino. The clone thought to himself. As he sat back down, hugging her in his embrace. While thinking, man, if I pop like this, what a way to go.

With all things, the time together soon came to an end not more than forty minutes later. When a blushing, Yang hopped out of his embrace. With an excuse of, "I just remembered I have got to go meet up with my team, bye." Yang's retreating form yelled. 

Leaving the naruto clone snickering at her apparent panic.

]|[

Yang was panicking in her joy for her first date with naruto. She had not realized that there were so many things that needed to be done in preparation for the date. Running to her room, she threw open her closet, panicking over the fact that while she had feminine clothing. It was not a large selection to pick from due to her tomboyish style. It was time for a shopping spree, and she would need help. 

Pulling out her scroll, Yang looked up the one which she hoped would answer her s.o.s. 

~Yang: need help urgent~ after Sending a text to Weiss. Yang proceeded to pace back and forth in a fit of nervous energy.

Until Weiss had responded to the text not more than five minutes later with a text of her own.

~Weiss: whats up?~

~Yang: I have a date and nothing to wear. Freaking out fml~

~Weiss: calm down will get the girls will go shopping in Vale in an hour~

~Yang: Kk thanks~

As they continued to text each other. Yang had finally managed to calm down a bit. But still, she couldn't help but have butterflies in her stomach. After all, it was going to be her first date with the man she loved.

It was not long after the string of messages between Yang and Weiss. That Weiss had managed to get the other girls together. And onto an airship headed to downtown Vale. Under the guise of relaxation and therapeutic shopping. Little did they know that this trip would be one of the most interesting of the night.

[sg2tiger]

It's certainly interesting considering the different perspectives fans of Umineko would have depending on whenether they were along for the ride, or started after it ended. Though I can't really say if I agree with that betrayed mindset. It was a little frustrating yeah, but to me, all the clues were there. And there was really nothing in 1-4 that indicated the answer would be handed on a silver platter. If anything Higurashi betrays the genre after building up the mystery part so much in 1-6.

Well like I said, I feel like the betrayed feeling is something that people who started Umineko after it had already ended won’t really understand. You have to realize the perspective of people who were reading the series while it was still coming out, literally waiting 6 months between releases. I only got into Umineko during the time before EP5′s Japanese release, but even for me that meant two years just to get through Chiru. When you’re waiting excitedly for that long to read the next installment of the story, and it hits and the spoilers come out of the floodgates only to be told ‘yeah the ending doesn’t actually give any answers’…well, if you weren’t there at the time, I don’t think you could understand. Especially since now, years after it’s happened, you have tons of people who have come together to try and make sense of the EP8 ending, and now we have the EP8 manga to boot.

I don’t think EP8 is even a fraction as polarizing now as it was when it first came out - I mean, again, I’m not just talking about my own personal feelings, here. People were quitting Umineko in droves when they found out how EP8 ended, people started shitting on Ryukishi like crazy, and everyone either felt betrayed or was laughing at the people who took the story seriously enough to feel betrayed in the first place. It was a pretty universal sentiment at the time…it’s just one of those ‘you had to be there’ sorts of things that I’m not sure anyone who didn’t experience could really understand, even if I try to explain it. 

As far as Higurashi goes, though - I can’t agree. Higurashi was never presented explicitly as a mystery series. It was certainly mysterious, but it was presented as a horror and supernatural-themed story right from the start. It challenged critical thinking, but it never outright said ‘this is a mystery, try to solve this’ to its readers. There also wasn’t really anything to be betrayed because Higurashi pretty concretely answered all the questions it presented. When I say ‘betrayed’ I don’t mean ‘because the answers weren’t satisfying’, I mean ‘because there literally were not answers’. Because, remember, the EP8 VN leaves the details on a LOT of things in the catbox that were only later given concrete details by the manga. The betrayal part is the fact that we were told to solve a mystery, and at the end, we weren’t given the sheet to check our answers against despite the story often reinforcing the very fact that people like to know that a mystery is, in fact, solvable (see EP5 ???? tea party scene with Virgilia and Dlanor specifically).

Higurashi didn’t betray anything, though. Not only because it never presented itself as an explicit mystery, but because it did answer all of its questions (aside from maybe some minor things). Matsuribayashi-hen’s puzzle segment of putting together all the kakera alone answers almost every lingering mystery from the series since Onikakushi-hen, going all the way back to the initial conflict over the dam and covering every incident until the present time. If Higurashi were a proper mystery, that would be the ‘answer sheet’ - like saying, before this point, get your theories together, because this is your last chance. And then the kakera puzzle goes through all the questions you may have had and answers them. And at that point you can say ‘oh hey, I guessed that right!!’ or ‘aw man I was totally off’. But the answers are given. To everything. Whether you were satisfied by ‘lol brain parasites’ is another matter entirely - that’s not what I mean by betrayal. It’s the fact that, prior to the release of the manga, Umineko’s ending decided not to even give us those answers at all.

Again, you have to put into perspective just how much discussion took place over even just the two years that I was into Umineko - let alone the four years for those who got into it from the time of EP1. Go to AnimeSuki sometime and check out the old archived Umineko forum, and look at the sheer number of pages each individual Episode’s discussion thread has…and that’s not even counting the general spoiler for all EPs discussion thread, all the anime discussions, manga discussions, or all the discussions that happened on other places like 4chan (unfortunately most records of those were lost when Foolz died, RIP original Pony Theory thread). People spent countless hours of their lives putting together theories to try and solve the individual Episodes and their mysteries, and at the very least, in the end, were expecting some closure more than just the cryptic solutions given by Will in EP7. People wanted that answer sheet so they could check to see if their theories were correct, or oh so wrong.

And they weren’t given that. Despite Umineko repeatedly going over mystery tropes and reinforcing to the reader that it was, in fact, solvable as long as they had their Critical Thinking Hats on…it never delivered on the chance to let us see how right or wrong we were. That was the core of people’s dissatisfaction with the ending, and Ryukishi’s smug attitude in that infamous interview just rubbed salt in those wounds by him basically going full Featherine and insulting his readers, basically telling us that if we couldn’t see the truth already we didn’t deserve the chance to check the answer sheet, mocking us for not liking his brilliant twists, and just all sorts of rude-ass shit. Have you read Answer to the Golden Witch? Check it out sometime and try to think from the perspective of people who were already feeling dissatisfied by the lack of answers in EP8…and then feeling that the mighty King Ryukishi was sitting high on his throne looking down on them and mocking the pathetic peasants who couldn’t grasp The Heart without someone holding their hands. Suffice to say, a lot of people lost respect for Ryukishi after that - hence, that feeling of betrayal.

But I do feel that Ryukishi has at least somewhat redeemed himself for that old attitude. The fact that he chose to release the EP8 manga the way he did at all shows me that he maybe realized how people like me felt about having the answers shut away in the catbox…which, while thematically appropriate, was not at all satisfying for the loyal Umineko fans who had devoted so much time to trying to solve the mystery. I’m sure there were a lot of mindless goats who just wanted the answers served on a silver platter - but we were not them. We worked out asses off trying to tackle the mystery from so many angles over the course of years. And I think he finally realized, once the dust had settled, how that inconclusive ending must have made us feel. 

I read a thing here on Tumblr that was a snippet from a different interview or post or something by Ryukishi at the time when he decided to release the EP8 manga…anyone happen to have a link to that? I’ll edit this post if I find it. But basically it shows just how hard it was for him to make that ultimate decision, between keeping the thematic ending of shutting the truth up in the catbox, or releasing that truth to the people who grasped so hard for it for so long. And I appreciate the fact that he ultimately did decide to reward us for our efforts by giving the answers in the form of the EP8 manga. Reading what a difficult decision it was for him eased a lot of my old hatred…I’m still not terribly fond of the man, but I don’t hate Ryukishi anymore. As much. I just tend to have trouble getting over grudges. But I do respect and appreciate him for releasing the EP8 manga, because it shows at least some part of him doesn’t think all of his fans are stupid goats who want to be spoonfed. That was the part that hurt people like me the most, you know - we really did work hard at trying to actually solve the mystery. We did not want to be spoonfed the answers. We wanted to do the same thing Featherine wanted Bern to make EP7 for - to check our answers and know whether or not the solutions we found were true.

So yeah…maybe that helps explain a bit better what I mean when I say that so many people felt betrayed by the way Umineko ended. But I do think that it’s probably hard to understand if you weren’t there at the time. The current Umineko fandom is very different from the one back then, simply because the environment is so different now. We even have blogs like Ramblings of the Golden Witch that go through all the evidence in the existing material and analyze lingering questions.

But again, that’s only possible because the answers exist now. We actually have a complete set of all the novels + all the manga + the extra content of the EP8 manga in front of us that we can sit down and compare and dissect. That’s a luxury that didn’t exist in ‘my time’. We had the visual novel, the PC original without even voice acting, and we had a disjointed collection of partially-finished manga (the EP7 manga would have just scarcely begun at the time EP8 was released in Japan when this shitstorm broke out)…and we had our theories, and our discussions, which colored a lot of perceptions and further clouded the line between canon and unconfirmed. There was a lot more speculation than answers back then, which I feel has reversed now - there’s still a lot about Umineko that’s vague or inside the catbox, and that’s why we can still enjoy discussing it even all these years later. But there are also a lot of concrete answers provided by the EP7 and EP8 manga that did not exist back then. And more than the fact that they didn’t exist, Ryukishi was insistent about the fact that they wouldn’t exist, and shame on us for wanting them to, because obviously we weren’t worthy of them.

People who got into Umineko after 2011, and especially after the EP8 manga existed…they got to experience a very different Umineko than I did. One where there were answers and spoilers and people willing to sit down and analyze these things and try to make more sense of them. A world where, even if you’re the type who avoids spoilers and doesn’t want to confirm anything until you’ve read it for yourself, you could then go online and look it up or ask someone to help clarify the solution for you if you felt confused. A world where we could say concretely things like ‘Yasu’s reason for committing the crime was more than just being lonely because Battler didn’t come back, as seen in Confession of the Golden Witch’. And you can say, oh, I see, that makes sense, because you have actual factual evidence clarifying the mystery and making the foreshadowing more obvious in hindsight.

People who got into Umineko before 2011 didn’t have that. All we could say was ‘so, uh, she killed everyone because she took a kid’s promise too seriously? That’s it? We’re supposed to accept that as a motive? What is this shit?’ because the VN did a terrible job of exploring the other conflicts that pushed Yasu to her breaking point. That’s just one example, of course. But for basically everything you now have concrete evidence to back up, from the identities of Yasu’s accomplices in each arc to the solutions of individual closed rooms? We had nothing but speculation, speculation, and more speculation. And that speculation varied wildly. You think Rosatrice is as bad as it gets? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve seen some shit theories in my day. But because everything was shrouded in mysterious catbox mystery, even the shittiest theories couldn’t be denied. I’m talking literal goat-tier shit with a flimsier basis than small bombs that completely disregarded The Heart, not just of Yasu, but multiple characters. But people clung to these theories because ‘b-but there’s nothing saying it’s not true, devil’s proof, devil’s proof!!’. They were great times and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but damn was the 2009-2011 Umineko fandom a shitshow.

TL;DR I don’t expect you to understand that feeling of betrayal because I think it’s fundamentally based on the circumstances of the time. Reading through all of Umineko in one go and being able to check your answers afterward is just too wholly different from the experience of reading an Episode at a time, with 6 months of waiting before the next, and then in the end being told ‘yeah you’re not gonna get a real answer lol sorry’.

I’d be curious to hear the perspectives of other people who were there at the time as well, assuming any are still in the current fanbase. I do know that every October when someone makes the annual Seac/a/ts thread you get a lot of people who pop in to say things like ‘do people still like this shit? I dropped it because DID Meido’ or to talk about how much Chiru sucks compared to the old EPs, and other things like that. And it often feels like the only people who stuck around did so because they want to deito Lucifer or fuck Erika, and I think there’s still a regular circlejerk general on /jp/ with all of like 5 people who still talk about Umineko. On the Tumblr side of things I get the impression that a lot of the more active blogs are people who got into the fandom later, and have a very different perspective than me (which I actually find refreshing and fun) who probably also don’t understand why I’m often so bitter about Ryukishi and how I still have yet to read EP8 for myself.

I’m like the grizzled old adventurer walking through a town full of fresh-faced younguns as I mutter ‘I hate Umineko, fuck Ryukishi’ under my breath. And they’re like ‘why does that person keep going into the dungeon if they hate it so much…?’ and I’m like ‘you wouldn’t understand, you’ll never understand the things I’ve seen’ while I venture into the darkness. But also we can sit down at the local tavern and swap stories of our own experiences and realize how different they are, and how they’re still fun to talk about, and every time I feel like I know the dungeon like the back of my hand someone comes along with a fresh perspective and I see it in a different way.

I think the analogy got away from me, but yeah, something like that. Somehow, after all these years, I’m still finding new things to discuss about Umineko with people from a different perspective, and I think that’s part of what makes it fun, even if they don’t always understand where my mindset is coming from :P