#Kanon Harumi

[genkinahito]

Third Window Films Release Tak Sakaguchi's ONE PERCENTER on Blu-ray and Digitally on March 11th

Third Window Films will release Tak Sakaguchi’s ONE PERCENTER on Blu-Ray and digital edition on March 11th. The star of the legendary Versus takes on yakuza and Jeet Kune Do practitioners in a film described the birth of a new form of “Real Action”!! Continue reading Third Window Films Release Tak Sakaguchi’s ONE PERCENTER on Blu-ray and Digitally on March 11th

[izzabela]

Hello!! Can you write about Smoke trying to ask fem. reader to be his date for Kuai Liang's wedding?

Plus One - Tomas x fem!reader (5+1 fic)

in which Tomas tries five times to ask you to be his date, and the one time he finally gets it right

a/n: i love weddings guys

ship[s]: tomas x fem!reader

warning(s): post-kanon

1 - Johnny

Tomas had a plan.

Walk in the hosting room, hand you the small bouquet of wisterias, and ask you to accompany him to his brother's wedding.

Easy, right?

Wrong. Especially with a woman as beautiful as you.

You two weren't dating (yet), but Tomas had been pining after you for a couple of months now.

This wedding invite would double as an opportunity to ask you out completely.

Tomas holds the flowers he plans on giving you, stands in front of the door for a couple more seconds as he hypes himself up for you.

"You can do this," Tomas whispers to himself. Gripping on the handle of the door, he slides it open to meet you in a... precarious situation.

Johnny is chasing you around with one of Tomas's masks (elder gods know how that ended up in the hosting room). You were padding around the room in childish joy, but stopped once you saw him.

"Oh, Tomas!" you greet. "Sorry about that, Johnny dropped in for a visit for some research on Japan. Kuai Liang invited him in."

Your eyes drop to the wisteria bouquet.

"Who's that going to?" you ask.

Tomas tosses the bouquet out to the side, smiling tightly as he walks in and closes the door.

"Nothing! It was for sister..." he lies, guilty he's using Harumi as a scapegoat.

As you and Johnny continue playing, Tomas grits his teeth.

He has six days before the wedding. Day one didn't go so well, but he has six more days.

Yeah, he thinks, Tomorrow will go just fine.

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

2 - Raiden

You and Tomas are greeted at the entrance of the Wu Shi by Kung Lao and Raiden.

"Welcome, our esteemed guests," Kung Lao teases. You roll your eyes, bowing halfway.

"Funny, Kung Lao," you greet with a smile. Tomas does the same thing.

Five days until the wedding and Tomas still has his bouquet waiting for you. Since today was a visit to talk about security for the wedding.

Perfectly stowed away in his shirt, Tomas is by your side as Kung Lao and Raiden talk about the safety of the bride and groom.

A monk suddenly rushes to Kung Lao's side, whispering to him about... something.

"Apologies, everyone!" Kung Lao announces. "I'll be taking my leave, but Raiden will show you two more of the details."

Waving Kung Lao off, Raiden begins to tour you guys around the place and offer more insight to security and what the monks can provide.

You'd think that Tomas would have the perfect opportunity to talk to you about the wedding and going as a couple, but he didn't.

Raiden was stuck to your side the entire day. Literally, glued to your hip as he showed you every nook and cranny about the academy.

It wasn't even about the security of the monks anymore. He showed you everything and everywhere of the academy.

Little by little, Tomas could feel his confidence wilt and waver. It wasn't until the sun set that you finally were able to address Tomas.

"Raiden is such a hospitable young man," you gush, hand on your cheek as you wave goodbye.

"What was it you wanted to speak to me about?" you ask, walking with him as a portal opens back to the compound.

Tomas tucks the bouquet deeper into his shirt, smiling tightly as he glares at Raiden.

"It can wait until dinner, dove," Tomas answers politely. You smile, and Tomas can feel the guilt take bigger bites out of his conscious.

Poor Raiden, he was just trying to be friendly.

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

3 - Kenshi

Four days.

Four days until the wedding and Tomas's chances have been ruined twice now.

No matter, since he still has time.

Today, Tomas knew no one would be taking up yours, his, or the clan's time at all. His bouquet for you was beginning to wilt a bit, but Harumi supplied him with plant food and a matching vase.

Carrying the flowers in its vase, he walks to the garden and pond in the back of the compound.

In all honesty, the days he got interrupted gave him time to practice his words for you. So this time around, he's more confident and ready.

Rounding the corner, he finds you sitting by yourself on the wooden ledge. The breeze was light and cool, and your hair billowed like a willow tree.

"Good morrow, dove," Tomas greets. You smile, a dust of pink over your cheeks.

Before you could say anything, Kenshi appears from the room behind you (was that always there? Tomas thinks). Though his eyes are no longer useful, his brows do the talking as they're up in surprise.

"Good morning, Tomas. What brings you here?"

A vein pops in his neck, and he bites back from saying "i live here, doofus". Keeping up appearances, he recovers and smiles semi-politely.

"I just finished training my students," Tomas answers.

You look to see that Tomas has the same flowers from a couple of days ago.

"I thought you had given that to Harumi already," you point to the flowers. "Did you not get it to her?"

Tomas mentally curses himself, "Ah, she wasn't in the other day."

Putting the flowers to the side, he sits down next to you and Kenshi, Kenshi to your left and him on your right.

You three are engrossed in conversation, and Tomas is actually okay with not being able to ask you out.

Besides, Kenshi is rational, Johnny was an idiot and Raiden was touchy (no he wasn't Tomas is just getting antsy).

I have tomorrow, Tomas thinks, Tomorrow I'll do it.

The wisterias keep bending over the lip of the vase, almost like a cursed rose counting down the time he had left before he'd be cursed forever.

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

4 - Kung Lao

With two days remaining until the wedding, Tomas's patience was running thin.

The wisteria bouquet was losing its color, and the taut petals were shriveling like raisins with the time passing like this.

Still, he remained hopeful. Just as there were wilting petals, there were still some that were bright and healthy.

"Today for sure," Tomas tells himself. "Today is the day I'll do it."

If Tomas had a ten yen coin for every time his allies came through and stopped his advances for you, he'd have three. It isn't a lot, but it is weird it happened three times.

Tomas opens another pack of fertilizer for the the flowers, dumping it in the water of the vase before he stirs it with a wooden dowel.

He's not bringing it today, since it looks like a bit of a mess. To replace it, he has a letter and a bouquet of baby's breath.

Leaving his room, he wanders the compound again to to try and see where you are.

It's a warm evening this time around, and the sun has barely just touched the horizon. Tomas can hear the birds chirp and fill the silence of nature, and he finally spots you.

You're by the entrance this time, leaning on the huge maple wood door frame while talking to someone. Despite the posture you're in, you look as regal as ever. The sun shines and illuminates your very features, and Tomas can't help but sigh like a school boy in love.

He steps closer, rounding the corner to see who could be making you cover your mouth as you laugh, only to find the silhouette of a sun hat.

"Oh, hello!" Kung Lao greets. His dimples are out as he smiles fully, pearly white teeth shining as he waves the smoke ninja over.

"Come join us! Little birdie over here was just updating me about the wedding plans!" Kung Lao yells.

You swat his shoulder and tell him to hush.

"You said you would not tell!" you scold. "This is a secret!"

Tomas hid the letter in his shirt and the bouquet in the pocket of his pants. He couldn't intervene, not now, and not when you were clearly enjoying the laughs Kung Lao was providing.

Still, Tomas remained by your side, back straight and putting up the best front he could. However, the bouquet in his pants portrayed a different story.

Tomorrow, Tomas thinks, I'll do it for real.

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

5 - Kuai Liang

The last day before the wedding.

Everything should have been in place so that the bride and groom could have time to relax and be with their respective parties before the day of the ceremony.

So why is it that you and Kuai Liang were together at a flower shop, piecing together his corsage?

It was strange, too, considering a corsage is a western practice- Japanese weddings didn't even need flowers unless it was for the bride.

Tomas didn't want to give up, not when the wedding was so close, but the fact he ended up following you and Kuai Liang to the flower shop in the village near the compound meant he was on thin ice.

And boy was he desperate.

Tomas was ready. His wisterias were healthy, the baby's breath was still in tact, and the flowers worked so well together. The letter was the perfect touch too.

So the fact he saw you and Kuai Liang leave together, he couldn't hide his frustrations any longer.

"Brother, I swear to the elder gods..." Tomas mumbles to himself as he watches you two from a roof nearby.

He was still thinking of a way to come up to you two naturally, and without showing the vase and letter.

At this point, though, and with the wedding tomorrow, he felt defeated. He felt like he had given up.

He keeps the flowers and letter on the roof, telling himself he'll get the later. He takes his mask off and ruffles his clothes to make it look like he ran errands.

Finally, he jumps down on the opposite end of the shop, walking down until you point out to Kuai Liang that you see him.

"Tomas! What brings you here?" you ask gleefully, unaware of the sadness that plagues his heart.

"Nothing, dove. Just running some final errands before the wedding tomorrow."

He spends the rest of the day with you and his brother, the flowers and letter sitting idly on the rooftop- just like his feelings rest idly in his heart.

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

+1 - Harumi

You brush Harumi's hair one more time before rolling the hood over her head. Through the mirror, you look at her and offer her words of encouragement.

"Oh Harumi, I'm so happy for you," you say with a wobbly voice, tears lining the bottom of your eyes as you squeeze her shoulder.

You friend of many years, your ride or die, your platonic soulmate, was getting married to the most honorable man in the planet- in the realm!

How could you not be happy for her?

Harumi can sense that something is amiss with you, especially since you've been so excited for this wedding.

"What plagues your mind, my friend?" she asks, turning away from the vanity to hold both your hands.

You shake your head, "Nothing is wrong, just so overcome with joy."

Yeah, no. Harumi isn't believing a word since your tone didn't match the words you spoke.

"Come now, you can tell me," Harumi coaxes you gently. You can't help but fall victim to her charm, and you sit next to her to tell her about the week leading up to today.

From Johnny and his research, Raiden and the Wu Shi visit, even the little meets with Kenshi and Kung Lao, and you can't forget the fact that Kuai Liang took you to a flower shop to get a corsage made for Tomas.

All of these little things, talking to your friends about how to properly ask Tomas out to be your date, Harumi hears everything about your dilemma.

"Well... why don't you hear him now?" Harumi asks. He waves the handmaiden over, telling her that she's ready for the men to come in.

Kuai Liang and Tomas walk inside, wearing the traditional attire of a Japanese groom and best man. While Harumi is practically drooling over Kuai Liang, you can't help but be breathless in front of the European.

"Hi..." Tomas waves awkwardly with one hand, his other hiding something behind his back.

You give him the same salutation, gripping the corsage against your yukata.

"We will be outside getting ready, but the procession can't start until our best man and maid of honor are ready," Harumi tells you both.

Harumi winks at you while Kuai Liang is giving his younger brother a knowing glance. Tomas just waves him out.

"You look... lovely," Tomas finally says, eyeing you up and down. "Your yukata is a flattering color."

He wasn't lying. Harumi went to great lengths finding you the perfect yukata in your favorite color. She even got the best tailor in the country to fit it well against your body.

"I uh, wanted to give you something-"

"Wait! I have something as well," Tomas interrupts. He pulls out the thing you had been seeing through the weekend, the vase with the wisterias and the baby's breath.

"Oh... Tomas they're beautiful," you barely whisper. "For me?"

He nods, pointing to the flowers as he explains, "Baby's breath symbolizes everlasting love, and wisterias represent grace."

He meets your eyes, and you can see a bit of red at the corners indicating his shyness.

"This is my graceful everlasting love to you, not only as a friend, but as a suitor, if you'll have me."

You take the flowers and set them down on the vanity, taking the note from his hand as well and replacing it with the thing Tomas had seen earlier in the week.

Tomas looks down, "The corsage? But I thought-."

You shake your head, "No you goof, it wasn't for anyone but you!"

You then begin to explain how you spoke to each man about your crush on Tomas, and how you were gathering ideas on a gift to pair with your declaration of love.

Kuai Liang's idea was the best, and he offered to go out with you to fulfill that. Silly Tomas.

You take the corsage and pin it to the hem of his yukata. The flowers you chose were a white peonies and dark purple violets.

"The peony represents beauty and the violets represent faithfulness. You are the faithful, beautiful, dutiful man who has captured my heart."

Tomas is wide-eyed, and you recover yourself before your shame can eat you alive.

"If you'll have me..." You don't need to ask twice before Tomas takes your hand in his, kissing the back of your hand as he nods to the door.

"Are you ready to accompany me, my consort?" Tomas asks.

You nod, "Gladly, my loving suitor."

=====================

5+1 fics are so funny, this also makes me miss weddings

see you guys in the next fic!

[angel-of-the-moons]

Hear me out this. Hanzo falls in love with a woman who's in the Lin Kuei.

(You can make it as horny as your brain wants)

(Please?)

Oooooooh our resident spicy boy!

Fire & Ice

Hanzo Hasashi x Fem!Lin Kuei!Reader)

TW/CW: NSFW, Smut, Sexual tension, pining, opposites attract, slight spanking (briefly) unprotected sex, bath sex, PiV sex, temperature play(?) wee bit of Kanon fudging

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Hanzo is just MMMMF also Raiden is Light Aligned here for a wee bit of context

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

It all started during one of the first peace talks after the budding brotherhood of your Grandmaster, Kuai Liang (AKA Sub-Zero) and the Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu.

Once the cease-fire between the clans was initiated, it was met with mixed results. The original Shirai Ryu were annihilated (including Hanzo's wife and child) by the forces of the previous Grandmaster, Bi-Han (whom everyone later discovered was actually the evil sorcerer Quan-Chi in disguise).

However it came to light that the initial fires of hatred that were lit were orchestrated by the Grandmaster before Bi-Han himself; before Bi-Han became the void-creature known as Noob Saibot, before Cyrax and Sektor were "cyberized".

All of course, with Quan-Chi's aid...

But when Kuai Liang and Hanzo Hasashi buried old prejudices and hatreds and pursued an avenue of peace and allyship, they proposed training scenarios between the ninjas.

You were one of Sub-Zero's top members. Your flexibility and cryomancy a deadly and graceful combination.

Naturally, at some point you found yourself pitted against your complete elemental opposite, Scorpion.

Not only was he your elemental opposite, he was vastly more skilled than you. Having spent years as a revenant under the control of Quan-Chi, training others in the way of the Shirai Ryu, working with Lord Raiden... Yeah. You were a child compared to his prowess.

But you however, did get some ideas for your own weaponry from him. Instead of a normal kunai attached to a chain, you settled for a chain with blunt ends, allowing your cryomancy to shape various weapons at the ends. After all, they'd been useful for making things like spears, scythes and various others in the past...

And to say the man was floored when you used his own techniques against him--and mastering them with your own twists while you were at it--was an understatement.

It became rather normal for Hanzo to seek you out for sparring sessions, seeking to experiment with your respective powers you both created various attacks and techniques to better battle one another.

However it was during one of your sessions, where you were to be chased and he the hunter, that the two of you finally figured out that what was between the two of you was more than camaraderie, more than diplomatic friendship.

Hanzo himself realized a lot sooner than you did. The warmth in his heart (and not from his flame) and the increased rate of beats when you were around, how his thoughts would drift back to you when it was quiet, when he would pace the Fire Gardens...

It was a feeling he hasn't felt since Harumi.

He was hesitant to bring it to your attention, for fear of a repeat performance of some cruel twist of fate robbing him of the one he loved once again.

He couldn't dare hope one as vibrant and beautiful as you could feel the same.

Until that night, when he had you pinned to the tree, breathing hard from the chase.

He barely had a moment to realize how close he was to you before masks were torn from faces by your hand and lips met lips in a kiss balanced in his hot and your cold; a kiss so passionate steam wafted as your mouths parted.

It was under the snow-heavy branches of that tree where your hands first explored each other. Not in heated sexual passion, but with the desire to map out every detail you could, so when the two of you parted ways again you would always be able to mentally trace those lines, commit them to memory like a well-read book.

Kuai Liang had suspicions of a budding relationship between the two of you. If anything, you had to wager that he probably knew your true feelings for one another even before the two of you figured it out for yourselves; but he wouldn't bring it forth. He knew you two needed to figure it out at your own pace.

After all, his friend was still nursing a broken heart from the loss of his wife and child. But he knew this was still good for him, for the two of you, for both clans.

Hanzo Hasashi had finally fallen in love again.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Your first real "intimate" moment with Hanzo was when you showed him to the hot springs in the mountains. Heat, ice and snow all together in a blissful harmonious oasis.

Not unlike your love for one another, a peaceful respite in tumultuous times.

"This is... Beautiful." Hanzo said, his breath coming out of him in a cloud that swirled with the snowflakes. "But won't it still be too cold to bathe?"

You chuckled and pulled off your mask. Shaking your hair free of icy flakes. "Well, Hanzo, that's why the goal is to stay in the water. Where it's warm."

He blew out a chuckle and shook his head. "Obviously." He turned and looked around, the red leaves of the maple trees surrounding you casting a beautiful scattering of color among the white and gray.

"But it--"

His voice died in his throat as he watched you strip your uniform from your body.

You held no shame, clearly, as you stripped bare in front of him, your wonderous body on full display for his longing, hungry eyes.

You took pride in your athletic frame, muscles and soft curves in all the right places, your body a gorgeous shell for the violence you were capable of committing.

His dark eyes met yours, a twinkle dancing in their depths as your smile reached your ears. You beckon him towards you, your fingers curling in a silent request for him to come closer.

It is a silent request his body obeys before he realizes he's even moving, his blood rushing in his ears.

When your fingers wrapped around his tabards you begin undoing each bit of his ornamentation slowly, peeling it off of him like a juicy piece of fruit you couldn't wait to take a bite out of.

Maybe you would... later.

Once he was naked, you gave him enough dignity to spare looking between his legs, knowing he wouldn't be ready for you to look at him there just yet, you felt like he would set the very air ablaze; each snowflake that landed on his body melted with a soft hiss as it came into contact with his skin.

At first you were concerned that maybe he was too hot, that the spring might make him sick with the extra heat added to his body; but as you sank into the water, he didn't seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, his eyes continued to take your form as he thought you weren't looking.

Every scar told a story, and he wanted to hear them all, wanted to hear a symphony of your voices together as you breathed your love into one another s lungs as you shared scorching kisses.

You could have sat next to him. You could have.

But you didn't. As shameless as you were, you sank down in front of him between his parted knees, slowly, a soft noise escaping you as the water crept up your cold body and you pressed your back against his chest.

You pretended not to hear the sharp inhale of breath as his raging erection pressed firmly against your back, the heat from it almost hotter than the water you were reclining in.

You hummed softly as he slipped his arms around you, pressing a hot, damp kiss to your icy shoulder.

You'd swear he could probably leave burns with those lips of his.

"Hmm... How did your meeting with Lord Raiden go, Hanzo?" You ask him, sliding your hands up his thighs and to his knees, feeling the knotted muscles tighten and flex beneath your touch.

"Ah..." He said, his voice tight in an effort to control himself.

"It... Went well. Young Takeda was there, it was good to see him again."

"How is Takeda doing?"

"He's spending more time with his father, and I believe he and Jacqui Briggs are officially a couple." Hanzo chuckled.

"That's good, they're a nice match." You sigh, relaxing into him more, maybe, just slightly intentionally grinding your ass against his cock.

His arms tighten around you and he leans in, his lips at the shell of your ear.

"You're playing a dangerous game, my lotus." He growls.

"You know me... I live for danger." You purr, grinding against him once more.

He groaned in your ear and rolled his hips to meet yours.

"I have to ask..." Hanzo said, one of his rough and calloused hands rising to give your ribs a feathery touch.

"I'm experienced, don't worry." You assure him playfully.

"Good..."

Was that... disappointment you heard in his voice?

"Awww..." You reach back and comb through his ebony locks. "Hanzo... Are you sad you're not my first?"

"No..." He lied. "I'm merely content to know this will be fully enjoyable for you, then."

You gladly take a mental note and stow that information away for a later scenario you wanted to play out with him...

"Hanzo?"

"Hmm?"

You turn your head slightly and capture his mouth in an awkwardly-angled kiss, teeth and tongues grazing, nipping, and twining together in a passionate affair.

You lift your hips enough in the water so the head of his cock is squished between your thighs. You roll yourself against him, letting his cock stroke between your legs as you flex your muscles, gripping him as tight as possible.

"Agh... You truly live for danger, hm?" Hanzo groaned hotly in your ear. His hands kneaded your breasts, his fingers heating up as he pulled and twisted your nipples in time with the lazy rolling of your hips.

"Hanzo..." You keened softly.

"You need to stop." Hanzo said, gripping your hips, effectively stilling you.

You pout in protest, and look at him over your shoulder, waiting for an explanation.

Hanzo's tongue darts out to lick at a bead of water that rolls down your shoulder, and nips at the skin, there.

"When I finish, I want it to be inside you." He growled against your skin.

His voice and the way he was touching you sent a jolt of excitement racing up your spine.

"Yes." You breathe, your heart beginning to flutter in your chest like a flighty bird.

"Do you want me, my lotus?" Hanzo asked you. "Do you want me inside you?"

"By the Elder Gods, yes." You reply, your voice shaky but certain.

Hanzo quickly helped you up, turning you around so your breasts were squished against the rocks below you, your hands balling in the snow, ice creeping out from beneath your fingertips.

You eagerly spread your legs for him, water rolling off your body as his searing grip kneaded and squished the flesh of your ass, spreading your cheeks as his chest heaved while his eyes drank in your swollen and waiting sex and prone form.

"Hanzo, please?" You pant, pushing back into his grip.

His cock twitched at the sight of you, at the feel of your icy skin in his hands. Any normal person would be a shivering mess, being practically face down in the snow. But not you. You were Lin Kuei, a cryomancer.

His little ice lotus.

He gripped the base of his cock and took his time lining up, a small smile crinkling the corners of his eyes as you squirm impatiently.

He wasn't sure why, but something told him to raise his hand and slap your ass in a reprimand.

The squeak you made at first gave him the impression that he'd seriously hurt you, but when he noticed how demure you became, he chuckled softly.

"Behave, lotus. You must learn patience. It is a ninja's greatest asset." He said, his chest tightening as the tip of his cock slipped through your wet folds, the walls of your pussy gripping him in a greedy vice.

"Please, Hanzo..." You cried softly, trying to sink yourself deeper against him to sheathe his cock fully in the waiting velvet of your body.

Hanzo's hands prevented that, and it frustrated you, but your complaint died before it could form as he slowly eased himself inside, inch by torturous inch, until the tip of his cock just barely kissed your cervix.

He certainly had girth and length that was definitely going to make you see stars, tonight... His size complemented the roped muscles all throughout his body.

You make a deep, throaty moan as his weight settles into you, your muscles squeezing him down, trying to pull him deeper.

You feel the short coarse hairs that reached his navel brush the skin of your ass as he brought his hips firmly against yours.

He leaned in, kissing up your back and over your shoulder until his mouth was at your ear.

"How do you want me, love?"

"Fuck me hard. Please?"

He kissed your shoulder, biting down and sucking the skin, marking you as he pulled out and slammed his hips back in.

Your cries shook birds from the trees, the sensation of his balls slapping against your clit sending shivers up your spine, the pressure of his cock pounding you and pressing against that one divine spot within you, each drag of the vein running up his length driving you further and further into madness.

No other man you'd ever been with had been so precise or skilled in the art of sex.

Your previous partners were paltry compared to the sharp, angled thrust of Hanzo's hips, his cock cramming into you at such a harsh and heavy rate that you swore you were going to cum at any second, gushing around him, leaving a nice creamy ring at the base of his dick as he fucks into you like a man possessed.

He grips your shoulders and pulls you up against him, so your back is pressed against his chest.

His hands rise to your breasts, his fingertips almost glowing as he pinches your nipples, the soft mounds bouncing and jiggling in his hands with each upward thrust of his hips into yours.

"Hanzo!" You cried out, tossing your head back with a wail of ecstasy, your vision going cross as he brings one of his searing hands to your clit, rolling vigorously, the heat feeling like it set every nerve in your body alight with fire.

"Come for me." He softly commands.

And just like that, your body obeys him, clamping down, squeezing him, trying to mold yourself around him; commit his shape and size to memory so he and only he could ever fuck and satisfy you ever again.

He hisses out a breath, steam rising in waves off his body as he fucks up into you again, riding out your orgasm as he rapidly approaches his own.

Hanzo eases you back down, his hand sliding up your sweaty, chilly spine as he tips his head back, his lips parting in a moan as he cums, jerky thrusts and loud whimpers from you as his boiling hot load paints your insides a nice, pearly white, threatening to burn a hole right through you.

He lazily fucks you, some of his spend leaking out around him and dripping down your thighs as he rides out the blinding high that took over every range of his senses.

Once the two of you regain your breathing, he keeps you firmly seated on his cock as you both sink back into the water, relaxing as the heat soaks through your chilled core while Hanzo gently pours palm fulls of water on your skin, massaging your shoulders.

"Mmmh..." You sigh, relaxing against him as he kisses the top of your damp head.

"You seem content." He chuckled.

"Hanzo, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to carry me back home." You laugh. "Had I known what kind of weapon you were packing, I would have been just slightly more hesitant..."

"Only slightly, hm?"

"Just a bit." You murmur, kissing the knuckles of one of his hands.

Hanzo grins and plants a kiss over the bruise he'd left on your skin.

"You will get used to it, my lotus."

[bihansthot]

First and foremost, is Kuai and Harumi being married cannon or is like the different endings from towers?

Second how cute was it Bi-han making ice armor for his brother? It was cuteeeee

So, we don’t know if Invasion mode is kanon or not yet so Kuai and Harumi being married may be like tower endings. It’s hard to say at this point. I’m in favor of ignoring it though because I don’t want the Kuai Liang lovelies to be sad and I shockingly don’t want Hanzo miserable.

Second yes!! It was so adorable! See he’s a good brother! I keep telling y’all he’s a good brother and there ya go! Proof!

[a-student-out-of-time]

Okay so as a list potential suspects are Mikan, Gundham, Hiyoko, Fuyuhiko, Peko, Nekomaru, Akane, Damian, Yuki, Kizuna, Kanon, Yamato, Mikako, Maverick (he technically counts) and Kyoko. Hajime is kidnapped, Sonia isn’t in the country so it seems unlikely atm, Nikei, Hibiki and Kyoji have been cleared and given the conditions Nikei was cleared under Chiaki, Maku and Taira are also off the list. So that’s who are on the table. Oh and Harumi, Tenemi and Misako.

And out of those four, we've got our Shirogane duplicates.

[izzabela]

Hello!! Soo the most interesting part of my day today is that I got my pants caught on something which ripped my pants so it gave me an idea of what would each of the Lin Kuei brothers would do if their girlfriend/wife approached the embarrassment that their pants were ripped? 😂😂

Apple Bottom Jeans - Lin Kuei x fem!reader (headcanons)

in which you rip your pants in front of each of the boys

a/n: HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN

ship[s]: bi han, tomas & kuai liang x fem!reader

warning(s): ripped pants, post-story kanon

Bi Han

- i genuinely believe he would be the one laughing out loud. why? have you seen him?

- if it takes a lot for him to give praises, i believe it takes a lot more for him to laugh- this seals the deal

- "Bi Han! Help!" you'd cry out, and he'd come running to find your knees touching each other as they face inwards. His eyes would find your hands covering the huge rip on your bum, and your pretty, cotton, everyday panties peeking through

- he'd then trail to the bits of thread that come off your pants, then to the nail that holds the rest of the fabric that came off your butt

- i think he'd have a comic book moment. the moment where the character looks at the other character, back to the problem, then back to the character

- Bi Han would have the deepest, yet whole-hearted laugh of all his brothers. you want to be mad at him, really, you do. how can you with the sound of his timbre voice reverberating in your body with joy? you'd roll your eyes for sure, chuckling with him too

- i think it would make you sad, though. not the situation you were in, but the fact Bi Han doesn't laugh often. not when his only family has left him, and you're the only thing he has left from that bygone time

- after the laugh, though, he'd definitely scold you. something along the lines of "i told you that you wore those bottoms out", or "you missed an opportunity to replace them"

- if you, reader, don't care about the pants, he'd listen to you and toss them out in a heartbeat. if you did like those pants, he'd do his best to get a servant to fix them

- worst case scenario is that he'd have to find the exact brand of pants you wore

- still, he'd go great lengths to cover you up so you'd have some dignity left. he'd take off that outer layer of his uniform and drape it over you, and it'd do the job well because he's two heads taller than you

- if you try to remind him that he laughed, he'd literally deny it til his death

- still, even as he denies it all, you know he's thinking about it when he looks away from you and his left eyebrow (yes, you studied his facial expressions) is quirked up roughly ten degrees

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

Tomas

- he'd be the most flustered out of the three

- raised in cultures that regard women to a high standard (slavic traditions of the Czech Republic and the Lin Kuei), he'd put you first for sure. not without feeling embarrassed, if not more, for you

- "Tomas!" you screech from your shared room of Harumi's compound. "Tomas, you get here this instant!"

- he'd show up from a fissure of smoke, face scrunched up in worry as he assesses the situation. you're panicked, and he needs to remain calm or else you'll panic more

- he'd actually find the piece of fabric that ripped off. it'd probably be hooked on a splintered piece of wood from the side-wall of the tatami door. taking it, he'd foolishly look around your bum and leg area to find the rip

- "Hey!" you'd giggle-screech. "Don't be a perv!"

- i think Tomas would be very sad and borderline offended you'd think of him like that. he'd give you a look, that's for sure, and he'd continue to quietly assess your circumstance

- only when he finds the little frills of your lacy undies will he turn the deepest shade of pink possible on the human body. he'd flail around like a fish out of water, stuttering and finding something to cover you

- he'd drape you in a blanket, the one on your bed. then he'd pick you up and toss you right back into the pillowy mattress. he'd rush out and find one of Harumi's handmaidens (or Harumi herself) and discreetly tell her about the situation

- your replacement clothes for the meanwhile would be a kimono, similar to Harumi's. as you'd get changed, Tomas doesn't look at you one bit

- "I am ashamed to have looked..." Tomas pouts from behind the dressing screen. "I apologize, feather..."

- even as he tries to get you new pants, he can't help but think about the situation he was in. he would associate those specific pants to that situation- always

- and unlike Bi Han, you'd hold this shit over his head until the day he dies

- you'd egg him like "remember when my pants ripped and you were hiding from me?" or "remember when you threw me into bed because of my pants?"

- yeah, he would be the one more embarrassed than you. he wouldn't be living it down, either, until the day he died

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

Kuai Liang

- Kuai might be the most normal in terms of reaction, unfortunately. not without a good chuckle, though

- "Kuai Liang! A little help here, please!" you'd call for him from the living room of Harumi's compound. he'd rush to you almost instantly, definitely wondering why you remain sitting there when there was nothing or no one to be hosted

- "You are just... sitting..." Kuai Liang obviously notes. So much for a seasoned warrior, then again you were really just sitting

- it isn't until he walks behind you a bit, realizing that there is a reason why you're not getting up

- he'd see your hands failing to cover a hole that was right over the middle of your pants

- then, he'd see the bit of fabric that's being held by a splinter in the wooden floor of the room. he'd catch a glimpse of your panties, the color not all too difficult to miss

- "Do you think we can salvage this?" you'd ask him. Kuai Liang would give it to you straight

- "I do not believe I can, dove..." Kuai Liang says softly, kissing your forehead as an additional apology

- this is probably the most awkward situation in your life. since the pants were stuck to the ground, and you didn't want to rip it anymore, Kuai Liang basically carries you out of your pants

- with the help of a handmaid that held your pants legs down, Kuai Liang carries you by your armpits as he gently guides you to shimmy, shake, and maneuver out of your pants

- he'd praise you, a lot. things like "good job" and "thank you for listening to me" or "you did a great job listening", it'd make you very happy despite the loss of a good piece of clothing

- Kuai Liang would also order you new pants. you didn't even get to mention it before Kuai Liang had sent another handmaiden out to a nearby village to find similar, if not, the exact same pants as the ones you ripped

- and the gentleman he is, he would not speak of this day ever again. however, every time he sees you in those pants, he will chuckle to himself

- so in reality, he was speaking about it, just nonverbally

=====================

so easy that i finished this in thirty minutes

also update! i got a new job and actually love it there. everyone is so kind and helps me out

also, i love the headcanon ideas you guys are giving me, keep it up! you might see more of those get published first before i do actual fics

see y'all in the next fic!

[izzabela]

How about a dark romance between Kuai Liang and fem.reader that Kuai Liang harbors romantic feelings for the reader but he believes she has feelings for Tomas so he takes matters into his own hands when his patience runs thin?

Burn - Kuai Liang x fem!reader

in which Kuai Liang runs out of patience

a/n: scary... i like it

ship[s]: kuai liang , tomas x fem!reader

warning(s): possessive behaviors, toxic!relationship, major character death, post-kanon

Kuai Liang doesn't see himself an impatient man.

He was patient with Tomas when he first joined the family. He was patient with Bi Han and his rants about the fate of the clan.

Hell, he's patient with the state of the Shirai Ryu and how their numbers are barely there.

But the fire within him, the fire he controls, it has no such concept. The pyro element is selfish, demanding, and all-consuming. It burns fields in minutes, towns in hours, and cities in days.

It can burn a human within two to three hours- but he didn't want to burn anyone, not yet. Not when you were part of the equation.

You were not a flower, but a willow tree. Everlasting, timeless, and beautiful, you were the one thing Kuai Liang didn't want to burn.

But fires have no direction, and they burn without care or reason.

You had gone out of the compound with Tomas for some errands. Harumi had already tasked the other servants with chores of their own, so you offered yourself as help. Tomas was free as well, no one to train for a couple hours.

So, you two left to grab some groceries and whatnot for Harumi. It's the least you guys could do since Harumi had opened her home up.

And so as you and Tomas had a blast immersing yourselves in the village and its culture, you did not know of the embers that began to burn for you.

Kuai Liang stealthily snuck out of his training obligations to watch you guys- well, you.

Kuai Liang had his eye on you since you Harumi had introduced you as an ally alongside his childhood friend.

You supplied weapons and armory, especially with a newfound clan like the Shirai Ryu. But you supplied more, you gave Kuai Liang reason to burn brightly.

He didn't mean for it to become like this, not to this degree though.

At first, he made it his goal to just get to know you. Talk to you, walk with you, even have tea with you, Harumi, and his brother.

But with every conversation, he wanted more. He wanted to know you more than just the leader of your clan, more than a friend.

He wanted to know your likes and dislikes, your dreams, your ideal future- and whether or not he was pictured in it.

It started innocently, truly just to get to know you. However, with every passing look you gave him, every smile, wave, and conversation, he craved more.

He'd be by your side every minute of the day. He would shoot dirty looks to initiates, practically threaten them with fire. Hell, he'd pump-fake Tomas if he got too close.

He just wanted to make sure you liked him too. That you'd see his advances and want him just as much as he wanted you.

Then, it grew more when you came to him all sad and mopey. Frowned face, you confided in him about an initiate that had cat-called you and touched you.

"I felt so... dirty," you cried to him that day. Kuai Liang would never want you to feel like that.

Honorably, he'd stain his hands for you. Get down and dirty for you. He would do anything for you.

You never saw him again, but you did wipe an odd stain off his ear once. Still, you paid no mind when he explained it as a sparring scar.

It's also been a while since you'd gone back home to your clan's manor. You loved Harumi and Tomas and Kuai Liang, but you had a family. A loving mother and father, and two baby siblings.

Somehow though, you always felt obligated to stay. Some looming, dreadful feeling that whispered "no", and gently dragged you back to Harumi's compound.

Still, this wasn't enough. He didn't see you reciprocate, see you return his advances or feelings at all. Still, he waited- waited for you to love him the way he loved you.

He keeps his fire contained, but eventually the fire grows too big for water to contain it.

Kuai Liang continued to watch you from afar. Quietly, like a hawk waiting for a mouse to squeak. His eyes zeroed in on you and Tomas again, and the fire that he's held for months is growing stronger and more uncontrollable.

You had interlinked arms with Tomas to traverse the river of people of the town. You both had bags in hand, and you both were smiling as Kuai Liang watched you get whisked away by the one man he thought who'd know better.

When you two finally had time to rest, Tomas brushed your hair out of your face. You smile, but you get distracted with a flower booth and beeline for it.

Whatever he saw sealed the deal. All of his work, for months on end, was for fucking nothing. The men he's killed for you, the gifts, the little things. How he meticulously kept you away from your family.

How did you not see his efforts?

Kuai Liang hops away from the village, heading back to the compound to prepare for the fire that's about to burn.

Home didn't feel out of place for you and Tomas. Initiates were still out training, but they're waning down for dinner and sleep. The house servants are cleaning up as well, around the courtyard and the halls.

When you meet Harumi and Kuai Liang, they're all smiles and take the bags out of yours and his hands to put away.

Seriously, you couldn't have known what would have happened next.

Earlier during the errand run, Tomas helped you pick flowers for Kuai Liang. You had been preparing to ask him out, tell him how much you liked him, but didn't know how.

Tomas helped by picking flowers that he knew his brother liked. Tomas knew Kuai Liang was a rather simple man, and the flowers he helped you pick were perfect for him.

So, once everything was packed up, everyone had eaten and washed up, you had left your room to gift him the flowers. You were ready, heart practically jumping out of your chest as you approached his room.

However, the pungent smell of death lingered in the room next to his- Tomas's room. It would've been fine if he had gone on a mission, but he was with you all day.

Tomas doesn't hunt anymore, nor is he outside for excessive amounts of time.

Still, you approached the room and opened the sliding door, but nothing could have prepared you for what you saw.

The man you would've called your lover held his brother's torso tightly. A huge hole was in it, and you could see his head dangling lifelessly as blood occasionally dripped out.

You signaled your arrival with the soft drop of your flowers, a light plop on the wood. Kuai Liang turned around and dropped his brother's desecrated body to meet you.

"Oh darling," Kuai Liang cooed, his clothes arms, and face covered in blood and scratches. "Darling, you weren't supposed to be here."

You try to leave, back away and run, but he caught your hand and dragged you in. He trapped you from behind, the cool press of his blood-stained clothes soaking into your yukata.

"K-K-Kuai Lian-" you stutter, but you're quieted as his hand is under your chin, forcing your jaw shut as he forces you to look at his piece of art.

"Isn't this pretty, darling?" he whispered in your ear, nipping and licking it too. You can't help but shake in his arms as the full image made you want to puke.

His legs were gone, separated and to the side from his torso. He was split in half horizontally, and the huge hole in his chest had some crisp marks on the edge. No wonder death smelled so pungent- he burned with it.

Poor Tomas didn't have his eyes closed either, so his dark eyes stare back at you with no light in them.

Kuai Liang forced your head to face him, his lips less than an inch from his. He smiled softly as he pressed his forehead on yours, nuzzling and marking you with his scent and blood.

"This is what happens when you misbehave, other people take the punishment," he moves up to kiss your forehead. "You do not want to disobey, hm?"

To save yourself, you nod wearily. You try to fight back the tremors that shook your core, but it's no use when Kuai Liang has you in his grasp. He practically swallows you whole in a hug, pinning you down on the floor before he gently kisses your pillowy lips.

The flowers you brought are completely stained in red, and the fire that Kuai Liang had fought so long to keep tamed broke free.

Except, he'll use the fire as an example- an example of destruction when left unchecked.

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

guys i think i'm burnt out

if you don't see another fic after this pls don't dm me, imma just need to turn my brain off for a moment

thanks for your understanding! and hopefully i'll see you in the next fic when i can

[a-student-out-of-time]

ASOOT Timeline: February 2013 (A Dilemma of the Highest Moral Order)

Hey, guys, remember me? Well I’m back with most of the Price of Fate arc (all except the last day, because that is not done yet). Please enjoy!–Timeline Anon

February 4: 

At 6 AM, Umeko takes all of her time travel research out of her lab at Hope’s Peak. Some is transferred to her house, and the rest is trashed.

The news is out to the public regarding the Harumi-Emina class swap. Now, the Steering Committee is getting injunctions from the police department, and they debate whether or not to allow an investigation on campus. Their collective freakout is interrupted by Masa and Koichi, and Koichi delivers Jin’s decision: all future Hope’s Peak attendees will be approved by Jin and Koichi, the Steering Committee will no longer have any say in that, all current and upcoming attendees will be examined to see why they were chosen, the mass investigation will happen, and the Steering Committee will transfer executive power to Jin. Eventually, the Steering Committee does agree to this in an effort to save the school’s reputation. The investigation will begin after school. After Mass and Koichi leave, the Steering Committee reassure themselves that the school will be fine, as even if the Diet freezes their assets, they have benefactors overseas. There are also hints that they might be planning something regarding Masa.

Masa updates Chiaki, Suzuko, and Taro about the morning’s events. As the investigation is set to begin, it’s mentioned that criminal talents are most likely going to be expelled and barred from attending for the most part. Chiaki vouches for Mondo, and Koichi says that he’ll probably be all right to attend, but Fuyuhiko and Peko’s future at Hope’s Peak is in jeopardy because of this investigation. Suzuko and Taro will inform the rest of the Student Council, who will in turn inform everyone else. Chiaki advises Masa to take care of herself.

The original Ultimate Lucky Student is revealed to be a girl by the name of Umi Domoto, who is lucky but also quite unlucky and has been in the hospital often.

Masa briefly meets with Estu in Conference Room 37. Estu is revealed to have swiped the Izuru Kamukura Project Personnel File, containing the names and profiles of everyone associated with the project, from the Steering Committee while Masa distracted them. She doesn’t feel safe at school anymore, so she’s going to stay with Mayumi for a while.

In the afternoon, the Quantum Crew meets in the Void Warehouse. Hajime’s finally ungrounded. Nikei’s mad at Umeko for sharing her time travel research with the world, as that caused Yasuke and Masa to figure them out. Umeko assures him that the information never left Hope’s Peak. Then, they all reconnect with the 2030 crew, and Sunako finally explains exactly what she’s been keeping from them. It goes as follows:

A ship called the HMCS Apothegem, formerly of the Canadian military before being sold to a private buyer in Italy, became the personal lifeboat of the Preservation Project. The ship left Naples on New Years’ Day of 2025 and sank in the North Atlantic on December 9 of that same year. Only six survivors made it to nearby Greenland on the 14th, five days later: Sei Konno, Kanon Ota, Missy Vesper, Lyle D. Termina, Gaea Espere, and Echo Pine. Those six were the only survivors of a series of 50 killing games run aboard the ship by the Preservation Project, during which 445 Ultimates died. 

The Preservation Project was hoping to cultivate someone who would display a special ability as a result of these games. They did find such a person in Echo Pine, who awakened precog powers not unlike Mikako’s during their game. It’s because of Echo that the Kisaragi Foundation was able to create their time machine in this future. 

As Gaea Espere explains to the group, she was the one who sank the Apothegem after winning the 49th game and being forced to watch the 50th, and Echo proved vital to saving the few people they were able to save. After everyone escaped the ship, they hid out in Nuuk, Greenland for a while, where they were almost recaptured by the Preservation Project, but they were thankfully rescued by Mayumi, Masa, and the Kisaragi Foundation. They’ve had to stay in Japan under witness protection ever since. 2030’s Nikei is currently investigating the Apothegem’s wreckage to find out more information about the incident.

Takeharu Mizuta and Tsumugi Shirogane, as it turns out, were two of the biggest sponsors of the Preservation Project. The worst part is, in January of 2030, Tsumugi kidnapped Echo. 

According to Mikako’s visions, Tsumugi will go on to produce 53 seasons of a killing game television show, starting with smaller shows but growing into bigger broadcasts by the 40s. Emma’s son Whit will end up in one of these games. Because she’s got Echo, Tsumugi will always see the Kisaragi Foundation coming, and she will keep copy-pasting her mind into many bodies across the world, so that the killing games become an international affair. 

It won’t be until the fall of 2070 that the games will eventually end thanks to the cast of the 53rd season, which is entirely composed of the Quantum Crew’s descendants. These include Hajime and Hibiki’s granddaughter and Sayuri’s daughter Kaede (who’s also Natsumi’s granddaughter on her father Haruto’s side), Nikei and Taira’s granddaughter and Etsuya’s daughter Kirumi, Masa’s granddaughter Maki, and Sunako’s own grandson Kaito. It’s also mentioned that Kokichi Ouma is the grandson of Komaru (who marries Kasumi’s son Hirota), Korekiyo Shinguji is the grandson of Kikue and also Maki’s real boyfriend, Angie Yonaga is the granddaughter of Mio, Miu Iruma is the granddaughter of Miwa and Fumio (who both died in a car accident when she was young, possibly due to Ayumu’s bad luck), Ryoma Hoshi is the grandson of Kojikoji, and Tenko Chabashira is the granddaughter of Estu and Mayumi. All will be brainwashed with new identities that are purposeful insults to their ancestors.

After Nikei demands actual answers on why they should trust the 76 Squad, Sunako breaks down and tearfully reveals that Masa will be the only one to survive the war against Tsumugi. This is because of Hajime’s no-killing rule, which Tsumugi will take advantage of and circumvent at every turn, resulting in the deaths of every other member of the Quantum Crew. Masa will spend decades of her life fighting Tsumugi from the shadows, operating under a cover story involving her own “death” at the hands of the HSS, and she will lose everything and everyone else in her life in the process. Sayuri will also live, but only because she will cut ties with her family and go into hiding, partly because of resentment due to Kanade and partly because Hajime won’t kill Tsumugi. Her twin daughters, Kaede and Erika, will live in safety for a while before Tsumugi will find them too. In a surprise twist, they will grab Erika thinking that she’s Kaede, and it will be she who dies in Season 53. The real Kaede will live, but will never be the same.

There is no practical means to stop Tsumugi, according to Sunako. Not while she has Echo and her body-snatching ability. Their only chance is for the Quantum Crew to stop her in 2012…and Sunako says that she and Takeharu must be stopped, even if it means killing them. On the bright side, they have two extra days for the Takeharu mission, so there’s that.

As the 2030 crew logs off with the reminder that it wasn’t Hajime’s fault, Nikei is filled with regret for pressing Sunako on this, while Hajime remains desperately insistent that there must be another way to stop Tsumugi and Takeharu. Taira, Emma, and Nikei all angrily insist that the two Despairs must be killed for the sake of their families. Mikan and Yoruko manage to defuse the situation by suggesting that they all take some time to decompress. Hajime swears to use that time to think of a better way, and Yoruko drives him and Hibiki home. Kyoji will keep working on methods to counter Tsumugi’s technology. Sonia tells Nikei to think hard about whether or not he can really kill.

Hajime and Hibiki come home to his parents in tears. Yoruko tells Hiroshi and Keiko what happened and advises them to give them some space to think. Keiko says that her father, a private investigator named Daisuke Sato, is coming tomorrow to help with the mass investigation. Hajime is apprehensive, but glad that his Aunt Setsuna isn’t coming.

Late at night, Hajime cuddles with Hibiki and confides to her that he knew his no-killing rule would come into question at some point. He wants to know what Sunako meant when she said that this happened because of his actions, and when Hibiki asks why he’s never even considered the idea of murder, he admits that he’s still haunted by the Tragedy and wants to create a different world where they don’t have to rely on murder as a solution. He hopes that maybe if he finds out why the Despairs follow Junko, he can get them to turn on her. Either way, he doesn’t want to take life and death into his own hands, and he feels like if he kills even once, he can’t pretend to be a good person anymore. Tomorrow, he plans to do some research and ask around on the question. Hibiki comforts him; she’s also making plans to talk with Sayuri.

That night, Hajime has a terrible nightmare where specters of Apothegem survivors and casualties alike, along with Whit and Izuru, berate him for putting his no-killing rule above their lives. He sees Echo trapped in Tsumugi’s cage, begging for help, and wakes up screaming.

It’s Haruto and Jubei’s birthday. They turn 1.

February 5: 

Hajime wakes up at 6:20, rather upset over the nightmare. He gets a surprise 2030 check-in from Sunako, who has been able to trace back the ancestry of 13 out of the 16 V3 participants. In addition to the ones already stated, Shuichi Saihara is the great-grandson of Yuka and the grandson of Tato, Tsubasa, Eito, and Tomoe, while Gonta is the grandson of Akane’s youngest sister Teruko. K1-B0 was originally a therapy robot created by an engineering company founded by Kazuichi, Chihiro, and Ayumi, but will be hijacked by Team Danganronpa (his head will manage to survive that final explosion at the end, though, so he won’t really die). The only three that they haven’t been able to trace so far are Rantaro Amami, Kiko Omigawa (the blue-haired girl who served as Tsumugi’s final vessel), and Himiko Yumeno. Sunako is curious as to their connection to the Quantum Crew and theorizes that they might not have met their ancestors yet.

It’s also mentioned that Kaori’s husband and Kikue’s husband will both be toxic assholes, and that Kaori will die of a postpartum hemorrhage giving birth to Kaito, while Kikue’s granddaughter (and Korekiyo’s sister) will die of an illness.

Because of self-consistency, the only way to stop the Preservation Project, Tsumugi’s killing game show, the Holy Salvation Society, etc. is to stop the circumstances leading up to them. What’s more, Sunako still isn’t sure what effect the current investigation will have on things. Hajime plans to talk to everyone who he knows have descendants in the V3 cast in hopes that he can get their perspective on things. Sunako says that she’ll be happy if he finds another solution, but also reminds him that they’re fighting to save thousands of lives and that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for the hardest choice if worst comes to worst.

Hajime gets Hibiki’s input on his list. She tells him that he probably shouldn’t talk to 2-year-old Teruko or 11-year-old Sunako, and also mentions that he should check on Miwa, as some of the comments the latter made during their ski trip makes Hibiki think that something bad happened to her.

Daisuke Sato arrives at the Hinata house, carrying a refrigerator with his bare hands. He’ll be staying for about a week or so, depending on how long the investigation takes. As Hajime assures his family that he’ll be all right, Chiaki and Nikei see the fridge incident from the bus stop. All three of them go with Daisuke to help with the investigation. The school is crawling with police and investigators right now, but Harumi is taking the lead. 

Hajime briefs his friends on what he learned from Sunako, and he and Nikei have a quick debate about whether or not to kill Takeharu and Tsumugi. Nikei says that he has no problem dealing with this himself, but Hajime can’t ask him or anyone else to get involved. He asks for only two days, or at least until Nikei finds Takeharu. When asked about it, Nikei says that he thinks the Despairs should be killed, while Chiaki doesn’t know and wants a bit more time to think about it.

Mayumi indicates that she wants to talk to Hajime about something.

It seems that Class 77-B is under investigation right now. Teruteru is in trouble for the sexy soup incident, Hajime’s wanted for questioning in regards to the Twilight Syndrome incident, and Fuyuhiko and Peko are coming to terms with the fact that they’ll probably be expelled for their Yakuza connections. As Daisuke questions Teruteru, Hiyoko shows up and takes responsibility for putting the aphrodisiac in the soup. Hajime asks her if she’s sure about this, but Hiyoko tells him not to try and fix this for her, as it’s not his responsibility and he doesn’t have to fix everything, especially when it’s not even his fault. Hajime accepts her request, comforts her, and tells her to be careful.

Hajime tells Fuyuhiko about what happened last night and asks for his advice. Fuyuhiko advises him not to do anything that he’s not prepared to deal with and to ask for help if he needs it. He reassures him that he’s a good guy, thanks him again for saving his sister, and reminds him that he can’t save everyone.

Next, Hajime talks to Akane and Kazuichi. Akane, who’s used to violence from her childhood, wants to kill the Despairs herself, but advises Hajime to talk to her brother Hinata. Kazuchi reminds him that there isn’t always a third option, especially given how easy Tsumugi’s technology is to make.

Kyoji pulls Hajime into an empty classroom and begs for help. He asked Miaya to print off the records for his group therapy sessions, and now he needs to grab them, lest the police possibly find Kanade. What’s more, Eito and Tomoe are in the hallway getting asked questions about Eito’s mother. Kyoji asks Hajime to keep them busy while he grabs the papers.

Hajime goes to distract Eito and Tomoe, and Eito bemoans the fact that he still has no answers about what happened to his mom. He tells the story to Hajime and the cops, and Hajime immediately recognizes it as the Kamakura Project’s doing and mentally curses Kyoji for running away from Eito when he was asked about it. Eito just wants answers and doesn’t blame Kyoji, but would like to talk to him.

Meanwhile, Kyoji sneaks into the office and grabs all the printouts he needs. Just as he’s about to leave, he overhears Mai Shingetsu looking for Estu, and he immediately goes and confronts her. Hajime, Tomoe, and Eito hear the commotion and arrive in time to see Kyoji threaten to spill Mai’s secrets to the police if she doesn’t leave Estu alone. Even when she screams at him, he refuses to tell her, and Tomoe even gets some sass in before Mai storms off. Afterwards, Eito once again asks Kyoji about his mom, while Hajime encourages him to talk. Kyoji says that now is a bad time and that he needs to find Estu first, but gives Eito his number so that they can talk later.

Tomoe tells Hajime that he and Hope’s Peak were probably good for Hiyoko. Then, when Hajime asks her and Eito about murder, Tomoe says that she’d let the courts decide, and Eito agrees, saying that the death penalty exists for a reason. An overwhelmed and panicking Hajime goes to get some water and runs into Nikei. After he calms down a bit, they go to see Mayumi, and she asks for help.

Hajime, Nikei, and Kyoji meet with Masa, Mayumi, and Estu in the biology lab. Masa declares that she knows that one of the three boys is Kasugano, based on the evidence she has collected over the past several months. While Nikei accuses her of working with Hope’s Peak, Hajime has a breakdown, admits he’s Kasugano, and sobs that he only wanted to fix things but feels like he’s ruined everything. Mayumi comforts him and tells him that the investigation is Hope’s Peak’s fault, not his, and that he can be the symbol of hope that Japan really needs. The 76 Squad, as it turns out, wants to work together with the Quantum Crew to help get Estu out of the school, as the fact that she’s stolen the Kamakura File has put her at major risk, so she’s dropping out and running away. She has nowhere to go and asks if the Quantum Crew knows someplace off the grid. It takes some convincing, but Nikei agrees to let her stay at the Void Warehouse as long as she keeps out of their affairs, and they all agree to help Estu with her plan to escape the school. Estu once again suggests that Kyoji gets therapy, and the 76 Squad will answer Hajime’s questions after Estu’s escape.

Miwa has locked herself in a storage closet in the nurse’s office and is refusing to come out, despite Mikan and Fumio’s best efforts. Hajime shows up and manages to use his understanding kindness to coax her out of her hiding spot. It turns out that Miwa is very uncomfortable because the whole situation reminds her of her past: she was sexually assaulted by her former skating coach, fell pregnant as a result, and ended up giving the baby up for adoption. Now, she’s scared that her secret child could be discovered by the investigators, which would negatively impact her career. She hasn’t told the police yet, but Hajime convinces her to give the man’s name (Yasuo Furutani) to Harumi, who promises to catch him after the current investigation is over. Thankfully, Miwa is okay now, especially since she has her family, Nekomaru, and Fumio to support her. She also says that she doesn’t want to talk about death or punishment and just wants Yasuo to face justice.

Keiko picks Hibiki up from work, and Hibiki asks for advice about what to do about Sayuri resenting her due to Kanade. When Keiko asks why she would even still want Kanade in her life, Hibiki tearfully replies that she couldn’t let her go because she’s still her family and she was all she had for the longest time, plus she still feels guilty for the way she treated her due to being jealous of her. Keiko admits that she’s had similar issues with her own younger sister, Setsuna, who she was jealous of, and while Setsuna has grown up to be a massive bitch who is cruel to both Keiko and Hajime, Keiko still regrets her own cruelty to her in their childhoods. For now, Keiko’s advice to Hibiki regarding Sayuri is to just listen to her. She offers her more support and advice regarding her future marriage and pregnancy as well.

When Keiko and Hibiki get home, they find that Hiroshi is already home; turns out hundreds of businesses are being investigated due to their connections to Hope’s Peak, and Hiroshi’s work was shut down due to one such investigation. Worst case scenario is that he could lose his job. Keiko is angry about this, and mentions that Daisuke has beef with Hope’s Peak as one of his friends went there and it didn’t end well. Everyone stresses about how to tell this to Hajime without him blaming himself.

Hibiki talks to Sayuri, with Keiko there as backup. It turns out that Sayuri is upset that Hibiki even let Kanade back into her life at all, never mind making Sayuri go see her once a year. She hates Kanade  because of what she did to Hibiki and wishes that Hibiki had just let her go. Hibiki apologizes, admits that she and Kanade were nothing but bad influences on each other and that trying to “fix” her has only made things worse. Sayuri says that she doesn’t have to feel guilty all the time and that it’s okay for her to move on and be happy. With Keiko and Sayuri’s encouragement, Hibiki decides that she’ll tell Kanade the truth, and also face her in court if necessary.

Sayuri’s friendship with Haruto is going well. She suggests that he would be happier if Natsumi distanced herself from the yakuza life.

When Hibiki mentions that her parents abandoned her, Sayuri is confused, as she heard from Yoruko that Hibiki cut them off and didn’t respond to their attempts to get back in touch with her. Hibiki and Keiko are incredibly confused by this and will talk to Yoruko about it tomorrow. Sayuri signs off while declaring her love for her mom, and Hibiki and Keiko go make sundaes.

Hajime, Kyoji, and Masa meet outside Hope’s Peak to sneak Estu out of the school. They’re confident in their plan, as Kyoji has tested it twice with a watermelon. Harumi and Daisuke distract Mai by demanding answers about the drugs students are allowed to access at school, forcing her to show them her labs. Once the coast is clear, Mayumi and Nikei sneak Estu into a trash bag wrapped in bubble wrap and sealed in a cardboard box, then throw her out the window into the dumpster. She’s fine. To sneak her out the rest of the way, Kyoji dresses in a hazmat suit and claims that he’s transporting dangerous chemicals. With that, Estu’s free (and still has the files with her), and the group takes her on a bus back to the Void Warehouse.

On the bus ride back, Kyoji makes it known that he doesn’t think the others actually consider him a friend and isn’t used to having friends in general. Estu, still wishing he’d get therapy, suggests he talk to Ai Ibarazaki, one of his former classmates, who he’s worked with a few times and had a decent relationship with. Apparently, she was sad when Kyoji left. Kyoji says he’ll get in touch with her tomorrow. 

Hajime asks the 76 Squad how they feel about the whole killing thing. Estu says that revenge is just karma but that you should treat the dead with respect. Mayumi says that justice is what’s necessary, not revenge, that killing is wrong, and that karma will ensure that bad people get theirs eventually. Masa says that killing can sometimes be done with good intentions, such as the case of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, and that it doesn’t prove anything about who you truly are if you do it because you have no other choice. Even with their encouragement, Hajime still wants to find another way.

When the group gets to the Void Warehouse, Nikei shows Estu around, while Maku, Emma, and Sora reveal that they’ve found Takeharu’s location: the main office at the branch of MUFG Bank in Tokyo. He has 800 yen to his name, but always turns down promotions, he’s in the process of moving, and he hasn’t claimed any dependents. Nikei immediately starts railing for them to kill him right away, as he’s too paranoid about his family’s safety to wait around. Hajime and the others try to talk sense into him, since they barely even know what Takeharu’s deal is, but Nikei is convinced that he deserves to die for working with Junko. He suggests that they have the 76 Squad kill Takeharu and TSumugi instead, as they’re not part of the Quantum Crew and don’t have as many hangups regarding killing. An argument ensues, with Nikei and Hajime still at odds over the possibility of killing, and it ends with Nikei storming off while the other Voids promise to talk to him (they’re also planning to call Erina tomorrow). 

The 76 Squad hears all the yelling and offers to do more investigation if necessary. Hajime asks them to help investigate Takeharu, and fortunately, Estu just so happens to need a new bank account, so they agree to do so. Masa suggests that Hajime start writing down ideas.

Hajime talks to Kyoji; Kyoji agrees that killing is wrong, discusses his existentialist views and how he thinks that we are the ones who assign meaning to life, and encourages Hajime to stick to his beliefs if he so chooses, since they have meaning to him. Hajime thanks him and reminds him that what happened in the Tragedy timeline with him becoming Izuru wasn’t Kyoji’s fault.

Mayumi thanks Hajime for everything he’s done as Kasunago. He encourages her to stay by Estu’s side and tell her how she feels.

When Hajime gets home, he finds his parents, Daisuke, and Hibiki eating sundaes made by Hibiki and Keiko, and he takes one too. Hibiki and Keiko are planning to talk to Yoruko tomorrow. Meanwhile, it seems that all of the dangerous chemicals have been cleaned out of Hope’s Peak, but Hiyoko and Teruteru are going to be expelled for the soup incident.

Hajime and Hibiki fill each other in on the day’s events. Hajime’s still bothered by a feeling of hopelessness from everything falling apart all at once. Hibiki reminds him not to blame himself and to focus on the good that could come from this. They end up having sex to help each other feel better.

Mayumi and Emma talk about their families, and Emma gives Mayumi permission to stay the night at the Void Warehouse. She assures her that Nikei says a lot of things he doesn’t mean, that he’s only like this because he cares, and that he can get better. Mayumi offers her help if necessary. When Emma asks her how she became friends with Estu in the first place, Mayumi says that Estu’s been through a lot, that she was the first person to really get to know her, and that she’ll make sure that nothing hurts her. Emma is glad that the two of them met. Mayumi also mentions that Yoruko seems very tired lately and that the Voids should probably talk to Nikei about why he doesn’t like Masa.

It’s Kiriko’s birthday. She turns 18.

It’s Makoto’s birthday. He turns 17.

February 6:

Hajime, Hibiki, and Keiko all accompany Daisuke on another day of investigations. Hajime still has people he needs to talk to, while Hibiki and Keiko need to talk to Yoruko about Hibiki’s parents. 

Hibiki, Keiko, and Harumi meet with Yoruko and ask for answers. Yoruko denies lying about the Otonokoji parents calling her. Sora checks the phone records to clear things up, and it turns out that Maria and Sosuke Otonokoji called Yoruko twice. The first time ended in a misunderstanding, and Yoruko missed the second call (on the twins’ birthday), in which the Otonokojis apologized for their previous call and asked once again for information on Hibiki. Hibiki breaks down in tears, and Yoruko realizes how badly she messed up. Harumi figures that Yoruko genuinely remembered it all wrong because she suffers from compassion fatigue. Yoruko breaks down and admits that she’s been so busy helping everyone that she hasn’t had a break in a very long time. Hibiki, Harumi, and Sora encourage her to take time off to rest, which Yoruko agrees to do, and Hibiki and Keiko apologize for suspecting her of lying. Yoruko heads home with Sora. Hibiki decides to take some time to think before she contacts her parents.

Kyoji and Hibiki meet on the fifth floor, with Kyoji hoping to see Ai. Hibiki encourages him to say hi. They go to the greenhouse, where they see the plants and the chickens, and Ai Ibarazaki shows up, surprising them by walking on her hands. She’s very excited and happy to see Kyoji again. He apologizes for leaving without saying anything, and they hug. Ai mentions that she used to be scared of bugs, but conquered her fear in middle school and found her talent as a result. Now, she wants to go into forensic entomology. After she assures Kyoji that she’s not mad at him and will still be there for him no matter what, he promises that he’ll still be around for her too. They rekindle their friendship, and Ai becomes friends with Hibiki as well.

After Ai leaves, Kyoji confides to Hibiki that the fact that people still like him and forgive him makes him feel worse because he can’t internalize it due to his own self-loathing. He’s torn on whether or not he wants to see the file Estu took. Hibiki reiterates that it’s the Steering Committee’s fault, not his, and when he brings up his bleak-looking future, she even suggests that maybe they can change things so that he will not have to go to jail. She also tells him to see a therapist. When asked if he wants to have a family someday, Kyoji admits that he doesn’t know if he can be a good dad, or if he can even have kids. He’s keeping open the possibility of adoption, however. He also encourages Hibiki to take the chance to talk to her parents again. Hibiki decides that she will reach out to her parents and that she will do whatever it takes to keep Kyoji out of jail.

Kikue, fresh off investigators questioning whether or not she’s actually killed people, finds Gundham in the dining hall. He’s upset over what’s happening to his classmates, and no one has seen Sonia in quite some time, as she’s been holed up in her room. Gundham feels powerless to help them. Several of Kikue’s classmates are being investigated too, most notably Yasuke. To help Gundham feel better, Kikue decides to eat lunch with him, and they make lunch for Sonia as well. They talk about books, and when Gundham makes tea for Sonia, Kikue calls him cute. She tells him to focus on what he can do, and offers to talk anytime.

Thankfully, Sonia comes out of her room when Gundham and Kikue bring her tea. She’s been crying for two days because her family is concerned about her safety at Hope’s Peak. But she’s staying at school for now, and she won’t back down from helping her friends. Gundham and Kikue will support her. Kikue calls Sonia cool and hugs Gundham.

At the Void Warehouse, Nikei is practicing what he will say when he confronts Takeharu. He’s preparing for the worst. Maku and Emma are worried for him and know that this is not a good route for him to go down, so they’ve called in Erina to hold an intervention of sorts for their friend. They talk, he tells her about the current dilemma, and he insists that killing both Takeharu and Tsumugi is the only way for the Quantum Crew to protect themselves and their families, as he doesn’t believe that the world will give them a third option to take. Erina questions if he can really kill someone, tells the story of Nekomaru’s heart condition and the boy he met in the hospital, and says that while she wants to protect him, she knows that she has to let him live his own life. She asks if Nikei’s future family would want him to kill, and if Nikei himself truly wants to kill. After Nikei rants about his hatred of the wealthy elite and his incredulity that Hajime could ever think he’d end up just as bad by killing them, Erina asks him why he’s so sure that people like that can’t be trusted, and Nikei breaks down and tells her about his past. (This is also where we find out that his original last name was Arisaka and that his parents were local politicians.) Erina hugs him and apologizes that he ever had to go through that, while Nikei cries as he wonders why he still feels terrible for what he did. Erina wants to help him so that he doesn’t have to hide all this anymore, and she offers to come with him on the Mizuta mission and vouch for him if the truth ever comes out about what he did. Nikei thanks her, and at her and the other Voids’ urging, goes to get some sleep. He does, however, wonder how Masa survived Tsumugi’s rampage, and what it might’ve cost her.

The 76 Squad stakes out the MUFG Bank, waiting for Takeharu. Estu is ready to set up her new bank account, having engaged in slight fraud to obtain the legal documents she needs; the fake name she will use is Hikari Tano. She wants to change her appearance as well when she gets the chance, and she will get Kyoji to help change her dental records and DNA profile. She hopes to move to the Netherlands eventually.

Estu goes in with Mayumi to set up the bank account, while Masa waits outside in case Takeharu comes out. While they wait in line, Mayumi asks Estu if she’s doing okay and says that she will miss her, and Estu half-jokingly suggests she come with her. Mayumi, who’s grown to be a lot more comfortable with her sexuality thanks to Yoruko, promises to stay with her.

Masa spots Takeharu leaving the bank, sees that he’s writing a list, and follows him to a supermarket in Minato City. There, she watches him make a deal for an unknown formula with lysozyme and lactoferrin in it. Meanwhile, Estu overhears some bank workers talking about Takeharu: apparently, he’s on leave because he’s moving, and his wife died of an unknown medical complication back in June.

It’s evening, and Daisuke is still interviewing people, much to Hajime’s consternation. While he waits for him to finish up, he gets a text from Masa setting up a meeting at the Void Warehouse for 8 PM. He still has no non-lethal solution to the Takeharu-Tsumugi problem, and he’s freaking out about it. Distraught, he calls Ouma Mental Health Counseling and speaks to Hirota Ouma, Kasumi’s son. He asks him what he thinks about everything that happened. Hirota expresses his disgust at Emina and Hope’s Peak, mentioning that he himself turned down a spot at the school as the Ultimate Therapist, and says that it’s a good thing Kasunago turned up. He also tells Hajime that he and Kasumi can make time to talk if he needs it. After that, Hajime calls Mio, who is meeting with Ernesto to go over all the crimes Emina committed at Hope’s Peak. She tells him that the art world is changing for the better because of Kasugano’s actions. He asks her what’s the best way to figure out if he’s doing the right thing, and she tells him to take a deep breath and remember that dark times will pass and that it’s not his fault. She also offers to pray for him.

As Hajime continues to ponder the “to kill or not to kill” question and berates himself for people getting hurt as an indirect result of Kasugano’s actions, he runs into Taro and Tsubasa, who are discussing how Hope’s Peak is sweeping the Elementary Division under the rug. Tsubasa is determined to investigate it herself, and Taro offers to help her. Before he can talk to them, Hajime gets a flashback to their deaths in the Student Council Killing Game, and he flees the scene in tears. Then he reunites with Daisuke, finds out from him that Natsumi is once again in trouble for bullying girls around Tokyo, freaks out at the notion that once again something he did got people hurt, and screams at Daisuke to leave him alone and let him think before storming off. 

Hajime runs into the Reserve Course building in full meltdown mode, still insisting to himself that he’ll find a way not to kill. In the library, he runs into Honami, now in a different outfit that she made herself. Her life has been going well: she’s improved her relationship with her parents, has new friends outside of school, got a refill on her prescription, and is even learning to sew. Her relationship with Mahiru is also going well. Apparently, Natsumi was forced by her mother (who also slapped her across the face) to apologize to the girls she bullied. Hajime vents to Honami about the current situation, and when Honami asks why Hajime is still friends with killers and attempted killers such as herself, Hajime admits that he is just personally uncomfortable with being a murderer because he hates himself and blames himself for everything. He breaks down crying, and Honami hugs him and tells him that it’s not his responsibility to fix everything and that he has to let others make their own choices too. Hajime acknowledges that she’s right and thanks her. Honami also says that the Reserve Course will probably shut down soon due to the investigation, which improves Hajime’s mood.

Hajime goes home and apologizes to Daisuke. It turns out that Keiko and Hibiki have already told Daisuke the truth about Kasugano, time travel, etc. Now that he’s in the know, Daisuke is quick to reassure Hajime that Hope’s Peak are the ones to blame for Izuru. He tells Hajime the story of his childhood best friend, Masato Shimabukuro, the former Ultimate Surgeon, who was coerced into helping with the Kamakura Project via giving proto-lobotiomes to inmates from various prisons. This had a really bad effect on his mental health to the point where Izumi, his upperclassman, started getting suspicious. Masato eventually ended up committing suicide due to the guilt, blaming Hope’s Peak in his suicide note. Daisuke never told Hajime before because he knew how much he admired Hope’s Peak and didn’t want to break his heart. The suicide note can’t be used to expose Hope’s Peak at the moment, as it’s Masato’s word against the school, plus one of the Steering Committee members was in the same class as Daisuke and Masato. But the Kamakura Project has been slowed down, and everyone’s planning on tracking whatever new methods they use. Hajime, exhausted, tells his family and Hibiki that he loves them before turning in for the night.

Estu gives Kyoji the Kamakura File, which contains all the information about Masato stated above, proving that Kyoji was not the first to be used by the Project. Kyoji breaks down in tears, and the girls assure him that Hope’s Peak is the one to blame, that they will take the school down, and that they forgive him. But Kyoji still thinks he has no future to look forward to; he’s looked into where he is in 2030, and he’s alone, with no family and no friends. This attitude angers Estu, who demands to know why he’s so obsessed with his own misery and keeps sabotaging every chance he has at happiness; she screams at him that she envies him, because at least people care about him and he can still be himself. She tells him her own story: she grew up in a small village, but she was blamed by the townspeople for her mother’s death by childbirth, and when she was 12 they blamed her for another child’s death and set fire to her house, which ended up burning the whole village down. Her father sacrificed himself to save her, and she was the sole survivor. Now, she hates her talent, and very few people want to associate with her because they see her as creepy, not to mention how she was forced to help with the Kamakura Project. She even used to self-harm. Mayumi is her first real friend, and she’s in therapy now, but she’s getting ready to leave her old identity behind completely. She tells Kyoji that she doesn’t blame him and that all she’s ever wanted from him is an apology, and so he apologizes, and she accepts his apology. Mayumi advises that if he apologizes to the deceased’s families, he might avoid jail time. They all agree to be friends.

Estu’s long-term goals are quitting her mortician work and becoming a baker, while Mayumi wants to be an athlete. Kyoji asks them if they want kids, and while neither of them are interested in giving birth, they’d be cool with adoption. Kyoji shows them a video of them together with their baby in the future. This makes Estu feel a lot better. Mayumi gets flustered, and Kyoji privately advises her to go ahead and confess her feelings to her. With that in mind, Mayumi talks to Estu, affirms her support for her no matter what, and confesses her feelings. Estu immediately kisses her. While they can’t truly be together until the current situation with Estu is over, Mayumi promises to wait for her. They spend the night together.

It’s 10:30, and Hajime is still no closer to coming up with a non-lethal solution to deal with the Despairs. He vents about it to Keiko, who suggests that he write a list of the pros and cons of killing them (she also reminds him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for others’ decisions). Hajime makes the list, but ultimately comes up with more pros than cons. Distraught, he goes to bed. Keiko comes in while he’s sleeping and discovers that the last item on the con list is “You’re not a murderer,” which has been crossed out. Hajime then has another nightmare.

//And so the timelining begins again