#Kotobuki probably sees it the same way too

[wool-string]

[shiningwonderland]

Camus (All Star) Memorial

Translator: Mimi (Twitter: _mimisaurora)

Memorial 6 - The Customs of Foreign Countries

The streets come alive as Japan moves into the month of December.

Everything is decorated for Christmas, even the music that plays is suited for the holiday. 

“No matter how many years go by, this custom continues to elude me…”

I'll never understand the concept of celebrating the birthday of a god I do not worship.

I do ostensibly imitate prayers during ceremonies and other rituals, despite not believing.

This custom, however, was something unlike anything else.

My job now completely revolves around Christmas.

In a business where everything is prepared ahead of time, I can't even begin to count how many times I have wished a "Merry Christmas" over the past month or so.

…I’m fed up.

I should have taken a cab instead of walking through downtown.

Rejecting the fliers presented to me one after another, I hurried home.

I suddenly paused in front of a show window.

Laid-out at the center of a Christmas Tree themed display was a bag advertised as being a “Christmas Exclusive!”.

“Exclusive, huh…”

I recognized that little bag, so small that I doubted it had any practical use.

This was featured in a program I recorded just a while ago. It was listed as the most desired gift this year in our viewer survey.

How incredibly pointless.

People should get what they want on their own.

“It’s so annoying.”

I scowled, recalling a conversation that had occurred earlier today in the dressing room.

“G'morning everyone! Christmas is finally on the horizon! So how about getting some party catering from Kotobuki Bento? We're taking advance orders nowー!”

Kotobuki, often annoying, was exceptionally rowdy today.

He spreads a flier from his bento shop in front of us despite the disinterest, and announces something silly like getting three extra karaage if you reserve early.

“I said no. What connection does Christmas have to bento anyway?”

“What are you talking about! Christmas is a time to enjoy chicken! And there’s no chicken quite like karaage~!”

“Never heard of such a thing. Regardless, I have no intention of having a Christmas party. I won't be celebrating some foreign god's birthday.”

“Birthday…? Ah, I guess that’s true! The way you think’s hilarious, Myu-chan.”

I don't see what's so funny, but Kotobuki chuckles.

“In fact, you don't even believe in this God, do you?”

“Oh, man. You take the oddest things so seriously. Let me put it this way. Birthdays are happy occasions for everyone, so by celebrating, you, me, and God will all be happy.”

“Kotobuki bento are happy with these increases in sales… is what you want to say.”

“Exactly. We appreciate your support!.”

With a dramatic bow and a grin on his face, Kotobuki slipped the flier into my hand.

I could do nothing but sit there and take it.

I looked at my hand, dumbfounded.

…This is why you can never be too careful with this guy.

Now that I accepted the flier, I had no other option but to put it in my pocket and urge him to leave if he was done, but Kotobuki would not budge.

“...What.”

“Well? What are you going to give to Kouhai-chan?”

He inquired with a suggestive look on his face.

“What are you on about?”

“Oh, come on… Don’t act dumb. Aren’t you two dating? Christmas is a pretty big deal.”

“...Hmph.”

I wonder just who in the world told him. Was it Tsukimiya? Aijima?

They have put me in a tricky situation with a tricky guy.

“There isn’t a need. Why would I be giving her anything?”

“Wow.”

Kotobuki was unable to speak for a few moments, then repeated the exact same word.

“Wow.”

“...Out with it.”

Kotobuki scratched at his head, looking somewhat worried, and then sat down on the chair beside me.

…Who told him he could do that.

“Did you know I don't dislike the fact that you don't let your others influence the way you live your life? That being said, I think she's probably looking forward to it.”

“Hmph. If that woman is expecting to receive a handout from me, she's an idiot.”

Kotobuki let out an unusual sigh.

“If you know so much about Japan, then surely you also know a lot about Christmas, don't you, Myu-chan?”

“Of course I do. I know everything there is to know about this country.”

“Wonderful. Then you know why women have such high hopes, right? That what they want is not a thing, but a sentiment.”

“I don’t…”

“Ah, is it a bit hard to follow?”

“What are you talking about? Of course I get what you’re saying, but…”

“It's your first Christmas together, no? Women may not act like they care, but inside they're really excited about it.

“And I have no doubt you do know this, Myu-chan.” He added, pandering.

“Women want to be told they’re loved, whereas for guys, during occasions like this it’s a little hard to say without feeling a little shy. I think this would be a wonderful chance to let her know.”

“...It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Seriously?”

The way he looked at me ticked me off.

“On a day where it’s normal for everyone else to share their feelings, it's quite sad when you're the only one who doesn't.”

“...”

“Of course, you don't have to exactly say "I love you," but instead express the gratitude you can't normally convey. Ah, isn't it out of place to ask this of a couple of lovebirds?”

I wonder if I am thinking too much into the way he just ended that sentence.

I can’t read Kotobuki after all.

“...I’ll give it some thought.”

I probably shouldn't dwell on the topic too much.

Kotobuki gave me a big grin at my curt reply.

“Okayー! Make sure you pick a good present. One overflowing with your love!”

The weird way he poses with his fingers in a heart shape makes way for an astounding headache.

“You've wasted my time. Don't speak to me any more.”

“So cruel!”

“Ridiculous.”

I muttered to myself in front of the shop window and drove the memory out of my head.

We are not a couple.

I’ve never heard of masters gifting their servants.

“To show appreciation, huh? Well, I’m certainly being taken care of.”

No, I pay her well, if anything, I'm the one taking care of her.

Although…

Still, this bag’s design is actually surprisingly sophisticated when viewed in person like this.

And the price…

It may be a bit cheap, but for the average person, that would probably be for the best to avoid feeling bad when receiving it.

I noticed different colors arranged within the store, and headed inside to get a better look.

“Hmm… I wonder if they have one in white.”

The simplicity of this bag suits the shape better than the Christmas exclusive one shown up front.

And yet, the people in this country apparently find value in exclusives.

“Welcome. Is this a gift for your wife?”

“!?”

I was abruptly addressed and when I whirled around, the store staff, who had snuck up on me, yelped and froze in place.

...I didn't mean to look so frightening.

I glanced at the mirror beside me, unsure myself what it was that I looked like.

…Oh.

“My sincere apologies. I was simply startled to be approached out of the blue.”

I composed myself and flashed her a soft smile, and the shop staff smiled, too, as if relieved.

“Those are very popular. Please feel free to take a closer look if you would like.”

“There’s no need…. I came in just out of curiosity. I think I will pass on that for today.”

I got myself out of the store as fast as possible.

Seriously, what was I doing….

I open the front door and as always, am greeted by my dog and my servant.

“Welcome back. A package has arrived for you.”

“Thanks...”

I ultimately made it back home without buying anything.

“I’ll have dinner ready shortly.”

She smiled and headed to prepare for dinner.

I find myself feeling somewhat torn watching her receding back. 

No, it’s fine.

There is still time before Christmas…

…Wait. I still haven’t committed to getting her a gift.

I took the package from the table, exasperated with myself, and headed for the stairs to go up to my bedroom.

“...This is ridiculous.”

She is a servant.

Besides, that girl has so many friends and acquaintances that I'm certain she will receive plenty of gifts regardless of whether I do or don’t.

Nonsense.

There’s a live show on Christmas. I should focus on my work instead.

And even if I didn’t, there are still many things I have to do.

I have to deal with them one at a time…

I set up communications lines with my home country, instructing Alexander to keep a lookout.

I cannot afford to be careless with all the recent unrest regarding Her Majesty.

It didn't take long before a subordinate answered my call and provided me with the briefing I'd ordered.

“I see…. Well, then, continue on with the investigation.”

“Understood. May I ask, Camus-sama, whether your parcel was successfully delivered?”

I glanced at the package beside him as he spoke.

Upon cutting the seal and opening the box, the light from the ceiling causes the items inside to sparkle brightly.

There were two tiny aurora-colored stones arranged side by side.

“Are these the stones you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes! The technological innovations achieved over the past six months have made it possible to succeed in producing an even purer product.”

“But… I imagine its use is still the same.”

“That is correct! We have improved its performance through crystallization, resulting not only in easier connectivity, but also in greater stability.”

Hmm...

I honestly did not find the current version inconvenient.

“Alright, I will test it out.”

I took the stones out of the box after ending the call.

The advancements made over the past six months are truly remarkable, and the fact that it is now possible to do with a stone so small what was previously impossible without imitating Her Majesty is astonishing.

However…

“I said I'd give it a try, but it’s going to be a hassle adjusting to a new one…”

I really had no problem with the one I was currently using.

I placed the two stones in my hand as I thought about it.

“They are… beautiful.”

With each tilt, the stones shimmer with a light resembling an aurora.

“...”

I remember there being a legend about how this particular substance supposedly protects its owner.

Maybe it would be a good idea for that woman to carry one with her in the event of an emergency, considering how much of an airhead she can be.

“Well, there is a spare.”

I am content with the one I have so far, and even if I were to use this new one, I don't need two of them. 

And if I were to throw away something so carefully refined, it would be a disservice to the department responsible for it.

It is by no means a gift, but just how things turned out. A coincidence. 

It happened to coincide with Christmas.

“But, it’s technically not something I bought myself…”

No, Kotobuki mentioned something about the sentiment too.

Not that I have any.

There is no further meaning to this beyond simply sharing a spare.

“Alright, then this will do.”

I nodded to myself and was about to place the box of stones on a shelf…

“...She’d probably find them when cleaning if I put them here.”

After giving it some more thought, I finally put them in my desk drawer.

[rebirth-artblog]

I had a long, detailed post telling of how this happened but it took too much explaining and detail that I decided to just talk about why I think this works and not how

I am back with more rants about characters. This time I somehow came up with a Uta no Prince-sama and Durarara crossover. How did that happen? I don't know, ask my brain but it probably has to do with what I'll be talking about this time.

So!!! It would seem that a happy-go-lucky about idols like Utapri and one about the underground world of Japan with supernatural beings like Drrr! would not be compatible, but I ask you to consider..... Reiji Kotobuki x Izaya Orihara!!! (and of course, both stories are about love at the end of the day) Izaya fans might be following me here, but for Reiji fans just hear me out.

Yes, Izaya is a cruel man, happy to see others suffer for his entertainment, hiding behind a screen and fake names making excuses for his actions. Mostly just by thinking of himself as being above humanity. However, underneath he is lonely, secluded, misunderstood, and left to figure out himself and the world alone from a young age. He hides behind smiles, pretending things are ok, that he's not bothered by actions that hurt in any way the people he cares about. He's cynical, yes, and extremely antagonistic, of course, but when talking to a person directly he is honest. He knows how people think and why.

What does this have to do with the pairing? Well, Izaya has no idea how to relate to other people on any deeper level than two living beings who act and react to each other. The first and only form of love directed towards him was family, that at the age of about 10 he was left realizing that love amounted to distant concern for your general wellbeing from his parents. Which he directed almost identically towards his sisters but more involved in their personal lives rather than bother-line neglect. He began forming a semblance of relationships with others by gathering information first and then approaching the person who piqued his interest. Isolated from the world by his lack of understanding of others turned into him trying to learn everything about the human mind. At some point realizing that forming intimate relationships with people could bring more pain than being ignored, Izaya hides behind smiles and cruel words to protect himself, because he knows that if even one person close to him betrayed him he could not survive.

To Utapri fans, this might sound more like Ai. Though I believe he and Izaya could be friends because they think alike, Ai is too young and inexperienced to fully understand Izaya and he would have a hard time just getting Izaya's attention.

On the other hand, Reiji is a caring person. He calls himself the older brother of almost anyone he meets and considers a friend. As the oldest of not only Quartet Night but of all the main characters in Utapri, Reiji uses his experience to cover when others make mistakes, or just fall short of perfect during a performance. He is the reason Quartet Night not only keeps working but can share a space with minimal damage to each other and their surroundings. Understanding, empathetic, and kind, Reiji rarely lets negativity bring him down, even when directed at him by the people he cares the most about. Always smiling, joking, playing pranks, and finding a positive in any situation.

However, due to starting work in the entertainment industry at 10 years old, Reiji has had to deal with a lot of tough situations in work and personal life. While attending Saotome Academy, he met his best friend and formed a group of four boys who understood each other despite being so different. Later losing his best friend to the pressure of their work, and then the support of his other friends, Reiji keeps doing the same work that took the people closest to him. Hiding doubt, guilt, fear of failing anything he tries, and the feeling of isolation behind smiles, laughs, and jokes.

Izaya and Reiji have similar stories and in some ways similar reactions, one becoming cruel and distant while the other becoming caring and hard working to keep people near. But isn't this why they would get along, and possibly fall in love?!?!

Izaya would have a person who would care unconditionally, would look at him and see everything he hides, and laugh as Izaya criticizes him. He could not only accept Izaya for who he is but understand him, listen to his ramblings with an open heart and without criticism.

Reiji would have someone who made him feel he could be himself without fear of being rejected. He could cry and talk about his fears and relieve stress any way he needed because he has someone who understands why he feels the amazing amount of guilt and fear he carries.

Yes, Izaya might respond mostly by laughing at how ridiculous it is that Reiji is afraid of failing when Quartet Night is being carried by him, almost single-handedly, or how stupid it is for Reiji to feel guilty over something he had no control over and how two idiots never realized that their friend only calling Reiji meant they failed Aine before he reached his limit. At first, Reiji might feel ashamed that he doesn't have his feeling in check, but would eventually realize that Izaya is just telling him to stop worrying about other people when he needs the most help. It would also take a long time for Izaya to open up to Reiji, obviously, but I don't think he would push Reiji away the same as he does with other people. Mostly because Izaya would totally find it fascinating that Reiji actually laughs at the things he says and agrees to most of the sentiments rather than say how weird he is or just ignore him and change the topic of conversation.

[letusmeetagain]

Wonder Egg Priority so far...

[This will be full of spoilers so please beware of it if you didn’t watch the series yet.]

I started this show last Saturday. I did it because my dash was full of screencaps of the protagonist, Ai, and she reminded me of Coraline.

The premise of a girl trying to discover why his only friend commited suicide got me. Add mystery, terror and that Madoka feeling and it was a quick decision to me. 

Until episode 11 I was okay with the story. I could even say that I was very satisfied although the pacing was weird considering that the whole story should last just 12 episodes. I knew that it would be somehow like Madoka and the last two episodes would be a bit rushed.

After espisode 11 I got annoyed by the big amount of freudian content in the series. It got almost too much for me.

Frill’s story... that old move of a little lady messing up and being the genesis of the main conflict is somehow overused. Pandora, who? If the girl is cruel and lacks of mental health... then worst.

Electra complex? What’s that? Ah... yeah: a girl's sense of competition with her mother for the affections of her father at early stages of her psycho-sexual development. What Frill experienced. The two times her only bonds to her parents/creators were stolen from them Maybe the same Ai was experiencing but with the difference that Ai has enough bonds that would prevent her to develop an unhealthy response to that?

The way Acca and Ura-Acca explained the lack of boys either as trapped souls after suicide or as saviors got on my nerves. And it’s because "Boys' and girls' suicides mean different things. Men are goal-oriented, and women are emotion-oriented. Women are impulsive and easily influenced by others' voices."

I doubt about the accurancy of this statement to be honest... However... Frill’s backstory showed that she might be influencing girls into commiting suicide. Something important regarding this is that any girl the main heroins rescued contributed to their personal stories and their own understanding of things they can’t approach yet. Those random stories gave some hints about their main conflicts.

In the moment when Momoe discovered she was worth of love, she had to face the counterpart of this possitive development. In the moment she accepts herself and knows it’s possible to be loved as she is, the opposite drive appears... the death drive. Freud’s basic theories. Eros and Thanatos. When I heard that in episode 10 I started to understand what was bothering me about the treatment of female conflicts.

Sadly, we didn’t get to know about Rika’s last battle. It’s probable that her For Rika, her development revolved around the acceptance of her missing father and her suicidal tendencies.

The lack of male figures in the story catched my attention many times. The only male figure is Ai’s teacher. Another topic related to this character is girl’s attraction to older men. That’s why I pointed out the neo freudian’s concept of “Electra complex”. Up to this point and unless some twist happens, I get the point that Koito was trying to come closer to Ai in order to get the tearcher’s attention. She asked Ai to secretly record a video of her getting attacked. She glared at Ai when she caught her getting closer to the teacher.

I know this sounds disappointing but honestly... so does Frill’s backstory sounds like. It’s in the end about petty behaviors such as a wild competition for the affection of a father-like figure. I was expecting Koito to be jealous of the teacher instead, because she was in love with Ai but it seems to be that the trigger was her feelings for the teacher and her jealousy of Ai being his artistic muse. It seems to be that the teacher admired her beauty and wanted Ai to become a stronger, confident woman. Maybe Koito misunderstood it and was lured into giving in to death’s temptation...

Regarding Ai’s feelings for his teacher... I think that she had a sort of platonic crush on him. Her reaction to her mother’s confession about them starting to date shocked her and I guess Neiru’s approach of the situation through the Ockham's Razor principle was correct. She was unable to understand her own feelings. Frill’s case, Koito and Ai’s cases are a parallel aiming to show the same conflict: unrequited love. A love for a father-like figure.

Since Ai, as I said, formed strong bonds and could achieve a better understaning of some things, she will be able to face Frill in a different way as the other girls. It’s still a mystery what will Neiru do in the ending. Her story with her sister... was that because of a competition with her?

Letting aside this freudian influence that bothers me, I really liked the 4 main girls. Their developments were beautyfully made. Their constant struggle with the idea of death and vanishing and how they reach for a reason to stay alive. Especially in Rika’s case. Neiru’s story was the most interesting to me. Her relationships with Ai and Kotobuki. That mercy killing and the way Ai helped her to do it paralleling the way Ai supported Koito with that fortune telling game... it was moving.

Honorable mentions: Frill’s subordinates are creepy asf. The way they killed the mascots shocked me to the point I started to cry. And if the way they were used as poor scapegoats to save the girls (“for now I’m going to have to satisfy myself with this -Panic’s killing-”), those creepy bug-head killers, Hyphen and Dot, forced Momoe and Rika to eat their flesh. It was horrible. But I can’t help to think that it holds a hidden meaning that goes beyond provoking a trauma/shock.

Regarding the battle between Eros and Thanatos drives... I suppose this was a symbolic way to show how girls decisions to live or die are a result of this battle. They all have suicidal tendencies they fight against with love and bonds. In the moment they lose that battle and give in to despair, the temptation of death gets stronger. Now we have to see how Ai deals with it in the next episode...

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 11

…

*During the afternoon, Ibuki stares up at the open winter sky...

*sigh*

 [Flashback]

Yo, yo, yo! Merry Christmas!

Isn’t it Ho Ho Ho?

How dare you call me a Ho!

That’s not what I meant…!

Is ok. Is joke. Am teasing.

You shouldn’t tease people like that Ibuki…Especially since it’s Christmas.

I know, I know. But hey, you wanted to ask them something right?

Oh, yeah!

Ibuki and I were thinking about going to Karaoke tonight. I was wondering if anyone wanted to join us?

We’re having a party tomorrow though, right?

Yeah, but think of this as the build up before the main performance tomorrow!

Karaoke tonight…It’s definitely my thing, but something is…

*Ibuki sits on her bed, thinking out loud to herself.

I still need to get Mikan a present for Christmas…

I wonder what she would want…a reference book maybe? N-No…Medical book? Is that even what they’re called?

No, no, she has a mountain of books already…There probably isn’t a study book I can get her that she hasn’t got already…

…What to do…?

*Ibuki opens up her phone and starts scrolling through her contacts.

…

*She suddenly notices that all of her ex-bandmates numbers are still on her contacts list…

I really need to get rid of those…

…

*Her eyes suddenly fall on one name. “Hibiki Kotobuki”

Ngh…Dammit…

*Instinctively, she starts a call.

Kotobuki: Hello?

Hey man…it’s me…Ibuki.

Kotobuki: Wha-!? Ibuki! Oh my god, I can’t believe this! It’s been ages since I heard your voice!

Yeah…

Kotobuki: I’m so happy to hear from you! Though…you usually only call me when you need my help, so I’m setting my expectations low…What’s up?

I’ll call and catch up with you tomorrow. Merry Christmas by the way.

Kotobuki: Merry Christmas to you too.

And yeah, sorry, but I need help with something…

Kotobuki: Don’t apologize. I never said I disliked helping you out. So what’s the sitch?

I’m trying to get a present for someone for Christmas. But…hey, are you still with your girlfriend from way back then?

Kotobuki: Yep. Going strong now. I’m thinking of putting a ring on it now.

Well, you should! You’ve been dating for god knows how long! Be that chick’s husband for crying out loud!

But that’s why I called…You’ve got experience with making a girl you love happy, so…

Kotobuki: Wait…Ibuki, do you have a girlfriend now?

…

I might…

Kotobuki: Hah! Called it! Chika-chan and Kimiko-Chan owe me!

Chika…Kimiko…

Th-That’s not important. Just…give me some help here. I want to get her a gift for Christmas.

Kotobuki: Hm…well, that depends. What kind of girl is she?

Let’s see…well, she’s an adorable clutz!

Kotobuki: N-Not what I meant…I mean, is she cute, or is she mature, or…something like that, what type of mentality does she have?

Ah well…she’s definitely cute. She’s absolutely the cutest girl I know…

But at the same time…she’s got that level-headedness and is surprisingly determined and useful in stressful situations that usually send you into a frenzy.

She’s a professional nurse, and while she can be a bit clumsy with herself, that’s the endearing part about her…Not to mention she’s…beautiful.

Kotobuki: Beautiful, huh? Why not get her some sort of accessory or something in that case?

Well…wh-what would be a good thing to get?

Kotobuki: Ahahaha!

What’s so funny! Tell me the joke!

Kotobuki: Don’t you usually go with your gut on these kind of things. It’s kinda funny to see you getting frazzled. You must really care about this girl.

Mmph…

Kotobuki: Ah! I got it! Instead of an accessory, why not give her flowers?

Flowers?

Kotobuki: I know it’s not anything like a gift you would get someone, but flowers aren’t hard to get, and they’re cheaper than an accessory, right?

Yeah…yeah you’re right. I’ll go do that then.

Thanks…Hibiki…

Kotobuki: No prob! See you tomorrow! Happy Christmas Eve Ibuki-chan!

*Kotobuki hangs up.

(Flowers huh…? Why does that feel like the right thing to get…?)

(Guess I should be more trustworthy of Hibiki’s taste…He seemed like such a loser when he was our Audio Technician…But he managed to score a girl, and now I’M the loser asking him for advice…)

(Hngh…still…)

Staff Member: Welcome! Is there anything I can help you with?

Ah! W-Well…

…

*Ibuki quickly glosses over the flowers and reads the names of each one on the placard.

I’d like to make a bouquet please. I’d like large Myrtle’s, some Begonia’s and some Pansy’s.

You know, I was pretty excited about Karaoke tonight…

But now that we’re here…It feels like something’s missing.

It’s because Ibuki isn’t here yet. Whenever there’s a singing party going on, it’s not the same without her.

Speaking of which…Mikan, please, for all our sakes, don’t let her sing any death metal songs.

I will try my best, but you know that Ibuki lives for that, so…I can’t make any promises.

On that note, where is Ibuki? I’m honestly surprised that she wasn’t the first person to show up here.

Ah. Speak of the devil…

*As Impostor says this, everyone turns towards the entrance to the karaoke club.

Sorry I’m late…

No problem, just…what’s up?

It’s kinda embarrassing doing this in front of everyone else but…

*Ibuki unveils the black, pink and blue bouquet of fresh flowers behind her back?

H-Huh…?

Mikan…Merry Christmas…

…

…

…

…

A…A bouquet?

Wait!? A bouquet!?

Ibuki, these flowers are huge…! H-How many of them did you get!?

Um…about a hundred?

A hundred!? Are you serious!?

Yeah, is…is something wrong?

N-No…nothing’s wrong in particular, it’s just…well…

That was…almost like a proposal…

…!

…!

A prop…sal…?

Y-Y-You really think so?

Is that right…?

Hmph…playing dumb won’t work on us. We can see you blushing.

…Ibuki…

Yeah?

*Mikan leans in and kisses her cheek.

Thank you so much. This is an amazing present! I’ll treasure it for as long as I can.

W-Well, it’s not THAT great a gift.

No, it makes me really happy. The colors remind me of you.

Of me?

Yeah. Black, pink and blue. They remind me of your hair.

I…see…

Anyway, are we gonna start the karaoke soon?

Wait for everyone else to arrive first. Then we’ll start.

Okey-dokey!

*Kazuichi, Impostor, Ryota and Hiyoko all head into the booth.

They really are beautiful.

Almost as beautiful as you.

…

*Mikan and Ibuki share a long kiss.

…I love you Mikan. Happy Christmas.

You too Ibuki. I love you so very dearly.

[pineappuu-pineappley]

Forest Secrets (Yokai AU Hiroji)

A oneshot self-ship fic becasue I drew one (1) smol art and I,, honestly couldn’t get enough;;; I haven’t written anything for more or less 10 years and this is the first thing I made kkjskfs

I just wanted to put this somewhere without yeeting a gdocs link so here I guess

The leaves crunched beneath my feet as I reached a small clearing within the forest. I breathed in the scent of damp soil a little too hard and sneezed, still not used to how strong my sense of smell has become. It has been a few years since papa's seal had worn off, along with its expiry came a furry set of ears and a tail I never knew I was supposed to have. 

Living with Rei jiejie made it a tiny bit easier to come to terms with not being fully human, even though it was a total disaster when we both found out that my weird eyes and sharp fangs were supposed to be normal. I hummed a little song to myself as I paced around, stepping on leaves that looked extra crunchy before stretching towards the sky and yelling. Some startled birds weaved through the trees and flew off. I giggled, yelling felt great, especially in the forest where I could be as loud as I wanted.

A few times a week, I would come to this clearing in the forest to talk to a few of papa's old friends. We met at the mountain side once and they had recognised me. Since it was still dangerous to wander around in the open, being a yokai-human hybrid, they told me to look for them in the forest right by jiejie’s home. So far, I had met them again a few times to learn more about papa and the yokai realm. They have also been a huge help to my understanding of their kind. Jiejie has taught me much too, but only the general bits.

I sat on a stump and waited for them to arrive, long enough to almost doze off. They were never late so this was...unusual. 

Ah, I forgot, they were busy with something in the yokai realm today. I huffed, kicking a rock over. Oh well, at least the forest is calming. 

Suddenly, my ears twitched, picking up faint rustling of leaves. I turned my head towards the sound, sniffing as I pulled out the kanzashi that was holding my bun up and brandished it towards the source of the noise. Narrowing my eyes, I listened harder as the rustling stopped. It started again, a little louder this time. I smell, something, someone familiar…

"Oi! I can smell you, you know," I called out, still not relaxing my stance. It may smell familiar but I still do not fully trust my sense of smell. A soft "poof" sounded behind me, followed by the crunch of leaves. I whipped back, kanzashi still firm in my grip, and growled.

"Hoo, so fierce," he cooed, holding his hands up in mock surrender, "now, now, Hiro-chan, no mischief from me today, I promise!" I cocked an eyebrow and hesitantly lowered my kanzashi. It was just Tanuki. I could have accidentally stabbed him again since he kept appearing like that.

"My, my," he continued, "your senses have gotten stronger since the last time I've seen you. How have you been?"

I pouted, shaking the hairstick in his direction and mumbled something about him being lucky I never stab him for constantly scaring me like that. He always appears out of nowhere and he really likes stealing my kanzashi right off my head. I had only recently managed to make this prankster promise not to touch my kanzashi, but sometimes it feels like he lied about it, a stinky one he is.

I put my hair back up in a bun, sighing a little, "Just normal I guess. Today I learnt how much I can shed. Imagine how much more if I could turn full wolf!" I picked a stray piece of hair off my sleeve. Was it head hair or tail hair? I can't tell anymore.

"Hm, hm, shedding really is a big deal alright. Did you brush your tail?" He asked, picking a leaf off my head and studying it, before placing it on the stump.

"Just about a hundred times. Is it shedding season or something? I wouldn't know, I forgot to ask." A few years didn't feel so long, everything was still new to me. I felt my ears droop a little, that still felt kind of weird. "Hey, Tanuki, tell me how it feels like to be a full yokai."

"Hmm," he drawled, placing his hand on his chin, "I would tell you, but you gotta call me by name," he smirked, eyeing me as I sat back down on the stump, chin in my hands. 

I raised an eyebrow, "Why? Can't I just call you tanuki?" I tilted my head, stifling a giggle when he pouted. "Hey, come on now. I told you what it was right? Unless, you forgot?" He squatted in front of me, copying my pose somewhat.

"Hm, maybe I did forget your name, Mr. Tanuki," I lied, hiding my smile behind my hands. 

"Oh? Then I'll just teach you again until you know it. It's Ko. To. Bu. Ki. Say it with me, dear," he tilted his head, waiting for me to repeat it.

"Okay, Koto-stinky, got it," I smiled innocently, watching him sink onto the ground. 

“Aw, I didn’t teach you my name just for you to butcher it,” he whined, voice muffled in his sleeve. He’s so pouty today, I wonder if he's really as old as he says he is.

"Alright fine, Kotobuki onii-san, happy now?" He shot up from the ground so fast, startling me, with a stupid grin plastered on his face. 

"Atta girl," he praised, tapping my nose. I felt my cheeks burn a little and I tried to cover them a little more in my palms.

"Hehe, you even tacked on an ‘onii-san’, how lucky am I," he teased, his grin turning into a little smirk. Suddenly, I am unable to look him in the eye. “Oho?” he mused, gaze focused at something… behind me? 

Oh.

"Looks like your tail has been wagging ever since I got here. Am I seeing things or did it get faster? Hiro-chan must be really happy to see me, huh?" He pointed out, tapping his chin and shifting his gaze back to me, seemingly amused when I scrambled to grab that cursed thing. It is way too hard to lie about being excited now because of it, and even worse, I didn't even notice it wagging so hard. 

"Don't look!" I whined, cheeks burning hotter. It only made him laugh more. I swear I heard him mumble something about me being cute as I used my tail to cover my face. I could feel my heart race and my breath hitch slightly. I always looked forward to seeing the tanuki spirit but hearing him say that he knew was just so embarrassing.

"Enough about the tail, tell me how it is being a full yokai," I blurted out clumsily, brushing my fur with my fingers in an attempt to calm down. I stared down at it as I brushed, waiting for a reply.

"Well, about that," he started, my eyes snapping back up to watch him carefully, "I don't know how to explain it to ya," a nervous laugh escaped as he scratched the back of his head. He probably sensed my disappointment since he scrambled to add on, "but y'know it's just a part of you. I’ve only ever been a tanuki spirit and I wouldn’t be able to describe it fully. You just gotta experience it yourself! What's more special is that you're half a human too, so you make your own definition of what it means to be a yokai," He smiled gently, raising his hand towards my head.

My disappointment at his vague answer and weird advice disappeared as soon as I noticed his smile. My cheeks flushed and my heart rate quickened again, I haven’t seen him smile like that before. I snapped out of it when he patted my head. Unconsciously, I nuzzled against his hand. It feels so warm... I accidentally let out a contented sigh when he started stroking my hair. Tanuki is patting me and it makes me so wiggly inside. 

He suddenly stopped patting my head and I opened my eyes again, pouting and whining softly. Instead, he held my hands and pulled on them gently to get me to stand up. 

"Actually, I came by today to ask you something important." I blinked, looking down at our hands then back up at him. He was looking directly at me with a serious look on his face. I felt a small shiver down my spine. It was so unusual to see Tanuki like this. I couldn’t look directly at him, nor could I hide the growing blush on my cheeks. “Hiro-chan,” he spoke, his voice sounding a little deeper than usual. I jumped, squeaking out a soft “yes?”. To think that I was able to wield my weapon against him earlier but yet be able to be reduced to a quaking mess just because Tanuki decided to get serious for once was embarrassing. He hesitated. I waited, heart pounding hard in my chest, trying to think of what he was going to say next.

“Do you like me?” he asked, keeping the same intense gaze.

Nothing could have prepared me for that.

“Y-yes, of course, we’re friends, right?” I answered shakily. What kind of question was that? Tanuki knows he is my friend, doesn’t he? Why did he have to ask? For some reason, I knew it wasn't the answer he wanted, nor was it the answer I wanted to give. My breath too was shaky, I don’t want him to know what I really thought. I don’t want us to not be friends anymore because he might think that a weird kid like me has a cru-, taken a liking to him. After all, he had been around for quite a long time, I'm sure he would have known better yokais, or humans. 

"No, I mean, do you like me." Ah, I knew it.

I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, trying to avoid his eyes as much as possible. He waited patiently as I racked my brain to come up with an excuse. With the way I have been acting around him lately, it was hard to deny anything. Even my brain refused to conjure up a denial that sounded convincing enough. Not to mention, he had already figured out that much just from looking at my tail. A furless, tailless life was so much easier back then...

'You know what, maybe I'll just tell him. He might just stop teasing me so much.' I thought to myself. However, the possibility of not getting teased anymore hung heavy on my heart. I really liked it when he fools around. I think I just like Tanuki, a whole lot.

I took a deep, shaky breath, and finally opened my mouth, "yes, Kotobuki-san, I r-really like you," I half-whispered, staring holes into the ground, accidentally gripping his hands because I was shaking so much.

A sigh escaped his lips. It startled me, but it sounded like relief?

I felt my hands rise, soft lips pressed against them. I looked up shyly to watch him, as I did so, I felt him smile against my knuckles.

"Ah, I'm so glad," he spoke softly, letting go of one of my hands to brush a stray hair out of my face. His gentle smile once again adorned his face, the sight of it warms my heart immensely. "That means I can give you my little present now, hm?" he smiled wider. I tilted my head, confused. 

He cupped my cheek, stroking it lightly. I nuzzled his hand again, it just feels so nice. "Stay still and close your eyes if you trust me," he said, gently tilting my face up. I know this, I think. I’ve seen Ran-nii do it with jiejie many times. I am not sure why they kept doing it though.  

I stopped nuzzling him and squeezed my eyes shut, then decided to peek. He chuckled, “no peeking, that’s not playing fair.” I pouted and closed my eyes again, feeling my heart thump loudly in my chest. I hope he can’t hear it, it’s so loud that I can’t even hear the forest anymore. 

I felt him shift closer and I tensed up. Gosh, everything sounds and feels so loud now. I could feel his face hovering so close, hesitating slightly before his lips pressed gently against mine. Then, I felt him smile against them before he pulled back, and my eyes fluttered open. 

“Again,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I am well aware of how wildly my tail is wagging and it probably looks ridiculous but I feel like my heart is about to explode. My face is on fire and I'm about to die, but… I wanted to do it again.

I pressed my hands against his on my cheek and nuzzled, pouting. If Tanuki gave me a kiss, it meant he liked me back, right? Would he give me another one? 

He laughed, grinning widely, “Oh? Hiro-chan really likes the little kissy, shall I give her another?" he teased, closing the distance between us again. If I could catch fire right now, I probably would have done so. 

Tanuki is back to normal, he's teasing me again, watching me shift uncomfortably under his gaze as he hovered close. I pulled on my sleeves, trying my best to look him in the eye. He tilted my chin up again and I accidentally whined. He only chuckled again, "so cute," he whispered, before placing another soft kiss on my lips. This time, I shyly kissed back, hearing the soft smack of our lips made me giggle. I covered my mouth with my sleeves as we parted, wiggling hard and giggling uncontrollably. He just watched, looking with such a soft expression that could make me melt. 

The sun started to set, and I suddenly realised how late it was becoming. 

"Ah shoot, I have to go home now!" I paced around frantically, but I really didn't want to go just yet. I grabbed Tanuki's hand, "Kotobuki onii-," 

"Onii-san? Hm, I thought I would be your boyfriend already," he interrupted cheekily, holding my hand in his. Ah, the wiggles are back. 

"B-boyfriend?" I asked, trying to hide behind my sleeve again, but I couldn't stop giggling. 

"You don't want that? Aw, but I thought you liked me," he pouted, at the same time he laced his fingers between mine. I slapped his arm softly. "You didn't ask. I thought you had to ask, I don't know. You're onii-san right, tell me!" I spoke too fast, my tail wagging wildly again. 

"Asking huh, well then. Hiro-chan," my ears perked up, "do you want to be my girlf-," I nodded before he finished his sentence. He laughed, stroking my head and placed a kiss on the top of it. This side of Tanuki is so gentle...

"See, I didn't really need to ask, did I?" He grinned, pulling me along as he started walking towards home. "You need to go home now, right? I'll walk you." Oh, I forgot about going home again. 

"About that," 

"Hm?"

"I don't know if jiejie or Ran-nii would let me, um," I held his hand tighter, "d-date."

"Ah, so this will be our little secret then," he answered, "at least until I'm sure they won't make me into soup." 

A secret, huh. Our little secret… The thought of it makes my heart speed up again. 

"I don't know how long I can keep it, Ran-nii is very sharp," I pouted, slowing down when I could see the edge of the forest. 

"I can handle it just fine, don't worry," he assured me, "after all, you'll be by my side, right?" We stopped walking and he let go of my hand. My ears drooped a little again, I still wanted to stay just a little longer. He noticed it and pinched my cheek softly. "Hey, I'll see you again tomorrow, okay? I'll show you a pretty little spot I found. Don't miss me too much," he chuckled, pulling me into a quick hug. I sniffed his chest. He smells good, not stinky at all. I gave a quick nuzzle and perked up immediately, "okay." 

My ears twitched, I can hear jiejie calling for me. I hesitantly let go of him and walked towards the house, waving him goodbye as he winked and disappeared back into the forest. I thought back to the things he said and did and blushed again, then decided to run the rest of the way to the house. A cover-up for my racing heart and pink cheeks, I thought, as the leaves crunched loudly at every step I took. 

I returned home safely but I can't wait to get back out and see him in our forest again...

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Grand Blue Dreaming, Episodes 7-9

In which I dig more into the problems with this show’s comedy, and I fail to keep myself from yelling more about its gross frat boy atmosphere.

Bizarro World

At this point, it’s clear Grand Blue isn’t going to magically get better. Its flaws are too baked-in and prevalent for some last-minute save to turn this show into something worthwhile. But it’s also not productive to keep hashing out the came complaints over and over and over, even if this show’s rampant misogyny is still by far its most crippling issue. You can probably assume how frothing mad I got at, say, Aina and Chisa being forced into scantily clad booth babe costumes in front of a crown while the camera drinks in their underdressed humiliation, or every joke that boils down to “The implication of gay male feelings is gross and therefore funny,” or every single scene Chisa’s in resulting in her being sexually humiliated for a cheap “joke” and then easily forgiving Iori for doing so in the very next scene with no repercussions whatsoever WHOOPS LOOKS LIKE I”M TALKING ABOUT IT AGAIN. Listen, in my defense, this stuff is so prevalent and suffocating that it can’t help but drown out discussion of everything else this show does. How am I supposed to focus on anything else when this shit regularly spikes my rage into the stratosphere? Blegh. Whatever, let’s move on and complain about a different topic for a change. For example, how this show’s comedy is pretty lame and poorly handled even without all the sexism stuff. See, I’ve got range!

The interesting thing is, I think this stretch of episodes does have Grand Blue’s strongest consistent stretch of jokes yet. I mentioned before that this show’s director also directed Gintama, and I think it’s at its strongest when it’s playing into those sensibilities. At its core, Gintama’s comedy worked by taking a situation with a problem to solve and having the characters try and fail to solve it in increasingly ludicrous ways, building on jokes and formula while blasting off punchlines in unexpected directions, until everything escalates into batshit absurdity and brings the house down with laughter. Grand Blue’s comedy is aiming for something similar, and there are times when I think it overall works. When Iori’s trying to keep his friends from finding out he and Chisa live in the same house, it spirals into a pity party at how they’re all a bunch of losers who hate each other and there’s some quality barbs thrown around (”Couldn’t you guys comfort me a bit?”) Later, when the gang visits Kotobuki at his bartender job and tries to be bartenders themselves, their ignorance leads to them taking the weird names of drinks overly literally, and their increasing failure to figure out what a screwdriver really is leads to some funny bits (”I told you we should’ve used a flathead!”) It’s not as wildly inventive as Gintama, but then again, what is? This show is so aggravating that even this basic level of decency is enough for me to breathe a little sigh of relief.

Spiceless

Unfortunately, while these jokes do work well enough, they’re far from the majority of Grand Blue Dreaming’ comedy. Most of it is such miserable, half-assed, and most damning of all, lame. There’s no creativity to the way punchlines play out. The “Keep the guys from finding out Chisa lives here” bit has some good moments (”He’s so jealous he lost touch with reality!”), but the ultimate climax where they do find out she lives with him is handled in the lamest possible way. She shows up out of nowhere with no buildup to announce her presence, leaves right away without having any fun interactions with the rest of the cast, and then the guys know she’s there. Where’s the spark? Where’s the escalation? Where’s the building absurdity of increasingly bizarre attempts to hide her presence that naturally leads to her showing up and having an impact on the scene? Like, if this were actually a Gintama sketch, Chisa would probably storm into the room after Iori’s attempts to hide her presence got too loud, she would utterly eviscerate him in front of all the guys, and when she left, instead of getting mad that he was actually rooming with her, Iori’s friends would sympathize with him and feel sorry they were ever right. And then they’d tie him up and leave him swinging like a pinata afterwards, because hey, they’ve got their honor to uphold. I just pulled that off the top of my head, and that’s already got a million times more creativity and subversion of expectations than what we actually god.

Honestly, that’s the real issue with this show. Beyond its noxious atmosphere, it just can’t fucking commit to doing any one thing all the way. There hints at some interesting character enrichment with the lunkhead Kotobuki also being a suave ladies’ man during his barkeeper work, but it’s never expanded upon. There’s some exploration of the mechanics and equipment of diving, but it’s so bare-bones and shrugged off that no one with a real interest in diving could get much from it in the same way, say, Yama no Susume could teach you about climbing. It shoves as much male nudity on screen as it possibly can because it’s a cheap shortcut to cheap comedy, but then it treats every instance of female character showing skin- or even just having big boobs- as some huge event that requires trumpets and fanfare and and squirming embarrassed face. Seriously, if this show was just willing to commit to its crassness and treat both its guys and girls getting naked in the same way, instead of making a big deal out of every last boob jiggle, it would go a long way in solving its problems. Why couldn’t we have that? If we’re committing to the juvenile frat boy humor sensibility anyway, why not go all the way with it and let the entire show be equally hedonistic? I would honestly respect Grand Blue a lot more if it did that. But I guess girls don’t get to be anything more than molestable sex dolls to be tossed around by the dudes in this show’s world. Fucking superb.

Odds and Ends

-”I’m embarrassed to know him.” Hey, you know what they say about glass houses.

-”Okay, we get it now.” Lol, the synchronization.

-”We decided your humiliation is worth the prize money!” You know what, that’s fair.

-”Being naked is his uniform.” No, fuck you, you don’t get to make me laugh after that shit.

-”Keeping clothes on around alcohol... it feels weird.” kdsjhskjfhs

-”Let’s go set him on fire.” See? This show has good jokes! Sometimes!

-Look at that, someone actually having a healthy sexual encounter. Can’t wait to see it ruined.

-See, you should’ve just told her it was your guy friends screwing with you before, and you’d avoid a lot of hassle.

-”I can sense a loser in him!” ...eeeeh, okay, fine.

-”Can’t you be happy for your friend?!” Oh, buddy, did you forget what show you’re in? Nobody’s allowed to be happy here.

-Well, I was gonna say the Eva wetsuits were a nice touch, but then I remembered that Eva was all about kicking otaku in the face for drooling over the girls in them, so congratulations on missing the point, asshole.

One more session to go, thank god. See you next time for the end of Grand Blue!

[thecrazyanimegirl]

Winter Anime 2019

And here is the seasonal review! There were some amazing second seasons, mob psycho, kakegurui, fukigen na mononokean, but also some great new ones!

We try to give our opinion on the new anime this season without too much of a synopsis (you can get that anywhere) and just our comments ~ Of course, your view of an anime might be different, but we hope we made it easier for you to decide what to watch next  (＾▽＾)

{ Winter ‘18 }  { Spring ‘18 }  { Summer ‘18 }  { Fall ‘18 }

Adorable Food Goddess 

Totally expected just food and more food, but it actually has an interesting plot. It’s also hilarious and the main girl is great, funny and capable! Which rarely happens in this kind of genres. So it’s a big plus! So, romance, food and laughs, a good combination ^^

Boogiepop Phantom

Somewhat weird at the beginning and through the middle and the rest... xD BUT it has that interesting eerie aura that keeps you yearning for more and go through till the end. Also, keep in mind if you plan to watch this that you should begin with the 2019 version first and then switch to the older one since that is the chronological order of events (also try to remember the names of people because the art style is different so that you don’t suffer like me xD).

Dimension High School 

This one is really special. A stupid kind of humor some people (like me hehe) might enjoy, but others will consider utter rubbish. The mix of 3D and animation is weird and the whole story is a bit dumb, but it somehow works in their favor. If you like stupid humor, you might like it. You can tell right from the first episode because all the rest have the same feel to it. (I don’t regret watching it, it did make me laugh and I actually looked forward to relaxing a bit watching it every week ^^ just don’t expect anything amazing)

Domestic Girlfriend 

A romance and drama story about a boy in love with his teacher and then he tries to get over it by sleeping with a girl he meets. Soon, both of them become his sisters due to their parents marriage. It is angsty and has a lot of drama, and even more unresolved complexes considering their sexuality, affection and relationships. Also, who let these teachers be teachers? haha. It’s a drama, sometimes too awkward and slow, but there is a lot of fanservice with the girls for those interested and the story develops in an interesting way that makes you continue watching it. It also does well in portraying the characters development and the more psychological side of the story. 

Dororo

Amazing and ingenious! Loved it! One of the best this season. It is a bit on the darker side and has some gruesome scenes, but it’s extremely interesting, the story is well paced, the battle scenes are great and there are some heartwarming ones as well (also Dororo is precious). Looked forward to this every week! Beautiful and compelling to watch!

Gen:lock   

A mecha story done right! Rooster teeth never disappoints! Maybe it doesn’t fit in this list, but it’s still amazing and interesting! The characters are also extremely different and lovable ~ 

Gotobun no Hanayome  

An anime about a guy being a tutor to his harem that happen to be quintuplets. Not really that interesting, but not too terrible. It’s okay for one episode a week, but probably couldn’t binge watch it though.

Grimms Notes The Animation 

It’s pretty generic anime, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good, just doesn’t have the wow effect. It doesn’t stand out, but the idea behind it all is good! The main characters venture into the world of different stories, everything from Little Red Riding Hood to Alice in Wonderland and show an alternative side to the well known tales. Cute and amusing, just not binge-worthy material.

Kaguya-sama: Love is war

A not so typical romance story where the two protagonists really seem to be made for each other, but their pride keeps getting in the way xD There is also the funny commentary from the narrator that quirks up the already comedic scenes. Definitely worth the watch, it’s hilarious! (I looked forward to this anime and it even exceeded my expectations!)

Kemurikusa 

Okay, we really loved this anime. The first episode was confusing, but the more you watch the more interesting it becomes. It has a really interesting and imaginative plot. Everything is really well done, from the characters to the world. The only thing that will probably deter people the most is the animation, but you get used to it with time and it’s worth “suffering through” it for the story ^^ 

Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka    

Once again there is a dark magical girl anime in the season! The plot is not too deep but interesting enough if you are into this kind of story. The only difference is that this anime leans more to the military type of battle, rather than just magic. Be prepared to see lots of blood, boobs, tragic backgrounds and some yuri teasing! 

Meiji Tokyo Renka

A typical otome of the season. The MC is pretty blank, but they tried to make it lovable by giving her cute traits like tripping (all the time) and loving food lol But aside from her and her main guy, the side characters are pretty sweet and interesting (they are the reason I continued watching this)! 

So well, a sweet romance story, but the bickering of everyone else but the main couple is priceless! 

My Roommate is a Cat

This anime is really fun to watch if you own a cat (or are a passionate lover of felines) because you can easily relate to the daily life of Haru. You get to see her reactions, from the point of a cat, on various situations and easily laugh or cry over the fun and sentimental things she goes through with her owner (who is also very relatable). A lot of feels, a lot of cuteness, loved it! Both easy going and filled with emotions and character growth. 

Near Death!! Ekoda-chan 

A 3 minute anime about Ekoda and her everyday life. Each episode has a different director and voice actor, but they all do a very good job portraying Ekoda. It’s short so it doesn’t get boring, even though the episodes are sometimes completely random and sometimes they are incredibly relatable. Overall, liked it ^^

Psychic Princess

Still haven’t watched enough episodes to truly say it’s amazing, but so far it is! The main heroine is finally capable and independent. She can fight and speak to ghosts and will let no man near. It’s still a romance story, with plenty of datable guys. And it’s also very funny ^^

Shingeki no Bahamut: Manaria Friends

15 minute long episodes that tell the story of two (girl)friends in the Mysteria academy, in the SnB universe. The plot isn’t connected with Virgin Soul so you can watch it even if you haven’t seen the other seasons. The plot is somewhat yuri oriented and concentrates mainly on school life.

The Promised Neverland

Probably everybody knows about this anime, that is just how good it is. It will always leave you on the edge of your seat. It is really interesting and well made. The characters are great, the plot is great. Loved it!

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Not your typical I-got-teleported-into-another-world anime because in the very first episode there’s a really good plot twist. It’s really interesting to follow the character development and each episode leaves you yearning for more. Although everyone seemed hyped for this anime adaptation, I didn’t think that it would leave me so amazed at the very beginning and excited to see more!

Dropped:  Ueno-san wa Bukiyou,  Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai,  Endro!,  Cost of Smiles 

[yeonchi]

Kisekae Insights #5: Kai Hirasawa and the Keions

Let’s divert to what this series is really about; there’ll be more time for story overviews later.

K-On has been a pretty big influence in my project, even though I’m not sure how I exactly introduced it in the first place. If the Keions were simply characters in the series, then explaining their involvement in the first year would be a breeze, but there’s one thing I did back then that I’ll explain in this.

As I stated in #3, Ritsu Tainaka replaced Amy Pond in Series 1, 2 and 6. Her story as the Doctor’s companion is the same as Amy’s, so there’s no need to go into detail about that. All you need to know in that regard is that the Ritsu I’ll be talking about is the original HTT counterpart and not the Amy counterpart; I’ll explain her later.

Kai Hirasawa: The Adopted Husband

This “adopted husband” business is going to happen for a few other OC’s, so take note of that. Some of them were also known by other names in the past, but for this, they will be addressed by their current names.

This is Kai Hirasawa, the K-On OC I made for the project.

Kai Hirasawa was originally born as the older sibling of Tomoko and Tomoki Kuroki, but his parents put him up for adoption since they didn’t feel ready to bring a child up at the time. He was adopted by a Chinese family and moved to Hong Kong until the age of five. In a plotline inspired from the movie McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten, his adoptive parents sent him to the Wudang Mountains in Hubei, China after his kindergarten teacher discovered his gift for kung fu.

At the age of twelve, Kai graduated and his parents sent him to Japan to attend middle school and high school. The high school Kai attended was a sister school to Sakuragaoka High, where the HTT girls attended, so he became good friends with them at some point, eventually becoming a couple with Yui.

Some time after he graduated, Kai’s life was merged with the Doctor’s by Yuki Nagato just before the events of The End of Time, because she believed that it would help him in his final battle. When he was separated again following the Doctor’s regeneration, he and Yui (because she had ties with him) became amnesiac for a short period of time. During that time, they got married and it wasn’t until right at the wedding ceremony that the Doctor passes by, during his final reward, and recovers their memories, returning them to their true identities.

From that point on, Kai lived with the Hirasawa family. Like Yui’s parents before them, Kai and Yui became a lovey-dovey couple, perhaps even more than Yui’s parents were. He became a part of the Zhuge family, or rather, one of its founding members, when he met the protagonist and one of his prototypes, Kyōko Izumi, and helped them fight off the Karn Army.

In an alternate timeline, where Yui became famous before she Michael Jackson’d herself ala Takotsuboya’s That Is It, Kai became depressed and committed suicide by gaining the power to open the Time Vortex and throw himself in it. Of course, the Doctor immediately destroys that timeline so it never really happened. This is one of the fanfiction stories I published online years ago.

Character highlights in the series

In the 50th Anniversary Series, I did a little character arc with Nodoka. In Block 6, she would be revealed to be one of the protagonist’s echoes that got created when he scattered himself throughout his own timeline (or a baby made out of dust and clay by the echo, which is what I wrote in the episode). In Block 9, we have her and Azusa saying that Yui doesn’t love them anymore (as friends) because she became so close with Kai. At the final climax, when the Master activates a nuclear device to destroy Koshi Castle, Nodoka prepares to sacrifice herself to deactivate it, but the Fourth and Fifth Doctors along with Momoka stop her from doing so, convincing her and Azusa that they, at the very least, still have other friends. In the end, the Doctor had them talk it out with Yui, Kai and Ui and they got back on good terms, not that they were ever on bad terms in the first place.

In one of the 2014 CNY Specials, the HTT girls are featured in a cameo as they have a naked pool party (it was topless in the version I did, but it might as well be, plus those scenes were removed in the family-friendly version of the episode).

The Keions have never fought as an army because K-On was adapted after the period Three Kingdoms was set in. However, in the Series 9 finale, Kai and the Keions are part of an army fighting on Hiroki’s side against Girl Power and the Kurayami Alliance in Ōsaka.

HTT becomes Boukenger

By 2018, things had changed for the Light Music Club girls. Ho-kago Tea Time and Wakaba Girls joined forces and became an indie music collective called the Light Music Studio (Japanese here, K-On Studio?), but we wouldn’t see that until Soulbound Series 3 the year after.

By that time, the other members of the Light Music Club got boyfriends as well. Banding together under Kai, the group called themselves Home-Away Support Boys Time, but the year after, they joined the Light Music Studio and renamed themselves Midnight Boys. Here are the members of that group:

Kai Hirasawa (leader, Yui’s husband)

Yūto Tamaki (Ritsu’s boyfriend)

Nozomu Setana (Mio’s boyfriend)

Makoto Kunemiya (Tsumugi’s boyfriend)

Satoshi Tainaka (Ritsu’s brother and Azusa’s fuck buddy boyfriend)

Hirosuke Masaki (Ui’s boyfriend)

Yōta Kiyono (Jun’s boyfriend)

As a bonus, here’s a little design of Hirosuke I did for Yui’s birthday spam in 2015.

Fun fact: Back in 2017, I posted a commissioned fanart of Mio with “Nozomu” on the K-On page and triggered a lot of fans, but I only did it because another admin was doing it as well. Also, with the exception of Kai, Satoshi and Hirosuke, the other boyfriends didn’t have last names in Gokaiger until I added them in Soulbound Series 3. Am I homophobic for denying yuri headcanon ships? Maybe, but it’s just how my story goes.

So the K-On girls joined the Superhero Project, gaining the powers of the Boukengers as follows:

Ritsu Tainaka (BoukenRed)

Azusa Nakano (BoukenBlack)

Tsumugi Kotobuki (BoukenBlue)

Ui Hirasawa (BoukenYellow)

Mio Akiyama (BoukenPink)

Jun Suzuki (BoukenSilver)

There were two other members of the Boukengers who got promoted and joined the Gokaigers by the start of the series:

Yui Hirasawa (GokaiYellow, formerly BoukenYellow) Yui was selected to be a Gokaiger in the series prelude because of her swordsmanship and her determination to overcome her airheadedness.

Kai Hirasawa (GokaiSilver, formerly BoukenSilver) When Yui became a Gokaiger, Kai was determined to be with her for fear of her dying like she did in That is It. In the first episode, he picks up the Gokai Cellular and GokaiSilver key that the Doctor (GokaiRed) dropped in a battle. He then abandons his role as BoukenSilver and disappears as he fights as GokaiSilver in secret. After revealing himself and explaining to everyone what happened, the Doctor takes back Kai’s morpher and key, asking him to think of what he can do to impress them. Soon after, he finds his courage to protect the world from the Zangyack Armada, which leads to the Doctor giving Kai back his morpher and key, as well as giving him the Q-Rex Megazord.

How Ritsu became “Amy”

This was a question that was buried in the back of my head for years until I finally decided to answer it in the Space Squad trilogy. Truth be told, I probably would have forgotten otherwise.

In the third Space Squad movie, Rassilon, who made his way to the 21st century after his exile from Gallifrey in Hell Bent, lured the Doctor to Trenzalore (which in my canon is just an area on Earth) in the Makū Dimension and used the TARDIS to power up an Axis Converter, which kills it and causes the dimension to expand throughout the universe. Rassilon fast-forwards time around him and the Doctor so that it becomes the Trenzalore as seen in The Name of the Doctor (this implies that said episode and the Block 6 adaptation took place in the Makū Dimension).

The Doctor goes to his size-leaking TARDIS and merges himself with the exposed heart of the TARDIS, causing the column to become an entrance to the Doctor’s timestream. As he uses his regenerative energy to repair his TARDIS and his timestream, the events of The Name of the Doctor (and its adaptation) take place, meaning that the Doctor can’t get out for the time being, even though he knows that being inside of the heart for too long is no better than looking into the Time Vortex. Clara Oswald fixes the damage to the Doctor’s timeline caused by the Great Intelligence (and Hiroki’s past self does the same to his as well), but there is still some damage left, specifically towards the beginning of the Fifth Doctor’s life.

Meanwhile, Ritsu and the Boukengers encounter Ritsu’s older self in 1968 New York (after the Weeping Angels sent her back in The Angels Take Manhattan). 1968 Ritsu tells 2018 Ritsu what happened, which leads her to go into the Doctor’s timeline when everyone regroups at the TARDIS. She sends an echo of herself to fix the remaining damage, creating the Ritsu Tainaka who became the first companion to travel with the Fifth Doctor following his regeneration. With his timeline now fixed, the Doctor repairs his TARDIS, allowing everyone to leave the Makū Dimension. Of course, the Doctor and Ritsu survive as well.

In a special feature included with the final episode of Doctor Who, the 2018 Christmas Special, HTT perform three songs at the UNIT Christmas Formal, namely Fuwa Fuwa Time, Pure Pure Heart and Tenshi ni Fureta yo! Kai and Azusa join in with the last song as well. You can argue that it would have been a good ending song for the series, but I felt that it was originally more a song for Azusa compared to Anna Tsuchiya’s Voyagers, which I used as the ending song because it signified farewells in general.

[freewheelshippin]

30 utapri questions!

Thanks @dekiaibadchoices​ for the tag, this was an awesome way to wind down after a ton of nonstop busy busy busy!!! (and thanks for tagging this blog vs the general utapri one so i can REALLY gush LOL) Here’s the OG meme! 

1. Your best boy?

BANANAMAN RAN WHO ELSE  

2. Your least favorite boy?

“least favorite” implies dislike which...not true! truthfully it’s much of HEAVENS by nature of ‘I haven’t spent as much time getting to know these characters so I don’t really know who they are.’ (though I already know I love to go for drinks and snacks with Van hehe) i do like all of HEAVENS quite a bit from what i’ve seen so far but that affection has not had time to ripen! 

3. A character that you never thought you would love as much as you do now?

mnmnj ranran tbh 

4. A character you can relate to in any way?

I can’t answer everything with Ranmaru but like. His ambition, straightforwardness, and how the soul and spirit of music motivate him to move forward beyond a tough past are things I same hat so much ;; But HONESTLY I also relate a lot to Masa and Tokiya, especially in their moments of self-doubt and dramatic commitment to to their art? 

5. A character that you think deserves more love?

Oh, Cecil, without a doubt. He’s such a resilient, committed, and open-hearted cutie and gets really shafted by canon tbh. Which makes it harder for everyone to see what a great boy this sweetie is! But I appreciate how Shining Live has given him some room to have really cute and standout moments so everyone can love him more but okay like, give me more Ceci and Ran palling around I love him most when they’re up to shenanigans 

6. A character you would want as your partner?

well we’re posting this fuckin here so you all fuckin know (im very embarrass rn i can barely say it lmao) 

(for the record i would also very much like to be friends with reiji and syo, they are cool people i think i’d get along with! and i know myself, if i knew otoya or masato IRL i’d just be like ‘well. that’s my son now’ and basically appoint myself their tough big sis-type-friend lookin out for them lol) 

7. A character you would want as your mentor/senpai?

I would swallow a pinecone before I called him ‘onii-san’ but teach me how to network kotobuki-senpai 

(No, like, forreal, I suck so, so bad at a ton of stuff Reiji is aces at, and I respect the hell out of his *waves* general everything and skilll navigating the industry. Since I’m a goofy, jokey, overenthusiastic teacher for work a lot it’d be nice to be on the receiving end of all that energy! and be a fucking decent kouhai that isn’t so horribly unappreciative of all his hard work and good cheer ) 

8. Your favorite ship?

shut your whore mouth i dont have the marbles to write it out 

(tbh it’s also Haru/Tomo, I just feel so much more romantic chemistry between those two than Haru and any of the boys u___u  Friends’ selfship stuff goes without saying, haha, and ngl I’m kind of About a Ren/Van rivalry hatemance? can i call it a kismesis thing? it’s a kismesis thing.) 

(actually no I think I’m just a member of the “Ren Fucks and sometimes it’s Hatesex” club) 

9. A character that you want to cosplay/have already cosplayed?

I had plans to cosplay Ranmaru a couple months ago bc it’s really not much of a stretch for my wardrobe, haha, but I dunno about that anymore! Part of it was wanting the Euphoria of looking like a tough, twunky, princely anime character but tbqh I’m already that every day of my life so 

I suppose if you were to pull my leg I’d go for cosplaying Van, mostly because I wanna try that mullet on for myself. 

10. Favorite side character?

TOMO!! LOVE U BITCH WHEN WILL I HEAR U SINGGGGGG 

11. Your favorite solo song?

god this is horrible how can I decide??? so many good ones??? I think it’s a draw between Top Star Revolution, No. 1, Brand New Melody, Wild Soul, Seien Brave Heart, and Junketsu Nara Ai ~Aspiration~ ??? 

12. Your favorite duet song?

HMMMMM again too many good ones. Three-way tie between Haru Hana, NorthWind and SunShine, and Original Resonance! 

13. Your favorite trio song?

Ahhh Dream More than Love is really nostalgic bc it’s the first Utapri song I really loved, but i gotta be real. It’s just Egoistic. There’s just no getting better than Egoistic 

14. Your favorite group song?

mmmm i’m be basic. Poison Kiss 

15. Your least favorite song?

I love Ai and Shouta Aoi’s incredible voice but......I’m really not a fan of super slow, overly-saccharine songs. u__u so A.I. really, really doesn’t land with me, much less so than easygoing (like Knocking on the Mind) or somber (like Winter Blossom) songs. 

16. Your favorite singer?

ranran...it’s always ranran...

(I do also adore Natsuki’s and Camus’s voices! I tend to like deeper, richer vocal qualities, but you just can’t beat Ranmaru’s subtle growls and high-energy rock!!!! <3) 

17. Your favorite group/trio/duo?

god what combo of these idiots DONT i love? I could watch Reiji prank and tease Ranmaru all fuckin day, and I also really like it when Ran’s at his most ‘tuff big bro-y’ with, like, Ai, Otoya, and Cecil!!! but honestly I do like how the Ran/Masa/Ren trio isn’t so straightforward and is more or less held together by a thin string of professionalism, there’s something i appreciate about not forcing ppl to just bury the hatchet and be Perfect Friends but you all can still care about each other? (Ranmaru needs to be nicer to them still but...) 

i need to suggest one that isn’t ranmaru centric fjdsioafjsa i fuckin love Soccer Buds (otosyo) and I loooooove it when Otoya and Cecil are good to each other!!! 

18. Your favorite member of Starish?

they’re all my favorite but if you REALLY had to make me pick.....Masato, probably, haha. I just...if you take yourself too seriously and care so much about everything but still know how to be Nasty how can I not love you??? 

19. Your favorite member of Quartet Night?

what do you fuckin think, hoss 

20. Your favorite member of Heavens?

I mentioned earlier I don’t really know Heavens well, so ofc this is all liable to change! But off the bat I love what a conniving yet wholesome bastard Eiichi is and Van is just the kinda guy I would rib and pal around with IRL!! 

21. Your favorite seiyuu/voice actor?

Ahhh that’s tough! I love all these goofbags, and Tattsun really is just so cool and makes music I’m pretty about. But I think I gotta give it to Suwabe, his performances are always so him but still pretty varied, and how can you not adore a man who loves his chihuahuas that much??? 

(if i’m being 100% honest Tattsun lost points bc he voices my absolute least favorite character in granblue ffjsfjisda) 

22. Favorite Drama CD?

HMMMMMMM see as a certified Giant Tool for Everything Mecha and silly and extra, I enjoyed the hell out of Polaris, but it really suffers from a lack of Ranmaru in my humble fuckin opinion lmao. So even though I’m not one for pirate stuff most of the time, I gotta give it to Pirates of the Frontier!! I really loved Ranmaru and Otoya’s dynamic in that one, and Camus was juuuuust the right amount of shitheel, too. 

I haven’t heard the whole thing but that thing from Egoistic where Natsuki squeezes Ranmaru to death and Eiichi’s just like ‘WUAHAHAHAHAH’ is also the mcfuckin best. 

23. Your favorite shining live card?

CAN’T PICK 

HOW COULD I POSSIBLY PICK?????????? LIKE??? I love the fucking dumb, dumb, dumb ostentatiousness of Evil Villains, I LOVE a good heel, and I also worked so so hard to t1 that event and had a lot of fun doing it!! But also, I just love his big smile and all the energy and mixed prints from Fortune and Prosperity, and it was literally the first time I ever got the exact card I was rolling for in a gacha on the last pull I had left!! (He also came home during a time I was really going through some shit, and ngl it rescued me a little bit!) but AHHHH Soulful Bass also came out right around my birthday, I love all the textures in the outfit and it’s generally the most My Aesthetique thing Utapri has ever released!!! And god, I just love it when he’s so confident and in his element like this, it sets me on FIRE to see him light up the stage wurghjgfj ;___; They all make me just want to HUG SO MUCH ARGGHHHHH 

24. Your favorite song beatmap?

Ahhh I think Shining Live really has great beatmaps across the board so that’s a tough pick! Almost all of them are super fun in their own way, but I think I gotta hand it to Wild Soul, Top Star Revolution, and Innocent Wind! 

25. Your least favorite song beatmap?

A.I. u__u Sorry, Ai...it’s just not fun for me.

26. Black Deja Vu or White Gravity?

Actually I’m really glad for this question bc I’ve been so busy lately I hadn’t given myself the time to really check them out! checking ......... 

and yep. Black Deja Vu. (I mean...Ranmaru is on it, haha.) But I’m so about this. Love this heavier sound and all these harmonies, this is so juicy. (White Gravity also absolutely kicks ass though!! I’m really liking that voice group, it’s making especially good use of those higher registers!) 

27. Utapri merch that you own/want?

Honestly I don’t have much u__u Not a lot of Utapri merch is my thing...you know? I’m mostly shopping for Ran merch if I’m getting any, but I’m very picky about how he gets drawn? Keeping his toughness and a particular clothing style about him is so essential, haha, and barely anything hits that sweet spot for me. But I will say I adored the whole ‘My Favorite Things’ series, and if I had the budget and space atm I’d love to get some of the Ran goodies from that line! 

28. How did you get into Utapri?

I first heard about it through some acquaintances from cosplay before Quartet Night was a thing. It didn’t appeal enough to my heavy metal ass to make me drop everything and try it, but I did have an interest in it I couldn’t explain and I’d always intended on trying it out. (especially after I got into Love Live and idol anime for a bit.) But it was Shining Live that got me! And I really only downloaded Shining Live because I was super exhausted after a business trip, didn’t want to leave bed once I got back home, and just wanted to sink my teeth in something new I could enjoy for hours while lying down, haha.  

29. A set theme in shining live that you want to see in the future?

This will surprise nobody, but something tougher. More rock, more punk, more metal. I want all of them in studs and spikes and leather, and I want less polish. More rough! 

I’d also love a wrestler set complete with who’s-a-heel-who’s-a-face but that’s a pipe dream and a half, lmao. 

30. Why do you love your best boy?

Oh boy. 

I think he’s this powerhouse of a human bean who can face a ton of pain and meet it with a big middle finger. And that middle finger is chasing after ambitious dreams, of spreading the power and soul of the same music that made me who I am and influences so much of my work, but also being ... you know, smart about it? He’s an idol because like, sure, maybe it’s not the OG dream, but you can’t dream if you’re dead, and you also deserve to give yourself a life and platform to share some of who you are, and you can do a lot of good with that, too. (And I won’t lie, I respect the drama of a man who takes his hair that seriously and commits so hard to the aesthetic he wears fuckin mismatched contacts i just. charm point ) 

But at the same time....I don’t know, this might sound presumptuous, but. I think. I just think he’d think I’m as neat as I think he is. I’m an ambitious, passionate person, too, and I also furiously stick to my ideals, and I also love the same kind of soul of music he does. I lean a little more metal than I do rock, but I think that’s nice, like sharing it has that ‘alike but different’ kind of familiarity and novelty all at once. Sometimes it’s tough sharing just how deeply rock and metal have sculpted me and my artwork (and therefore my career), bc it’s so deeply personal to me, and sometimes there’s weird elitism/misogyny/racism to deal with, too. But. The way he talks about rock, the way he describes the passion and how it transcends identity and is just a pure rush of power and sharing your feelings..................it just feels like he Gets it the same way I do. Just that unspoken, burning passion and understanding. I know it sounds weird to feel that strongly over just a music genre, but I just vibe with how to him, it really isn’t ‘just’ a music genre. I feel more accepting of myself for it, and I’d like to think he’d be real proud of himself for that.  

And listen, like....I’m very sentimental, but I really don’t like saccharine, flowery, romantic kinds of affection to be lavished on me. Just be straightforward but also a little tsun about it fjdsjfas and ..... those are the kind of feelings I can accept. And that’s the way Ranmaru is, and it’s also grounded in the kind of reality that I don’t like to be swept away from. He’s just so cool and hardworking and unwavering in his passion, it makes it easier for me to do the same despite all the bumps in the road. This got real long but Ran’s a cool dude, haha, I got a lot of positives to say. 

Anyways, I never tag folks for these things, but I love seeing everyone’s answers! If you see this and wanna fill it, feel free to count this as a tag from me :) I know this got real long, but with 30 questions how could it not haha? Thanks for reading and sticking around! 

[noneya-business-me]

Overdose

Pairing: Kirishima/Bakugou low-key

Summary: Even though Bakugou’s body is used to having nitroglycerin in it, if he over uses his quirk it could have some bad side effects.. 

Angst but with a happy ending 

“Today for combat training we’ll be pushing your quirk limits again.” Aizawa stated, “just like we did at the training camp.”

The class looked uneasily at each other, but nodded in affirmation. 

“We have everything set up for each of your individual needs.” Toshinori added, “and we’ll be going around to see each of your progress.”

“Now everyone get to your stations.” Aizawa finished, getting a unanimous agreement from the students who ran off to their spots. 

Bakugou was set far apart then the other students as his blasts grew bigger and bigger. By the time the two teachers made their way over to the blonde the heat from his blasts could reach the other students. His arms quivered as he continuously raised them into the air and plunged them back down. Aizawa looked down at his watch, before blowing a whistle to signal the end of the exercise. “Everyone gather back to me!” He yelled out, grabbing everyones exhausted attention.

Most of them stumbled back and crowded around the two. Kirishima glanced around noticing that Bakugou was still standing over by his barrel, staring into it.

“Bakugou, come on man. Aizawa wants us over there.” He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“What are you doing here?” He slurred, looking at him slowly, “you need to go fight the tail guy.”

He dipped his fingers back into the water. “and I have to do this.”

He sucking in wheezing breaths, as he wiggled his fingertips in the water. “Dude, are you okay?” Kirishima asked softly, placing a hand on his forehead, “you really don’t look good.” 

“Kirishima! Bakugou! I said everyone!” Aizawa yelled.

Bakugou’s eyes pinched closed as he winced. “So loud.” He whined, “my head hurts.” 

“I’m going to take you to recovery girl.” Kirishima replied, wrapping his arm around his waist to support him. 

“Mr. Aizawa! We need to take Bakugou to recovery girl! I think he’s sick.” Kirishima called out, spurring both the teachers to come to them.

“What’s going on?” Toshinori asked, placing a hand on the other blondes forehead. 

Kirishima tried to take a step forward towards the teachers as Bakugou stumbled over his own feet and leaned heavily on the other. 

“Sit him down on the ground.” Aizawa said, pulling out his cell phone, “we’ll get recovery girl to come to us. He’s in no shape to make the trip.” 

Kirishima obeyed quickly and sat him down on the ground with his back supported by one of the boulders around the training area. Almost immediately he made a raspy while, followed by a wet gag. “Lean him forward!” Toshinori shouted.

Kirishima’s arms shot out and grabbed Bakugou’s shoulders and leaning him forward as he vomited down the front of his own shirt and into his lap. “Are you okay?” Kirishima asked him frantically. 

“Why aren’t you training?” Bakugou asked again.

“We’re finished training Bakugou!” Kirishima replied, noticing the coldness of his skin where he was touching him. His eyes widened as he really looked over him. 

“Mr.Aizawa he needs to go to the hospital!” Kirishima yelled, “His lips are turning blue, his fingers too.”

“Kiri, something is wrong.” Bakugou said, just as his eyes rolled back in his head and his fingers began to twitch. 

Toshinori quickly moved him out of the way, and laid Bakugou on his side on the ground. “It ’s a good thing he’s not in his hero costume.” He mumbled as he moved rocks out of the way of his head. 

The twitching in his hands moved up through his body as he started convulsing. “Ambulance is on the way.” Aizawa stated, as recovery girl ushered the other students away before returning to them. “What’s happening to him?!” Kirishima yelled hysterically, “Why is he having a seizure?!” 

“We’ll know when the paramedics get here.” Aizawa replied. 

All at once the shaking stopped and he fell still. His body heaved once more vomiting on the ground next to him. The blonde whimpered quietly as a tear fell down his face. Kirishima moved forward and carefully moved him away from the puddle, listening for the sirens coming closer. He grasped his hand tightly receiving a weak squeeze back. “Kirishima I need you to go with the other students.” Aizawa stated. 

“I can’t leave him.” Kirishima growled in reply.

“We have things covered from here.” Recovery girl added.

“I don’t care.” He snarled, surprising them all, “I’m not leaving.”

“I’m going to lead the paramedics in when they get here.” Toshinori stated, hearing the sirens getting closer. 

I wasn’t long until he returned with the paramedics and a gurney in tow. “I need you to move out of the way.” One of the paramedics said urgently to Kirishima as he swivelled out of the way still holding the others hand.

They loaded him up quickly, wheeling him towards the doors quickly right past the terrified faces of the class. “I need you to let go, so we can take him.” The other paramedic stated. 

“No,” Bakugou cried weakly, “Kiri, what’s happening?” 

Tears tracked down his face, around the mask that was temporarily supplying him oxygen to aid his shallow breathing. His eyes moved around erratically, tracking anything that moved. The paramedic stared at him a moment before she jerked her head towards the back on the ambulance, signalling the red head to get in the back. “You can answer my questions about him.” She said, quickly hooking up an IV to Bakugou’s arm. 

She slammed the doors shut after informing Aizawa. Her partner turned the sirens back on a sped towards the hospital. “I need his name, age, birthday, and quirk.” She started, holding her radio up to her face. 

“Bakugou Katsuki, 16, April 20th, and explosions.” He repeated back quickly. 

“How does the quirk work?” She asked, after repeating the information into her radio.

“He sweats nitroglycerin into his hands and ignites it.” He replied. 

Her eyes widened as she repeated the information back into the radio again. “One minute to arrival!” Her partner yelled from the front. 

“What’s your name kid?” She asked, grabbing his attention again.

“Kirishima.” He replied, his voice shaking.

“When we get into the emergency room there will be doctors everywhere.” She stated, “you need to make sure to be aware of everything and to stay out of the Doctors way. Bakugou doesn’t seem like he wants to let go of you so you’ll be fine.” 

He nodded along with her. “But you need to listen to them and do whatever they say, okay?” 

He nodded again his lip quivering. He squeezed Bakugou’s hand again, which he squeezed back even though he was unaware of his surroundings.

As soon as the vehicle came to a stop and the doors were yanked open they were running and stopping in a bright white room. “-name’s Kirishima.” He heard as Doctors flew around the still blonde. 

“Kirishima. My name is Doctor Kotobuki.” The female doctors said to him. 

She motioned to the male doctor grabbing supplies. “That’s Doctor Hosaka.” She have him a gentle smile as she set to work. “Do you want to talk to Bakugou? To make sure he stays calm?” 

He nodded as he kneeled next to him. “You’re going to be alright Blasty.” He whispered to him, “they’re going to find out what’s wrong and you’re going to be fine.” 

Bakugou stared at him and nodded tiredly. His breath wheezed as he took more shallow breath as his eyes fluttered shut. “Bakugou.” Kirishima whispered, “you have to stay awake. Please.” 

His eyes fluttered again as he stared blankly at the other, before his eyes rolled as he started to convulse again. The doctors stepped back as they waited for the shaking to cease. “Is your hand okay?” Dr. Hosaka asked as they noticed Kirishima’s pained expression. 

“I’m fine.” He replied. 

The shaking finally stopped, and the doctors picked up right where they left off. “Breathings stopped.” One of the nurses called out. 

“Intubate him.” Dr. kotobuki ordered, checking the inside of his mouth, “he’s not able to breath on his own.” 

“Kirishima, you said his quick allows him to sweat nitroglycerin?” She asked. 

He nodded, “during training his blasts were getting really big and he was sweating a lot.” He replied nervously as a different doctor pushed a tube down his throat attached to a ventilator and taped it to the side of his mouth. 

“I need you to get activated charcoal.” She ordered a nurse, “bandages and oral medication.”

“We can’t do gastric lavage because he didn’t technically ingest any nitroglycerin.” She said turning to Dr. Hosaka, “if we do activated charcoal we can make sure his body doesn’t absorb so much excess.” 

He nodded, grabbing a thinner tube from the medical cart. “Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Kirishima asked hesitantly, “is he going to be okay?”

Dr. Kotobuki nodded with a smile. “We think he’s had a nitroglycerin overdose by his symptoms and from what you’ve told us.” She replied, “you helped him out a lot today. I think he’s going to be fine.”

The nurse from before came back with boxes cradled in her arms. “Is the nasogastric tube ready?” She asked Dr. Hosaka. 

“Yes, we can administer the oral medication.” He replied. 

Dr. Hosaka and the nurse moved at the same time. Bandaging and injecting the medication through the nose tube. 

Soon they were wheeling him out of the ER and into a small room. He was hooked up to several machines now. A ventilator, heart monitor, and IV. “This happened during training correct?” Dr. Kotobuki asked. 

“Yeah, our teachers should be coming.” Kirishima replied.

“Right, why don’t you keep Bakugou company while I go find your teachers.” She stated a smile, “they probably want to know what’s going on as well.”

Kirishima nodded with a smile. “Thank you for helping him.”

She nodded back and exited the room. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “Thank god you’re okay.” He sighed resting his head against the bed sheet. 

It was unnerving how still the blonde was, and quiet for that matter. His face wasn’t pinched up in anger like usual, but relaxed and almost ethereal. “You really scared me today.” He sighed closing his eyes. 

—

“How long do you think he’s going to stay unconscious?” Kirshima asked as soon as Dr. Kotobuki and Dr. Hosaka returned to the room with the teachers. Both their eyes widened as they stared at the blondes condition. 

“It shouldn’t be long at all.” Dr. Hosaka replied, “I think at the most probably later tonight.”

“The extra nitroglycerin is already getting expelled by the medication and absorbed by the bandages.” Dr. Kotobuki explained as she walked closer and put a hand on his forehead, “she how the colour is already returning to his face?”

Kirishima nodded excitedly with a wobbly smile as a tear rolled down his cheek. 

“As soon as he wakes up we can get the tubes out and make sure there’s nothing else wrong with him.” She smiled.

As if on cue, Bakugou’s hand shifted bumping into Kirishima’s who snatched his hand up right away. His eyes opened slowly, and glanced around the room until his eyes landed on Kirishima. The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly as he blinked tiredly. 

“I got you,” Kirishima whispered, bringing Bakugou’s hand up to his face and holding it against his forehead in relief, “I got you.”

[illkickyourbass]

henlo. have an expanded Shining Quest AU.

to release some steam from my kettle of stress, have some noodling about a Shining Quest AU that’s less April Fool’s, more high-stakes high-fantasy, but still every bit as tropey, stuffed with otome trappings, and Yay Music as we’ve come to expect from Utapri 

As with the last venture into this AU: not explicitly romantic, non-gendered MC, SFW, and mild CW for arranged marriages. I don’t know HEAVENS (plus they didn’t get canon classes for Shining Quest), so we’ll just be covering STARISH and Quartet Night! 

It’s a fairly typical setup -- there’s a fantasy kingdom, there’s a useless king, there’s a princess (Haruka) known for her talent for music composition, there’s a court of nobles and royals, all that usual hey. Magic is cast by mastery of the arts, whether that be visual, performing, musical, written, you name it. 

There’s a looming threat of some sort of demon king or similar fantasy anime bullshit that the royals and nobles of the kingdom are tasked with keeping at bay. We’re also gonna shamelessly borrow a detail from the pinnacle of wasted potential, the movie Rock and Rule -- there’s a plot point about how a demon can only be forced back with “the magic of one voice, one heart, one song....but there is no one.” Here in this ‘verse, that’s a longstanding prophecy the status quo has taken to mean there’s no-one who’ll ever be able to defeat the demon king. 

The solution that’s been in place for as long as anyone can remember is a royal or noble family offers one of their heirs as a sacrifice to be married off and sate the demon king for that generation-- the “devil’s bride” or “devil’s groom” or “devil’s betrothed.” This goes pretty badly for the heirs, of course, but it offers great prestige to the house that does it. 

You, the player, would get to pick what RPG class you fill (which would affect some dialogue trees and the expertise you demonstrate) and what art you use to cast magic. You are a member of the royal guard tasked with Haruka’s protection, but you’ve stumbled into the knowledge before it goes public: she’s the next devil’s bride! You go to Tomochika, a hired hand to the royals who’s been dating Haru in secret, and you begin to hatch a plan to bust Haruka out of the arrangement. 

Your route’s then determined by which of the boys you seek out as your other co-conspirator. 

Otoya is a fellow member the Royal Guard on Haruka protection detail. He’s equally resented and well-liked for his dauntless optimism and natural talent with swordsmanship, but it’s no secret that he’s not someone you’ll be trusting for expert strategy. He’s had the chance to become friendly with Haruka, and he’s ready to fight tooth and nail for her freedom! He’s classed as a warrior, who casts light-element attacks and healing spells with his music. 

Masato was raised from birth to become an ideal Devil’s Groom, since the Hijirikawa nobles are falling out of favor in the courts (spurred in part from their takedown of the Kurosakis backfiring on them). But Masato has rejected that he (or Mai) will ever go along with that plan, instead intently training in swordsmanship and fusing music and fiber arts to make enchanted fabrics that work like armor. Quietly, he has kept a very ambitious goal in mind: outright defeat the demon king and end the legacy of the devil’s betrothed. 

Natsuki is a natural genius at using both his voice and viola to communicate with creatures and summoning the cutest ones to absolutely wreck house. Though a humble farmboy who’s kind of out-of-touch with the political goings-on of his land, his talent was too great to go unnoticed forever, and he was invited to live among the high court as an entertainer and summoner. He got to make so many new friends (like the princess and you!) and better provide for his family, so he’s thankful every day for the change, even if he misses his animal friends at home! 

Tokiya came from a humble family that wanted to lead a quiet life, but Tokiya himself had ambitions that far outpace that. Though not a natural talent, he put unimaginable sweat into a field that creates potent spells and tools by the power of song. Eventually becoming estranged from his whole family, Tokiya finds it all worthwhile after struggling his way into being hired by the royals. Much of the court thinks of him as a weird mad scientist who sings to his books, but he’s found fast friends he’d go to the ends of the earth for, like Masato, the princess, and you! 

Ren is the inverse of Masato in his circumstance. Like the Hijirikawa noble family, the Jinguujis helped orchestrate the fall of the Kurosaki nobles, but the blowback had them falling out of favor instead of rising in power. Ren was planned to be offered as a Devil’s Groom to restore some clout, but instead of being intently groomed, he was left to do whatever he wanted since he’s got such a foregone future. So Ren becomes a carefree playboy, eventually taking his talent for alchemy and becoming a for-hire adventurer to sate his boredom. He tells everyone his saxophone is his secret to brewing his one-of-a-kind love potions, but he’s actually devised some uniquely remarkable revival and buffing potions.

Syo comes from the same backwoods as Natsuki, but took less interest in working for the courts and instead trying to find a career emulating his childhood hero that kept his body’s limits in mind. But his twin left to pursue medical schooling, and eventually, between loneliness, worry, and the promise that the musical magic and medicine in the courts could help him safely push his limits, he follows Natsuki into the belly of the royals and nobles. His small stature and commitment to the movement arts made him a natural rogue, and he’s technically part of the Royal Guard’s special ops. But Syo’s brashness and burning spirit tends to best serve motivating the people around him -- what few spells he prefers to cast with his violin-playing are all buffs that lift the spirit and energize the body.  

Cecil came to this land on essentially a study abroad program and came to love the friends he made so much he stuck around! A wildly talented sorcerer able to cast even without playing his flute, Cecil is held in high esteem by the whole kingdom for the knowledge and skill he has to offer. Prone to disappearing, however, since a curse has him transforming into a cat as an occasional side effect of casting magic. He’s found this useful, though -- something injust he won’t stand for is afoot in this kingdom, and nobody suspects a little black cat of eavesdropping! 

Reiji is a court jester who loves, loves, loves nothing more than to make you smile! Much of the court takes his good cheer for granted, and even more underestimate his prowess in tough/delicate situations, but the most powerful folks know he’s just as sharp as he is goofy. When he’s not doing his job making people smile, he’s often helping or promoting his family’s pub or bugging his friends from outside the royal court. His flashy performances and maraca-shaking have been shaped into a great conduit for spells of transmutation, though he tends to use them to put on a great show more than beat ass.

Ranmaru is the eldest son of the disgraced Kurosaki nobles (whose power and legacy were ruined by the Jinguujis and Hijirikawas as per usual) but he decided to bear the brunt of the damage in wake of his father’s passing to spare the rest of his family. Shouldering massive debt, Ranmaru disappeared and re-emerged as the gambler prince of the underground, now incredibly powerful in his own right. Not-so-secretly a big softie, he’ll swindle and ruin the lives of those who take advantage of the helpless, even operating out of a pub owned by an old couple that needed some protecting from loan sharks. Ranmaru wears special runed gloves that store mana when he plays his bass, letting him cast a set number of fire evocation spells before his next recharge. 

Ai lives in woods on the outskirts of the city. Most regard him as a hermit, but a couple know that Ai is actually a homunculus that has been refining his understanding and performance of humanity and needs frequent breaks to “recharge.” Nominally a ranger, Ai’s skills lie in his powerful patience and observation moreso than his bow and arrow, though he and Reiji have an arrangement where he helps hunt and forage ingredients for the Kotobuki pub. Ai is beginning to grasp his own unique sense of humanity and is ready to take grander action to realize it. He fights with arrows of a special alloy that react to an instrument at home; they are tempered by the sound and blessed by the wind to never miss their target should the wielder be skilled enough. 

Camus is an assassin that lives in shadow. Nobody’s quite sure of his intentions or allegiances, but the few times someone does see him in the open, he’s as haughty and demanding as ever. Rumor has it that he lives in the royal castle -- certainly, their enormously increased sweets output would imply such, and it’s well-known in the castle that unexplained cello music is usually his doing -- but he’s such an evanescent and terrifying presence nobody’s quite sure (and is too scared to ask). His assassinations are almost impossible to track, as his blades of ice melt, disappear, and leave no trail to follow. 

Typical route stuff goes as you’d expect -- you progress the plot, you get closer to your chosen boy, some political intrigue things probably happen, some heart-racing events etc. etc., and before you know it the two of you are very close and realize that your arts cast wildly powerful magic when put together. Slowly, you gather more friends (a selection of the other boys + Haru and Tomo) and find that together, your work amplifies in power to unprecedented degrees. It’ll vary from route to route how you get there, but eventually, you all come to the same conclusion: it’s time to kick some demon king ass. And you do! 

The ends vary from angsty (like the player or the chosen boy is mortally wounded or dies) or fairytale fluffy (go off and spend a happy life together) or something more power fantasy-feeling (like you and chosen boy revolutionize the whole kingdom for the better in wake of the demon king’s defeat), etc. -- but no matter what you know that your art + your boy + the power of friendship kicked more ass than anything Shining Kingdom has ever seen! 

[kitahara-rei]

Stars Shine Brightest In The Darkest of Nights

Here’s the plot dump because I have no idea when I will ever finish this weeps I have three separate notepad files for this I can’t believe my procrastination levels are too damn high

Contains some character information and one (1) small angst below the read more:

Reiji 

Half-fae with 1 green, 1 gray eyes, looks about 25. Half-faes don’t age as fast as humans, though usually those with fae descent are able to use a glamour to hide their actual features. Actual age? Probably over 50 or so. Generally, he calls everyone by nicknames since it makes them less tense about him being a fae and knowing their ‘true names’.

He owns a cafe in Shibuya, the Kotobuki Cafe, passed down from his mother. Reiji runs it alone, funneling his magic to make it into a separate dimension (one of the reasons his powers are so weak). The shop is usually invisible to the main street until he opens for business, and he charms his customers so they don’t remember what magical experience they had inside his shop (since magic is probably controlled and all and not for humans to understand).

His tragic backstory revolves around Aine. He met Aine when they were younger and dated for a while, but as Aine comes from a line of spirit channelers, Reiji wiped his beloved’s memories so that he didn’t have to choose between the two. Aine got married and had a son, Ai. One day, Aine’s wife became deathly ill and passed early. With all the harrowing stress of his family pressing him to take over as the head and the loss of his wife, Aine falls into a depression. Demons whisper to him about the forbidden spells that can revive his beloved, if only he would trade his body in return. Reiji convinces him time and time again not to listen and that it’s not worth it, to think of Ai, but they get into an argument, with Aine storming out of the house. News return to the Kisaragi family that Aine died fighting demonic beasts outside. The truth was that Aine had been possessed by a demon due to the negative energy from his dark emotions and Reiji was forced to kill him. Reiji blames himself for the entire thing, thinking that he should have stopped him somehow and known that Aine wasn’t in his right mind and shouldn’t have let him go alone. So he took custody of Ai instead of leaving him to the strict Kisaragi family, raising him on his own.

Ranmaru

About 22, human summoner. He can summon beasts with the contract on his right eye, a magic signature engraved into his iris. Usually he wanders the Night Market, accepting quests from the patrons of the local tavern to earn money to pay off his family’s debt. He prefers using a blade and a dagger when fighting.

Ranmaru has been searching for a particular demon because his father had been tricked into forming a contract with it for money and power, his soul taken as the price. He works under the mercenary name Black Orchid in the Night Market to find the information he needs. The Kurosaki family name was struck off the Summoners’ Society Register for breaking the law on demon summoning. He knows his father would never contact a demon, and he vows to find the truth of the matter. (But the truth is that his mother had been the one who summoned it, trying to bring their family back into absolute power. The Hijirikawa and Jinguji family also had a hand in it by giving her the idea.)

Ai

15, human. He is Aine’s son, a non-believer of everything magical. Occasionally he does help out around the cafe, but when he’s not, he’s hanging out over at Syo’s house.

Ai knows that his father never returned the day that he argued with Uncle Reiji. He had followed them out the night they argued and seen the entire thing. His memory of the whole ordeal is fuzzy at best, but only one thing stands out clear to him: Reiji covered in blood, clutching at his father’s cold body. He blames the man for killing his father. He ignores most of the magical happenings around him, but in the five years that he lived with Reiji, he somehow realises the truth, but there’s no other place for him to direct his anger at. He doesn’t want to believe that his father was possessed by a demon. Ai does know that Reiji loved his father, from how he visits his grave every year.

Camus

Looks around 20, actual age: unknown.

An old ass vampire from outside of town who was cast into hibernation after the Great Vampire War (don’t ask me which one). He woke up in early 2000s, unfamiliar with the area now known as Romania. He wandered through the changed lands, starved for blood. Camus stumbled upon a portal to the Night Market where he first met Reiji, who offers to help him out by providing him fae-blood, which grants him immunity in sunlight. They meet once or so every fortnight. (Reiji needed a distraction, and vampire bites are very pleasurable.)

-----

A short excerpt of mild Aine x Reiji angst:

Or he could sit down for a while and enjoy the special blend he had stored away in a dusty cabinet, untouched for a while now. That sounded like an excellent idea.

Reiji let out a sigh, popping the cork off the bottle. How long has it been since he had taken a break? He didn't know. The street outside had changed so much over the years, and yet, he still remained the same. Humans, lured over with the promise of the Wonderland that Reiji could deliver to them, were the only source of entertainment he had. He liked the business though; the smiles of his customers got him through the day, and at night, he was tired enough to slip into a dreamless sleep.

He poured himself a cup, swirling the rose-coloured drink in the wineglass. A sweet scent of honey tempted his nose, beguiling him to drink. It was a rare one he found on the Night Market which he spent many a coin to obtain. It tasted smooth on his tongue, the sharp tang of berries mixed with the lull of magic, leaving him light-headed and more relaxed. An excellent wine.

The tinkling of the bell by the door caught his attention. His shop was closed to the human realm, so there wasn't a way for his customers to find a way inside. Not the human ones anyway.

"Pardon me for intruding upon your realm."

He turned to see someone he hadn't seen in a while. "Aine, what a surprise! It's been so long," he exclaimed, fatigue forgotten. He patted the seat next to him excitedly. "Here, join me for a drink!"

Aine looked the same as usual, his hair a brightly-dyed blue. Surprisingly, he was dressed in a casual button-up shirt and jeans, unlike the formal robes that he usually wore when Reiji visited. It made him look younger, like the first time that Reiji had met him. "Yes, it has been a while. I was passing by in the area and I thought to pay you a visit," he said, taking a seat beside Reiji.

He brought out another cup for him, pouring him some from the bottle. "Were you out on a date?" he asked, eyeing him up and down with a grin. "Rather fashionable, I must say. Much better than those stuffy robes you always wore."

Aine smiled, leaning against his arm. "I'm only here to see you," he said, blue eyes sparkling with mischief. But then, his expression grew serious. "How have you been, Reiji?"

"You know how the business is," he said, sighing dramatically. "Anyway, I'm..." ...fine. The word wouldn't leave his mouth. Reiji couldn't lie in front of him, not when he was looking at him like that. "I've been better. It's hard to run the shop when it's just myself, you know. Part-time workers are hard to come by around here," he joked.

Aine nodded. "That sounds tough. How is Ai?"

Reiji smiled. "He’s growing up fine. You should have seen him in his middle school uniform, it’s the darn cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” But then he bit his lip, fighting back the guilt welling up in his chest. “But he definitely hates me.”

“Why would he hate you?”

“Because of what I did to you! He followed us out in the rain, he saw it all, saw me... I had to make him forget.”

He didn't realise that he had been crying until he saw the wet spots on the tablecloth. Wiping away his tears, he tried to bring back his usual grin, but he just couldn't do it. Everything hurt too much.

“Reiji, do you remember the day we met?”

He looked over at Aine, the brief image of his bloodied body laying in his arms flashing through his mind. Reiji blinked it away. His friend’s young face was smiling back at him almost gently.

"I remember the day we met. It was at the beach, when I saw you by the shore, staring out at the sunset. I've always wondered what you were doing there, but then you saw me," Aine said wistfully. "Do you remember, Reiji? What I said to you then?"

"You said my eyes were beautiful," Reiji murmured, sniffing.

"That, they are. Just like the forest leaves and the smooth pebbles under your feet. You must have been lonely all this time," Aine said softly, gently prying Reiji's clenched fingers apart and lacing his fingers with his. Aine’s hand was warm and comforting, though Reiji hadn't realised when his own had started trembling. "I'm sorry, Reiji."

Reiji sniffed, tightening his grasp on his friend's hand. If he held on tighter, maybe Aine would stay this time. "Don't go, Aine," he pleaded softly, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier with each moment. He wanted to chat more with Aine, to keep him within his view. It was so hard to fight against it, but the exhaustion won out. He laid his head on the table. "Don't leave me again."

There it was once more, that sad smile on his face. "I won't. I'm here, Reiji," Aine said. He knew it was an empty promise, but it gave Reiji the comfort he wanted. He closed his eyes.

When Reiji woke up later, he saw the untouched cup of wine where Aine had been. The man already gone. His hand felt so cold, so empty.

"You liar," he murmured. Stretching out his sore muscles, Reiji looked out the window. It was still dark out. There was a few hours before dawn. Picking up the untouched cup of wine from the table, he threw the contents down the drain. The liquid fizzed into smoke the moment it touched the steel basin. In moments, it was completely gone. Just like...

Reiji shook his head. No matter how much he wished for it, Aine wouldn't be coming back. The moment of indulgence in his own self-pity was over. It was time to face reality again.

[raven-writes-requests]

A warm celebration

Rating: Everyone Word count: 1,5K Fandom: Uta no Prince-sama Pairing: Reiji Kotobuki Genre: Fluff, just fluff. So much fluff that I’m about to cry. Warning: gay AF, don’t read it if you don’t like those things.

I was supposed to write and upload this other birthday fic like... 17 days ago, but things happened and I wasn’t able to... I’m deeply sorry for this, but not really, since this came out better than I expected. I love this fic, it made me go “AGDSVATGSHGT” inside. I find it funny that you were the one who got me into UtaPri and the first UtaPri fic I ever uploaded is for your birthday lol. Anyways, here you have your super late birthday present. I hope you like this as much as I do <3 ______________________________________________________________

So far, it was a normal day in his life. He woke up early as every other day, helped make some breakfast and got congratulated for almost everyone in the Shining Agency; the only one that haven’t said anything to him was the person he wanted to spend that special day with.

“So, what do you want to do for your birthday, Luke?” Camus asked, taking a drink of his probably too-sweet-to-be-good tea. “We should probably make a grand party, use the space we have here to throw an elegant ball… Probably a masquerade!” he said, delighted with the idea he came up with. Ranmaru laughed at the longer haired man. “He wouldn’t like something like that. We should do something like… a karaoke night, a fight between us and our respective units. Luke could join you and Cecil and we would be three groups of three.” he suggested.

Ai was absentmindedly looking at the two of them fight as he took a sip of his coffee, Luke was sitting next to him looking at the other two men bickering about what to do for his birthday with a bored expression on his face.

If he was honest, he would be fine with just some regular dinner and a slice of cake. That was all he needed, but two quarters of Quartet Night were too focused on making a big celebration out of his birthday.

“Let’s see what Luke thinks of it.” Ranmaru suggested and both of them looked at him with the most terrifying expressions he ever saw in their faces. “Luke, what would you prefer to do for your birthday?”

“Well, I would like to…” he began to speak, but was suddenly cut off by a figure on the door. Just as he was about to give up and keep on with his daily routine, the brown haired he longed to see walked through the door looking as if he barely managed to get dressed before he went to the dining room, even his hat was almost falling off of his head. “You’re still here! I thought I missed you!” he exclaimed as he grabbed him by his shoulders, surprising the other man. “Go get changed, today you’ll spend the day with me.” he said, making the other man smile softly.

With a smile on his face at his words, he got up and turned around to leave. “He hasn’t answered our question yet, Reiji. Don’t think you have the right to do walk in and take him away like that!” Camus exclaimed, clearly angered at his team mate.

Reiji smiled as he panicked a little under the gaze of the three men that were in the room with him. “I’m sorry, it’s too late now. I’ll be stealing him for the day and you won’t get a say in it!” he answered in a singing voice as he served himself some coffee while he waited for the man to finish getting ready. 

As he finished his coffee, Luke walked into the room again. Reiji smiled at him and took the keys of his car, then he walked towards him and grabbed his hand, pulling him away softly. He didn’t question the brown haired, he just let himself be pulled towards the green beetle that was parked outside of the building. No words were exchanged between them as Reiji began to drive away from the Shining Agency.

As if the silence was kind of awkward for Reiji, he began to hum in a really low voice, almost like a whisper. Luke smiled again, that was an old habit of his. Ever since he met the singer, he would hum under his breath when nervous and that would make Camus go crazy sometimes, but he found it simply adorable.

He immediately recognized the song that he was humming, it was “Never...”. Some of the cool December air found its way inside of the car and the snow kept falling and piling up on the hood of the car.

It was clearly a relaxing cold morning, one of those that would want you to be wrapped in some warm blankets while drinking some hot chocolate. And yet there he was, going on a road trip to who-knew-where with the man he had a huge crush on.

The thought made him laugh to himself, he was actually happy that he took him away from the fight Ranmaru and Camus were having, now he could spend his birthday the way he actually wanted to without making anyone feel bad about it.

Once the car stopped, he looked outside of the window only to find himself in a really familiar place… was that…? Reiji opened his door with one of signature smiles, distracting him for a second. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.” he said, taking his hand and finally taking him out of the small beetle he owned.

The cold air hit him even harder as he stepped out of the car, and he immediately hugged himself in an attempt to keep himself warm. “Come on, we have plenty to see!” he said excitedly as he pulled the younger man around the place where they had met for the first time.

He wasn’t expecting to see the brown haired in such a good mood, but… it was Reiji after all, what was he expecting? It was normal to see him with a huge smile on his face all of the time.

The day was spent away by walking around the city, visiting different places that interested both of them. The final place he took Luke to was a small part of the port, where they could see the sea. A normal place for couples to go to. He looked at his companion with a confused expression on his face, but he either didn’t noticed it or completely ignored his confusion and kept walking. Towards where the concrete ended and the sea began.

“Did you have fun today?” he asked as he leaned on his elbows on the railing, the wind was blowing softly, messing with his long hair as he looked back at him. His smile seemed honest now and his body language looked relaxed, it was almost like he was opening his heart up to him in that instant.

Luke walked up to him and did the exact same thing, leaning on the railing and looked at the sea in front of them. “Here.” Reiji said, bringing his attention back to him as he put his hat on his head. “This is your birthday present. I know you like them a lot.” he laughed softly as the other man blushed a little.

“Th… thank you.” he stuttered a little, trying not to look at him again. He wouldn’t be able to deal with the man he was in love with seeing him blushing like that, he was thankful that Ren wasn’t aroud to see that. He was sure he wouldn’t ever hear the end of it if he saw him in that state.

“But that’s not all.” he stood straight, looking at the shorter brown haired who looked really surprised as he grabbed him by his shoulders again and made him stand straigher, like he was doing. He had another gift for his birthday? A sigh came out of Reiji’s lips, making Luke panic. What was going on? What was all of this about?

Just as he felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest from the anxiety that the whole situation was giving him, the taller man held his face in his hands and, before he had the time to realize what was going on, kissed him.

“Happy birthday, Luke.” he whispered with an even happier smile on his face as he finally let go, clearly happy that the other man didn’t push him away. The birthday boy was shocked. It was like his mind stopped working for a second, trying to process what had just happened. 

Reiji began to walk away, towards his car, leaving him behind. He only looked back to wink at him but kept walking. “Reiji, wait!” he exclaimed, making him stop. And the singer did, he stopped and turned around, waiting for Luke to catch up with him. “Yes? What is it?” once they were together again, he seemed completely unaffected by what just had happened. “You have to take me back or were you planning on leaving me out here in the cold?” Reiji laughed nervously, like he did when Camus got mad at him, once he realized his mistake. “Also, there’s something I need to do.” Reiji looked interested at the words that came out of him, but didn’t say a word. He just patiently waited for him to do something, and he did. He got on the tip of his toes to make up for the height difference and kissed him again. Then, he turned around and walked towards Reiji’s car, leaving him behind. “So, are you coming?” Luke screamed from where the car was, snapping Reiji out of his trance.

[utapriyanderes]

Their Yandere Type (QUARTET NIGHT Edition!)

Reiji Kotobuki:

Reiji is a Obsessive, Protective and Delusional type.

Of course with the two of you being the closests and best of friends already it wasn’t odd for one of you to develop a crush on the other. Not only that but despite all of your refusals and talk of wanting to stay friends, you thought that you finally reached him and convinced him. Too bad that you were wrong though. No instead he continued to talk about you passionately to his group members. Talking nonstop about how much you loved and cared about him, how you were the only one that felt this way about him.

It ended up getting so bad that he actually started calling you his girlfriend in front of others. Oh, and he also made sure you went to him for every problem you had. We don’t need a repeat of what happened to that other friend the both of you had. Some nights Reiji gets so anxious that you may try to do the same thing and he won’t be there to guide you away from that fate, making him stay by your side until that feeling passes. Protecting you and always making sure you stay happy, even if it costs him his mental health and happiness.

Yet, aren’t you the one who always makes him happy in the end anyways? I wouldn’t be surprised if that sad face you always pull ends up looking like tears of happiness in his eyes.

Reiji almost lost someone very important to him long ago and blames himself constantly for it. ...This time he’ll make sure that someone important like you never leaves him.

Ranmaru Kurosaki:

Ranmaru is a Possessive type.

It’s cute when two lovers hold onto each other to signify who they belong to. What happens if in reality that hold is actually a chain to keep you in place? To keep you by that person’s side forever? After losing so much in his life he could never let you go again. Though, at least you have plenty of cats to talk to while your locked up right?

Those cats are around you so much that they probably love you just as much as he does. At least if they did then they don’t show it. Honestly at first it surprised you. To see him getting much more warmer and closer to you. It was sincerely cute back then.

Though now you can’t help but to hate it. To want to get away. To want your freedom back. Yet he’ll probably just tell you that he’s all the freedom you need.

To see his family crumble into debt by a trusted family friend. Then to see everyone of his band members vanish from his side. It was all too much to bear. So now he’ll make sure you can never leave him.

Ai Mikaze:

Ai is a Stalker and Delusional type.

As soon as he opened his eyes for the first time he was interested in you. Not romantically, but as a trusted friend and someone to find comfort in. It was years later until he decided that he now feels this word called “love” for you. Being out of contact with you for so long only made him want to know more and more about you. Soon his hobby of people watching turned into a hobby of person watching.

He asked you about this feeling only for you to answer vaguely. Yet with each passing moment he needed more and more. He came to his own conclusion that this was love, and that you felt the same. I mean, you probably only answered vaguely because you were too shy to admit that you felt the same right?

So instead of putting logic behind it he decided that he wanted to learn more about this feeling, one on one with you. Of course he had to get closer to you first, closer than how you two already were.

Ai, being a robot, doesn’t know how to love. All he can do is observe and learn from people. Love though… Was something he learned from you, by watching and observing you.

Camus:

Camus is a Manipulative, Protective, and Sadistic type.

With you constantly talking about how rude he was and continuously yelling at him to be genuinely nicer to people, it wasn’t odd for him to finally fall for your charms. Though something he found annoying in you, he quickly disregarded that for how confident you were in nature. You never once let anyone drag you down and he always found you standing up for either yourself or the weak. You always did utter your disgust towards the man. Always trying to stay away from him as possible.

That turned into a hard task as soon as he saw you fit to be a Queen. That was when his inner knight broke out, swearing to you that he will always be by your side ready to serve and be your shield. Also, don’t think that your confident nature would last long as soon as he turned into this. Oh, instead he would find ways and say words to make you feel weak, powerless until you were nothing but a fragil, destroyed shell. He would make sure you would beg for his protection, and to make you feel the pain he felt when you spoke awful things from those pretty lips.

He’d make sure you were at your lowest, vulnerable and toy with your feelings over and over again. He’d force you outside without him making you feel hopeless and scared for your life. He’d made sure that no one else could ever take place in that heart of yours, by mentally ingraining himself in your mind, to be your one and only knight, your shield of protection to be yourself.

Always being the shield of the Permafrost Queen made him want to protect the people he loves dearly. With you, he always made sure that you knew this, by him always being your shield, by making you feel like you would die without him.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Here is QUARTET NIGHT's types! Up next HEAVENS!

[deltaengineering]

Winter Anime 2019 Part 4: That’s all, folks.

Over already? This is a pretty thin season with not a lot of shows, so it’s not that surprising that there’s not many good ones either. Still, a weak showing. Oh well, let’s get it over with. There were a few decent ones in the last batch.

Circlet Princess

What: Dimwitted schoolgirl is good at some vaguely defined virtual fighting sport, changes school based on it, finds out relevant club has been abolished. Forecast says: 5 member plot incoming.

❌ I think it’s already clear this show isn’t very ambitious, and not very well written either. A game adaptation at its laziest.

❌❌ Man, this girl is STUPID. What the hell.

❌ The rest of the cast are less stupid (which isn’t hard), but that just means they’re so forgettable they might as well not exist.

❌❌ It looks cheap, and by that I mean really really cheap. The character design is ISO standard anime and it’s mostly on model, but that’s as good as it gets. The animation just sucks. That’s a death sentence for an action/sports show with terrible characters.

Bermuda Triangle - Colorful Pastrale

What: Japanese Spongebob, as in cute mermaids. Doing things optional.

❌ To make this quick, this is almost exactly Pastel Memories, only every problem is just a little less extreme. It has fewer characters, it’s looking slightly better, there’s a tiny bit more going on, the setting is mildly more interesting. That still means it is:

❌❌ 1. A boring mess in which a handful of samey girls do nothing of much interest in a location that should be unique, but isn’t.

❌❌ 2. Conspicuously cheap. It even has the same sightline problems.

❌❌ 3. Featuring a character model sheet that is “off” even under the best circumstances. This time due to the very offputting decision to give everyone blobby triangular irises.

❌❌ Unlike Pastel Memories (which was an ad for a mobile game) this is an anime original, so it really has no excuse being this lame.

♎ I find it amusing that Pastel Palettes are providing the OP for an anime, and it’s not the one currently airing that they’re actually characters in.

Endro~!

What: Kiraralike comedy thing in a generic JRPG setting.

♎ Namori character designs, so it’s like Spyce in that it just seems like the Yuru Yuri cast cosplaying a genre. But hey, Namori character designs do look good.

❌ I’m not as done with generic JRPG settings as with generic isekai settings, but it’s still a real problem since the former is now a subset of the latter. Mildly making fun of it does not improve things much either.

✅ The tone is cutesy and pleasant. I find this much preferable to something like Mahoujin Guru Guru, which is pretty much the same thing but with abrasive, high-intensity slapstick instead.

✅ It’s backing that up with generally high-quality, agreeable pastel looks.

❌ Not being annoying is a start, but beyond that this seems very middle of the road and predictable. I don’t get much out of the genre “parody” and simply being cute is still not an unique selling point in anime.

Grimms Notes The Animation

What: Did someone say JRPG? This is a mobile one, vaguely based on fairy tales as the title implies.

✅ This universe runs on the idea that every NPC’s fate is controlled by a preset story they’re aware of. You could make a good story about that if you took it seriously. It even does that somewhat, but only to the degree that you’d expect from a throwaway sidequest in a moderately well-written JRPG.

❌ And the reason for that is that it has to make room for being a JRPG, of course. Read: It’s irritatingly mechanics- and combat-focused. Stuff like the characters changing form when in fights just seems overly complicated and adds nothing.

❌ Said combat looks competent, but not good enough to make up for detracting from what could have been an interesting setting. Merc Storia did this aspect far better (by usually not doing it at all).

❌ So it ends up being better than expected, but then that only amounts to a disappointment.

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai / Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

What: Kaguya and Miyuki are in the student council of a prestigious school and HATE HATE HATE each other. Specifically, they hate the part where the other one won’t just finally admit their love.

✅ The joke here is that it’s operating on full intensity at all times, over the most simple matters. It’s pretty much Kaiji, only about dating - complete with hammy narrator. This is another one of those shows where I can’t say with certainty that it’s solid, but I had a blast during the first episode.

✅ Regarding Quintuplets, I made it clear that I love me some sparks in my romantic comedies. It doesn’t get much more explosive than this.

✅ The characters are comparable to Quints too: Smart scheming upstart vs. rich scheming ojou, with a simpleminded girl in the middle that ends up winning more often than not simply by not overdoing it.

✅ The visuals are just as over the top as the proceedings depicted. Occasionally a filter massacre, but mostly cool.

♎ The long-term viability of this show depend entirely on whether they can consistently come up with scenarios that work, which isn’t a given. Also, this is so intense it might become tiresome - I already felt some fatigue towards the end of the first episode. We’ll see, I guess.

Kakegurui ××

What: Some weirdos think they can crash the party at Hyakkaou with an intent to scare the daylights out of Yumeko and Midari, of all people. Let’s just say they were not as prepared as they thought.

✅ As you might have guessed by me watching the sequel, I liked Kakegurui. It has its problems, but if you’re down for some crazypants madness, this show delivers.

✅ This is one of the better episodes of it too, because it gets right into it and the game they play is dead simple. Kakegurui was never about smart moves or strong characters, so not having anything detract from our girls deriving the entirely wrong sort of pleasure from danger is a plus.

♎ Sadly, the OP is a step down (though still great) and the ED is simply an inferior, overcomplicated version of the magnificent original one. They seem to know this too, because they play the OP cut of Deal with the Devil in its entirety for a montage. The rest of the production is on par with the original though, so it’s fiiiine. Oh well.

❌ It got Netflix’d again and the subs situation is dire. Since this is one I actually like, I might have to wait for the official release.

Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai / The Magnificent Kotobuki

What: Piston-engined fighter plane pornography.

✅ This delivers where Girly Air Force failed: Close to zero exposition, the majority of the episode is just planes dogfighting with barely any talking either. And that part is executed really well. I think the plane startup sequence alone is as long as the total of Girly’s airtime.

✅ Guess what, it’s Tsutomu Mizushima, previously known for unbridled panzer (und girls) pornography, and boy can you tell. However, this cuts out a lot of GuP’s bullshit: A plane doesn’t have the cast of K-ON in it, it’s not over-the-top zany, and whatever this universe is, it can’t be as insipid as GuP’s. The classy milwank exists you guys, we found it.

✅✅ The music really helps here, sky pirates vs zeppelins just wouldn’t work without some classic swashbuckling orchestra background. Fat sound mixing on the dakka too. It’s great.

♎ Can’t really say much about the narrative because we kinda skipped that in this episode aside from the obvious, but Mizushima’s Shirobako collaborator Michiko Yokote is writing it, and that’s a good sign.

❌ Now we’re getting to the elephant in the room though: There’s no way the planes wouldn’t be CG in 2019, but the characters are CG too, and their animation is mediocre. Also, they did the KADO thing where they 2D-animated the side characters that aren’t important enough to model. This has the funny side effect that you can tell who’s going to die real soon by them looking better. It’s far from great, but probably a worthy tradeoff if the mechanical side is this extensive and also delivers.

✅ This is definitely not for everyone, since you have to have more than a casual appreciation for those magnificent girls in their flying machines. I do, though.

revisions

What: A chunk of Shibuya gets teleported to the dystopian future, local doomsday prepper gets handed a large robot because he’s special.

❌ A Goro Taniguchi joint being a poorly conceived scifi mess? Say it ain’t so! I especially dig the tryhard English jargon (mecha: “String Puppet”, monsters faction: “Revisions”, particular monster, I think?: “Civilian”, tacticool operetah: “Balancer”).

❌ Works very hard to characterize the main character, to the detriment of everyone else. A for effort, but you made an unlikeable asshole though.

❌ This is another full CG show, with the quality of the animation being curiously variable. Sometimes it’s well above average and sometimes it’s painful. There doesn’t seem to be much method to it.

✅ Tries to establish stakes by being mondo edgy and graphically murderizing some poor bystanders. It’s adorable.

❌ If you’re really jonesing for some mecha, you can watch all of this on Netflix right now. It’s not like you have any alte- wait, Egao no Daika has mecha too. Well there you go then. That’s a better show.