#Niwa's Dad

[ecargmura]

Dog Signal Episode 6 Review - Niwa's Past

It was really nice learning about Niwa’s past. I really liked learning about why he became a dog trainer and why he became the person he is currently. It is also very heartbreaking. Man, he had it rough. Hopefully, his issues with Fujiwara will get resolved in the future. The entire episode is Ritsuka explaining about Shinichiro’s past to Miyu, but there’s also another flashback from the day he decided to become a dog trainer. Since the flashback scenes are a bit out of order, I’ll talk about them in order.

The reason Niwa became a dog trainer was because of how he couldn’t protect his dog Kuma. As a kid, he has always loved dogs and would always go to Ritsuka’s family pet salon to play and feed the dogs there. He finds Kuma tied to a lamppost one day; Ritsuka finds a note in a bag, showing that it’s abandoned. Shinichiro takes Kuma home, but his mom said no. Fortunately, Mr. Niwa saved the day by telling her that he and Shinichiro would be responsible for it; she caves in, only on the condition that it stays outside. Caring for Kuma and his dad’s love for the dog only fueled Niwa’s love for dogs even more. However, one day, both his dad and Kuma died; his dad died in a construction accident while Kuma died after getting hit by a car at night on his way to search for Mr. Niwa. Kuma had no idea Mr. Niwa died and was very anxious that he wasn’t showing up one day. It turned out that Mrs. Niwa released the dog, which spiraled towards its untimely demise. Because of how he lost his dad and dog in a short amount of time, it caused him to close himself off to people and resolved him to become a dog trainer so that no dogs would get hurt ever again.

Now this childhood flashback was full on bittersweet. Niwa went from a happy boy who loved dogs so much to a traumatized boy who closed off and perceived himself as weak for not being able to protect Kuma. I have to say, I hate Mrs. Niwa so darn much. I usually try not to hate anime moms only if they’re awful; for example, I don’t think the Yuzuki brothers’ mom was that bad of a mom for neglecting Mikoto and focusing too much on Minato because there are times where the mom does focus on Mikoto too, as shown in Episode 8 of the Yuzuki Family’s Four Sons. Mrs. Niwa, on the other hand, sucks. She doesn’t care about her son’s feelings towards Kuma and just released him without his consent. Sure, she made a promise with her son that if he doesn’t train him properly, she’d release it, but the fact that she did without second thoughts was heartless as fuck. Definitely worst mom of this show so far.

As Niwa got older, he decided to work part-time jobs at Ritsuka’s pet salon in order to pay for his tuition for the school of his choice. Because Ritsuka was worried about him, she decided to go to the same school as they have dog grooming certification there too. Attending that school was there they met Dr. Kubo and how Niwa met his teacher Seiji Fujiwara, a professional dog trainer. To Niwa who was tired of his teachers teaching him with textbooks, Fujiwara was his idol, ideal teacher and the kind of trainer he wanted to become. After graduation, Niwa worked under Fujiwara at his dog training center. Fujiwara taught him that bad owners make bad dogs and that a bad dog should never be hurt by human hands. That also became Niwa’s philosophy until he saw he man he looked up to harm the dog that had attacked him.

For this part of the flashback, I get why Niwa became the way he is now. He has always been dogs first, humans second. He hates it when humans hurt dogs; it was a mindset that Fujiwara also shared with him. I understand why Niwa and Fujiwara are on bad terms now. His hero went against his own philosophy and hurt a dog. First off, why have such an aggressive dog? They knew that dog was aggressive, yet they still keep it. Second, I hate seeing animals being harmed too, but in this case, this was necessary. It sucks that he had to witness his master doing this when he had bright hopes for his future—taking over Fujiwara’s dog training center as its new owner once he died.

Fujiwara as a character is like the total opposite of Niwa; he’s like an older, mature version of Miyu in a way. Maybe Miyu will be like Fujiwara in the future. Anyways, he’s not related to Niwa in anyway; he’s just his mentor. He seems to have a laid-back attitude towards everything unless it’s necessary to stand up. I liked the parts where he gets kicked by Ritsuka for calling her Niwa’s wife; he gets kicked three times. He’s almost like a father to Niwa in a way; perhaps, the reason why Niwa was willing to stay with Fujiwara was because of the lingering attachment.

It was nice learning that Ritsuka and Niwa were childhood friends. They seemed quite close. While Ritsuka is wife material, she doesn’t seem to be interested in Niwa and thinks of herself as his mom friend. Dr. Kubo met the two in college and stuck around since. It’s nice to see that their friendship still remained ever since. Though, I do wonder why Dr. Kubo wants to learn about dog grooming; he’s still a freak.

I think learning about Niwa’s past can also help Miyu understand him more. In fact, this whole episode is Miyu learning about Niwa. Hopefully, Miyu will do something about Niwa’s issues either next episode or in a future one. He is Proud Dog’s saving grace, after all. Without Miyu, the whole place is gonna go bankrupt. I do like that Niwa from the past was like Miyu and how Fujiwara and Niwa were mentor and student, Niwa and Miyu became mentor and student too. Although Singe isn’t that important in this episode, I do like how his positions and expressions change every time the episode cuts back to Miyu. There was even one instance where Singe was trying to get his dad’s attention; that was super cute.

I’m surprised with the casting for the new characters. Toshiyuki Morikawa plays Niwa’s dad. From what I know, Morikawa is a huge dog lover; he even named his voice acting agency, Axl-one after his late dog, Axl. Also, he has been playing a lot of dads lately, so I guess this adds into his ever growing list of playing a protagonist’s dad. I didn’t expect Shunsuke Takeuchi to play the aggressive dog Maro. Where are they getting these high quality voice actors from? Do they just find them passing by the recording studio and ask them to come in and record for a minor role or something? Young Niwa is played by Makoto Koichi and young Ritsuka is played by Anna Nagase. I’m not too familiar with them. In fact, I looked up Anna Nagase and I just learned that she’s 18. So young! There’s also a name that rather surprised me when I saw the cast list. Ritsuka’s mom is played by Kumiko Higa. She’s most known for voicing Lan Hikari/Netto Hikari in the Megaman NT Warrior anime (Rockman.EXE). It’s cool that this anime is getting rather known names for their supporting cast.

I’ll end my review here since I feel like it’s getting long (It’s almost 1300 words). I do feel like this is a two-parter. Maybe Miyu will save the day and help Niwa and Fujiwara patch things up as he is good with handling people. It sucks that the original source material is Japanese-only so I can’t really read what’s gonna happen next because I don’t have access to it. If you’re watching this anime and seen this episode, what are your thoughts on Niwa’s past?

[bubblefina]

Dad Scaramouche? just some post reuniting stuff

No Puppet Strings Attached Scaramouche specifically 

I’ve been thinking about this before I even finished writing the final part of the story-

Didn’t feel like I could include it at the very end cause it just didn’t fit, but how could I not include it at all! 

Here’s some of my brainrot about it-

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

- yknow after hundreds of years being a cold hearted harbinger, I think he’d walk the line of being somewhat of an ass to his kids, but eventually warming up to them

- The way I imagine it, you and scara have two twin daughters. They look so similar to him...actually they look more similar to the raiden shogun if I’m being honest

- through a really long discourse, the twins ended up being named Makoto and Ei  🤩

- he really REALLY hates the names

- but how can he say no to his cute little wife that he’s been in love with for so long?

- Both you and scara still live in Sumeru, occasionally venturing out to neighboring countries for the festivals and such

- favorite by far has to be lantern right. the twins love seeing the lanterns go in the sky :(( so cute

- when they turned 5, both of you made the decision to visit Inazuma. It’s been way too long since the both of you went back (well for you at least *cough delusion factory cough*)

- head to liyue to catch a ride on Beidou’s boat

- Uncle Kazuha is there too!! How much joy you felt to know that he was your descendent, and that the blood line continued with him

- Kazuha loves the twins too, keeping them entertained while parents get some much needed alone time

- playing tunes on a leaf, he’s never had an audience that asked for an encore like this

- the amount of people that had to do a double take when the four of you stepped off the boat

- “why do these little girls look so much like the shogun?” blah blah blah

- continued until you got to the tenshukaku, where even Kujou Sara was in shock to see it

- after centuries apart, mother and son finally reunite (he’s not the most happy about it)

- Raiden Ei is pretty awkward too, ngl both of them barely spoke, it was just you carrying on the conversation

- when it was finally time to introduce your kids, Raiden’s expression immedietly softened when she heard the names

- she didn’t speak much, but it was written all over her face that she was so happy

- even happier when both of them ran to her and hugged her legs, calling her different variations of grandmother

- she kneels down and pats their heads  😩 😩 offers them dangos!!

- scara was about to pull out a heavy NO, but you managed to keep him quiet 

- Raiden Ei and the girls bond really well, and as much as Scara hates it...he wants his girls to be happy. To have the life that he always dreamed of having, and he was willing to give up whatever to make it happen

- While the girls were occupied with activities at the Tenshukaku, both you and scara venture to tatarasuna

- walking around, remembering all of the happy times before everything fell apart. it felt bittersweet to be back here. it was around night time when the both of you were about to return, but Scaramouche had another thing in mind

- he guided you a little far away from what used to be the village, you recognized the path

- just in the middle of the wooded area, there stood a single bloom blossom amongst a patch of grass

- he confesses that he planted it years ago when he visited inazuma for the first time since he joined the fatui. it seems as though it culviated itself and kept itself alive all this time. Still glowing alone, through all of the darkness.

- everyone else may be gone, but the both of you started a new chapter with each other. Both Makoto and Ei would carry it on, tatarasuna will never truly die

- If only Niwa, Katsuragi, Miyo and the others could see the both of you now, how you started a family. They’re watching up from above somewhere, and that’s all that matters.

[gonguji]

[monogatcri]

also i would like to note that in nahida's fairytale, the line about the gray fox calling him "the cleverest among us" and "surely you can solve this" is not to be taken as niwa being like, "Oh, escher I trust you! solve this for us, our hero!" it's to be taken as niwa going, "you're the root cause of this and if you can make a device that can solve this problem on your own, then I know you're the reason this is happening without a shadow of a doubt." his words would have been phrased as a kind and polite ruse to watch him closely; he knows that at this point, it's sabotage and, in his mind at least, he wants to wipe out tatarasuna for some monetary gain or has some vendetta against someone/a group of someones in the village. he doesn't understand WHY he's doing it, only that he IS doing it... niwa would have used this to cement his suspicions since, from the beginning, he didn't trust escher (he bought the schematics from akame and, to me, this means he met escher after they'd implemented it into their smelting process).

[aston1sh1ng]

"Did it sound like I was?" Scott quirks a brow, finding a mixture of endearment and refreshment in the boy's shyness. Cassie's not quite like that, but the look on the boy's face reminds him of the rare moments where she was - fleeting instances of bashfulness which graced her younger features around her idols or when she'd fall flat on her poor little face. It's almost bittersweet, really, looking at the boy and being reminded of the daughter he's yet to be able to see. Five whole days before his visitation rights allow him in her vicinity. One hundred and twenty-five hours on the clock. That's just saddening.

Still, he shakes it off for the boy before him, waving one hand with the smile still on to clarify that, no, "I wasn't making fun of you at all. Someone that's thoughtful enough to offer help seems just about as reliable as could be, don't you think?" head tilts, genuine interest in the boy's opinion heavily woven into the tone.

Ah, why the Ant. "Well," he looks aside, then ahead. His identity's not really secret anymore - never was to begin with, but even less so now - so he supposes it safe to tell the kid. But he doesn't have his suit on him. Which would, for all intents and purposes, render him proclaiming that he can shrink to the size of one rather... insane, most likely. Which is why he settles for "Ants and I have a lot in common" instead, "and they're pretty cute in my opinion. Little nifty pals that just want to help out even when people literally trample over them. They're good role models."

' eh ?! uh --- ' even if he's about to decline a visit to the stall , the awkward , squirming squeal and gurgle of his stomach leaves his cheeks beet red . his head lowers , shoulders slumped in an obvious show of defeat . one hand lifts and rubs bashfully , apologetically at the nape of his neck . the lead-weight of guilt and the dragged out tango of polite social niceties be damned , he really is hungry .

' isn't it too much ... ? ' his mumble's barely audible over the flashing din of the arcade . food , a free cheap prize-plush that probably took next-to-nothing to mass-produce ( and yet still was practically worth this person's entire wallet ... ) all from a stranger who hadn't the first clue that he was giving everything , all of this to an infamous thief who had only come to loiter for his own chance to steal and take .

he gets the feeling it'd be impossible to decline , though . or that if he did , he'd somehow end up disappointing the other ; they they'd frown and have to uncomfortably accept a refusal . letting others help him was a ritual that the struggling , stubborn , independence-striving niwa still wasn't entirely used to . all the more for being believed in , a sentiment that snaps his head upwards and leaves his hand just as quickly clutching quickly at his chest .

' huh --- ? ' him , somebody reliable ? ( come on , don't kid --- ! ) ' you're ... you're not making fun of me , are you ? ' his own self-doubts grapple with the other's apparent sincerity ; the inexplicable sense of ease and gentle , supportive warmth that radiated off of them . he's flattered and happy , even if he tries to stay humble . when was the last time anyone had ever said something like that to him ? wasn't this the first ?

' i mean , i haven't even ... done anything yet . b-but , um ... thank you . i just ... um , ' a beat . a breath . ' why the ant ? ' he can't help his meek curiosity as he starts to take his steps beside the other . really , wouldn't most people have preferred a bear --- ?

[cheri-2047]

Genshin angst headcanons

scaramouche lyney kaeya ga ming

my bad if I accidentally mischaracterized them

Scara:

He used to love hanging out with people. (Just like niwa) to make him feel like he has a heart. To try to get him to be human even if deep down he knows it will never happen. Whenever he is alone, he feels dead and empty.

he spaces out a lot, while walking, doing his homework and other shits. But when he does it’s because he wonders what would have happened if his mother loved him. He wonders if he would still be a monster

he’s the type to laugh the pain away, but when he does he’s still crying a lot (this is based on one of the lines he says)

He wonders if it’s really worth it. Like with relationships if it’s worth continuing. Deep down he’s still scared of being betrayed and abandoned again

lyney

He physically cannot cry around others. Even if he wanted to, he physically cannot. He has a hard time accepting himself and is always wondering if people would actually like him.

I bet he tried opening up before, he really did. But then people laughed it off, thinking it was a joke and taking it for a mere piece of entertainment.

i bet after arguing with freminet about his mask, he spent hours telling lynette how much he felt bad. He wanted to apologize but didn’t know how.

he cares for everyone, even if he has his own problems. He comforts people when they are down but…he always wonders, who will comfort him when he is down?

if people were to criticize him then laugh, he’d laugh along. Like “oh the magic trick u did earlier was so bad!! Haha!!” And hee laugh along. He is used to this type of criticism but once everything piles up, he actually gets hurt.

Kaeya

Whenever he’s drunk, he drunk mumbles. Except he’s whispering too soft for anyone to hear.

he loves to drink because not only does it help him forget (he actually doesn’t forget) he likes the feeling of warmth. He missed the warmth of “home”

this man hates looking at himself without his eyepatch. He thinks that if he never interfered with diluc, diluc would have been happier. He thinks that it’s all his fault.

ga ming

When his dad sold all his dancing stuff, he cried and cried. Talking to the moon thinking it’s his mother. “Mom…what do I do? Why..dad took away the one thing I loved and the archons took you away from me too…what more will they take?” Typa stuff

he’s very uncomfy whenever people try to persuade him to go back home. He dislikes thinking about it and when he does, he keeps his mind busy. This kid barely ever has breaks because his mind is busy avoiding problems.

he can’t be sad, not because he’s scared but because he knows his mother wouldn’t want him to be. But he knows one day he will spill and everything will come out. Hes very scared for that day.

this was not proofread

[dnangelic]

" um.. " mafuyu grasps gently at daisuke's hand before he had left the sekai . even if he's still stuck in the middle of conflict , mafuyu had looked better nowadays ; less pale from dread — relaxing into himself with each step moving forward , reknitting and remending parts of his heart . " niwa-san , would you like to ... meet my dad one of these days ? " timid , an almost awkward proposal only for the fact he didn't want to put daisuke on the spot , but —

" he's met kanade , so i just thought bit by bit , i would introduce him to niigo , and you ... " mafuyu eventually lets go of the other , fidgeting with his own hands now . " — it'd be nice , having him become familiar with the people who matter so much to me . "

@1amsong

black wings puff and flutter at first touch ; his head turns with all the wide-eyed surprise and interrupted confusion of a sudden-caught hawk . it's not usually that mafuyu stopped him , and though it's a shock when he was only just about to leave , it isn't a bad one ; far from unpleasant at all . there were endless worse reasons to have been potentially kept , he thinks --- ones that would have surely opposed the faint light and color that had slowly , only recently begun to rejuvenate the grim and frigid impressions of mafuyu's skin . daisuke remains patient as he listens , trying his best to catch every word , and as mafuyu continues nothing more than a gentle , timid smile of his own spreads along the great phantom thief's lips .

' asahina-san , ' he can't quite seem to find the proper words that he wants at first , and so --- ' are you sure ... ? ' because he can't help the twinge and downward cast of his irises , something caught between ashamed and guilty . the great , spread-out span of his wings soon fold , and he turns himself towards the other , his own hands absentmindedly clenching --- longing too wordlessly for the small , tender pleasure of mafuyu's touch to return to him . ' it isn't because i don't want to . it's just that ... he seems like --- '

a bit like his own father , he thinks . someone who left empty spaces in their absence ; who yet still tried to do everything they could to fill it whenever they had the time to spare . someone who was gentle and kind and maybe just a little too trusting , and this too might have been why he couldn't help but fret a little , knowing too that unlike his own parent , things like this , from the existence of the empty sekai to any relation to a nationwide criminal , might have had to become a lie .

' i wouldn't ... want to burden either of you . ' he knows that he always must have been asking for so much from niigo already , in curse and in quiet . but he still finds himself swept up in the faint , dazzling warmth of mafuyu's voice and apparent visions --- does everyone smile and laugh in that scene ? one step , then another forwards ; he's either become bold or simply wanting enough that a cold hand finds mafuyu's once more . ' but ... you're still important to me , too . '

the impulse overwhelms him and he bends and presses his lips to the back of mafuyu's hand . dark's form sheds , leaving nothing but a number of black feathers about his feet in its wake . was this trust , then ? bashful faith ? the boy's face lifts , cheeks red and ablaze , yet still there's a bright gleam of satisfaction ; giddiness bubbling electric amidst the anxious buzz and hum of every anxiety . it'd be nice , mafuyu says , and just maybe it really would be . ' do you think --- i mean , would he ... d-do you think he'd like me ? at all ? ' despite everything ?

[apothecaryscript]

Maomao no Hitorigoto Episode 9 : Nandina / 猫猫のひとりごと　第9話　『南天(なんてん/Nanten)』

Please note that the English lines are just my translations.

猫猫「浩然様と、堀に浮いていた下女…。後宮で不審な死が続いている。下女の遺書が見つかったが、彼女が園遊会の犯人なのか？…一人になると色々考えてしまう。こんな時は…フフン。下女が犯人だとして、塀にはどうやって上がった？動機は？」

Maomao “Konen-samato, horini uite-ita gejo… Kokyude fushinna shiga tsuzuite-iru. Gejono ishoga mitsukattaga, kanojoga en’yu-kaino han’nin-nanoka? …Hitorini naruto iro-iro kangaete shimau. Konna tokiwa… Fufun. Gejoga han’nin-dato-shite, hei-niwa do-yatte agatta? Dokiwa?”

Maomao “Master Kounen and the servant who was floating in the moat… There have been a series of suspicious deaths in the rear palace. The servant’s will was found, but could she be the culprit at the garden party? When I’m alone I can’t help but think about various things. At a time like this… (chuckling.) If the servant is the culprit, how did she get onto the wall? What was her motive?”

猫猫「ぷはー。そもそも、毒はどこで手に入れたんだ？臆測でものを言ってはいけない。またおやじに叱られるな…あ…」

Maomao “Puhaaa. Somo-somo, dokuwa dokode teni iretanda? Okusokude mono’o ittewa ikenai. Mata oyajini shika-rareruna… A…”

Maomao “Where did she get the poison in the first place? You shouldn’t speak based on conjecture. I’ll be told off by Dad again… Ah.”

猫猫「ここで、猫猫の豆知識。南天の実は、麻痺を起こす毒でもあるが、一方で、殺菌作用もあり咳止めの効果もある。またその読み方から『難を転ずる』縁起のいいものとされている」

Maomao “Kokode, Maomaono mame-chishiki. Nantenno miwa, mahi’o okosu doku-demo aruga, ippode, sakkin-sayomo ari seki-domeno kokamo aru. Mata sono yomi-kata-kara ‘Nan’o tenzuru’ engino ii-monoto sarete-iru.”

Maomao “Here’s Maomao’s bits of knowledge. Nandina berries are poisonous and can cause paralysis, but on the other hand, they also have antiseptic properties and are effective as a cough suppressant. Also, because of the way it is read, it is considered to be an auspicious thing that “turns away difficulties.”

猫猫「何にせよ、浩然様もあの下女も、浮かばれる日が来るといいが…ぷはー」

Maomao “Nanni-seyo, Konen-samamo ano gejomo, ukabareru higa kuruto iiga… Puhaaa.”

Maomao “In any case, I hope that one day both Master Kounen and that servant will find peace…”

壬氏「ひとりごとの域を超えているな…」

Jinshi “Hitorigotono iki’o koete-iruna…”

Jinshi “This goes beyond just talking to herself…”

猫猫「次回、『蜂蜜』。柘榴宮に潜入することに…？ヒック」

Maomao “Jikai, ‘Hachi-mitsu.’ Zakuro-Kyuni sennyu suru-kotoni…? Hikku.”

Maomao “Next episode, ‘Honey.’ I’ll infiltrate the Garnet Pavilion…? (Hiccup)”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Nandina is the plant that Maomao was touching when she said “About what kind of poison I would use to die.” in the main story. I’m familiar with the plant as it grew in the garden of my house where I grew up. In winter, it has a lot of tiny red berries. As this plant seems to only grow in China and Japan, most of you probably never even heard its name before.

Herewith I’ll explain detail of what she told in the Maomao’s bits of knowledge.

Nandina’s Japanese name 南天（なんてん/Nanten） consists of “南（なん/Nan）” and “天（てん/Ten）”, and the sound of “nan” is the same as “難（なん/Nan）” which means “difficulty”, and “ten” is the same as “転（てん/Ten）” which means “turn”, so it’s said that nanten is auspicious thing that “turns away difficulties.”

「ぷはー！」 is not translated, as I couldn’t find a word for it in English. This word is often used in Japan when someone just enjoyed drinking an alcohol. In Japanese, there are 2 types of onomatopoeia, and the one is 「擬音語(ぎおんご/Gi-on-go)」 which is an onomatopoeic word, written “sounds” as we hear, and the other is 「擬態語(ぎたいご/Gi-tai-go)」 which is written “sounds of status” as we look. I’ll explain more detail in another post, another time. I guess 「ぷはー！」 is 「擬音語（ぎおんご）」 but I’m not sure. Anyway we can clearly imagine someone enjoying drinking when we read 「ぷはー！」.

「フフン」 is 「擬音語（きおんご/Gi-on-go）」 of chuckling. I read about the differences of “laugh”, “smile” “snicker”, “chuckle”, “giggle” and “grin”, and I thought “chuckle” is the closest, but I don’t know. Please let me know if you find better word for Maomao’s status in the animation.

「ヒック」 is 「擬音語(ぎおんご/Gi-on-go)」 of a hiccup（しゃっくり/Shakkuri）, and also it is used typically when someone is drunk.

「遺書（いしょ/Isho）」: will, suicide note

「犯人(はんにん/Han’nin)」: culprit

「動機(どうき/Doki)」: motive

「麻痺（まひ/Mahi）」: paralysis

「咳止め（せきどめ/Seki-dome）」: 咳（せき/Seki） is “coughs” and 咳止め means medicines to stop coughs.

「浮かばれる(うかばれる/Uka-bareru)」: rest in peace, being rewarded

「潜入する（せんにゅうする/Sennyu-suru）」: infiltrate

[reiiishii]

What was Akane’s childhood like? What were her first memories? Whom was she closest to at that time and why?

Curious Anons // Accepting!

It was......something. Akane wasn't born within Soul Society- in fact, she used to be human up until her untimely death [Suicide]. But as a child she was pretty rambunctious, even if she was raised to be a polite young lady- she ended up butting heads with her dad A LOT but she adored her mother even if her mother was a quiet woman,,, They were a rather well off family but it didn't stop her from getting into loads of trouble once she got older, considering her mother vanished one day and she was dealing with her two younger siblings in her place...which led to more fights with her father up until she was caught stealing from someone and branded as a criminal (tattooed rings on her arms). To honestly get her off his hands he had half a mind to sell her off to be married but Akane, making sure she had no ties to come back ended up killing her siblings and running away. Disguising herself as a man up until she died to ensure she was safe and out of harm's way, even if she had to kill to survive. But her first memories, that she can recall, were of her mother just rocking her to sleep and singing to her- she's always remembered Sorahime as such a gentle person, once her mother vanished Akane found solace in the snow and winter whenever she found herself missing her mother.

Akane tried to find her mother and siblings in Ryukongai once she entered Soul society but she never did (She couldn't give a damn about her father), but Akane did end up reuniting with her siblings in the future, their relationship was so rocky but around TYBW they begin to reconcile. Akane just does what she thinks is right, even if she's a swing first talk later kind of person, she loves her siblings and they aren't safe from that line of thinking considering Niwa [her brother] is the same way.

[peony-pearl]

Zuko mentions to Ursa he would like for his little siblings to come to the Fire Nation to enjoy the summer festival.

By saying ‘siblings’ she knows he’s talking about Chiyo and Katsu - Ozai’s children.

Ursa, Noren and Kiyi have taken residence at the Fire Nation palace for years now, ever since Ursa was discovered on the outskirts of Hira’a. Once Zuko got the information out of Ozai just over ten years ago where his mother had taken up residence, he was escorted there by Aang to reunite with her. Ursa did not hesitate to return to her children once Zuko lifted her banishment, and she was a key figure in Azula’s recovery.

When Ozai broke out of prison, Ursa was a driving force in trying to find him after he threatened Azula’s life. Knowing he was out there, free, for the past decade has haunted her.

And then, just two years ago, Zuko and Azula received news of his whereabouts... and they found him with the help of Aang, Katara and June.

And they let him keep his freedom.

Zuko’s explanation of the events sounded like a bad dream. Ursa listened to her boy, whom Ozai had savagely scarred as a child, defend his decision after seeing Ozai happy out in some Earth Kingdom farm with a new family.

She was speechless. Zuko had left children in the midst of this monster.

Azula was the one who was more critical of her father’s new life. She vented to Ursa about the pain of seeing him so happy with this naive, sheltered woman who decided to stay with Ozai even after learning about his past. Regardless, Azula would eventually begin receiving letters from both the woman, Niwa, and from her younger sister, Chiyo.

And then Zuko dropped the bombshell.

Chiyo was an Airbender.

Ursa spoke to Aang upon his return with Zuko and Azula. He seemed over the moon, to not only learn there was another Airbender in the world, but she was the descendant of one of Aang’s fellow Southern Air Temple residents, and this revelation gave him hope that there could be more Airbenders in waiting out in the world.

And yet, despite all of this... Ursa could only remember the man who who began denying her as a wife when his lust for the crown became stronger; the man who planted the seeds of lies to his daughter of her being a monster, seeds that blossomed into a beautiful, deadly flower. A flower that he ripped out of it’s garden bed and crushed under his boot when she was no longer useful. And Zuko, the son that he turned against and berated and scolded when all he ever did was his best, until the day he finally tried to step into more assertive shoes earned him a permanently damaged eye.

“So...” Zuko begins to speak. “I’ve thought about inviting dad and Niwa and the kids. I’ll make sure he doesn’t come around you, or Noren or Kiyi. But... he’s kept his end of his promise so far. I’ve thought it was only fair to extend a hand back to him.”

Ursa knew the promise: to write to Zuko and Azula, and to maintain a form of communication on a regular basis.

Zuko also regularly received letters from Niwa and Chiyo, and each one ensured truth to Ozai’s words. Even Azula, who often worried that Ozai was telling Chiyo what to write, would read her little sister’s letters that contained questions and thoughts only a seven year old could ask.

Ursa sighs as Zuko makes his case; he stumbles as he sees his mother’s unhappiness. “I-I can have them stay on the other side of the palace,” he says. Azula sits next to Ursa; Aang sits next to her.

Azula squeezes her mother’s hand. “Or we don’t have to invite him.”

Zuko nods, albeit reluctantly, to his sister’s suggestion. Azula becomes miffed.

“Why are you so adamant to see him here?”

“I’m not! I just-”

“You’ve asked every year since we found him if he can visit.”

“That’s only two years, Azula,” Zuko sighs. “Uncle’s been asking about him too.”

“Well, Uncle’s senile,” Azula crossed her arms.

“Azula,” Ursa gently admonished her daughter, who turned her gaze away as she pouted.

Aang touched Azula’s knee, but remained focused on Zuko. “Maybe just invite the kids?”

Zuko shook his head. “Katsu is only two, and to give up her kids so suddenly for a week may not be easy for Niwa.”

Aang grinned at Azula. “It would be good practice though.”

“Get your head out of those clouds; no kids until those vows are said,” Azula smirked.

“You keep declining my engagement!”

“This is a talk for another time,” Azula hissed quietly.

Ursa, having maintained her silence, wrings her hands together. “... Zuko, in the end, you are the Fire Lord. And this is your home.”

Zuko shakes his head. “Yeah, but-”

Ursa holds up her hand. “I admit. I am not keen on seeing him again. Ever again. But... I know this is something you’ve felt strongly about. Ultimately, the decision is yours to make. I simply ask that you inform me of the decision so I can... make arrangements.”

Azula grinned. “Poison arrangements?” She asked, nudging her mother’s ribs. Ursa chuckled.

“If only I could be so lucky.”

“Guys,” Zuko said in exasperation. “Look... I’ll just invite them next y-”

“No, stop it.” Azula rolled her eyes. “Just tell them to come. Spirits, you’re such a downer, Zuzu.”

“Yeah, Zuzu,” Aang echoed his fiancee. Zuko shot him a tired look.

“I agree,” Ursa said. “Invite them. Besides; should anything go wrong, we have you three to keep him in his place; and Kiyi is becoming more proficient in her own bending.”

“Yeah; if he pulled anything we could take him!” Aang agreed.

Ursa could see the look on Zuko’s face though; but still, he nodded and watched as Aang and Azula decided to retire to bed. Ursa lingered, waiting to talk to her son in private.

“Zuko,” she said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “You don’t owe him any-”

“This isn’t about owing him. I know where I stand on what dad did to me; to us.”

“And yet you’re so hopeful to see him again.”

“Is it wrong to hope for a new path? I found mine, mom. Outside of the Fire Nation. Away from him. I found my life, my meaning. And so has he. I saw it. I saw him experience a life he’d become fully invested in. I saw two happy kids; a beautiful home... And...”

“... And?” Ursa asked.

Zuko swallowed.

“... And I was so mad he found it without us. But you know what? I also found my path without Azula. And... she’ll always have that in her mind. But she’s forgiven me.”

“She could not control the struggles you faced.”

“As I couldn’t control hers; and I’ll always have dad’s favoritism to remember. We’ve all been subjected to lives we didn’t want. Dad was one of them. So were you.”

Ursa folded her arms in front of her, looking much like her daughter. Zuko pleaded to her, still not quite over the fact that he was so much taller, and yet he still spoke to her like she towered over him.

“Mom... The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But there’s a part of me that wants to see this through. He’s my father. And I’ve hated him, and part of me still hates him. But after everything I’ve learned... if Aang can forgive me for everything I allowed to happen to him and his friends... if Uncle can forgive me for turning away from him, I want to know I can reciprocate that.”

“You don’t have to forgive him.”

“Mom, I haven’t. I will never forgive him for what he did to me, or Azula, or you. But I feel like I have an obligation, as the Fire Lord, to make sure he’s not causing trouble. I called off the searches once I saw how much he’s changed. Others have done the same for me. Time goes on. He... He looked out for me back when we were looking for Chiyo. I was hurt and he stayed with me.”

Ursa’s eyes widened as Zuko recalled the event to her for the first time.

“When I told him we would find Chiyo he was thankful for me. I... Sometimes I think maybe now... Maybe now I could get to know my dad-”

“Zuko you don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t. But it’s my decision. I respect every bit of advice I get from you but this is something... something I need to do for myself. If Azula never wants to see him again after this, I will never invite him again.”

Ursa reached out to hold her son’s hand.

“And you’re not scared?” She asked. Zuko laughed.

“Mom, I’m terrified.”

Ursa’s face became one of determination.

“Then I will be right here with you.”

“I’m not scared that he’ll hurt me,” Zuko insisted. “Like you said, we can handle him if he were to become a threat.”

Ursa clasped Zuko’s hand tightly with both of hers. “But you’re still scared,” she said. “And I won’t let you be scared alone; not after I missed so many years.”

[twinhood-2dot0]

Rating all of Tatsuki Fujimoto's works (Part 1 because procrastination)

I could talk for a while about Tatsuki Fujimoto and how his works have impacted me but eh. Everyone’s done that already. I’ll just talk about his works, in chronological order.

Spoilers for everything but Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch. CSM because it’s a masterpiece, Fire Punch because my brain just melts thinking about it.

A Couple Clucking Chickens Were Still Kickin' in the Schoolyard (庭には二羽ニワトリがいた, Niwa ni wa Niwa Niwatori ga ita) (2011)

???/10

Niwa ni wa Niwa Niwatori ga ita iru is apparently a Japanese tongue twister. The story goes, aliens have invaded Earth and they have a taste for human flesh. Apparently they were smart enough to travel vast distances through space but they didn’t know the concept of delayed gratification and rearing, so humans are basically wiped out. So these two kids dress up as chickens because these specific aliens hate chicken and only recognize things by face and hide out in a school backyard. Stay with me here, everything Fujimoto writes is incomprehensible in an amusing way.

Then, a transfer student apparently likes chickens. So this one kid who fed the “chickens”, apparently knows that they are actually humans, and tries to save them, because he apparently harbored humans, but while he’s explaining stuff to them, the chicken lover finds out about the chickens and goes on a rampage, and the alien runs with the kids (the aliens can transform into hulking beings), then it’s revealed that the older kid is apparently alien and then he saves the girl??? Maybe??? I would rate this one but I have no clue what the hell this is. Seriously, I can’t make head nor tail of it.

Sasaki Stopped a Bullet (佐々木くんが銃弾止めた, Sasaki-kun ga Juudan Tometa) (2013)

Rating: 5/10

This school student, Sasaki, has the hots for his teacher Kawaguchi-sensei, and he somehow surmises that she is god. His logic is “I would think about Kawaguchi-sensei before I go to sleep, and I often dream about her too. Only god would be able to do extraordinary things like this.” And then a shooter walks in, who was a high school classmate of Kawaguchi who was doing well in school when she dumped him and he apparently lost everything. So he wants to punish her for it. So she tells him that he can do anything he wants to do to her but leave her students alone (Sidenote: really convenient dialogue. Like, I’m no expert in socialization, but is that something someone would say?). And he demands sex because of course. What else could it be? And Sasaki loses his mind because he can’t comprehend god having sex with a pervert. So he goes on a rant. And he shoots him. And he has a flashback about him telling her his dream, about wanting to go to the moon because his dad said that he’d become the first Japanese to go to the moon even if he died and he died before he could go to space, so Sasaki wants to go to the moon to meet his dad. And that’s when Kawaguchi tells him that she is God, and she goes on a rant about how people say the probability of something impossible happening is 0% but it’s because they’re too lazy to calculate the probability. So he eponymously catches a bullet. Because he believed in the miniscule probability of something that impossible actually happening. And then he convinces the shooter that he’s a time traveler and that that’s how he knew how to catch the bullet and that he will be arrested, but with the knowledge he gains from his 10 year long incarceration, he will join the University of Tokyo, and he’ll live a happy life. He believes him and accepts his fate. 20 years later, Sasaki is on the moon, and Kawaguchi asks him whether he found his dad. He says of course not, but that doesn’t matter, since he became the first Japanese to reach the moon (If you couldn’t tell, I didn’t pay much attention when they taught indirect and direct speech in school), and he asks her whether it was her power that allowed him to accomplish something physically impossible, and she confirms it, and Sasaki says “No matter if it was before or now… it was only a bullet but I’ll always be able to stop it.” and the story ends on the note “The only necessary power is the power of belief.” As with some of Fujimoto’s works, it’s wholesome in a very weird way, and it’s much better than the previous story in coherence, at least.

Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome (目が覚めたら女の子になっていた病, Me ga Sametara Onnanoko ni Natteita Yamai)

Rating: 8/10

When I first read the title, I was overwhelmed with curiosity. And fear. With a story with a title like that, it has the potential to go like super transphobic, but it actually was quite good. We’re introduced to the main character, who, as the name suggests, woke up in a female body, and is told that there is no cure. He goes to the school, and the teacher tells the class to treat him like a girl, and he’s harassed by the perverted boys in his class, and his girlfriend’s brother comes to his rescue, and he goes home. He talks to his girlfriend and starts to believe that he actually has become a girl and confesses that he might have a crush on her brother. She demands to have sex but her brother walks in and she tells her brother to go out with him and runs off. He remembers his childhood when he cried very easily and everyone made fun of him for crying and finally overcomes toxic masculinity and asserts that he is a man no matter his feminine qualities and kisses her. I really love how it breaks down toxic masculinity and the difference between sex and gender. It’s kinda like a cis person who became trans which is sort of a subversion but shows aspects of the transgender experience™.

Fire Punch (ファイアパンチ, Faia Panchi) (2016–2018)

Rating:7/10

Ah, Fire Punch. The manga I read shortly after finishing CSM. Seriously, I took one whole day to watch and read all of CSM and then I finished Fire Punch the following night. I can safely say those 24 hours shattered whatever sanity I had left. Fire Punch is the weirdest, most disturbing thing I’ve ever experienced. And I’ve watched The Boys. I wrote quite a bit about the first chapter but oh my god, I’m not familiar at all with Tumblr’s rules so I don’t wanna risk it. It's really that bad. Anyways, I’ll just say, I love the premise, the theme, the story is a little… all over the place, there’s a lot of things done for pure shock value, I love shock value but this is just weird. Oh yeah, and there’s a pretty well written trans character. I personally love it, but it admittedly isn’t that good but… that’s what his next work is.

I just discovered a word. Well, two words. “Shock Fatigue”. From TVTropes, When a form of entertainment relies too much on shocking its audience, they may eventually become desensitized to it. In some cases, an audience may become so desensitized to shocking content that it no longer has any effect on them, leading to a feeling of being bored or even jaded by material that would have previously been found offensive or shocking. 

Holy crap, this is exactly what Fire Punch is. My brain has become so horribly desensitized after reading Fujimoto’s works.

Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン, Chensō Man) (2018–present)

Rating: 10/10

The manga that shot Fujimoto to stardom, and the manga that set me down this path. Chainsaw Man has a pretty simple premise. The story follows Denji, who’s a man who has chainsaws sprouting from his arms and head. Beings called “devils” inhabit the earth, and this is the interesting part, devils are stronger the more they are feared. So a Car Devil would be stronger than a Coffee Devil. Fujimoto makes a lot out of this premise, the worldbuilding is stellar, characters are extremely well written (Denji himself is a , the story itself is well written, and the deaths, oh my god, they really make you feel the impact. So, uh, try not to get very attached to them, you can never know who’s gonna die and who’s not. I won’t comment upon Part 2 because ongoing series are awful. But Part 1 is so, so good.

[mimi-cee-genshin]

Niwa Hisahide x wife!reader idea where you have a family with him and Kabukimono was like your adopted kid and was a sweet older brother to your baby and toddler. And Niwa was such a great dad on top of being a great leader in Tatarasuna, partially because you had high standards in men and he had to smarten up in order for you to accept him.

But the black gas from the Mikage Furnace spreads and Niwa tells you that you need to leave Tatarasuna. You want to stay with him but know you can't, especially when you have your other two younger kids who are vulnerable to the gas.

So now you live in the island nearby, often glancing at the sea, waiting to see Niwa with Kabukimono by his side. The children are older and your friends encourage you to move on, but tears flow from your eyes and a haze overcomes your senses, knowing you can't forget him.

Then your ears pick up the sound of the familiar voices of your husband's favorite TV show and you see your baby on his lap through your blurry and tear-filled eyes. You dig your head into Niwa's shoulder and wrap your arms around him, and he jokes that you must have fallen asleep from playing too many video games last night before he sees the tears in your eyes. But everything is fine you tell him, especially as you hear Kabukimono in the other room reading a book to the toddler.

*****

(Author's notes under cut)

What is this thing? Ajshdjdjd. I don't like angst with no comfort, okay? 😭😂. Anyway, welcome to another episode of "Mimi tells a full fic in three or four paragraphs because she has no time to write it."

Also, I just think Niwa is cool and there should be more fics for him. (The dude made Tatarasuna a community! A home! Why are there only two posts with the Niwa x reader tag? 😭) I could probably revisit this idea and make it a full one-shot, but as of right now, I'm currently too busy with my Wanderer series.

[ecargmura]

Dog Signal Episode 19 Review - You Can Do That, Can't You?

The penultimate episode revolves around Miyu and Singe and it seems to be a two-parter as it focuses on Miyu on a deeper level. Come to think of it, Miyu is the main character and he’s been here since episode 1 yet we never learned much of Miyu until now. All we knew about Miyu was that he had dated Yuko; they broke up after she dumped him; she then dumped Singe onto him and he was forced to live with a dog he didn’t want until he learned to love him. Who was Miyu before Yuko? Who was he before Singe and Niwa shaped his life? This is where his backstory comes to play.

Throughout the show, Miyu has shown to be kind of a pushover and naive. There are instances where he can be serious and emotional too. However, his biggest flaw is that he’s very impatient. When Singe doesn’t listen, he gets frustrated and upset. He sort of behaves like a stressed parent at times—and that’s where his backstory comes to play. I’m not a psychoanalyst, but it seems that he suffered through parentification growing up due to his toxic parents. His mother had a bad habit of spending her money and focusing her attention anywhere but her kids. His father couldn’t control that behavior, so he just gave up on her.; he expected Miyu to care for her when he couldn’t. Because of this, he practically had to be the parent to his family growing up. He was over-relied upon from his parents and had to be his younger brother Saki’s parent growing up; he’s also seen as the sort of “peacemaker” of the family whenever there’s an issue. He was given way too many expectations and he had to believe he had to be this way growing up.

As an adult, it resulted him in being a bit of a pushover because he wants to be seen as reliable and competent. If he’s not reliable and competent, then what is his purpose in life? Unfortunately, this upbringing has been so ingrained into him that he is slowly becoming his mother with the way he is behaving towards Singe in this episode. He hasn’t realized until Singe was taken away from him that he was behaving just like her. I think that becoming the people we don’t want to be is a scary feeling.

Singe’s tantrums stem from Miyu not giving him treats and pampering him like he usually does. All the dog wants is to be loved, but with Miyu’s behavior, it does make sense why he started misbehaving. Singe has a strong personality, so Miyu has to be on the same wavelength and not treat him like a human child. Miyu got a bit cocky, so this incident is a process of humbling him.

I find it hilarious how Miyu’s terrible mom is voiced by Ai Orikasa, who has voiced another crap mom in Ren Sohma from the Fruits Basket remake. The amount of well-known guest voice actors is crazy and they’re ending off with another big name. I don’t know who Miyu’s dad and brother are voiced by.

I just hope that this conflict gets resolved beautifully. I do like how unlike Niwa and Ritsuka’s issues that were centered around dogs, Miyu’s issues stems from humans and how it affects his behavior towards his dog. I can’t wait to see how the finale will be. I know for a fact that I am going to bawl my eyes out at the ending. What are your thoughts?

[boy-above]

genshin identity headcanons cause i wanna share:

venti: i suppose the closest thing in gender would be demiboy? with beings like him i consider them to be born without a gender, so calling them cis or trans feels odd because they were never assigned one to begin with. he has all the genders but also none, but is boy adjacent. prefers he/him, but also likes being called feminine things like wife, bride, maiden etc.

xiaoxiao: also born genderless but sees himself as a man, i think his masculinity is important to him (but does not stop him from having pretty eyeliner). demisexual/demiromantic, has only loved one (1) man in his life. venti was his first time, but luckily venti has been alive for 2600+ slutty, slutty years and is very experienced.

scara: trans man, was created in the likeness of a woman but decided he didn't like that actually and chopped his hair off. gay, but has a complicated relationship with love because of *gestures at all of him as a person*. was in love with niwa but never loved again, until he found one (1) maple boy

maple boy: a simple gay man. i tend to see him as cis. he and mouchie are peak 'i'll find you in every lifetime'.

heizou is gay cis man but is very gnc. usually i like kazuha and scara to be exclusive but heikazuscara is also really good. heizou and scara would be competitive and love fighting each other but would do Anything for kazuha. they're in their get along shirt. they're gonna fuck in the get along shirt.

albedo: aro/ace. doesn't care much about gender but prefers masculine terminology, is probably smooth like a ken doll down there. he has a complete disinterest in sex and could probably sit there and watch ppl go at it in a completely detached scientific way. would take notes. interesting research material.

razor, bennett, and fischl: all of them are bi and polyam. razor doesn't know what a gender is and doesn't care what people call him, he doesn't pay attention much. as long as they know he's razor and he's a wolf then they've got it covered as far as razor is concerned. bennett is a trans boy, lucky to be surrounded by sososososo many supportive dads. fischl is a trans girl who of course had her trans awakening when she realized how much she wanted to be pretty and cool like her favorite book character. also they're all autistic i don't make the rules. fischl also has something going on with mona sometimes but it's on and off and not as serious as with the other two. "my name is razor and this my boyfriend bennett and our girlfriend fischl, and this her girlfriend mona" basically.

layla is an ace lesbian who falls in love with every pretty girl who is nice to her, but doesn't have time to pursue a relationship because of how busy she is with school ): her dreams are full of said pretty girls though.

i think i also see barbara as an ace lesbian as well, she is the cutest little blorbo.

ayaka is very obviously bi. i think she and kokomi would be rly cute together. that's my rarepair of the day.

tighnari and cyno are both arospec gay. perhaps demiromantic. love dick, probably wouldn't be chasing it if they didn't have each other though. trans tighnari supremacy. sumeru is the best place to be if you wanna transition.

xingqiu is a catty, mean ass gay. babygirl hes noncomforming to genders you've never even heard of. any pronouns are fine. his boyfriend chongyun is cis and there's not a thought in his head. he doesn't fully understand xingqiu's gender stuff but he's got the right spirit. i don't think i have a preference for whether chongyun would be gay or bi. he and xingqiu have been attached at the hip for their whole lives so he's never had to put much thought into it.

xinyan, yun jin, and xiangling are polyam. xiangling and xinyan are bi while yun jin is a lesbian. yun jin is also a trans lady, and they all love each other very much. yun jin and shenhe would be cute too but i think i prefer aro/ace shenhe.

gorou is a cis gay who has definitely experienced gay panic™️ before. he really thought he liked girls but realized he just rly admires a lot of the women in his life but doesn't actually like them that way (kokomi for example). im fascinated by how a man can be such an exemplary twink while still being so straight. he didn't have to come out because everyone already knew before he did.

itto is a cis man, and he's a pan legend. he doesn't know that word though, he'd just tell you that everyone is hot. definitely doesnt have a thought in his head when it comes to gender but is supportive. shinobu is a trans woman and is bi and aspec. when itto found out she was trans he was like "shinobu is so smart she really Can do everything :0"

jean and diluc are both bi and are exes and i think they could get up to a lot of silly ex shenanigans. they parted on friendly terms obviously.

furina is my precious boygirl, she is bigender and transmasc, and she's bisexual. any pronouns are fine. i feel like she would also have a crush on anyone who's nice to her.

[zenigatakeibu]

' then, what about this one --- ? ' a while later, and they're here at the museum. the niwa's been getting the feeling that certain things were lost on the inspector, but of course, there was never any sort of necessity for a detective to be an art connoisseur. things like traps, extrapolation and practically being able to match any thief in wit if not skill itself... these, by some, could have been considered an exquisite 'art' as well --- but daisuke desperately wanted his mind to be off something like that, maybe just as desperately as he hoped zenigata's could be drawn away from it, if only for a little bit.

here, in places like these, works of art weren't just pricy things. the sculptures weren't just blocks of stone, cast-bronze-bricks. the enormous, impressive portrait in front of them, likewise seemed to express some sort of inexplicable, fantastical 'something else.' within the image, both a boy and man's backs were turned, the two of them dressed in curious historical wear that once upon a time must have been ordinary, their hands delicately held by one another.

daisuke's own gaze drifts over to the inspector's rough palm before he timidly reaches out for it. he quietly steps a little closer; mirroring image's stance, admiring the piece before him with bright eyes and a small smile and flush. ' i ... like this one. i think understand it . ' if nothing else, he hoped he did: the thoughts and feelings of a work of art that were desperate to be expressed, this kindness and this warmth. for both the boy in the painting, as well as the boy outside of it, the sort of greater, larger person that they nevertheless tried to carefully hold in their tender, timid hands---

was infinitely precious.

' thank you again for spending time with me, zeni-san. my dad's always a little busy, so he couldn't make it ... but now i'll get to tell everyone that i got to spend time with a great uncle instead. ' as long as he left out the fact zenigata was a detective to the rest of his family, of course!

⚖️ THE LAGALITH ART MUSEUM: ONE of Azumano’s finest. It had been the victim of a theft once upon a time– the Agate Links, if memory serves… Anonymously donated only to be stolen away not five days later. Zenigata remembers reading about it in the paper. A damn shame, really. 

       A row of pillars stand guard at the entrance, tall and proud and grand as ever, their white marble shining under the crisp winter sun. People crowd around the steps to chat amongst themselves. It’s cold out, though not uncomfortably so. The threat of snow is not so much a threat at all, more an empty promise in the face of an otherwise clear sky. Days like these you could expect to find the local park full, even despite the chill. Tickets tucked away, Zenigata follows the boy inside. Even now he can’t help but wonder if it was a good idea, coming here. People stare as they pass, watching the inspector in awe. They recognize him, he knows they do, but he presses on nonetheless.

       Ink and canvas, clay and bronze… It’s hard to grasp anything beyond the physical. He’s never had much of an eye for art. Being here feels wasted on him, like he doesn’t deserve the view if he doesn’t know how to appreciate it. Endless paintings pass by one after the other… Slowly but steadily they blur. It doesn’t take long for his attention to drift elsewhere. After all, counting exits, guards, cameras– it’s second nature. Doesn’t help that the security here is sorely lacking, either. Lupin could no doubt clear whole exhibits in the time it’d take for the guards to raise their guns. Where was their sense of duty? Of dignity-?!

       – But Daisuke’s voice finds the man just as he’s about to lose himself completely. The world comes back together with a hard blink.

       “Then, what about this one..?”

       .. The portrait is big, much bigger than any thief would know what to do with, and at that Zenigata feels an odd sense of relief wash over him. It isn’t going anywhere, not this one. Not without a fuss. With Daisuke’s hand in his he finally manages to relax.

       ❝ It is nice, isn’t it? ❞ A boy and a man, their hands linked… Father and son, perhaps? His heart squeezes a little at the thought, memories of his own father bubbling up before he can stop them. But there’s comfort in this painting– a comfort he perhaps hadn't known, all those years ago. The sort of comfort he’s taken to providing others these days. Protection. Safety. Both pillar and anchor... A fatherly shoulder to forever lean on. ❝ .. Heh. Y’know, I think I understand it, too.

       ❝ I’m glad I could come out today, kid. Really. I know I'm not always the best company, but... I appreciate you makin' the effort. ❞ A beat as Zenigata offers Daisuke a smile-- ❝ 'Nd for finally giving me a reason to spend some vacation days. Ha! ❞

[crehador]

ah man... surprisingly complicated lore for niwa in dog signal, spoilers ahead

i wasn't sure what to expect from this fujiwara guy, the first encounter kind of gave him major creep vibes, but turns out it's really not so straightforward

we won't know until next week how bad the incident actually was, i guess. like the episode doesn't tell us if he just... straight up killed that dog (accidental or not) or just smacked it

ofc it's understandable why niwa had such an intensely negative reaction to it, with his whole philosophy (learned from fujiwara) being not to punish the dogs, to train the humans, etc etc etc

but i think the flip side of niwa seeing fujiwara as his dad is fujiwara also saw niwa as his son, and when he walked in to see a huge dog biting the shit out of his son's arm, blood everywhere... like, man, it's not so easy to say he's a bad guy for getting that dog off niwa by any means necessary

anyway. surprised but pleased that the backstory is actually fairly nuanced, hopefully it can be resolved in an interesting way as well