#OTA appreciation week

[starryneitz]

I am going to preface this with me saying that I know that this sounds needy but this is my last resort and a desperate cry for help.

Otakon is right around the corner and it's my only time I get to truly be myself, and I come from a VERY abusive household. My younger brothers are always praised and given money to do whatever they want whenever they want. I, on the other hand, get abused and mistreated all the time because I'm different. Since I am queer and a Democrat I get treated like dogshit. My mom forbade me from going to Ota unless I gave her all of my money I saved up. So I have $0 and am starting from scratch. I make federal minimum wage at 20 hours a week, max. If I didn't lose my job back in March (reason of firing on paper was because of my diagnosis of anxiety and ADHD, and coming from a children's science center that praises itself on its acceptance about mental health, disorders, and LGBTQIA+ communities, just goes to show how shitty it is), I might have gotten away with saving more. But I'm flat broke.

Otakon is my one and only escape in the year to be myself. My mom marks all the criteria for Nazism. She is highly anxious towards me. All of my thoughts, emotions, words, and actions are forced by her. She forces me to be her. I do not know who I am. I never knew who I was. The only time I am allowed to show any personality without fearing being abused it at Ota, and even then I still fear being screamed at or hit.

If anyone is financially stable enough to contribute it would be gladly appreciated BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO PALESTINE FIRST! I know I have it bad, but they deserve it more.

Thank you if you read this far. I know some of you might have heard me talk about my family before, and I'm sorry if you read this and see that my situation hasn't gotten any better. I can't escape. I tried many times. It has always failed and she always keeps me from leaving because she takes all my money. She tells me that I never have had any friends and that no one would ever truly like me or stand being around me to even care to look at me. It's hard. It's hard to know you're truly alone. I know I have friends, but with knowing what she has been telling me my entire life, is it true that they're friends? I don't know. I don't know who I am.

If you're able to donate my p@ypal is @/stardoka. As mentioned, please ONLY do so if you can donate to Palestinians first. Thank you so much for your time just to read <3

[youatemylollipop]

Can I request head cannons where Okita and Kamui have a partner that took the initiative and kissed them first? Like the ones you wrote of Otae, Abuto and Tsuki. Only if you want to of course! ☺️

A/N: I’ve finally gotten some spare time after a whole week of exams! Tbh, it felt pretty relaxing to write these headcanons and scenarios after all the hard work. Hope you enjoy!

Ft: Kamui & Okita Sougo (Gintama).

Part One: Abuto, Shimura Tae & Tsukuyo ➵ Gintama

Kamui

➵ Despite his tough exterior, Kamui secretly enjoys being surprised by his s/o. He won't admit it out loud, but he finds it endearing when his s/o takes the initiative to kiss him.

➵ Kamui has a strong sense of smell, which means he can often tell when his s/o is nearby even if he's not actively paying attention to them. However, if his s/o is wearing a strong scent (such as perfume or cologne), it can make it harder for him to pick up on their presence.

➵ The amanto has a bit of a competitive streak, which means he's always up for a challenge. If his s/o were to challenge him to a surprise kissing contest, he would definitely accept (and probably win).

➵ Also, despite his tough exterior, Kamui secretly enjoys being surprised by his s/o. He won't admit it out loud, but he finds it endearing when his s/o takes the initiative to kiss him.

➵ Not to mention, even though Kamui is hard to surprise, he secretly wishes that his s/o would surprise him more often. He finds it exciting and it makes him feel closer to them.

It's not easy to take Kamui by surprise. His inhuman instincts make him hyperaware of his surroundings, and he's always on guard. Most likely, any attempt to take him off guard would fail. Besides, Kamui has already taken your first kiss, and he's most likely kissed you a dozen times by now. You've accepted that you'll never be able to surprise him, but that doesn't stop you from wanting to try.

One day, you decide to take a chance. Kamui is sitting at the table, eating a bowl of ramen. He's so focused on the food in front of him that he doesn't notice you approach. You take a deep breath and lean down, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Kamui freezes for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. He turns to look at you, his expression unreadable. "What was that for?" he asks, his voice low and deep.

You can feel your face heating up, but you refuse to back down. "I just wanted to kiss you," you say, trying to keep your voice steady.

Kamui raises an eyebrow. "You know that won't work, right?" he says, taking another bite of his ramen.

You pout, feeling a bit defeated. "I just wanted to surprise you for once," you say.

Kamui chuckles, setting down his chopsticks. He leans in, his breath tickling your ear. "Well, you surprised me," he says, his voice low and husky. "But don't get too cocky. You won't be able to catch me off guard again."

You can feel your heart pounding in your chest as Kamui leans back, a smirk on his face. You can't help but feel a little bit disappointed that you weren't able to surprise him, but at the same time, you're happy that you were able to catch him off guard, even if it was only for a moment.

Okita Sougo

➵ Firstly, it's important to note that Okita is a highly perceptive individual, so it's not easy to catch him off guard. He's always on the lookout for any potential threats or surprises, so his guard is always up.

➵ With that being said, it's highly likely that any attempts to take him by surprise with a kiss would fail. He's probably already taken his significant other's first kiss—just like that b*stard Kamui had.

➵ So, I'm sorry to say that I can't provide you with the scenario you were hoping for. But, that being said, Okita's reaction to his significant other taking the initiative and kissing him first would likely be a mix of surprise and amusement. He might tease them about it, but ultimately he would appreciate their boldness and confidence.

➵ Okita is known for his sharp wit and sarcastic sense of humor, so he might make a joke about how his significant other failed to surprise him with their first kiss. He might say something like, "Nice try, but I already saw that one coming a mile away."

➵ Despite being caught off guard, Okita would never admit that his significant other's kiss had really surprised him. He would maintain his usual calm and collected demeanor, pretending like he was unfazed by the whole thing.

➵ Okita would also use the opportunity to tease his significant other mercilessly. He would make playful jabs at them, calling them "sneaky" or "crafty" and pretending to be annoyed that they had managed to catch him off guard.

➵ But underneath the teasing, Okita would also feel a sense of pride in his significant other. He would admire their willingness to take risks and their commitment to their relationship, and would feel grateful to have them in his life.

➵ In the future, Okita might try to return the favor and catch his significant other off guard with a surprise of his own. He might plan an elaborate scheme or prank to try and catch them off guard, just to show that he's still the master of surprises.

➵ Overall, while Okita might try to play it cool on the surface, he would secretly be thrilled that his significant other had caught him off guard with a kiss. It would be a reminder of their love and commitment to each other, and would bring them even closer together.

As you walk down the street, your arms full of groceries, you spot him. Okita Sougo, the man you love, laying on a bench with a sleeping mask on in the middle of the day. You know he's on patrol, but he's always been able to sleep through anything, so you figure he won't notice you approaching.

You set down your groceries and slowly walk towards him, feeling your heart race with excitement. This is your chance to finally surprise him with a kiss, something you've been trying to do for a long time. You inch closer and closer, getting ready to lean in when suddenly, his hand shoots out and grabs your wrist.

"Nice try," he says, not even bothering to take off his sleep mask. “But I could sense you coming from a mile away."

You pout, feeling disappointed. “How did you know?" you ask, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He smirks, sitting up and taking off his sleep mask. "I'm always on high alert," he says, his eyes scanning your face. "Besides, I could smell you."

You blush, feeling self-conscious. "What do you mean, you could smell me?" you ask, feeling a bit confused.

"I mean, I could smell the groceries you were carrying," he says, gesturing towards the bags at your feet. "And I could smell your perfume."

You shake your head, feeling amazed at how perceptive he is. "You're incredible," you say, smiling at him.

His smirk widens as he stands up to stretch his arms. "I know," he says, his eyes meeting yours. "But I'm not so perceptive that I can't tell when someone wants to kiss me."

Your heart races as he steps closer, his hand reaching up to cup your cheek. "You don't have to surprise me," he says, his eyes searching yours. "I'm always ready for a kiss from you."

You smile, feeling a rush of love for him. "I know," you say, leaning in to kiss him softly. "But I wanted to surprise you anyway."

He grins, his arms wrapping around you. "Well, you surprised me," he says, his lips brushing against yours. "And I loved it."

[caelichii]

Soda Pop Pups - Hellhound Adoptable Batch First adoptable batch! Wanted to do these for a loong time and never got around to it. Reblogs are super appreciated to help me get these hellhounds to good homes!

Two on the right hand side (purple & blue) are EO only. Three on the left (green, orange, pink) are OTA with ABs set at £50 to encourage offers. Details and rules under the cut!

Green - limeade [OPEN] AB: £50

Orange - Passionfruit & Mango [CLOSED]

Pink - Summer Fruits [HOLD] AB: £50

Purple - Pastel Blackcurrant [EO] Entertaining Offers Only

Blue - Blueberries [EO] Entertaining Offers Only

OTA Can accept offers including:

££ / $$

art / customs

character trades

only offer what you have

please do not delete your offer without notifying me that you're backing out

offers above £20 will be highly considered but are not a guarantee

Adopt Rules

Adopts acquired via trade (art / character trades) have no currency value and should only be re-traded or gifted.

I retain the right to my artwork - do not claim the art / design as your own work

Do not use my designs for hateful, political or illicit content

Commercial rights are not included

Adopts have a 2 week cooldown - do not resell / trade within that time

You can change their details, outfits etc but please keep them recognisable to their original design

If you do not use ToyHouse, you must notify me of any ownership change and pass on my ToS to the next owner so that I can update ownership logs

You can either comment or DM me to offer!

[berry-hwa]

As per my suggestion...!!

heres the promised mermaid au fic!!! I might not ever finish it because theres a lot of worldbuilding and writing stuff that i dont have time for😔i havent looked over this in a while and it isnt beta read either so ignore any mistakes!! All that aside now, pls enjoy!!

Well, here I am.

Looking up, her expression hardly wavered at the luxurious and magnificent hotel she stood in front of.

Here it is. Tres Spades.

Her glance shifted low to the dark blue dress she wore specifically for the famous I.V.C held at the hotel. Her pearl necklace reflected the huge amount of light from both the inside and outside and her silk, white gloves held onto a matching white clutch. She wasn't gonna look like anyone present at the party, but she was fine with that. The party wasn't what was on her mind anyway, it didn't matter if she stood out or not.

All she had to do was get to the penthouse.

Walking through crowds and crowds of people, her white heels clicked with every step she took on the recently cleaned floor. As she reached the room the I.V.C was held at, she was suddenly startled by someone talking behind her.

"Woah! I've never seen you around here. Is this your first time attending the I.V.C perhaps?"

She spun around to find two men looking at her, their eyes not leaving hers. She recognized one of the two almost instantly.

"Oh! Why yes, this is my first time here. I was looking for Mr. Ichinomiya? He was supposed to escort me to the party." She flashed a radiant smile, hoping to catch the two off-guard. As she stared at them, she realized the identity of the second man who strangely wore a fedora hat.

"Oh! We're his accomplices, and I haven't heard anything about you from Mr. Ichinomiya...would you give us your name?" The blonde smiled, crossing his arms and waiting for an answer. Her heart slowly began beating faster as she thought of a made-up name.

"Misaki. My name is Misaki." She extended her hand out for a handshake, which the brunette took and gave the back of it a gentle kiss. Her heartbeat slowly went back to normal and her smile slightly fell.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. My name is Mitsunari Baba, but you can call me Micchy or Mitsu for short. And you probably already know who my friend is." Baba glanced back and forth between the blonde and the woman.

"Of course, Kisaki Ota. I'd be ashamed if I didn't know who you were." She bowed and internally cringed, her patience slowly running low. She wasn't here to chat up some men...but, if they managed to get her up to the penthouse, at least the lying would be worth it.

"You flatter me Miss Misaki! Now, what was that about Mr. Ichinomiya escorting you to the I.V.C?"

"Ah, right. We talked over the phone weeks prior to the I.V.C, but he must have forgotten. He's a busy man after all, and so am I." Lying in situations as such was her specialty, but for some reason she felt as if she was being read easily. Can they tell?

"Boss is a very busy man. If you'd like, we could escort you around the I.V.C ourselves?" Baba gave her a handsome smile that would swoon women in her place, but she was barely phased. It wasn't her job to begin flirting with a thief.

She tried to shake off the unusual feeling she felt when she realized Ota's smile had also fallen a bit as he stared at her. Not at her, but her necklace specifically. The only explanation that sat right with her was that he'd been looking at it from an artist's point of view. She didn't know if he realized the necklace was made out of real pearls, however.

"I would appreciate it very much, Mitsunari." She smiled again for the sake of being polite.

From nearly getting lost in the sea of people to stumbling upon a mysterious looking hallway and being sold at a black market auction held in the basement of the hotel, she was only a few steps away from her goal. It didn't matter who bought her, she would escape them either way. Her eyes were set on finding one man and that man only. Her surprise when she heard she was sold to seat #100 came as a shock even to her. She fell right into the hands of the man she had her eyes on.

The cage she sat in had been carried all the way up to the penthouse, her heart racing as she realized how close she was to her target. Even if they didn't speak and wore masks, she knew exactly who the two men that carried her up there were as well.

And when she was brought in, she found herself face to face with him. Eisuke Ichinomiya.

"Who are you?"

"Boss, this is the lady that we-"

"If you let me out of this cage, I will tell you exactly who I am and what I'm doing here."

She stared at the five men who stared back at her. Her smile from earlier was replaced with a fierce gaze at Eisuke, who was staring at her cautiously.

"And how do we know you don't have any ulterior motives?" A strong looking man stood up which she quickly identified as Soryu, Eisuke's childhood friend and a mobster.

"If your security is good at checking whether or not people have weapons on them, then you don't have to be afraid Mr. Oh." She held her chin high and smiled internally at his slightly bewildered face.

"...You know who we are?" Eisuke spoke, eyebrows narrowing as he stared at her through his eyelashes. She could sense he was conflicted and a little confused.

"I know you all. And we'd be able to talk like normal people if you let me out of this cage," She crossed her arms, gaze not faltering as she stared back at Eisuke, "But we probably already know the phrase "normal people" doesn't suit you at all, right Ichinomiya?"

She saw his eyebrow twitch. As she guessed earlier, Baba and Ota took their masks off, their gazes switching back and forth between the woman and Eisuke.

"Is your definition of a succesful individual 'abnormal'?" Eisuke crossed his arms and took a sip of his wine, placing it on the table in front of him afterwards.

"I think we both know what I mean here." Her gaze went to the wine glass in front of him. Lowering her open palm, she aimed it directly at the glass before knocking it over, the wine spilling on Eisuke's leg.

All the men's eyes widened and Eisuke swiftly stood up, panic evident on his features.

"Eisuke, go!" Soryu suddenly yelled at him. Realizing he had to move as fast as he could, he dashed towards the staircase with a curse, managing to make it up before anyone could see anything.

When they made sure he was out of sight, everyone shot a glare at the woman. Only Ota seemed to stand still, still comprehending what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?" Soryu approached the cage, gun in hand now. The woman only grinned as the realization that she'd indeed found the man she was looking for began setting in.

"I think you know exactly what it was." Her fingers tapped at the golden cage as the mobster stared her down. She felt confident knowing she wouldn't be killed in that moment after what she did. They needed answers and she was aware of that. There was also no way they'd let her go unless they heard the full story, unless they didn't let her go at all. She was bought by them after all.

"I...don't get it. How did you knock over that glass?" Baba stared, still a little stunned. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the thief who was looking at her for an answer.

"I'm pretty sure you know that as well." Before looking away, she caught a glimpse of Ota looking almost...solemn, as he stared off into the distance.

"Come on now, you can't all play dumb. I'm here for one reason and one reason only."

"And that is?"

"Eisuke."

Soryu stared at her once more with a stern look on his face. Was he gonna let her out? She made it clear she'd explain everything if she was out of the cage...but how could he trust her like that? Especially when he didn't even know her name?

"Open the cage Mitsunari." A deep voice from the back spoke, the woman recognizing it as Mamoru's. At least he's not entirely stupid, as much as he is lazy.

Baba hesitantly reached into his pocket to take out a key, Soryu stepping away to make space. Opening the cage, the woman stepped out, arms crossed over one another. The men continued to stare at her for a moment before they heard footsteps coming from the staircase.

Her eyes immediately locked with Eisuke's as she looked up. He looked both furious and confused as he walked down each step.

"I'm gonna ask this one last time. Who are you and what are you doing here?" Making his way towards her, he stood in-between Baba and Soryu, eyes staring daggers into the woman. He only recieved a grin in return.

"I heard a siren call from miles away, and it lead me here in your hotel."

The CEO stared in pure confusion. He almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. A siren call. Is she for real?

Sure, it might not have sounded...that ridiculous, given the situation he was suddenly thrust into in less than twenty seconds. His eyes traveled to her neck adorned by the pearl necklace. He could feel his throat going dry even as he swallowed.

Those are real pearls.

And, sure, seeing real pearls hung on a string as an accessory wasn't the most unusual thing Eisuke had seen. But the way this woman was dressed bewildered him.

He estimated the cost of both her dress and heels were most probably around 200 dollars. Her gloves were made of silk, therefore they had to have been a little expensive. The pearls were what threw him off. A single, real white pearl was already expensive, but her necklace consisted of at least thirty pearls that varied in colors and shapes. He even recognized one of the rarest blue pearls hung onto the string, and he could feel the nervousness bubbling to the surface the more he stared.

"You've...gotta be kidding right?" The thief asked, gaze shifting to Eisuke who tried so hard to keep his expression as neutral as possible. Both him and Soryu were begining to catch onto the situation.

"I'm very serious. I came here specifically to talk to Eisuke, on behalf of my people."

"Your...people?" Puzzled, Soryu raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes now also shifting to look at Eisuke.

"I know what you are Eisuke. And we need your help." The woman's tone slowly morphed into one of pleading, as did her expression. Eisuke stared for what seemed like hours before sighing and turning his back to her.

"You have five minutes to explain."

"Five?!"

"Yes, only five."

She stared at his back as he walked over to the couch and sat down, Soryu and Baba following. She was glad she got the opportunity to talk...but five minutes? Really?!

"Alright I...just, do you mind bringing a glass of water?" Her gaze went to the artist who seemed to think about her question a little longer than he had to before nervously answering.

"Sure..." He put on a smile and strode over to the kitchen in the penthouse. Taking a deep breath before exhaling, her gaze returned to Eisuke who now sat on the couch, waiting for his explanation.

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for barging in all of a sudden and spilling wine on you. You were probably all confused and angry, especially you, Ichinomiya." Her heels clicked as she walked over to the four men, Eisuke's eyebrows forming into a frown as he recalled what happened.

"Apologize another time, get to your story." He swiftly crossed his legs and rest his chin in his palm as he waited for her to begin, as if he were a teacher about to listen to a student's excuse for a missed assignment.

By the time she stopped staring Eisuke down, Ota had come back with a glass of water as she'd asked. Funny how she has barely been here for five minutes and is ordering people around as if she owns the penthouse.

Thanking the artist, she set the glass down on the coffee table and waited for Ota to grab a seat, only for him to stand next to the couch Baba, Soryu and Eisuke sat on.

"As I said...I know what you are, Eisuke. Even if you might not know exactly what you are, we desperately need your help." She began, voice brave despite her slowly plummetting spirit.

"Who is this "we" you've been throwing around?" Baba exclaimed before getting interrupted by the woman.

"I'll get there. Let me explain."

"You fell into a pool when you were young in London...right?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at Eisuke for his reaction. He definitely didn't disappoint. His eyes went wide and he was now listening to her more cautiously, the nervous feeling on the verge of overflowing.

"You became a mermaid. Or...a merman. Otherwise known as a siren." She explained like she was some lunatic, but Eisuke knew better than to assume that when she was right. Except he had no idea what she meant by the siren part of it.

"How do you know any of this. Only my manager and some acquaintances are aware of what happened. How did you manage to find out what happened a decade ago?"

"That's not important. What is important is that I'm a real mermaid born at sea, and my people have and I have been threatened by the human race for years," She looked down, remembering the last moments with her family before they were taken from her, "They sacrificed themselves so I would stay alive and get help."

"It took you this long to find me?" Eisuke interrupted, his thoughts now racing. Had she been stalking him? Did she somehow bribe someone to tell her about him? What kind of help did she need exactly?

"I've known about you ever since you fell into that pool. You see, I'm from Britain myself, and all of us have known about you ever since that day." She explained briefly, not leaving any room for questions as she continued quickly afterwards.

"You're the first merman to have ever fallen in the pool in that cave in nearly sixty years. It just so happened that you became a siren on the day the last merman transformed 43 years before you did." She briefly caught a glimpse at Ota looking down at the floor as if he was holding something back. Did he wanna ask a question?

She decided to ignore it, passing it as just him being lost in his thoughts.

"This is...too much information," Eisuke rubbed his temple, her words barely registering. He was finally used to being this weird form of a human after so long, and suddenly there's so much information shoved into him it's almost too overwhelming.

"You think? You gave me five minutes to explain, I'm using that time wisely." She may have been aware of the conflicted situation he was in at that moment as he slowly took in what she was saying. Still though, she figured she might as well drop the bomb as quickly as she could, even if it confused Eisuke at first.

"We've been looking for a siren for years now due to our problems with the human race. And that just so happened to be you..."

Her frightless demeanor began to wear off, quickly replaced by someone in genuine need of help. Eisuke stared at her, her words still registering. So he was a siren. Was it good that he finally knew his identity after so many years? He certainly didn't feel any better knowing, that's for sure. What if she was lying?

"Can you prove to me in any way that you're telling the truth?"

The woman stared at him. Of course, Eisuke Ichinomiya of all people would never believe some girl suddenly showing up at his penthouse, telling him he was a damn siren and that there were real mer-people living in the sea with no proof. The whole story seemed like a sick joke. Even if she knew things many others hadn't known, even if she held information that Eisuke had never revealed publicly...he had to know.

"If you'll allow me to," She raised her open palm once more and focused her energy on the glass of water in front of her. Soon enough, they saw what looked like a bubble rise out of the glass. Eisuke knew she wasn't lying the moment he saw the "bubble" rise higher and higher, but still wanted to see what she would do. As the water reached her head, her hand suddenly dropped to her side, as did the bubble. The CEO's eyes widened as it splashed over her head and he was already begining to count down the seconds it took for her to transform. No sooner than that did Baba get up and rushed over to her, holding her up by her arms as her legs disappeared and were replaced by a sparkling blue tail.

"Is that enough proof for you, Ichinomiya?"

[allmentalyart]

Purple Stripes - OTA (🟢OPEN🟢)

This lovely bean was more a little experiment than an actually planned adopt! This experiment included a free to use chibi fullbody (Link to all my socials, the f2u bases, my DA account and Toyhouse account are in my bio. You can find the f2u bases either in the google doc, on my DA account or Toyhouse) and a base test! Said base test is this little fella here! They are up for offer, cause I don't have a spot for them in my current stories, but maybe you have a spot for them free! :D

🎨 What I accept: - Art of any media - Customs and Trades - Money (PayPal only) => Offer whatever amount seems suitable - DA Points => Offer whatever amount seems suitable

🚦TOS: - Only offer, if you gonna use the design - Money offers must be paid within 48 hours - Holds up to a week are possible - Art payments have no time limit, but give me monthly updates - If I get left on read for 2 weeks+ after requesting an update, the adopt will be reopened/a different offer will be picked - Tracing or stealing art for the art payments will result in a ban from my account and any future adopts - Reselling the adopts for more than you got them for, will get you banned as well (if you have additional art of the design, you may add the value of the additional art to the price) - Stealing any of my designs will lead to a ban as well

✅Likes, shares, saves and comments are highly appreciated ❌I own the copyright to these artworks! Any usage of it without my consent is prohibited! I don't consent to the usage of my art for AI or NFTs! Stealing and tracing is obviously also prohibited!

[novelmonger]

Moments That Bring Me Joy: Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace

On a whim, I've decided to go through some of my favorite childhood movies and just list all the moments in them that bring me joy. I'm fully aware that many of the stories I loved as a kid are deeply flawed, but I just want to take some time to appreciate what they did well. Just because I'm focusing on the positive doesn't mean I'm unaware of the negative.

Note: I chose the word "joy" deliberately. Not all of the moments that bring me joy bring me (or the characters) happiness. Scenes involving death or pain might not be very fun or cheerful, but I find joy in a good story well told.

I wanted to start with Star Wars, because that was my life when I was 8/9/10. And what better time of year to begin a nostalgic look back on Star Wars? Don't look now, but this is going to be long, because Episode I is my favorite of the main six. I used to watch this on average once a week, and still have the majority of it memorized ^^'

I love that Obi-Wan's first line in the movie is the famous, "I have a bad feeling about this." (Also, don't ask me how many times I've found reason to quote him: "it's something...elsewhere...elusive.")

"My lord, is that...legal?" "I will make it legal." That's basically Sidious' modus operandi, isn't it?

I love the battle droids' voices. "Roger, roger."

"They are still coming through!" *Force theme swells* I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, Qui-Gon breaking through blast doors with a lightsaber isn't the most impressive or heroic of feats, but that music works on me every time. I always want to cheer ^_^

"You were right about one thing, Master. The negotiations were short."

"You assume too much." - A very useful quote that I use frequently, mimicking Nute Gunray's accent for maximum effect.

Padme's royal gown and headdress are kinda weird, but so pretty. I also love her official makeup. I had a doll of her in this outfit, and I thought it was the prettiest thing.

John Williams has made a lot of amazing music for this series, but I think my second-favorite is actually the Trade Federation theme. Weird, right? There's just something about it that gets me so excited - probably because it's most prominent in this movie.

"You almost got us killed. Are you brainless?" "I spake." "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here." - I love Jar-Jar Binks. I know I'm in the tiny minority about that, but I do. He's adorable and I love him.

"That is the sound of a thousand terrible things heading this way." "If they find us, they will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces, and blast us into oblivion!" - I love this line, and I love Obi-Wan's little smirk to Qui-Gon about it XD

When they go through the bubble membrane into Ota Gunga! So satisfying ^_^

Say what you will about Big Boss Nass, but I love him. The clicking, the jowl-jiggling. "De Naboo tink dey so smarty. Dey tink dey brains so big!"

"Master, what's a bongo?" "A transport, I hope."

Jar-Jar's snail-like eyes bugging out at the gooberfish XD

"There's always a bigger fish."

"You didn't tell him about the missing Jedi." "No need to report that to him until we have something to report." Excellent quoting potential.

That sound the battle droids make when Qui-Gon Force-pushes them away!

The handmaidens' outfits are also gorgeous. Oh, what I would have given at the age of 8 to have a dress with a red-to-yellow gradient like that! <3 (If we'd been a Halloween-celebrating family, I totally would have gone as Padme or Leia three years in a row.)

"Where are you taking them?" "To Coruscant." "Coruscant...uh, that doesn't compute. Uh, wait, uh...you're under arrest!"

R2-D2's moment of heroism, fixing the ship's shields! <3

"Mesa day startin' pitty okey-day wit a brisky mornin' munchin', den boom! Gettin' berry scared, and grabbin' dat Jedi, den pah! Mesa here. Mesa gettin' berry, berry scared!"

You're going to get tired of hearing this, but: Padme's look on Tatooine is so pretty! Especially her hair. Oh, I love her hair!

Jar-Jar vs. the pit droids is always fun.

"Ey, ey! Ya wanna wanga?" Or however it's spelled; do I look like I speak Huttese? XD

I love that Anakin just invites these weird offworlders he's never met before to stay at his home during the sandstorm - and that Shmi doesn't put up any sort of protest, but welcomes them in and feeds them. True hospitality and generosity. Later on, Anakin says to Shmi, "You say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other." They are the exception to that for sure.

C3-PO and R2D2's meeting is so funny and sweet. And just think of how many years they end up spending together and how many adventures they'll go on!

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods." *snatches Jar-Jar's tongue in the middle of swiping a fruit* "Don't do that again."

"No one can kill a Jedi." "I wish that were so." - FORESHADOWING!!!!! D:

Jar-Jar getting his tongue stuck in the energy binders and going, "My tongue is fat" with his long tongue hanging out of his mouth XD

"IT'S WORKING!!!! IT'S WORKING!!!!"

Just...all of the CG and sound effects of the podrace. It's all so good!!! I'm especially fond of the CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK sound of Sebulba's engines.

That one racer who goes, "Rarrr!" right before blowing up XD

DARTH MAUL DARTH MAUL DARTH MAUL!!!! 8D Definitely the coolest and most intimidating Sith. It definitely helps that he has, like, two lines in the whole movie.

That bemused smile when Obi-Wan and Anakin meet for the first time. They have no idea.... :')

Nute Gunray saying, "Take him away," which sounds more like, "Tuck him away," like the battle droids are going to tuck Sio Bibble in for the night XD

Sunsets on Coruscant are always so gorgeous <3

"You've been a good apprentice, Obi-Wan. And you're a much wiser man than I am. I foresee you will become a great Jedi Knight."

The handmaidens' outfits in the final battle of Naboo are really cool, and I love the hair! I remember trying to figure out how to put my hair up like that when I was a kid.

That secret little smile between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan that means they suspected all along that Padme was the real queen.

"Yousa no tinkin' yousa greater dan da Gungans? Meeeeesa lika dis! Maybe wesa...bein' friends!" And the Gungans throw themselves into the defense of their planet! I just love how the two peoples work together.

"Wipe them out. All of them." - Yet another favorite line to quote.

The whole sequence of the battle droids unloading and then marching on the Gungans is so satisfying. Also, I love the sound effect of the lasers pinging against the shield.

"Red group, blue group! Everybody this way!" - Why was this also a favorite line for my brother and me???

DUEL OF THE FATES YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!! 8D Absolutely the best lightsaber fight in the entire franchise. All three of them look so cool, the whole fight is interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat, you never feel like any of them are just hanging back and waiting for their turn, and that music! That's my favorite track across all the soundtracks for sure.

Jar-Jar getting his foot caught in the wiring of a battle droid and accidentally shooting a whole bunch that way is the best thing ever XD

I couldn't say why, but I've always found it really satisfying to watch Padme's team use their ascension guns to rappel up the side of the palace.

Jar-Jar's overall clumsiness on the battlefield just decimating the battle droid troops is so vindicating for his character ^_^

The way Obi-Wan and Darth Maul's fighting is just so fast after Qui-Gon gets cut down o_o

Qui-Gon's final moments. The way he makes Obi-Wan promise to train Anakin, his final legacy. The way he reaches up one finger to brush against Obi-Wan's cheek. The way Obi-Wan clutches him and presses their foreheads together.... T^T

Qui-Gon's funeral. I don't know, I just really like that the Jedi Council is there, as well as Big Boss Nass, Padme, and even the Chancellor. Qui-Gon deserves that amount of respect.

The final celebration is so full of joy! And of course, Padme looks absolutely gorgeous ^_^

[mellythedork]

OTA Appreciation Week

From the 11th to the 17th of March

Three bladers for the price of one! Osamu, Takashi, and Akira have always been trying their best, for themselves and for Kenta! I wonder what they’re doing these days? Let me know!

How can I participate

Gifs

Edits

Fics

Drawings

Anything related to these characters and don’t forget to tag it with #mfb appreciation week and #OTA appreciation week let them know we haven’t forgotten about them, and we still love them as much as Kenta does!

[cedarspiced]

hiiiii it's me again, still broke and struggling rip

so! i have a lot of characters for sale on my toyhouse and i would super duper appreciate it if you checked em out, pretty please?👉👈

FYI, all the ones labeled "OTA, worth $x" i'm willing to part with for half of their worth!

i would love to be able to have more than one hot meal this week, so please please please lmk if any catch your eye! tysm for reading and reblogging <3<3<3

[vespersposts]

Flawless

Hi lovelies💛,

the second issue of the 'Housewarming' series pays tribute to my Gemini king brother Ryota☀️, due to a kind request which I am happy to comply with (because i love you and you deserve all).

Don't tell Aominecchi, but how adorable is Kise? 😇💝

Not to mention how talented he is!

Is there anything he's not good at?

For this story I was inspired by a misadventure that happened to yours truly, which ended in a much less amusing way, alas! 🤦‍♀️

📮Comments, criticism, sharing and like are so appreciated!📮

Follow the #knbhousewarming or #housewarmingbyvesper to find all the entries, or just ask for a tag I'd be glad to add you.

Who's gonna be next? (🎎hint: He's charming, polite, a true prince. If it's the right one obvs).

Thanks to the lovely reader that Dm me to request it, hope you'll find it interesting.

Love always,

V.

💋PS: If any of you amazing authors would like to contribute with original work to this series, that would be a dream for me. Please send me the link and tag me so I won't miss any stories, and use the #knbhousewarming , as the platform sometimes gets crazy.

💣PPS: I apologize in advance for any grammatical and/or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language (bear with me!).

➿Genre: fluff, slice of life, one shot.

🏡 Housewarming Masterlist🏡

Ota district, Tokyo.

Wednesday 2.10 p.m. (ET+13)

A sunny May afternoon.

Your life had changed, since he had moved into the small family-run apartment building complex  you had always called home.

Your friends and acquaintances couldn't wait to plan evenings at your place, found any excuse to come and say hello at odd hours, and had become as affectionate as awkward, since that blond angel had taken up residence in the flat above yours.

After all, you and your ordinary life could never have had the same attractiveness as the dazzling light his name implies.

Ryota Kise was not only a nationally renowned athlete, but had been a famous model, until he had left droves of whimpering admirers at the announcement of his retirement from the scene, to focus on his aviation career.

How could anyone be so flawless?

Where was the blemish in that blaze of perfection?

Being self-loathing, you thought to yourself, until the evening of the condo meeting came, he showed up smiling and polite, bringing treats and delicious food for everyone, amiably talking to people and dispensing smiles and thanks for the warm welcome.

Needless to say, the jewelled ladies of your floor were already doting on him, feeling a lethal mix of maternal affection and adolescent crush, by which they were reporting you his every move in detail, especially those involving the female sex; perhaps forgetting that you could hear who was in the newcomer's house,  just by sitting at the kitchen table for lunch.

In the six weeks leading up to that day, however, the idol of the building had led a particularly boring life, punctuated by intense work shifts and moderate physical activity, that allowed you to meet him casually in the building's lobby, and just as casually exchange small kindnesses and superficial remarks. 

No romantic nights, no suspicious movements, as confirmed even by the ladies on the first floor. The only exception is that random Saturday a month, when his flat would turn into the den of basketball fanatics. Before your eyes parade a row of top-tier hunks, his friends, who  just like him, were unaware of the jolt of lust they were giving the whole building.

On the other hand, your friends competed to guess on which Saturday that masculine display of wonder would appear, the jewelled ladies booked hairdressers and freshened up their most flamboyant outfits, so as not to be outdone.

And then there was you, who as ever, didn't know what to do.

"Are you stupid? Take those ten steps and ask them for sugar and offer him everything!" was the solution that was repeated to you over and over again, like the refrain of a bad summer song.

A song you didn't even know how to play.

Ryota sighed, because it always ended like this. 

"Come on man, you know I only get 10 days off a month!" he snorted, because Daiki may have become an adult, but he still has the same urge to torment him, that he had in Teiko days. "What do you want in return? A dinner at Hatsune Sushi? A date with a hostess?" he huffs, trying to convince him to join for a one-on-one over the weekend. 

He looked at the laundry basket and while listening to his pal's bitching, decided to throw some stuff in the washing machine. He adds the soap that slips out of his hands, but it doesn't matter, he likes his clothes soft and scented . 

He pressed the start button and was ready to process that wacky request.

"WHAT? My flatmate neighbour? I know she's hella cute, but how am I supposed to introduce her to you, if she barely says hello to me?" he asks, catching his friend's cheeky laugh in response.

He gives in, because he's too tired to lose any more precious minutes of sleep, says goodbye to his mate, and heading for the bedroom, quickly undresses and throws himself in his underwear on his very soft bed, with its fresh crisp cotton sheets, cuddled by the warm light filtering through the window. 

He sinks his face into the pillow and smiles, because Aominecchi is always the same jerk, but he has good taste, indeed. Too bad, you were such a difficult aim to achieve, even for small talking.

In those few chance encounters on the common stairs, you always declined his help, even when the shopping bags were obviously too heavy for you. Maybe it was your way of telling him to keep his distance, maybe you saw something in him that turned you off, maybe....

He huffs and turns on his back. 

He looks up at the ceiling, at the light grey wall and at his cacti collection, waving happily at him from their sunny shelf by the window, and he begins to wonder. 

He wonders if you like cacti.

He wonders what type you are, actually. 

All he knew was that he was incredibly attracted to you, to that slightly wistful air, and to your gracefulness in moving your little body. He loved to watch the sway of your hips, as he followed you up the stairs, but somehow he felt he needed to know more, much more about you.

What you like to sing in the shower, what you like to talk about, if you would like to sleep in someone's arms, because he would like to be that someone so badly.

You are physically under his feet and yet he is the one who feels crushed.

And now Daiki comes along with his teasing demand.

He closes his eyes and tells himself that he will find a solution later, because now he's really too drowsy, and the sound of the washing machine in the background, with its monotonous rhythm, takes him to dreamland.

You take a sip of coffee, you're drinking it down because you don't feel like going back to those damn accounting sheets. Columns of numbers, fees for which your clients will complain and you will obviously have to put on a good face. 

But there is something else that bothers you.

A background noise, low but constant, like a ticking clock that loses its rhythm, a noise that you have never heard before, and that probably doesn't even exist.

You get up and go to the bathroom to freshen up your face, you look in the mirror and from the reflected image you see that something is wrong. From the ceiling a large damp cloud is causing a trickle of water to drip down the wall, which has already become a puddle on the floor tiles. You close your eyes, rub them with your hand and open them again, because it might be all a fantasy, but unfortunately the image does not change. You rush out of the bathroom, out of your apartment, run up the stairs and ring his doorbell, but no one answers. 

You knock hard against the dark wood until your knuckles ache, and after a few seconds the door opens and you find yourself in front of the most handsome man you have ever seen, dressed only in his underwear, with an expression resulting from a deep sleep that has been interrupted by your urgency.

"What's going on?" he tells you in a semi aware state, dragging out the words, his voice hoarse from sleep sends your imagination into overdrive. You look straight at his fuzzy, sultry, deep eyes trying to ignore his broad shoulders, his perfect collarbones, his sculpted pectorals from which, like a road to paradise, the gaze is taken to his tight abdomen. He’s wrinkling his hair and then brings the same hand to his sculpted tummy casually, as snaps you a puzzled look, while with the other hand he opens fully the front door, in a silent invitation to enter.

"The bathroom " you stammer, blushing wildly as he turns his delicious back , showing you his whole powerful frame . You follow him inside that house full of light and plants, where the dark tones of the rough wood match the light grey tones of the walls and the touches of green of the foliage.

"Sure, you can use the bathroom " he smiles at you, oblivious to the fact that he is half naked and you are dressed in a pair of ridiculous house shorts and a T-shirt full of stars and hearts, that you yourself painted in junior high.

"I don't have to use it, but..." you try not to choke, thanking your lucky stars when you see him retrieve a white T-shirt from a chaise longue in the room he led you to, and put it on by sliding it elegantly over his shoulders.

"I don't think I understand  " he tells you, shifting his attention to the most significant detail of the bathroom.

Foam, lots of foam.

A sea of foam and water everywhere, now that all the warning lights of the washing machine are on and flashing like bat-signals in the eternal night of Gotham City.

"Geez, now I see!" he continues, walking past you and recommend to move to his bedroom, worried that you might get wet and dirty. All done with that wonderful smile of his, which immediately puts you at ease and makes you catch the funniest part of that paradoxical situation. He stands tall and handsome, studying what needs to be done, biting his lower lip, not looking particularly worried or concerned.

"I can fly a plane but apparently I can't do laundry!" he mocks himself, beckoning you to the threshold of the room.

"All that perfection was just too much" you agree, smiling sweetly at him, and when he looks at you with his golden eyes, you feel that your heart is unlikely to belong to you again any soon.

He laughs, laughs like a child, as he dips his feet into that disaster and retrieves all the towels he has from the bathroom wardrobe, reaching towards the appliance and almost losing his balance, so much so, that you rush to his rescue, preventing him from a hard fall.

You find yourself huddled in the middle of that disaster, unsteady on your own feet, indifferent to the fact that someone should turn off that monster that keeps on regurgitating foam. It's just too bad that you start to like that situation, perhaps because pressed against him, with his strong arms around your waist, his snow-white skin and his eyes in yours, Ryota becomes more and more attractive.

"There's only one bright side to this whole thing " he informs you softly, bringing his long fingers to the nape of your neck to play slowly with your hair.

"That our baths will smell of Marseille soap for eternity?" you try to downplay, but he has such a tender expression on his face that you can't help but tremble, as he brings you closer to him, to confide a secret in your ear.

"You can't run away. This time I'm gonna get your attention, finally!" he whispers, leaving a kiss on your temple and then reaching out to do the same on your face, closing his soft and warm lips on yours.

In the midst of a sea of foam and water, lulled by the red lights of the washing machine's warning lights, you had never been so grateful that this blond angel , who had taken up residence in the flat above yours and had in a short time become the idol of the entire building, wasn’t flawless at all.

[horunicorn]

Oya Oya

Hewwo :3 I have written much smut but this is my first time making it public. Sorry it came out so long. Feel free to point out any mistakes.

Warnings: choking, dominance

The fusuma slammed shut behind you, rattling the shōji across the room, after he'd pushed you rather roughly into his room at the Shinsengumi dorm. You were honestly surprised the kumiko didn't fall apart.

"What the hell, Y/N?"

You curled your lip up at him defiantly. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me," he warned, pacing to and fro in front of the door, clearly agitated. Then again, the man did have a short fuse. "Who gave you permission to hang with the Yorozuya bastard? Is that what you do behind my back?"

His accusation flipped your entire mood over. You were cheeky before; now you were pissed. What right did he have to point fingers at you? After all, he was the one who pushed you to do it. For three weeks, you had been patient while he worked. Of course, since he lived where he worked, it seemed like he was never free, always balancing his vice commander duties in and out of the headquarters. He did ask for your permission before going on cases, to make sure that you were okay with him doing overtime on certain days. And you always assured him that you would wait for him, no matter how busy some days could get. You always told him that it was okay to put his job first when he needed to. But that didn't mean he could take advantage of your understanding, did it?

The guy was smarter than most; he picked up on hints and cues effortlessly, especially if they were from you. So why had he been so oblivious to your subtle advances these past weeks?

"Who are you to tell me who I can or cannot be friends with?" you snapped back, temper flaring.

"You know very well who I am and what I can and cannot do," he answered, a little condescendingly.

"Yeah, well, you should also know that Gin-san gives me way more attention than you do," you uttered rashly. It was how you felt on the inside. After so many days of neglect by Hijikata, Gintoki's friendly affection towards you had you hooked in like fish to bait. Every smile and head smack he gave you fed your growing hunger for a man you couldn't get to and yet you still went on with it. You hung around Gintoki, longing for Hijikata, for something physical, just to take away the ache of missing the vice commander.

"What did you say?" Hijikata's tight voice betrayed the anger that was sparking inside him. The thought of you just being in Gintoki's presence was enough to provoke him. Confirmation that you let him touch you - nevermind if it was just playful shoves or shoulder bumping - flooded his vision with red. "You let him touch you?"

You scoffed at his ridiculous jealousy. "I'm not a slut. All Gin-san did was listen to me when I was alone. He kept me company."

True, you worked eight hours a day but the tiredness didn't mean that you didn't want to talk late into the night.

"Company, huh?" Hijikata crossed the room to stand in front of you so fast that you had to double check the spot he was previously at, just to be sure. He was a head taller than you. Now that he was all riled up, his presence was intimidating, especially since you had to look up to meet his eyes. "It just had to be him?"

You knew better. If you let him go on, you would have angry make up sex in seconds. This was a matter that needed talking through, not blind fucking. You pushed him away harshly, much to his surprise.

"We're not in a movie, Hijikata." Ah, using his family name when you were alone was never a good sign. "You can't just fuck me and be done with it."

A thought crossed your mind. Maybe it wasn't that he was busy. Maybe it was you who had done things wrongly. If you hadn't dropped all those stupid hints and just came straight forward with your needs, you needn't have had to feel the pain of ignorance from him. Your low self-esteem came racing back to you.

It was my fault. I didn't talk to him.

"I'm sorry," you choked out, turning away from him. Your sudden change in demeanor startled him but it wasn't something he hadn't experienced before.

Just like that, his anger melted away. He stepped towards you, pulling your reluctant form into his arms.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for anything," Hijikata sighed, one hand carefully cupping the back of your head. When his temper wasn't in the way, he saw things much clearer. "It was wrong of me to accuse you like that, especially since I know how much I've been neglecting you. I just didn't like the fact that of all the people to go to attention for, it was him." Hijikata said him with visible distaste. You relaxed against him, calmer now that he was no longer angry, that he had assured you it was not your fault.

"But I like him," you protested.

"Could you not like anyone else?"

"You hate everyone else, except the gorilla and he's infatuated with Otae-chan."

"Are you saying you'd go to Kondo-san if you could?" Hijikata teased, instantly lightening the atmosphere.

With that you ducked out of his embrace. "Please. I don't do stalkers." Hijikata was quick to catch you again though, this time from behind. He placed a gentle kiss to the shell of your ear.

"If you hadn't gotten caught today," he began, "I would have shown my appreciation for your patience in a different way."

"You have something planned?" you asked excitedly, happy that he had been thinking of you too.

"I did," he confirmed in the past tense. "But I can't get Yorozuya's stupid smug face out of my mind."

You knew all too well why. You knew that hanging out with Gintoki came with a punishment if you were caught. Before you could respond, Hijikata had a hand locked around your neck, with pressure not enough to choke but just enough that made swallowing difficult.

"Sometimes I think you let yourself get caught on purpose," he went on in a low voice, free hand travelling down your left arm and tugging it behind your back. He had you in a hold you didn't have any intention of breaking out of. Indeed, just the feeling of his hand on your throat had you weak at the knees, ready to be ruined by him.

"T - Tōshi," you managed, voice strangled by the hand on your windpipe. "Hard to... breathe."

"But you like this, don't you?" He purred. "You want to be choked like the little slut you are."

Oh, there was no denying how much his words were turning you on. Getting choked with his hand was good. Getting choked on his cock was better and you were more than eager for it.

"Choke... me with... your...cock..." Earlier misgivings forgotten, you wanted nothing more than for him to use you. It was all you had wanted since using Gintoki as a filler. His attention.

"Mm, I don't think so, baby girl," he murmured, finally releasing you from his hold only to take your hand and drag you down onto his futon. "I want to give, not take. And I expect thanks."

Translation: I will fuck you senseless and you will be vocal about it.

"Dont you think you can punish me better if - " Your question was cut short by a gasping inhale. Hijikata had somehow managed to loosen the knots of the date-jime that held your nagajuban and kimono together amidst everything and was now shamelessly pushing his fingers between your damp labia, hand disappearing in the folds of the cloth. Immediately, your hips moved up, asking for more when he'd barely begun. He murmured an amused "oya oya" upon finding the absence of underwear on you.

"I think you've been wetter than this, haven't you?" Deviously, Hijikata poked two fingers into your hole without any warning. There hadn't been much foreplay but could you really complain when you were swallowing his fingers like the greedy whore you were? He pulled his fingers out along with your arousal and spread it over your clit, rubbing in tantalizing circles, like a taunt.

"You're going to tease me," you stated, breathless already.

"Just for now," he promised, the sensitive nub slipping between his pointer finger and middle finger. Your nerve endings fired, sending thick coils of pleasure up your body. Again, your hips moved up.

Hijikata chose that moment to take his hands off of you. He sat back on his heels, hands placed perfectly on his lap. Disheveled and disgruntled, you forced your pleasure-weak body into motion, sitting up with your kimono loose around you, one side sliding down to bare a shoulder.

This was no dream: your body had flaws everywhere. Beauty marks on your skin, scars from being clumsy, skin that wasn't silky smooth or creamy white. You felt very small when you walked past some women on the streets but Hijikata always made you feel perfect. He loved every one of your imperfections, which encouraged you at times like these.

"Frustrated?" he smirked and you wondered just what he was playing at. Unbothered, you knee-walked closer, until you were parked right in front of him. Your hands grasped at the lapels of his uniform jacket. The familiar musk of cigarette smoke wafted up your nostrils, further turning you on. His gaze was hot on you; you could feel it despite not looking at him. Deliberate in your movements, you pushed the jacket off then proceeded to unbutton his vest and undo the knot of the white scarf around his neck. You were busy working on his shirt when he caught your hand, bringing it up to his mouth.

The contact of the softness of his lips against your skin made your thoughts fuzzy. His stare lingered on you and your restraint broke. You crashed your lips into his, claiming your pleasure, trying to pacify your desire for him. He indulged you, using a hand to hold your head steady. You kissed and kissed until there was no more breath to breathe between the both of you.

Hijikata pulled back first, dragging a thumb across your lower lip. It was such an intimate move, hinting at the lust he had for you; that was all it took for you to go into full 'I need you now' mode. Impatient, you shoved him back and shimmied up his body, brazenly rocking your hips, smearing your arousal onto his white shirt. Obviously, he felt your dampness through the material and gripped your hips to stop you from moving. The sight of you grinding above him was too much for his already tortured mind. Everything had to go. Now.

Soon you were balancing above him, the tip of his hard cock pressing at your slick entrance. You braced your hands on his broad chest, breath controlled as you slowly sat down on him, the length of him sliding into you inch by inch until your ass touched his lap. The sensation of him in you never failed to make you moan. His girth, his length, everything was just enough to fill up your tight hole.

"My sweet girl," Hijikata murmured, eyes half lidded. "I'd nearly forgotten how good you feel around me." He held onto your hips. "Move for me."

At his demand, you lifted yourself off and back down again, whimpering at the discomfort. Yeah, he was definitely big. Without your weekly routine, your body needed time to get used to him again. It didn't take long, though. Hijikata's soft encouragement and touch had you thirsting for more in no time. You got used to the stretch, gaining momentum and confidence as you moved. No longer did it sting; there was nothing but pleasure with the way you had him sliding in and out of you. Every time you rose left his cock slicker than before, layer upon layer of your arousal coating him.

When your legs got tired, you resorted to bouncing, biting your lip when your ass slapped against his skin in the sexiest way. Hijikata was in awe beneath you. His blue eyes were dark, lips parted in heavy breaths. First his eyes fixed on the way he was entering you, on the way your sweet pussy just swallowed his cock. His rough hands roved up your stomach, fingers dancing over your jumping breasts. That was the second thing he stared at. The soft mounds of flesh on your chest that bounced along with you made his cock twitch. Then he looked at your face. At the way you bit your lip, the pleasure in your expression. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to dominate you.

The feeling swept over him. Having you on top was incredible, especially since he knew you could control the depth and angle of his entrance. But he needed to have you his way. He couldn't yet explain why.

You cried out in surprise when he sat up abruptly, forcing you to remain still on his lap. You pressed your chest to his, feeling him move along with you, in you. The movement brought on a whole new sensation that made you scratch his chest with a low moan.

"Can he do that?" Hijikata asked, voice thick with lust. And something else. He knew now why he needed dominance over you.

"Who - What?" You couldn't register his words and the meaning behind them at first, not until he flipped you both over in a practiced move and he rolled his hips into you, hitting every unclaimed spot within you. Your legs came around his hips.

"Can that silver haired idiot do this? Make you feel this good?" He pulled back slightly, only to plunge back into you with a jolt that pushed another moan from your mouth.

"N - No. Tōshi..."

Hijikata pulled at your hips, angling your lower body upwards and began thrusting into you, going deep and hard each time. He knew very well that at this angle, each slide of his cock was sure to brush your g-spot. And each time his pelvis met yours, the head of his throbbing cock would carass the tip of your cervix, making you buck your hips even further up.

Seeing you this way only fuelled his unneeded jealousy for a rival that was hardly a threat.

"I bet he can't," he agreed gruffly. "He doesn't know your body, does he? Doesn't know how my baby girl likes it. Tell me." Hijikata drove deep, pushing his own hips up. You choked on a moan, hands tight around his wrists. "Who's making you feel good?"

You were unable to answer, eyes in danger of closing, body on the brink of orgasm. As if fucking him wasn't hot enough. No, jealous Hijikata was even better. His need to hear your verbal confirmation of just how good he could drill you was heightening the entire experience.

Hijikata wrapped a big hand around your throat, forcing you to meet his steely gaze.

"Who?" he demanded.

A lone tear rolled down your cheek and you knew once you opened your mouth, you'd be begging. "Y - You, Tōshi. You're making me feel good. Fucking my pussy so good."

He smirked in satisfaction. There was no need to hold back now. With demonic speed, probably living up to his title, Hijikata slammed into you, hips snapping back and forth furiously. He hadn't even gotten to rub your clit yet and you came undone, pulsing around his cock, sinful moans falling from your mouth along with his name.

"One more time," he urged, tempted to stop and savour the way you were contracting around him. Snug in your warm wetness. He was close. Too close to stop. He spit on your clit and rubbed it in tight circles, coaxing yet another orgasm out of you. This was too much after the first and his name left you in screams, your body spasming, legs jerking. The sight of you being ruined by him did it. A few more thrusts and he fell on top of you, hugging your trembling body close as waves of pleasure crashed over him. He bit your shoulder, hard, enjoying the feeling of his seed leaving him and filling you. The others might not be at the sleeping quarters but you doubted that your screams hadn't reached the main block.

Once you both felt calm enough to move, Hijikata carefully extracted himself from you, using his scarf to wipe off any semen that came leaking out of you. You laid your head on his clammy chest.

"I'd never cheat," you said blatantly.

Hijikata pushed a hand through your messy hair, staring up at the ceiling. "I know. I just... wish I could have been there for you. I know it's not fair, having to always put up with my work."

"You're here now." You turned your head to smile up at him and he returned it with one of his own rare ones. The kind that took your breath away and reminded you of how different he could be around you. "Won't the others be looking for you?"

"Let them," he sighed. "I've been long overdue for a day off anyway." There was a brief pause, as though he were thinking things over. "Can I take you out?"

Your heart skipped a beat, delighted that you both could finally spend quality time together. Not that mindless fucking wasn't fun but normal couple stuff had to come in somewhere.

You smoothed your hand over the skin on his chest, loving how only you were allowed to touch him this way. "Yeah, you can."

[aardvark-123]

Gensokyo Festival day 11: What If?

What if Touhou was a heroic jidaigeki fantasy about samurai, monsters and a dash of political intrigue?

~The Legend of the Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly~

"Youkai, so close to Daimyou Yasaka's castle... It makes no sense!" Reimu wiped Akashiroken's long, curved blade on the kuro bouzu she'd just finished slaying. "Her guardswomen patrol the lowlands for miles around, for these creatures to get so close to Umansatou should be impossible."

Marisa whistled in appreciation. "Neat exposition, Reimu! You really established today's setting."

Reimu gave the sorceress a look. "What was that?"

"I said 'I don't fully know, but it's bad news'!" lied Marisa. "Kuro bouzu are so dark, the guards wouldn't have had much chance of seeing them at night, but there were five of them with a tako nyuudou in tow! If we rule out crawling in secret, they could have used tunnels, flight or magic of some sort."

"Or perhaps someone smuggled them in," Reimu said darkly.

"Not likely with the guards searching shipments night and day!" scoffed Marisa. "The province might as well be a fortress now. No, these youkai could only have come here in secret, unless they had an invitation..."

Reimu's eyes widened. "Invitation... Hasn't the daimyou been bringing in wine and furniture for the shogun's visit?"

"Um, yeah?" Marisa said, tilting her head in confusion.

"We know she's going to ask for more funding for her army," Reimu pontificated. "Perhaps she wanted there to be a few youkai attacks to show that she needs the money. The guards have been searching every transport, it's true, but what if the daimyou herself ordered some youkai by post?"

Marisa gasped. "Reimu... What are you saying?!"

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

"I'm saying, Lady Yasaka, that the youkai incidents Umansatou suffered over the last few weeks have all been your doing." Reimu met Kanako's steely gaze without fear. "You wanted to exaggerate the threat to your province to make sure Lord Ota would grant you more funding, so you had your women import wild youkai and release them in secret."

A ripple of amazement passed through the ranks of courtiers and officials gathered in Kanako's hall. Marisa took Reimu's gauntleted hand and squeezed it.

"You dare to come before me with these outrageous accusations?" Sitting cross-legged in an alcove flanked by miniature onbashira, Kanako glared down at Reimu. "I have done nothing but fight and work tirelessly to protect Moriyato, the greater Lake Suwa region and all my people! That I would knowingly bring youkai into my own province is... unthinkable."

"Yet we thought of it," said Marisa. "And when we invited some of your soldiers for a little chat over a cup of sake, they told us the orders had come straight from the top, from you, my lady. To bring in oni, jidiao, even a wa nyuudou!"

"That's a lie!" Kanako leapt to her feet in anger. "I told them to bring safe youkai, ones which could only make a little mischief, not kill! I would never endanger-" She froze, her face turning white with horror. "I- I mean..."

"That sounded like a confession," Reimu said calmly while the courtiers panicked politely. "Now, you asked my companion and I to help solve your youkai problem, Lady Yasaka. And I can accomplish that now, by politely asking you to stop letting youkai into your province. How does that sound?"

"I... I..." Kanako's eyes narrowed. "I will allow no more of this foolishness. Guards! Kill these arrogant fools in the name of your daimyou!"

A dozen guards stormed over in a jangle of armour and a whisper of blades, forming up in front of Kanako. At their head was Sanae, a glint in her eyes and green froggy sabatons on her feet.

"You'll still fight for her? A liar who lets youkai lick her own people in their sleep?" said Marisa disgustedly.

"Daimyou Yasaka is my master and my mother. To betray her would be to die twice over," said Sanae, just a hint of regret in her voice.

"So be it, then," said Reimu, drawing her sword.

"So be it," agreed Marisa, readying her twelve-bladed naginata Houkiyari. Then she sighed angrily. "Did you have to put that little titbit right here?! Me going 'So be it.' would've been powerful line, but no, you had to make it complicated. Anyway, violence!"

The guards charged in like windmills of steel, but Reimu and Marisa cut them down with ease. Sanae moved in for the attack, slashing as fast as the wind, until Marisa hooked her sword out of her hands and bashed her onto the floor.

Reimu stepped forwards, trampling the frog-booted samurai without a care. "This is a battle you can't win, Lady Yasaka. Against liars and fraudsters I am sworn to fight until my last breath. Give up now, or pay the price for your double dealing!"

"I don't appreciate your using my daughter as the floor," said Kanako, sliding off several layers of robes and letting them fall behind her. "I wondered for many years when this would happen. To fight the Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly herself would be an honour, and to kill her the crowning glory of my career!" Sparks flashed around the daimyou's fingers as she drew her sword. "Fall, Reimu, and rue the day you defied me!"

[anon--h]

AI: Nirvana Initiative. Closing Thoughts

That was a lot of fun. I beat the game in 72 hours because it kept demanding my brainspace. Spoilers underneath the cut. Let’s dig in the good, the bad and the strange.

The Good

Strong, strong setup. Finding two halves of a corpse appearing seemingly out of nowhere would make any murder mystery enthousiast salivate..... In the game I mean, not in real life.

Ryuki is incredibly likeable as a protagonist. At first he appears to be the straight man to the wackier characters, but he might just be the most feral one there. He has horrible taste in men though.

One of the themes, Unreality / Simulation Theory gets explored through Ryuki and his Breakdown moments are fittingly unnerving. Making him go through the Nihil Number ending seems to ensure he will never psychologically recover.

I liked Tama way more than I expected to like her. She’s less dommy mommy and more emotional support.... Who just happens to enjoy tying Ryuki up..... So no, I guess she actually is dommy mommy.

There’s a lot of discourse to be had about Kizuna and Lien, but I thought they were pretty sweet together. I guess I am a sucker for this kinda thing. Lien was pushy, but not forceful and never quite reached the creepiness of Ota.

Speaking of Ota; returning main characters (sans Mizuki) were used sparringly. We got an update on their lives, but they were barely involved in the plot. Which is good. It allowed the new characters their chance to shine. 

The AI-balls and their partners are still hilarious and the game delivered multiple laugh-out-loud moments. Maybe my sense of humor is just that bad.

Date and Tama would be a pair made in hell and I kinda wanna see it.

I enjoy that this serie keeps flirting with high concept Zero Escape things like alternate timelines and space/time displacement without confirming their existence in this world. In AI1 it was Date remembering things from 8 years ago; in NI it is the player’s misunderstanding of the timeline.

For the longest time, I was convinced the masked woman was the Boss, based on her color scheme, mannerisms and way of speaking. Having it turn out that she was adopted by the boss made complete sense to me. Also, don’t think I didn’t notice the boss’s profile say that she’s an adoptive mother to Mizuki. That was incredibly cheeky. I appreciate it.

I really liked thinking along with the mystery this time. I managed to figure out that the killer used Carbon Nano Tubes by paying close attention to the AI-ball trivia and deduced the existence of a second killer pretty early on. It was a lot easier to pick up on than the hints towards bodyswitching in the first game and made me feel very clever.

The Somniums feel so much more varied than before. We have escape rooms, 999 references, quiz shows, pokemon go and cooking contests. I really enjoyed going through them this time.

The twist of the killer being dead in present day was interesting, and made the reveal of their killer very tense and emotional. Mainly because I hoped it wasn’t so. It felt sad and a little anticlimactic to have someone that feels like a bystander be the final culprit. An unfortunate fate indeed.

Mizuki and Date still have amazing dysfunctional father / grump daughter chemistry.

The Bad

Mizuki and Date don’t share nearly enough scenes together.

The timeline *not* being symmetrical seemed like a missed oppertunity that annoyed me way more than it should have.

The lack of an ‘annihilation’ timeline, wherein the bad guy wins (or at least does as much damage as humanly possible) also feels like a missed oppertunity.

Bibi’s existence does make me question a few things about the timeline of the first game. She must have been out sick that week. It also puts a very new, horrible perspective on Shoko’s abuse of Mizuki. “Our child is abnormal”- yeah, she sure is.

Controls for the Switch version get screwy during Tokiko’s Somnium. Especially during the hand puzzle. I just kept getting pushed away from the desk for some reason. It left me too little time to complete the Somnium and turned a haunting dream into a frustrating one.

One of the most memorable moments of the first game was the confrontation with Saito. He got to gloat and explained his motives while filling in some of the gaps. Tearer never got to do that. In fact, the player gets barely any interactions with Tearer at all. As a result, he never feels like much of a character. Tokiko feels like more of a character; even Chikara feels more three dimensional.

Tearer being another illegitimate son of So is hilarious to me, but I am not sure that it was the game’s intention to be funny.

Fuck the Red Room puzzle. 

Mama is a delightful character, but I felt they really cheapend them in NI. Having them tell the future was a little weird already, but having them talk directly to the player felt especially janky. 

The finale felt like a lengthy power rangers fight. It had a few fun moments, but it felt really out of place for a murder mystery game.

The Strange

I am not sure how to feel about the reveal of Mizuki. I feel like her superpower needed sóme explanation, but her being a result of genetic experimentation was probably the least interesting way to take it.

For a game with a very obvious arc-number (that being 6), it feels very incomplete that there are only 5 victims. I kept anticipating a final victim that never appeared. Not bad, just weird.

I am grateful that minecraftheads are genetically recessive. 

Ending on a bombastic song and dance number seems to be a tradition now, which is fun. Unfortunately only the choreography improved. The song itself had some bizarre turns and twists.

The twist of the timeline being different than initially presented isn’t bad, but it feels clunky. Because of course we misinterpreted the timeline, Nirvana Initiative. You misrepresented it.

[shimurataedefensesquad]

From a samurai’s daughter, to the number 1 cabaret hostess, to the Queen of Kabukicho.

In a month’s time, we will be celebrating Shimura Tae Appreciation Week in conjunction with Otae’s birthday that falls on the day of Halloween. 

If you are an Otae lover, we would like to invite you to join us in hyping her up for an entire week by sharing any kind of content of your own creation, from fanarts to memes, metas to edits. 

The schedule and prompts are as follows. 

Oct 25th: Nocturnal flower / Split personality 

Oct 26th: Witch’s brew / Miss maneater 

Oct 27th: Mythical creature / Poison princess 

Oct 28th: Puppet and puppeteer / Shades of red 

Oct 29th: Masks and masquerade / Sweet but psycho 

Oct 30th: Dark matter / Iron maiden 

Oct 31st: Trick or treat / Free prompt

Tag you work with #shimurataeweek or you can mention us @shimurataedefensesquad​. Let’s show our support and love for this wildly underrated and undervalued character.

We are looking forward to whooping it up with the squad! 

[worldformula]

your somnium files art is so cool can't wait to see more!!! any inspirations you had in your most recent art for it or commentary on your process for making it, the imagery is so neat!!! And did u hear there is a sequel coming next year??? keep up the great work!!!

Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed! I mostly wanted to draw something in reference to all the Somniums in the game; I liked that while the actions you take and the results of them were metaphorical, the items in game were (visually speaking) pretty literal. Though all the items in the illustration are from different people’s Somniums, I arranged them to try to hold relevance to Date and/or Saito in one way or another, not only for their roles as the protagonist and antagonist, but in the ways they’ve affected other people or in their difference compared to others. For example, Mayumi’s knife on the left (Saito’s side) has Ota’s written words of appreciation on them, which I thought would be funny to put in juxtaposition to Saito, who does not have a mother to appreciate. Meanwhile, on the right (Date’s side), a phone receiver from Rohan’s Somnium has been picked up (which just wastes time in-game), but there aren’t any words at all, because his concern for Hitomi didn’t reach her in time. But for the most part, it was a lot of me figuring out how to balance this many random cluttered elements on one page. I quite like explaining my thinking process a bit so thanks for indulging me!

And I did hear about Nirvanai!! I’m SO excited for it you would not believe how baffled I was when I finished AITSF and then like a week afterwards, Nirvanai got announced??? I’m so glad a sequel with Mizuki as the protagonist is happening though I can’t lie, I love Date’s (Saito’s?) design so I’m sad it probably won’t be used ever again… but I hope Nirvanai blows up so the series gets appreciated by more people!

[voltage-vixen]

The Great Pumpkin Surprise

Fandom: Kissed by the Baddest Bidder Pairing:  Eisuke x MC (Female)  Notes: This fic was written for the server gift exchange in the Kings of Paradise discord, and my recipient was @eikouxd. I really hope you like this!

The gentle breeze was chilly on the crisp fall afternoon, and there was a bright mixture of orangish-red leaves that painted the ground. Decorative ghosts hung from the stripped trees in preparation for Halloween since the spooky holiday was nearly upon them. Today, MC had convinced her family to travel outside the bounds of the city to visit a farm known for their festive autumn attractions. Eito was quick to agree, and her husband Eisuke voiced how amusing this trip would probably be for him if he did accompany them. 

A few hours later they were deep into one of the rural suburbs, with a smirking Eisuke and a giddy MC bearing witness of a rare moment where Eito was racing around the farm and acting like a child his age would be expected to act. MC typically would fret over Eito being in such a rush to grow up, but today watching him radiate in childlike innocence while he lit up at the sights warmed her heart. It wasn’t often the three of them were able to escape from their daily routine given the demands of Eisuke’s work schedule, and these occasions were something she treasured when they presented themselves. Well, the three of them and…..

“Eito, come take a look at this gourd!” Ota cried out, holding up the large disfigured fruit for the boy to see. “Doesn’t it remind you of Baba’s face?”“Ota!” 

Baba pouted, feigning annoyance by dramatically crossing his arms over the front of his chest. “How cruel of you! I hardly look a day over twenty! I’m sure everyone here would feel inclined to agree.” Glancing around, the thief’s gaze locked onto Soryu’s, who also happened to be standing nearby. “Sor, don’t you think I have an eternally youthful looking face?”

The mobster rolled his eyes and uttered a loud sigh for once again being dragged into the childish antics of the group. “I don’t know anything about that stuff. Stop trying to get me involved in your shenanigans.”

“You’re pretty uptight for a criminal, aren’t you now?” Mamoru muttered under his breath. Lighting his cigarette, he surveyed the food and beverage stalls up by the entrance. “Do they sell booze at this joint? I need something to help me get through this day that I was coerced into spending with you lot.”

“Ugh, must you really insist on smoking that here?” Shuichi scolded, massaging his temples at the headache he felt oncoming. Seeing Luke nearby, he barked at the spaced-out doctor next to him. “Luke, you’re a medical professional. Inform him at once how neglectful of his health he’s being by smoking those like a chimney.”

“Oh, how I do despise the colder weather,” Luke groaned, ignoring the nagging ambassador. “I can’t even sneak a peek at Sexybones’s exquisite collar bones when she’s wearing this many layers of clothing.”

“Don’t be weird, Luke,” Hikaru murmured, shaking his head over the doctor’s odd obsession. Wanting to ease some of the innocent tension among the bidders, Hikaru decided it would be best to change the subject. “Hey, I promised Maddy I would bring him back some souvenirs. Why don’t we all pick out some together as a group? I bet Maddy would really appreciate that.”

“Good idea, Hikaru!” Baba cheered, immediately beginning to assist Hikaru in ushering the grumbling guys over to the souvenir shop. “Hurry up, everyone! Time’s a wasting!”

Yup, you guessed it! Somewhere along the way, what was intended to be a family trip, somehow escalated into the Ichinomiya family + the auction managers = chaotic group outing.

 Despite the crashers, Eito who had been wandering through the patch in search for the perfect pumpkin, spun around and burst into laughter at the familiar sight of the men he considered uncles causing the same old commotion he had grown to associate them with.

“Remind me why they are here again?” Eisuke scowled, though there was a softness in his face that didn’t align with the harshness of his words while he watched the group disappear into the front of the stop.

“Because they’re our friends,” MC giggled, while she rested her head onto his arm. “Besides, look how much fun Eito is having! Isn’t that what matters the most?” 

Eisuke leaned over to plant a soft kiss on the top of her head, and tenderly stroked her cheek. “That face you’re making now isn’t the worst,” the CEO teasingly mocked. “I suppose a trip like this isn’t half-bad if it means I get to see more of that ridiculous grin you’re wearing.”

“I can’t help the fact that spending time with you two reminds me of how blessed I am,” MC sighed, nuzzling her head against his shoulder. “These moments are precious. They’re the ones I’ll forever cherish from now until the end of my time.”

Eisuke’s heart skipped a beat at the adorableness of MC’s confession, and a rare shade of crimson faintly painted his cheeks. His past self would never have been able to envision that someone like him would ever be fortunate enough to be experiencing his very own version of family bliss. Yet here he stood today as a husband and a father. He used to believe success was measured by one’s professional accomplishments. While the value of business metrics was still one of importance, Eisuke now also factored in the prosperity and good fortune he was privileged to be immersed in from MC and Eito.

“Always honest to a fault,” Eisuke retorted, trusting MC failed to notice his blush. “That’s a quality that deserves a reward, and I don’t intend on making you wait for reimbursement any longer. Come here, baby.” 

Reaching around behind MC, Eisuke placed his hand on her back. Pulling her into his embrace, MC’s body stiffened in a bashfulness from how intimately they were standing in public. The familiar masculine scent of his cologne radiated from his body as her husband wiggled MC even more snugly against him. Eisuke’s hot breath tickled the front of her neck, and his expression softened as he cupped her chin, and MC’s nerves instantly melted away. She wanted to kiss him, and she wanted to kiss him now. Rising on her tip toes, MC inched closer, drawing herself to the part of Eisuke’s lips until-

“Mom, take a look at what I found!” Eito boasted, interrupting his parents by suddenly making his way over. “I found you the perfect pumpkin!”Eito was grinning from ear to ear, his cheeks puffed out in pride as he held up a large, bright orange pumpkin. 

Stepping away from Eisuke, MC crouched down and extended her arms to greet Eito.“Eito, what a wonderful find,” MC cheered, genuinely impressed by the amount of though Eito was putting into ensuring he found her such an impeccable pumpkin.

“If that’s what you consider a superb pumpkin, then you have very juvenile taste,” Eisuke jabbed, miffed that his MC’s attention was taken from him. “Don’t ever present your mother with less than she deserves.”

“Eisuke….,” MC began to interject, but was left unheard since Eisuke was already headed towards the fields. 

“Don’t make excuses for him,” Eisuke replied. “Come on, Eito. Allow me to remind you of what constitutes as an Ichnomiya standard.”

“I don’t need you to tell me anything!” Eito argued. Despite his protests, Eito set aside his pride and chased after his father. 

MC watched from a distance as the two thoroughly inspected the rows of pumpkins. She was able to gather they were quarreling back and forth based on Eito’s everchanging facial expressions, but she was also able to observe the look of admiration Eito often held for Eisuke. Eito was intently hanging onto every word Eisuke spoke, and even divulged his appreciation by offering the billionaire a small nod in approval when they reached an agreement on the ideal pumpkin. Eisuke signaled for one of the workers to come assist, and Eito held the pumpkin proudly to his chest.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks had passed since that fun day at the pumpkin patch. MC was about to leave their home and meet Eisuke in the lobby of the Tres Spades, when she caught a glimpse at the picture frame of the three of them on the coffee table. Her lips curled in a smile as she recollected that fond memory. Sparing one final peek at the happy photo, she eagerly stepped into the elevator.  

After riding down into the lobby, the doors to the elevator sprung open and MC gasped in awe at the marvelous scene decorating the entrance into the hotel. She could hardly believe that the entire face of the lobby was covered in pumpkins. Each was turned into a different type of jack-o-lantern; carved with intricate details, and brightly illuminating from the inside. The normal atmosphere was vastly transformed into a not-so-spooky Halloween theme.

 “Mom, you’re finally here!” Eito shouted as he ran across the room to greet her.

 “Conduct yourself more appropriately,” Eisuke scolded, frowning when Eito ignored him and continued to race towards his mother and tightly hug her.

“We had the farm deliver all of these pumpkins, and then dad and I asked Uncle Ota to design them since we thought it would make you happy! Did it work? Are you happy?” the little boy asked, his eyes widened in an impatient anticipation as he awaited his mom’s response.

“Of course, I’m happy! You two did an amazing job working together,” MC acknowledged in pride, also addressing Eisuke who had just finished walking over to join her and Eito. “What did I ever do to deserve to be spoiled like this by my two favorite men in the entire world?”

MC wrapped Eito up into a hug and reached out to grasp onto Eisuke’s hand. Knowing that Eisuke and Eito worked through their differences to come together as father and son and plan such an elaborate surprise for her was truly better than any physical gift they could present her with. 

“I love you, guys,” MC whispered, blinking back the tears of joy threatening to spill in elate of her excitement.

“Love you too, mom,” Eito murmured, blushing shyly at the direct confession.

Pressing a kiss on Eito’s forehead, MC captured Eisuke’s gaze with her own. Her eyes flashed in adoration when Eisuke lightly gave her hand a squeeze, and shared the sentimental smile he retained only for her.

I love you too, baby. I love you too.    

[abyss-in-machines]

Prompt #1: Star Gazing

AO3

This is how the regular day goes nowadays. He gets ready for work, getting up early, making sure to wait for Kagura to arrive before he sets off. A long and draining ten hours later, he comes back to Kabuki-cho, where he immediately runs up to greet the twins and ask them about their day with their big sister, and pray to God that they didn’t participate in any of her brutal showdowns with the sadistic Shinsengumi captain. He then takes the kids down to Gran Otose’s bar downstairs, where she treats them all to dinner every day. They sit together in their special designated booth, and the old lady joins them too. The kids have fun, Gintoki and Otose enjoy some booze. Sometimes Kagura leaves for Otae’s place soon after Gintoki comes back, sometimes she stays the night like the old days. Shinpachi occasionally visits at this hour, and so does Hasegawa, with Hatsu accompanying him. This period of time is usually the best part of the day, as he gets some friends and liquor to keep him busy.

The weekends are slightly different. He’s got all the time in the world to savour, and he makes it his top priority to spend it with the kids as much as possible. The first day of the weekend is usually taking the kids out to wherever they wanted to go for the day. Be it the amusement park, the desserts cafe, Aunt Otae’s place, Hinowa’s place. Or maybe even just a calm day at home, arranging for special takeout from Ikumatsu’s. It’s hilarious to see Katsura still moonlighting as a delivery man for her, despite holding such a high rank in the government. The kids appreciate Uncle Zura, although Gintoki always remains wary, scared if Zura’s senile tendencies rub into them. The other day of the weekend is spent more in decompressing and getting ready for another grinding week.

It’s a memorized schedule that he’ll be using for the next couple of years to come. It’s been this way ever since the kids were born. The shock and pain of the events that had unfolded since that day are still etched deep. Another large scar inflicted among a mass of other smaller ones.

But today is special. Which is why, after he puts the kids to sleep, he goes to retrieve a bottle of sake, a tobacco tin and the black kiseru, and heads out to the veranda. He draws up a chair to sit on and silently looks up at the midnight sky, hoping to see a starlit night. To his delight, he sees a mass of constellations adorned on the midnight blue, with the shining silver moon at the centre of it all. A perfect night to celebrate her life.

He drinks a couple glasses, sipping slowly, deep in recall. He remembers how they had spent sleepless nights like this, relishing each others company, losing themselves in the bliss of their fiery love. He recalls her beautiful face, her eyes filled with compassion, understanding, acceptance. He indulges in all those memories spent together, how it all seemed to have flown by so fast in the passage of time compared to the current monotonous drag. He remembers their joy and elation upon finding out that they were welcoming new members to their growing family. And then he feels the teardrops slowly rolling down his cheeks as he recalls the day when time stood still for him. He had lost so many close ones over the years, and yet this one had hit the hardest, the closest to home.

He sees her everywhere. He sees her in the discipline displayed by the Hyakka recruits he trains at work. He sees her in the visits to Hinowa’s place. He sees her in the strong work ethic adopted by Seita. He sees her in the kids. He sees her in Yoshida’s eagerness to learn, in his purple eyes. He sees her in Tsukiyo’s quiet demeanour, and her blonde hair. More than ever, the kids are his life, his soul. He will always make sure that they remember their mother, who loved them dearly, who had wanted to watch them grow up, who had eagerly awaited their arrival. She will never be forgotten.

He blames the tears on the blinding light of the moon, and lights the kiseru after putting in the tobacco. He takes a couple puffs, and immediately starts coughing, red-eyed and panting after the cough subsides.

How did you ever manage to keep this habit up… Guess I’ll never know.

He keeps smoking, with the coughing much more subdued than before, tears flowing freely, as he looks up to adore the silver moon.