#The Blue Room at The Tokyo Edition

[kokoch4n3l]

˗ˏˋ sacrifice(eat me up) ࿐ྂ "I dedicate to you my life, you can devour me whole"

summary: you held grudges. too many of them. so when Mikey beats your ass and puts you into a two-day coma after the disbandment of Toman, you're pissed and without thinking, show up at his place with a knife to get some revenge. It doesn't turn out the way you expected.

notes: inspired by the lyrics of sacrifice by enhypen. my first [y/n] fic and first ever fic written in second person! I hope it's acc good lol. NOT edited. mndi divider by cafekitsune

warning: gang violence, near-death experience, use of weapons, toxic relationships, slight knife play(?), suggestive themes, death threats, mature language, pet names(baby, pretty baby)

pairing: kanto!mikey x f!reader

word count: 1256

It felt like the world was ending when Mikey disbanded Toman. It was so out of the blue, so out of nowhere, so random, you couldn't understand why he did that or why you were so upset in the first place because it's not like you were ever officially a member anyway. You were simply a glorified nurse for the captains of the gang. You Mikey’s childhood friend, both of you training at his father’s dojo, close to Baji as well. When Mikey created Tokyo Manji Gang oh you pissed off. Girls weren’t allowed in biker gangs. It was annoying but you were an unofficial member by affiliation somehow. Somehow. 

Mikey was acting weird after that. Or at least on a particular day when shit really came crashing down on you. He came over to your house, knuckles bloody, a blank look on his face. As usual, you patched him up. Took care of him while your phone was buzzing with calls from Mitsuya, Draken, Pah and all the former captains. As you answered, Mikey grabbed your phone and threw it at the wall. In one swift move, Mikey pinned you to the floor. He had left you for last after pushing away the old squad leaders, giving you a beating that you were certain could have killed you if you didn't fight back. He wanted to move on. He wanted nothing to do with you, nothing to do with Draken, or Mitsuya, or Pah, and he was always someone who got his way in the end. 

But you were stubborn and held grudges. So when you wake up from your two-day coma and can stand without wanting to pass out, you go to Mikey’s place with a switchblade in your pocket and your left wrist in a cast. It isn’t hard to barge into his room since you have a spare key. He was doing something. You didn’t know exactly what but before he could turn around you flicked open the switchblade. Just as he turns around you take the chance and lunge at him, sending the both of you to the floor of the shed and you press the short blade to his throat. Mikey makes no move to try and defend him. Instead, he’s looking like this amused him. Like he knew you would come back because no matter what he's put you through, you always had in the end. It was almost humiliating. “A knife?” he murmurs, his hands coming up to hold your hips while you straddle him “That’s cute, still can’t beat me just like when we were kids?”

That angers you. The tone he was using, the memories he was using against you. It wasn’t fucking fair. You had never been able to beat him during sparing sessions when you still used to go to the dojo. Even now, you can’t. It wasn’t fucking fair. You give him the nastiest look you can muster and press the blade a bit harder against his throat. “I’ll kill you. I swear I’ll fucking kill you Manjiro” You hiss angrily at him ��You think you can do that shit to me and get away with it?”

Mikey however, laughs. He fucking laughs. “Yeah, I do think that”

You feel annoyed. Mikey’s hair is out, not in the usual half-up half-down style. His dark circles were prominent and he looked paler than usual. But fuck he was still so pretty. “You’re a fucking asshole Mikey—”

“—Manjiro” He says in a way that corrects you, squeezing your hips “not Mikey… Manjiro”

“Shut up!” You yell and use your half-casted hand and punch him in the jaw

Mikey doesn’t even flinch nor does he make a sound. He rolls his jaw and stares up at you with a blank look and squeezes your hips even tighter. “I’ll kill you! I swear to god I’ll kill you!” You yell at him “Why the fuck did you do that to me?!”

You could feel yourself getting emotional. It was your weakness. You tended to cry when you got too angry. It was embarrassing and the reason you didn’t get angry as much and right now you hoped you didn’t burst out into tears while you were holding a knife to the Invincible Mikey’s throat. But you start to tear up anyway, your vision going blurry. “You gon’ cry, baby?” Mikey murmurs, a hand coming up to hold your cheek so carefully in comparison to last time when he almost killed you with those same hands

It’s humiliating. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. You were supposed to hurt him the same way he hurt you. But you had always been weak when it came to Mikey. Even after he hurt you like he did, even after he almost killed you— you were weak. “I hate you…” You sniffle as tears start to run down your cheeks “I hate you so much Manjiro”

Your tears drip down your eyes and onto his face due to the way you’re hovering over him. But Mikey doesn’t waver nor does he change the condescending expression or tone he has. It was embarrassingly easy for him to pull the switchblade out of your hand. You shiver as he drags the blunt edge of it against your cheekbone while you continue to cry. Mikey sits up and you slide down from his hips to his lap, straddling his thighs now. “Poor little baby” He says softly but in the same mocking tone, now dragging the blunt edge of the blade against your jaw

Tears run down your cheeks and you sniffle, shuddering nervously each time the cool metal makes contact with your skin. “Manjiro…” You cry like a damn child “Why did you do that to me?”

Mikey however smiles as you cry. He leans over and licks up your tears. It’s gross. You cringe and flinch away from him but his free hand that wasn’t holding the switchblade has a firm grip on your waist. “So pretty, hm… My pretty baby” 

He wasn’t taking you seriously. This was fun to him and it was making you even more mad and then anger was making you cry like a damn child. “This isn’t fair” You cry as he lowers you onto the floor on your back

Mikey has the blade pressed to your throat now, your hand lay limp on either side of your head. “It isn’t?” his tone is mocking “It was all just a test… Wanted to see if you’d always come back to me just as you said you would. Now look baby, you passed my test”

He sounds oddly cheery for someone who has a switchblade pressed to your throat and almost killed you about a month ago in your own house. “I’ll devour you whole like I want and you’ll let me like you always do” Mikey whispers as he presses a kiss to your forehead and presses the sharp edge of the blade slightly harder against your throat “You’ll let me won’t you?”

You were weak. Always too damn weak for Mikey. You sniffle and desperately grasp at his shirt. It was always like that and it would stay like that. You would let Mikey hurt you, kill you, bring you back to life, eat and devour you whole and spit you out as he pleases because… Because you were weak. “Yes…” you choke out through helpless and heartbreakingly sad-sounding whimpers

Mikey smiles and his free hand slides under your shirt. “Good girl… Now let me get a taste”

[eroticdarling]

Slxtcember Day One

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ A Kidnapped Doll ୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

꒰ა Abduction Seduction ໒꒱

✧˖° ࣪♡ Meaning — A kink that involves kidnapping someone in a loving manner.

✧˖° ࣪♡ Featuring — Haruchiyo Sanzu

✧˖° ࣪♡ Fandom — Tokyo Revengers

✧˖° ࣪♡ Any au? — Yandere-ish

✧˖° ࣪♡ Warnings — ♡ Fem!Reader ♡ Kidnapping Kink ♡ Porn W Plot ♡ Obsession ♡ Stalking ♡ Pet Names (Princess) ♡ Face Sitting ♡ Face Riding ♡ Pussy Eating ♡ Tongue Fucking ♡ Anal Fingering ♡ Pussy Fingering ♡ Overstim ♡ Daddy Kink ♡ Nose Grinding ♡

✧˖° ࣪♡ A/n — This wasn't fully proofread, so when I have time, I'll most definitely proofread this and make a few edits if needed. Also, this is my first time doing a yandere concept, so if anyone has any advice to give me, please tell me. One more thing, if you couldn't tell, I made this in a joking manner 🤭.

You sat in a dark room with only your hands tied up behind your back and tape covering your mouth with only one light that brightened the small looking room.

Where the fuck am I?. You thought to yourself as you looked around at your surroundings scared for dear life.

You were taking a nice walk around your neighborhood at midnight since the crime rates were low, and there was a one percent chance of a kidnapping like this.

To say the least, you put up a good fight against the stranger, and before he could put the substance that made you faint over your nose, you got a faint look at him.

He was about 6'0 in height with long rosy pink hair styled in a mullet that reached down to his shoulders and downturned blue eyes with prominent eyelashes.

It was sad, you were part of the one percent, but before you could slowly lose your sanity, you took a few deep breaths and looked for anything you could break or untie the thick ropes with and with the grace of God you saw a sharp piece of glass beside you.

You quickly got the glass shard and scratched it against the brown ropes. It cut through nicely, and with a few more good cuts, you would've been free until you heard the door open while cutting.

You stopped and quietly dropped the glass behind you and scooted back to could sit on the glass so the kidnapper couldn't see it and then put your back against the cold wall to prevent them from seeing the half cut ropes.

Footsteps that were walking down the stairs were heard, and you looked up to see your kidnapper clearly as he wore permanent scarring on the corners of his lips, also having a tattoo on his right forearm and four piercings on each ear.

The scared face man was looking down at you with a grin, and it wasn't a lie that this man was the definition of hot but you wasn't supposed to think like that because he literally kidnapped you.

But you could've made an exception, right?

"Well, Princess, looks like you're up." The man said as he bent down to get a better look at you.

He could see the anger that was filled behind your beautiful (e/c) eyes, and it made him let out a small chuckle.

"What's wrong? I thought you had a thing for being kidnapped?" He said, which made you disoriented cause how the fuck did he know that?

You never shared the information with anyone, and it was something you enjoyed in your head, not in real life.

Getting kidnapped and fucking your kidnapper was like something in a Wattpad fantasy world and from a fanfic you might have saw on there that made you secretly like it.

Maybe it was a guilty pleasure, but you kept it to yourself.

"I watch you every day, and I wonder how a woman like you can be so beautiful," He said in a calm tone.

You always had a feeling that someone was watching you but brushed it off because you thought it was your imagination.

Really thinking maybe you were just paranoid, not to mention that every time the thought popped in your head, you would strip tease with the curtains open, then put up the middle finger before closing the curtains.

All this time, your intuition was right, and you were being stalked, but at least he looked good enough to be your stalker.

"So that's why when you finally let your guard down, I knew it was the perfect chance because you were practically begging for it." He finished off, making you question yourself.

You pretty much were begging to end up like this cause what in God's name would possess you to go for a walk at midnight when you already had a feeling of being watched.

He was a little right, but that alone shouldn't give him the opportunity to snatch someone up like this.

"So tell me y/n, is this what you've been fantasizing about?" He asked before realizing your mouth was taped up and instantly took the tape off, ready for an answer.

"No, it's not." You said bluntly, only making him laugh.

"Sorry I couldn't do better Princess, besides I didn't wanna hurt you~♡" He said in a seductive tone that made him sound more hotter than he looked.

"So may we continue this little fantasy of yours?" The man said, lifting up your chin and his face inches closer to yours.

"I don't fuck strangers, pinky." You said straightforward enough to make his eyes widen.

"Well, where are my manners, the name's Sanzu, but for you, call me daddy." He said, making you turn away in cringe.

"I'm pretty sure sharing names is one way to get to know each other." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"N/n." You said, not wanting to give him your real name.

"See, we're not strangers no more." He smirked at you.

You couldn't lie, he made you want to make him an exception from the way he talked to the way he looked.

It felt wrong to live in a Wattpad fantasy, and now was like a chance to take it, even though it meant throwing your morals out the window.

"Untie me then." You said, making him look at you with amusement.

"Give me a reason to." He said.

"Come closer." You teased as he obeyed your command, getting closer, inches to your face.

You let your intrusive thoughts take over and saw this as an opportunity to kiss him, and to your surprise, his lips were soft and tasted like strawberries.

The kiss deepened as he reached something out his back pocket, and you felt the ropes get cut. Your hands were free, and you put one of them on his face, cupping his cheek.

His hands found their way to your waist, and he slowly laid down on the floor with you following his moments. At this point, you both were making out while you were lying on top of him.

Your lips separated so you both could take a breath,"Ride my face, Princess." He demanded, making you take off your shoes, then your baggy pants along with your panties.

You moved up to his face and hovered over him with your legs planted on the ground and your bare cunt on display for him to vividly see.

From his view, he thought it looked sexy how he could see your wet pussy and that itself indicated you were enjoying yourself which was true.

You liked this moment of sitting on his pretty face and letting him eat you out for your pleasure. Even though you could think of anything better than this, it would probably be one of your top five.

You couldn't wait for him to fully take in the view and instantly sat on his face, not letting him see one glimpse of light.

When you suddenly felt his tongue giving you kitten licks on your clit it sent shivers down your spine. The way his wet and warm tongue swirled over your puffy nub made you see stars.

He rubbed two fingers in between your slit and circled over your hole, then put the two fingers in before he started going in and out of you at a slow pace.

Adrenaline was coursing through your veins not only because you were sitting on your kidnappers face but because this was your first time doing something like this. You actually were living a fantasy that you had been thinking about for days.

You were even lucky enough to have a kidnapper that was exactly your type as well.

Sanzu fingers started from a slow pace to a much faster tempo while he was eating you out like he hadn't eaten for days.

His mouth is attached to your clitoris sucking on it while his tongue is licking over the nub with your honey like moans, giving him more enthusiasm.

He loved how you had a grip on his pink hair in your hands, grinding on his face. You wanted this man so bad because how he was treating you and your pussy.

He unattached his mouth to your clit so he could insert his fingers in then he took them out and went back to sucking your clit.

His other hand was positioned on your ass and moved up your back, pushing it down to make you arch your back.

The middle and ring fingers he wet circled your second hole, and he gently slid his middle finger in your ass. This made your breath hitch before he started moving his finger.

After he started moving one, he added the second digit and went a little faster. The feelings that you were feeling were unfamiliar since you never did this before.

It was a mixture of a weird pleasure you couldn't really explain and as his fingers moved through your asshole his tongue went back to your pussy, this time sliding it in your hole.

He grind his tongue inside of you which made his nose brush your clit so you grinded harder against his nose to receive more friction.

"Daddy, I'm about to cum." You managed to moan out making Sanzu dick get hard. The thought of you coming on him was now drilled into his head, and he wanted it more than ever.

Sanzu worked faster through your filled holes, giving you permission to come on him.

Your head hung low with a medium blush covering your face while your hands stuck to the floor for leverage, but your arms were already feeling they were about to give out.

The ecstacy the man was giving you pushed you to your limit, and with some strokes of his mouth and fingers, your cloudy white orgasm coated the lower part of his face.

Your legs were trembling from how hard you came, and the feeling was getting better when Sanzu started licking your abused pussy more.

After he was done, he took his fingers out of your asshole before leaving sweet kisses on your pussy then lifting you up by your waist moving you to the side with no struggle.

You looked at the man downturned blue eyes that were hiding under his pink lashes, and then your eyes roamed down to his pants where you saw a large clear white stain in the middle of them.

"Did you?" You questioned him, making him look at you.

"You tasted so good I couldn't help myself." He said, sitting up from the cold floor feeling discomfort from the cum that was in his boxers.

"Alright, get up. I'm gonna take a quick shower, and then I'll take you home." He said, getting off the floor and gathering your clothes and shoes to give them to you.

Put your stuff back on and stood up watching him go upstairs, which made you follow behind him. You looked at the windows, seeing that the sun was already coming up.

"I'm not doing anything special, so can I stay for a little?" You asked receiving a stare from the man.

In all honesty, you really weren't doing anything special since today was luckily your day off, and usually you would be in bed strolling through your phone.

"Mmmm..." He sarcastically thought about the question for a long time then looked back at you.

"No, I'm busy today." He said, making you sigh.

"Please." You begged with your hands clasped together.

The man then let out a long exhale and finally gave in, "Fine, whatever." He rolled his eyes.

"I knew I could make you give in." You said as your tone got seductive and your eyes went low.

You then moved in front of him and yanked the tie that was connected to his blue suit, making him jerk down, giving you this opportunity to kiss him.

Suddenly, you felt yourself get lifted up as the kiss had gotten deeper.

"You can't get enough of me now, can you?" He said, breaking the kiss with a smirk plastered on his face.

"I guess not." You replied with the same smirk as his before kissing him once more.

[45622211111]

the description fits this sukuna drawn by @cuviz . i'll commission (they're open!) a fitting piece to this story, so stay tuned.

"…field worker of food enterprise »yūjiocha« has collapsed on the 24th of this august. health officials have shared that the 52-year-old suffered from breathing difficulties up to a heat stroke. following this shocking incident, the company has been under fire due to its low payment of field and indoor workers in rural sendai. the company's domicile in tokyo has been blocked by strikers as we speak, demanding fair working conditions. what makes citizens worry is the CEO-"

"anotha day with the same ol' stories," the taxi-driver mumbles, his head cowering under the windshield to examine the billboards.

you follow his direction and are greeted with the shiny exterior of ads over ads, raging from fashion brands to promotional thumbnails for upcoming movies. they contrast wonderfully with the grey and damp weather, the vividness too intense for this early traffic jam.

orange plus green letters of the said brand appear with a 3d animation of a rotating matcha tea packet. the name alone makes you swallow, your shoulders knotted as rain drops glide down the window. "hm, unfortunately."

"headin' there, aren't ya? ya're with dose devils?" you are quick to pick out his sarcasm but don't hold back from covering your chest with sweaty hands. "no, no! i'm here for the press conference! have to step in for my colleague, that's why."

"ya nervous?" from the backseat you hear the lightness in his tone. if he can sense it, than what's the point of trying to make excuses? really, it was a mixture of both excitement and nauseau. if it weren't for your co-worker telling you last minute, you would've had to wait for the next blue moon. it couldn't be compared to the never-ending online researches at home - this was a once in a life time opportunity for your career.

your thoughts come to an abrupt stop when the car pulls over. "kick their asses, yeah?"

"… queries are only allowed within your designated time. please refrain from shouting out," after half an hour of a protracted introduction with the help of a slide-show, the lady in glasses puts the microphone down - especially painful when your view is blocked by loads of technical equipment and tall backs of men in suits.

"good morning, shibuya network speaking here. we're interested in hearing the opinion of the CEO himself." the reporter sits down and the action builds anticipation in you with how swift this already works. nothing like what's shown on edited broadcasts or 30 pages of transcript for homework.

you raise your chin from the back of the spacious room. the two men at the podium exchange expressions. at first you don't understand their worrisome looks, until a screeching vibration echoes in the hall, as if an object is being dragged along something sharp. you squeeze your eyes open to the third person in the middle.

"you wanna hear my opinion?" your gaze dances across the room, trying to search for a reaction in the several women and men around you. have they just heard the exact same thing as you or are you caught in the sketch of some sadistic comedian?

"yes sir, your opinion."

the silence doesn't drag on for long, "of what?"

"sir, one of your worker-"

"i'm aware of that."

"after he collapsed-"

"yeah?"

"what exactly are you-"

"what are you aiming at?" a quasy feeling settles in your stomach.

"sir, what measures are you going to take?" the man finally snaps with rushed words, as anyone else would naturally do so.

"doin' as always." his face is cold, his movements solid.

"next question please," the spokesperson on the left side states.

you mouth goes dry. you recall why you've been hesitant when you got the call from your fever-plagued office partner, nobara kugisaki.

a few journalists and news outlets survey general questions relating to the company itself which makes your legs bounce with thin patience. can't they postpone these for another public gathering? at this state you weren't even sure if everyone would get a turn.

"in the last five years ryomen sukuna has held back from providing the public with clarifications on the many rumors he has been involved in… mr ryomen, would you be so kind and enlighten us?" a tall, white-haired woman sits down. some part of your brain tells you that she is grinning, although her voice has been stagnant despite some alarmed countenances on the stage.

the addressed man leans back - not without a chuckle though.

the next participant takes the mic. you are confused.

you reread your notes. is it worth asking when this conference has either denied or made fun of the press inquiries this far? you aren't one to defend gossip magazines who survive off his or anyone's questionable past, but this was too out-of-place for your own liking. simply put: it is disrespectful.

"good stories osaka, mr ryomen, please tell us about your alco-"

"we don't entertain this type of output from here on. please focus on recent activities or refrain from speaking."

you follow the white bow. "good morning, kyoto today here. sir, have you already been in contact with the victim's family? and how will you compensate your workers in the future? thank you for your cooperation." your ears perk up and you immediately cross out one scribbled line.

"that man is out of the hospital. i don't see a need to compensate anyone."

gasps and whispers spread throughout the tense air. right now, you can observe the only positive: the reporter's stance - how she confidently protrudes among the hushed outbreak, her grip on the microphone unwavering.

"so i'll take you don't intend on raising the standard of your worker's conditions anytime soon?"

"never planned to."

honestly, you aren't sure what to do when the room errupts with audible complaints and writers violently pressing down on their keyboards. "is this legal?" a reporter with a green notepad wants to know. others demand their camera men to "get everything on camera! no, zoom in!" and give them a slap on the back to get closer.

"please keep it quiet for the last contendors - if not, we are obligated to cancel this session."

your heart picks up at an uncomfortable frequency. you take deep breaths.

"from the daily press - mr ryomen, how will you deal with the recent protest in front of this very building?"

the men around him have long ago loosened their ties, sitting back in their chairs, handkerchiefs pressed against their red temples. by reading them you understand their missing courage to talk some sense into the CEO. even if, is this man capable of seeing his own faults?

"i'd like to see how long they'll drag this out - prolly not long."

the lady's arm points upward, "but sir! you are aware the people outside are your employees, right?!" it wasn't the first time during this knot garden that an interviewer has sounded like they are on the edge of insanity.

"so? there are enough volunteers who will take their places."

the woman near you sinks down without another word. your wrinkly page has ended up as a muddy ball of paper. you could theoratically get up and leave at any given time but with the cramped up space around you, you'd have to sit through this until the end.

thanks to your inner monologue you almost miss the black object pocking into your panorama.

now or never.

when you take the mic into your hand, you wince at the short self-noise. "kanagawa news… sir, i'll be brief: what's your purpose at yūjiocha?"

you can't unsee the way his knuckles push against the side of his cheek with the most uninterested glare - pierced brow not moving an ounce while you are mentally fluctuating for his answer.

"you tell me what my purpose is. you journalists love to pretend to know everything. isn't that so…"

you raise your brows. his derisive layer of throwing you and other hard-working writers into the same pot with gossipers leaves a bitter taste on your tongue.

"sir, i didn't assume anything. my question is: what's your personal ambition - you don't give the impression of having a goal as the chairman of your own company." you're at loss for words by none other than your own self. from the edges of your vista you find heads sticking together. the camera directed at you doesn't go unnoticed either.

that was the harmless part - not when his eyelids drop at your comment. in a flash, you question your own professionality. are you wrong?

"oh, so now you're telling me what to do?"

you huff. "that is not my intention, sir. i'm wondering why this - when you're acting reckless with the company of your-"

"a nobody from the gutter press is seriously teaching me about my business? tch."

"next one," the spokesperson moves on.

you remember the prominent throb in your throat, blurring out the last back-and-forths until everyone, one by one, started to exit the hall. his team is the first one to do so and you fear that this belittling memory will never fully dissolve.

the next day doesn't reward you for your rookie service either. the brown-haired woman walks up and down, prior to sitting down and repeating the same pattern anew.

"…means i can't use it?"

nobara, your senior of two years with more experience in the world of critical writing supports her head with her right palm. "hold on," the corner of her mouth twists in annoyance as she analyzes the screen of her pink tablet.

"these sons of bitches have not only imposed a copyright restriction because of a goddamn power point presentation but also threaten us with cutting our money!?" it was only a question of time when she would go berserk. you weren't going to risk calming her down when she had all the right in the world - unfortunately copyrights excluded - to complain about the supergiant's legal terms.

as you found out - just hours ago after terrible five hours of sleep - the press is not allowed to share the conference recording on any platform. on top of that, the financial pressure of withdrawing advertising money is pushed down your throats in case companies release a - as quoted - smear campaign against their precious CEO.

"i don't get it… why attempt hiding it? the media already knows," you chew on your lip at the thought of having to let your very first citation go to waste. you weren't going to allow your own sweat and (almost) tears go down the drain. not when they are the ones in the wrong on so many levels.

"i'll tell you why… these pigs can't risk more damage! knuckles-deep in the mud and they still have the audacity to stop journalism! over my dead body!" the aroma of berries floats your nostrils when she raises her steamy mug.

"what's the plan?"

"(name). see this as your first main quest from your kugisaki girl herself, 'kay? WE'RE GOING TO FINISH THIS NO MATTER WHAT! EVEN IF THEY WERE TO FLOAT THIS OFFICE! those recordings aren't going anywhere!" her arm cramps up when the coughing fit returns.

you immediately begin your text, fueled with fire from her motivational speech. as your job requires, you are here in the first place because you've promised to reveal the shady side of the business world. you wouldn't want to let your partner in crime down - not when you were entrusted with this important task.

"thank you, nobara-san."

"that's the spirit, rookie. let's end those wretched capitalists! they better be grateful that i had a fever… i would've jumped them all!"

the yellowish light of your overly bright display blinds you in the shades. the blue logo of the daily press dissapears. your thumb enters the key words and urgently scrolls down the black on white.

user8653346

another nepo baby who gets away with THEIR usual egotistic IDIOCITY. we live in a rich man's world everyone!

anonymous

I'm dissapointed with the amount televison and CO publicize. Why do they downplay the traumatizing event of a victim and make traces of the protest dissapear.... inhumane. Thank you and anyone else who has covered this evil crime for us.

z.9999

Why act surprised? He has a bunch of illegal acts held against him yet he gets away!!? I'm more concerned for the people who've lost their jobs!

anonymous

threathening journalists shocks me the least... what has daddy’s company become? ヾ(´��｀)

a notification from nobara pops up, showing screenshots of hilarious responses under other tokyo-based publications over the last days. it's quite a relief they haven't held back either.

but the happiness wouldn't last long of course.

"utahime-senpai just emailed me. (name), you can't imagine how enraged i am. meet me at the office." the green and red symbols dissapear along her name.

your heart pounds as you run down the busy streets. no time to take a bite or look in the mirror. at the crosswalk, you weigh if you should get a quick meal and later hop into a taxi or train.

the neon green window display of the convenience store finds you at the right time. after paying for food and a bottle of water you're about to run to the next station, however, the magazine stand catches your attention instead. you should sprint to your office as soon as possible yet you're curious about one thing.

you turn the pages and eventually find your own article. you quiver at the touch of the physical copy. it hasn't vanished. you let out a relieved groan and with the satisfied exploration, you flee through the automatic doors.

"i would like to have a word with the manager regarding the supply of non-updated newspaper in here."

"nobara…"

the said woman is leaning her arms against the top of her cluttered desk. without any remark you place your bag down.

her lids are shut.

minutes pass.

"these fuckers have taken down utahime-senpai's entry," striking back this early? "legal protection for copyright violation! copyright violation?! - they can't be serious!" her skin slams against the wood, twice. she lets out another yell, "gahhh!"

"she hasn't inserted the entire video material on her website," you can't find a reason why on god's green earth there should be any dilemma with her senior's article. it's not like writers aren't familiar with the rules in connection to giving credits, likewise with how and when to use correct quotations and other sources.

"ah you see, three minutes out of 2 hours crisis communication is too long! hah! how dare we forget about proprietary visuals! that half-assed presentation and ugly logo are allegedly commercialization!" she clears her throat in a dramatic manner, "now they limit distributions unless certain parts are changed. exploitation of underlying speech my ass!"

you curse under your breath. "what about us? have we exploited proprietary materials?" you cringe at the terms.

she shares the same sentiment, although now more wearisome. "that's why i've invited you over. just got a message from the pitiful sons themselves," she rolls the computer mouse with her index. "i'm not surprised anymore," she lets out. "we consider filing for legal action regarding the article written and published by your media press journalist (fn) (name) in case it is not taken offline within the next 12 hours,"

you bump into her side and continue to read out loud, "the content of the article titled »fair payment for hard labour: executive ryomen sukuna's biggest income or greatest weakness?« on the 28th of this month includes reputation-damaging conspiracy on behalf of CEO ryomen sukuna's private and professional credibility. our chief executive officer has suffered great harm to his public image in recent days through burgeoning cyber harassment and thus financial destabilization.

the usage of »[…] he's shamelessly open about his lacking empathy for his own work force.«, »[...] getting his position handed (and maintained) on a silver platter […]« and the last paragraph in your text, »what does mr ryomen intend to achieve? one can only look at the priviliged offspring with the empathy he seems to miss whenever he makes an appearance on national TV […]« are missleading accusations without official proof. throughout his career as an executive chief, ryomen sukuna has worked hard for his responsibilities no matter what grand force he is facing.

we must also remind you that mr ryomen has fairly earned his position as the heir of the late wasuke itadori. his accomplishments as a widely-accepted humanitarian representative can be reached via the links provided below. we request you take your article offline or we are duty-bound to take legal proceedings against your company »kanagawa news« and journalist (fn). we are looking forward to a quick response."

you are torn between laughing and touching grass outside. "isn't that funny?" the brunette turns to you but you shake your head in disbelief. "this must be a sick joke."

"not gonna lie, i was a click away from sharing this on my socials. should've send it to every single media channel in this damn prefecture. hah… what a circus… humanitarian? pff…"

your fingers poke at your forehead. you never had to deal with this before, not when you had already covered big names once or twice without any backlash on how angelic their respective nepo babies are. a brat disguised as a grown man… making his minions do the dirty job while he is getting payed millions for exploiting farmers and factory workers.

you can't believe it.

the difficultty of trying to swallow is suffocating. besides just giving up and doing as they preach, this is surrendering - falling down on your knees to get spared by his hierarchic superiority. is this how the rest gets treated behind the scenes? - getting their own principals deranged by some power-hungry maniacs? oh, you have truly underestimated them.

another pause befalls the small office. you see colleagues from the other department pass by the huge pane. the broken light bulb above is twitching. you huff in exhaustion. nobara should tell you what to do since any decisison today will be regretted in one way or another.

"we can't give those bastards the satisfaction," she finally breaks the silence, "let's make them shake longer and solve this pile of shit in the evening, i'm too tired for this freak show. also… we can't delete your oscar-worthy exposure just yet, can we?"

purples and oranges bleed between the mild blue patches. when you step out, the town is dipped in a desaturated shade. at least the sun isn't fully up so you can escape the heat in the confinement of your four walls.

with every step you fall deeper into a spiral: a dark abyss of humiliation and utter disgust in the face of your new reality. what wong-doing outside of wanting to serve justice have you commited? you want to scream to your heart's content but even that is prohibited to you.

damned be that disgusting man.

what makes his horrible soul deserving of power when he's shamelessly spitting at workers? just because he doesn't consider them worth his while?

your skin burns with anger whenever you revisit his responses. a nobody. you shouldn't let it get to you but experiencing it first hand leaves you with wishing him the absolute worst. your article could only express one-sixth of your honest opinion on a self-centered bitch like him. you can't wrap your head around the fact that he still stands proud as the official CEO. no consequences for him.

"ahh!"

the numbness is abruptly replaced by a mild ache in your nose.

"oh i'm sorry!" you are still busy holding your face when you catch a glimpse of your opposite. the novelty of the stranger's face feels weirdly soothing the exact moment you meet his blue orbs.

"my bad! hey, are you hurt?" his limbs spread out with a respectful distance, his concern tangible.

"it's okay!" you wave your hand, "should've looked where i go and not space out, hih," you try to lighten the situation with a chuckle. it does its wonder as he drops his long arms to his sides.

"you're from here?" you are taken back by the asudden quizzing. "uh, yes," you manage to respond back after just starting to slip by him. you are not in the mood to start a conversation with a male stranger so you stride with the same heaviness again.

"(fn) (name). i quite enjoyed reading your article. what was it again? - big executive who doesn't pay his employees?"

you throw a glance over your shoulder. should you be on high alert in his presence? who is this white-haired man and how does he know it's you? you don't have any official pictures- oh. the press conference. don't tell me he's one of his men? as expected, a pinch of fear gets in your way, yet you can't let that stop you.

"yeah, that's me. want to enlighten me to whom i owe the pleasure of speaking?" your arms stick to your body like magnets. as much as you want to appear strong, on the inside you try your best to not freak out.

white teeth manifest as he lets out a playful laugh at your irony. "huh, if you insist this early - gojo satoru," he does a slight bow which you accept with rolling eyes. what a player. "hope your majesty is in a joyful mood," he goes on. shouldn't you feel threatened like you've preached seconds ago?

"oh, don't escape me!" he launches forward and you pick up your pace. "what?!"

"but you didn't let me finish!" he puffs his cheeks out and you don't know how to reply to that. is he being serious? are you trapped in a money laundering scheme from nearby, perhaps?

"nuh uh, i don't need your money! on the contrary, give me a minute to introduce myself!" you try your best to stand your ground despite his childish antics. "you have to trust me for that though…" his index beckons you, "would you do a favour for me? - with recompensation, of course," he grins.

commissions, support: ko-fi 🍥

[never4night]

Mine

Part l 🌹 ⚠

Bonten!Sanzu X male reader

warnings: drug use and dependency, toxic relationship/circumstances, mental health(will update, I didn’t edit it yet)

ft. hades characters

————————————————————

Y/n sat quietly, near the head of the bed, staring blankly into the empty walls that seemed to loom in front of him. The room felt too quiet, almost stifling, despite the colorful neon lights that he’d come to learn to associate with Tokyo trickling into the room. The sound of the hustle of others still going about their lives down below despite the time, creeps up into the still apartment through the cracks of the hastily drawn curtains. The room glowed a faint neon red, outshining the slivers of light cascading from the moon that hung full, alone in the cloudy starless night. The shadows of the room felt just a tad bit darker, he would muse. His mind was empty, thoughts and desires disappearing just as quick as the ideas flickered by.

But his heart was restless.

Fast-paced and yearning for something he couldn’t quite place. Y/n felt alone as he sat awake on the king-size bed in the early dawn morning, aimlessly running his fingers over the seams of one of his favorite blankets rested partially over his torso, too hot to use it to fully cover himself but also too used to the comfort to completely forgo the object entirely. A quick strobe of light illuminated out of the corner of his eye catches Y/n’s attention, his phone resting on the nightstand closest to him on the right, one new notification.

Moderate rain will start in 7 mins. expected to last 42 mins. For more information click…

Y/n glanced at the shuttered windows, envisioning the neon color of the city diluted in a muted gray hidden behind the fabric. The sound of the cool autumn rain against his warm skin seemed like a good idea. The dreary weather never failed to remind him of his hometown, it was something he always revered as deeply calming, no matter where he found himself staying. He felt he was coherent enough to make the short drive home if that meant he could go and watch the rain, he reckoned to himself. Skin slid slowly against cool satin sheets as he pulled himself up, further out of the bed on the verge of getting up, having come to the quick decision.

A different shift of the bed immediately lulled his head left, towards the sound.

A sea of long pink waves lay spread across gray sheets, adorn brighter under the red light draped closely over the dark room. Pale, white skin wrapped in cool, dark sheets rested his boyfriend Sanzu, Haruchiyo. A ghost of a smile drifted onto Y/n’s blank face as he regarded his boyfriend’s sleeping form. He was glad to see the other man peacefully asleep, still for once in his life. While he did like being around his boyfriend, it took a lot out of the already low energy Y/n to have been forcefully dragged over to Sanzu’s apartment after a full day at the offices. From overseeing his own club and solidifying business ideas on better relations with the West with Koko, to then being coerced after work to entertain his boyfriend by joining in on whatever he considered fun at the moment. To spend a rare afternoon free together.

He’s pretty when he shuts up though. Y/n’s eyes linger fondly over the exposed skin for a moment before he shifts further onto his right, peering lazily over the hardwood floor for any signs of where his shirt and pants went. Discarded amongst other haphazardly dropped items left sometime earlier by the pair.

A pale hand appeared wordlessly, wrapped around Y/n’s darker skin, desolate brown eyes followed the connected arm latched onto his smaller left wrist. Roaming north as they came to clash against a sleepy mix of blue. One that Y/n could never seem to find anywhere else but was reminded of whenever he saw a different shade of blue eyes, pretty, he would acknowledge. A tired smile mirrored the weary eyes that Y/n found himself momentarily lost in, "Just stay here a bit little longer." Sanzu entreated, a deep rumble filled thick with sleep, a hopeful siren call for the other male to stay.

Y/n hummed softly in agreement as he reeled himself into the embrace of other, the grip on his wrist gliding around to connect his waist as he settled in closer to the taller man, lying chest to chest. Y/n promptly tucked himself into the comforting warmth of his boyfriend’s side. He had thought Sanzu was fully asleep, originally not wanting to wake the pink-haired male. Y/n almost buzzed at the romantic like feeling from the close contact. Wanting desperately to push Sanzu away, despite wanting to curl around his boyfriend, leaving Y/n stuck as his body practically pulsed wave after wave, as if a ship lost at sea.

Was he actually feeling this many conflicting emotions or was it just the Xanax, drinks and handful of other shit the two took earlier? Nearly a year into the same behavior and habits, and Y/n still couldn’t bring himself to be fully open and vulnerable like Sanzu had somehow managed. Or to come up with a better excuse to himself at this point. For now he allowed himself to just enjoy the moment.

Arms wrapped tighter around his frame pulling him closer, diminishing any air and wandering thoughts between the two. A content hum was reciprocated from Sanzu when all movement settled. His heart thrummed gently against Y/n’s chest, compelling his to match the slow steady beat, grounding the dissociated man. Soft kisses feathered down the column of Y/n’s neck, intelligible whispers murmured promises into the sepia brown skin. The spice of leftover whiskey on Sanzu’s breath, swirled with a hint of weed that still clung to their hair, cocooned the pair in a warm sheltered embrace. A tender hand wandered, caressing his lower back. The show of silent affection made Y/n almost want to preen, content under the light touch, cutting through his mindless fog.

Lazily hands trailed along a long-mapped routine down Y/n’s spine, fingers paused their tried and true course to rub circles on plush hips. “Y/n… stay here with me~.” Sanzu slurred, his words sounding like a pleading child asking for just a little more time. Despite sharp blue eyes pleading for something else entirely, as they took in Y/n’s near naked appearance, drinking in every last visible inch of skin. “You’re supposed to be mine for the night.” A right hand palmed up the valley of Y/n’s spine, long fingers curled around the base of his neck, drawing Y/n into a long slow kiss. Lips slotted together, trading hushed air, the two moved in tandem with no rush, enjoying the intimacy.

Y/n followed forward indulging in the kiss, seeking more much needed attention and touch in his inebriated mind. Giving into his touch-starved desires, he decided to take some initiative. Hiking a boxer clad thigh to rest over Sanzu’s hip, almost possessively, further tangling the two even closer. “ ‘m yours… and you’re all mine.” Y/n breathed out into the shorter series of docile kisses, fervent brown eyes gazed lidded, just slightly above him.

A sharp grin pulled the diamond-like scars on both sides of Sanzu’s lips. More alert than he had been mere moments before, blue eyes now containing a darker intent. “You’re all mine too, know that don’tcha, pretty little thing?” He said lowly, fingers curling taunt in the roots of dense multi-colored locks of curly hair at the nape of Y/n’s neck, pulling him all that closer into the kiss, growing more eager. The grip on his thigh tightened, squeezing and massaging the well placed fat. Sanzu’s tongue swiped Y/n’s bottom lip, meeting no resistance as he plunged forward, drawing a quiet but pleased breath from Y/n at the show of dominance.

Spurred on with each passing second, hands kneaded tighter, rougher against Y/n’s skin, pressing the two together tighter, needing the intimacy. Words emphasized between heavy breaths, tongue moving hungrily, taking possession of the kiss. “If it were up to me… I would keep you here… looking all pretty for me… Keep you where only I can see you since you're all mine… Mine to touch… Mine to taste… Mine to play with… My pretty boy.” The pure want in Sanzu’s voice was enough to have Y/n’s head spin. The deep quality of his voice alongside the dark possessive words stole Y/n’s breath, stuttering in his throat, panting as he tried to nod along to the others' selfish claim. He loved it when Sanzu was a dominating force, always taking whatever he wanted without any hesitation, whether at work or at home.

The hand left Y/n’s hair to join the other at his thighs, dragging him the rest of the way on top of Sanzu, making his straddle the taller. A low groan was pulled from Sanzu when Y/n brushed against his swelling cock. Fingers slipping under the waistband of Y/n’s boxers to grip, toy, and knead with the flesh there too. Shrunken pupils unbridled with the leftover ecstasy that Sanzu hadn’t fully slept off, their breathing turned scattered in mutual excitement.

[deepdreamnights]

Vidu and the Quest to Make More Toons

So, a ways back I talked about Minmax, but I've been trying out basically all the video generators looking for the tools I need, and low and behold this week I find out I've been accepted into the Vidu Artists program now, wherein I get credits and access to access their cooler features in in exchange for... talking about the tech and how I use it.

Well twist my arm. I shall endeavor to be objective and informative despite free stuff (a challenge my spirit needs practice withstanding if anyone else wishes to test me)

So let's talk Vidu.

(outside of being converted to gif, no animations in this post have been cut or edited)

Also, everyone say hi to Maureen the Lizard Queen, every hero needs an evil queen that really wants in his pteruges, and she's that for TyrannoMax.

Vidu's got a bit more oomph under the hood than MinMax (no shade to MinMax, they're brand new and very promising) and it's way too early to be picking winners when it comes to video.

Anyhow, basic features that are nice include the options to upload start and end frames, options for a 4 or 8 second duration (more about that later), and a cleanup/upscale. Credits line up more or less with seconds. 4 credits for a 4 second clip, 8 for an 8 second, and again at upscale. It's straightforward in a way a lot of services aren't.

Apetomic Pyle, done on the fast settings. (not to shabby still, and it gave him monkey legs which a lot of systems balk at)

If you're on the $30/mo tier, you can choose to do a double-cost "quality" over "speed" option. Thankfully, the artist program gets me access. Since there's not yet a seed option it's hard to do a direct comparison, but the quality is going to be a must if you're doing anything that looks like cel. Much cleaner, much smoother.

(4 and 8 second quality gens)

One of the nicest features is the character reference feature. Basically it's like Midjourney's --cref, but with a very strict adherence to character details.

The above images used reference shots of Maureen and Dr. Underfang, and it got the stripes on Underfang's tie right in basically every gen. That's a ridiculous level of character model adherence and, for my purposes, all but essential.

It did misinterpret Maureen's undertail coloration for a sort of fin or drape, but the shot I used was oddly cropped, and sometimes stuff like that happens with gen AI. Given my measuring stick for errors is the era of animation I'm emulating, whatever does slip through is only going to make it more authentic.

There is a limitation in that character-reference and text-only prompts default to 16:9 presently with no options to adjust, but some room to pan is always handy and most people are going to be outputting for phone and not outdated CRT televisions, so, it's understandable it'd be a lower priority feature for the devs.

Walk cycles! By Saint Eniac it's a miracle!

On the left we have one prompted with TyrannoMax's control art, and on the right we have one using that art as the starting frame (4 and 8 seconds, respectively).

Way More details under the fold.

Vidu likes a hefty prompt.

A lot of detail and evocative language helps, and older prompting tricks like mojo-jojoing important concepts are back. For the Max walk cycles above I used:

1986 vintage cel-shaded cartoon character walk cycle. The orange dinosaur-anthro wearing blue gladiator armor walks toward screen right, the camera tracks him, holding him in center-frame. He completes a full, brisk walk cycles from the side view. He walks boldly, back straight, head high, heroic. His tail sways behind him as he moves. The whole clip has the look and feel of vintage 1986 action adventure cel-animated cartoons. The animation quality is high, with flawless motion and anatomy. animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, studio Ghibli, don bluth. BluRay remaster. flat chroma-key green screen background

The potential for use with my Filmation-inspired technique is readily apparent. Both versions are on-model as much as any two shots in a 1980s action-figure shilling cartoon would be, some minor blurring to clean up in post but nothing serious. It should be pretty easy to extract the needed frames for looping and compositing.

Some Extra Points

There are the usual issues with hands, though more often than not it corrects my four-fingered anthros to having a human five-fingered hand. Buzby Spurlock animation was known for those kinds of inconsistencies, though. So an opening credits video is much less far off than it was at the last post.

It's also generally impressive how well it does with my dinosaur characters. Non-humanoid dinosaurs are difficult for most image generators, much less anthrosaurs in a vintage aesthetic. Vidu has yet to override the character art to give Underfang or Max the Jurassic Park style t-rex jaw, which is something both MJ and Dall-E 3 have trouble with.

Human characters like Kitty Concolor here, much more stable.

As always, clips are curated. I didn't choose my absolute best ones (gotta have something for the videos), and I'm working on a fun series of jank reels across all the generators.

[7ndipity]

More Songs That Remind Me Of Them

Ot7

A/N: I made a list like this ages ago here, but since y’all shared some songs that reminded you of the guys, I thought I’d make a new one!(lowkey want to make playlists for each member, but I don’t know if y’all would want those, lol)

Masterlist

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Jin:

J’s Lullaby by Delaney Bailey

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows

Cool Blue by The Japanese House

Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish

Wish by Choi Yuri

Yoongi:

Like Real People Do by Hozier

One of Your Girls by The Weekend, Lily-Rose Depp, & Jennie(I’ve seen too many tiktok edits not to mention this one)

I Wanna Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

11:11 by Taeyeon

I’m Your Girl by Khan

Hobi:

Reflections by The Neighborhood

My Love by Mitski

Don’t Go Insane by dpr Ian(lowkey need a collab from him and Hobi)

Dance by iamnotshane

Lights by Harry Styles

Namjoon:

Drown by Baekyun

If You Love Her by Tokyo Tea Room

Youth by Ateez

Green & Gray by Nickel Creek

Only For A Moment by Eric Nam

Jimin:

Wanderlust by Eloise

Darling by Seventeen

This Must Be My Dream by The 1975

Kiss Kiss by Shinee

Magic by Coldplay

Taehyung:

Break Up With Your Girlfriend by Arianna Grande

Dear Happy by Dodie & Thomas Sanders(don’t think abt how good he would sound singing this🥺)

Someone's Someone by Monsta X

Cherry by Harry Styles

I Fall In Love Too Easily by Chet Baker

Jungkook:

Day Night by Lee Youngji

Collision by Stray Kids

Stay by The Kid LAORI & Justin Bieber

Boys Like You by Dodie

Back To Me by The Rose

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @feminympho @a-gayish-unicorn @captainorangegoose @k4ngelz

[hyperfixationsporfavor]

Gojo x Reader wip (The Marriage)

Author's Note: Hey guys. I recently read the interview about Gojo that was translated. It made me think about this wip I've had in my drafts forever. It's from the last chapter of my Gojo x Reader fic (The Marriage). It's hasn't been edited but I want to share it with you beauties. If you haven't already you can check out the series. The interview has got me in my feels. I had an upcoming fic planned with Naoya but I'm thinking about switching it to our blue eyed king. Anyway, here is the wip. Enjoy!

Warnings: mentions of illness, super rough draft so read at your own risk!!!

The was a bounty on Satoru Gojo’s head.

He was just a child and already curse users across the country were plotting their strategies to obtain him dead or alive. A child in possession of the six eyes? The reward money for even one of his eyes would be enough to live five lifetimes in luxury. 

The Gojo clan knew this and took preventative measures to ensure Satoru’s safety. However, all their efforts were put in jeopardy one afternoon when it was discovered by a maid that Satoru was not in his room, after an extensive sweep is was determined he had left the estate. 

“Satoru Gojo,” his uncle hissed.

~

An eleven year old Satoru walked the streets of Tokyo by himself, he had occasionally snuck out of the estate before, but this time was different, people were actively looking for him, his family, and two curse users. Satoru had noticed them following him for awhile now, an old woman and a man with thick eyebrows had been observing him from a rooftop cafe while he played in the arcade in the building across the street. At first he hadn’t done anything, knowing they weren’t stupid enough to make a move in front of so many non sorcerers. So he just focused on Pac-Man for the time being.

Other kids his age stood in small groups around the other machines. As much as he pretended he not to care a small part of him, buried by years of strict upberinging, wished to join them. Spend the day with people his own age and not worry about the fate of society. Normalcy would have been true freedom. 

~

When he had his fill he walked out of the arcade and glanced up at the curse users. Eyebrows, or Groucho as he had dubbed him, was still staring. 

Get a life.

He was fed up with them so he returned rhe gaze, knowing it wouldn’t be long until they sensed it, his cursed energy. And surely enough, after a few seconds Groucho and Granny began to recoil. They knew what he was, how easy it would be for him to take both of them out. He broke eye contact and started walking down the busy street.

~

Satoru bought a box of nerds and a can of Fanta from the nearby 7- Eleven. He decided on taking his goods into a Best Buy nestled into a shopping mall, there he decided to barricade himself in the home theater display room in front of the flat screen tvs. Finally left in peace he chugged his soda and shoved handfuls of purple and pink nerds into his mouth. He loved stuff like this but at home he was regulated to a strict diet. No process, high calorie, and not an ounce of flavor. He hated it, he didn’t want to go back, maybe he should just run away. His family would definitely have noticed his absence by now. They would send someone shortly, he’d just have to enjoy what time he had left. Satoru leaned back in the recliner and watched the repeating trailers and music videos that were played to display the effectiveness of the flat screen. A security guard tapped the back of the chair he was in. 

“Hey kid, this isn’t a lounge. You can’t take your crap in here.”

Satoru rolled his eyes and continued to watch the N’sync music videos. 

The guard stood in front of him. “Where are your parents.”

Why was everyone over the age of twenty giving him a hard time today. He didn’t have to deal with it not now. So he warped out of the chair and discreetly landed in front of the store. 

“Have a good day,” the cashier said as he walked out. 

The security guard stood flabbergasted in front of the now empty seat, littered with an empty soda can and stray pieces of candy. 

The music video ended and the trailer for Miss Congeniality started playing. 

~

Satoru wandered around the mall for awhile after that eventually stopping at a small movie theater next to Sears. 

The poster for X-Men caught his eye. He had wanted to see it for awhile know but had been denied by his uncle since it was dangerous. 

“One ticket for X- Men please.”

~

Satoru was lucky enough to have the whole theater to himself. He settled in the the middle of the aisle in the back. Finally some peace and quiet. The trailers dragged on and finally the fx logo appeared accompanied by an orchestra to signify the arrival of Hugh Jackman and his claws. He got through the first twenty minutes of the film before a familiar voice spoke beside him. 

“There you are,” his father softly spoke. 

Satoru sighed. He had felt his father’s presence before he could see him and sure enough a guard from the Gojo estate stood expecactantly at the end of the aisle. 

“How did you find me?” Satoru asked. 

“There were reports of two curse users retreating from a white haired threat. You don’t exactly blend in Satoru,” the old man chuckled. 

Satoru reluctantly stood up. “Are we going now?”

Much to his surprise his father sat down in the seat next to his. “What do you mean? The film just started.”

The security guard stepped forward. “Sir-”

He held up a hand to stop him. “Call my brother and tell him well be back at the estate later this evening. And have a few more guards on standby to patrol the mall. Can’t be too careful.”

The guard stepped out of the theater to make the call. Satoru’s father patted the seat next to him and Satoru hesitantly sat back down.”

“This is from that cartoon you used to like?” his father asked. 

“Yeah and the comics, you remember that?”

“Of course I do.”

The two of them settled in for the rest of the movie. 

~

“Well that was interesting. Did you enjoy the film?”

Satoru nodded as he walked alongside his father out of the theater. 

“And the white haired character? What was her name?”

“Storm.”

“She’s you’re favorite?”

Satoru nodded in excitement. He rarely got the opportunity to talk about things like this with others, his mind wandered back to the groups of kids in the arcade.

“Storm’s the strongest.”

His father smiled. “Then it’s fitting that she’s your favorite character.”

Satoru looked up to him and smiled back wishing he could stay there forever.

~

Instead of going straight home Satoru’s father takes him to the mall food court. “If you were just eating candy you’ll give yourself a belly ache.”

So his father buys him a cheeseburger with fries and a cherry coke along with a small salad for himself. 

Gojo notices how the security guard is eyeing the current head of the Gojo clan, it’s the same way everyone else has been looking at him, cautious of the possibility of him breaking. His father’s health hadn’t been doing so well, doctors and nurses were a frequent sighting around his room and it was clear how weak he really was. Over the last year he’d grown thin, his cheeks were so hollow. The salad in front of him was just for show, he’d only be able to get a few bites down before heaving it back up. At night he’d hear his Uncle and the rest of the men talking about how preparations needed to be made, how Satoru’s training needed to be accelerated so he’d be ready to assume the role of clan head. But he dind’t want to be the head, he wanted his father. His mother had passed when he was a baby, leaving her husband and son in the snake pit. And if his father left…

“Satoru? You’re crying.”

He hadn’t noticed. But sure enough salty tears ran down his face, staining his cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

“Son,” he murmured, extending his arms out.

It was rare, growing up in such a tradition family, to show emotions and be vulnerable. But Satoru rushed to his arms and let his father hold him. He knew if he didn’t he’d regret it. 

“Dad,” he muttered in his chest, cherishing the sound of his beating heart. 

“I know you’re sorry. And I’m sorry to. You’re so young but the weight of the world is on your shoulders.”

He pulled away and looked at his son in the eyes, those infinite blue eyes that connected the sea and the sky in harmony. 

“I know it seems lonely now. But someday you’ll be surrounded by people who love you. No one should be alone. Don’t worry. Let’s just go home.”

[aurora567]

Day 9 Impact play - Sanzu/Chizu (Tokyo Revengers)

Warning: drug use and some abuse in this chapter. Or just you know Sanzu is his own warning.

Summary: Welcome to day 9 of kinktober. I am sick and have fallen behind on posting and honestly I barely remeber what I have wrote the last days so I will come back and edit stuff when I am not sick.

Word count: 1743

Last Day next day

The sun had just begun to set, casting an orange glow through the windows of Sanzu's stylish apartment. Chizu followed Sanzu back to his apartment after having just finished killing a few men who thought they could sell drugs on Bontens territory. Chisu could still feel her heart racing, adrenaline still pumping from the thrill of the kill. Blood still splattered across her left cheek. Both were aware of the simmering tension between them, an electric current that had been building ever since they started the job.

Sanzu barely got his shoes kicked off before he was walking into his living room. His right hand is already digging one of the baggies out of his pocket. Those pale blue eyes of his eyeing up the pills inside. He probably didn’t even know what the pills contained. But Chizu knew it would not matter, Sanzu would take them no matter if they were uppers or downers. Honestly he was an idiot. If anyone wanted to kill the man the easiest way would be to fill some pills with rat poison and the idiot would swallow them without a second thought.

She kicked off her heels before she was following after him, her stocking clad feet almost silent against the hardwood floor. She watched him tilt his head back and drop three of the strange pills into his mouth. How someone could swallow pills with no drink she did not know. And she was not about to ask about it.

Without a word one of his arms shot out towards her pulled her close to him, his hands sliding down her slender waist, and onto her firm ass. She gasped softly as their lips met in a passionate kiss, tongues entwining in a dance of lust. His hands roamed freely, exploring her curves through the thin fabric of her blouse and skirt. Chizu's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as if that was possible as their tongues danced together.

As the kiss deepened, Sanzu's hands became more adventurous. Slipping under her skirt and gripping at the back of her bare thighs before they were sliding up and pushing her skirt up with his hands. Chizu's breath quickened, and she arched her back, pressing her body against his. Sanzu's fingers teased the flesh of the bottom of her ass cheek before moving up to cup her ass in his palms. The groping did not last long before his hands moved to grip her stockings and with a swift motion, he ripped them off. She could hear the ripping of her poor pantiehose.

She wanted to ask him what the poor things had done to offend him. But she probably knew the reply she would get. And after all he was still running in the high of a finished job and killing people. Add the drugs he had just taken and she knew the man was in no state to give any shits about her. Next his fingers were grabbing at her panties, ripping the material down and leaving her completely exposed with her skirt bunched up and her panties falling to the floor. She gasped, not at the sudden exposure, but at the raw desire she saw in his eyes that had yet to glaze over with a high.

"You're mine, Chizu," Sanzu growled against her lips. "And I'm going to take what's mine."

Chizu nodded her head silently at him. After all, why argue with him? He was right, she belonged to Bonten. And so she belonged to him. The only person more important than him was Mikey. Her eyes glistened with a mix of arousal and anticipation. She wanted to please him, to submit to his every desire. As if reading her mind, Sanzu spun her around and pushed her against the armrest of the couch. Her skirt was already up around her stomach and with her being bent over it revealed her perfectly round ass to him. His calloused hand caressed it gently, his touch sending shivers up her spine.

"Every time my hand touches your beautiful ass, you will count," he commanded, his voice laced with authority and left no room for her to argue with him. Her heart raced as she felt the first stinging slap on her right cheek.

"One," she breathed, her breathing already picking up.

Sanzu's hand came down again, this time on the left cheek, leaving a warm, tingling sensation in its wake.

"Two," she whispered as she already felt breathless and he had surely just gotten started.

The spanking continued, each strike igniting a fire within her. Her ass grew warmer, the sensation of pain and pleasure blending into an unique ecstasy. She counted as each strike connected with her skin. Her voice grew louder with each number.

"Seventeen! Eighteen!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of pain and pleasure.

Sanzu paused, his hand hovering in the air.

"You're enjoying this aren't you? You little slut," he asked, his voice low and dangerous as he degraded her.

Oh it was so hard to bite back the urge to smirk at him. He was right, she enjoyed every slap of his hand against her ass. And the moans she let out with each spanking completely gave it away.

A dark smile spread across Sanzu's face pulling at the diamond scars in the corner of his lips. He knew he was right and her staying silent answered his question while being slightly bratty and disobedient. He delivered two swift smacks, one on each cheek, bringing the count to twenty. Chizu's ass was now a bright red, a testament to the fact that he had not held back at all. She would surely struggle to sit down now for the next day or two.

"You've been a very naughty girl, Chizu," he whispered, his hot breath against her ear sending shivers down her spine, "Now it's time for your punishment to continue."

He stepped back, taking a minute to admire his handy work that coloured her ass. His eyes tracing the curves of her body, from her perky breasts to her swollen, wet pussy lips. His fingers worked at the zipper of his pants while he stood there staring. Chizu stood there, trembling, her breath coming in short gasps as she was forced to await for his next move. Surely by now the pills he swallowed were taking effect. He was always unpredictable, but now even more than normally.

Sanzu's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he took in the sight of her aroused state. He knew she was needy, her pussy glistening with desire. She was nearly creating a pool on the floor between her feet. Without warning, he plunged two fingers deep inside her, eliciting a loud cry of surprise and pleasure from Chizu.

"Oh fuck!" she exclaimed, her body jerking with the sudden invasion.

Sanzu's fingers worked their magic, curling and thrusting, finding her sweet spot with ease. He knew her body way too well by now. Chizu's legs trembled, her pussy clenching around his fingers as she struggled to maintain her sanity among the pleasure.

"Please, Sanzu," she begged, her voice hoarse. "I need more."

"Not yet, my pet. I want to hear you beg for my cock." Sanzu chuckled, his breath hot on her neck as he leaned over her bent form.

Without any warning he withdrew his fingers. Leaving her aching and empty she whimpered and whined out.

“Sanzu. Please. I need you,” she quickly started to blab and beg as her pussy clenched around nothing.

And that was what he had wanted to hear. Silently he positioned himself behind her. With one hand on her hip, he guided his thick, throbbing cock to her entrance. His tip was hot against her wet folds, teasing her as he slid his tip along her folds. Chizu pushed back, desperate to feel him inside her. But the hand on her hip quickly stopped her. Along with a deep growl from the body behind her.

"Please, just fuck me already!" she pleaded, her voice desperate and raw.

Sanzu obliged, driving his cock deep into her in one swift motion. Claiming her with a primal growl. Chizu cried out, her body shaking as she adjusted to his size. He gave her no chance to adjust to his sudden intrusion as he began to move, his hips thrusting in a relentless rhythm. Filling her completely with each rough thrust.

"That's it, take it all," he grunted, his hands gripping her hips tightly. "You love being fucked, don't you?"

She could barely nod her head, her words lost in the waves of pleasure washing over her. Sanzu's cock felt incredible. He was stretching her, filling her in a way that ignited every nerve ending in her body. He pounded into her, his pace increasing with each thrust, his balls slapping against her clit with every retreat. She could feel the tension in her body building quickly.

"Oh god, I'm gonna cum!" Chizu cried out, her body tensing as her orgasm built.

Sanzu showed no mercy, his rhythm relentless as he drove her closer to the edge.

”Cum for me. Let me feel your pussy milk my cock."

His words were the final push she needed. Her body convulsed, her pussy clenching around his cock as she came hard. Sanzu growled, his own release building as he felt her orgasmic spasms. Her body was squeezing and milking his cock for all it was worth.

"Fuck, yes!" he roared, as he emptied his load deep inside her. His hot cum painted her insides and mixed with her own juices.

They stood there, both panting as they tried to catch their breath. Her body was limp and bent over the armrest of the couch. Sanzu's hands stroked her hair, his once sadistic demeanor softening slightly as he enjoyed the high from the adrenaline, drugs, and ecstasy from the orgasm.

The moment did not last long till he was stepping back from her. She whimpered as his soft cock slipped from her body. She could hear shuffling behind her, she could only assume he was putting himself away and pulling his pants back up to dress himself.

“I’m going for a shower,” was all he said before turning and leaving her alone in his living room to recover on her own. She best head home. He was not the only one who needed a shower. She still had blood on her face, or she would if she didn’t stain his couch with it.

Next day

[siribaes]

crusin’

han lue x (oc) [ black!fem! ]

a late night, open road, passenger side driving around los angeles with her favorite guy.

contents: fluff. some angst. smutty thoughts. brief smoking cigarette mention. brief mention of death. rival gang dynamics. mild peril han drives fast ofc <3. nothing too major.

suggested tunes📻: protect my heart by kelis, it’s whatever by aaliyah, luxurious by gwen stefani, run to the sun by n.e.r.d., boogie 2nite by tweet, try again by aaliyah

author’s note: just a little somethin’ featuring my number one guy han <3. this was heavily inspired by romeo must die, i loved jet and aaliyah’s dynamic & this takes place after better luck tomorrow and before fast and furious/tokyo drift. y’all lmk if i should make this into a fic…🤔 / not edited or proofread

. . . ZOOOOM!

an electric blue, 1995 mazda widebody fd rx7 flys down the street. driving through lights, regardless of the color change. the wind brushes against chickie’s cheeks as the car veered left. she stretches her arm out the window, she hummed. the air is a bit chilly but it feels good against her skin. the mazda slowed down at a red light.

“i thought you said you wanted to cruise. it feels like you’re racin’,” chickie murmurs pulling her arm back inside. she turned toward the driver’s side.

he glances at her, his lips forming into a lopsided grin. “was cooped up, haven’t been behind the wheel all day, let me flex,”

flex he did.

chickie’s heart fluttered watching his skillful hands maneuver the gear shift with ease. his nimble fingers tap on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music. a part of her mind wonders how his hand would fit into hers or how the rough callous on his palms would feel against her skin.

“can we stop at the store? i want some snacks,” chickie spoke aloud. she focused her eyes on the road and away from from his hands.

“it’s one up ahead,” with one hand, he effortlessly maneuvers the wheel, his palm gently guiding it as the car turns at a right corner.

so smooth.

the madza slowly pulls into a spot across from a brightly, colored convenience store. chickie unbuckles her seat belt.

“you want anything?”

“nah, i’ll just share with you,” chickie playfully rolls her eyes. she steps out of the car and heads straight into the store.

chickie comes out minutes later with a boat load of snacks and drinks. already, half way done with her snickers, she almost chokes, from she sees. her friend, her favorite guy.

han leans against the car, his body, totally relaxed like he doesn’t have a care in the world. a cigarette hangs from his full lips, as han rakes a hand though his inky, black tresses. the street is quiet as the plastic bag swishes back and forth. with every step, chickie feels like her heart is gonna leap out of her throat.

she can’t really pin-point when it happened or how it happened but it just did. it was like chickie went to bed one way and woke up another. every little thing han lue did set her a flame, even simple things like tonight, calling her up at 1:00 AM asking if she wanted to go for a ride. she all but leapt out of her bed room window when heard the engine of the madza coming down the street.

as exhilarating as her crush on han was she knew that it wouldn’t go anywhere. he was her best friend and on top of that the growing rivalry between his crew and her cousins, both vying for control over parts of south-east la, didn’t add much to the equation. in fact it subtracted from it. so chickie just settled for her mushy, unrequited feelings and distracted herself with other things. this time, nitpicking han’s smoking habits.

“i thought you were quitting,” chickie hoists herself on the hood of han’s car. she digs into the bag, pulling out soda and a pack of twinkies.

a week prior, han told chickie that he was going to quit, cold turkey. that and some other ramblings of needing to get out of “this place”. over the course of their friendship, chickie can tell when han is tired or sleep deprived. typically a man of few words, he becomes talkative and super rambly when exhausted. there was a small part of that was happy han was quitting, but she should’ve known better, old habits die hard.

han takes a long pull. he blows the smoke away from chickie’s direction. “i am. haven’t had a cig in three days,”

“but you said you went cold turkey,” chickie takes a bite of her twinkie.

“listen,” han leans towards chickie, “i’ll go cold turkey when you tell y’re pops about your new jewelry,” he reached towards her stomach and lightly flicked her belly button piercing.

chickie squatted his hand away. “boy, please another piercing isn’t gonna hurt anyone. my body, my choice. besides, cigarettes aren’t good for you,”

han chuckles. he takes another pull, blowing the smoke up towards the sky. he shrugged. “does it matter? health isn’t my priority. especially the way i’m livin’,”

chickie frowns. “i don’t like when you talk like that,”

han take another pull, longer than the previous. the cigarette is a nothing but a stubby bud now. he flicks it away. slowly, he turns and faces her.

“you worry about me too much,”

“i feel like i don’t worry enough,” chickie said quietly. she avoids his eyes, keeping them toward the lights of the convenience store.

“you hoggin’ all the snacks,” before chickie could respond, han pulls her hand towards him. a prickly, chill runs down her spine. The roughness of han’s callouses feel good against her skin. frozen in place, chickie watches han lean down and bite the twinkie in her hand.

she feels everything.

the slight, soft-wetness of han’s mouth on her skin. his nimble tongue as it gently slides and swirls around the tips of chickie’s fingers. her works in over time, completely thudding against her chest, as han pulls away from her. for second, chickie sees a certain glint in the deep, brown pools of his eyes.

he chews. han smirks at her.

“there’s a race on saturday. you should come,” han says, leaning back, casually.

chickie took a sip of her soda. hoping for the coolness of the drink to cool her down. she takes another sip and thinks, if he could do that, so could i.

“i dunno,” chickie trails. she innocently, fiddled with her bracelet, playing with the race-car charm, the same one han got her a year ago, in honor of the mutual love for cars. she looks at him, batting her eyelashes, subtly, “i might be, busy,”

han’s eye brow rose. “busy?”

“yeah, i might have plans, or something,”

“what, like a date?” chickie notices a slight change in han’s demeanor. his jaw tightens, emphasizing the angles of his cheekbones.

chickie attempts to channel her best han impression, shrugging her shoulders in the most nonchalant way. han grows quiet, slowly nodding his head. he leans off the car and positions himself in front of her. in quick movements, han pulls chickie close. fingers flutter across her exposed stomach.

han tickles her.

“han! stop, please! o-okay, okay, okay! i’ll come, i can’t breathe,” chickie squeals, attempting to push han away from her.

“say you’ll come,” han somehow managed to snake a hand to the back of chickie’s neck. he gently holds her in place, while he continues to tickle her.

“ooo-okay! i will come, please,” han eases off of her. he watched as chickie caught her breath. she shoves han’s shoulder, “asshole,”

they laugh.

“seriously though,” han rolls his shoulder, keeping his gaze on chickie, “i need you there. i wanna see my favorite girl,”

chickie smiles, gently. the flames of her unrequited crush roaring back inside of her. han loops an arm around chickie’s shoulder, she leans her head against him. savoring this moment, allowing herself a little leeway to dream about what could’ve been.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression-Ep 22, Guest: Morikawa Toshiyuki

(starts with casual baseball talk between J, K, and T while watching the game)

J: Ah! Leader! We already started! The director is waving!

K: Haha, oh yeah.

J: The broadcast already started! There are aready comments coming in! We were too engrossed in the game!

K: We actually have yesterday's game on our screen here. This is the moment where Hiroshima are about to score.

J: Aghh, no! What a terrible time to start the show!

K: Yeah, haha

J: What an awful show, so insensitive! Anyway, Kaoru, please introduce yourself.

K: Yep, This is The Freedom of Expression Live, Im Kaoru from Dir en grey.

J: And I'm Joe Yokomizo.

T: And I'm Tasai from Tokyo Sports

*applause*

J: Yes, so the viewers can't see, but we are watching the game from yesterday on the channel DAZONE, between Hanshin and Hiroshima in the Climax Series. And this is just where Hiroshima score??

K: Yeah

J: But you dont care, right??!

K: Hahaha. What do you mean by that?!

J: *looks at the game* Aghhaghhh! Thats where they scored?!

K: Yeah, see. Its terrible, we might lose!! (*sarcasm - He already knows Hanshin won the game*)

J: Oh, you are awful!

K: Hahaha

J: You know, Kaoru was so happy in the dressing room, I've never seen him so smug!

K: No no...

J: Those were the kind of smiles you would never expect from the Leader of DIR EN GREY!

K: Hahaha

J: You didn't have a care in the world! Anyway, Leader, today is gonna be a kind of celebration special edition for 'THAT', right?

K: Yeah

J: And 'THAT' is...

T: Joe, don't forget about Youtube!

J: Ah, Youtube! We are broadcasting on youtube too! But hey, Youtube viewers! Only half way for you! Do not imagine that you can watch the whole thing on Youtube!

T: Joe, don't make them sad.

J: No, I mean they can see the juicy parts on youtube, and then be lured over to Niconama. Its a sophisticated trap, you see.

K: Well, yeah, right?

J: Yes, but hey, there are a lot of comments coming through on youtube too. You can see their names.

T: Yeah, like "Its the Tigers collab Happi coat!"...Yeah, it is.

J: Ok, Leader, remind everyone again what we are celebrating!

K: Well, the Hanshin Tigers have made it to the Nihon Series.

*loud applause*

J: Congratulations! They made it at last!

K: Ah, I thought this moment would never come....Eh?!

*Morikawa san enters singing the Hanshin Tigers song 'Rokkou Oroshi'*

M: 🎶Rokkou oroshi ni sassou to

souten kakeru nichirin no

seishun no haki uruwashiku

kagayaku waga na zo Hanshin Tigers

Oh oh oh oh Hanshin Tigers

Fure Fure Fure Fure🎶

(※Official Eng lyrics found here.

'Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin’ from Rokko

Like the big sun soaring in the clear blue sky

Mighty spirit of the youth shows the victor’s grace

The name that shines in glory “Hanshin Tigers”

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers

Go, Go, Go, Go!')

Congratulations!

*applause*

J: Incredible! It's today's guest, voice actor Morikawa Toshiyuki!

M: Thank you

J: Your spirits are not dampened!

M: No, really, congratulations.

J: But what are you doing here?!

M: Well, I was hoping that it would be me and Kaoru watching a Hanshin vs DeNA game today. ※T.N-Morikawa is a DeNa(Yokohama) fan.

J: Ahh, now you are in a difficult position!

M: Ah, but really, Hanshin have been so strong this year! We were well and truly beaten.

J: Kaoru, don't you have anything to say to Morikawa san?

K: About Yokohama? Well, last year WE were well and truly beaten by them! We didn't get a single win at their stadium. We couldn't win!

J: Haha, look at Morikawa san's smug face.

M: This was my face last year!

J: Haha, right?!

K: Honestly though, I'm glad we ended up with Hiroshima instead of Yokohama this time. Yokohama would have been scary!

M: Yeah, I can understand what you mean. Actually, I told Coach Miura(Coach/manager of DeNA) that I was coming on this show..

J, T, K: Ehhh?!

M: I said, 'I'm going on Kaoru from Dir en grey's show to undergo public execution...

J, K, T: Hahaha

M: Anyway, he told me to make sure to talk a lot about the greatness of Yokohama.

J: I see, I see...Uhh, we're gonna be kinda celebrating later though...

T: Joe, don't say that to our guest!

M: Hahaha

J: But hey, you've written a lot down for us to use later on, right??!

M: Yes, but why don't you explain the connecton between myself and Kaoru.

J: Oh, of course, the connection is that Morikawa san provided the narration for the Dir en grey interview special that was broadcast on WOWOW last month!

*applause*

K: Thank you!

M: Oh, no, it was my pleasure.

J: By the way, the WOWOW interview special will actually be broadcast again tonight at 2:45am...

K: Oh, great timing!

J: Right?! So everyone, please check it out. Anyway, because of this connection, here we are with Yokohama fan Morikawa for this Hanshin crelebratory special!!

T: Look at that comment! "All my fave people in a row, I'm about to have a heart attack!"

J: Ahh, wow. Hey, by the way, how did you two come around to this idea of baseball talk?

M: Well, this is actually the first time we've met.

J: Really?!

K: Yeah

J: Well, Yokohama were doing better last year, now its maybe a bit of a tougher position for you, but you are just here for your team, right?

M: Yes

J: So, just say whatever you like.

M: Haha, I'll try my best.

J: Ok, the notifications. We are always asking for comments and messages from viewers. Anything is ok, thoughts, suggestions, requests, anything. People using X, formerly Twitter, can use the hastag TFOE to contact us. Anyone can watch the first half of the show for free, but you need to be a member to watch to the end. If you become a member, you can watch these broadcasts in the archives for one year, and also enjoy members only videos. So please use the link at the top if your screen to join, Leader, point to it please, and enjoy the show to the end. Ok, lets just take this moment to properly introduce Morikawa san. Tasai san, could you?

T: Well, he needs no introduction, I'm sure you all know him, but he has had a career in voice acting spanning 40 years! He has worked in anime, narration, dubbing for foreign movies...He is even known as the king of BL anime. In anime he had voiced Ubuyashiki Kagaya in Demon Slayer, Takumi in NANA, Nick in Zootopia, the second voice for Nohara Hiroshi in Crayon Shin-chan, and so many more that its impossible to count them! For foreign movies, he has voiced the dubs for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, for Keanu Reeves...I mean, even just those two are exciting enough! And if you go to Disney Sea, you will also hear Morikawa san's voice in certain areas of the park too.

J: Ah, incredible! Well, it would be great to hear some stories from the world of voice acting from you, but for the main part I wanna try and stick to baseball talk.

M: Hanshin talk, right? Hanshin winning, right?

J: Yeah, hey by the way, speakIng of your work, are you actually in a band too?

M: Oh yeah, kinda. Its like a vocal unit with fellow voice actor Tachiki Fumihiko san. He has quite a husky voice. So its him and me, and we are called '2Hearts'. But both of us tend to have a really busy VA schedules, so its actually a miracle if ever our schedules coincide...in one sense we are a miracle pairing, haha.

J, K, T: Hahaha

M: I'm hoping we can actually do more with that.

J: You did the narration for Dir en grey's interview special, so that must mean you were aware of Dir en grey?

M: Of course, I knew of them. But I'm quite seperated from the music world in general, so since I was asked to do the narration, I've done a bit of checking online, sorry!

K: No, no

M: But I thought you guys were really cool! As for rock, I like hard rock most. I LOVE Guns and Roses, I used to listen to nothing else! Years ago when I went to LA, I went to see them in West Hollywood in this venue called Troubadour. Its a really old place, The Doors, and Jim Morrison etc have played there before. Anyway, I was able to join them on stage! I'm just a VA, but I told them I was an artist, and they let me sing! I love them so much. There's also the venue called Whisky a go go, right? Thet let me on stage there too!

T: Did you sing there??

M: No, I didn't sing there, just went onstage.

J: On this topic, do you have any questions for Kaoru about the music world?

M: Well, you've come so far with one band, but don't the members ever feel like going in different directions? Haven't they changed their outlook since starting the band?

K: Hmm, yeah. Well, things do come up sometimes which we have to discuss and work out, but generally yeah, we haven't changed all that much. No one has ever really directly said, 'We need to do this!' or ' We need to go like this!' or that kind of thing. Someone might say something like, 'I'd like to do something like this for the next album', but no one has ever actually tried to force the band a certain way.

M: Ahh, but still, to continue on like this...the members must all be of the same feeling.

J: Isnt it kinda like family, being in a band?

K: If it were like family, wouldn't you eventually wanna leave though?

J: Ah, ok, yes. If you are with them constantly, you wanna leave home..

M: Like, 'I'm leaving home!' haha

K: Yeah, hahaha.

J: Hey, a comment just came in saying Morikawa san's songs are also really cool! Is it that you were having musical differences with the partner in your vocal unit?

M: No, no, its simply that both our schedules are too busy.

J: I see, ok, haha. Lets just leave it at that. Uh, so I'd like us to focus on baseball if we can. Yokohama didn't do so well this year, but Morikawa san, how long have you actually been a fan of Yokohama.

M: Oh, I've been going to watch them for as long as I can remember, my parents would take me...as Yokohama fans. Well, the team are the Yokohama DeNA Baystarts now, but back then they were called the Yokohama Taiyou Whales.

J: Ahhh yes! The first baseball hat I ever bought was a Yokohama Taiyou Whales hat! I liked that player, John Sipin!

M: Then why did you become a Hanshin fan??

J: No, no, this is just for this show!

M, K, T: Hahaha

J: I honestly know nothing about baseball though.

K: Surely you never wore that?!

J: No, I did in elementary school. There wasn't anything else going on in those days, there wasn't pro-soccer, or anything like that.

M: But to wear a Taiyou baseball hat then, that was ahead if its time!

J: Yes! The orange and green, right?! It was a forerunner, right? You would get bullied just for wearing it!

K, M, T: Hahah

M: Anyway, since that time I've been going to the Kawasaki stadium, and also the Meiji Jingu stadium. Actually, back then the stands in the Jingu stadium were all just earth/soil. I used to be always sat with my back to the game digging holes in the mud, and the Taiyou players would get mad at me.

K, J, T: Hahaha

M: Like, 'Oi, start supporting us!!'. There were that few people there, that the players would shout over to me for more support!

J: Haha, so empty! You couldn't even get away with taking your eyes off the game?

M: Right!

J: Conversely, the players should have been focussing on what they were doing! Nevermind looking at you!

M: Haha, yeah. So since then we have gone a looong time without any major wins.

J: From my point of view, its seems like Hanshin and Yokohama are both the same kinda 'often losing' team.

K: Thats right.

M: Hanshin have been Japan champions once before, right?

K: Yes

J: What about Yokohama?

M: Twice! Twice! hahaha.

J: Omg, no fair! The Giants and such are always winning!

M: The fist time Yokohama won was in the 1960s.

J: What?! The same era as the Vietnam war?! What are you saying? Don't you have anything more recent to celebrate??

K: Haha

M: Well, they won again more recently in 1998.

T: The Machine Gun lineup?

M: Yes, thats right. So I took a day off work then, and celebrated with them from the stands.

J: Ah, you were there? So you understand how Kaoru feela now?

M: Yes, I do. But for Kaoru, the real fight starts from here, right? You are aiming for No.1 in Japan, right?

K: Yeah

M: So if it all goes smoothly, Hanshin will be number 1, they will enjoy celebrating, and then by next season they can return back to the lower levels to cool off....

K: Hahaha

J: Ah, harsh! Next year will be the Baystars' year?

M: I hope so!

J: Thats harsh, pulling Hanshin down off their pedestal like that!

K: Haha

J: Morikawa san, I like your character!

M: No, but you know, once the players reach their goal of becoming No.1 in Japan, they have a lot going on. They will have their celebratory trip, they will be pampered in all their interviews...

J: They will appear on tv shows too.

M: Yes, so following all this, its back to the grind.

J: By the way, Kaoru, we will talk more about this in the second part, but did you think the Baystars were strong this year?

K:. Yeah, but Hanshin were stronger. haha. Last year we were totally beaten by them though.

M: Yeah, but since Okada became the manager of Hanshin, they've really transformed.

K: Our opening match this season was with Yokohama, and we had a good start straight away, so I was excited about that.

J: You thought it might happen?

K: Yeah, oh, also, last year and the year before, Yakult came out top in the Central league, but this year they were in 5th place. So its like Morikawa san said, about slumping after you win.

M: Yeah, Yalkult's slogan this year is 'Ok, lets go'...

J,K,T: Hahaha

M: Go where???

J: It sounds like to just go shopping or something, haha.

M: So you can really tell where they're at now by looking at their slogan.

T: What was Yokohama's slogan this year?

M: It was, 'Yokohama Challenge'.

J: Oh, Challenge is a good word. What was Hanshin's slogan again?

K: THAT (アレ/A.R.E)

J: Oh, thats what THAT was?? I didn't realise that was the slogan!!

K: Hahaha

J: They won with that slogan?? Maybe I should make THAT my life motto!...Ok, I think we still have a bit more time on the free section....Yes, I finally understand what THAT means. But Hanshin have had a lot of different managers before, right? This year's manager, Okada, if you even just look at his face, he is shocking.

T: Joe, don't say that.

K: He has a serious look.

J: He does! What do you think is good about him?

K: Well, he believes in the team. He was saying, Why couldn't the team win last year, even with this great lineup?? So he is just making most of the team.

J: Morikawa san, what do you think it is that has made Okada lead the team to victory?

M: He is unwavering. Since he started the role...There was one time this season where, what was it again? That thing with one of the other directors about changing the pitcher. I really thought he was determined when I saw that. He envisions the future victory over the of situation right in front of him. Some fans and other people were questioning his decisions previously, but now they don't really. I think maybe he is also a bit difficult to approach. For those young player, he is too much of a legend, there is quite a distance between them. I think thats a good thing. Like, even if he gets too serious...

J: He has a kind of dignity about him, or a kind of simultaneous dignity and foolishness.

K: Yeah, so he doesn't even have to say things directly.

J: Really? I see. Is it also that he prioritizes the team as a whole over individual players skills, and that mindset has then permeated the team?

M: Yes, there is an element of that.

T: Tasai, whats your opinion?

T: Well, just as the others have said, but also, if you look at the Pacific league, teams like Orix and Lotte are always changing up their batting order, they don't really play baseball with a fixed shape, wheres Hanshin are really playing and winning 'proper' baseball, by keeping a solid team each time.

K: They havnt really changed up their order at all since starting the season.

J: Oh, is that unusual?

K: Well, it used to be the norm, but teams change up their order more often these days.

J: Oh, look at the screen! Its showing footage from 1985.

K: This was the year Hanshin got to No.1 in Japan.

M: Okada was a player then, right?

K: Yes, he was.

J: I'm not entirely sure if my memory serves me right, but was that also when Kakefu san and Bass san were in the team.

K: Yes, yes. Thats when Colonel Sanders was thrown into the river.

J: Oh, that was then?! Osaka people are crazy!

K, T, M: Hahaha

J: Why on earth did they throw Colonel Sanders into the river??

K: Cause it looks like Bass!

J: Really?? They need their brains checking! I don't understand that at all, haha. I didn't know it was thrown in because it looked like Bass. Ahhh. If you compare 1985 to this year, how are they different?

K: Oh, they are totally different.

M: The style of baseball is different too.

J: Ok, please explain, I'm sure there are many viewers like me who know nothing. How is the style different?

K: There used to be...what was it called, the lucky zone. It made it easier to get home runs, if your hit landed in there. It was like a fence, slightly inward from the wall.

M: In high school baseball too, the lucky zone became kinda like a bullpen.

J: Oh I see. But now it doesn't exist?

K: No, it used to be easier to get a home run.

J: Ahh, I see. Well, I suppose the game changes as technology advances. And the pitchers must be throwing different balls too.

K: Yeah, their throwing speed is much faster.

J: How fast can they throw?

T: They can easily throw at 150km these day.

J: Wow, thats amazing, I didn't know that. I gave up watching baseball a long time ago, but I'm giving my all with it just for today.

T: Actually, I have a question for Morikawa san...What would you say was the one thing the Baystars were missing this year, which would have helped them win? From the fans' perspective.

J: Ahh, thats a tough question! Don't we need alcohol yet?

M: No, its ok. Well, before the season started, all the fans agreed that the lineup we had ready was going to give us the best chance to win. But the reality was that after the season started, the conditions of each individual player didn't combine to make the team we had hoped for. It wasnt the right balance, and of course Yamazaki etc were unwell. And then there was Soto, he joined the team midway during corona, and he was here from the start of the season this year. But he somehow didn't excel. A lot of the players who we had placed high expectations on didn't quite fullfill their potential. They couldn't keep the batting line connected. The pitchers did a god job, but their fatigue started to show in the later stages. While we were busy trying to figure out how to retain a good balance, Hanshin just shot off into the lead.

K: But at one point Yokohama did catch up so there was one one game between us.

M: Yeah, that was our peak, haha. We thought we were on a roll then, we we actually just sunk straight down after that.

K: I had thought that might be the end for Hanshin.

J: Weren't you pretty happy in the early stages??

K: No, no. As I said before, I couldn't trust the team. I thought our only future was to start losing.

M: As for the balance between the six teams, Chunichi just couldn't win. All the other five teams were determined not to lose against them.

J: If you lost against them you were hopeless?

M: Yes, and then Yakult found themselves falling.

T: And then The Giants suffered bit.

M: Oh, 10 in a row, right?

J: Morikawa san, no wonder you have no time for your band activity, you are too busy watching baseball!

M: Haha, no I watch it at night, I record the games and watch them later.

J: Ahh, you really love it though. Ok, so we are at about 30 mins now, so we have come to the end of the first part of the show. When we start the second part we will do Kanpai, and get straight into the party to celebrate..is it the Central league win?

M: No, the CS (Climax Series) win.

J: Ah, ok. So ever, please have a drink ready to join us for that. That will make it a bit more exciting for those of you like me who know nothing about baseball. So, everyone please become a member. Let me explain how it works. The second part of this show is for members only, so you have to be a channel member if you want to watch to the end. If you join, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for a year, and you will also get an extra members only video in the coming days. We challenge ourselves to all sorts in these extra videos so please 'Check It Out!'. Ok, How to join! There should be a blue link at the top of your screens now. Leader is pointing to it. Please use this link to joIn. Also, thank you to everyone who has been watching on youtube. We will continuing on Niconama, so please use the link in the discription to jump over to niconama. Ok, here's how to pay for membership. If you click the blue link, you will get a page asking you to choose your method of payment. Choose your preferred method, click proceed, enter your details, and thats it. If you have yet to join, please do so to enjoy the rest of the show. So, Morikawa san, do you have ny announcements?

M: Announcements? Not Yokohama related? Haha. Well, I'm currently featuring in a movie showing nationwide, called The Creator. I'm doing the voiceover for Ken Watanabe for some reason.

K: Wow!

M: So please check it out in theaters. I'm Ken Watanabe!

T: Thats interesting, haha.

J: How many actors have you provided voice-overs for so far?

M: I've never counted, you count them.

J: Not like 100?

M: Oh no..

T: Its more like 10,000.

K: You know, Ken Watanabe is also a Hanshin fan.

J: Morikawa san, how far are you gonna stray into away territory?!

M: Very, haha.

J: I feel for you wearing that shirt.

M: Actually, yesterday, I mean this morning, I was speaking to Mizuki Nana, who sung the naitonal anthem and Rokko Oroshi at the first game of the Climax series. She was telling me she was trembling, singing the national anthem at such an important game before the whole stadium. Anyway, thats a bit of trivia for you.

J: Really?

K: It was our first time hosting a CS final at Koshien too.

J: Oh, I see. Hey, how about Dir en grey doing that?

K: Doing what??

J: Singing the national anthem.

K: Who would sing it??

J: I don't know...You could, Kaoru!

K: Haha, no way.

J: You can do it Kaoru! We'll be supporting you!! Anyway, Kaoru, any announcements?

K: Uh, the tour starts from next month, so please check it out.

J: How are preparations going?

K: Getting there.

J: Oh good. Haha, yeh, someone commented 'Metal growl opening ceremony'. Anyway, please check out the tour if you can. We will have a quick break here while we change over to the members only content with more from Morikawa san, so wait right there. Back soon! 'I became a member!' Thank youuu!

[queermtl]

Queer MTL : quoi faire en juillet 2024 // Queer MTL things to do: July 2024

(Photo by Eva Blue)

Queer MTL things to do: July 2024

The summer festival season is in full swing, and things are queerer in MTL than ever this July! This month, Montréal is stuffed to the brim with events, parties and unique experiences painted in all the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. From drag to community, circuit to underground, here’s some of our picks for the best LGBTQ+ things to do in the city. For further announcements, including those not announced at time of publication, follow QueerMTL on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr! Got an event coming up? DM it our way!

LEGEND

🎥 Cinema 👑 Drag 🥳 Parties 🎶 Concert ✊ Activism 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans 🏳️‍🌈 Community 😆 Comedy 🎭 Performance 💪 Sports 👯‍♀️ Dance 🎤 Karaoke 🎨 Arts 📚 Literary / Educational 👠 Ballroom / Vogue

Lundi 1 juillet / Monday, July 1

🥳 DramaQueen presents DramaQueen on the river with Dracvla, Wiltbarn and Rakehell, Riverside Bar Terrasse St Henri 🎨 VITRINE Festival 2024 : VISION art market and film screenings, Union Française de Montréal 🎭 La Curieuse—Ligue d’improvisation estivale, Chez Ernest 👑 C’est ma toune! : Edition Divas, a drag show where you pick the playlist, with Sasha Baga, Jessie and Bobépine, Cabaret Mado

Mardi 2 juillet / Tuesday, July 2

👑 Full Gisèle : Oh Canada ! with Gisèle Lullaby, Rawbin, Carmen Sutra, Bobépine and Kitana, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 3 juillet / Wednesday, July 3

🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 Ace Pride Comedy Show with Heathcliff, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 🎨 Drink & Draw by @Hommehomo, Bar Le Cocktail 👑 Mercredi Drag Live with Victoire de Rockwell, Jessie Précieuse, Lady Guidoune, and Rock Bière, Cabaret Mado

Jeudi 4 juillet / Thursday, July 4

🎭 Cup of Tease and Velvet Pistol present Red, White & Boobs with Yikes Macaroni, Foxy Lexxi Brown, Baron Von Styck, Butterscotch Blondie, Charli Deville and Miss Behave, The Wiggle Room 🥳 L’Orage presents Jeudi diversité !, L’Orage Club 👑 Girls' Night Out: Battle of the Decades with Lady Boom Boom, Pétula Claque, Daisy Wood and Krystella Fame, Cabaret Mado 👑 Butterfly de nuit with Miss Butterfly, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 5 juillet / Friday, July 5

🎶 Orville Peck, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, TD Stage, Place des Festivals 🎨 Montréal Comiccon, Palais des congrès de Montréal 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Kiara, Jimmy Moore, Nana and Sasha Baga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Samedi 6 juillet / Saturday, July 6

🥳 Sweet Like Honey hosts a Block Party with DJ Honeybunn, Glowzi and Po, Marché des Possibles 🎨 Montréal Comiccon, Palais des congrès de Montréal 🎤 Queer Karaoke MTL hosts a Trans March Fundraiser, followed by a trans-forward queer dance party, Blue Dog 🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra 🥳 Parallel Vol. 9 featuring Arab/SWANA region-based music, Cabaret Berlin 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Kiara, Jimmy Moore, Nana and Sasha Baga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Lady Gaga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Late Night with Jessie Précieuse, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail

Dimanche 7 juillet / Sunday, July 7

📚 The Violet Hour Book Club reads Henry Hoke’s Open Throat, Librairie Pulp Books & Cafe 🥳 Sweet Like Honey with DJ Lax, DJ Tokyo and DJ Playgirl, Village au Pied du Courant 🎨 Montréal Comiccon, Palais des congrès de Montréal 🏳️‍🌈 Afterglo hosts Slow Dating #13 Gay for men identifying as gay, Le Central 🎭 On the Blvd Multi-Mic, Bar Bifteck 💪 The International Wrestling Syndicate presents IWS vs GCW, focusing on underrepresented athletes including LGBTQ+ fighters, L’Olympia 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and special guests, Cabaret Mado 🏳️‍🌈 Aimé Chartier : 60 ans de carrière et 80 ans de vie, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 8 juillet / Monday, July 8

🎭 La Curieuse—Ligue d’improvisation estivale, Chez Ernest

Mardi 9 juillet / Tuesday, July 9

👑 Full Gisèle : Extravaganza with Gisèle Lullaby, Saltina Shaker, Sunshine Glitterchild, Adriana The Bombshell, Sasha Baga and Nick Saanto, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 10 juillet / Wednesday, July 10

🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 Tony McIntyre is a Time Traveller with Merry Kringles, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 👑 Celes and Marc-André Caron present Loreen vs Sia, Cabaret Mado

Jeudi 11 juillet / Thursday, July 11

🎭 Lust Cove presents The Lust Cove Sex(y) Education Show with Miss Scarlet Knife, Yaya Havana, Mina Minou, Mei, Kaya Koko and Carmen Mayhem, The Wiggle Room 🥳 L’Orage presents Jeudi diversité !, L’Orage Club 👑 Le Sami Party with Sami Landri, Cabaret Mado  👑 Butterfly de nuit with Miss Butterfly, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 12 juillet / Friday, July 12

🥳 BIMBO with DJs Diskommander and DJ G3MINI, Le Livart  🥳 Cerise Noire goth night, Bar NDQ 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Bobépine, Peggy Sue, Nana and Aizysse Baga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Samedi 13 juillet / Saturday, July 13

🥳 FRKY presents FRKY x 2 Year Anniversary with Manclaudy, Moka, Rawsoul and Sexnobe, La Sotterenea 🥳 Soirées Velours presents Trouve ta Muse, a special lesbo-queer party, Bar le P2 🎭 Voulez Vous Productions presents Bootcamp: Séduis toi pour les fat babes with Rosie Bourgeoisie, Centre Strathearn 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Bobépine, Peggy Sue, Nana and Aizysse Baga, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Céline Dion, Cabaret Mado 👑 Late Night with Jessie Précieuse, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail

Dimanche 14 juillet / Sunday, July 14

🎭 Voulez Vous Productions presents Bootcamp: Séduis toi pour personnes avec experience scénique with Rosie Bourgeoisie, Centre Strathearn 👑 Afternoon Drag Café with all-ages, neurodivergent-friendly and sober, with Itsh and Timothy Toxic, L’Orbite 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and special guests, Cabaret Mado 👑 Happy Birthday Miss Butterfly with Miss Butterfly, Michel Dorion and Chouchoune, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 15 juillet / Monday, July 15

📚 Fierté Montréal and Fierté littéraire presents Queer académie : La sélection with Barbada, Théâtre La Comédie 🎭 La Curieuse—Ligue d’improvisation estivale, Chez Ernest 👑 Da-Lulu with Enigma, Woody Fungi, Asmalix and Vulverine, Cabaret Mado

Mardi 16 juillet / Tuesday, July 16

👑 Full Gisèle : Disney with Gisèle Lullaby, Marla Deer, Bambi Dextrous, Tracy Trash and Prudence, Cabaret Mado 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 17 juillet / Wednesday, July 17

🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 🎥 Jane Fonda stars in Barbarella, Cinémathèque québécoise 😆 The Crochet Comedy Show with Shosho, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles

Jeudi 18 juillet / Thursday, July 18

🎥 Queer Cinema Club of Montréal hosts a screening of But I'm a Cheerleader starring RuPaul and Natasha Lyonne, Cinema Moderne 🎭 Them Fatale presents Summer Heat with Amnesia, EnvyTheClown, Kitty Catcher, MX. Quest, Rosie Bourgeoisie and Xénia, The Wiggle Room 🥳 L’Orage presents Jeudi diversité !, L’Orage Club 👑 Butterfly de nuit with Miss Butterfly, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 19 juillet / Friday, July 19

🥳 Studio ZX presents Festival Ctrl+Alt with Afrotonik, Place du Village 🥳 SUPER TASTE MTL presents We Can’t Stop! 2010’s Dance Party, Cabaret Berlin 🥳 Dark Area and Techno Haute Couture present Dark Area x THC with Special K, Rögue, LAPA XII and Deaf, Collectif MTL 🥳 Strawberry Gothcake rave with 99jakes, Kilbourne, FortifiedStructures, Outback and Mowie B2B The Bald Girl, La Sotterenea 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Kitana, Velma Jones and Celes, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou : Soirée sans pantalon with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Samedi 20 juillet / Saturday, July 20

🥳 Studio ZX presents Festival Ctrl+Alt with ElleLui, Hauterageous and Discoño, Place du Village 🎶 La ferme coopérative aux champs qui chantent presents Rae Spoon with KY, La ferme coopérative aux champs qui chantent 🥳 GTR—Girls Theys Rave with Broodmare, Faneva and Dracvla, La Poubelle Magnifique 🥳 SUPER TASTE MTL presents Voulez-Vous Disco & New Wave Dance Party: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Bar Le Ritz PDB 🎤 Bareoke: Strip Karaoke, Café Cléopatra 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Kitana, Velma Jones and Celes, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Taylor Swift, Cabaret Mado  👑 Late Night with Jessie Précieuse, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail

Dimanche 21 juillet / Sunday, July 21

🥳 Studio ZX presents Festival Ctrl+Alt with Blush and Unikorn, Place du Village 🏳️‍🌈 Italo Queer Montréal hosts Picnic Estivo, Parc Jarry 👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and special guests, Cabaret Mado 👑 Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 22 juillet / Monday, July 22

🎭 La Curieuse—Ligue d’improvisation estivale, Chez Ernest 👑 Tout le monde en drag pour REZO with Pétula Claque, Cabaret Mado

Mardi 23 juillet / Tuesday, July 23

👑 Full Gisèle : The Matrix with Gisèle Lullaby, Esirena, Fabien L’Amour, Kelly Torrieli and Celes, Cabaret Mado  😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 24 juillet / Wednesday, July 24

🎭 The Poly Mic open mic 1-year Anniversary, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 Max Higgins is The Underdog with Raquel Maestre, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles

Jeudi 25 juillet / Thursday, July 25

👑 Cult of AnarchKey presents the Drag Open Stage Fundraiser for “Native Women’s Shelter of Montréal” with Korra AnarchKey, Champs Bar 🥳 BLUSH presents Salade de Fruits : Happy Hour Queer, an event by and for FLINT+, Bar La Marche à côté 😆 World’s Smallest Comedy Festival presents World’s Queerest Comedy Night, Hurley’s Irish Pub 🥳 L’Orage presents Jeudi diversité !, L’Orage Club 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Taylor Swift, Cabaret Mado 👑 Butterfly de nuit with Miss Butterfly, Bar Le Cocktail

Vendredi 26 juillet / Friday, July 26

👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Marla Deer, Tracy Trash and Pétula Claque, Cabaret Mado 👑 Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion, Bar Le Cocktail

Samedi 27 juillet / Saturday, July 27

🥳 Rubber Electric queer dark electronic fetish rave with Vicky Devika, Mushin and Nori, Cabaret Berlin 👑 Mado Reçoit with Mado Lamotte, Marla Deer, Tracy Trash and Pétula Claque, Cabaret Mado 👑 Jimmy Moore personnifie Rihanna, Cabaret Mado 👑 Late Night with Jessie Précieuse, Cabaret Mado 👑 Drôles de Drags with Miss Butterfly, Ciathanight, Crystal Starz or Emma Déjàvu in rotation, Bar Le Cocktail

Dimanche 28 juillet / Sunday, July 28

👑 Le Tracy Show with Tracy Trash and special guests, Cabaret Mado 👑 Happy Birthday Crystal Starz with Crystal Starz, Michel Dorion and Chouchoune, Bar Le Cocktail

Lundi 29 juillet / Monday, July 29

🎭 La Curieuse—Ligue d’improvisation estivale, Chez Ernest

Mardi 30 juillet / Tuesday, July 30

👑 Full Gisèle : Femme fatale with Gisèle Lullaby, Victoire de Rockwell, Jessie Précieuse, Kiara and Foxy Lexxi Brown, Cabaret Mado 👑 Le cirque de Teddy Boop with Teddy Boop, Sally D, Sarah Winters and Mister Boogie, Bar Le Cocktail 😆 Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians, Impro Montréal

Mercredi 31 juillet / Wednesday, July 31

🎭 The Poly Mic open mic, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 😆 The Poly Showcase with Raquel Maestre and Tranna Wintour, Bar Notre-Dame-des-Quilles 👑 Sitcom Bonanza : Spécial Friends, Cabaret Mado

OTHERS / LES AUTRES

🤠 Club Bolo—Danse Country Montréal meet on Fridays at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud.

👯 Tango/Salsa Queer holds lessons every Saturday, visit queertangomtl.com for information or contact tango.queer@hotmail.com or call +1 (514) 709-4678 for prices and signup information, Espaces des Arts.

🏐 Les Ratons-Chasseurs (Montréal’s LGBTA dodgeball group) holds regular events. Keep an eye on their Facebook for upcoming opportunities to join in and play. 

🕹Montréal Gaymers hosts regular gatherings including board game nights and gaming gatherings. Check their Facebook for what’s next!

🏃🏾Join the Out-Run run and workout club for people relating to the queer / sapphic experience. Details on their Instagram!

🐦 Bird lovers should keep their eye on Queer Birders' regularly scheduled birdwatching events and excursions. Join the Facebook group and get those binoculars at the ready.

👠 Twice a month on every second Tuesday, Bring It! hosts an OTA night of ballroom and vogue with commentator and DJ. Follow their Instagram for dates and details.

[mosviqu]

things/aesthetic you associate with your moots please!

this was in my inbox for over a month i am so sorry anon... anyways. here goes nothing. not doing aesthetics bc thats a lot of effort but here is how i 'see' my friends ig :p

@satoruly - champagne, voice memos, the ocean, the beach, the metamorphosis by franz kafka, tokyo revengers, movie reviews, manga, shopping, indoor plants, sunsets, partying, singing, the bass, i dont do drugs by ariana grande and doja cat, anime, mini skirts, cherries, digital cameras, the color red, shinichiro sano, sand, headphones, random spanish thrown in convo, hearts, gojo satoru, croptops, manga, late night walks in a busy town, izana, gossiping with your best friend, ambition, the feeling of home, endless mutual understanding, passion, freedom, soulmates.

@csenke - monchichi dolls, sylvanian families, minecraft, streamers, the streets of budapest, instagram dumps, sunwoo, afternoon walks, playgrounds, random vlogs u record with your best friends, the colors yellow green and tan, enhypen, mona lisa by dominic fike, random german words, hanging posters in your room, late night conversations, pretty architecture, silly selfies, the excitement of unboxing your packages, changmin, spiderman, chimney cake, Á, lovejoy, candy, loverboy hats, platonic neighbors (yes that exists).

@from-izzy - woodz, bunnies, psychology textbooks, coffee shops, matcha, late night conversations, talking in all caps, excitement, running to catch the bus, making spotify playlists in the middle of the night, protectiveness, the color tan, bicycles, gratefulness, sharing your worries with someone, cloudy skies, the sound of birds chirping outside of your window in the morning, laying in the grass.

@heemingyu - meme reactions, milkshakes, playful banter, inside jokes, playful annoyance at your friends, learning how to drive in an empty parking lot, keyboard smashes, iced tea, sibling-like energy, comfortable hoodies, silent support, instagram reels in your dms as a form of love language, comfort tv shows in your bed.

@sungbeam - admiration, being proud of your friends, watching someone from afar, brainstorming with someone on the same wavelength, literature, baby blue by luke hemmings, dc comics, fic banners, star girl energy, the weird familiarity of a college dorm room, demon changmin, the summer break, doing ordinary things with your music playing lowly in the background, post-it notes on your wall, pancakes for breakfast.

@juyeonszn - cats, supportive comments under instagram posts, lying for fun, feeling yourself when you go clubbing with your best friends, lipgloss, tattoos, roadtrips, concerts, taking polaroids on a night out, flirting with your friends, screaming a song on the top of your lungs.

@zzoguri - valorant, childhood friends vibes, meeting someone and feeling like you've known them for ages, jacob bae, gaming, discord calls, italy, journalism, the friends you meet in university, found family, warm soup on sundays, laufey, day6.

@kimsohn - delusional conversations, talking shit with your honest friends, juyeon, typing really fast on your keyboard, understanding each others typos, editing, yunjin, being in love with women, confidence, yeehaw, iconic energy.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

Pomegranate Ink: XV

Series Synopsis: Unable to heal but willing to fight, with a fiancé in Kyoto and a last name that looms over everything you do, you accept an offer to study at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. What you did not know was that your salvation and your ruination alike would soon join you at the school, neatly wrapped in the form of a boy followed by death.

Chapter Synopsis: You meet Megumi Fushiguro. Later, a mishap on a walk leads to an unpleasant discovery.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Yuta Okkotsu × Female Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.0k

Content Warnings: angst, misogyny, naoya zenin, forbidden relationships, canon-typical violence, character death, original characters included

A/N: this chapter is like the typical pomegranate ink stupidity but super bloody edition

Megumi Fushiguro was not at all what you had expected. Actually, you weren’t sure what you had been expecting, but whatever that may have been, the boy in front you was certainly contrary to it. He reminded you a little of Yuta, but harsher, sharper, his eyes a stony green compared to Yuta’s limpid blue, his brows furrowed with a permanent irritation instead of mournfully upturned the way Yuta’s usually were.

“I wish you guys would talk,” Gojo muttered after a few minutes.

“I’m Megumi Fushiguro,” Megumi said stiffly, like even saying the words pained him. You smiled tentatively, wondering if this could be considered a personal insult or if he was just like this with everyone.

“It’s nice to meet you, Megumi. I’m Y/N L/N,” you said. You realized belatedly that you should’ve referred to him as Fushiguro, but Gojo had only ever called him Megumi, so you had begun to think of him as such. He did not get upset about it, however, only shoving his hands in his pockets and training his gaze on the ground.

“Nice to meet you, too, L/N,” he said, and now instead of stiff he just sounded extraordinarily shy.

“You can call me Y/N,” you said. “Since you’re letting me call you Megumi and all.”

“Sure,” he said. “Y/N.”

“Yay, I’m so glad you’re getting along!” Gojo squealed, clapping his hands together. The most baleful look you had ever seen a person don flitted over Megumi’s face, and you muffled a laugh.

“We’re only getting along because you’re forcing us to!” he hissed. Gojo shrugged innocently, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

“So, you’re my underclassman,” you said, peering at him curiously, an examination for which he stood perfectly still, not even daring to breathe. “Do you respect me?”

“You’re a grade one sorcerer,” he said. “I respect how strong you are.”

“I see,” you said. “You’re clever with that — the whole art of the non-answer, I mean. It’s admirable. And you’re right, I am a grade one sorcerer! I’d say that’d make me somewhat respectable, even if I weren’t your upperclassman.”

“Correct,” he said.

“Wait, can I be your favorite?” you said.

“What?” he said.

“I want to be your favorite! The one you ask for advice and help with training! The one you go to when you’re feeling down in the dumps or when you want to celebrate!” you said, your eyes turning to metaphorical stars at the thought of being something like Megumi’s mentor. Now that you were the most established of your classmates, a first grade compared to everyone else’s lower ranking, you thought that you deserved to be considered a reliable and trustworthy upperclassman.

“Our techniques aren’t really that similar at all,” he said. “I think I’d find more merit from training with Maki Zenin or Tullia Ferraro.”

You frowned, put out by the blunt answer, feeling your dreams literally crumbling down around you. Gojo patted you on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, there’s another first year who’ll be here somewhat soon. Maybe you can be her favorite,” he said.

“Okay,” you said. Megumi looked around the room uncomfortably.

“Can I go yet?” he said.

“Do you not enjoy finally getting to meet your hero?” Gojo said, opening his arms with a dramatic flourish. “I thought you’d be a little more excited about getting to meet the Y/N L/N!”

“Uh, what?” you said. “Hero?”

“That’s not true!” Megumi said, his voice suddenly high-pitched with embarrassment. “She is not my hero!”

“Of course not. I am,” Gojo said. “But isn’t she second place? You know, Megumi, she has everything you could ever look for in a role model. Strong character, great morals, powerful technique, and her face isn’t half-bad looking, either!”

“‘Isn’t half-bad looking?’” you said critically.

“Her looks are not a factor in whether she can be considered a role model or not in the first place!” Megumi sputtered. “You’re just saying random nonsense to make me feel embarrassed!”

“And you’re insulting my looks while you’re at it,” you said. “Not your best move, Gojo.”

“You think Nanami is better looking than me,” he pointed out. “You deserve it.”

“You are so petty,” you said. “Anyways, wouldn’t it be a little weird if I thought you were good looking? You’re like my brother.”

“Which makes you like my sister, and that means it would also be weird if I thought you were good looking,” Gojo said. You could not refute this logic, so you settled for crossing your arms and sticking your nose in the air haughtily, turning away from Gojo, who returned the favor in kind with a ‘hmph’.

“I’m going to go get my dorm ready, then,” Megumi said, inching out of the door while you and Gojo glared at one another — or, at least, you were glaring at Gojo. However, he had his blindfold on, so it was generally hard to tell if he was glaring. Regardless, he was facing in your general direction and did not protest as Megumi all but sprinted out of the room, leaving you two alone.

“You should go meet the rest of your classmates,” Gojo said, abruptly turning away and heading towards his desk, sitting back down and giving you a thumbs up. It was a complete change from his earlier mood, but as you were used to such fickleness from Gojo, you did not complain, only nodding eagerly.

“That’s right, it’s been so long since I last saw Maki and the others! I met Tullia already, but I came here instead of going to see everyone else. Do you mind if I head out?” you said.

“Go on ahead,” he said. “We can talk later. How about we go out for desserts sometime?”

“Sounds like a plan,” you said. “Just let me know when you’re free. I’ll be here; you’re the one that the higher ups keep working to the bone.”

He let out an affected sigh. “Ah, well. It’s like I said, isn’t it? The life of the strongest. Don’t worry about me, I’m used to it.”

You thought you might say something else, something reassuring, but for some reason you sensed that he might not like to hear it. So you only nodded, giving him one last smile before slipping out of his office and leaving him alone to his thoughts.

There were four figures in the dining hall, crowded around one single table and engaged in some lively conversation. Panda was gesturing about wildly, and Tullia was laughing, her cheeks flushed as Toge wrote something on a piece of paper and showed her. It was a comforting, familiar scene, and something arose in your throat as you remembered how much you had missed them during the summer break.

However, it was not Panda that you were most focused on, nor Toge and Tullia. It was her, your best friend, the person you had wanted to see above all else, that your eyes jumped to immediately. She was scowling at the others, though at the creak of the door opening, she cocked her head and turned to look at you.

Her eyes widened, and then she broke into a grin, jumping to her feet and running over to meet you. You did the same, and you both collided in an embrace of the sort that you had been imagining since you left her last.

“Maki!” you said, your arms tight around her shoulders, your cheek pressed against her own.

“Y/N,” she murmured, hands resting on your back, pulling you even closer to her. You allowed your eyes to shut, staying still for a moment, safe in the knowledge that Maki was here now. “It’s been way too long.”

“Look who it is!” Panda shouted, and suddenly you were being torn from Maki and engulfed in Panda’s warmth, his sweet-smelling fur which was so soft against your face. You laughed, surprised to feel tears springing to your eyes. If Panda felt them, he did not say anything, for which you were grateful.

“Kelp,” Toge said. You emerged from Panda’s fluff and beamed at him, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

“I like the new hairstyle, Toge! Actually, all of you look great. It seems like summer treated everyone well,” you said. Toge’s once-spiky hair had been allowed to grow out, the pale strands falling into his violet eyes, and where Tullia had formerly kept her hair in two braids, it was now left to hang loose around her shoulders and down her back. As for Maki, her high ponytail remained the same as before, but she had gotten bangs and changed the style of her glasses, highlighting the dangerous cut of her face and the sharpness of her gaze.

“Treated you the best, though, didn’t it, Grade 1 sorcerer?” Maki said.

“I can’t argue with that,” you said, shrugging as you went over to get some food before rejoining everyone at the table. “So, I know Tullia was at the beach. What has everyone else been up to?”

“Nothing much,” Maki said. “You know I stay on campus throughout the break, so I’ve just been practicing, I guess. Training. You know how it is.”

“It wouldn’t be you if you weren’t training,” you said with a snicker, causing her to wrinkle her nose at you.

“Toge was telling us about how he spent some time with his family,” Tullia supplied helpfully, earning her a grateful look from the boy, who likely had not wanted to waste another sheet of paper explaining what he had done over the summer.

“I napped a lot,” Panda said. “Went to the zoo and scared some kids at one point. It was fun.”

“You are crazy,” you said, shaking your head before sighing. “I wish Yuta was here. It feels so strange without him. He should be telling us stories of Africa right now.”

“I was just going to say that,” Maki said with a nod. “It’s disconcerting, you know? Not having him here.”

“Yeah,” Tullia said. “I hope he comes back soon.”

You were reminded, suddenly, that you were not the only one with a claim on him. Naturally, the others could not dare to compete with the bond that you two shared — after all, you had quite literally brought him back from the dead, there was something to be said for that, and anyways you loved each other in an entirely different way — but they were his friends, too. They all missed him.

Especially Toge. No matter how fond he was of the rest of you and what he felt for Tullia, the fact remained that Yuta was his best friend, as Maki was yours. You vowed to spend some more time with him, so that he did not get lonely in the time that Yuta was in Africa.

“Do you want to go on a walk after we eat?” Maki asked you.

“Yes!” you said, jumping on the chance to spend time with her. You knew before he even responded that Panda would say no, and no doubt Toge and Tullia would naturally separate, giving you the time to talk with your best friend alone. It wasn’t as if there was anything you couldn’t say in front of the others, but sometimes, you just wanted to be with her and no one else.

“Um, no,” Panda said. “You already forced me to take a bath earlier. That’s quite enough demands from you for today. I’m going to go take another nap.”

“Whatever,” Maki said. None of you were surprised by this, so she took the rejection in turn before turning to Toge and Tullia. “You two?”

“I’m in,” Tullia said.

“Salmon,” Toge agreed. Maki pumped her fist in the air, which you believed to be a bit of an overreaction to a simple walk. But, then again, it had been so long since the four of you had even done that much together that you really couldn’t blame her.

The weather outside was lovely, the heat of summer still emanating from the very air, but with the barest hints of fall creeping in, so that the temperature was not entirely insufferable. You looped your arm through Maki’s as you walked down the path, ahead of Toge and Tullia, who were doing their own thing, judging by Tullia’s whispers and Toge’s thumbs flying over his phone keyboard.

“So,” Maki said. “How have things been with you and Yuta?”

“Good,” you said. “Naturally, I miss him terribly, but I understand why he had to go, and I know he’ll be back soon, so it’s not unbearable. Plus, we talk all of the time. Surprisingly, for being in a secret village in an undisclosed region of the African continent, he has really great cell service.”

“I wouldn’t have expected that,” Maki admitted. “But I guess he’s pretty active in the groupchat, so it makes sense.”

“Miguel’s family doesn’t cheap out on anything,” you said. “All in all, we’re making the best of the scenario we’ve been given. There’s nothing else to do, so we just keep going in the way we have been and counting down the days until he can come back.”

Before she could respond, there was a massive crashing sound behind you. You turned around to see Toge sitting on the ground and clutching his head, rivers of blooding already matting his hair. Tullia was crouched beside him, face pale with horror.

“What happened?” Maki said as the two of you raced to their sides.

“He tripped on a rock,” Tullia said. “It’s so entirely silly! He tripped on a rock, though he managed to save himself in time…but he would’ve been better off if he’d just tripped! See, he had to catch onto a branch to avoid falling, but the branch must’ve been dead or something, because it just broke off. Luckily, by then I had gathered my wits about me enough to grab his hand and keep him up, but then unluckily the branch hit him on the head and he ended up like this!”

“There’s no need to freak out,” you soothed, smoothing Toge’s hair away from his forehead and wiping the blood from his face. “Head wounds tend to look a lot more serious than they actually are because of how much they bleed. It’s likely nothing to get too worked up over.”

“Salmon,” Toge said woozily, a feeble attempt at consolation, though he immediately passed out afterwards, making it less consolatory and more worrying.

Your years of living around healers, even without having a Reverse Cursed Technique, meant that you were somewhat of an authority on the subjects of injuries and ailments. The others would defer to your judgment on the situation, and your first assessment was indeed that Toge had just had an unfortunate scrape-up with a branch — humiliating and painful, but nothing more serious than that.

Just in case, however, you silently activated your cursed technique, trying to see if Dissection might reveal something about his physical state that was not obvious through the copious amounts of blood streaming out of what must have been a tiny wound. On the off chance that something was wrong, it would be important to get help as soon as possible, so that he did not suffer long term effects from the stupid injury.

The first thing you discovered was that it was not a tiny wound. You did not let yourself outwardly react so that you did not stress the others out, but judging by the glaring red glow around the crown of his head, he had fractured his skull and was also likely suffering a traumatic brain injury. Of course; it was almost the absolute worst case, but not out of the realms of probability. You had not inspected the branch that had hit him, but if it was heavy enough, then the level of his injuries made sense.

They would have massive repercussions if not treated immediately. You knew from how bright the red glow of Dissection was that it was like that, that Toge’s very life was in danger, but it would not be a problem if you could reach Shoko in time.

Except for one small problem: Shoko was currently in Kyoto on a business trip to visit Utahime Iori, the head teacher of your sister campus. The best thing that could happen would be if you contacted Gojo, who would then somehow do some Gojo-like nonsense to get Shoko on the scene as soon as possible.

No, that wasn’t true, actually. The best thing that could happen — the best thing that could happen would be you healing Toge. You could do it, you knew you had the capability, but something was stopping you. According to your father, it was your usage of Dissection that blocked Composition, and maybe he was right, but you couldn’t dwell on that now.

You came to a split-second decision. You weren’t sure if you could do it, but you had to try. Otherwise, one of your best friends might very well die in the most ridiculous way known to mankind. Shaking your head to clear it and steeling your resolve, you beckoned Maki over.

“Did something happen?” she said.

“Help me lie him flat,” you said instead of answering her question.

“What?” she hissed, complying anyways. She was quick on the uptake, she knew that this meant something was more wrong than you were letting on, but now that you had committed yourself to the course of action, you had no time to discuss it with anyone.

“Tullia, text Gojo and ask him if he can get Shoko,” you said. “Tell him there’s an emergency. I’ll try to handle it in the meantime.”

“Alright,” she said, pulling out her phone and giving you and Toge a worried look before doing as you had asked. There was a palpable tension in the air now; everyone knew something was wrong. Everyone knew what you were going to attempt. No one knew what the outcome was going to be. That was the source of it all, and maybe you should’ve just sat and waited for Gojo, but you weren’t the kind of person who could sit and wait when one of your friends was in danger.

“Maki,” you said, once she had taken a step back from Toge. “Be ready to carry him if necessary. You’re the strongest of us three, so you’ll have to be the one to do it.”

“Not a problem. Do you think you can use it again, though?” she said.

“I don’t know,” you said. “Maybe not. Probably not. I have to try, though. If Shoko can’t get here in time, then I’m his only chance. Anyways, at least he’s a lot further from death than Yuta was. There’s that. It should be a little simpler this time around.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod, squeezing your shoulder before giving you enough space to center yourself. “That’s good to know. Even if he wasn’t, though, I’d still think you could do it. I believe in you.”

That was all you needed. Maki believed in you. She always had, and she always would. If you had that, you could do this. You could do anything. Taking a deep breath, you reached inside of yourself, searching for the pain of the Reverse Cursed Technique, and then you searched for Toge’s pain, multiplying them together.

It had to work. It just had to.

“Composition,” you said, focusing your power on his head. “Please. Composition.”

This time when you used Composition, unlike the last, you felt something swirl and flare up inside you. It was as if someone else was there to help you, their cursed energy cradling your own, supporting it so that it could rally and do what it had to.

It was curious, too. There was no knife. You felt no pain as you hesitantly began to heal Toge, unsure of what was happening to you, unsure of why you were able to use the Reverse Cursed Technique without hurting, unsure of how you could use it despite the fact that you had not ceased to use Dissection. Everything about the situation was antithetical to what your father had said would happen, what you yourself had experienced happening, and you hated not understanding why. Because pain didn’t just vanish like that. It didn’t just disappear. If anything, it only ever transferred, like a debt, passed on from person to person until someone paid it back in full. So who was it? Who at present was responsible for the owing?

There was a piercing scream as Toge’s wounds began to knit together. It was the most anguished sound you had ever heard, layers of untold pain wrapped into a single cry, and you knew without a doubt what it meant. It resonated in your bones, echoed through your veins, reflecting everything you had ever felt while using Composition, everything you should’ve been feeling at that moment but weren’t.

It was Tullia. She was shrieking and moaning, trying to speak, but she couldn’t, couldn’t form coherent words or thoughts or sentences, such was the depth of her hurt. You turned to face her, still healing Toge, and were met with a gory sight: blood was trickling from her nose, the corners of her mouth, and even her very eyes — though of course this blood was diluted, mixed with the saltwater of her tears as it ran down her cheeks.

“Tullia? Y/N, do you — do you know what is happening to her? Is she dying? Forget about Toge, we have to help her! We have to do something!” Maki said, turning to you, terror written plainly on her features as she cast about for something more to say. You ought to have comforted her, but you were frozen, staring at Tullia in shock, a theory rapidly forming in your mind. It was a theory you did not want to be true, but intrinsically, you knew it was.

“There’s a knife in your heart,” you said. “Isn’t there?”

She did not say anything in response, but a wet, choking sound escaped her. She was gagging, you realized, on the blood coating her throat, on that metallic, tangy taste. Maki was rubbing her back, trying to help her expel the blood that kept on coming, but it was in vain. It would always be in vain, because there was nobody who could ease Tullia’s suffering. Nobody except for you.

“It’s over now,” you predicted as you deemed Toge fully healed. Tullia’s entire body was shuddering, her eyelashes clumped together with blood, her lips shining still bright with it. The feeble attempts of a body not meant for the Reverse Cursed Technique to survive its use. “Take a deep breath, Tullia. It’s over.”

Several minutes passed as Tullia regained function, coughing and hacking as she gazed up at you, the scleras of her eyes shot through with red, her entire face and front covered in blood, the ends of her hair sticky, her eyelashes clumped together and crimson.

“How did you know?” she wheezed. “That it was a knife. That it would end. I thought it never would. I thought I must’ve died already, so how — how did you know?”

“I know because I’m the one who did it to you,” you said. “It was my fault.”

The way that Maki and Tullia looked at you then was as if they did not know you. It was as if you were a monster who had stolen the body of their friend. Weren’t you, though? Weren’t you just an iteration of Elakshi’s snake curse, a being that preyed upon those that did not know better and used them as you pleased?

“I don’t understand,” Maki said, voice wavering, pleading. “How is it your fault? Why is it your fault?”

She didn’t want it to be true. She didn’t want for you, her very best friend, to be the kind of person that hurt the ones you loved. You swallowed hard, focusing on Toge’s peaceful expression. You had never disappointed Maki before. You had also never hurt Tullia before. You found that both were not sensations you liked. You didn’t want to be the kind of person that hurt the ones you loved, either.

“I used her to heal Toge,” you said. “To use Composition, I firstly used her. That’s why it’s my fault she’s like this. That’s how I did it to her.”

You and Tullia sat side by side in Gojo’s office, both freshly showered, the evidence of the ill-fated experience in the forest washed off of your bodies so that you could pretend like it had not happened in the first place. Pretending was foolish, though, because of course it hadhappened and neither of you could forget that fact, but it made the silence between you two a little smoother, a little easier, if you did not acknowledge it. So you didn’t.

Maki was watching over Toge as he slept in the infirmary, Panda watching over both of them with that strange wisdom he sometimes possessed. You thought that Maki must not want to see you anymore, or at least for the moment could not bear to see the face of the one who had done what you had to Tullia, so you did not beg for her to come with you. Still, you wished she was there, wished that you did not feel so alone and small.

Actually, in truth you wished more that Yuta was there. You wanted his steadiness, his loyalty, his affection. He understood blood, understood sacrifice and death and all that came with it. He wouldn’t shun you for what had happened. He’d probably love you more if he had seen. You would’ve been like that, then, two people who could not escape hurting anyone else and found solace only in hurting one another. But neither Yuta nor Maki were there, and you were alone with the very girl whose body you had wrecked in the pursuit of saving your friend.

“I think I know what happened,” Gojo said after a long silence. “When Tullia drank your blood to save you, Y/N, the two of you accidentally formed some kind of vow or contract or something. The contract allows Y/N to use Composition despite her decision to focus on Dissection, but at the cost of Tullia’s cursed energy. The reason why Tullia went into such shock is because she isn’t equipped to handle the Reverse Cursed Technique.”

“Without help,” you completed for him, though you doubted he had even known that his sentence needed completing in the first place.

“Hm?” Gojo said. You gave Tullia a guilty look. Was it fair of you to suggest this? No, of course not. You were choosing to possibly hurt your friend so that you could continue to fight and still be able to heal. You had seen what it had done to her, and you were still suggesting it. What kind of a person were you? But it was the most logical thing. What was Tullia’s life to the lives you could save by exorcising curses, to the sorcerers you could save with the Reverse Cursed Technique? Were you even qualified to make that call? It was not fair, would never be fair, but you had to do it anyways. You had to say it.

She did not look back at you, face forward, staring at Gojo impassively, though her body was occasionally wracked with tremors. She had never experienced those before. You presumed they were a temporary side effect of what she had undergone and felt even worse for the idea you were about to propose.

“I can take some of the pain. Most of it, even. I think that’s how it works, anyways; I can take on the pain if she helps me. If she lends me her cursed energy, I can heal, too, not just fight,” you said.

“You’re not sure, though,” Gojo said. “There’s a chance you can’t recoup any of it, and she’d be left to deal with everything. You’re saying this based on a chance. A hope.”

“Yes, that’s correct. I can’t be a hundred percent certain,” you said. “It’s risky, but based on my knowledge of vows, it should be as I’m describing.”

“It’s fine,” Tullia said quietly, still refusing to meet your eyes. “Even if you can’t take any of the pain, it’s fine. My blood and my cursed energy and my body and my life, they’re all yours if you’ll have them. This is how I can be useful. I will give you everything I call my own, so that you can heal and fight at the same time.”

“Tullia,” you trailed off helplessly. You didn’t know how to continue the thought. You didn’t want her to suffer like that ever again. You just needed one more try; one more chance, and you would figure it out then. You would understand how to take it from her, how to make sure that she never felt any pain, how to be certain that no one you loved could ever be hurt again on your watch.

“Don’t worry,” she said, and finally she lifted her head and gave you a weak smile, reaching out her hands and clasping your own in between her cold, shaking ones. “This is why we breathe the same. I trust you, Y/N. I’ll do anything for you. Anyways, between the two of us, you’re the one who’s important. You’re the one who can change jujutsu society for the better.”

“Alright, then,” Gojo said, clapping once, an expression of finality instead of glee and enthusiasm as it usually was. “If that’s what you’ve decided, you can begin training with Shoko as soon as she’s back from her business trip. Congratulations, Y/N; it seems like you’re on the path to one day becoming the true pride of the L/N clan. I hope it’s worth it in the end.”

[samasmith23]

Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon — (Part 4)

Neon Genesis Evangelion, “Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma”

Continuing my Evangelion re-watch marathon with NGE, "Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma"! For my thoughts on the previous episode, click the link to the post below:

With that out of the way, let's dig in! I’m especially excited to revisit this episode as this was always one of my personal favorite episodes from the series!

I love Misato’s dialogue when she reacts to seeing Shinji’s room completely empty with only his ID card and a letter on his desk: “*Sigh...* He’s run away… I’m not surprised…”

Even without reading the goodbye letter, Misato immediately realizes what is going on because she and Shinji truly are similar when it comes to their loneliness and desire to run away from the rest of the world.

This whole montage of Shinji wandering aimlessly back-&-forth around Tokyo-3 and the Japanese countryside perfectly encapsulates the major reason why this episode in particular has always stood out among my personal favorites: namely it’s ability to effectively communicate so much information about Shinji’s character primarily through visual storytelling and with little to no dialogue!

Elements like Shinji going back-&-forth on the looped train station while repeatedly listening to tracks 25 & 26 on his cassette radio convey Shinji’s lack of motivation and finding escapism through repetition, the scene of him witnessing two people kiss in the movie theater (the film is a dramatized retelling of Second Impact funnily enough) highlight Shinji’s simultaneous desire for and aversion towards having intimate relationships and physical contact with others, the pink-filter scene of Shinji feeling overwhelmed by the sight of Toyko-3 and subsequent leaving to the countryside represents Shinji’s fear of the pressure of responsibility and desire to run away from pain, while him coincidentally encountering Tokyo-3 again on the mountainside is reminiscent of Shinji’s inability to truly run away as he keeps coming back to piloting the EVA in order to find some purpose in life, and the image of Shinji sitting by the cliffside is reflective of his suicidal ideation since the landscape is visually based off the real-life Owakudani area which is sadly well-known for its high suicide rates.

Interestingly though, series' creator Hideaki Anno has stated before that a defining feature of Shinji's character is that, "he is a boy who doesn't even have the courage to kill himself."

And it is here where I feel its appropriate to address a major elephant in the room when it comes to analyzing anything Evangelion-related. Specifically, in addition to being reflective of Anno's own personal struggles with depression, EVA as a series simultaneously functions as a meta-critique of the Japanese otaku subculture. For those who aren't aware, "otaku" essentially somewhat functions as a Japanese synonym for a nerd or geek with obsessive interests. In his essay "おたく / Otaku / Geek," Morikawa Kaichirō argues that "contemporary usage of the word otaku [originating] in an essay titled 'A Study of Otaku' that appeared in the June 1983 edition of Manga Burikko, an erotic manga magazine [by] Nakamori Akio (1)." Following the infamous 1989 otaku murders in which an anime fan named Tstusmo Miyazaki killed 4 young girls, Kaichirō elaborates that otaku evolved into a pejorative shorthand for "person who has retreated into a fantasy world, unable to tell the difference between reality and illusion, and is sexually attracted to small children (8)."

Concerning Evangelion, both Anno and the other founding members of Studio Gainax were pioneering members of otaku subculture within the anime industry, but during the production of his previous anime, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Anno fell into a four-year-long struggle with severe depression and became increasingly introspective and critical about the certain elements of otaku lifestyle which he grew to hate about himself and others. While Anno today openly embraces the more positive aspects of his otaku identity, during the mid-to-late 90s Anno's clinical depression and growing disenchantment with otaku significantly influenced the overall narrative and themes of the franchise. This is supported by an interview from the 1997 Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion Pamphlet with assistant-director Kazuya Tsurumaki, who described Shinji's "distant, awkward communication" with the rest of the series' cast functioning as a parable for otaku IRL.

Now with that major aside out of the way, let's resume the analysis of the episode!

I think this scene answers my previous question about why exactly Shinji suddenly decided to disobey orders during the fight with the Angel Shamshel in the previous episode: Namely, after realizing that perfectly obeying orders like a robot got him nowhere, Shinji simply stopped giving a crap and was determined to just kill the Angel even if it meant he himself would get killed in the process. It further feeds into to the previous cliffside imagery which alluded to Shinji’s suicidal tendencies and his lack of any true desire to live unless he can be of use to someone else. It just goes to show how empty and hollow one's existence can feel when consumed by severe depression and self-imposed isolation. A true Hedgehog's Dilemma...

Also, while Spike Spencer’s “yes” replies to Misato can feel a tad bit sarcastic here, he does perfectly nail Shinji’s nihilism in this scene!

As much as I rag on Kensuke in the ADV dub for his crappy voice acting, I do love how he serves as somewhat of a foil to Shinji during the scene where Kensuke’s childishly pretending to be a military soldier before camping out with a wandering Shinji. While Shinji is a stand-in for the introverted depressed otaku (which is reflective of Anno’s own mental state during the production of NGE), Kensuke reflects the more nerdy escapist otaku who’s so overly immersed in their fandom passions that they blind themselves from the ongoings of the real world.

This contrast is best conveyed when Kensuke ignorantly states how jealous he is of Shinji for both being able to pilot EVA and live under the care of an attractive older woman like Misato, whereas Shinji reflects the harsh reality and emotional struggles that a 14-year-old effectively serving as a child soldier would endure. It’s likely no accident that Kensuke was cosplaying as a soldier during this scene, especially since the previous interaction between Misato & Ritsuko about the former’s concern for the mental health of the EVA pilots was juxtaposed with the latter coldly examining Rei’s physical health so that she could fulfill her duty as a cog in NERV’s military industrial complex. Ironically, the same industrial complex which Kensuke idolizes is the one which causes Shinji & Rei pain.

Also, we get another bit of foreshadowing about the EVA’s harboring the souls of the pilot’s dead mother’s as Kensuke reveals that just like Shinji he too lacks a mother.

Misato’s angry reaction to Shinji stating that he’ll continue to pilot the EVA solely because it’s what’s expected of him and that he doesn’t want to place the burden of responsibility on Rei is… interesting. On the one hand Misato is exposing her limitations at being an efficient parental-figure/guardian to Shinji by letting the military commander side of her personality override her nurturing side by coldly scolding Shinji and telling him to leave if that’s going to be his attitude going forward. But on the other hand, I can’t help but completely agree with Misato’s rationale here since if Shinji’s going to continue piloting, then he should do so only if he legitimately wants to or is doing so to discover his own purpose in life, rather than doing so simply out of detached obligation or an aimless desire to gain validation from others. In this regard, piloting the EVA is metaphorical for growing up versus running away, something which Misato herself has and still struggles with.

And that’s why Misato's so harsh on Shinji here. It's because she knows exactly what he’s going through. But while Misato does legitimately want what’s best for him (which is why she feels that him quitting might be better for his mental health), she’s unable to express it in a tactful manner since Shinji in this scenario represents the part of Misato that she hates about herself.

Regarding the scene where Toji requests Shinji to hit him as recompense for him previously hitting Shinji back in Episode 3, I never noticed this before but Toji's request is actually reflective of his struggles with toxic masculinity. I mentioned before that Toji heavily fits into the archetype of the traditional school jock. And although he does subvert many of the traits associated with said-archetype (namely through developing a sense of regret for his previous bullying of Shinji and even empathizing and befriending him), Toji still embodies several attitudes associated with toxic masculinity through his belief of resolving conflict through physical violence. Whether it be him punching Shinji out of anger for EVA Unit-01 accidentally hospitalizing his younger sister, or Toji insisting that Shinji punch him back in order to “let bygones be bygones” between them.

In this regard, Toji is also experiencing his own form of the Hedgehog’s Dilemma which Shinji & Misato also deal with, since he struggles with expressing his feelings of empathy to others and relies on a tough-exterior and communicating primarily through physical pain.

And interestingly, this examination of toxic masculinity isn’t just limited to Toji’s character, but also too Misato’s as well since in previous episodes she scolded Shinji for “not acting like a boy” whenever he acted distant or reserved. And these harmful perceptions of “traditional” masculinity are something which Misato overcomes by the end of this episode when she realizes that the Hedgehog’s Dilemma is causing both Shinji and herself to shielding their true feelings by allowing themselves to be hurt and to hurt others. This is why Misato comes to regret her previous scolding of Shinji, and rushes to see him goodbye at the train station.

Also, I love how Misato’s realization of the harm the Hedgehog’s Dilema causes both her and Shinji is contrasted against one of Shinji’s most famous line’s in the entire series, exposing the true depths of his depression and self-loathing to Toji: “I'm the one who deserved to be hit! Not You! I'm a coward! I'm dishonest! I'm sneaky! And a wimp!”

This final moment where Misato apparently arrives too late at the train station only to see that Shinji never actually got on (once again running away in a sense…), and the two stare at each other for a full minute across the station before calling back to their lines from Episode 2 (specifically when Shinji first arrived at Misato's apartment...), is yet another perfect example of communicating so much information and character development with very little to almost no dialogue! It’s at this moment Shinji finally realized that Misato does legitimately care about him as a parent/guardian-figure and was more than just his commanding officer expecting him to solely follow orders. And Misato finally realized that she needs to not hide her motherly affection for Shinji and start showing him legitimate support, instead of trying to shield her own loneliness through both her gruff military exterior and messy home life.

The duality between Shinji & Misato's respective Hedgehog Dilemma's comes full circle by the end of the episode. As Anno himself once clarified in a written statement for the July 1995 edition of Neon Genesis Evangelion Vol. 1:

"[Shinji] tries to live in a closed world where his behavior dooms him, and he has abandoned the attempt to understand himself. A cowardly young man who feels that his father has abandoned him, and so he has convinced himself that he is a completely unnecessary person, so much so that he cannot even commit suicide. And there is a 29-year-old woman who lives life so lightly as to barely allow the possibility of a human touch. She protects herself by having suface level relationships, and running away. Both are extremely afraid of being hurt. Both are unsuitable-lacking the positive attitude-for what people call heroes of an adventure. But in any case, they are the heroes of this story."

Well, that was NGE, "Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma", and even after all this time this one still stands as one of my personal favorite episodes from the entire series! Even as far back as Episode 4, Anno was relying heavily on visual storytelling techniques which heavily distinguished EVA from your conventional giant-robot anime series! And that’s a huge factor why even upon rewatch this episode still holds up phenomenally well among the earlier episodes!

Funnily enough though, this episode was actually almost never produced and is the only one out of all 26 episodes in which Anno possesses neither a writing nor co-writing credit. According to the Platinum Booklet - Episode Commentaries, Episode 4 was originally absent from the original plot outlines for the series, stating that,

"In actuality, this episode was once omitted in terms of the series composition and it was planned that what is now Episode Five would come after Episode Three. But as production progressed, staff members voiced their opinion that perhaps there was a need to depict Shinji’s relationship with the people around him after Episode Three, and thus, this episode was made, greatly changing the contents from what had originally been conceived. Because of this, the script for this episode written after the script for Episode Five had already been finalized. This is the one and only episode of all the TV and movie episodes in which Director Anno did not have a direct hand in the plot and script."

All I can say is, thank goodness that this episode does exist. Regardless of whether or not Anno himself was directly involved with the writing process for this specific episode, you can feel his influence all throughout its runtime. Overall, definitely a strong contender for one of the best entries in the original series!

Next time... Episode 5 and our first real glimpse into the enigma known as Rei Ayanami!

[jeongyunhoed]

Playlists: Tokyo Revengers Edition

Characters: Takemichi, Baji, Mitsuya, Mikey, Draken, Hanma, Chifuyu

This is just something I decided to think of out of the blue as I go further down the rabbit hole of this anime/manga/movie franchise. I picked the songs based on the vibes I get from each of them, and most of these (98%) are in my iTunes. Some old songs, some k-pop songs, some in between-ish. You might notice a pattern but the vibes are there okay? Kept Taka-chan’s and Chifuyu’s playlists on the soft side as much as possible hehe.

All the playlists under the cut, links included to the youtube audio. 

BAJI KEISUKE

1. Tell Me a Lie - The Fratellis 2. Fight Song - The Republic Tigers 3. Daredevil - Zico 4. Two Trick Pony - Sandwich 5. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin 6. Bangarang - Skrillex 7. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins 8. You Only Live Once - The Strokes 9. Bad - Tablo, Jinsil 10. Danger - Taemin

Honorable Mention: Chasing Fire - Lauv

MITSUYA TAKASHI

1. Love - Dean, Syd 2. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap 3. This Charming Man - Stars 4. Heartbeat - Tahiti 80 5. Be the One - The Ting Tings 6. Blue Hour - TXT 7. Call it Home - Ginger Root 8. Have You Seen...? - Raspberry Field 9. After Hours - We Are Scientists 10. With Somebody - Public Library Commute

Honorable Mention: Footprint - ASTRO

MATSUNO CHIFUYU

1. Silly - Daybreak 2. She’s Got You High - Mumm-Ra 3. Half Moon - Dean 4. Elevator Love Letter - Stars 5. I’d Rather Dance With You - Kings of Convenience 6. Magic - TXT 7. Going Crazy - Treasure 8. Across the Room - Public Library Commute 9. Fucking Boyfriend - The Bird and the Bee 10. Carnival - The Cardigans

Honorable mention: Lullaby for a Cat - Epik High

SANO “MIKEY” MANJIRO

1. Reverse of Shade - The Windupdeads 2. Start the Commotion - The Wiseguys 3. Nappa - Crush 4. Okey Dokey - Mino, Zico 5. Dancing with the Devil - Unit+  6. Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys 7. First of Summer - Urbandub 8. Turbulence - ATEEZ 9. Set You Free - The Black Keys 10. Bad Kids - Black Lips

Honorable Mention: Legend Has It - Run the Jewels

RYUGUJI “DRAKEN” KEN

1. Bermuda Triangle - Zico, Dean, Crush 2. Very Good - Block B 3. Hold Tight - AB6IX 4. Back in Black - AC/DC 5. Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend 6. So Here We Are - Bloc Party 7. Something to Die For - Carolina Liar 8. Bonnie and Clyde - Dean 9. 2YA2YAO - Super Junior 10. Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys

Honorable Mention: I Like the Way - Bodyrockers

HANAGAKI TAKEMICHI

1. Hero-Heroine - Boys Like Girls 2. Lovefool - The Cardigans 3. Heroes and Villains - The Beach Boys 4. Boys Don’t Cry - The Cure 5. Brand New - Public Library Commute 6. 10 Months - Enhypen 7. New Beautiful - Epik High 8. Paradise - EXO 9. Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls 10. Beautiful World - Carolina Liar

Honorable Mention: It Ain’t Over - NOA

HANMA SHUJI

1. Devil by the Window - TXT 2. Born Hater - Epik High 3. Given-Taken - Enhypen 4 Dirty Little Secret - All-American Rejects 5. Bad - Christopher 6. Barracuda - Heart 7. Make it Rain - Bastarz 8. Rockefeller Skank - Fatboy Slim 9. Get Loud for Me - GIZZLE 10. But It’s Better If You Do - Panic! At the Disco

Honorable Mention: Hot Mess - Cobra Starship

[uraberika]

Paparazzi

Rating: T Fandom: Inazuma Eleven Chapter: 2/? Relationship: Domon Asuka/Urabe Rika, Ichinose Kazuya/Urabe Rika Characters: Domon Asuka, Urabe Rika, Ichinose Kazuya, Zaizen Touko Summary: Domon Asuka is a twenty-something fashion journalist stuck between last-minute speed-running articles at midnight and editing photos of fashionistas who think way too highly of themselves. But when he accidentally ruins the career of celebrity model Urabe Rika, he finds his life suddenly turned upside down as he is forced to help the insufferable fashion icon (quite literally) get back on her feet. On other platforms:AO3

The clapping was what always reached her ears first. Not the eardrum blowing music, neither the snapping of the camera flashes, nor the voice of the presenter, but the clapping. It was the faintest of sounds compared to the commotion in the huge room but it was always the first thing she took notice of. The rest of the noises had been simply drowned out, leaving nothing of importance but the sound of hands touching. They were clapping. They wanted her, they demanded her, they needed her. That was the thought that kept her going: she wouldn't let her fans down. 

Urabe Rika stepped into the spotlight and roaring applause greeted her. She couldn't see a thing due to the burning stage lights and couldn't hear anything comprehensible from all the cameras clicking but she could feel the rhythm of hundreds of pairs of hands in every bone of her body; and Urabe Rika, the fourth most popular female model in Tokyo, didn't need to see or hear to walk through a catwalk. She only needed the clapping.

Rika took her first step and the reflectors illuminated her silhouette. Immediately, in time with the lights, the photographers in the crowd went wild, barely restraining themselves from jumping out of their seats. The snapping grew faster and louder; it reminded Rika of a flock of chattering birds taking flight. She took another step, her movements all fluid grace and professionalism. 

The clapping resembled an algorithm in Rika’s eyes. The equation was simple: more clapping equals more fame, which equals more love. The blue-haired model just adored these few minutes that allowed her to take the stage where all of the attention was focused on her, and only on her. If she closed her eyes and believed it hard enough, she could pretend that all the clapping was for her and not for the newest piece of clothing she was presenting. That she was the queen of the runway and everyone was bowing to her in the form of clapping. So she, being the generous queen that she was of course, gifted her fans with the most precious thing: her presence. She could almost believe that she wasn't just some doll to play dress-up with, an object, a glass cupboard for someone else's work of art and that the people loved her not just because she was wearing a pretty dress or her face was symmetrical enough but because she was quirky and funny and witty. Of course, none of Rika’s fantasies were true. The people came to see a design that Rika herself couldn't care less about, and even though the faint lilac coloured fabric with the dark blue rose pattern looked amazing on her, she was more preoccupied with the clapping. 

With the confidence of a real royalty, she took another step. It felt a bit different than the other steps, as if something was clinging to her right foot. It would happen to her sometimes, her nerves getting the better of her: she would sometimes feel her legs go numb or weak or would feel as if the ground was dragging her down. Rika knew that the only way of fighting her rare occurrence of a stage fright was to keep going, without thinking too much about it. If she thought, she would be as good as dead. So she shook the feeling out of her leg and took another reassured step. The last thing she saw before her eyes was the audience suddenly turning upside down and the shattering of glass. After that, the whole world went black. 

—

Urabe Rika could already tell that she was in a bad mood this morning. Her double matcha frappuccino at the coffee shop had been served cold and she hated throwing fits around but this was an offense she couldn't take. After that, the new stylist trainee at the studio messed up her eyebrows (seriously, why do people who are unable to hold a damn brush steadily get hired? And what's so hard about keeping a pencil still? It's not rocket science!) and Rika had to correct her own makeup, like some teenager before a school dance! The blue-haired model sometimes felt as if the fashion brand she worked for was actually a circus, except that a circus was more organized.

Things didn't exactly go today the way Rika had expected them to. If she had been one of the more superstitious models, she would have taken these nuances as a sign of bad omen and would have canceled her appearance on the show. But of course, Urabe Rika wasn't a scaredy cat who believed in such nonsense as bad luck; she was a professional who made her own luck and walked that catwalk even in the pouring rain if she had to. On top of everything, the fashion show wasn't exactly going the way the designer had planned it to. This morning, she was wearing the masterpiece of the head of the Aldena brand, some kid whose weird hair was far too brown to be fake and whose smile was far too wide to be genuine. Tokyo Fashion week took a toll on big brands too, let alone small and –  as was her case, –  medium-sized ones. By the end of the first mock-walk – which of course had taken place at the crack of dawn – Mr. Aldena was ready to tear out his models’ hair along with his own. The morning thus was one hell of a madness, leaving Rika more drained than ever longonging for nothing but a long soak in her jacuzzi at her luxurious apartment.

But nothing… nothing in her extensive modeling career of three years could have prepared her for this, she thought, staring up at the harsh lights of the hospital room. The last thing she remembered was the splintering pain in her foot and the dread pooling in her chest as she – for the lack of a better term – face planted on the catwalk in the middle of a fashion show at fucking Tokyo Fashion Week. She frowned as she tried to recall other details but there were only blurred images in her mind: glass shards from a camera glittering almost mockingly at her, the black suits of the bodyguards as they flung her over their shoulders, the blurring of the city lights from the window of an ambulance car. Rika shook her head in an attempt to clear the images which only resulted in her world starting to spin like a merry-go-round.

“Be careful,” a gentle voice warned her. “The doctors said you don’t have a concussion but I would not risk it, still. ”

“Touko-chan!” Rika’s face lit up with gratitude and relief as she –  much more slowly this time – turned her head to the side. The redhead was dressed to the nines in her work clothes and scowled at her best friend with fond exasperation.

“I told you not to call me that when I’m working! I am your head bodyguard and it makes both of us look unprofessional!”

Rika just scoffed in response. “As if my whole team didn’t know we are childhood best friends. It’s a bit late to worry about professionalism, nah?” Touko pursed her lips. It was a recurring quarrel between the two women: Touko believed in the boundaries between private life and professional life; Rika, however, whose private life was 70% her professional life thanks to the invention of social media and online marketing, could not even phantom what such a distinction meant.

“Do you remember what happened?” Touko asked, dropping the topic.

“Some of it. I fell on the catwalk…” Rika’s face twisted into a horrified grimace as she let her own words sink in. Models stumbled on the runway all the time, it was inevitable. Many had even mastered hiding the movement or correcting their trajectory in the last minute usually pocketing an impressive applause from the audience… But falling on a runway, especially at such a high-profile event as Tokyo Fashion Week was unheard of. The blue-haired model groaned in embarrassment. “There was glass… I think it cut my skin. The scars will be one son of a bitch to heal.” Thank God for the upcoming winter season and Fidio’s distaste for short skirts; a few scars should not hinder her from presenting what the designer had already teased as his “Scandinavian Collection''. Touko shifted uncomfortably, her eyes traveling away from Rika’s face, towards the end of the bed. Rika turned her head towards that direction as well, and was met with a white cast on an ankle. Her brain faintly registered that it was her ankle that was in the cast.

“Touko, why is there a cast on my foot?” she couldn’t keep the rising panic out of her voice even if she tried.

“Don’t panic,” Touko attempted to hit a reassuring tone but given that she was dressed in full-on mission gear and most likely armed with at least a taser did not really help her achieve a soothing demeanor. 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Rika’s voice was an octave higher now. She knew that Touko was never worried. She had saved Rika’s ass more times than she could count: from parties that got out of hand to a literal case of mild workplace harassment, Touko never once told Rika not to panic. She was just there, doing her job efficiently and wordlessly and Rika found comfort in Touko’s practical silence. If she felt the need to reassure Rika with her words, that’s when Rika knew shit hit the fan. 

“Okay, so, there was this paparazzi who snuck way too close to the stage and you might have tripped up in his camera’s lanyard.” “Might have?” Rika raised a sarcastic brow at her bodyguard’s phrasing. “Which was obviously his own fault and immediately admitted it so and assisted with your transportation to the hospital. The poor guy was crying the whole time, I think he must have gone into shock at one point,” the redhead mused as if they were discussing the weather conditions outside. 

“Forgive me if I can’t feel bad for him at the moment,” Rika said wryly, snapping Touko out her musings. “So, what’s the diagnosis?”

Her bodyguard took a steadying breath, bracing herself for what was an inevitable meltdown. “Your ankle is broken.” 

Time suddenly seemed to come to a freezing halt. A broken ankle, a broken anything took at least six weeks to heal, a whole cycle in the fashion world, and multiple cycles in the world of fast fashion and social media. By the time she would get back on her feet, people would forget her; she was only the fourth most popular female Japanese model after all, and no amount of activity on social media could rectify her being away from work for such a long time. Even if her agency kept paying her, there was no guarantee anyone would employ her after her recovery, especially not after that little fiasco on the catwalk. Objectively, Rika knew that a model’s career was precarious, filled with uncertainty and usually very short. The average time that a model spent as an actual model was five years; by that time, it would usually turn out whether one would stay in the industry and become an immortalized figure of beauty or would fade from public consciousness, forced to turn towards other alternatives within the industry. That was why she herself had a couple of side-projects lined up should anything happen to her modeling career. Urabe Rika was confident in her skills, but she was not stupid; she knew that many models fell off the radar due to circumstances outside of their control. Accidents, conspiracies, cancel culture… all could happen to anyone. The realization that her career might be over did not hurt any less even in spite of this knowledge. So Urabe Rika took a shuddering breath and opted for her best method of coping; she filled her lungs to the top with air and screamed as hard as she could.