#aND NEW AKI ART I KNEW IT

[meownotgood]

OH GAWEDFFGF AAKI AAAAKI AAKI OH MY HOD GOD HOTEL ATTENDANT AKI I'M

[saintkaylaa]

𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫 🚬

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐤𝐢 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐗 𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 2.9𝐤

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖, 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐯!𝐀𝐤𝐢, 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: Kinktober 2024 || I love Aki so much, but something about pervy Aki but against his will really does something to me. Happy Kinktober you disgusting pervs ᥫ᭡ Also big big thanks to my beta readers, I love you! ART by yuonnoaii on X

𝐈 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬

Aki was a devil hunter, but when it came to you, he fought both devils and demons just to not touch himself to the image of you.

You, his new neighbor, from across his balcony in the building over. Aki, who had not been with a woman in God knows how long. Overworked, burnt out, anti-social, with extreme suppressed sexual desires.

That was until he saw you.

If he was honest, he had completely forgotten that sex was even a thing—in all forms. Sex with another person, self-gratification, porn, lust, urges, desires—all of it. In his line of work there wasn’t any time for that, and in Aki’s case the only desire he really had was revenge, but that was a desire that he knew was going to take time to satiate.

The encounters that he’s had with you got increasingly more difficult for him with every passing instance.

At first it was just fleeting glances—no stares—at you in the beginning. You weren’t like anything he had ever seen before. Beautiful, captivating, and intriguing, so just looking at you, trying to catch a glimpse at you while you lingered and occupied your balcony across from his eventually should have been his first signal to have built a stronger disposition against you.

Then you talked to him, albeit a little insulting, mean, and even, well, intimidating, because the first instance was when you had straight up called him a pervert. Confronting him for his blatant staring and or borderline offensive, not so sneaky glances at you while he dragged through cigarettes, distracted by you. Blowing through cartons faster than he would have liked, because of you.

And he felt disgusted.

Grossed out that although yes, he found you mean, intimidating, and believed you had every right to call him a pervert, and irritated by his actions, he also found you incredibly sexy for it. Curious over what really lied under that confident mean exterior.

Every instance after that was the same. You two would find each other on your respective balconies, playing with the tension that was undoubtedly there. Bad tension. Negative tension, but tension nonetheless. Aki would get caught admiring you (ogling you from your perspective), you’d call him out, and he’d have to retreat into his apartment fighting all that hell had to offer just to not to stroke his cock to you.

Admittedly, it did get better when you would tease him for looking and make fun of him for even peeking at you from behind his bangs and a pink tint on his cheeks. You were ruthless, and it only made his desire for you grow.

Fuck. Then he talked back, and in your response, he knew that he was fucked for sure.

He had been in the shared mailing room of both your buildings. Sifting slowly through his mail in a poor attempt to avoid going back up to his apartment and finding you lounging around in skimpy pajamas in your living room—as he noted that you tended to do a lot in the mornings. But then you were there. As if manifesting from his mind and rounding the corner to enter the mailroom with him.

At that point he had half a mind to ask you if you were a devil, because no way were you now crushing an attempt he made to not be so perverted against you. It wasn’t fair, and he feared you for it.

It was avoidance at first. He didn’t know what to say to you, but then you spoke to him again, and it was like he lost total control of himself.

“See you later, pervert.” You had told him. It was teasing, but not at all lighthearted.

It was then that Aki decided to do something.

 

Nearly missing you by an inch, he took hold of your elbow and spun you back to face him. You gasped, arms tensing slightly as you look up at him with surprise. But he wanted to make sure he had you at full attention.

“Hold on,” he says lowly, his chest rumbling.

"Look, I don’t want you to think I’m a pervert, okay? I apologize if I’ve made you feel that way. You’re very pretty, is all.” He struggles to compliment, but his gaze doesn’t break away.

“I don’t mean harm.” He finishes, and he truly means that. His hand lingers on your elbow as he locks his dark blue eyes with yours.

You seem to hold your breath as you register his words, then you glance down at his hand still grasping you and slowly trail your eyes back up to his. Realizing his touch, he slowly unfurls his fingers and releases you.

Both of their skins are cold from the loss of heat.

“You must not know a lot of pretty girls.” You finally say, voice tight.

“None that look like you.” Aki replies right over your comment. What compelled him to say that he was unsure. He was never that forward, bold, or even confident, and especially not with women, but something about you made him act out.

“What’s your name?” You ask, your eyes transfixed on him.

Aki held your gaze, his expression unreadable as he sensed the intensity between you. Your question broke the thick silence that had settled, and he felt himself hesitating for only a brief moment before responding.

"Aki Hayakawa," he replied, his voice firm and steady, a hint of curiosity coloring his words, "And you?"

“Aki.” You repeat his name slowly, sounding out each syllable.

He knows you did that on fucking purpose. Now wondering what it would sound like if you moaned his name.

After another frustrating pause, Aki speaks, “So is your name something I have to earn or what?” He says flatly. Meeting your eyes with just a bit of intimidating irritation.

Your mouth parts slightly like you have something to say, but then your tongue glides over your perfect white teeth in one slow swipe. Amused, you were fucking with him again.

Aki cursed you in his head. The sudden disgusting thought of how your mouth would look wrapped around his cock. Your tongue gliding over his needy tip instead of your teeth.

“I’ll see you later, Aki.” You tease, but your voice is soft. Different than the other times you have teased him.

 

That night Aki was chilling in his living room when he heard the faintest sound of a sliding door open and close. He knew it must’ve been coming from outside... His neighbor, most likely out on her own balcony.

The sound was like a command to him now.

He stood up from his seat on the couch and walked towards his own sliding door. When he got close enough, he opened the door to look out, his eyebrow rising at the sight of you once more across the other building. His heart racing just a bit, his skin running warm, and he could feel the telltale sign of an impending erection as you turned to look at him. Like a dog responding to stimuli; Pavlovian.

Now he was moving without control, crossing out into his balcony, hands buried in his pajama pants. His eyes fixated on your form. Watching your every move. Your eyes met his, and suddenly Aki’s mouth opened to speak.

"Hey," He greeted you simply, his voice low as his eyes looked you up and down with this newfound (misplaced) confidence. You looked over at him, not at all surprised by his presence. You nodded towards him.

You’ve got to be kidding me, Aki thought to himself as he looked over at what you were wearing. A fucking short fitted satin slip, that left no room for imagination. Aki's eyes widened as he took in the sight of you, his breath hitching in his throat.

The slip clung to your every curve, showcasing your body in a way that rendered him mute. He was captivated, unable to tear his gaze away from the provocative sight before him.

He had expected to have a casual conversation. Especially after the conversation from earlier, but the combination of your clothes—or lack thereof—and the charged atmosphere between sparked something primal within him that he struggled to suppress. His hands tightened around the fabric of his pajama pants pockets, his body responding instinctively.

He was fucking perverted.

Aki cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure and speak in a controlled tone, despite his body now pulsing.

"What are you doing out so late?” He asked, taking a step closer to the railing so that you could better hear him from your own balcony. You tilted your head a little confused. Crossing your arms over your chest, your tits being pushed up a little as you did it.

Aki cursed you in his head.

“What am I doing on my own balcony?” You quizzed from across the building.

Aki's gaze flickered down to your crossed arms, his eyes involuntarily drawn to the way your breasts were lifted and accentuated by the position. He suppressed a groan, feeling his desire flaring up. Your innocent question only served to increase the tension between you and him, heightening the forbidden allure of the situation. He clenched his fists, forcing his mind to focus on your words rather than the erotic image in front of him.

"Yes, what brings you out here this late?" he replied, his voice strained as he fought to maintain control. He couldn't allow himself to be consumed by lust, not when he had done so well by not giving in to his desires before. But with your tempting presence, it felt like a constant battle against his own morality.

“Aki, you’re asking a lot of stupid questions. I live here. I can do whatever I want in my own apartment on my own balcony. I could stand naked out here if I wanted.” You laughed, the faintest tone of annoyance. However, you knew what your words would do to him. Now that you were acutely aware of how you made him feel after earlier’s display.

The mental image of your naked body forced Aki to shut his eyes for a moment and let out the smallest groan. He knew you couldn’t hear, but he also knew that you knew what you were saying. What you were doing. Vexing him the way that you did. The lust was beginning to consume him.

It was a losing battle. He was fucking losing.

Aki's eyes snapped open, the intensity in his gaze now almost feral as he stared at you across the distance. He hated you for playing with his desires so effortlessly, for knowing exactly how to push his buttons.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the ache in his crotch only grew more insistent. The walls he had erected to protect his focus, his sanity, and his character were crumbling under the weight of his lust.

“Every word you speak is deliberate.” He declared, like he was accusing you. His eyes trailed up your body in a moment of weakness.

“Yeah, it is.” You assured quickly.

Then there was palpable silence.

Aki's mind was a whirlwind of desires and frustrations, his body seemingly betraying him at every turn. He watched you move to your door then, each subtle action a temptation that he couldn't ignore. His gaze lingered on you as you turned your back to him, exposing your ass to him. The throbbing in his pants intensified, his body craving release. He can only imagine the wet spot of pre in his underwear.

“You make it too easy.” You laughed; your voice, filled with taunting amusement, cut through his haze of desire, reminding him of his vulnerability and the hold you actually had over him.

If Aki was smart, he’d listen to his rational side, urging him to regain control and to retreat to the safety of his own apartment. But the magnetic pull he felt towards you rooted him to his spot.

“Don’t burst a blood vessel touching yourself tonight.” You mocked so boldly and bluntly it sent Aki reeling. But before Aki could even think of responding, you had already retreated back into your apartment. Aki stood there, stunned, face flushed with both embarrassment and frustration. How could you see right through him, exposing him so easily and without mercy.

Fuck.

He didn't have time to process your leave, as he felt himself unraveling. His body pulsed with need, his erection straining against the confines of his pants. God damn, it hurt.

With a frustrated growl, Aki turned abruptly and retreated into his own apartment, shutting the sliding door with a resounding thud. He paced back and forth in his living room, grappling with the overwhelming surge of desire that threatened to consume him. He knew he had to find release, to quiet the burning ache that clawed at him. But his thoughts were clouded, his focus scattered under the weight of it all. He needed to regain control and find his center once again. But in that moment, desire won out.

He had suppressed his urges too many times in the last few weeks for anything to work this time. He just kept getting harder the more he thought of you, so he stopped pacing and just stood in the middle of his living room looking down at his crotch. Groaning for it to go away. Flashes of his neighbor’s body, your tits, your ass, your mouth, your pretty face, the way you rolled your tongue, the way you said his fucking name. It was all too much, and Aki had half a mind to start touching himself.

It was over.

Aki hurriedly moved to the bathroom in his room, turning on the cold water with the intent of splashing his face. Instead, he braced himself on the sink, letting the water run, the cold ceramic helping alleviate his rising temperature but it wasn’t enough. He closed his eyes to breathe, only to prove a mistake. Because all that played in his head, over and over again, was your interaction this morning, and without even realizing it, Aki started to unbuckle his pants.

Your words played in Aki's mind over and over, along with your face and body in his head repeatedly. The way you looked at him—the way you had been teasing him—fucking with him—it was just too much.

He let out a little groan as his pants began to loosen, his brain barely registering the movement as his eyes closed and he fell into this trance. Aki’s hand slid into his pants to grab hold of his angry, needy cock. The touch instantly gave him relief. He breathed out shakily, his hand moving against himself a couple times to the thought of you in that satin slip. The way it hugged all your curves, the way it pressed up against your tits...

How would they look getting fucked by him?

“Fuuuuck…” He breathed out.

He couldn't help but moan softly, pleasure pinpricking across his skin as his hand moved faster and firmer. His mind filled with vivid images of you, and every stroke of his hand brought him closer to release. He could almost feel your presence, as if you were there with him, encouraging him to let go of his inhibitions and give in to his carnal desires.

God, what would you say if you knew what he was doing to the thought of you.

He imagined what it would be like to plunge his cock into your mouth, letting your tongue run along the underside of his cock and down his balls; hot and wet saliva coating his length.

What it would sound like if he fucked that mean, intimidating act out of you. Imagining how pretty your pussy must be—as pretty as you were? And how pretty that pussy would look clenching around him.

And then he replayed the way you had said his name. Trying to envision all the ways he would try to get you to scream, moan, and cry his name.

“F-Fuck Aki! Give it to me! Please more! Aki!”

Aki’s breathing grew heavier, his movements becoming more urgent as he neared the edge. His body responded with an intensity he had never experienced before.

 

And then he imagined your face.

 

With a final moan and a few more sloppy strokes, he came. His body shuddering, knees nearly buckling, as one of the hardest orgasms he’s had in so long consumed him. Ropes of hot, thick, white cum splurged out into the sink and swirled down the drain with the running water.

As he stood there, panting and spent, Aki couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and shame. He had succumbed to his desires; let them consume him in the most perverted way possible. This wasn’t him. It was nasty and disrespectful... But deep down, he knew that the battle wasn't over. The allure of his neighbor still lingered, as did the pent-up lust that threatened to consume him later—again.

After cleaning up and taking a cold shower, Aki lay in bed annoyed and angry, to say the least. Still disgusted with himself, but also disappointed. Not only for giving in to his lustful temptation, but ultimately for letting you have this power over him. Worse was the fact that he touched himself to the thought of you, and he didn’t even know your fucking name.

 

 

If only he knew that just across his balcony, in the building over... you were still knuckles deep to the thought of him.

ꫂ ၴႅၴ𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝

© saintkaylaa 2023-2024 do not copy, repost, or translate any of my work. reserved rights to any original ideas. I do not own any established characters. All rights reserved.

[st4rbwrry]

━━━ 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑒. a.h

warnings 𑄽𑄺 6.4k. fem reader, lowercase intended, she/her pronouns, murder mystery, aki is a chef, oral [ f + m.], sneaking away, marijuana use, praise, fingering + finger sucking, aki's tongue is pierced, sexual acts happen quick, mentions of depression, brief mention of emotional/physical abuse, reader is desperate for help/attention, parental neglect, grooming, minors aren’t allowed.

━━━ ꒰ 𝑚𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑎'𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 .ᐟ ꒱ ; another old piece of mine i never fully finished and now posting yrs later!

“okay, i'm out!" aki is shouting as he tosses his white chef coat over his shoulder, book bag on the other, the cool breeze of spring blowing through his raven hair the minute he opened the tall glass door that led to the front of the restaurant. his friend, also a coworker, is busy, in the mix of gathering dirty dishes and clearing trash bins but still sends him a farewell, a quick, 'see ya tomorrow. good job today!' till he's off to his bus stop. he was thankful he got out early, just before five in the afternoon meaning the sun hadn't set yet.

he sighs, extremely worn out, in dire need of a steamy hot shower and a greasy pizza while laying in the comfort of, finally, his own apartment he worked entirely too hard to gain. the commute to his place in brooklyn, new york became rather annoying due to rush hour traffic at this time. having to take the bus then switch to the 'n' train, hopping off and walking fifteen minutes until he finally reaches his destination. his second goal was to afford a vehicle to save him money instead of wasting it on expensive monthly metro cards.

aki's lived here his entire life, growing up in the bronx, not much different. he loved new york, but not their uppity expenses. the fact that he's paying nearly two grand for a 600 square-foot apartment with no in-unit laundry nor a gym at that, was nonsensical. did he want to reside here forever? yes. he'd feel homesick if he ever were to leave. having the opportunity to travel seemed like a much better alternative, that way he'd still have his home but be anywhere in the world doing what he loved, and that was cooking. aki hayakawa was twenty-six years old, earning his master's in culinary arts at the culinary institute of america, also known as the C.I.A.

his ultimate dream was to open his restaurant, which he would name after his tragically deceased mother. a terrible accident in which he dreads the memory of. falling endlessly into a black hole, hearing nothing but the sound of his own fear, the breaking of his bones when it interacted with brick interior, the feeling of his heart thumping excessively against his chest as he continued to drop deeper like a rock that was chucked down an empty well. this emotion he knew all too well; failure. when he lost his mother, it felt as if the world crumbled beneath him, malicious dark vines slithering up to grab him by his ankles and pull him down a bottomless pit of nothingness.

he tasted the agony, the anger, the sadness, and even the hate from the fact that she was gone and never coming back. countless tantrums, anxiety attacks, and depression summed up the apathy of it all. it took him six years to realize that drowning in pain would never help him gain the strength that he knew she wanted him to have. by letting her witness the pain he was going through from above, he was hurting not only her . . but himself. so to overcome the tragedy, he kept himself busy with cooking. going to school, earning his degree, and the current job he had with his best friend since middle school.

school was probably the greatest thing he'd ever done to reinvent who he was as a person. cooking is a delicate yet challenging obstacle to undertake, yet, it's so therapeutic to him. the nature of it all, being able to witness what he can do for many people, bring laughter and happiness—it's a beautiful thing. when aki was small, he and his mother would give back to people all the time. whether they were donating clothes to the homeless, or feeding small pigeons pieces of bread on a sunny day as they flew to the gray pavement, awaiting a feast. they always cared about others. they would experiment a lot, going to food markets just to come home and whip up a good meal which they would then donate to the less fortunate. that's when he learned how humble he felt to give back to those in need.

he wanted to show his mother his achievements, to push himself and become a world-renowned chef, just like gordon ramsey—without the aggression. he wanted his name plastered on articles for his extraordinary talent, talked about on tv, in fact, given his own cooking show on foodnetwork. aki grew up watching that channel, an obsessive enticement his mother could never break the young boy from. he was making recipes at the age of twelve, and learned how to cook at eight. eggs were the first thing, usually everyone's first, then as time progressed, he grew from simple pasta dishes to revitalizing gourmet meats, and anything french. just recently he schooled himself on how to create wine. every day he learned something new, and that was the beauty of culinary.

"hayakawa! come here!" star yells as soon as she sees the tall man emerge through the front door, ready to start his morning shift, raspy voice laced with slight panic, instantly making the man run to her out of worry.

"what's wrong?" he furrows his brows.

"look who just fucking walked in," she grabs his bicep, pulling him closer to the front counter. aki curiously follows where her finger points, seeing a slim man with black curly hair dressed properly in a white and black suit. silver and sapphire rolex on his wrist, his pale green eyes scanning through the lens of his glasses at the menu while he sips his water. expensive.

"i have no idea who that is," aki blinks, making star gasp.

"he's alexander bodari, one of my favorite authors of all time. remember the novel i told you i was reading, about this girl who was kept in this lunatics basement and almost murdered?"

aki's eyebrows raise. "the book dylan bought you for your birthday, right?"

"yeah! that's him. oh my fucking god, i'm so nervous, whew," star begins to fan herself, nearly having a breakdown. aki grabs her shoulder and chuckles.

"chill out, star. you don't have to serve him if you don't want to."

"of course i do! i just. . . can't," she frowns.

"you can, you've done it many times before. this isn't the first celebrity we've come across."

star sighs, nodding. "you're right, i can do it."

"good girl," aki smiles, patting the top of her head. star catches his wrist and scowls.

"fuck off."

"aki," another voice calls to him, this time it's the head chef, also known as his boss. aki greets him with a small, 'good morning, chef' before waiting for his response.

"i'm guessing you know that alexander bodari is here," lane says, arms crossed over his broad chest. aki nods. "i want you to cook for him."

aki and star share a glance of shock.

"uh, why me. where's dylan?"

"he's not feeling well so i gave him the day off. you're the only one here that's near his level, and he's a higher-up man, so i want you to cook for him. star will cater to his needs. we're kinda short-staffed today, and i trust you two will handle it properly."

"yes, chef," they say in unison.

star was only a waiter, working here for four years while aki earned his position two years into her time. the last thing the woman could do was cook, ironic since she worked in a restaurant with very talented people. lane would've asked her in a heartbeat if she was as skilled as aki. aki was known for making dishes at the top of his head, so if anyone asked for a special, he was the one to ask. before they began to serve anyone inside, aki gave star a small prep talk before sending her out. eventually, she got through with taking his order without stuttering or sweating. when she walked back into the kitchen, actually shoved the doors open with a joker smile on her face, aki cocks his head at her.

"you—"

"he wants your special!" she screams, doing a goofy dance, and skipping in her spot.

aki's face drops. "are you deadass?"

"yes! when he was looking at the menu, he saw your four courses on the back and chose your mom's stew! fucking a, man!"

aki is still frozen, weakly giving star their signature handshake, smile slowly easing onto his face. "my mom's stew? seriously?"

"yeah. chop chop, get to it."

aki was persistent. no one's ever ordered his mother's stew, which made this day very special for him. even if the dish was only on the menu for a month, it still meant a lot to him. he made sure there were no distractions, taking a tender chuck roast and cutting them into cubes, seasoning them well while throwing in worcester sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and beef broth. making a slurry with flour and water to thicken the stew. adding onions and potatoes. it was a simple yet fulfilling dish he looked forward to every sunday.

"deep breaths," star whispered as she carried the steaming tray of stew plated professionally on a porcelain oval-shaped bowl. in a way, it felt like she was telling not only herself but him. it's a rarity that people order his courses, and serving this to an author, a bestseller, a man worth millions, made him giddy. he was cheesing like an idiot, pushing star out the double doors to the dining area.

although as soon as she walked out, that's when doubt clouded his gut. did he put too many seasonings? is the meat tender enough? what if he doesn't like it? will he write about it on his author blog? god, he hoped the potatoes weren't hard. he had only tasted the broth, it tasted just like his mother's. what if. . .

"aki," star walks back in, an even wider grin on her a-symmetrical face this time. he blinks, realizing that he's been standing here for three minutes now. "he wants to see the chef."

he's dumbfounded. "me?"

"no, lane. yes, you!" she's squealing like a girl, and sometimes he forgets she is one, even underneath her blunt features and boyish sense of style.

he's clearing his throat now, strolling mindlessly towards alexander bodari's table, greeting himself and waiting for his constructive criticism.

"you're aki hayakawa?" the man questioned, lifting his glasses back onto his face.

"yes, sir."

"i just have to say," alexander chuckles, softly clapping his hands. "this may be one of the best stews i've ever had."

the tenseness in aki's shoulders relaxes, and he's sighing with relief, alexander noticing and laughing. "i'm really glad to hear that, sir."

"did you create this on your own?"

"it's actually my mother's recipe. it's my favorite. every time i make it, it reminds me of her."

"that's really ironic because this reminds me of the stew my mother used to make," he grins. "yours is the first that i haven't seen carrots in."

aki laughs. "my mom hated cooked carrots."

"mine did too," he fixes his collar. "is this your restaurant?"

"no, no. i'm just a cook here. i plan on opening my own soon. i already have my master's."

his brows raise. "wow, that's amazing. wow old are you?"

"twenty-six, sir."

"well, you're definitely going places," he compliments and aki feels even more satisfied. "say what, i'm having this pre-book release, about a hundred guests. i was wondering if you would like to cater the party. i'll pay you however much you want."

it's like the whole world collapsed on his chest. he'd never gotten an opportunity like this, especially this big. to cook for so many famous people at once was a blessing. he could really show off his skills if he took this offer . . . and did. after thanking him, exchanging contacts, and then handshakes, aki lets the man finish his meal before jogging back into the kitchen to scream about it to aki, lane, and the rest of the crew. alexander offered star to come along to serve, but unfortunately she couldn't, seeming as she'd be out of town for family matters that day.

alexander, of course, knowing she was a big fan signed a copy of his book she already had in her bag and letting her know she could help the next time he had an event. that made her happy enough. the two of them couldn't wait to finish their shifts today, taking the train to star's place and planning dishes all night, even cooking them to get them just right. alexander was hosting the party at his penthouse down soho. and aki had a week to prepare himself.

୨♡୧

cashmere sweaters, silk gowns, and jewelry that most likely cost more than his savings account roamed the lovely terrace of alexander bodari's home. every inch of it screamed filthy rich. rows of tables were set outside, the dark night sky making the moon shun brightly amongst the glass centerpieces filled with calla lilies and moss. white cloths, sterling silverware, and porcelain dinnerware. the terrace itself was elegant; freshly cut bushes trimmed as squares, a marble three-tiered italian water fountain placed in the middle. roses, dandelions, tall plants ranging from bamboo, snake plants, and pothos. alexander was very in touch with nature and his spirit. it's crazy he writes about the things he does.

speaking of, the book he was presenting that would be released in august was titled, 'to riven a magnolia.' he wouldn't quite reveal what it was about yet, wanting it to be a surprise, but did read an excerpt from the novel. aki only paid half attention, big words throwing him off plus he wanted to set the food table properly so guests could take what they wanted after his reading. aki didn't go all out since only seventy-two people were available to make it, and he didn't want any meals that would make anyone too full to converse, so he kept it simple yet exquisite. each guest received a slice of japanese fluffy cheesecake with a side of strawberry and mandarin orange tanghulu. beef wellington, and a six-sided cream garlic bread.

he received praise all night long. people gasping and thanking him for the food, giving him all sorts of compliments making the man blush like a child. at one point he held both sides of his face in his palms when a woman and her husband approached him to talk, way too shy, and the woman flirting with him didn't make it go away. eventually, her husband dragged her out of his sight. the night went on, classical music played as people sipped their champagne and talked about their wealth, their yoga classes, their thousand dollar dogs, golf, marketing . . . aki hopes he never becomes this way.

as he's pouring an elderly lady a glass as she rambles about baking, he notices a woman he's barely seen all night. he's disoriented, eyeing this girl leaning up against a vintage roman painting reaching the ceiling once the lady departs. brown eyes; the first captivating part of her body he captured. they appeared lonely, bored perhaps as they scanned through the crowd of people, soon landing on another pair, his own. the godly woman stared at him longingly. aki had no business nearly losing his shit under her gaze. wow. she was truly stunning.

one feature that stood out the most were the freckles scattered from the bridge of her nose to the swell of her cheekbones. pretty. her black hair styled protectively in butterfly locs that grazed her collarbones, seeing the industrial piercing hiding behind a piece. her lashes were long, naturally extended. heart-shaped lips were full and pouty, the upper lip brown while the lower, salmon pigmented. an emerald satin mini dress loosely clung to her alluring brown skin. cowl neckline, ruched waist, and an open back partially revealing the red dragon tattoo painted on the side of her hip. black suede gucci heels strapped prettily around her ankles, showcasing her white painted toenails. a three layered gold necklace on her chest. this woman, you, were the rationale of celestial.

it was the moment you smiled at him, tilting your head slightly to the side while tapping your ombré acrylic nail amongst the glass of your champagne, calling to him while he thoughtlessly followed, that aki would realize he had made one of the worst mistakes in his life.

"you're pretty."

it's the first thing you say when he walks towards you, offering a piece of cheesecake with a cheeky smile. aki is taken aback, chuckling nervously, palms already clammy the minute he approached you.

"pretty?" he's perplexed.

"that's what i said," you say, taking the gold fork from his palm and cutting a slice to taste, widening your mouth while maintaining eye contact. the man swallows.

"uh, i've never gotten that before. thank you."

you're too busy eyeing him to say a thing. even if he dressed in simple black skinny jeans and same color tee, a silver necklace tucked beneath his shirt, sable combat boots, and a white apron around his waist . . he looked damn good. his eyes were blue, somewhat smoke gray, dark hair long and straight, the top half tucked into a small messy bun on the back of his head. a few loose strands swaying around his cheekbones. he was tall, shoulders broad, forearms and hands slightly veiny. you gazed at his hands holding the plate for you, wide and rough, fingers long.

"you don't seem to be enjoying the party," he says, knocking you out of your daydream.

you hum with displeasure. "he's a fake."

aki furrows his brows. "sorry?"

"alex, he's unoriginal. most of his novels are stolen by people he pays to keep quiet," you side-eye him while downing the last drop of your champagne, slowly licking your lips. his eyes flicker there for a split moment.

"how do you know?"

the question makes you quiet, tapping your glass. "think of it like this; everyone starts off as a cocoon. eventually as time goes by, we evolve into butterflies. the cocoon represents our innocence; the purity and unawareness of what's to come in life. once we sprout into butterflies, we become tarnished, facing the real world and learning to adapt to its cruelty. life can be beautiful, but it's always painful no matter how happy or dismal we are. it's our choice to fly in the direction we want for ourselves even when the harshness of life beats us down. butterflies only live for so long. we disintegrate after inhumane amounts of stress, loneliness, or tragic events that take a toll on us, removing the power of staying beautiful. we show beauty to the public but don't feel it when everything around us is falling apart. but we can't make life harder on ourselves by dwelling on what we can't have rather than pushing for what we can have."

aki is speechless, half-understanding what you meant. "are you saying alexander is a butterfly that can't fly?"

"he's more like a mosquito, latching onto those who want to sprout into a butterfly but sucks the nutrients from them for his pleasure. he's a fraud. he'll never be a butterfly because he simply can't."

"did he steal from you? is that why you resent him?"

"no," you bluntly state, although aki doesn't believe you.

he takes the fork from you, cutting you another slice before holding it towards your lips, waiting for you to bite. you looked like you needed it. the drowsiness in your eyes may have indicated that you were tipsy. you giggle, shaking your head before he feeds you, your big eyes captivating him more. "is there something you want?"

"you."

aki nearly chokes and he's not even the one eating, your bluntness throwing him in a spiral of emotions.

"am i beautiful to you?" you lean closer, aki swallowing, scanning his surroundings. most of everyone remained in the living area, the two of you far behind a wall near the glass door of the terrace. he could smell your scent better, a sweet smell of caramel. soft skin shimmering with glitter.

"very."

"so what's stopping you? you got a girlfriend or somethin'?"

"n-no, it's just. i barely know you."

"that's part of the thrill," he watches as your small wrist turns and your palm is flat outward. "come upstairs with me."

like any man would, his feet walked on their own, stupidly following behind you up the black marble staircase, hand in yours as his eyes watched your hips switch.

"what's your name?" that should've been the first thing you asked, idiot.

"[♡]."

"i'm aki."

"i know who you are."

that's right, alexander introduced him to everyone after his reading right before supper. things felt like they went too quickly. aki didn't know who he was at this moment, completely floating out of his body and letting you take over like a spell. he was entranced. one thing leads to another, you're locking the door to one of the four bedrooms here. aki's sitting on the bed while you walk around, talking to him more about anything. his age, his aspirations in life. nonsense, basically. until he notices something.

a room with an open bay window revealing the late-night city of new york, stars in the sky, skyscrapers high. the breeze is warm, the air making the fabric of your dress rise just enough for him to catch a glimpse of the pink thong you wore. he's gulping, your legs shifting and a grin coming on your face as you see the tint of red blush across his cheeks. you're leaned against the window, toes pressing into your other foot, a gold anklet with the first letter of your name clasped on your skin. your shoes were off, and in between your two fingers sat a blunt, maybe about three inches now since you were too busy talking, letting it burn away.

once you flick it out the window, you fully turn to face him, sharp nails skidding up your thighs teasingly slow until the hem of your dress rises fully, and he's staring at the belly button piercing you have. your thick thighs, your curves, and your nipple when you moan and lift your arms to stretch and one of the straps falls down your shoulders.

"oops," you're pouting, and aki's had enough. he got it now. he understood why you wanted him to come up here. the liquor buzzing in your veins, and going straight to your clit like a drug. you wanted him the moment you saw him. you needed him, for more reasons than one.

aki was always one to put a woman's pleasure before his own. so when he saw you drop to your knees to crawl towards him, dainty hands trailing up his clothed thighs until you're undoing his belt and he's biting his lip. . . he was drawn in further. pulling him out of the confinement of his jeans, holding his pulsating dick in your hand, darting your tongue out, and pressing it flat to the aching head. he's squeezing his eyes shut when he's deep in your throat after a while, moaning around him and twisting your hand along as your mouth glides. his hand is in your hair, gathering some of it in his large fist while leaning back a bit to see those gorgeous eyes of yours stare into his, slightly watery. he liked that. he liked you.

"nnn, baby. like that," he's throwing his head back, jaw slacked as he tried to keep his voice down, not daring to let too much slip out regarding the guests below them. eyes back on you, he's watching as your hips gyrate in the air, desperately needing to be touched.

it's so foreign, this level of intimacy. it's been so long since he's had his dick buried deep in anything. sure, he masturbates like any other human being, but it's a rarity. he's so consumed in work that by the time he goes home he's knocked out in slumber, not even thinking about grabbing his fleshlight to fulfill his pleasure. the last time he had sex was at the beginning of his freshman year of college. it was some girl in his cutlery class who invited him over for late-night drinks, leading to more than just that. it was frequent until he realized he was failing courses because of the distraction and had to get back on track, so, he called it quits.

now he's pulling you up, feverishly pressing his lips to yours in a messy kiss, lips smacking, tongues bumping. you're keening when his thick fingers clasp around your throat as you straddle his waist, clinging to his shirt you eventually pull over his head. it's as if the both of you forgot that people were here and might hear you, but neither of you cared. aki's not even scolding you when you're moaning too loud the second he has you beneath him, your clothing still on, barely, and his jeans and briefs clinging to his ankles, your knees to your chest as his hot mouth latches around your puffy clit, back arching off the plush mattress.

the metal from his pierced tongue rushing against you as he holds the back of one of your thighs to keep them up, grunting and swallowing your arousal. you're whining so much it has his dick twitching, pulling on his hair not helping either. you're rocking your hips with urgency, legs twitching after he lifts his head to spit, collecting his saliva with two fingers before curling them into you, holding your stomach down while he shakes his fingers. that alone has you convulsing around him, tears in your eyes as you whimper his name and squirm helplessly, his lips kissing your inner thighs.

coming down from your high, aki's already propping himself behind you, turning you on your side while he laid on his, leveraging your head with his forearm underneath your neck, fingers in your mouth you suck while glaring at him. he curses, monotoned voice rasping, "don't do that."

"do what?" you hum, wrapping your lips around them again and moaning.

aki clenches his jaw, lifting your right leg to open you up before slipping inside, hearing you gasp as you adjust to the stretch. both of you groan in unison, turning your face to the side to kiss him while your nails clawed at his hip, then his ass as he rolls into you, too horny to be gentle and snapping his hips hard against your ass, grunting, "i heard you, girl," and drilling faster. your eyes scroll to the back of your head, aki swallowing the breath out of you as he sucks on your bottom lip and chokes you, the two of you whining in each other's mouth, muffling the noise although the skin interaction didn't cease.

he's brutal, a different person when in this form of bond. dropping your leg and reaching between to rub at your clit, heavy breaths on your neck as he hides his face there. you can easily smell the citrus scent of his shampoo, his scent overall a main attraction when he stepped toward you. . . like lavender. when he's nearing his climax, he gropes your chest, slurring, "be a good girl and cum all over me, baby. can i feel it this time?" and you nod, doing just as he says, his taunts and praises making your gut swim with butterflies.

you try not to scream as he licks and bites your neck sloppily, dazed. instead, you grab a pillow nearby and stuff part of it in your mouth, aki's face hovering over you as tears leak from your eyes and you cum hard, harder than you ever had. aki holds you close by your waist, taking a few more pumps before he furrows his brows and slowly pulls out, cumming on your flush skin with a hiss. by this time, his hair had fallen down his face completely, and even in your fucked out state, you reach up to rake through it with a lazy smile. aki chuckles, kissing your forehead before building the strength to find a cloth to clean you up. luckily, there's an en-suite bathroom, giving him access to warm water and toiletries.

fixing his posture in the mirror, he's rubbing his face and adjusting his clothes to appear as he did when he arrived; neat and professional. although what he just did wasn't so classy of him. he fucked some woman he barely knew at a millionaires home. work, he was working. not here for personal pleasure. he wanted to slap himself for being so easily enraptured. no one had to know about it. he only hoped not a soul downstairs heard what went on.

he's good to go, done scolding himself and turning off the bathroom light before stepping out. he finds you perched up, sipping a miniature bottle of crown royal you found in the bedside mini-fridge, sniffling your nose and blankly staring out the window. aki comes forward, gently grasping your thigh and gliding the wet cloth over your skin, the silence awkward.

"dandelions.”

aki's eyes slowly drift to your face, staring in confusion. "what?"

he notices how eerily slow tears built up in your eyes, gripping the bottle harder before exhaling. "dandelions," now you're finally looking at him, the coldness on your face making him anxious. "that's where his body is."

your voice is like vanilla. it's one thing about you that he grew infatuated with. it's one of the many reasons he was captured by you, brought to where he was now. standing at the bedside as he watched tears pool down your broken face. body? what body?  he grew cold, nervously eyeing you as you sniffled, standing to fix your hair, dress, and walking around the bed to slip back into your heels.

“wait," he goes to grab your arm when you try to walk out the door. "what the fuck are you talking about?"

the deadness in your eyes scares him even more, and he's panicking when you say, "alex."

“alexander?!" he shouts, dragging you away from the exit, hands on either side of your shoulders as he eyes you, his own wide. heart pumping drastically. "what did you do? where is he?"

"by the dandelions on the terrace," blunt, again. as if you aren't phased at all by his reaction. "follow me."

he's stunned, unable to fully process what you were telling him. he already assumed the worst when the term 'body' came to light. though his heart raced heavily in his chest, his feet blindly dragged in your direction. cautiously watching your every move in case he had to protect himself. fuck, he didn't have any weapon. then again, he's sure he could easily handle you, knock you out if he needed to. lock you in a closet and alert the hundreds of guest just below their feet. that's right, there are still people here. and if you mentioned alexander, how the fuck and when the fuck did you have the time to . . . kill him? 

"[♡]," he began to speak your name, but your head was in the clouds, ignoring anything that came out of his mouth as you cut into a passageway that led to a grand master bedroom, then facing the terrace you spoke of. he was nervous, your neck turning to eye him as you step onto the gravel, blankly staring down at something. he couldn't see from where he stood, matter of fact, he didn't want to see.

"he's here," you say. "he's here."

aki has no choice but to advance forward, wanting to squeeze his eyes shut from the upcoming scare of a human’s body. and not just any human, the alexander bodari. a flaccid arm sticks out from beside a bush, palm facing the sky, details of a struggle bruised into his hand as the skin in the area seemed peeled. aki’s heart drops the closer he gets, hand covering his mouth as he stares down at the lifeless body laying in a pool of blood. the aluminum wire draped around his neck stained with blood gave aki the answer he needed when it came to the cause. you strangled him to death. the question remains; who are you and how were you affiliated with alexander? most importantly, why’d you kill him?

“i don’t understand,” is all he can get out.

“the proof is in his first novel,” you utter, and he’s still confused. “the story about the woman who’s trapped in the psychopaths basement? it was about me.”

aki couldn’t grasp the thought of you being the woman from the novel star always talked about. that you had been the victim of his story. that it was a real life phenomena. that he met you, slept with you, and now you want him to, what . . . cover up a murder in a house filled with two hundred guests?

“he painted this image as if he was the most prestigious man on the planet. he made money off of real events. events that played out by torturing me, and using me to get his ‘creative juices flowing.’ he needed a test subject. he was a sick man who deserved to die,” tears pour down your face, the anger in your tone thick and pent up from years of pain and sorrow. “he was my father’s partner. my father despised me simply because of my resemblance of my mother and my rebellion against him. when he died from heart failure, in his will, he married me to alex.”

“that’s fucking. . . sick. i didn’t think that was possible in this day and age.”

you scoff with agreement. “yeah. he watched me grow from a preteen to making me his wife. sick bastard for sure.”

aki wants to vomit from this information. still unable to wrap his head around any of it. his hands sit on his hips as he stares up at the sky and blows a raspberry, try to keep his nerves together. you watch him with sadness, and maybe regret. you weren’t intentionally planning for this to happen. though part of you wanted someone to save you. to see the real you and rescue you from this torment.

“i know this is probably the last thing you expected to happen. i apologize for dragging you into this. i just didn’t know what else to do. i felt hopeless. and i refused to let his popularity run by making another fortune of a sick novel.”

“did he attack you?” he asks.

“he didn’t,” you clarify. “i think i just finally snapped. granted, tonight of all nights wasn’t the correct setting.”

aki makes a face that reads ‘fucking clearly’ as he rubs both palms down his face. he doesn’t know whether to run and call you insane or feel sympathy for a victim. but, murder is murder. and now, standing here with you, that’d make him an accomplice. as scary as that was, he couldn’t risk his future career. but he was stuck in a pickle. he wanted to help you.

“there are clear signs of struggle, so we have to make it look like an accident,” aki suggests, but immediately, you shake your head in disagreement.

“they won’t believe that. he’s one of the wealthiest men in new york. it’ll be a huge investigation.”

“then the only answer would be to tell the truth,” he finalized.

“the . . truth?”

aki nods, pulling you toward him and stepping away from the body, chills still going up his spin and goosebumps on his arms. “listen to me, you can tell the world exactly who you are and what he’s done to you. you have proof. transactions, marriage certificate, i’m sure there’s documents for days in his computer that can prove what he’s put you through. there’s evidence somewhere.”

“and if i tell the world, who’s to say they’ll believe me?”

“i believe you,” aki says. your eyes fill with hope, and thankfulness. “people will have their opinions, but we know the truth. do you have anyone else that can be your alibi?”

you think long and hard, until it hits you. “the maid. she’s been working for him ever since i moved in after my father died. she’s fed me, helped me heal wounds . . even get rid of his unborn child i lost after too much stress.”

“jesus christ,” he bows his head in disbelief. “where is she now?”

“luckily, the kitchen. the woman with the braided red hair. she promised me she’d always protect me. after his book succeeded he became nicer to me, gave me a ‘real’ marriage. she was like his mother, always scolding him when he raised his voice at me or wouldn’t let me live my life. it’s all so depressing.”

“okay. it’s okay, you’re going to be okay,” aki comforts you as you begin to sob once again, cradling your head in his chest.

the night ends in the blink of an eye. aki takes you into another room and wraps a blanket around you as you sit on the edge of the bed and wait for the police. he finds the woman you spoke of, pulls her to the side and informs her of the tragedy above. she herself looks relieved. not at all shocked by what played out, as if she knew you’d go through with it. aki guesses he truly was a horrible man. and to think he would’ve worked for him in the future. the police arrive shortly after the woman goes to check on you, insuring that everything would be okay, and that she’d stick to the full story. the police instructs everyone the leave the premises, aki being questioned for a full hour, this home becoming a crime scene, and all of their faces full of black ink on the daily news the next morning.

aki will never forget the chilling smirk on your face as they removed alexander’s body from the terrace. it was . . haunting.

[notiddygothgf]

3. Obsessed

★ pairings: aki hayakawa x fem reader

★ ❝ Aki, you smooth bastard. ❞

★ c.w.: nothing :) (more content warnings and tags)

★ a/n: accidentally posted chap 4 before chap 3 oopsies!! omg so like this one lowkey seems like filler but I PROMISE ITS NECESSARY. im building the tension. i hope you all like obsessive aki as much as i love him. teehee. like comment and talk to me! id love to hear ur thoughts x

★ w.c.;3.2k

shameless ; chapter index

YOU HELD YOUR PHONE TO YOUR EAR later in the evening, listening to your husband talk about his day. His voice was a comforting, familiar anchor, but tonight, it struggled to pull you from the storm raging in your mind the way it usually did.

"And then I told them they couldn't just ignore the data. They finally agreed to reassess the project," he was saying, his tone tinged with satisfaction. "That's how my day was."

"That's great," you replied absentmindedly, your fingers hovering over your phone's keyboard.

As he continued speaking, you opened a new message thread. The name "Aki Hayakawa" stared back at you, the cursor blinking in anticipation. You started typing slowly, uncertainly:

Aki, I'm sorry for running out on you like that. It wasn't |

You paused, backspaced, and tried again:

Captain Hayakawa, I apologize for how I acted tonight. It was unprofessional. |

No, that was too formal. You sighed, deleting the message once more.

"Are you still there?" your husband asked, snapping you out of your reverie.

"Yeah, I'm here," you said quickly. "Just... distracted. Sorry."

"What are you up to?" he asked, his tone lightening. "You sound busy."

"I'm just sending a text to my friend, Himeno," you lied smoothly, hoping the guilt didn't seep into your voice.

"You're so sweet," he said warmly. "Always thinking of others."

Always thinking of other men, apparently, you mean? 

You forced a smile, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, I guess so."

Your thumb hovered over the screen again. This time, you typed:

Can we talk?

You hesitated for a moment, then pressed delete before you could change your mind. You had done enough damage tonight. The best thing you could do was just ignore him for the remainder of your stay in Tokyo. It would be over before you knew it.

"Anyway," your husband continued, oblivious to your internal struggle (as he typically was), "So my coworker came up to me and asked if I would go out for drinks with him tonight."

"Sounds great," you said automatically, your mind still on the message you had just deleted. You glanced out the window at the city rushing by – the midnight was blue, almost as blue as his eyes.

You hoped that, somehow, everything would make sense in the morning.

.

Your first informal mission took place at the art museum. There had been complaints of Devil-sightings there. It wasn't anything particularly alarming or dangerous, but you had been sent to check it out (and kill it).

With nothing but the quiet sound of your shoes clicking against the old wooden floorboards to accompany you, you made your rounds through the second floor. Your Public Safety uniform pulled very few strange looks here where everybody else was also done up in black-tie attire. There was an art showing tonight.

You put an 'x' over the words "Second floor". No Art-devil spotted there. Two more to go.

Stopping in front of a small painting, you took a moment to admire the artistry. You didn't mind doing the scut work while Makima was understaffed – more gruesome positions existed, surely. This was most certainly not the worst way you could think to spend your first day back on the job.

The painting was a masterful symphony of oil paints – shades of pink and green and blue forming the prettiest little petals. It depicted a serene field of wildflowers and nothing else. A singular tree near the right side of the painting, a clear blue sky on the top of it.

One day I'll buy a painting like that, you thought to yourself. Not that it had much of a place in your stale, modern-style home in the Japanese countryside. You always wanted a house with color – one with wooden seats and tables and wallpaper and a happy family – even if it aged poorly. There was something homely about flowers and colors. Something that the black-white-and-grey color scheme of your contemporary home lacked.

It was such a shame, too. You told your husband about these wishes long before you married him and, yet, he insisted upon having a home that would look "sleek" and "modern". Had it not been for his vision of what your home should look like, you would have taken the painting home with you.

Briefly, the image of a small, gold-framed painting of a flower field hung up in your cold, cool-toned dining room crossed your mind. It wouldn't work.

Then again, perhaps the painting could serve as a metaphor for your feelings?

You looked away from it, and went back to scanning the room for any sight of a Devil. You didn't find one.

What you did find, however, was the one person you didn't want to see today. A certain young captain stood with his arms crossed behind his back, inspecting a larger painting only a few yards away from you.

Then, as if the situation couldn't get any worse, he turned to look at you.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

You ducked over, shielding your face from his gaze. It was too late, though – you heard his telltale footsteps coming your way and you knew he'd sniffed you out.

His voice was a sickening croon behind you, "Enjoying the show?"

Okay. It would appear that neither of you wanted to address the elephant in the room (being last night, that is).

You couldn't stop the little flutter your heart did when it heard his voice.

"Yes, thank you," You snapped back a little quicker than you anticipated. "The paintings are beautiful."

"They are, aren't they?" He reiterated. Something told you he wasn't only speaking about the paintings. "You like that one?"

"I do," You answered. This whole conversation was just a whole lot more awkward than you could bear today. "It's peaceful, I think. Pretty."

You shouldn't be talking to him. You really shouldn't be talking to him – not after whatever the fuck had happened between the two of you at the party.

To your surprise, Aki didn't toy with you any longer than that. He walked away – you had only heard him leave, after all, as you hadn't made any effort to look him in the eye. How could you? You had seen that face of his far too many times in your dreams.

"Keep up the good work," He said over his shoulder.

You turned to look only when you were certain he was a respectable distance away from you. Then, looking at the back of his Public Safety suit jacket, you thought, How bizarre.

.

You were making your rounds at the grocery store two days later, grabbing some last minute food and snacks because you truly hadn't anticipated your stay to be so long. A small slip of paper clutched in one hand and a pen in the other, you crossed "bread" off the list.

"Okay," You muttered to yourself, glancing around for your next stop. "Pads, produce, chips," Deciding that you couldn't live off of the tiny little hotel sample containers in your shower, you quickly scribbled down 'Shampoo/Conditioner'.

Then you continued on your merry little way, pushing the cart forward and exploring the rest of the grocery store. Aisle 14's sign was done in a shade of lilac, and read 'Feminine Hygiene, Baby, Sexual Wellness'. Oddly enough, you had to pass through the baby section before you could get to the feminine hygiene products. You tried not to make eye contact with any diaper boxes, as they only served to remind you of the fact that – despite being married – you were the only one out of all of your friends who hadn't settled down and started a family by now.

Soon, you thought. But, then, a vision of a screaming baby throwing up in your arms flashed through your mind, an image of your husband asking you what was for dinner after the both of you had come home from work, and it didn't feel so right.

"Let's see," you hummed, tracing your finger over a box of day pads. You figured that it wouldn't hurt to be prepared, even if you weren't supposed to get your period for at least another two weeks.

So you grabbed a multipack – day pads, liners, and night pads – and you tossed them into the cart. Then, you checked "pads" off of your list.

At the end of the aisle, there were walls and walls full of condom boxes – some were even flavored – and lubricants.

Won't be needing those any time soon, you mused. You and your husband hadn't exactly been very... active recently. With work and cleaning and everything else to be done around the house, neither of you had the energy.

Well, okay. You didn't have the energy. He had made a great many fruitless attempts. It was difficult to want to have sex with a man who acted like an insolent child when you told him that, yes, it was his house too, and he could do some dishes once in a while.

You were happy, though. You were just... going through a rough patch was all.

"I'm married!" 

The words echoed in the back of your mind. You saw a vision of him there, too – not your husband – taking a tentative step towards you while you backed away from him.

"You weren't acting like it," The words replayed, clear as day, "I can't forget about tonight. I know you felt it, too."

You gazed blankly at the condom boxes on the shelves. He had been right. You weren't acting like a married woman, even now. Because when you thought of someone pressing kisses to your neck and slipping the clothes off of you, it wasn't your husband you envisioned. It was him.

You were fucked. Truly, royally fucked.

That being said, you walked right on past the wall of condoms. You were many things – a liar, Devil Hunter – but you would not break your marriage vows. It was your fault that you had been sucked into a wedding so early in your life. You had to see it through.

You had to do right by your husband.

The next aisle you hit up was the produce section in search of soup vegetables.

Some carrots would be nice, you thought. Oh, and some potatoes. Maybe even some angus beef? 

You rolled up to the vegetables. They looked so tasty, all bundled together, being misted gently with water. You pulled a few carrots off the display and popped them into a plastic produce bag.

Leeks, you thought, pursing your lips and glancing around. They were two shelves over to your right.

And you'll never guess what else was only two shelves over, so tall he had to bend over to reach the legumes, sporting a loose black tee shirt and some black sweatpants.

Captain Hayakawa. Your stomach did a backflip and a death drop and your heart seemed to beat a little faster. What the fuck.

You could tell yourself whatever you wanted, but the way your body reacted to his presence gave your true feelings away. He had you wrapped around his finger.

Still, you hadn't seen him in casual clothes before. He looked much cuter that way, you thought. You could see his arms much more clearly now, the ridges and hills of his chiseled biceps, his strong forearms.

And he was buying groceries. Could he get any better?

You couldn't recall the last time your husband had even cooked some food, let alone go buy produce.

Maybe he was grocery shopping for someone else? Maybe he had a woman at home, to whom he was only bringing these groceries. It seemed far more likely that he had just come here to cook for himself.

What am I thinking? He was bad for you. Real bad. You had no business thinking these things about another man.

So, you did what any other respectable, married woman would have done and left the produce section before he could notice you. Before you could even begin to question whether or not this meeting was really pure coincidence.

You could always pick your veggies up somewhere else.

.

"Hello, front desk, how can I assist you?"

You sighed a breath of relief, "Hey. Do you think you could have room service send up an extra towel?" You glanced down at the shattered bottle of wine you had picked up from the grocery store. You had used one of the hotel towels to mop it up. It was only after the fact, of course, that you realized you only had one towel left.

"Of course," The friendly woman on the phone answered, "Can I have a room number?"

"1409," You answered.

A few keyboard clacks later, and she said, "You have a package at the front desk. Would you like us to send that up, too?"

A package? You thought. You didn't recall ordering anything. Still, you figured it was most likely something Public Safety had sent you (and, least likely, a bouquet of flowers from your husband).

"Okay, yeah, sure," You hummed. "Send that up, too, thanks."

The phone call ended a moment later, after the two of you had exchanged goodbye. Within five minutes, there was a knock at your door.

"Room service," A feminine voice grunted.

"Coming!" You answered. Tip-toeing around the mess of broken glass you'd left bundled up inside of a red-stained white towel, you jogged to the door to answer it.

A short, brown-haired old lady in a maid's uniform was holding a freshly folded towel in one hand, and a rectangular brown box in the other. You took both from her gratefully, ducking your head and muttering a quick 'Thank you' before closing the door.

You set the towel down on the bed. Then you flopped down next to it, eyeing the brown box up precariously. It had "FRAGILE: HANDLE WITH CARE" printed all over it.

I wonder what it is.

Of course, you had left your letter openers and box-cutters at home, so you made do with a butter knife that the hotel had so graciously provided to you. You took out a few layers of packing foam and tissue paper before the item was finally revealed to you.

It was a small, gold framed painting. One with pink and blue wildflowers in a green, open field. One with a clear sky and a tree. The one from the gallery.

"How the fuck...?" You asked, turning the thing over in your hands, as if to make sure that your eyes hadn't deceived you. (They hadn't.)

It was something so strange, so oddly specific, that you could only attribute it to one individual.

"The paintings are beautiful."

"They are, aren't they?" Captain Hayakawa reiterated. Something told you he wasn't only speaking about the paintings. "You like that one?"

"I do," You answered. "It's peaceful, I think. Pretty."

You admired the beautiful painting beneath the warm hotel light. Then, with a giddy sigh, you flopped onto your back, clutching it to your chest.

Aki, you smooth bastard. You thought. Fair play.

.

The conference room buzzed with anticipation as agents filed in, each clad in the standard uniform of crisp suits and ties.

You sat in the front row, your hands folded neatly in your lap, trying to maintain a professional demeanor.

The atmosphere was thick with tension and a sense of gravity, appropriate for a meeting about the Gun Devil—a formidable enemy everyone in the room was acutely aware of.

Miss Makima stood at the front, her posture perfect, her pink hair immaculately styled. She exuded an aura of authority and control that was almost frightening, which was normal for her. A large board behind her displayed a complex array of photographs, maps, and written leads, all connected by a web of strings and arrows. It was a visual representation of the intelligence gathered on the Gun Devil, a chilling reminder of the stakes at play.

As Makima began to speak, detailing the latest developments and potential leads, you tried to focus on her words. She spoke with a calm, measured cadence, explaining the connections and evidence they had so far. But as the minutes passed, you felt a warmth spreading across the back of your neck, an unsettling sensation that made you shift in your seat.

Curious, you turned your head slightly, just enough to glance over your shoulder. There he was—Captain Hayakawa—propped up against the wall at the back of the room, his gaze locked onto you with a disconcerting intensity. His blue eyes were sharp, unwavering, and you felt a jolt of electricity shoot down your spine. The way he looked at you, it was as if he could see right through the layers of professional decorum you had carefully constructed.

A rush of heat flooded your face, and you quickly turned back around, your pulse quickening.

Behave, you reminded yourself sternly. But it was hard to focus, hard to even think straight, with his gaze burning into you so desperately like that – like you were the only person in the room, like he would freeze time if he could just to ravage you right then and there.

You pressed your legs together, a subconscious reaction to the sheer force of his attention.

He was going to be the death of you if you didn't get the hell out of Tokyo soon.

Makima continued her presentation, moving to a new section of the board, but her words became a distant murmur in your ears. All you could think about was the weight of Aki's stare, the way it made you feel exposed and vulnerable. You couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. He wasn't shy, not in the slightest—his gaze was bold, almost challenging, as if daring you to meet his eyes again.

You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to look back at the board. The images and notes blurred together as you struggled to refocus. You knew you should be paying attention—this information was critical, after all—but Aki's presence was an insistent distraction. You could feel his eyes on you, a constant, burning sensation that refused to let up.

When the meeting finally concluded, you realized with a sinking feeling that you had retained almost nothing from the entire seminar. You gathered your things, avoiding eye contact with everyone as you hurried out of the room. 

ITS SO SHORT ik ik. to make up for it, read chapter 4 and pretend i didnt accidentally post that one first LMFAOAOOA... see yall soon!! x

credits: UNKOWN ATM. I found the cover pic on pinterest unfortch. If you know the artist, please let me know, so I can credit them properly for their work!!! This is NOT MY BEAUTIFUL DRAWINGGG. I obviously do not own csm or anything related to it. please do not reproduce, copy, or translate my works anywhere. dont fk w me im a bruja.

also: come find me on my wattpad if u wanna interact more!

taglist: @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505 , @acethebrave , @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505

wanna join the taglist? | shameless ; chapter index

[ilikecutecat]

How I think the ARR boys would react if you throw a cake at them

before we start, i haven't read much about the lore/ i forget most of them now. So some characters might be off character sorry.

reader/mc is gender neutral

Koga Kitamikado

Uh pretty good 6/10 Definitely would say he enjoys the fun and challenge (?) 100% would laugh at it. -1000000 points if you throw a peach cake at him

Kuya

Ehh… 5/10 This could end in 2 ways Bro definitely fly up if you throw it or he not was enough ( idk if he have a fast reflex) The second outcome and the more likely. Wouldn't even care. He definitely would like the cream of his face then just fall asleep -1 point cuz koga won't like the floor/ bed dirty

Aoi

-10/10 Mad as hell, you might get the silent treatment Definitely made you clean up or help you clean up a bit. +1 if he like you he will try to be kindish more and won't yell at you that much Keyword: try

Ginnojo

4/10 Might be confused about what u doing I say depends on your relationship, if you 2 close he might laugh it off (?) if not uh yeah. Might blushes if you clean up his face ( if you a woman ) i say he would

( Idk how to write him)

Yura

100/10 Would very like it His brother don't so mins 10 points Yura would say something like: " this cake is yummy or thou art a teaseing woman or something" ( I'm not good with old language ) 100% would like the cream. All the cream of his face. Might ask for some more.

Toichiro Yuri

-1/10 not good. Mad definitely mad. But I think he might smile and laugh at it. Not sure if he think this might be childish but ehhh.. maybe. Gonna be a little shit about it. +5 point if you help him pranks koga with peach. 100% would get revenge on you. Watch your back.

Shizuki

0/10 yeh Might swap the tochiro point and shizuki point together idk.

Toichiro could like bring him booze and lock him and you togethers He either have a good reflex and freeze the cake before it gets to him. Or he fail. Would say he pretty disappointed and will told you that you are imatured (?)

-100000 points if you tell that he fail to kagemaru.

Kuro

10000000/10 I love him Would laugh at it like koga ( love his silly smile ) 100% would lick the cream and taste it. 99% put some creams on your face as revenge. 1% stand for he no wanna hurt your pretty face <3 Enjoy the fun and might make a cake war with everyone ( Good luck ) He could like make a cake theme circus like some of the event and invite you guys in. +100000000000 point cuz he is kuro and I love him part

Oji

7/10

"Young people/ youngster these days… " Or "I'm too old for this" He definitely said something related to that. You can't change my mind, I will take it down with my grave. +1 point if you help clean the mess and his mess. He would rewards you with the Rice Omelet. if not i will say poor Aoi...

he might escape the cake war if he ran out and smoke before it stared.

Gaku

2/10 no. Really don't. More no if you throw one at his brother. Even if yura like it. He doesn't tho. -2 point if the cake is sweet. Unless yura calm him down he will be hella mad. Don't tell toichiro about this.

(idk what else)

Nachi

8/10 meow I'm not sure if he like cake or not but it's you… Soo I suppose he doesn't mind much? You better apologize with sardines. Many many many many sardines Don't tell anyone tho. Who does not want to be the "butt of everyone's joke" Get it? :3

Kagemaru

Oh dear… You have guts 5/10 I say it's a 50/50 thing. In his profile he does like the strong.. idk if being bold like that is considered strong but.. you do you. Um would ask a fight about it. Idk if geisha allowed to make new ideas in the way to "seduce" customer but would add cake fight for the fun of it. Like tochiro+10 points if you do it to shizuki.

Well he have 2 persona before the event and after so… ( Spoiler)

Aki ( before the event)

6/10 Say something like "a-ah! Oh it's you! Haha.. I never knew.! Don't do it again pls.. I hate being scared (?" Uh yeah idk if he does say something like that I forgot but close to it. Would be shy about it tho

All now for the evi one.

Akiyasu Kurahashi

0/10 yeah I think it kinda self explain. But would ignore it. Or like uh used some onmyoij art to make it miss or something. But imagine if it does hit him. Wouldn't care. Would get annoyed tho.

Tatsuomi Oyama

6/10 if you are like futuba not so bad. But even if you are not. I say he still haddle it well. Not gonna yell or be mad he would be like normal. +1 point if you give him some apologize gift like nachi.

Yakumo Koizumi

8/10 "My doll you are so interesting…" Something like that. Not so sure if he hate cake or sweet or anything like that but yeah. I say he wouldn't mind cuz it's.. you after all. Maybe tiny bit minded that he have to change his clothes ( does he hate being dirty?? Idk) Make him high cuz he like you better then anyone. If it's something else? Oh they be dead.

Kyonosuke Aizen

?/10 idk tbh but -1 point cuz his name is long as hell and I have a difficult time writing it. I say he have good reflex and dodge it.

might called you childish Yeah. Sorry. Idk tbh. But would say he haddle it calm and collected. (maybe)

Mototaka Saotome 

8/10 would only work if you see the reader as futaba or you see him as your father yourself. Cuz he best dad. But would like some father and daughter/son( if you oc is a boy) moment I don't think he would be mad at you. If you look at how he gone to business so much he would think it nice to got some moment like mentioned above.

[melonminnie]

Ah you must I love your fics, so could you make a reincarnated reader in the villain is a puppet? I would like everyone to be platonic yanderes, perhaps the reader has a strange power that turns the people he often lives with into yanderes [In his past life the reader was unhappy, he found his life boring and insipid, so he decided to die, That's how an unknown god gave her that power]

That's why she was reincarnated as Raffaello's younger sister. Reaching adulthood, but even being somewhat unaware of his power.

Raffaello was too affected by his yanderismo that when he became a duke he prohibited his sister from going abroad, because in his eyes the reader is an angel and must protect her. Then by the work of fate, meet our imperial twins.

So the reader doesn't remember almost anything about her life other than the lack of affection she had, so she really is a bit lazy with her brother's possessive behavior. When Kayena recognized the reader, she was surprised and heard voices whispering to her, putting ideas into her, that's the power of the reader. As for rezef, he is relatively already an overprotective and jealous yandere because the reader took his escapades as a young man and by the work of God he met rezef as a child, giving him his friendship and love, things that rezef clung to.

Forgive me for the long text, can you develop the idea better, I'm missing some things because I don't remember much of the chapters I read hehehe. I know it has nothing to do with it, but if you're going to receive my request, I should give you something. Here is a picture I painted of Aki hayakawa for my art class. Happy new year!! 😄🥰🥰🥰

LITTLE TWIN STARS

YAN!Raffaello x Young! sister! Reader x YAN! Imperial twins (platonic sorta)

Warning!: Being trapped inside, Mention’s of leg breaking, Mentions of dying

DESCRIPTION <3: Meeting the imperial twins even though your not allowed to go outside because your brother said so

AUTHOR NOTE!: YOIR DRAWING IS SO COOL! I don’t know if you wanted a make or female reader but you mentioned younger sister so I HOPE YOU LIKE YOUR REQUEST THO <333 I tried my hardest to be as accurate as possible!

For as long as the young girl could remember, Well to be exact she didn’t remember anything, She remembers wishing to die and doing that, Not because of family, friend,Or bullying problems, She just decided she no longer wanted to be alive.

it’s not like she expected to reincarnated into a non existent character!,But nonetheless you were happy, Being the male leads younger sister was just a plus in your eyes!, Living there so cluelessly eating sleeping and buying everything to your heart’s desires while your older brother watched.

Truthfully you never spoke to him sure you ate lunch or dinner with him but you wouldn’t exchange any words, Sometimes he was just maybe a little creepy when he didn’t eat but just watched you eat.

At first he liked the expressions you made, how your eyes would light up when you liked the food, or how you’d try to starting a conversation with him when you didn’t, He knew you never in a million years would want to even greet him, Yet he’d simply turn a blind eye to it.

Those little moments meant more to him then he thought they would, He started getting obsessed, He’d start assigning more guards to you whenever you’d leave the mansion, He’d make his assistant tell him your every moment.

Maybe at some point he realized, Your too good of an angel for this world, Hell even if you murdered an entire person, He wouldn’t care he’d defend you with his whole heart, Your his little baby sister after all why wouldn’t you want him too?.

At that point it hit him, No one was allowed to see you, He’d get the title of duke he knew he would, When he did you would never ever ever leave him, Nor would you leave the mansion or the country, he’ll break your legs if you even protested about it!.

And so Raphael was soon the duke of kedrey, His first move was to call you to his office, This was a surprise when you were asked by one of the servants to go to his office (or room I don’t know).

“Your forbidden from traveling abroad from this day on ward” Was the first thing you heard him say, “Umm okay” was the only thing she said and it sounded so hesitant.

He was surprised slightly, But was somehow happy you didn’t protest, It meant you never had the intention of even wanting to travel aboard, That made him smile a little. “You may leave if you want” He replied happily.

“Hmm” now the only reason the girl didn’t say anything, Was because first, She could careless it’s not like she had another house to suddenly turn too, Secondly, She wasn’t planning on traveling he clearly only said aboard so she can clearly go to the capital.

Maybe it’s been months or weeks sense you last went out, You were probably losing your mind!.

But for some reason Raphael made an exception to let you out just for today, So you decided to go to the capital, There you met princess cayena, Who surprisingly knew who you were.

After a while of talking she started acting up, More so she started hearing these tiny voices that would appear every now and then it would start of as, One, then two, then it escalated to eight at a time to the point she felt like she was losing her mind, So she got up and left.

She didn’t know it was you of course you didn’t know you were the reason to it too, After feeling better she thought about sending you a letter apologizing to you, And maybe inviting you for tea!,Wouldn’t that be nice?.

You accidentally met rezef when the princess was kidnapped, you took it as a chance and ran away, It was purely out of coincidence, Of course he knew who you were. You helped him as a kid, receiving your love and affection, it was a chance given to him, to finally take you from your brother, He can use this to take you, to warn your brother to stay away from his sister or your going to be found dead.

[writingpages]

crossing the threshold

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Summary: crossing the threshold signifies that the hero has finally committed to the journey. he is prepared to cross the gateway that separates the ordinary world from the special world. the crossing may require more than accepting one’s fears or a map.

Rating: T

Ships: Yuesi Fudo/Aki Izayoi

Warnings: canon typical violence, all the warnings that come with calamity ganon

Upon exiting Lady Asuka's house, Yusei immediately uses the paraglider to land on top of the archway in front of Lady Asuka's house. The view from here is stunning - and more importantly, he can get a view of every single person in the village. They bustle about their daily lives, ignoring the reality of the world they live in. Even in the post apocalypse, people continue to be people. There was something calming about that - that despite his failure to protect Hyrule one hundred years ago, it is still here. Calamity Ganon ultimately hasn't won - everything is still here. Sure, some places are wiped from the map and decimated to rubble, but not here. Not now.

Yusei pulls an apple out of his bag, rubbing it clean and taking a large bite out of it as he glances around, trying to tell if any of them wound be able to help him with his quest. One person does catch his eye: a strange blue haired man who was looking about the area as if it was new to him. Kakariko Town, as far as Yusei knew, was a closed community who have little strangers enter. It was why he pulls out the paraglider to fly over to the man, and the man grins at Yusei. "Ah, are you a traveler as well? I am a lover of art, and I am traveling the world in search of the most beautiful landscapes," he says. "I want to find a great fairy fountain, and I've heard there's on near the village. Great Fairy Fountains are supposed to be breathtaking beautiful, but I can't seem to find it." He rubs the back of his neck, sighing at this and shaking his head. "Nothing beats the thrill of tracking down the perfect view, you know. You understand, don't you?"

Yusei nods, remembering the perfect views he's already encountered so far. "I absolutely can understand the thrill of tracking down a beautiful view. I don't... often get a chance do to that though."

The man's eyes twinkles in response to this. "My name's Johan, what's yours?"

"I'm Yusei."

"Yusei," he says curiously, rubbing the back of his neck again. "I think I've heard that name before... Well, Yusei, tell you what. I don't know the exact location of the Great Fairy Fountain, but I've heard rumors of where it might be. Would you like to come along?" Yusei nods, wondering if the Great Fairy would have information about where he needed to go. It sure sounds like a being that might have knowledge beyond everyone's understanding. "Awesome! Come on, follow me."

With that, Johan takes off like a shot in the dark, forcing Yusei to quickly trail after him. He considers doubling back for Epona, but considering how quick Johan is moving, he worries he might lose track of him. Johan leads him out of the town and up the way towards the shrine, where he finally starts to slow down. Johan takes a deep breath as he leans up against the cliff side. "I'm sorry, Yusei, I don't think I can make it much further on my own," he admits, looking up towards the sky. "The Great Fairy Fountain should be just a little further up ahead. Why don't you go on without me?"

"I could carry you."

Johan looks at Yusei in shock at the offer, and shakes his head. "I want to rest instead," he says firmly. 'You go ahead. Take a photo of the Great Fairy Fountain if you find it for me."

Yusei wants to insist, but something in Johan's eyes said that now was not the time to do so. Instead he nods, agreeing to Johan's terms. It isn't something he feels right doing, but it was something that needs to be done, he supposes. He starts by following the path up along the right side. What stops him is a glowing spot out of the corner of his eye. He turns to look, and spots a strange, glowing animal that twitched in the middle of the path. It looked forward, looking at Yusei directly with a strange, knowing look. As if the animal knows who Yusei is. And then, just like it appeared, it bounces off and vanishes in front of his eyes.

The trail of the animal forces him to look ahead, and catches the sight of a glimmer in the distance. Whatever it is, it is certainly out of place. It is enough to make him curious enough to paraglide down to the other path, heading up along the other path. It leads him to a strange bud that is closed up with some sort of strange cloud puffing out of the top. He had a hunch this is the Great Fairy Fountain. He pulls out his Shiekah Slate, prepared to take the photo that Johan requested. However, the Sheikah Slate seeming refused to register the landmark. Instead, it informed him that this was once a place travelers would come to pay homage to but seems to no longer have the power it once had.

Curious, he moves forward to the fountain in an attempt to figure out exactly what was causing it to not be registered by the Sheikah Slate. "Sweet boy," comes the sound of a voice deep inside the flower bud. "Please, sweet boy, listen to my story."

Yusei is taken aback, attempting to examine the flower further. There is no hint in the rose's silver petals where such a creature is coming from, so he nods. "I will hear you out."

"I am Great Fairy Stardust, and this place was once a beautiful spring," she said, her voice deep and husky with a slight purr to it - an attractive voice. "As time passed, however, fewer and fewer travelers offered up their blessings to this place. Without any worshipers, I had no reason to flex my powers, and as a result, my power began to wane. I am near powerless now and I need your help. I need rupees to become whole again - one hundred of them to be exact."

Yusei considers this. Rupees are hard to come by, but it isn't like he is incapable of finding more gems to sell. So he nods, pulling the money from his pocket. "I will give the money you need."

A large, pale hand extends from the silver rose and snatches it from him, leaving him wobbling as she pulls her hand back into the bud. "You are very kind," she declares, and there is an odd sound in the flower as it retracts, retracts, then suddenly blooms in front of him. The rose opens wide, splaying out its petals in a beautiful blue and silver fountain. The fairy herself extends out, and Yusei found himself unable to describe the vision that is in front of him. She is curvy and towers over him, with blue scale-like clothing barely covering her skin and an orange glimmer up along her side and around her face. Her hair was thick, glossy, silver curls that fall down to her midback. When she opens her eyes, they are a sharp, unnatural orange that seemed to glow in the light. "Ah, the fresh air after decaying for so long... it's... intoxicating!" She giggles, and the blue blush on her pale skin makes her appear otherworldly. She glances down at Yusei, and it occurs to him that she is at least five times bigger than he is. "I can help you in return by enhancing your clothes.... but it seems there's nothing I can enhance! In order for me to help, I need you to bring me Bokoblin horns. For each item you have, I can let you what you need."

Yusei nods. "I can bring you some Bokoblin horns, Stardust."

"Excellent. You know," she says, winking at him. "It is truly a shame that you have to go so soon. Hope you make it back soon, Yusei. See you later!"

She descends back into the pool, and it strikes Yusei that he never told Stardust his name. There is, however, no time for him to think on this too hard. Instead, he takes a few steps back to try to take the photo for Johan again. This time, the fountain registers as a Great Fairy Fountain. No matter how many photos he takes of it, however, it simply couldn't capture the way the fountain glowed, the shimmers of blue and gold reflecting on the silver, or the pink sakura petals that seemed to dance around the pond. It was hopeless to capture the beauty, so he took his leave instead to return back to Johan.

Johan seems to have recovered in the few moments that Yusei was gone. "I hope that you had found the Great Fairy Fountain..." Yusei nods with a grin. "Wait, are you serious right now? You found it? Show me the picture!"

"No problem," Yusei says as he pulls out the Slate and pulls up the photo of the Great Fairy Fountain.

Johan frowns at this photo. "Hm, I expected it to be... I dunno. Elegant? Either way, I'm impressed you managed to find it. Hey, if you have anywhere you're trying to find, I'll be happy to help you since I've been all over Hyrule."

There were a lot of photos in the Slate that he wanted to know where they were. However, he is certain he'd only be allowed to ask about one of the many photos. He considers this carefully as he examines the photos in the Slate, wondering which would be the best one to show Johan. He finally settles on a photo of large gate with a snowy mountain behind it - a place he has no clue where it could be. The others he has slight hunches on, and weren't as pressing. "Do you know where this photo was taken?"

Johan examins the photo closely, before raising a brow. "I know where this is. East of this village is a big mountain called Mount Lanayru. It's on the west side of Nydra Snowfield. I would be wary about your approach, as I heard there is a massive monster lurking nearby," Johan says, the warning edged in his voice. "I am certain my help must have been useful, yes?"

Yusei pulls up the map, noting that it is mostly empty. The places that Johan mentioned weren't even on it, leaving no chance for him to mark where Johan said this place was. He looks out into the setting sun, and is taken aback. A strange, large bird is flying far out somewhere, seeming to be circling one place. He opens his scope, examining it and was stunned to notice it was impossibly large - it had to be. He would not normally be able to see such a bird from here if it wasn't. He marked it on his map, and reexamining his map reveals it is right next to where Lady Asukua marked off one of the Divine Beasts.

Until now, it didn't occur to him to think about why they might be called Divine Beasts. He didn't conceptualize what he was being tasked to free from Calamity Ganon's influence. He'd agreed to something without any real information, and was staring down what he was expected to go after - a beast so large, it could be seen clear across the country as if it was a normal sized bird. Fear hadn't been something he'd considered that he needed to feel until now. It is clear now that he was should have been scared, he should have been shaking with terror at what he was expected to take on to save the world, to free the princess.

He lets out a shaky breath, and shakes off the fear. If he stops to think now, then he might run and hide from his duty. He can't. Not now, not when so much hung on him to help everyone. So he runs towards the cliff, jumping off it and briefly considers not even bothering pulling out his paraglider. He wonders what the bite of the Earth would feel like against his bones. He does not let it happen - he pulls it out to land on his horse and pull the reigns tight to leave the village.

[proustianlesbian]

3 movies i saw this week and why you should watch them.

(this is my 260th post but the first one i use a title for.)

i hesitated to write this in french but i choose english to be understood by more people.

i'm starting with the first movie i have seen on monday evening with my mom : "kuolleet lehdet" by aki kaurismäki. so at first, we went there not really knowing what to expect, she had read me the summary just before we left and i almost didn't want to go. however, this movie is amazing. the cinematography and the colors are gorgeous and the characters really endearing. there are a lot of songs in finnish (both sang by characters and outside of the film) that gave this already slow and melancholic art piece several moments outside of time. what i love too is the reality of the characters, the situations : they are just two proletarian workers yet they are shown to be deserving to be the main characters. we see them working, being friendly with their colleagues, having fun with them but also facing exhaustion at the end of the day as well as being seen as negligible quantity and easily replaceable by their bosses. the relationship between the two main characters is really sweet as well as their relationships with their own friends and it shows love in a way i particularly love : there is no need to know the name of the other or to do romantic things, just being together and feeling happy with eachother is enough.

the second film i saw on wednesday night was "anatomie d'une chute" by justine triet, it had won the palme d'or at this year's cannes festival. so my mom and i went to see it, again i didn't really know what to expect except that there was actors i love in it and that it was a trial movie also about medias and how they make people percieve things. and this prize was so deserved, every actor and actress was incredible, some scenes were so well made, especially a play with sound and image as well as what we see, what movements did the camera and what it showed us. it sometimes got so close of a documentary more than a fictional movie. i have so many thoughts about it, truly one of the best movies of the year but many people talked about it so i can't really add anything new to say. but if you can, go watch it.

the last film i have seen this week was "le procès goldman", directed by cédric kahn. i saw it just yesterday, alone and i already knew pierre goldman's story very well, i learned about this movie in may in a french tv emission about cannes and have been really waiting to see it since. it is most certainly my favorite but for very personal reasons. the story seems very niche : it is a huis-clos, set in 1976, of the second trial of a far-left activist, son of jewish partisans from poland (and step-brother of a very popular singer, who is still the favorite personality of french people and has been so for years) who was accused of several robberies as well as the murders of two pharmacists, but if he admits the robberies, he claims his innocence for the murders. this movie is not only showing the faillures of the racist police and racist judiciary systems in france but also has very interesting conversations between the characters about being jewish and therefore racialized. but it also touches a subject that is so specific and personal, i never saw a movie talk about it : the feeling that when you come from a family that suffered and/or fought so much, you feel like no matter how much you fight, it will never be enough to live up to this history, even if you're not asked to. you feel like you never deserved to be born and live when you know what your family went through. there is a sentence he said that marked me : "i was born and died on the 22th june 1944.". to me, it is one of the best way the jewish experience in a racist society and racist country like france has ever been represented. and i really urge you, jewish or not, to go see it and especially if you are not so you can understand what it feels like a little bit more. the acting of everyone is superb, showing so well the intensity that reigns in this room, but the main actor, arieh worthalter, is phenomenal. the actors are well casted and look like their real life counterparts. the realisation is really beautiful even if there are around three or four places shown in the movie. i love how everything about the movie is simple : a basic white writing font on a black background giving us the contexte and the title, i think there is no music as well. the costumes are gorgeous too and i love how many details were put into the fabrics, patterns. i really want to meet the director to tell him how this movie made me feel so seen.

[spiritofcamelot]

Mermaid AUs!

Counting for the prompt table, headcanon 4 counting for characters of color day. I’ve also included some excellent art by people on tumblr which I used as inspiration. Please go check out their posts to show them some love!

Art by Karina

Agent Triple X wasn’t just given the designation for her deadly skill. She herself is a state secret, the subject of government bioengineering. She was born a mermaid, and lived many years below the waves before she was captured. They hid drugs in the fish she ate which changed her biology. Although she longs to return to the water, she can only revert her biology by giving herself an injection of drugs. It only lasts a few hours and the transformation both ways is painful. Still, she jumps at the chance to assist 007 on his mission to find missing submarines purely because she will be given the chance to swim again. Maybe, if she doesn’t use them all, this foreign agent will prove willing to help her find her freedom once more.

Art by @lasersinger​ (link)

Aki was eager to prove herself in the new secret service. She’s grown up on stories and had been training all her life. Initially, the other new recruits laugh at her. Not just for being a girl, but for her homemade armor and her headband of sharp shells which keep her hair out of her eyes. But she ignores them all and with the support of her friends, she finishes top of the class and only smiles proudly as she accepts her first mission. She smiles even wider when their quartermaster Tiger gives her a new set of armor made of pink coral just like her previous one had been.

Art by @jara-l-art​ (link)

Strawberry Fields was a bright young girl, really, she showed lots of promise. Unfortunately, she was easily charmed. Especially when she’d had a drink or two. As small as she was, she should’ve been an excellent operative for the service. She could easily swim through building pipes and eavesdrop through the sinks. Men talked about so many secret things in bathrooms when they thought they were alone. But sometimes she got a little too eager and jumped in with the ice at a bar where she inevitably got scooped up and poured into a cocktail. The alcohol went right to her brain and while she did provide a great distraction for the primary agent, her handler often had to make a scene herself to make sure she didn’t suffocate when she was thrown to the floor with the rest of the cocktail.

Art by @prinnay​ (link)

Nomi was the deadliest goldfish agent they’d ever had. Most goldfish could do the distraction, but then they were also distracted. Nomi, however, was simply drop dead gorgeous and knew it. She didn’t need to think about how to distract her prey, she simply did. Which meant she could focus fully on disarming and killing her opponent. It also worked well for getting her all the best missions and time off whenever she wanted. 

(link)

Summer jobs were very common where Felix had grown up. And he’d been proud of his, even worked full time there for a year after high school. But it wasn’t a common experience in the CIA so it didn’t get talked about much. Which was good. Because as much as it was cool, being a merman at Weeki Wachee Springs might not be seen as cool by the rest of the agents. He only got to wear a tail the one year he worked full time, but even being part of the acrobatic shows, not needing to break the surface to breathe for twenty minutes, it felt like being a merman even if he held an air hose in his hands. He didn’t think it was possible to love Della any more when she told him she’d also held a summer job as a mermaid there.

[hissi-oil]

mix of work and medical woes has stolen away a week of my time.......... but slowly settling into the weekend and doing both ART and NEOPETS !!!!! traded a pet, and acquired one named "grr" grr.... grr..... what am I even going to turn you into, such an impulse trade because i often just type grrrr after stuff HAHA

ooh now i want to continue to ramble on NAME origins more too, while looking through my accounts..... main, aka the mishmosh the crossroads...: the messiest and most disorganized of my accounts..

102nd: my battledome dari eyrie.... i saw this pet briefly up for trade a couple months before the NCUC release, and I was so transfixed with him for some reason!? in combination with the UC dari eyrie art, it feels so Tiny in the frame. just, an interesting name to me I guess... i guess the fact it felt like, not a name. 102nd of what? I traded a year 1 pet for an UC royalboy acara, which i traded for a high battledome stat UC dari draik... i offered her on 102nd, whose owner initially said no, but then they followed up and said they changed their mind because they were charmed by fact I was so interested in this pet LOL. trade went through, on my birthday!? since then, i've gotten a handful of neomails from people who've either had their eyes on him or previously owned him in the past offering on him, goodness gracious 4kiru: Not the nicest looking name i suppose, nor how I would be compelled to choose a name these a days...... but I choose to read it as Akiru....! I apparently created and painted this pet myself, but completely failed to develop him more... but, an existing oc as a neopet .... sorry, aki!!! perhaps I'll shop around for more name ideas for you!?? asdfghjhh: "asd" my first battledome pet!!! my little pink eyrie!! years back, apparently 2011, I joined in on a pound surf board, and she kept showing up.... apparently she really charmed me and I was obsessed with her for a bit, and drew her a ton and she got a ton of giftart as well, was considered a psuedo-mascot of the pound boards for a little bit....! i trained up her stats, and a comic featuring her got into the neopian times. she was my first pet to ever get boochi'd, and I started to save up for a pink paint brush to repaint her before discovering pink eyrie morphing potions were only 300k at the time.... ! really unsure if her keyboard smash name would be something to charm me over these days, but she is so ingrained in my neo history ! i feel i never really fully developed a serious character for her beyond "wingless pink eyrie that likes snow" grr: You are brand new.... what will you be !? I suppose, this account does have more than one pet who, are kind of 'nameless', i feel compelled to make you a girl.... what species....! maybe the lab ray will help me in the meantime as i ponder ? Guevota: back during my UC trading adventures, i was on such a hunt for an UC plushie jetsam....!! i really, really....really. i'm not much of a fan of the converted jetsam art, but the basic pre-conversion base pose is So cute to me? and plushie jetsam is the only one of the UC jetsams at the time that preserved it (robot kinda did too, but didnt have the eyes) not a very popular pet though, so took a While, to even See any to offer on !!! so not a matter where I could be picky or choosy on name, but I like it! I usually call her Gue "gweh" "gweh - vo - ta"

mimo154: another from my, UC trading adventures ... ! I know i technically 'downtraded' for her according to the UC trading tiers, but I did not care.... i thought she was so cute, and really liked 'mimo', especially lowercase... something charming about 154, for some reason.... which is funny, because me of the past wouldnt be caught dead with a name with numbers... and it's funny now, that NCUCs are out. but thats okay.... mimo154 ! toxin: also from my uc trading adventures !! i already knew I wanted to create this tyrannian kougra, but was at such a loss for names... was both checking various untaken names, trying to make boards seeking "Pets born on leap year", & also just seeing names up for trade.. i had traded an UC for a 3L baby blumaroo, and toxin was offered on this blumaroo... i mulled it over for a bit, like ... ah...!! toxin.... so weird to have a, word?? as a neopet name?? would i retrade it? ah, it could work for the kougie, he'd be so intrigued and impressed by the defensive qualities of plants and thematic to his own barbed personality, hm... ended up, accepting ! it's fun, having him as my active, since my username starts with a t as well, or double lowercase t's.... Ysae: a lucky pound find back in, 20..10?? around the same time I acquired Janra! I had (still have!) an important oc that's name starts with Ys-, so I was very "oh!" seeing this name. Neopets wise, this pet was originally an... actually I don't know.. but, ended up as an alien aisha at one point? I have.. alien aisha clothes scattered across multiple accounts....! When I returned to neo recently, I realized the name would be good for my Ys- oc, in neopets form. I was on the fence between cybunny or acara.... decided, acara....

[airi-of-hearts]

The final notes of the song faded but his voice still lingered in her mind, speaking only to her. That was the power of her husband, of his creations, he gifted them to the world at large but Airi knew they were meant for her.

Three hundred years she had waited for him without knowing it. The word “love” didn’t make sense before him. And now, two centuries later, three letters held more meaning to her than anything else: Aki.

Even before becoming a vampire, Airi yearned for something more. 

Her parents had made sure she had a good education; her mother was a refined lady who held art in high regard, and she taught Airi to appreciate it. She had also inherited her mother’s wanderlust.

As a child, she loved to hear her father’s stories about the faraway land he came from, wondering if she’d see it one day.  

It was difficult for a young woman to travel alone, but after her transformation, Airi was not concerned for her safety. Her Master had done her a bigger favor than he could possibly imagine.

What had attracted that creature of the night to her? Why had he offered her his blood, the dark gift? He never told her. 

Airi had found him by chance. She’d heard the stories about a mysterious evil decimating neighboring towns, but she never imagined the “monster” would turn out to be her savior. 

Headstrong as she was, Airi refused each and every offer of marriage her father arranged; her mother supported this, she wanted Airi to choose for herself if that was what she wanted. After her mother’s passing, Airi’s father dismissed his late wife’s wishes and found her another suitor, going as far as threatening to lock Airi up until the wedding.

Just then, Airi crossed paths with one of Them. The Undead. She had readily surrendered her life to him when he promised her she would be free. 

As an immortal, she had a newfound appreciation for art, as if her eyes hadn’t really seen properly before. So she wandered those circles, becoming a patron for new artists, always keeping her distance but still inspiring some of them, fervent admirers who would include her in their work as a tribute.

And yet.

And yet, just as she had felt she’d never truly seen during her mortal life, she was convinced she had never truly loved before until she met Aki.

She had thought that loving someone would mean losing herself, she had even doubted that she could love at all. Maybe her ability to do so had died when she did. But now she knew that it was possible, to love, to find that meaning, that sense of belonging. Reciprocated devotion.

Her hand in his hand, her head on his shoulder, his voice in her ear. Kissing him would stop her heart if it was still beating.

A lifetime with him wouldn’t be enough, fortunately, they had all of eternity. 

Just as the song started again, Airi sat down to write a letter for her husband.

My beloved Aki, I shall be home soon and we shall have a few days for ourselves before the party, but I wanted to tell you about something I saw today. Remember that little museum in London? The one with a rather large collection of everyday Victorian objects, personal items that families donated or sold... I paid it a late night visit. I wanted to see if they still have our portrait on display among the main exhibit. And what should I find? A letter I wrote to you a few months after we met. Do you remember it?  I am used to seeing my face staring back at me from a painting, but these were my thoughts, my words to you. I would have blushed, if that were possible.  I was tempted to smash the glass and take it back. Let them have it, let them wonder what happened to the people who originally wrote it and read it.  Alas, this letter is rather less poetic than that one but… Who knows, maybe they will find it and display it one day, too. I adore your Vampire Heart. Yours Forever, Airi

[meownotgood]

AKI SIGNED SP CARD AAAAH HIS VA'S SIGNATURE IS SO CUUUUUTE

[sidworldfans]

Interview on Natalie Music 10.12.2023

In 2023, SID has been vigorously engaged in activities befitting the 20th anniversary of its formation. To close out this anniversary year, the first tribute album SID Tribute Album -Anime Songs- and a new single “Soyokaze” (Breeze) were recently released.

The tribute album is a unique project in which SID’s anime tie-up songs are covered by the voice actors who appeared in the anime. Daisuke Ono, Romi Park, Masakazu Morita, Haruka Tomatsu, Ayumu Murase, Sora Amamiya, and Jun Fukuyama are among the talented voice actors who have sung SID’s songs, and this spectacular lineup has become a topic of conversation among anime fans. “Soyokaze” released at the same time, is a ballad in which SID looks back on their journey and expresses their love for their fans in words and sound. Both works are like a gift from SID to their fans.

We asked the band members what they think as they head toward the finale of their anniversary with some stories related to these two works.

A Bad Idea Becomes Reality

In celebration of SID’s 20th anniversary, you have been holding various projects and live performances since January this year, and recently you released your first tribute album SID Tribute Album -Anime Songs-.

Mao (Vo): When we were thinking about whom to have sing our songs, I suggested to the staff: “Since SID has sung the openings and endings of many anime, why not have the voice actors who have appeared in the anime that SID has been involved with sing our songs?” However, I knew that it would be very difficult to implement this project. So, sometime later when I had forgotten about it, I was surprised when I was told they said yes!

Aki (B): The result is a premium album like no other.

Yuuya (Dr.): There aren’t many artists who release a tribute album of anime songs, and to have popular voice actors participate in it was really great. We’ve had a lot of feedback from our fans on social networking sites, and even people who are not our fans are getting excited about the album because the voice actors posted about it on X. It was a great opportunity for us to reaffirm that we are doing something valuable, and we were very excited about it.

Shinji (G): To be honest, I thought it would be impossible to make such a gorgeous album. That’s why I was just so happy to hear such amazing voice actors singing on the album

Then, please tell us what you think of the work as a whole one by one.

Mao: I am proud of the wide range of musical styles that we have created so far, and at the same time, I believe that this is SID’s weapon. I think we were able to show the results of that work in a different way here. Even though we had a variety of voice actors singing the songs this time, each song was unique. Of course, the voice actors themselves have great power, but I have a strong sense that we were able to draw out the power of the songs again at this time. The album as a whole is well put together, and you can feel the individuality of each song. It is such a work of art.

All the songs are great, so it is difficult to narrow it down, but if you had to pick one song, which would it be?

Mao: Uso sung by Romi Park (Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist) was amazing. I could feel the tremendous amount of feeling she put into the song. I was surprised at how well Fullmetal Alchemist, Uso and Ms. Park’s voice came together to form a single piece. The acoustic arrangement was also unexpected and wonderful.

The arrangement is quite different from the original song, but it is not strange at all, and I could feel her respect for the song.

Mao: Yes, that’s right! I felt that she listened to the song carefully and sang it well, and more than anything, her voice matched the song.

Aki: As for my impression of the album as a whole, I don’t want to sound superior, but I genuinely felt that it was as good as I expected. Each cover is truly unique and extremely complete. I wonder if you would call it a microphone ride? It was wonderful. Everyone is a voice actor by profession, but they are all musicians in their own right. And, they didn’t sing their own songs. Even so, I could feel their love for the music and their passion for SID. I was really honored.

Of course they have a high level of singing technique, but more than that, I could feel how much they love music.

Aki: I was particularly impressed by Ayumu Murase (who voiced Mahmut in Altair; see also: SID’s Rasen no Yume), with whom I have talked before in Music Natalie. (See: SID’s “Rasen no Yume - a trio talk between Mao, Aki, and Ayumu Murase”). I know I wrote this song myself, but the melody is complicated and difficult to begin with. I was very happy to have Mr. Murase sing this song because he expressed it perfectly.

Shinji: When we were writing the song, I felt we had a good response to it, but when I hear other people play and sing it again, I can say to myself: “SID has a lot of good songs.” It is difficult to pick just one song, but I thought Ranbu no Melody was simply cool because Masakazu Morita’s voice (voicing Ichigo Kurosaki from BLEACH) really matched the song.

I had the impression that the guitar in Ranbu no Melody was played roughly. I felt that you carefully followed the same style.

Shinji: That’s right. Many of SID’s songs have a heavy guitar playing, but I remember playing this song roughly, as if it was a one-shot recording. I felt that he reproduced that atmosphere in the song. In terms of performance, Uso was also mentioned by Mao earlier. Of course, Ms. Park’s voice is great, but the guitarist playing this song is Mr. Kojun, who composed and played the guitar for “Brave”, the theme song for the fourth generation of the News Station. I have loved Kojun’s guitar playing for a long time, so much so that I bought his sheet music and copied it. I was happy to hear him play Uso and I thought it was really cool.

Yuuya: They (the voice actors) have a great understanding of SID’s music, and each arrangement shines through, making this album a great listen. If I had to choose one song, I would choose Anniversary by Haruka Tomatsu (who voices Morgiana in Magi). When a woman sings a song with such a bright atmosphere in a higher key, it makes it more gorgeous. I thought it was a nice touch, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well she got into it.

The scale of the song is further enhanced by Ms. Tomatsu’s voice, and I got the impression that the song is full of hope.

Yuuya: Yes, yes. The title of the song means “celebration” and it has a very bright and relaxed atmosphere that fits perfectly with the song. I was very drawn to it.

The word “Breeze” symbolizes all our fans

Along with the tribute album, SID released a new single “Soyokaze” (Breeze), your first single in about a year and nine months. Aki composed the music and Mao wrote the lyrics. The song has a gentle and warm melody.

Aki: I had exactly the image you just mentioned at the beginning. The song was called by that image. I wrote it with the hope that it would be a song that would gently push the audience back in time.

Was a song to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the band a key point in composing the song?

Aki: Yes, that’s right. We started from the point of: “Let’s make a new song for Budokan at the end of the year”, and we wrote the song and thought about the arrangement based on the keywords I mentioned earlier. As for the bass, it is not about technique. I wanted the arrangement to show the four of us playing together, and the groove that is unique to SID, and I hoped the song would bring those elements to the forefront.

I felt that the lyrics are appropriate for the 20th anniversary, as they reflect the many years that you have spent together. What did you have in mind when you wrote the lyrics?

Mao: First of all, I wanted the lyrics to be representative of the 20th anniversary. Looking back over the years, I wanted to write lyrics that I honestly felt and that I could write only now. The main point is that I wrote the song Binetsu when we were indies, and I wrote it with the image of the story that led up to it. The phrase “How many albums is it now?” is almost exactly the same as in the lyrics of Binetsu.

 “Blue and spring blended and fused together in a daze, from the open album slowly, slowly to the next page”, right?

Mao: I like this song very much because I think it is because we have worked hard together with our fans for 20 years to make this kind of expression possible. The title of the song “Breeze” was chosen because I thought of a word that symbolizes the fans, and for me, they are like a gentle breeze that comfortably watches over me and gently caresses my cheeks. At times they became a tailwind, cheering me on in various ways. I was happy to be able to express that in the title.

Was there a scene that came to your mind while writing the lyrics?

Mao: It reminded me of all the live performances we have done. Especially when we were standing in live houses day after day. The early days of touring with just one car are still vivid in my memory. I also experienced some bad times as a vocalist, so I wrote the lyrics in a positive way so that I could leave both the sour and the sweet in the lyrics.

I thought the lyrics of Soyokaze were very direct, even among the songs you have written.

Mao: Not that I was very conscious of that, but all the phrases came out naturally. When recording the song, I thought it would be best to sing in a straightforward manner to convey the straightforward lyrics, so I was conscious of my unadorned singing voice. I didn’t want to use any complicated techniques, but rather to use my own straightforward singing voice.

All band members can relate to it

Regarding the guitar play in Soyokaze, you have included many characteristic phrases in the intro, interludes, and other places.

Shinji: Aki said he didn’t push the technical part too much but for the guitar, there are many phrases that move around quite a bit. There are arpeggios and phrases that you have to memorize or you will be left behind. The arrangement is comfortable, and the phrases appear in between the singing, so although it is challenging, it is fun to play.

Shinji, what do you think of Soyokaze?

Shinji: It is a very good song, and the first line of the lyrics, “A Hiace that holds nothing but dreams” really grabbed my heart. It’s a phrase that all band members can relate to. I thought it was very chic to start the song with such a phrase. When I listen to this song, I picture myself carrying equipment up and down steep stairs in a cramped live music club, and at the end of the song, holding a can of coffee.

Yuuya, your singing-like drumming is also wonderful.

Yuuya: The entire song is a pop song, but it doesn’t go too far in a gentle direction. I wanted to show in the songs the attitude that we have had as a rock band for many years. We had not released a single song this year, and I think it was right to release a new song at the end of our 20th anniversary year. Among such songs, Soyokaze has a feeling that is typical of us, gentle and pleasant to the ear. I think it is very SID-like that we were able to create such a song for the people who support us.

20th anniversary blessed with good timing

This year has been a year full of topics such as the tour and the release of the complete box set SID 20th Anniversary BOX.

Mao: First of all, I was very happy to be able to work energetically as SID. We received a lot of positive feedback from our fans on tour and on social networking sites. I was especially impressed by the wonderful smiles that greeted us wherever we went on tour. 20 years of hard work has resulted in those smiles, and it was a very enjoyable year for me, too.

Aki: This year started and ended with live performances, and the members were able to enjoy the lively atmosphere that is typical of the 20th anniversary.

Is there anything in particular that has left a lasting impression on you?

Aki: There was a great sense of relief that we had successfully completed two big tours, including the ones we had left to do. Despite the various restrictions, we were able to move in the right direction and finish the tour together with our fans, which might be a matter of course, but it made me very happy.

I think the fact that you were able to lift the ban on vocal expression at the live shows for the first time in three years also contributed to the sense of fulfillment during the tour.

Aki: That’s right. During the period when we couldn’t speak, our fans were cheering us on, and we were able to experience the joy of being released from that situation together with them.

Shinji: This year we were able to do our regular live tours, and we were also able to do projects that were different from our usual ones, experiences that we’ve never had before. I like to spend a year just performing live, but I feel that this year was an opportunity for me to become an asset for SID in the future.

What was particularly memorable for you?

Shinji: The acoustic live and talk-style tour (SID 20th Anniversary Premium FANMEETING TOUR 2023). We had done such live performances before, but this was the first time to do it as a tour. I remember thinking: “I want to give the same song a different expression” or something like that as we went around.

Yuuya: I also feel that the 20th anniversary was a fulfilling time for me. We were able to successfully complete the tour of “Umibe” which we had left unfinished. We started out the album tour standing in a live house, whereas most of our tours are held in halls. Looking back, I am glad that we were allowed to use our voices on stage, and that we were able to create a stage that suited the live music venue.

It seems like fate that you were allowed to speak out during the 20th anniversary year, doesn’t it?

Yuuya: That’s right. If last year or the year before had been the 20th anniversary year, there would have been many things we couldn’t have done, and we would have been left with unfinished business. I think the timing was very good. And this year was the year when we realized that there were still many things that we had not done yet. We had never done a costume exhibition before, we did a fan meeting tour for the first time, and it has been a really good year.

Toward “Our Most Favorite Place”

To conclude the 20th anniversary, SID 20th Anniversary GRAND FINAL “Our Most Favorite Place” will be held at Budokan on December 27.

Yuuya: While it feels like a last celebration, it may be conventional, but I hope to give a high-energy live performance that will convey to everyone the momentum toward the 21st year.

Shinji: This year, I have felt a lot of gratitude towards everyone. At Budokan, I want to show “cool SID” to the fans who have followed us this far. It’s a simple thing. It would be great if we could do that in a bigger venue.

Aki: From my point of view, I would like the day to be the culmination of 20 years and to give people a sense of the future. I think the title “Our Most Favorite Place”, which we have been using since the live house tour, is an important title for both us and our fans, so I hope we can deliver a passionate stage performance to each and every one of them so that they can feel as close to us as in a live house, in a good way.

Mao: Lately I have been thinking a lot about how to convey my feelings to my fans who have supported me for 20 years, and to the people who would gather at Budokan. I’ve been wondering what kind of live show they want to see. I thought that the best way to repay them would be to give them the kind of live performance they wanted to see, and I came to the conclusion that me singing happily would be the best way for them to see me. I have had a lot of difficulties along the way, and I have shown my fans that I have had a hard time, but I think it would be best if I could show them the vocalist Mao of SID who is just having fun and enjoying himself at Budokan, which marks the 20th anniversary of the band. For that reason, I will work hard and enjoy the Budokan as the culmination of my efforts. I hope we can have a good finale.

What are your thoughts about your activities after Budokan, starting from the 21st year?

Aki: I think it would be good to start with what we didn’t do during the 20th anniversary. I would like to do things that fans could enjoy, such as live performances and events that can only be done by a band with a long career, including things we couldn’t do during the 20th anniversary year.

Mao: That’s right. We know what our fans want us to do and what kind of SID they want to see, so we want to continue to do that. However, if we just meet the expectations, there will be no sense of surprise. I think we can continue to have fun together in the future if we can strike a good balance by including things about which people might think: “No way!”

Yuuya: I think we have been thinking in our own way and have carried out plans that excited everyone at key points in the past, and our special attempt for the 20th anniversary year will be completed on December 27. I am sure you will feel a sense of loneliness, just like when a trip is over. That is why I would like to start the exciting journey from the 21st year without leaving a gap in time.

Shinji: As for what the three of you said: “You’re going to do something like this!” or “That’s what I’ve been waiting for!” - I would like to do something that will surprise and delight everyone. Thank you for your continued support of SID.

The original article with images: https://natalie.mu/music/pp/sid08

[oh-surprise-its-me]

So full disclosure @aki-draws-things I’ve got cold meds in my system sooo hopefully this makes at least some sense!

But here’s a criminal au!

Let’s pretend that marriage between three people is legal for shits and giggles.

(Also! Mostly inspired because we talked about Mick Rory and Leonard Snart and I spent all of yesterday doing through the fan fics)

Chris never thought he would be a lawyer. Let alone a lawyer for two art thieves.

Two art thieves he’s fallen in love with.

Chris always knew that Tommy was pretty. Ron was just as pretty. The rumors of them being together never fading.

When Chris walks back into his penthouse he catches sight of a new statue. “Tommy!”

Ron sticks his head out of the kitchen. “You okay Baby?” “Did I call you? No. I want the idiot we call a husband.”

Ron nods. He hopes Chris doesn’t yell at Tom too much.

Tom runs down the steps. “Hey Chris!” Chris smiles at him. He loops his arms around Tom’s neck. He leans close almost to kiss him but breaks off at the last second. “Is that a goddamn Michelangelo in our living room.”

Tom smiles. “Absolutely it is!” Chris sighs. He bites Tom’s neck. “Are you fucking insane!” Tom at least has the class to look guilty. “No? Just wanted the best of the best for you baby.”

Chris leans his forehead onto Tom’s shoulder. He hears Ron’s footsteps come up. Ron wraps his arms around the two of them. “If it makes it better I helped him?”

Chris raises a hand. He smacks it over Ron’s mouth. “I love you both but if I have to convince and blackmail another jury that y’all aren’t criminal masterminds I’m divorcing you.”

Ron winces. “Yeah that’s fair.” Chris leans back. “Fair? Fair?! Yeah it’s fucking fair! I want my husbands to be home for a while. Jesus Christ lay low.” Tom presses a kiss to Chris’s head. “We were careful don’t worry. It’ll all be fine.”

Chris shudders. He’s tired. So tired. “Help me with my clothing then I’m starving.”

They both grin. Chris has been compared to the most breathtaking art in the world. Better then anything in the Louvre better then all of the museums in the world. He knows how much they like stripping and taking care of him.

Ron slips away with a squeeze to Chris’s hip. “Gonna finish dinner. Tommy take care of him?” Tom nods. “Course Sunny.” Chris gets an actual kiss this time around. He leans into it, he’s tilts backwards and looses his balance. Tom catches him.

“Time for you to change babydoll. I’ll help.”

Chris is ushered upstairs, he changes fast. Knows there’s a statue to look at when he gets back down the stairs. They would never steal something boring. They only steal the best.

Tom is gone again when Chris exits the closet. The man is silent. Ron is too but you would never guess with how tall he is.

Chris stares at his diploma of law. Well. He’s definitely using it. Maybe for more crime related reasons then he originally thought but plans change. At least he can’t ever testify against his husbands and they can’t testify against each other. He can defend the hell out of them though.

“Baby come on food!” Chris snaps out of it to Ron’s call. He drags his finger across the Rodin that lives in the bedroom. “We’ll be back.”

[vulpiximisa]

yuru camp s3

I was a big fan of the first season of Yuru Camp, and I think it was a beautiful thing if it had been a standalone season. I knew there was a second season when I finished watching S1, so I had no clue what they could have even done. S2 was fine in itself, just more of the girls doing their camping thing, mostly Nadeshiko’s adventures into solo camping. I like the series fine so it always baffles me to see how popular the girls are. 

So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there was a S3. I think the first time I saw the trailer I was turned off by the “new art style” which is supposed to be closer to the manga, I guess? But watching the actual episodes, I don’t think I noticed it too much. Mostly only Aki’s change in hair but that was relevant to the story. (And Ena’s hair too, but I’m just going to assume everyone’s hair got longer from the last time we saw them.) 

I didn’t watch it as it was airing because Yuru Camp was something I liked watching a few episodes together at a time so I waited until the season was done.

I thought the opening sequence was very nice, with the linelessness. I kind of groaned at seeing the new girls, which, later would eventually be their new club members, I guess. 

I was never a fan of Aya. I think she just felt a bit too normie to me. I would have preferred if they just kept her as Nadeshiko’s childhood friend from her old hometown. Not that I’m lowkey salty about Rin finding a biker girlfriend, I just think that just because the series is centered around This Thing, doesn’t mean Every Single Character has to be interested in The Thing. (White Sands of Aquatope, the chef girl eventually working at the aquarium.) I wouldn’t have minded if Aya and Rin bonded over biking and biking alone, and maybe eventually decided to join them in a camp (like Ena at the Christmas camp), but Aya was automatically interested and invested, even though she had no prior knowledge or interest. So even if the bridge tour and biking journey was a different sight, I just wasn’t invested because I didn’t like Aya.

And then the retelling of the OutDoo Club’s camping. I get that because it was a retelling, they can goof off and exaggerate as many details as they could, but I thought it was a bit too goofy for me and I would have liked to have seen it play at in real time, as is. I guess that’s just what I expect when I watch Yuru Camp, something chill and relaxing, not fourthwall breaking. 

So I appreciated the yard camp/literal sausage fest episode and Chiaki’s solo camp more than any of the camps they had shown. I think I prefer seeing the solo camp segments, so like Nadeshiko making the trip by herself using public transportation (and finding a new found obsession to old style trains) and any time Rin goes by herself. It’s more calming to me to see what the individual characters are thinking when they are by themselves. Aoi’s bike adventure was pretty interesting too since I don’t think we see a lot of her inside thoughts. 

The group sakura viewing camp felt too short for me. I thought we’d get more time on it since the end of the season camps are usually a big thing (Christmas, Izu) but it was like, half an episode. Maybe because we’ve already camped with everyone and everyone is acquainted, and they spent most of their time on their own only to finally gather to show off their own sakura experiences. 

Oh, I like Sakura (sis) fine and I think her and Nadeshiko are cute, but I think we spent a little too much time driving around with them. I guess it could be iyashi, but I came here for camp iyashi not driving iyashi. Maybe because I don’t drive, I romanticize public transportation more. Or even biking feels more romantic. 

Also the girls that would I suppose eventually become their new club members, I feel like they shouldn’t have been in the opening. I think if they kept it as the chance encounter with Ena, and then Ena seeing them at the beginning of the new school year, you can kind of make inferences and then we can actually see them when season 4 hits. 

Anyway, I guess I feel a little bad, but I didn’t get as much relaxing vibes as I had from the first two seasons. I rated this season as an Average Okay, while I remember giving S1 a solid 10/10, S2 an 8. (I gave it a 9?) Reading the MAL reviews, I’m not alone in rating it lower than the first two seasons, but also there was a change in studio? So I don’t know if I blame the events that occurred in S3 or the studio change, which means that the vibes are different? Anyway, while they’re here, I’ll take S4 if they give it to me.

[coolmika745]

A Heian Villainess Survives as a Disciple of Onmyoji Abe no Seimei Manga Chapter 1 Summary

There is this manga I came across one day when I was searching for works and arts related to Abe no Seimei on twitter. It is titled A Heian Villainess Survives as a Disciple of Onmyoji Abe no Seimei (平安悪女は陰陽師・安倍晴明の弟子になって生き延びます). All of the pages are in color. Only three chapters are available on the website, while the rest of the chapters are only available in the app, which I think is only available in Japan.

It started off when the Female Lead, Soma Satsuki who transmigrated from the Reiwa Era (Present Day Japan) to Heian Era and she and Abe no Seimei eyes met each other. Satsuki said that she was under pressure from the Famous Onmyoji from the Heian Era while Seimei said that he has been waiting for her.

Then there is a flashback on what happened when Satsuki first transmigrated to the Heian Era. A woman in a Yamabuki Printed Junihitoe [1][2] slapped Satsuki with a fan and accused her of cursing the crown prince. The woman addressed her as 'Aki', which means 'Autumn'. Satsuki wondered if the woman and the other court ladies in the room are just cosplaying and she told the woman that her name was not Aki, but Soma Satsuki. Either the women did not believe her or did not pay attention to what she said. Satsuki then realized that something was different about her and that she was wearing a Junihitoe too. In confusion, she asked the woman where was she? The woman answered and said she was in the Heian Palace where the Emperor sits. This statement shocked Satsuki and she realized she traveled back in time to a little over a thousand of years ago. The woman got back to the subject that she was talking about previously and told Satsuki that she could not escape punishment. Satsuki became frightened when she noticed a skeleton head and realized that it was skull which was used to curse Crown Prince with and wondered why Aki tried to kill someone like that. She then protested and said that she didn't curse the Crown Prince.

Satsuki got a glance Aki's memories. There were people telling Aki that her father was a villain and that they were sure that she would make a vendetta against the world too, next there was a woman in the flashback who told Aki to never mention her father name, and lastly someone was about to say Aki father's name, but the memory ended.

Satsuki panicked and said to herself that she has done nothing wrong and yet those people were condemning her or rather Aki and her father for some reason and wondered if those were memories from the body she currently inhabits. The woman who accused her said that what she did was unforgivable and Satsuki wondered if Aki couldn't help, but to curse someone. The woman went on and insisted that 'Aki' should be punished as soon as possible for putting that skull on the Crown Prince's Throne.

The man outside of the entrance interrupted the woman and suggested that they should let an onmyoji from the Onmyou Dormitory analyze the situation in order to determine to who the culprit was and the woman agreed to it. Satsuki noticed a purple thread, but did not know why it was there and frightened by the news that an onmyoji was coming because she knew that onmyoji were fortune tellers and curse experts and that they would be able to expose her or rather Aki.

The woman talked to the onmyoji outside and said that she requested assisted from the Onmyou Dormitory for the Crown Prince. The onmyoji told her that he was a disciple of the onmyoji's head. The woman then realized that he must be the rumored Abe no Doji. He told her that he was now called Abe no Seimei. She complimented him and said that if it is him then he would be able to take the place of his teacher. Satsuki observed the woman and Seimei's conversation and thought that the onmyoji's name sound familiar. Seimei told the woman outside to forgive him for coming here and proceeded to enter the room.

Satsuki realized that he was Abe no Seimei, the famous onmyoji from the Heian Era and the one she saw in movies.

Seimei analyzed the skull and told them that the cursed was an enchantment and if he remembered correctly that it was a curse that gave the same pain to the owner by hurting the katashiro[3] with hair and nails.

Seimei noticed Satsuki and asked who was that wife? The woman said that she was the one who brought the skull to the Crown Prince's Throne. Seimei seemed to be annoyed with the woman and said that he asked for Satsuki's name. The woman got angry and said that she was a low ranked court lady named Aki. Seimei said that he understood what she said and continued working.

Satsuki wondered what will happened to her. A frog jumped on her shoulder causing her to gasp. The frog asked her why was she so frightened and told her not to worry because its master, Seimei will clear all of her doubts. Satsuki then realized that there was a talking frog on her shoulder.

Seimei informed the court ladies that the enchantment for using a skull was a time-honored method which cursed and killed the emperor from 200 years ago. The court ladies commented that they heard how horrible that incident was. Seimei said there were many way to find out who cursed the Crown Prince and that he was going to talk quickly.

The woman agreed and said that they should let Aki confess, but that is not what Seimei meant and said that since it was a big deal, he should asked the curse itself. Seimei performed a chant with a tailsman, which enabled the skull to speak and then he asked the skull who put them in the box. The skull said that they didn't know her name, but it was the woman in the Yamabuki Printed Robe. The woman who accused Aki of placing the curse on the Crown Prince looked shocked and angry said that she would never do such a thing. The skull said that they both bounded by the curse. Then Satsuki realized that the purple thread connected the curse with the culprit. The scene shifted back to the woman and the skull and she told the skull that she did not ask for this. The man outside the door ordered that her to be arrested and interrogated.

Satsuki then realized that Aki was not the culprit and was fascinated by talking frog. Then she asked Seimei was that a scam he performed earlier and if he was really the Famous Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei. Seimei responded and said that he was unranked and uncrowned. Satsuki realized she made a mistaken because the Seimei there has yet to become famous. Seimei went back to the subject of the curse and told Satsuki that he knew who the culprit from the beginning, but did not think that any of the wives would admit it right away. Then Satsuki wondering if those boring movies about Seimei were fictional after all. Seimei then said that there was something more worrisome than that petty curse, which was Satsuki's identity.

Satsuki introduced herself as Soma Satsuki, but realized that she is in Aki's body now, but Seimei was aware that her soul did not come from the world they were in and asked where was she from? The chapter ended on a cliffhanger.

[1] Information about the Yamabuki Flower can be found here.

[2] For more information on a Junihitoe see this page.

Here is a link to more information on a katashiro.