#also serizawa's wondering where the last piece went...

[baderpfulu]

Decided that I'm gonna partake in Serizawa Week too because why not hehheh

Serizawa Week day 1 | Friends/Hobbies

[venomous-ko]

Wine Drunk while watching Godzilla vs Kong

Some major spoilers up ahead!

Mans really just annoyed the shit out of his coworker until he left so he could hack shit, huh?...I love it! 🤣🤣

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You mean to tell me that the explanation for why Godzilla attacked the one tech company site by the dude who studied Kaiju communication and behavior for a living is just, “sometimes people (and creatures) change”???? Like some dumbass justifying a toxic person/relationship??? Like excuse me???? Why are the literal teenagers making more sense than you?????

Also, we’re all in agreement that this facility is either housing Ghidora’s dead head, Mecha Godzilla, or Mecha Ghidora, right?!?

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Lol! “Apex Cybernetics!” That’s not foreshadowing! 🤣

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Apparently, I didn’t get my fill of white nonsense from Falcon and Winter Soldier, bc someone decided to put this blonde-hair-blue-eyed little bitch in charge! That’s not ganna go wrong somehow. 🙃😑👀

Like this bitch literally wanted to send a fucking child into unexplored hollow earth territory without a second thought! 🙃🙃🙃🙃 I was literally like 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕 for that entire convo.

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I’m sorry! This conspiracy man just met these teenagers, and his first impulse was, “yeah, theses seem like some good people to break into a tech conglomerate with!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Why are these people surprised Kong knows sign language? These are people who study Kaiju (and presumably other animals in order to draw conclusions about certain behaviors) for a fucking living!!! We have primate species that recognize and communicate in sign language already! Why is this surprising???!?! Like...has NO ONE except this precious child tried this????

Also, nothing bad better happen to this child.

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That ship literally fucked around, and Godzilla let it find out! Lmao!

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Kong: Hey, Godzilla...look at me...

Godzilla: >:[

Kong: ...bitch.

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Precious girl: Thank you, friend 🧏🏽‍♀️

Kong: ☺️😴

THIS GIRL IS TOO PRECIOUS!!!!

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Bitch-ass White Man: How’s Kong with heights?

BITCH, you really ganna try that?!?! You really think you ganna find any aircraft(s) that are ganna be able to support all that weight?? Never mind any other problems with Kong trying to nope the fuck out of that situation and all kind of other hosts of problems!

And if you do somehow have one (or multiple) WHY TF DIDN’T YOU USE THAT BEFORE KNOWING FULL AND WELL YOU RAN THE RISK OF GODZILLA MERCING KONG’S ASS IF YOU TRAVELED VIA SHIP!?!?!?!

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Down the Hell Naw tunnel we go!

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“I think it’s romantic,”

I fucking love Millie Bobbie Brown’s character!! 🤣❤️🤣

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WHY IS THIS TEENAGER SMARTER THAN EVERYBODY OMG!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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“This is page one in the ‘Playing God’ handbook, right?”

I’ve decided I love this character! 🤣

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WHY YOU GETTING INSIDE THAT THING—Oh god! 😨 Why y’all got eggs!?!? This is like if Weyland-Yutani succeeded in getting Xenomorphs! 😬

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Oop! Locked in! THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T HIDE OUT IN MYSTERIOUS ROOMS!!!!

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Oh shit! Apex Cybernetics think they on that Wakanda shit now!

Also, why was that one Apex Cybernetics bitch bitching about how one of those HEAV crafts could power Vagas for a week if y’all clearly have a whole network or transportation using this tech!

And I never understood how tech companies kept that shit to world domination shit! Build a public transportation system with that shit! Boss man said he likes ideas that make him rich! Pretty sure that would do the trick!

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WINE BREAK!!!

Saving the rest of the last bottle for coking Gumbo, so gotta open up a new bottle

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Aw, Kong is so sick of this bullshit! 😂😭

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“It’s not working”

Bruh! Give it more that two seconds!

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HOW DARE Y’ALL USE KONG’S LOSS AGAINST HIM!!!! HOW DARE Y’ALL!!!

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HEAV go Brrrrrrr Shoooooooooooom!!!!

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LMAO!!! Monarch has their own brand of bottled water!?!?! Idk why that amuses me so much!

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This hallow earth portal thing is some Pacific Rim bullshit right here, lol!

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NYOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM

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Are we...are we really Ice Age: Dawn of Dinosaur-ing this shit rn??? 😂😂😂

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“It’s beautiful,”

Of course it’s beautiful! No hoomins have touched it! Lol

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Y’ALL GOT FUCKIN DRAGONS IN THIS BITCH!?!?!?!!! 8D YO!!! SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!!!!

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*marvels at the creature creation ideas*

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Kong’s first thought: *nom the dragon guts*

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THE ROCK HAND OMG IM GANNA CRY!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 It’s the same gesture the Precious Girl did OMG!!!!

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“We going in?”

“Yeah”

The BALLS on this child!

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“AAAAHH 😐”

*fear*

LMAO!!!!! I’M FUCKIN WHEEZING!!!

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“Sacrifice Pit”

OMG 🤣🤣🤣

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I KNEW IT!!!! MECHA-GODZILLA MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!! 8DDDDD

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YO PACIFIC RIM RAN SO MECHA-GODZILLA COULD FUCKIN SPRINT!!!!!!!!

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YO IT’S A GOOD THING I AIN’T SEEING THIS IN THEATERS BC I’D BE FLIPPING MY SHIT!!!!

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“Humanity, once again, will be the apex species,”

THERE it is!

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Why Mecha-Godzilla so skeeny?!? He need ta be thicc if he ganna take down REAL Godzilla!

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*Ryan Bergera conspiracy voice* Is this the real reason Kong was contained!? So this douche could snatch up Skull Crawlers without Kong intervention???

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OH SHIT!!! I think this thing is emitting alpha waves (or whatever we’re calling it) and THAT’s what set Godzilla off!!! He fought Ghidorah, heard this shit and went, “Nu-uh, bitch! NOT AGAIN!!!”

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Monarch dude: Yo, Godzilla’s headed to Hong Kong for some reason?

FUCKIN CALLED IT!!!

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This look like the door to fuckin General Grievous’s lair,da fuq?!? 🤣🤣🤣

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I got waaay too emotional over that handprint, y’all! 😭😭😭

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Y’all, the fucking art history major in me is fuckin screaming at this temple scene! The fact that some of these Kaiju not only had the urge and drive and capacity to build a fucking temple around this power source or some shit and create weapons like the axe that Kong just fucking Excalibured the shit out of that one skull crawler’s skull fucking implies the fact that there is intelligent civilization amongst these fucking Kaiju and all that shit! I want to know more about this shit! Take that you fucking racist-ass white historian motherfuckers!

(Note: I definitely needed to use talk to text for much of this bit, because there was no way I was going to be able to contain all my excitement in just typing, alone, lmao)

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BRUH!!! Why y’all exiting g the HEAV without no breathing apparatus or lead suits or nothing!?!?! In previous movies, y’all implied that these Kaiju lived in environments in which their environments were hella radioactive compared to our own!!!

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Kong is s the true heir to the iron throne, Lmao!

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FUCKING CALLED IT!!!! THEY HAD GHIDORA’S REMAINS IN THERE SOMEWHERE!!!!

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OH FUCK!!!! Y’ALL AINT JUST SENDING OUT ALPHA VIBES WITH YOUR MECHA-GODZILLA!!!! YOU SOMEHOW USING GHIDORA’S HIVE MIND OR TELEPATHY SHIT TO DO IT!?!?!?! AAAWWWWW SHEEEEEET!!! Y’ALL ARE BONED NOW!!!! FUCKIN BONEROWNED!!!!

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Godzilla! My bruh! My dude! You didn’t HAVE TO get up right where that bridge was!!! 😂😂 Ya douche bag!!!

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At the same time, tho, I can just hear him going, “Ah! FUCK! NOT AGAIN!!! Sunova bitch!! Motherfuckin!! STOP BUILDING sHIT SO DAMN HIGH!!! Goddammit!”

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You know, with all the Bright twinkly lights in Hong Kong, I can’t help but think of the sequel to the original Gojira movie ( that I can’t remember the title of ,rn) where he was fucking triggered by fucking lights. And I wonder if this little scene where he’s stomping all through Hong Kong is a tribute to that or whatever. But I’m probably overthinking it.

[Sober Edit: it was Godzilla Raids Again]

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*GASP* HOLY SIHIIIT!!! The axe is made out of Godzilla skute!?!?! GOLY BALLS THAT’S NOT ONLY COOL BUT CONTRIBUTES MORE TO THE FACT THAT THESE KAIJU (likely Kong’s species, in particular) WERE REALLY FUCKING INTELLIGENT AMD TJOUGHT, “Imma beat this muthafucka with their own spiky thing! Bc that’s what screws us over, so, why WOULD’nt it hurt them!?!” I need SO MUCH MORE of this Kaiju/Kong culture studied and shit! HOLY FUCK!!!

It even fucking glows!! Like ... they managed to fucking piece together that its glow was a fucking warning sign like Sting or some shit!!!! Holy fuck!!!!

Also, how does that work? How are the skutes still connected even after dismemberment???

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NO FUCKIN WAY WRE YOU—AAAAAAAAHHH!!! Excalibur that shit my boi!!!!

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I FUCKIN LOVE YHIS MOVIE HOLY SHIT!!!

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“ that’s Apex property now,”

Excuse me bitch! Are we really not gonna listen to the scientist who saying “hey we don’t understand the shit out of this fucking power! Maybe we should hold off on taking some fucking samples!”

Are we really just gonna ignore that shit???????

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Kong said: TRY ME BITCH!!!!

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Oh thank the GODS this Serizawa dude is taking precautions like his old man! Also, what is his relation to Ken Watanabe’s Serizawa!?!?!

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UH OH!! SOLDIER DUDES GETTIN ATE!!!

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OH SHIT!!! PILOT JUST GOT ATE!!! FUCKIN DRAGON BASEMENT UP IN THIS SHIT!!!

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BITCH YOU REALLY GON THROW A ROCK AT IT!!! FUCKIN NONSENSE OF THIS BITCH!!!

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LOVE AND FITE ME ENERGY IS STORED IN THE ATOMIC BREATH

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“Shoot him!”

WHY!!!???!! He literally had NO problem with you before then!!!

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Why does white man who don’t know anything about this vehicle suddenly know how to pilot this shit!???!?!!!!!

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Y’all love had SO MUCH wine!

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The FUCK this dude got a flip flop phone for!!!?!????!!!?

Da fuq!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 yeah that’s the most unrealistic part of this entire fucking movie! Not the fuckin Kaiju robots. Not the fucking hollow earth bullshit! The fucking flip phone! LMFAO!!!!

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“Maintenance! I’M MAINTENANCE!!! This bitch ain’t buying it”

That made me laugh WAY FUCKIN harder that it should have!!!!

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Y’all really ganna try to shoot at a kid!?! REALLY!?!?!??!

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GAWD, I’m so glad I impulse bought these oatmeal bites from Dominos! 🤤😋

[Sober Edit: I have no idea how my autocorrect managed to convert “Parmesan” to “oatmeal,” but okay! 😆😅]

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Kong be like, “Hey, bitch!!! You lookin’ for me!?!?”

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Find you a partner that bites your neck like Godzilla does! Lmao!

Sorry, I’ll be crawling back into my hell hole, now.

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EAT YOUR FOOKIN VEGETABLES GODZILLA!!!!!

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Did Godzilla just axe throw with his fuckin teefs!!!????!?!?!

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THIS IS THE FOOKIN MONSTER VS MONSTER FIGHTS IVE BEEN CRAVING SINCE KING OF THE MONSTERS HOLY SHIT!!!!

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“Really? Groupies, again?”

First of all, again!?! What happened last time???

Secondly, where tf are YOUR grpupies, asshole! No need to judge! Ya cunt!

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“There can only be one alpha,”

Really! You really gotta bring your toxic masculinity into a fuckin monster fight, my dude!?!

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Kong said, “Yeet! YEET SELF!!!”

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I am living for the feral fight scenes!!!!

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Kong’s expression , tho! 🤣🤣🤣

Like, “Can you ducking NOT, Godzilla?!? Can you, like, fucking chill??!!? Aight, fine! ASDASHKLSDJKLDZJL ADKLKDZDJ!!!!!!”

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Awwwww! Godzilla let Kong go, bc he knows what it’s like to be the last of his species! 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭

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“This is how we [...] win!”

Oh, honey, you ‘bout to die! Lmao! 😂

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Oh god! I knew he was going to use the sign for “coward” at the most inappropriate time! Lmao! At least the Precious Girls is smart enough to know what Dumbass White Man means, lol

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Oh, thank god we do t see this dumbass in any sequels!

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Dammit, he escaped!

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This girl is too good!

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Did y’all really think you were ganna break into a semi-sentient Mecha-Godzilla by GUESSING ITS FUCKING PASSWORD!!?!?!?!!!!???? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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YEAH!!!! TEAM-UP COMING THROUGH!!!!!

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“I was hoping to die with adults, but that’s okay,”

🤣🤣🤣

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“I’VE GOT TO DIE WITB YOU AND SOBER!!?!?!”

GOD, I love this movie!!!!

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OOOOOOHHHH HOLY SHIT!!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱 He powering up the axe!!!!!

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YOOOOOO KONG WENT PREDATOR/YOUTJA ON MECHA-GODZILLA’s ASS!!!!

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Kong said, “I’m done, y’all! Imma take a nap!”

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“Dad. Uh...Bernie.”

I fucking love Bernie!!! 😂😂😂😂

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JIA NOOOO!!! Don’t go running between two disgruntled Kaiju bby!!

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Yo, why do monsters have less toxic masculinity than we do??? Lol!

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Yaaaaaay! Kong has a new home!!

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WELP!!! I fucking loved this movie, and I highly recommend it to everyone!!!

[hopeatermeetsgodzilla]

Chapter 8

“So your brother’s not awake?” Mothra nodded at Anguirus, who sighed in relief. “Well, that’s good to- Goji!” The aquatic reptile was walking out of the water, turning toward his friend and mate as they came to him. “So, what’s the situation on- man?”

Godzilla had a haunted look on his face. Mothra frowned, cradling his face in one of her hands. “Is everything alright, my love?”

“Ghidorah, they’re... I don’t know how it happened, there was just a strange sound, and then they- they-” Godzilla took a deep breath, before steeling himself. “The Golden Demise is free again. And we are in no shape to take him on now.”

Mothra and Anguirus looked at each other with horrified expressions. Ghidorah? Free!? “Do you know where they’re planning on going next?” Anguirus asked, visibly distressed. He clearly still remembered Left’s words from that one time he tried to fight them, accusing him of playing second fiddle to more powerful Titans because he couldn’t handle leading anyone while literally kicking him down.

Godzilla shook his head, and Mothra frowned. These shits had caused her death more than once, either kicking her mate into a depression or sending either of her brothers into a rampage- expected from Battra, but always a surprise from Leo- and she was not anywhere near forgetting those slights toward herself or those she cared about. “Well, let’s think of our options. Who would they go after?”

Anguirus seems deep in thought for a moment. “They’d go either after you or one of your brothers. Battra tends to be more aggressive and actively provoke them, but Leo actually succeeded in beating them once, so honestly? Both options are equally as likely.”

“They’d go after Mothra first either way.” Godzilla then added, starting to slip into his role of King. “She actively helps me- no offense to Leo.” He added, Mothra nodding in understanding. “And Right actively wants to make my blood spill. He’s good at hiding it, but I’m pretty sure he gets off of violence.”

“Oh, that’s gross.” Anguirus commented, wrinkling his nose as Mothra facepalmed.

“Well, it’s true.”

“Dear? Anguirus? Focus.” Mothra told them, both nodding. “Anyway, they can’t find our nests, and they know it. We only show our homes to the ones we trust, and none of us trust Ghidorah. Personally, I was thinking they would end up going to the monkeys’ island, due to it not sleeping.”

“You think they would go to the city where the underwater humans used to live?” Anguirus asked. “I mean, they got sealed before Battra decided to go on that rampage.”

“Unlikely, but possible.” Mothra noted. “Godzilla? Do you have any idea?”

“... They mentioned Rodan, and I think he’s the one they’re gonna go after.”

“Why would they go after Rod- Oh.” Anguirus eyes widened in realization and terror as he too remembered that Rodan was not a confrontational asshole with magma for blood the last time the Golden Demise had seen him. “Oh, Terra.”

“Alright, let’s do like that, then: Anguirus, you go to the ruins of Megalon’s worshippers. Godzilla, you go to Rodan’s nest. I will go the monkey’s island. Any objection?”

“No.”

“‘Course not.”

“Then, let’s go.”

-

The helicopter landed at Castle Bravo, Emma sighing and wondering ho the hell she was going to explain what had happened to Serizawa. It really didn’t help that the original helicopter pilot had been executed my Alan Jonah’s men, along with the original hostages. At least, Madison was safe...

The two of them were still shaken from seeing the Antartica Titans freeing themselves and just what they could do, especially Madison. Just as they had left, the one who stood in the middle had turned just the slightest bit toward her, a cruel smile on his face as his voice flooded her mind.

She could still hear his voice ringing in her head. Enjoy whatever time you have left with your mother, Madison. There’s not much left, after all.

“Alright Madison, let’s go.” Emma finally said, getting out of the helicopter. Madison nodded, getting out next and following her mother onto what looked like an oil rig.

“... Is this where you work?” Madison asked, confused. “I thought you worked for the government.”

“Oh no, not the government.” Emma answered, shaking her head and swiping a card in front of a camera, the door she was standing in front of sliding open. “Monarch. Come on, let’s go.”

Madison nodded, following her mother into the elevator. It stopped as they were only a few levels down, the doors sliding open to reveal a man with brow skin and dyed purple hair, who looked at Emma for a few seconds, visibly shocked before entering, typing his own stop. “... Dr. Russell.”

“Florès.” She answered back, not looking at him as Madison kept a laser-like focus on him.

“... Is that your daughter?” He asked, sending a quick look at Madison who averted her eyes.

“Yes.”

“I’d expect her to be younger...” He commented under his breath. “If you want, I can keep an eye on her in my office while you go explain... everything, I guess?”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “You’re not scared she’s going to disturb your working space?”

“Meh, she’s twelve and is recovering from a kidnapping. If she wants to know what I’m working on, I’ll just tell her. Or let her use one of my personal computers, I have to work on the ORCA plans anyway.” Florès turned toward the girl, smiling. “You’ll be fine if I just let you do whatever on a computer, right?”

“Y- yeah.” The teenager answered. She needed to distract herself from the three red-eyed Titans, and going on YouTube or watching this guy do whatever his job was seemed like it would work.

The door opened, Florès walking out and Madison following. “Good luck with explaining to Serizawa what the fuck that was about!”

“I appreciate the sentiment.” Emma told him, the doors closing as she leaned against one of the elevator’s walls. What the fuck that was about, indeed...

The elevator finally reached the main lobby, Emma walking out before stopping. There was a man arguing with Colonel Foster and Serizawa, and she knew that voice.

“Both my wife and daughter went missing, you have no idea where they are, you think terrorists might be involved, you knew my family could be a target, and you’re doing nothing to try and find them?” Mark Russell, her husband, snapped at them, panic evident in his tone.

“Mark?” Her husband turned toward her, relief visibly flooding him as Emma came closer. “What are you doing here?”

“The military brought me in when you went missing.” Mark explained, Emma nodding in understanding as she turned toward Serizawa.

“Sir? I need to talk to you about something in private.”

Serizawa shook his head, turning back toward the screen. “I understand, but we’re currently busy trying to determine where the Antartica Titans went-”

“Yes, well...” Emma hissed through her teeth. Here goes nothing. “It’s about the Antartica Titans...”

-

Ghidorah landed, Ichi floating down to the ground, Ni doing a three-point landing, and San falling unceremoniously on the ground, a small cloud of sand puffing up where he landed, groaning. Ichi looked at his brother critically. “Why did you turn your gravity back on if you were going to land like an idiot?”

“I wanted to do something cool like Ni...” San whimpered, leaning into Ni’s touch as he pat him reassuringly on the head. The younger brother opened his eyes, pouting at Ichi. “Why did you bring us to a desert!?”

“... San.”

“What?”

“This is a beach. The ocean is right there.” Ichi blankly informed his brother, pointing at said sea as he waited for the dots to connect inside of San’s head.

And connect they did. “The beach... !? We’re at the beach!?” He suddenly sat up nearly headbutting Ichi who had bent down to look at him. A big smile appeared on his face. “We’re at the beach!”

“I heard brother Ichi the first time, brother San.” Ni deadpanned, even if he was smiling a bit as he watched San running toward the water, giggling to himself as he reached it.

“San, come back here.” Ichi called his brother, who just groaned and continued forward, water eventually reaching his knees. “San.”

“But we just got out!” He whined, before immediately going back to advancing, Ichi growling when he saw he was now waist deep.

“SAN!” SPLAT! Ichi recoiled in shock, before looking down to see what San had thrown at him. “Did... did you just throw a crab at my face!?”

“And if you yell at me again, I’ll throw another one!” San threatened, a huge smile on his face and a crab in his hand.

“Stars damn it- do you remember that these idiotic Titan’s belief that this planet is alive and gives them life has actual basis to it!? If we don’t resume terraforming this place as soon as we can, we’ll-” Suddenly, a rock was thrown at him from another direction. In fact, in came from where Ni was seated. Ichi turned toward his other brother with a scandalized expression. “Ni!?” 

“Yes, brother Ichi.” Ni deadpanned. “Taking the time to relax and enjoy our freedom is going to make us weak and dependent on this planet. I can feel my soul linking itself to it’s core. Terra is speaking to me, do you want to know what She’s saying?”

“Ni-”

“Those weakling’s god is telling me you’re being paranoid and also a killjoy. Let brother San flounder in water if he wants, we just got out of our prison.” Ni finished, San laughing from where he stood in the water.

“Killjoy! Killjoy!” San chanted from where he was.

Ichi groaned. “Whatever. Don’t you have ice to get out of your pants?”

“It’s the next thing I’m throwing at you.”

“Thank you for the heads-up.” Ichi snarked, Ni standing up and undoing his belts to- you guessed it- get whatever ice hadn’t melted already out of his pants. True to his words, Ni threw the piece at his older brother’s head, Ichi not budging as the ice shattered upon impact and San laughed from a distance.

“... why did you refer to them as ‘Titans’?” Ni suddenly asked as he put his pants back on, taking a hold of Ichi’s wrist and starting to bring him closer to the water so they could keep a close eye on San. “I thought humans referred to them- and us- as gods?”

“Well, they changed words. Idiots do that, sometimes.” Ichi noted, Ni nodding in agreement.

(What does it mean?) San asked telepathically, still focused on looking through the water and occasionally getting things out to take a closer look at them.

“Those who came before the gods. Not bad, right?”

(Brother Ichi, that’s terrible.)

“I’m with San on that one.”

“... would either of you bother to explain your reasoning?” Ichi asked, feeling anger well up inside of him.

(The Gods don’t precede anything. Titans do. It implies we’re gonna get defeated.) Ni nodded at that

“How the hell didn’t I realize that sooner.” Ichi asked himself, Ni patting him reassuringly on the back as San came closer. “I’m going to have to personally kill that human now.”

“As always, humans are wrong: there is nothing that will defeat us.” Ni reassured his older brother, who sighed.

“And you shouldn’t bother yourself with personally going after humans.” San added, nearing his brothers and putting a hand on each one’s shoulder, which they quickly reciprocated. “We’re above that. Anyway, what are we gonna do next?”

“How about we go after that little bird you fancy so much?” Ichi proposed, a smile appearing on his face. “It is rather rare for you to personally use lightning on someone. Not even the weak king’s friend got that honor.”

“Really!?” San asked, looking very enthusiastic at the idea of finding the bird- Rodan- again.

“I still don’t understand why you fancy him so much.” Ni commented. “He’s weak.”

“I don’t know either, it’s just- his mind.” San started, looking as if he was about to drool. “It’s brighter than a star and so full of fire, it’s like a beacon- you’d think something so weak would let those flames go out easily, but they don’t- I must have those flames- I need to have that bird-!”

“Alright, alright, I get it.” Ni calmed down San, both with words and through their link. “Do we even know where he is now?”

“Oh...” San smiled. “Somewhere near a volcano in the middle of the ocean~ I’ll lead the way.”

“Well then,” Ichi started, arms sliding down to hold his brother’s hands instead. “Shall we go?”

[thinkanamelater]

It Won’t be Long (A Mob Psycho 100 fanfiction) Chapter 3/?

Also on ao3!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

Note: Mob and Ritsu's mom in this is not the same Kageyamom from canon!

Chapter 3: Something

Touichirou wasn't home yet.

Sure they talked over phone daily, and texted plenty, too, but it wasn't the same as having him home. It couldn't be the same, and Serizawa just missed him.

He had to admit, however, that I wasn't as bad as other times Touichirou had been out, and he had Shou's friends to thank. Shou usually went out to see the Kageyama brothers, but they visited the house enough to distract Serizawa. They were polite and cared about Shou, which made Serizawa happy.

He liked them.

Ritsu was smart and acid, sometimes; he seemed to be thinking more than he actually said, but he was never disrespectful. Shigeo, however, was the most comfortable to be around, not that he'd ever need to admit something like that. Granted, the amount of power he could perceive from the teen had feel overwhelming at first, but with time he managed to focus more in his soft voice, his calm expression, his big eyes. Shigeo was like a small animal, ready to bolt at any loud noise or brusque motion. He didn't, or else he wouldn't have stayed around Shou at all; but he sure looked like it, and Serizawa could easily relate.

“Are we friends, Seri-san?”

Shigeo wandered into the kitchen one day, where Serizawa was making tea and, without warning, dropped the question; followed with a very soft “can I have milk please?”

Making a pause, Serizawa looked at him and considered what to answer. Well, they usually chatted, and he definitely enjoyed his presence, but he wasn't sure how he could tell if someone was a friend… He didn't even know if Shou counted as a friend, so, besides Touichirou, he had no one else to compare. But how do you explain that to a kid that's looking at you with eagerness?

He didn't know, so he just bit his lip and turned to the fridge. Shigeo didn't seem fazed by the lack of response, and continued talking.

“I asked dad, and he says one can be friends with any good person, that their age doesn't matter”

“Your dad is a good man, isn't he?” Serizawa mused, and placed a glass of milk in front of Shigeo.

“He is!” Shigeo's eyes lit up as his lips showed a small smile. It was so adorable Serizawa felt the urge to pinch his cheeks, but he was wouldn't have wanted to startle the kid with invasive affection, so he settled on petting his head lightly.

Later that day, he was approached again, by Shou this time, who, in the same breath, knocked the bathroom door, opened it and said “They invited me to sleep at Ritsu's can I go thank you!”

Standing in front of the mirror, Serizawa smiled at him at put down the razor he was holding. He was thinking about shaving, but he didn't really feeling like it, so it was alright.

“Only if you promise me you'll behave. Oh, uhm, and I'll walk you guys, alright?”

“When do I not behave?” Shou shooted back, and seemed deeply wounded by the other's words.

“Once I let you into my room and you set my bed on fire, Shou-kun” Was the reply, with a resigned sigh.

“You said it, once! And pops got you a better one after that” The teen wrapped up the conversation with a grin and grabbed Serizawa's hand, dragging him. The older didn't oppose any resistance; following him with only a soft complain that went unobserved.

“My favorite book was under the covers…”

Shou held his hand the whole walk, and Shigeo stayed close to his other arm, ocasionally holding onto it. As they were approaching the house, someone greeted them with profuse arm motions.

“Hey, Mob!” Reigen was standing a few meters from the door, and Shigeo ran the last steps to hug him. “Here. I'll pick you up tomorrow, alright? Call me if you need anything”

Shigeo pulled apart and grabbed the backpack his dad was giving him and joined Shou and Ritsu, who were already getting inside. Serizawa waved at them with a smile and was about to go back, when Reigen turned at him.

“Oh, hey, are you busy?” He asked and Serizawa jumped slightly, his hands clutching at his sides.

“Uh, w-well, I-I don't have anything to do right now… W-why?”

“I have to drop by my office, I need some papers that I couldn't find at home and the office is my last hope” The man explained, and Serizawa had to make an effort to not get distracted by his hand gestures. “Care to join?”

“Uhm. Sure”

Before starting his walk, Reigen showed a row of white teeth with a smile too wide to even belong in Shigeo's usual blank face, but Serizawa thought he could see a hint of similarity there, and that made him smile too. But as he followed the other, a sensation of vertigo filled his stomach. Something felt off, but he couldn't tell what. Trying to keep his breath even, he searched his pockets with both hands for his cellphone, and looked over the last texts Touichirou sent him.

“Everything alright?” Reigen had stopped and was looking back at him. Serizawa re-read the last conversation and nodded.

Nothing was wrong, he decided and repeated that to himself during their walk. The feeling persisted for some time, however, but Reigen's incessant chattering kept him entertained, and soon they were up the stairs to the office.

“Do you want coffee?” Reigen offered when he opened the door, wasting no time in inspecting drawers and sorting through papers.

Serizawa took a timid step inside, looking around with curiosity. His eyes immediatly were drawn to the brimming bookshelf, many of the books about psychology, but he could recognize a few fiction titles. There were potted plants everywhere and the desk was messy, more now after Reigen's search, but besides that it seemed overall clean. A nice, cozy office, if you weren't intimidated by the huge poster of Reigen's smiling face hanging from one of the walls.

It did intimidate Serizawa, however, and so it took him a moment to register the question.

“Uh…” He hesitated. Coffee wasn't between is favorite beverages, with its bitter taste and strong scent. But, he didn't want to refuse and come off as rude.

“I have tea, too, I think” Reigen said after a quick glance at his conflicted expression.

“Tea sounds good, thank you” Serizawa accepted with a relieved smile.

“Great!” Reigen smiled back and disappeared into a door, a kitchenette probably, Serizawa guessed “Oh, right, take a seat wherever you want” Came Reigen's voice, loud as if he were across the street and not bare meters away.

“Thanks” Serizawa muttered and sat down in front of the small coffee table. He let his eyes wander around once more and then looked down at his nervously fiddling hands, when something under his seat caught his attention. A bright pink piece of plastic, and when he reached down to grab it he pulled out a folder.

“Uh, Reigen-san?” He called, peeking inside it. It looked like important stuff. “I found these papers under the chair? And uh, maybe this was what you were looking for…?”

Reigen emerged a moment later, balancing a cup on each hand and a sugar bowl tightly hold against his side with an elbow, and looked over Serizawa's shoulder.

“Ah, yes!” He exclaimed, taking hold of the folder as Serizawa took the cups from him and placed them on the table. “Thanks, man, you're a lifesaver!” Reigen said, sitting down and emphasizing it with wild gesticulating since his hands were free again. Serizawa didn't catch that, busy eyeing the sugar bowl and silently wondering how much would be ok for him to pour on his tea. What he did catch Reigen generously sweetening his own coffee, and that made him feel more at ease about getting his tea as sweet as he enjoyed it.

For a moment both of them sipped at their cups without talking. Reigen looked up and seemed about to say something, but then shook his head slightly and focused on his coffee again.

That, along with the unfamiliarity of the situation, made Serizawa suddenly feel self-conscious. The silence was heavy. Was it weird that he wasn't saying anything at all…? Now that he thought about it, just how much had he talked since he got here? Shouldn't he try and make casual talk? But he didn’t have anything interesting to say…

He could feel sweat on his forehead. His hands curled around the cup. Just say something…!

“Uhm, Shigeo-kun…” He started, not really sure how to keep going, but mentioning Shigeo actually brought up something he'd been thinking about “A-and Ritsu-kun, too, they… don't have your last name…” Well that was lame.  Was that even a question? What was he thinking? “W-well, I mean, uh, you-you're divorced?”

Reigen didn't look impressed.

“I- Not exactly” He answered flatly and took a long sip of coffee. Meanwhile he looked right into Serizawa's eyes, with a focused expression, and sighed when he put his cup down “Mob and Ritsu are half-brothers, by their mother. I thought it was better to let them share their last names, instead of changing Mob's”

“Uh, so…” Serizawa mumbled, trying to process the cryptic information the other provided him. So far he collected that Ritsu was not Reigen's son, but he was at lost at the last names matter.

“I'm not drunk enough for the whole story” Reigen interrupted with another sigh, lifting his cup again and putting it down almost immediately. “Shou doesn't have your last name, either” He pointed out with a check-mate tone.

Serizawa was not drinking his tea, but he choked with his spit instead.

“W-well, that's because I'm not his dad…!” He started explaining, messily, once his nervous coughing stopped “He-he has a father, o-of course, but he travels a lot and… uhm… I-I usually look after him… S-since his dad and I… uh, us…” Serizawa was lost at words. He never had the need to define the bond between him and Touichirou, and he just found out he couldn't name it now, so it was a relief when Reigen gestured at him to shut up.

“Chill, I get it” He said, raising an eyebrow and doing a pretty bad job at keeping back a laugh. Embarrassed, Serizawa finished what was left of his tea clumsily and got up.

“Th-thanks for the tea, I should go home now” He managed to say. He heard Reigen saying he didn't need to leave yet,  but he was already hurrying down the stairs.

Touichirou once said he was like a dog, that he could drop him in the street and Serizawa would still sniff his way back. Serizawa agreed with that; even when he wasn't familiar with the outside, not really going further than the block they lived, he could always tell the direction to go home. It wasn't easy, after all, to miss the incredible source of raw psychic power he was so used to perceive and that drenched their house.

So he made his way through unfamiliar streets, only taking one or two false turns but quickly correcting himself, while his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Reigen had assumed he was Shou's dad. Shou's dad.

What if he got to be? Maybe, one day not too far in the future? He and Touichirou… The thought alone made him feel tingly, his cheeks overheating.

Lost in a vision of wedding suits and flower bouquets, he almost didn't register when he reached home. But the light outside was on, and that pulled him out of his thoughts. He was sure he didn't switch it on before leaving, so did that mean…?

He hurriedly opened the door, and sure enough, Touichirou's briefcase was on the living room table. He could feel his heart beating faster, excitedly, as he held his breath and approached the older's room. There were faint noises on the inside, but the door was closed. Serizawa contemplated knocking on it, but decided not to disturb Touichirou, since he might be too tired from is trip back.

He would see him in the morning, he thought, and his wide smile couldn't be contained.

Next chapter

[teaberrii]

Kings & Queens

A Kuroko No Basuke & Prince Of Tennis Crossover MultiChapter Fanfiction. [Various Pairings]

Summary: Street sports had an uncanny way of bringing people together.

Rating: M

Warnings: Adult Situations, Language, Mild Violence, OCs

Genre: Slice Of Life & Romance

Chapter One: When Worlds Collide

Chapter Two: It’s A Date! 

The moment Kasamatsu decided to step out of the comfort of his own home in exchange for time with Kise came with arguably heavy consequences. While Kasamatsu didn’t necessarily hate spending time with his teammate, the model did unintentionally bring extra baggage that was taking a toll on Kasamatsu’s patience.

“Excuse me,” said a female. With his irritated countenance unchanged, Kasamatsu turned to the female and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you Kise-kun’s manager?”

“Oh, for crying out loud!”

“Senpai, sorry I made you w–” Kasamatsu’s annoyed glare stopped Kise’s hand before it landed on his shoulder. The blonde chuckled nervously. “A-are you mad?”

“I was just asked if I was your manager.”

“Eh, what’s wrong with that?” asked Kise lightheartedly, his hands now placed behind his head.

The corner of Kasamatsu’s eye twitched.

…

“Hey, did you wait long?”

The familiar voice caught Kise’s attention. He turned around to see Kagami hurriedly approaching a girl considered of short stature. The blonde smiled mischievously as he watched the two walk off towards the nearest train station. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kasamatsu. The former captain of Kaijo’s basketball team had not only saw the curious rendezvous but also the way his teammate was looking at them with much interest. A little too much interest for Kasamatsu’s liking.

“Kagamicchi has a girlfriend!” Kise spun around eagerly. “Senpai, let’s follow them!”

“No,” was the blunt and stern reply.

“You aren’t even a little curious?”

“No, not at all.”

As Kasamatsu stared at Kise’s pouting face and half-heartedly listened to his whine of, “Senpai, you aren’t being serious, right?” Kasamatsu had never regretted the decision of stepping out of his house so deeply before.

“I’m going home.”

“W-wait a minute, senpai!”

~x~

It had been a spontaneous glance from the magazine shelf Inui Sadaharu had been looking at, but the girl had caught his attention. 

From across the street, he was watching her and her unfamiliar male companion talking amicably inside a sports shop. Inui recognized her as a regular from Rikkaidai Fuzoku’s tennis club, a teammate of the girl he was currently accompanying. Inui’s brow furrowed as his eyes went to the tall red haired boy. He glanced at the sports magazine in his hands and back up again. 

It clicked.

“Inui, what are you looking at?” Nozomi approached him with a bag full of snacks. She followed his gaze and saw her friend walk out of the shop just as another male approached them.

“Hey!”

“Tatsuya, you made it!”

...

“Was that a date?”

“It could be a double date,” suggested Inui.

Nozomi was looking at Inui as she said, “With only one girl?”

Pause.

“This situation feels strangely familiar.”

An eyebrow raised, Nozomi asked, “What are you talking about?”

With Inui’s eyes fixated on the magazines in front of him and Nozomi’s attention on the pondering male, they thus missed two males stride past them, one displaying much more enthusiasm than the other.

~x~

With a box of his usual favorites protected tightly in his large hands, Murasakibara had seen Himuro from across the street accompanied by two others. While the sight had sparked an extremely mild interest, his attention was quickly diverted upon noticing his former blonde teammate rushing up the steps of the bridge Murasakibara was currently crossing.

“Kise-chin, what are you doing?”

“Ah, Murasakibaracchi!” exclaimed Kise excitedly. “We’re on a mission!”

“You mean you’re on a mission,” muttered Kasamatsu.

“Don’t be like that, senpai! Why else would you be here then?”

Kasamatsu glared at him. “Yes, I wonder.”

“Senpai, this isn’t any fun,” Kise had said with a pout.

“Why don’t you go by yourself then?” muttered an irritated Kasamatsu.

Kise smiled mischievously. “Because it’s more fun with other people!”

Kasamatsu sighed loudly, his patience wearing incredibly thin until he spotted the recent transfer student from Kise’s class. His fingers begun brushing against his palms, his head slightly lowered and turned, and his eyes were focused on the pavement rather than what was in front of him. Kise had noticed the sudden change in his former captain’s attitude and was proud to know what exactly was causing it. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Kanzaki-chan!” yelled Kise, waving enthusiastically towards his classmate.

Kanzaki Chitose turned and saw Kise Ryouta and the boy she only knew by surname walking towards her, the former approaching much more eagerly than the latter.

“What are you doing here, Kanzaki-chan?”

“I’m babysitting my nephew and his friend.” She gestured toward the two boys playing in the sandbox in the park in front of her. “What are you two up to?”

The somewhat dramatic sigh from Kise made Kasamatsu uneasy. “Unfortunately, nothing. Senpai refuses to go anywhere with me today! He’s so mean. Isn’t he, Kanzaki-chan?”

While her presence had been enough to send Kasamatsu into a frenzy, Kise had to go the dangerous step forward of directing attention to him. As Kasamatsu’s eyes met her curious stare, his blush had visibly darkened and was about to break into a cold sweat before she spoke.

“I don’t believe I properly introduced myself last time.” Surprised, Kasamatsu instinctively looked her in the eyes which sent his heart and mind racing at incredible speeds. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kasamatsu-san. My name is Kanzaki Chitose. Your guitar playing last time was incredible.”

Kise had difficulty suppressing his laugh as Kasamatsu was at a loss for words. “You flatter him too much, Kanzaki-chan,” Kise said while swinging a reassuring arm around his friend. When Kasamatsu said nothing, Kise continued. “Kanzaki-chan, I think you should convince him to spend some time with me. I’ve been very lonely the past few weeks.”

“Is that right?” asked Chitose. Her eyes landed on Kasamatsu once again. “But Kasamatsu-san looks unwell.” To the boys’ amazement, she placed her hand on top of Kasamatsu’s forehead. “Do you have a fever?”

Kasamatsu had never wanted to disappear so fast in his entire life.

“It has been getting colder recently, so be sure to stay warm.” She turned to Kise. “You too, Kise-kun.” 

“Chitose-chan, I’m hungry!” Chitose glanced downwards at her nephew who was pulling her coat impatiently. “Can we get something to eat now?”

“Of course, Sasuke-kun.” She turned to her friends. The utterance of his name forced Kasamatsu to look in her the eyes. “Kise-kun has been working very hard to improve his grades these last few weeks. I think it’ll be nice to spend some time with him if you aren’t busy, Kasamatsu-san.”

Murasakibara was already on the last snack as Kasamatsu slapped Kise for failing to hold his tongue. Just as he was about to take the last bite, it suddenly and unexpectedly slipped from his grasp as he felt a powerful force collide into him. What took him by slight surprise was the swiftness of the suddenly extended hand that held his snack.

“I’m so sorry!” Her Kansai accent was strong. “I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

Murasakibara took the snack from her tiny hand. He stared downwards at the girl whose height only reached his stomach. With a small tennis bag over her shoulder, she swiftly raced off. Murasakibara bent over and picked up the dropped handkerchief. His eyes went to the girl who was descending the stairs, deliberating whether he should make the effort to return the item or not. To give him the extra energy, Murasakibara quickly popped the snack into his mouth.  

~x~

Upon unwrapping the goodness, Nozomi tossed her apple flavored chewing gum into her mouth before saying, “Hm, she did say she was meeting some old friends today.” Inui had his notebook opened in one hand and his pen held tightly in the other. He was scribbling something down until Nozomi had attempted to steal a glance. “You’re always writing something down, Inui. Just what kind of data could you get from that?”

“You’ll be amazed at what you can find out about people from the smallest things.” Nozomi looked displeased but allowed the topic to drop when Inui spoke of the brunette that was currently rushing across the bridge in front of them. “Isn’t that Imayoshi-san?”

But it wasn’t just her Nozomi had noticed. Putting the thought aside, she said, “You’re right. I wonder where she’s headed today.” As Nozomi watched her teammate reach the center of the bridge, she shouted her name.

Without stopping, Imayoshi Mika had turned and smiled at her friend. Mere seconds later, she was saying sincerely, “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!” As she descended the stairs, her friends’ names left her lips in an excited manner.

“What brings you two out here? Could this be a date?!”

“Before that, are you okay? That looked like it hurt,” said Nozomi, concerned.

“You don’t seem to have any visible injuries,” added Inui.

Mika waved her hand dismissively. “Mika will always be a-okay! So, what’s the deal with you two? Is this a secret date?”

“Far from it,” said Nozomi. “I’m dropping some notes for Renji. Bumped into this kid, and he decided to tag along.”

“I do ask that you refrain from calling your seniors a kid, Serizawa-san.”

“Since when are the formalities coming out?” The simultaneous voices of Mika and Nozomi made Inui feel like he was being attacked.

“So, what about you? What’s the rush?” asked Nozomi.

“Long story short, I was getting my strings fixed until my stupid brother called me for whatever reason.” Mika’s voice suddenly went an octave lower. “‘Mika, you’d better come quickly!’” She narrowed her eyes. “Who does he think he is? My time is precious!”

Though having known Mika for a year, Nozomi realized that she had never once seen her brother who was the former captain of a basketball team at Touou Gakuen. She had heard bits and pieces of rumors here and there but never anything from Mika directly.

“I hate having siblings!” cried Mika. “Don’t you agree, Inui-san?”

“Unfortunately I cannot relate,” replied Inui. “But best of luck with whatever you have to do.”

“Do not ever underestimate the power and pleasure of being an only child,” said Mika sternly.

“We will never ever take it for granted. Right, Inui?” 

“I beg to differ.”

“Just ignore him,” said Nozomi playfully. “His opinion is not important anyway.”

“Is that any way to treat your seniors?” asked Inui. 

“It’s the closest respect you’ll be getting out of us,” said Mika teasingly.

~x~

Kise was the first to notice the handkerchief in Murasakibara’s hands. “Murasakibaracchi, why do you have a handkerchief?”

“Oh, this? It was dropped by the girl who ran into me.” 

Kise glanced behind Murasakibara and asked, “Oh, her?”

Without even a glance he uttered, “Sure. Can you return it for me, Kise-chin?”

Kise took the handkerchief from his tall teammate and was about to call until he noticed the carefully and brightly stitched name on the side, Imayoshi Mika. His countenance turned serious, but only for the swift duration of watching the girl out of the corner of his eye run in another direction. Kise briefly noted that they did have a similar face shape and eye color. For now, he decided to pocket the hanky.

All this time, Kasamatsu’s eyes had been wandering between who he assumed was the girl’s friends. He had seen them before in many sports magazines: the male, if he remembered correctly, was Inui Sadaharu from Seishun Gakuen, a school known for its rapid progress in school clubs. The female was Serizawa Nozomi, a strong tennis player from the elite school Rikkaidai Fuzoku.

Kasamatsu had come across the school name many times in sports magazines. They seem like a popular bunch, for many reporters had showered them with praise. While he hadn’t read much about their basketball team, their female tennis team had become the strongest in Japan while their male counterparts snagged silver in nationals, their defeat suffering at the hands of Seishun Gakuen.

“Kise-chin, are you going to see Muro-chin or not?”

Kise had nearly forgotten Murasakibara in front of him. “O-oh, yeah, I guess we are.”

“Can you give him a message for me then?” drawled the tall Yosen player. “Tell him that he owes me four large of Nerune candy for ditching me.”

“Eh?” said a surprised Kise. “You guys had plans?”

“We were supposed to go shopping for sweets. But he left suddenly saying that something came up. Talking about it makes me kind of annoyed honestly.”

“Why don’t you tell him yourself, Murasakibaracchi?” asked Kise with a wink.

“Kise!” yelled Kasamatsu. “Stop dragging other people into this mess!”

Kise pouted. “But, but, I’m sure Murasakibaracchi would want to know too!”

Murasakibara frowned and asked, “About what?”

“Himurocchi’s girlfriend!”

~x~

Shopping was always a fun pastime for Riko. One that she often preferred to do alone. However, after befriending Momoi Satsuki through many interactions regarding coaching the new and improved Generation of Miracles, her free time became more socially occupied. Riko considered their personalities to be on opposites of the spectrum with the biggest difference in their display of femininity. Yet despite their differences and banter, Riko came to love her as a friend.

“Riko-rin, look at this!” The corner of Riko’s eye twitched by her ‘unflattering’ nickname. She had argued against it, insisting Momoi to simply call her ‘Riko’, but the outgoing female insisted otherwise. “I think this bathing suit will look super cute on you!”

“I already have one,” said Riko, cringing slightly at how ‘revealing’ the attire was.

“But this one looks cuter!” insisted Momoi. “Besides, this one will be more likely to get Hyuuga-san’s attention!”

Riko didn’t blush but was flustered by the unexpected comment. Refusing to acknowledge how rapidly her heart was pounding, she cleared her throat. “Momoi-san, I hope you know that this is not a vacation.”

Momoi looked innocuously at her. “But it is still a vacation! Ah, or do you just feel nervous that everyone is going to be there?”

“Why in the world are we coming in here?” complained a male voice.

While Momoi was busy scrounging through many swimsuits, Riko briefly glanced at the small group of first-year high school students who just entered the shop. The salesperson greeted them politely and attempted to usher the three hesitant males to the men’s section. Beside them, the girl with long, bushy, pigtails had a predatory gaze that contrasted drastically with her friend’s soft doe-eyes.

“Again, why are we here? We’re supposed to be on shopping duty!”

“If you must know, Horio, we’re taking the opportunity to look for the perfect swimsuit for Sakuno!”

“Tomo-chan, please keep your voice down,” her friend said, her cheeks turning pink.

“Why don’t you guys take the time to look for a swimsuit too?” asked Tomoka.

“I don’t think we’ll be needing one. We’re only volunteers after all.”

“A vacation is still a vacation, Kachiro!” said Tomoka excitedly.

“Is it really a vacation?”

Horio placed both his hands behind his head and turned to Mizuno who had just spoken. “It’s a rare chance we get to go on a gigantic cruise! Let’s make the best of it!”

“Anyway,” said Tomoka loudly. “It’ll be a chance to get back at Rikkaidai Fuzoku!”

Riko turned her head slightly at the mention of the school, her eyes landing on the freshmen again.

“Oh, is Seigaku planning a counterattack?”

The freshmen almost jumped at the sudden voice behind them.

“T-Tachibana-san!” gasped Sakuno. “What brings you here?”

“Probably the same reason that brought all of you here,” said An with a smile. “So, how’s Seigaku’s condition?”

“We aren’t going to lose to Rikkaidai twice!” said Tomoka excitedly.

“Osakada-san, you make it sound like you were the one who played against them,” said Kachiro quietly.

Tomoka glared at her friend. “I heard that!”

The friendly argument happening between her friends created the opportunity for An to check her phone. She flipped the device open and went aside to call her friend.

“Hey, sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”

“Are you free right now? I’m with some friends and we need an extra person to play a game.”

“A game you say?”

The girl on the other line smiled and said, “Yeah, you in?”

~x~

The basketball teetered on the rim before dropping through the hoop.

“You lost your touch since you started playing tennis,” said Himuro.

Standing closest to the hoop, Kagami tossed the ball back to her to which she proceeded to make another shot while replying, “I don’t think I ever had one to begin with, Tatsuya. Appreciate the comment, though. Makes me feel like I’m on par with the two of you.”

“Well, you are doing your best with tennis,” commented Kagami. “Tatsuya and I saw your game. You were really great.”

“We had to get back at Seigaku this year. There’s no way was Rikkaidai affording another loss.”

“Just like how we’re going to get back at Seirin next year, Taiga.”

Kagami smiled, a competitive glint in his eyes. “Bring it on, Tatsuya!”

“Taiga’s all fired up now.”

“There’s no cooling his engine now,” added Himuro.

Kagami frowned and asked loudly, “Why does it sound like you two are mocking me?”

Himuro exchanged a playful smile with his female friend. “By the way, who’s this friend you called?”

“Ah, she’s a teammate of mine. I think you guys will like her.”

From afar, Murasakibara still held a box of uneaten snacks in his hands. He looked downwards at Kise who had been quietly observing the three behind a large building. On the way, to Kise’s dismay, Kasamatsu had abandoned the mission and had given a quick but stern lecture on respecting other people’s time and to stay out of other people’s affairs to his junior. While it was a lecture that Kise had heard many times from his sisters and parents and understood, life was much more interesting when he pursued his curious nature.

“Kise-chin, it doesn’t really look like a date.”

Kise frowned. “If this wasn’t a date, I’m going to be super disappointed.” The blonde noticed his teammate’s eyes had wandered to the trio and hadn’t strayed. “Are you checking her out, Murasakibaracchi?”

“I think I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Eh?” asked Kise with a mischievous smile. “Is that your excuse?”

Murasakibara narrowed his eyes at him. “No, I really think I’ve seen her somewhere before. I just forgot where.”

“Could it be that she works at the sweets shop you visit almost every day?” guessed Kise on a whim.

“No. That would be Seri-chin.”

“Eh?” said Kise loudly. “Seri-chin?”

“The girl who works at the sweets shop.”

Kise was about to inquire further when the call of his familiar nickname made him turn around to see a waving pink haired girl running towards him. Following behind her was their team’s second reluctant coach.

“Momocchi!” Kise then smiled widely at Riko who now stood beside her. “And Aidacchi!”

“Stop with the nicknames,” said Riko flatly.

“What are you guys doing here? It’s rare to see you two together,” wondered Momoi.

After taking a large bite of his snack, Murasakibara said, “Kise-chin is eavesdropping.”

Momoi didn’t look too surprised. “On who?”

Kise gestured toward the trio on a nearby basketball court to which Riko responded with an audible “Ah!” after a look in the direction.

“Kagamin and Himuro-san,” began Momoi, “And… Riko-rin, where are you going?”

Behind Riko, there were questionable looks from Momoi and Kise while Murasakibara was paying little mind to this entire scenario. Just as Riko arrived in the surrounding area of the small basketball court, a girl loudly shouted the name that had crossed her mind.

“Azusa!”

Azusa had just shot the basketball into the hoop when her teammate had arrived. She was about to greet her when Kagami’s loud voice took over.

“It’s you!”

An looked surprised but smiled in response, “Hey, look who it is! Azusa, I didn’t know the friends you were talking about included Kagami-kun.”

“Kagami-kun?”

The simultaneous voices of Azusa and Himuro drowned out the hurried footsteps from Momoi and Kise with Murasakibara’s long lazy strides following behind.

“Kagamicchi!”

“K-Kise?!”

“Atsushi!”

“Muro-chin, you owe me.”

“Hey, aren’t you’re the one from that night?”

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you the other day for saving me.”

“Saving? What happened, Riko-rin?”

“Is this your girlfriend, Kagamicchi? She’s really cute!”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“But you’re blushing.”

“Tatsuya, you know that’s not true!”

“You blushing or that she’s not your girlfriend?” inquired Momoi.

“Both!”

“You sure are flustered, Kaga-chin.”

“Are you really going out with Kagamicchi?”

Azusa glanced at the curious stares before her eyes landed on Kagami’s annoyed countenance. “We might have dated before.”

“Stop lying, Azusa!” shouted Kagami.

“It’s not really a lie,” said Himuro.

“Tatsuya, not you too!”

“It was more of a spur of a moment kind of thing,” added Azusa, smiling.

This was certainly the strangest icebreaker An had ever seen.