#and found family that he likes so very much kekeke

[whenmemorydies]

Cousin knocks your sketchbook over at work and the nosy motherfucker finds the ONE page you dared to draw Syd on. Including your memory of her at Empire: watching her eat your hamachi with blood orange through the kitchen's service door.

You ignore Richie when he asks you when you saw Syd without her braids. You turn red when he calls Syd an angel and winks at you.

One day, you'll tell her you knew it was her the minute she turned the corner in The Beef's kitchen. You'll tell her you couldn't remember what UPS was because you were too busy trying to figure out how she found you.

You'll tell her how grateful you are that she did.

One day.

But not now.

Now, you have to deal with cousin.

[jewwyfeesh]

Vampire Siblings

Writer: 日日日 (Akira)

Character(s): Isara Mao, Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Ritsu, Anzu

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Disclaimer: I translated this story from the CN version of the game, which means that it has been double translated (JP > CN > EN).

Rei: Oooh!! Ritsu!! GOOD~ MORNING~ ☆

Season: Autumn Location: Track and Field

Mao: Mmm~ The feeling of fulfillment after a good prac! It’s really amazing~ ☆

Oh, thankies. Is this isotonic drink for me, Anzu? You’re becoming more and more ‘Producer’-like with every passing day~

Seems like you’ve been running after lots of other units besides us Trickstar lately.

There there, you’ve worked really hard ♪

But yeah… even though I’m one to talk, I still think you should take care of your body and your schedule. I’d feel really guilty if you pushed yourself too hard and something happened to you.

Never mind. Let’s go home, Anzu. Today’s my turn to ‘send you home’, so I’ll make sure that you get home safe and sound.

Though… lately, it seems like I’m always the one sending you home…? To the point where I’ve even gotten to know your family fairly well.

Sometimes I’d even stay for dinner…

But I’m not complaining. My family’s the kind to do whatever they want. As such, we don’t really spend a lot of time together. So… It’s nice being with your family.

I wonder if it’s because I can do things like household chores all by myself?

Everyone tends to think, “Oh it’s fine if we leave Isara Mao alone, nothing will happen to him”, but my younger sister has always been coddled and spoiled by our parents…

Hmph, would it be better if I tried to act a little more spoiled? But the second I come back to my senses, I’m back to taking care of others again. I feel old.

You’re also someone like this, so please be careful. You can also lean on me sometimes, you know~?

Eh… I’m meddling in other people’s business again…

It’s about to become a bad habit of mine, forget it, forget it… It’s pretty good to be relied on by others, but I’ve been ‘like this’ since I was young.

It’s because of Ritchan, my childhood friend~ If I leave him to his devices, that guy literally won’t lift a finger to do anything. When it got to a point where I couldn’t stand it anymore, I could only go and help… I’d help and help and help till I became ‘a meddler and a half’ ♪

You know Ritchan, right? Knights’…

Ahh, so you’ve also taken care of him before. He’s always so lazy, you literally can’t ignore him~

…Eh? You’re saying Ritchan’s over there?

Ah, call for the cat and he shall appear… where is he~?

Ah! Goodness! This guy, sleeping outside without a single shred of protection!

One day you’re gonna get pickpocketed, what are you gonna do then…? I reckon he fell asleep after lunch, and slept ‘all the way’ till now~

HEEEEY— Ritchan!! Don’t go sleeping in places like these, you’ll catch a cold ya know~?

Ritsu: ……Mmhhghhh? Huh… Maa~kun…? Wh… don’t wake me up…

Mao: Of course I need to wake you up. The school gates are gonna close soon, and if we don’t get moving we’ll be locked in. Our school has always been particularly ‘strict’ about these kinds of things.

Ritsu: Eh~ …Well, whatever. I could just continue sleeping here and save myself the trouble of having to come to school tomorrow. The more I think about it, the better of an idea it seems~

I’m really sleepy, so just leave me be. No matter how much I sleep, it’s never enough…

Mao: You… you haven’t changed one bit…

Hm? Eh? What are you hugging? It’s not a bolster… right? A tree stump? No, that seems to be a person…?

Ritsu: What?

Rei: Huu… snzz… ♪

Kekeke… Little baby~ Be good~ ♪ Go sleep~ ♪ Uuuu ♪

Mao: Ahh~ Taking a closer look… isn’t this Ritchan’s older brother? Why are the both of you snoozing together? Seems like you have a really good relationship~

When I got to know Ritchan, this person was always overseas, so I didn’t get to know him very well.

To be exact… I only found out he existed after I enrolled in Yumenosaki Academy. Ritchan doesn’t talk about his brother very often, so I got a little worried…

Who knew that the both of them were actually so close ♪

Ritsu: …Maa~kun, do you have anything sharp? I think staking him in the heart would definitely kill him.

Mao: N-no, you can’t just go around killing people. Eh? Do both of you have bad blood? In that case, why are you sleeping next to each other?

Ritsu: I don’t know what this thing was thinking, nor do I have any interest in finding out…

More than anything, I want to bury this thing six feet below and wipe my hands of it ‘as though nothing happened’. Now. Immediately. The faster the better.

Rei: E-eh? What happened, is it already time to say “good morning”? Ah? Where am I?

Ritsu: Yo. Why are you sleeping next to me, huh? You reek of mould, so stay further away from me. What happened, how are you still alive?

Rei: Mmmhh… My mind’s all fuzzy just after waking up… don’t ask so many questions at one go…

What’s there to rush, hm…? Re-rest a little… yawwwwn… ♪

Ritsu: No. No sleeping. I’ll kill you.

Rei: This tone… one that shows no mercy, even to one’s own blood brother…

Oooh!! Ritsu!! GOOD~ MORNING~ ☆

Ritsu: Don’t hug me! You’re so annoying!

Okay but spit it out. Why were you sleeping by my side? Depending on your answer, you could be demoted from “someone who seemed to have been a brother previously” to “stupid bug”.

Rei: Even if you don’t demote me, it’s a bit much, don’t you think?

Nothing much… It’s just that when I was leaving for home, I happened to see Ritsu sleeping. I was worried that you’d catch a cold, so I used my body warmth to warm you up. This is a big brother’s love ♪

Ritsu: Is that so? I understand, you don’t need to say anymore. Complete waste of Earth’s oxygen.

Maa~kun, could you help me get some cement from the warehouse? I want to solidify this thing in there and let it sink to the bottom of the ocean.

Rei: We’ve just woken up, and yet Ritsu’s already trying to get rid of me!?

Mm~ Anywho! The elderly aren’t quite suited for outdoor camping… My whole body’s sore and stiff…

Ritsu~ could you help massage my shoulders please ♪

Ritsu: Didn’t I tell you to shut up? You stupid bug.

Mao: Okay okay… as brothers, you guys should try to get along well. Though, let’s leave the fighting and the shoulder massage aside, yeah? We’re really about to be locked in school.

Rei: Oooh, you’re from Trickstar… It’s already this late… Thank you for waking me up. Ritsu~ it’s been a long time since we brothers walked home together hm~?

Ritsu: Brother? I don’t have a brother, though?

Rei: Don’t deny your brother’s existence with such a deadpan expression… That’s a bit much, even for a younger brother, don’t you think? I’ll start crying…

Ahh, I can’t… My tear ducts are getting weaker as I age… Uuuuuu~

Mao: Ahaha, I think I kinda understand your relationship, Sakuma-senpai.

Ritchan, the more you talk, the more others are gonna think “oh he’s just in his rebellious phase”, so maybe it’s better to not talk altogether?

Ritsu: Damn it… That isn’t the case at all. I had only wanted to throw this annoying ass thing into the trash bin. Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Maa~kun, you want to send them… send the Transfer Student home, right? Hurry up and go, don’t worry about us.

Rei: Mhm, please be careful on your way back. Who knows what kind of demons will be roaming at this hour – for example, vampires… and the like… ♪

Mao: Yep. I’ll be careful. The both of you too; no more fighting, okay? Hurry up and go home~

Rei:

Mm, I’ve always been praying that I’ll have a close relationship with Ritsu! We’re brothers after all ♪

…Ah, Ritsu? Where did you go? Hey— Ritsuuuu~

Ah, he dashed off at the speed of light. He really does hate me, huh? Hehehe ♪

Wait a minute, I am also more active at night! Well, when it comes to hide and seek, I’m not about to lose to a ‘novice’ ♪

Aaah… Running around like this under the night sky, it really reminds me of our childhood ♪

Ritsu: D-don’t chase after me!! Didn’t I already say you’re annoying!? Did it completely fly over your head, you infuriating Anija!?

Rei: Excellent, excellent… he’s finally willing to acknowledge me as his brother. Anyways, we take the same path back home, my super duper adorable little brother…

Translator's notes: [1] The original CN term here is 「菜鸡」, slang for "complete, total noob". I translated it to novice, a synonym. Personally don't think Rei would call Ritsu a "noob".

[paimonial-rage]

i've never used ff.net before, but i get that feeling of people interacting with your fic from ages ago. i used to write on wattpad and i occasionally get emails of activity. boggles my mind.

i love Sharing A Drink They Call Loneliness. the title itself is already chef's kiss. i mentioned in my tags that reader is a great foil for zhongli. teaching him that a life forgotten is not a life wasted is so interesting, especially for someone who lived for thousands of years and has mentioned concerns of stories being lost to time. there is an ounce of truth in it for a human: just because they are forgotten it didn't mean they didn't live their life wastefully.

kind of jealous at people who can just "hear" characters in their head. i have a lot of difficulty with that but maybe i haven't put enough effort? i can vouch that your dialogue is entertaining, kekek. is there a specific reason why you can't write kaeya?

you're right about vilifying people who have hurt you. life is never that simple as much as we want it to be. not that oversimplification is bad, but oversimplification without acknowledgment of complexities is just wishful thinking--to me. i think that's also the area of mental illness people can't romanticise, so it's rarely talked about even though such mental states and its effects are very real.

you briefly mentioned writing a thoma x reader exploring this theme and i am so down bad for it. i AGREE. i've shared this with my friends but thoma is very lucky he found himself in a loving family. his sense of loyalty can go so wrong in bad hands, and i don't think the kamisatos are that innocent either. i mean, hyv probably want to portray them as such, but fanfiction is transformative work for a reason, haha.

omg 4 goals... i wish you all the best with yae's fic. it's definitely a double-edge sword not having a clear picture of what you're going to write. may 2023 be a year we finish a portion of our wips, haha. -- @milkstore

It just boggles me. Why are people reading fics from so long ago? Are they that deprived of cringe content??? I don’t have any works on Wattpad though… which probably is a good thing. There’s a lesser chance of them being found on a dying site… :’)

And despite whatever I say, Sharing a Drink They Call Loneliness is actually my favorite fic. I love having convos like that with my friends. You’re completely right about reader being a foil. Whenever I see Zhongli, I always felt that like… he needs a friend, one that only knows him as Zhongli, and one that can give a different frank point of view. I’m excited to write the companion piece to that one, But It’s Better Than Drinking Alone. But I’m still trying to work out everything in my head. It takes place after his second character quest.

While I can hear character’s voices in my head, I’m definitely not the best at figuring out how they’ll even respond in the first place. If I know how they’ll respond, I can figure out how they’ll word their response. For Kaeya, I NEVER know how he’ll respond to things. So reading your Kaeya fics, it’s just so fascinating. You write him in a way that has me like, “I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!!!!” It’s so in character. I love it!

And you’re completely right about the oversimplifying without addressing the complexities. With mental illness too, it’s easy for people to whine about how much it affects them, but it’s rare people look at the effect their mental illness(es) have on others. Or at look at it objectively and not in the eyes of “oh I hate myself so much I’m a burden :’((((((“

For that Thoma story I want to write, you’re completely right. I don’t think the Kamisatos are as innocent as they make them out to be. I feel Ayaka is aware of everything, but Ayato… Have you ever read his line about preferring dogs? I’m sure all of his servants and the Shuumatsuban are extremely loyal, but I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be raised like that. Children naturally want praise and they’ll try their best to achieve it. So to devote their life so loyally only to be treated as nothing better than a dog in the end. And then on top of that for such a favored position of housekeeper and close confidant to be given to a foreigner? I imagine it’d break a person.

And thank you for the best wishes!!! Not having a clear view is killing me. I may write it and then put in a deleted scene…… Idk…. orz DO YOUR BEST TOO.

Answering two asks in this haha

I know right??? People that can write a full story with only a few words… It’s a power that I do not possess. Especially one that has a very satisfying ending and achieves the right level of emotional impact. Even though you deleted your Kaveh fic, I really loved the way you illustrated the reader’s mental state. You didn’t state it clearly, but painted the scene clearly of anxiety-induced stagnancy and how it gets worse the more you stay stagnant.

I really need to do research on romance tho haha. Like… When I first started writing that Zhongli fic, people sent messages wanting there to be romance and I remember sitting there like… “I didn’t write this with romance in mind….” Honestly I have a hard time seeing him pursue a romance with a mortal, let alone any romance in the first place. As of right now, I still am not sure how I want it to end or if I’m capable of having it have a more intimate end. I’ll have to just see where it takes me. orz

And thank you for the offer for beta reading! I actually will take you up on that. I just need to find the time to message you. I swear I have a discord but I always forget to hop on it. I know I said I’d message you a while back, but I still plan on doing it!!!! I just have to get over the fear of sending a message and being like, “Hello, sorry my wips are a tangled mess…. :’))))” I’m just shy lol orz

You mentioned love triangles in your reply to my ask and like… Harems and love triangles are on the same level for me. I will respect your right to torture yourself with harems. LOL I’ve actually lowkey seen a harem irl for myself and like… In love triangles and harems, the person everyone falls in love with are always clueless, but like… THAT JUST AIN’T REALISTIC IRL. Those people know exactly what they’re doing. They just like the attention too much to give it up.

…

That being said… That being said……….. When I see those things happening irl, I don’t really care. I can interact with all of those people just fine. They’re all usually very fun people. But somehow when it is in written format, my brain just explodes and I just, “AAUUUGHGHGHGHGH”

[puppy-the-mask]

OK! Premise time (got a bit carried away tbh)

Vaguely midieval setting, Mc is from a family of hunters and so knows her way all around the forest, befriending crows and ravens via scraps (because that is a dream of mine). Plot kicks off when homegirl’s brothers get snatched by the monster kingdom for trespassing onto their land for what was assumed to be nefarious reasons when really they just got a bit lost and nobody believes them. Back home Mc tells the knights what’s up and is promptly told to sit the fuck down because they have more important things to do. So she goes off on her own instead, armed with a hunting knife, a bow, and a walking stick she plans to sneak in and break her Bros out. Along the way she has to free herself of multiple well crafted traps and once she finally gets to where she’s headed (with some help from her very smart brothers leaving traces) she’s confronted by the Boi himself. With the capture of humans their town has sorta gone crazy, fighting to determine who will take them to the king. For now they’re kinda subdued but peace is flimsy. Mc ends up getting found out and into a pseudo sword fight (aka blocking for her life with a walking stick until an opening to book it) with our favorite skeleton while ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Since Edge is distracted the other townsfolk take this as their cue to try and swoop up the prize, this goes splendidly terrible when the building they’re being kept in starts to collapse. Homeboy quickly figured it’s better to have at least 1 alive Human and manages to catch up to MC who is about to book it into a collapsing building like an idiot and pull her back before she gets crushed. I say collapsing but I wasn’t that much, as they could still get down to the holding cell and *surprise* the boys are gone~

Now! For what was happening with the boys. Seeing as how I’m the one daydreaming these are My brothers, the oldest of which is a very social person. So obviously he’s chatting with the only other person there, Red. Meanwhile middle brother is trying to think of a way out. This goes on until things start getting dicey and the house is rumbling. Red gets hurt but the three of them escape (because who are we kidding, of course there’s a secret emergency exit) and so are stuck together for the time being relying on each other.

Back to the duo, upon seeing the empty cell and majorly f-ed foundations they leave the house and end up begrudgingly having to work together because of their shared love of and willingness to do whatever it takes to help their family and find their brothers.

Some scenes that popped up were- Edge being a dick to birds and Mc lecturing him about Corvids and their ability to hold grudges. This may have plot relevance, because yes

Edge getting stuck in something and REFUSING to ask for help. “I’ll help you out, but you a) have to ask and b) have to use my name” he ends up passing out and waking up to her ranting about him being an absolute prideful idiot. This leads to an argument because she wasn’t exactly being nice either. This actually leads to a civil apology because CHARACTERS CAN ADMIT WHEN THEY’RE WRONG AND BEING PETTY. Eventually some themes will become recurring until they’re close enough travel companions to admit their faults/insecurities and why they keep acting how they do so they can better themselves.

Meanwhile with The Bois, so many Hijinks have insued and it’s glorious. I can’t say what but you know they are Best Buds by now and are up to absolutely No Good

When they finally catch up and have their reunion, it’s to the most awkward and hard to explain scene that the duo has just walked in on. Mc is keeled over laughing, barely standing by leaning on Edge, and Edge himself is just sighing resigned like “I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN” because ofcourse his brother was doing dumb shit the whole time he’s been looking for him, what else would he be doing?

But don’t worry, there are emotional reunion moments between the bros, just when less people are around to witness them. Meanwhile Mc’s Bros just rounded the corner and she just fucking busts out crying and hugs her brothers because, unlike certain spiky companions- she isn’t bad with public displays of affection. A little bit of rest and a few tankards of ale later and they’re sharing stories around a campfire.

Oh, and did I not mention? Pre-reunion There was only one sleeping bag MWAHAHAHAHA!!!! I mean, Mc was prepared for a long trek after her Bros, and then gained a party member who was decidedly not. He refused to share until a good ways through their journey of course, cause right off the bat when they still loathe each other’s existence it’d be real weird. So it was moss and bunched up leaves for him.

Imagine, they’re about to go to bed when someone brings up their lack of sufficient sleep equipment. Only 3 for 5 people. Previously the Bros had combined theirs into 1 big pallet but... what about them? Kekeke. The two- having forgotten how most people don’t cuddle adventure buddies since it’d just become the norm? And also how damning nightly snuggles seems to people who Obviously won’t get that they’re TOTALLY FRIENDS WHO JUST DO SO OUT OF NECESITY. (And comfort)

Mc kinda drops the ball- “I don’t know about y’all but I’m a big fan of cuddles” cue a smack upside the head and ‘OOOHHH’s to ring in some heads. A little (sorta) tactful talk from both sets of siblings and our oblivious duo- in trying to defend that it’s totally not a thing- realize they totally have a thing going on and oh Fuck I Like It . they’re both oblivious cornballs who’ve been too focused on sibling retrieval to pay attention to their growing bond with their travel partner and now that they see it they have no idea how to handle it.

Now, you may ask, how can this end? If the kingdoms are separated and such then how shall they live in peace? WOODLAND CABIN BAYBEEEE!!!!!! Who tf goes into the woods? Not just anyone if they don’t wanna get lost. Plus it’s neutral ground. What about the siblings? They can build their own or visit- up to them. And since both town’s are in visit distance, edge can probably just commute/go on buisness trips if he has to go places for guard things. Mc is a hunter so her job is the woods so that’s easy.

Anyways, enemies to lovers is good when done right. Slowly and through comradery

[exowolf-reactions]

EXO Reaction when they meet your family and your granny warns them to not hurt you

Kekeke sounds like something my late grandma would do xd Xo, Admin A~

/I don’t own any of the gifs used, unless stated otherwise/

Chanyeol:

“Okay Grandma I promise I’ll be a good buy now can you please stop this... my cheeks are getting numb.. I got the threat. No no no don’t pinch them!” *How good it is to see they are getting long XD*

Sehun:

*I mean.... he just need to show his face to win your grandma over* “Gradma... will you accept me? I really want to be part of this family~ I’ll let you pet Vivi”

Tao:

*How to win the grandma over according Tao. Eat everything they serve you and ask for seconds* “This is really delicious grandma! I hope I can come and eat this again in the future! I’ll be a good boy so that happens!”

Kai:

*Very serious man* “I really love your granddaughter mam, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy. Rest assured!” 

Xiumin:

“Woah... that was... scary.... nothing I could handle but woah... your grandma is definitely like SuperGrandma or something... glad she liked me at the end” *I mean he’s Bf goals, anyone can see it*

Baekhyun:

*Tries to act as calm as he can and have a nice evening* “I really really love her and my feelings are very honest. Please trust me! I won’t let you down”

Luhan:

“I survived baobei! I’ve never been more nervous in my life! Your grandma loves you a lot by the way.... we all need a granny like that. Next time remind me to bring her flowers”

Chen:

*The man who’s not scared of anything* “You really have nothing to worry about. I know I have to take care of her and her heart and I will. She’s my life!”

Kyungsoo:

*So sincere that is not possible to not love him* “I know I don’t deserve her but... I just want her to be happy and if she’s with me.. I’ll give me everything to keep it that way... I really love her and I don’t want to let her down... and I won’t... I promise”

Lay:

*How would your grandma not accept him if the first thing he did was hug her like this* “Grandma!! I’ve heard so much about you I’m so happy to have finally met you! Please take care of me!”

Suho:

*He might be dying inside but won’t let that stop him from showing how serious he is with you* “The moment I met her.. I knew I wanted to be with her... I knew that my heart... has finally found it’s owner. I love her very much, nothing will happen to her as long as I am around. I promise!”

[Masterlist] [Guideline]

[bts-love-sweat-tears]

(Ice) Princess, Part 2

Title: (Ice) Princess, Part 2.

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Type: Fluff/ Angst

Rating: PG

Author’s Note: I’ve had an amazing response to my last two stories, so thank you so much to everyone who has read and liked! I meant for Ice Princess to be a one-shot, but I couldn’t stop thinking about all the directions it could go in. Please enjoy, and let me know if you have any feedback! I will likely update on Tuesdays nights or Wednesdays ❤️

Link to Part 1

Part 2

You weren’t sure if it was your ears or your phone buzzing when you first heard the sound the following morning. You hadn’t had that much, but since you didn’t drink too often, even a little had a strong impact. Soon though, you realized that it was, in fact, your phone. Opening one eye, you glanced at the screen, and saw that you had seven unread messages from Taehyung. He had saved himself as “Tae-oppa 🐶” in your phone. If your eyes weren’t still bleary with sleep, you’d have rolled them.

Annyeong! It’s Kim Taehyung, in case you forgot!!!!

How are you this morning? Thinking about me?

I hope you text me back soon, I’m bored, kekeke.

I’d invite you over to play Overwatch, but I don’t think my managers or hyungs would like that, since they don’t know how cool you are (YET)!!!

Let’s do something fun today! We could go to the park!!!!!!!

Or the aquarium!!!!!!!

OR PAINTBALL….I LOVE PAINTBALL. DO YOU LOVE PAINTBALL?!?!?!?!

His messages had increasingly more capital letters and exclamation points, and you could see the ellipsis at the bottom of your screen meaning that he was typing more. You decided to message him back as quickly as possible before he spontaneously combusted. But if you were being honest with yourself, you liked that he was excited to hang out with you-it was flattering. And if you were being even more honest, you were also feeling excited. Whether you would express that excitement to him was a different matter entirely.

Annyeonghaseo, you typed back. Tae, it’s 6 in the morning.

Within seconds of sending the last message, there was already another in your inbox.

Exactly. The day is new-let’s make the most of it!

His optimism was strangely refreshing.

I have meetings all day, from 9, and then a couple of international calls that will go late, you replied.

It’s okay! I have filming for our new MV (I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you!)  and then practice. We can go this morning! Live a little, Y/N!

How was his energy so boundless? Despite your hesitation, you found yourself wanting to go somewhere with him. Hadn’t you just been hoping for new friends or excitement to mix up your daily routine? This new development with Tae was nothing if not exciting. And if today went badly, you could use work as an excuse to avoid him.

I can’t go anywhere too far from the office. Let’s go to the park.

Tae sent back an obscene number of emojis, along with the promise to meet you at the riverfront park by 7. You weren’t sure why you had said yes, when it was completely impractical to the flow of your day, but you were excited nonetheless. You ended up throwing on an oversized rust colored sweatshirt, with black jeans, slip on sandals, and a black beanie, and ran out the door.

You had never seen him like this. The other day in the glitz of the Gucci store, he had looked refined, elegant, and a little cold. Today he was wearing a burnt orange sweater with holes (that looked suspiciously intentional, you thought), and black jeans. He had a black baseball hat, a mask, and shades he had on backwards for some unknown reason. Did celebrities think that they blended in when they dressed that way? you wondered.  

He was still wearing Gucci slip ons, but he laughed when he saw you.

“Yah, we’re already in matching couple clothes.” He laughed and beamed that boxy smile to which you were already more susceptible than you would like to admit. You smiled back, blushing a little. “Shall we walk for a bit?” he beamed again, offering you his arm. If you were blushing a little before, you were positively red now. Trying to act casual, you took his arm, which was solid under your hand. He was unexpectedly tall up close-you were surprised you hadn’t noticed it when you collided yesterday.

It was a misty morning down by the riverfront park, and there were few people out. There was a slight chill to the air that early, but you were feeling strangely warm with Tae. He had been talking about his family, hometown, siblings, cousins, and everyone else from back home in Daegu. it was clear he missed them, but you also noticed the same love when he talked about his team members.  You had thought him to be everything from a superficial playboy to a goofy kid, but you realized how deep his emotions ran when it came to the people he cared for. It was clear that he was super observant too, with the way he spoke about people’s little quirks or hidden traits. It was also clear from the small flowers he would notice at the side of the trail, or a new graffiti that hadn’t been there the week before. You wondered how many times your paths had crossed without even realizing. You were in awe of the complex person in front of you. Suddenly, you felt immense gratitude for the fashion trends of your mother’s friends.

He whispered into your ear, causing you to jump and snap out of it. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Even though you’d been feeling super soft, there was no way that you would admit to it.

“Just zoning,” you smiled up at him. “I probably need more caffeine or something.”

You weren’t sure he completely believed you, but he quickly moved his arm away. Just as you started to feel (secretly) salty, he laced his fingers back through yours, and sped ahead.

“I know a great place right near here!!” You weren’t much of a follower, but you let him lead the way.

Before you knew it, you arrived at the cafe. It was dark polished wood, overstuffed chairs, and dim lighting. It was much more noir and 1930s that you would have expected. Not that you ever knew what to expect with Taehyung. It was very sophisticated. Tae led you over to a cozy couch in the corner, and gently pushed on your shoulders until you sat down. The lack of caffeine really was starting to hit you. He laughed another one of those wheezy laughs as you sunk into the couch and closed your eyes.

“Hold our spot- I’ll get the drinks. What do you like?” he asked.

“I’ll have a flat white or whatever’s good!”

As Tae got the drinks, you soaked up your surroundings. He was rubbing off on you-everything seemed to look new and fresh. You were really seeing things that normally faded into the background of your daily routine. It was quiet, with just a few other patrons getting their morning fix.  You noticed the barista staring at him, and some unknown feeling twisted in your stomach. Anxiety?  It faded into nothing as he settled in next to you on the couch, drinks in hand.

“What did you get?” You asked, taking a careful first sip of your flat white, trying not to burn your tongue.

“Mocha-the caffeine content of coffee and the sugar content of hot chocolate.”

A snort escaped you. So much for being cute. “I don’t think you need either of those things.”

“Yah, what are you trying to say?” He leaned in, like he was about to say something, when a flashes began blinding both of you.

You looked up to see a horde of paparazzi. Before you could even register what was happening, Tae was trying to shield your face, frantically putting his shades over your eyes and pulling your beanie lower onto your head. Though you didn’t say anything, you knew it was a lost cause. You were a boring heiress, but an heiress nonetheless. The paparazzi knew your face too. He grabbed your hand less gently, and ran outside to a waiting black van with the darkest tinted windows you had ever seen. Did they have a tracker on him? How did they get there so quickly? Strange the details one notices, when trying to avoid the obvious: the two of you were in trouble.

The ride back to the BigHit office was silent, and you could feel the disapproval radiating off of the driver, whoever he was.  You had never seen Tae like this. The carefree, warm person was gone, and replaced with a blank exterior. You weren’t sure that you could get through to him right now even if you wanted to. And you didn’t because you were already thinking about what resources you might be able to leverage to keep these photos private.  You had enough difficulty getting people to take you seriously- you didn’t need your life to be tabloid fodder. Not that you had thought this far ahead, but you knew this was an inauspicious beginning to whatever this was with Tae. You sighed at your own selfishness. What would this do to his career, as well? You knew that the photos looked far more incriminating than anything that had actually happened. The paparazzi had waited until the exact moment he leaned in. In some twisted sense, they were truly professionals.

The car came to an abrupt stop, and Tae was whisked away to parts unknown. You were unceremoniously dumped on the curb, where you had to procure your own way home. You quickly flagged a taxi down, and arrived at the office at 9 on the dot, already feeling exhausted.

You spent the rest of your day trying to get through your business obligations, but you couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Tae’s face. You collapsed into bed, but couldn’t sleep. In the middle of the night, realizing that you wouldn’t be able to stop thinking until you sent a few messages, you texted Tae.

I’m sorry, you wrote. We should have been more careful.

A few minutes later, you sent a third message.

If it’s any consolation, I had an amazing time. You paused, and added one, solitary emoji at the end of your message, but it still made you nervous.

❤️.

After staring at your phone screen for a few more minutes with no response, you finally fell asleep, though you were plagued by restlessness and stressful, abstract dreams.

[karabites]

76. "I need to pretend we're dating" AKA my favorite AU for any pairing ever

You’ve got good taste my friend!!! I need to take a nap

Chibita probably shouldhave known his day was about to go sideways when he heard a loud banging at hisdoor.  He mentally went through achecklist of who could be paying him a visit at ten in the morning—wasn’t thenormal day for Totoko, Iyami was probably too hungover, he’d been clean for toolong for it to be the cops—as he crossed the room to the door.  He was too small to see out the peephole so,as prepared as always to knock the lights out of any unwanted visitors, he tookthe chance and swung the door open.

           Oh.  Of course.

           Karamatsustared down at him from the doorway, his fist raised mid-knock.  He quickly pulled his hand back andsmiled.  “Chibita!” he exclaimed.  He looked sweaty and red-faced, like he’d runall the way here.  Actually, from howheavily he was breathing, he probably had. Idiot.  “H-how are—.”  He gasped and cleared his throat and leanedagainst the doorframe, probably aiming for suave and composed, but onlymanaging to look tired and unsteady. “Hello.”

           Chibitaeyed him suspiciously.  “Hey.”

There was a beat ofsilence, filled by Karamatsu’s heavy breaths as he looked around nervously.  He cleared his throat again and adjusted hisglasses on his face.  “I, ah… Chibita, Ihave made a terrible mistake.”

“A terrible what now?”

“Ah—a mistake,” herepeated, this time in Japanese.  He’dpulled back from the doorframe and was fiddling with one of the extra zipperson his leather jacket, still probably glancing around from behind thoseridiculously dark glasses of his.  Damnhow did he even see with those on?

Chibita folded his arms,still not moving from the doorway. “Mistake, huh?  What kind of mistake? I don’t gotta hide abody for you do I?”

           “Wh—?Chibita, no!”  He pulled back and wavedhis hands out in front of himself hastily. “No, I wouldn’t—Chibita you’re joking, right?”

           Chibitashrugged.

           Karamatsustared for a beat, then let out a small nervous “heh” and attempted once againto compose himself.  He was fiddling withhis zippers again.  “Ah, nothing quite sodrastic, my friend.  I just require yourassistance with a, ah…” The bravado faltered a bit in his speech and he lookedaround again, but he didn’t seem to be checking for prying eyes and ears, justavoiding looking at Chibita.  

           Chibitatook a step back and motioned him inside. No use talking to him out here if it was getting them nowhere.   Karamatsu smoothed his hair back and noddedtowards Chibita as he slipped in.  Damn,he was nervous.  What the hell did he do?

           Chibitaclosed the door behind him and followed him into the living room.  “What the hell did you do?”

           Karamatsutook a steadying breath.  He’d turnedbright red.  “My family was invited to arelative’s wedding.  The invitations weresent individually, of course.  And I mayhave been a bit overly optimistic that a Karamatsu Girl or Boy would have seenmy charms and fallen head over heels directly into my waiting arms by now.  At the time it seemed entirely reasonable,and perhaps it had been!  It may onlyhave been by an incredible misfortune that I have not yet—“

           “Didyou RSVP for a couple?”  Chibitainterjected.

           Henodded gravely.  God, he was so dramatic. “Of course my mother saw and wasecstatic that I had found someone, and she told our relatives and friends and,ah, started asking me about my partner.” By now, he was sweating bullets, refusing to look up from theground.  “Chibita, I just got so caughtup in the heat of the moment and the thought of being graced by the power ofCupid’s bow, I told them all about my invented lover, their grace and kindnessand all of their charms!  But of course Ido not have such a lover.”  He paused,then looked up at Chibita determinedly. “I am in too deep to back out now. So!  Chibita, I-…” Karamatsutensed and seemed to shrink for a moment. “I need you to pretend to be my partner. T-to pretend we are dating.”

           He’dseen it coming, but it still took a moment for Chibita to process what he’dsaid.  Still, Chibita wasn’t one for longawkward silences, so he cut this one short with a sigh.  “Sit down, Karaboy.  I’m gonna go make some tea.”

           Karamatsuobediently sat in front of the kotatsu while Chibita stepped into the kitchento for a minute to process and ignore and pour them some tea.  Why, why, why did he keep getting involved inthis stupid sextuplet drama?

           Whenhe sat back down with their cups, Karamatsu was fidgeting and staring very hardat the floor.  He looked like he wastrying to will lightning to strike him or something.  Poor guy. He looked up and breathed a thank you when Chibita handed him his tea,and they sat for a moment sipping from their cups, regretting the situation athand.  

           “Youknow I don’t have those magic prettygirl pills anymore, right?” Chibita asked.

           “That’salright.”  He adjusted his glasses againand blew on his tea.  “My brothers wouldknow it was you anyway.”

           “Andyou’re okay with that?  I mean I know I’mnot the biggest catch out there so it’d be just as disappointing as if youdidn’t bring anyone, right?”

           Karamatsulooked up sternly.  “Of course you are acatch, Chibita!  Anyone would be lucky tohave you!”  Chibita snorted.  “You are my dearest friend, an angel of compassion, a passionate andambitious man!  You are full of Heart, Chibita!  A shining star in the dark of the uncaringcruelty of the world!  And of course,” heswept up Chibita’s hand and held it gently, putting on his suave smirk anddropping his voice, “who could overlook how handsome you are?”

           Chibitachuckled his harsh “kekeke!” and slipped his hand away to hold it against hisreddening cheeks.  His counterpart didn’tmove from his pose, but his smile widened at Chibita’s laugh.  “Ah, you’re too much Karaboy!  Too kind! You’re probably the only one who thinks all that, too.”  He gradually settled himself down andKaramatsu rocked back to sit upright again. They went back to nursing their tea for a moment before Chibita spokeagain.  

           “Iguess since it’s you I wouldn’t mind. It’s just the one day, right?”

           “Right.”  Karamatsu nodded.  “And there is free food.”

           “Nice!”He thumped the table.  “But, uh,” hesquirmed in his seat.  “I don’t gottalike, kiss you or anything do I?  We canjust sit next to each other and call it a day?”

           Karamatsuran his thumb around the lip of his cup idly. “Hmm, I suppose public affection would provide for a more believableperformance, but it wouldn’t be necessary for this.  Romantic language is a must, though.”

           Ah.  So he’d have to be able to sing his praisesall day, huh?  That wasn’t so bad, hecould just complain about his shitty good-for-nothing brothers not appreciatinghim enough.  He wouldn’t even need tofake that part.  

           “Alright,”Chibita said, extending a hand to shake. “Deal.”

 --

           Showingup as Karamatsu’s date had definitely been awkward.  There’d been a fair bit of teasing from thoseother five hooligans—which Chibita had responded to with lots of threateningand yelling—and an uncomfortable amount of whispering from some of the moredistant relatives and friends of the bride and groom—which Chibita hadresponded to by squeezing Karamatsu’s hand a little tighter and guiding him toa quieter area.  The worst part wasprobably lying to Mr. and Mrs. Matsuno about dating their son.  They both seemed really happy about it and hedoubted he’d ever be on their good side again if he “broke up” with Karamatsuafter this.  

           Otherthan that, though, it was… it was nice. Karamatsu’s hands got sweaty very fast but holding hands was comfortingand made Chibita’s chest flutter in a way he hadn’t thought it would.  They stood close, they joked, they sharedvictorious glances whenever someone bought their ruse; it was all a lot morefamiliar than Chibita was used to, but not unwelcome.  He wouldn’t have ever asked Karamatsu to puthis arm around his shoulder, but when he casually did so in the middle of aconversation, Chibita found himself leaning into it.  It was nice. It really was.  

The wedding itself wasnice too, and the ceremony managed to move Karamatsu to tears (notsurprising).  But Chibita’s attentionstrayed from the lucky couple to the man next to him.  He slipped his hand into Karamatsu’s andleaned against him and tried to focus on the vows being exchanged instead of howmuch he wanted to keep this ruse up.  Itdidn’t work, but he tried.

 --

           Chibitastopped his moped in front of the Matsuno household.  The other five sextuplets and their parentshad gotten home hours before; even free food and beer hadn’t been enough tokeep them out if they had to see the kid they used to bully hanging on to theirbrother’s arm all night.  And he hadbeen.  They’d both probably had more todrink than they needed to at the reception and Chibita had practically been inKaramatsu’s lap by the time the others left. Well, not practically, it was actually. He had actually been in Karamatsu Matsuno’s lap.  He probably shouldn’t have been driving.  

           Chibitaturned in his seat and killed the ignition. “Right.  Karaboy, here’s yerstop.”  Karamatsu groggily lifted hishead from Chibita’s shoulder, having been mostly asleep for the ride.  The poor guy had barely drank anything beforehe was absolutely plastered, which hadn’t helped to stop the lap-sitting andgiggling and leaning into each other and weeping about how beautiful theceremony was.  Yeah, yeah they reallyshould’ve just taken a cab.

           Chibitashrugged his shoulder to push him off. “C’mon.  Off.”  Karamatsu groaned and struggled to situpright, but complied, slipping off to the side of the bike and immediatelyswinging around to pull Chibita into an embrace.  

“O-oi! What gives?”

Karamatsu hummed, pressinghis cheek against Chibita’s.  He smelled likecheap cologne and beer.  “MmmChibita-kun,” he rumbled, “Tonight was…marv’lous.  You were ‘credible, my love.”  He pulled back a bit and slipped a hand up tocup Chibita’s face, the other sliding down to Chibita’s hip to steadyhimself.  It didn’t work; he was stillvery wobbly.  “Thank you… so much.  I won’t— won’t forget.  You were wonderful, my dear.”

Chibita snorted andcovered Karamatsu’s hand with his own. “Idjit.  It’s nothing.  Go home, buddy, yer drunk.”

Karamatsu closed his eyesand hummed again, leaning down until their foreheads touched.  “So are you.”

“Yea an’ I’m goin’ home.  Prob’ly—prob’ly should walk, huh?”

He felt Karamatsu nodagainst him and sigh.  His breath was hotin the small space between them.  “Is’pose… I should take you.  Walk with you.  A gentleman’ll keep you safe, hmmm?”            Chibita shook his head.  “Nah, I’m—I’m good.  You just go home here.”

           Karamatsupouted and hummed again.  The way his lipstuck out it almost touched Chibita’s. He felt Karamatsu’s hand move up from his hip to his back and Karamatsuleaned closer to him.  “Very well,m’love.  My sweet Chibita.  Then this’s goodbye.”  

Chibita wasn’t surewhether he moved first or if Karamatsu just fell onto him as their lips crashedtogether, painful and awkward but still exactly what he wanted.  It was sloppy and slow and in his drunkenstupor Chibita wasn’t entirely sure where his mouth was, but Karamatsu’s lipstasted like berries and his hands felt strong and sure as they pulled Chibitacloser and the cool night air suddenly felt so warm.  He fumbled for Karamatsu’s hips to hold himsteady and wished they were in his apartment, that he’d have more time toexplore and taste and touch and be wrapped up in the man in front of him.

           Karamatsupulled away too soon and let his hands slip away.  It felt cold where they once were.  He fluttered his long eyelashes and smiledwith his red lips—god, Chibita wanted to kiss them again.  

           “Oi…Thought you said we didn’ need that for the act to work.”

           Karamatsusmiled coyly and wagged a finger as he stepped back towards his house.  “Non non, my dear Chibita.  That one’s just for you.”

[taejinace]

The Prince and The Pickpocket

“It wasn’t me, it was my evil twin...”

Self-Para: Royalty AU

(1789 words) :|: Warnings: Child Abandonment, Violence/Crime/Theft

(ft. @kekeke-rose-ace @acexsora and @taechulace )

Taejin grew up knowing that he wasn’t a part of his family. His sister, Rose, and his mother had always been very honest about that, but he never really cared much for where he’d come from, only that he always had someone by his side. It was as though, he felt like a part of himself was missing, and although he had Rose, it wasn’t exactly what he’d expected, and so he made due. He found himself acting out, and learned fighting from his sister after their mother died. They kept each other together, his own, less than fully legal actions bringing in some food and materials, while his sister worked up at the Palace. He didn’t have much of an opportunity to make his way near there, and it always seemed to feel dark and lonely, and so, he avoided it. He found much more comfort in the quiet comfort of the trees and plants in the forest than he ever did in town, and it was easy for him to collect nuts and berries and some wild vegetables that grew there, every once in a while, practicing his archery and bringing home meat for them to enjoy.

He’d only found out that he was capable of stealing recently. He’d gone wandering through a clearing, and had been stopped by a couple wanting to know the way through the forest. It was easy, he’d told them the way, and they’d been on their way, but he’d managed to swipe the bag of coins from the back of their wagon, the two none the wiser, as he nimbly jumped into the wagon, and then silently exiting once again. It had only grown more interesting from there. He’d heard stories of a thief who stole from the rich, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. There were so many rich people, and they had so much… how could they even realize that they were missing anything at all?

He found out, however, that not everything that the rich had was so simple. He’d heard whispers, that one of the higher nobles was planning on moving his priceless jewels from one locked warehouse, to another in a weeks time. The price of a jewel, any jewel, would be higher than anything he’d managed to steal before. There was a race in his heart, and he couldn’t help but want to think of some sort of idea as to how to satisfy it. It only took a few days for him to put his plan into place, a few of the local kids agreeing to help out for some of the soup his sister managed to make, when she wasn’t off fighting or killing someone.

Taejin worried about Rose, about the fact that even compared to what he was doing, she was in danger day after day. It wasn’t that he didn’t know she could take care of herself. He knew she was even more capable than he was with a blade or bow, and the sword that hung at her side was a testament to her skills.

When he’d been very young, Rose had gone away for a few days, left him with strict instructions not to leave the house, not to let anyone in. When she’d returned, she looked tired, lost, but the sword that returned with her gleamed like the light of a star, and she held it closer to her than he’d thought necessary. It was only when he grew older and asked again that she explained… the sword had come from the leader of the gang of Japanese thugs that lived in the next town over. She’d gotten a job to take him out, and her success made her somehow high on their hierarchy. The sword was the symbol, and to some, it made her untouchable.

She still wasn’t done though, he watched her as she made friends, whispers in the dark after she’d been sure he’d gone to bed, hushed voices echoing up to the loft where he slept. Plans to go after the King. Taejin had felt lost and confused, hearing this. He couldn’t figure out what it was that she had against the king, though she’d never been fold of him, and it seemed, she wasn’t the only one.

It only took a day before he had to be ready, fully alert the next night, as he stepped out, his black mixing with the inky darkness, standing in the shadow around the corner where he knew they’d come from. The wagon had several armed guards, their royal guard armor shining in the torchlight. He took a shaky breath, watching as he lifted his hand, giving the signal to the kids, who performed their task admirably. They surrounded the horse, reaching out, knowing better than to get under the hooves as the horse reared, making a distraction as the guards raced around to calm the horse. The last guard looked conflicted, and Taejin hesitated, waiting one moment, and then two, before one of the kids tugged at the man’s arm, pulling him towards the front of the wagon.

Slipping from the shadows, Taejin leapt quietly into the wagon, and his eyes widened as he saw what awaited him there. He’d expected the guards to all be outside the wagon, but one waited in the quiet of the inside of the wagon, seated next to a great chest. Taejin halted any movement before backing up rapidly, his foot catching the wall of the wagon, and he tumbled backwards, hitting his forehead against the wagon as he fell, biting back a shout at the pain, he landed on his feet, the only plus he figured, after years of practicing. He took off, the footsteps of the single guard now rapidly closing on him as he became slightly disoriented, dizzy. He put out a hand, glad to feel the feeling of a pillar there, and he stopped, holding himself upright, his head dipped, his breathing ragged. He was simply glad his hood remained in place to hide his face from the world.  

That happiness was short lived, however, and his face was revealed by a tug from a hand behind him. His eyes widened and he turned to face his pursuer. The look on their face, however, was certainly not what he’d expected, as the hand instantly let go of his hood and, now that he could see fully, the captain of the royal guard was now backing away, eyes widened, and… was she… bowing? He raised a brow, then gasped, hand instinctively raising to touch the cut at his hairline.

“Y-your Highness… What are you doing here? Now?” Your Highness? What kind of drugs would the captain of the royal guard be on to think that he was in fact the crown prince.

“I’m no one’s highness… least of all yours.” He crossed his arms, leaning his weight on one of his hips as he watched her, considering the likelihood of him being able to escape if he ran for it while she was still confused. “But if you think I am… You probably should take me back to the palace.” He was far too interested in what she meant in her mistake to really run. He was far too curious for his own good. It was part of what had gotten him into trouble tonight. Her face had changed however, twisting with confusion, and then annoyance, but he could tell she was still quite confused. “I mean it… I’d love to meet my doppelganger if he’s the prince. Seems to me it’d come in handy.” He was very surprised when she simply nodded. She’d reached out, and put a hand on his shoulder, but said no words, only the mild pressure on his shoulder a reminder that he wasn’t exactly a free man yet.

It only took a short time for them to walk to the outer gates of the palace, where she tugged his hood back up over his head, re-claiming her place as she grasped one of his wrists in her hand, the other staying on his shoulder, her directions now, somehow more forced. He assumed it was some sort of show for other guards, but he was surprised when he was taken to the prison area. He tried to turn around, but was unable, and his outburst of annoyance was muffled with a hand over his mouth. He immediately stopped trying to shout and took as much of a deep breath as he could, turning his head to try to look at her. Instead of getting a look at her though, he was pushed around some corners, and into a side room.

When they arrived, he was pushed towards an empty chair at a table, and she went outside to speak to someone, if the muffled sounds of voices were any indicator. He couldn’t help but put his head on his folded arms. Even if he wanted to, there was no use in trying to escape now. He pulled his hood downward and closed his eyes, his head throbbing.

What seemed like moments later, there was a knock at the door, and it opened, Taejin had instantly been awake, the sharp pain at his hairline making full sleep a joke. He stood rapidly, the person in a cloak, hood hiding their face was obviously someone important. He could tell by the quality of their clothing. It was only when they lowered the hood that he gasped. The person standing in front of him was him. His hands shook slightly as he raised his arms, and pulled back his own hood. He supposed this moment was as much like looking into a mirror as things could get, as the look of shock on the other’s face, was probably as much like his own as it could get. The voice from the doorway was a muffled curse, before his eyes raised to meet the guard captain’s face. It looked as though she believed that god was playing some sort of horrible trick on her. He looked back at the other, noting minor differences between his own mirror image and this person.

“This is his royal highness, Prince Taechul… and you, I’m assuming, are not simply a pinch pocket in disguise.” There was a small amount of accusation in her voice, but for once, Taejin couldn’t disagree. The only trouble was, he didn’t know what he was anymore, but no matter what he was or had been before… Standing here, the prince in front of him… Something finally seemed to click into place. There was something less missing now, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to figure it out.

[hentaihunblog-blog]

IDOLiSH7 Episode 16 & 17 [FINAL]

New Post has been published on https://hentaihun.com/blog/2018/05/20/idolish7-episode-16-17-final/

IDOLiSH7 Episode 16 & 17 [FINAL]

IDOLiSH7 Episode 16

After two months, Idolish7 get their shit together and are finally thankful and excited to have been nominated for JIMA’s New Artist Award. (See what I did there?)

*SOBBING* I AM SO HAPPY

The first half of the finale (episode 16) was primarily devoted to clearing up the air. Everyone from Idolish7 and even Trigger all went to the Zero Arena to take time to reflect on either why they weren’t happy with themselves and what they have achieved, or how to proceed from here on out. It was kind of funny to see both members of the groups interacting with each other, the most surprising duo being Ryuunosuke and Tamaki, an unexpected pair that I would certainly like to see interact some more. But the highlight of the episode was seeing Riku and Tenn forged a new bond. Riku explained to Tenn his dream was to be able to make him smile the same way he for him did for when they were little. Being unable to run around outside, Tenn used to perform for him, and that brought him joy to his life. Now Riku is ready to move on. While he lost his star, he gained something even more incredible, a rival to brag about to the world. Gone are the days as siblings… now they have officially acknowledged each other as rivals. It is a bit sad how they both agreed to cast aside their blood-relations, but their rivalry is merely a new chapter to their newfound relationship. It is a friendship I look forward to seeing blossom further.

Seeing Idolish7 and Trigger officially recognizing each other as rivals was the moment we were all waiting for. Gaku always believed the group had potential, and is happy to see that they are the real deal. Tenn being on good terms with Riku, and better yet being proud of him warmed my heart.

However despite the good things that happened in this episode, the critic in me couldn’t help but perceive Episode 16 as one of the weakest episodes to date. There were a couple of things that irked me. For starters, the way they opened up the episode was incredibly overwhelming. I found it to be incredibly difficult to process each of the characters moments of self-reflection. It wasn’t just Idolish7 members, but Trigger as well, bring a total of ten characters, all within the first 6 – 7 minutes of the episode.

Then there was the matter of how they dealt with Sousuke. I thought we were in store to see one last attempt to squash Idolish7 and even Tsumugi was said to be a target, but before he even had the chance to make his final attempt, Gaku, Tenn and Ryuuonosuke collectively agreed they have had it with the way he does things, and set things straight and have a confrontation with him.

Now this particular event was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, as a fan and viewer, I was ecstatic and thoroughly entertained with the way Trigger handled it. They were prepared to go into a fist-fight with him, taking measures of barricading his office, cutting his phone lines and sending the employees out on a dinner so they can’t be interfered with. But the one that really hammered the message home was Ryuunosuke, who brought out his thug side, scaring the ever little crap out of Sousuke in glorious fashion, thus settling the matter for once and for all. It was also the first time we see the group work together in such a way. However the flip side, I felt like it was executed out of connivence, so they could make it a drama free finale. While TRIGGER had every reason to react the time they did, the timing of their confrontation made it feel terribly anti-climatic.

And as much as I hate to say it, this was also a problem when Nagi confessed he was the one who has been secretly delivering their songs. I don’t know what it was, either the timing missed the mark or it it just felt rushed, but I certainly wasn’t expecting him to open up the way he did. He is not the one who made them, but rather they were composed by his friend Sakura Haruki, who was responsible for composing Zero’s songs. The two of them were friends, and when Haruki got sick, Nagi went out to Japan to fulfill his promise of bringing the songs to Takanashi Productions, but before he could, he was scouted, and since the opportunity was presented to him, he decided to roll with it.

But either way, this scene still made me love Nagi even more. He is an all around dark-horse type of character, who of all the members of the group has the most genuine heart. And it’s funny how he is the one who ended up providing them the songs, making him contribute to the group in a very unique and meaningful way. Without those songs, there is no telling whether or not Idolish7 would be where they are today, overcoming the challenges they had to face, and and win the JIMA New Artist Award.

The group was also gifted a pot of expensive flowers from an anonymous sender, so the group decides they to leave it up to their imaginations of who they would like it to be from. I am going to guess Nagi and Mitsuki are properly the closet to the truth, either being from Haruki or Zero himself, otherwise if not them, I wonder who did send it (unless it was Sousuke as a form of apology…Kekeke). But there was nothing sweeter than seeing all of our boys being happy again. Another one of my favourite scenes was the Iori-Group-Hug, where everyone throws themselves onto Iori to cheer him up, as he is still feeling guilty for his blunder on stage. Tamaki wasn’t entirely wrong when he said, Iori wouldn’t last if he worried about every one of his mistakes. Hahaha!

IDOLiSH7 Episode 17

Having won JIMA’s New Artist Award, Idolish7 have been given the opportunity to perform at Black & White, Music Fantasia, where there they will finally be able to compete against Trigger. It is the matchup everyone has been waiting for, and what better time to do it than when the two groups have established friendly rivalry interaction between them. Both groups performed a new song, Trigger’s Leopard Eyes’ lyrics killed me, and then Idolish7 comes out with their pure and heartfelt song that told the stories of their journey. To be honest, I wasn’t into the song, mainly because I found the second half much better than the first. But Trigger is the ultimate bias wrecker, so naturally my vote goes with them. In fact, for the duration of the two months I have been waiting for the show to return, I found myself listening to more of Trigger’s songs than Idolish7’s. (Yes I know, I need to get around to Idolish7 Vibrato, but when is Episode 2 going to air anyways? Maybe I will just do a double-post on it since it is only 14 minutes long…)

Better yet, since Idolish7 was able to win JIMA New Arist Award, and beat them in the Black & White national broadcast, Tenn will be upholding his promise to tell Riku why he left the family in the first place. Unfortunately for us (who aren’t able to, or aren’t able to play the game), until we look up spoilers, we will never know for ourselves.

But if there is one thing I would like to acknowledge, that would be the growth of Riku’s character. In these two episodes, seeing the boy overflowing with confidence, and boldly setting the challenge line, I felt like he acted the the group’s leader more than Yamato had in the entire series. It is a side of Riku that made him climb up my bias ranking, and one I would be delighted to see more of in the future.

This episode was simply pure bliss, simultaneously making laugh and cry from start to finish. I was dying with how Iori and Tamaki couldn’t recognize or didn’t ever let Douglas Rootbank, (some american rock-pop music who wanted them to perform an opener to his concert), introduce himself, and mistaken him as the screen installer. It was even better when Mitsuki, Riku and Sogo lost themselves because they were huge fans. I litterally could not contain myself, the whole scene was freaking hilarious. Heck even Trigger was envious of them (especially Ryuunosuke being a fan of the guy himself).

When we talk about growth, we focus a lot on Idolish7’s, but we can’t forget how far each member of trigger has grown themselves. Tenn who has always had the mindset of working as “business partners” than being open and close as he would be with friends softened up, and became more friendly with his team-mates. It was so cute when he suggested them to high-five before they performed, Gaku was all for it, but didn’t want to admit it right away. It just makes all warm and fuzzy inside seeing the three be able to be open and more feel more free around each other, than strictly behaving as professional business partners. And since Idolish7 is now on equal footing with Trigger, while they enjoy good competition, Tenn in particular doesn’t care about the results, it is more important to him to make an unforgettable performance.

In the end, Idolish7 emerged as the new champions of Black & White Music Fantasia. It was a bittersweet moment for Trigger, Tenn was proud of Idolish7’s (and Riku) success, Gaku was shocked they had lost, he lost his face momentarily, but was able to smile again for their fans who continued to offer their support. Ryuunosuke is happy that they had lost to them, because he respects them as his opponents.

Black & White Music Fantasia has proven to be a major breakthrough for Idolish7, accomplishing many goals in one night. One of the most important ones being Tamaki’s sister, catching sight of her brother performing. It helps that she knows where he is now, and nothing would make me happier than to see the two reunite.

Final Thoughts

The crying fangirl is my actual face right now

It wouldn’t be Idolish7 if they didn’t have me crying during the last ten minutes of the episode. It has been one heck of an emotional roller-coaster, and undoubtedly the best idol show I have ever watched. It was everything I ever wanted from shows like Utapri, Idolm@ster Side:M, and we finally got it in the best form possible. The forces that made the series into what it was were plot the characters and they journey of becoming the stars they have become, and of coures, the music! It has been a tough road, but together they were able to overcome it together. All of this was able to blossom into a beautiful flower thanks to incredible writing. It is a show I will always come back to watch again, as I am wholly invested in the characters and their stories.

Although there are many loose ends (as there are some stories that are still in-progress in the game) and there was no announcements of a second season, I am hopeful we will see the show return to wrap up the remaining loose ends, and deliver the stories that have yet to be told!

It is a shame that we had to wait two months for the finale. I believe that really interfered with the momentum the series had, but at least those of you who have yet to watch this will be in for a treat! Although the finale wasn’t squeaky clean, it was still a pleasure to watch. I sincerely hope Idolish7 will return for a second season. The story and characters and music still have so much to offer, it would be a waste not to see more. I certainly want to know more about this man named Kujo, who we must remember, Tenn has picked up the name of. It seems he has been out of the country for a while now… I wonder if he’s Zero or something. Either way, PLEASE GIVE US A SECOND SEASON SO WE CAN SEE HIS FACE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HIM?! I NEED A SECOND SEASON!

Overall Score: 9/10 N’uff said, you should be watching this!

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