#and have not gotten the motivation to continue watching it since the fixation died after only a month :(

[gemharvest]

Didn't The Owl House just end. Should I finally go ahead and watch the rest of it.

[lola--james]

Lola’s 24th Birthday

characters: lola fields & ollie james date: 6 February 2020 location: ollie’s car (and other locations) nb: Ollie takes Lola out for her 24th birthday and his present to her is a promise for their future 

@shitollie

It had been Lola's birthday, and Ollie honestly couldn't have been any more excited. In fact, he was convinced he was more excited about the day than she was, which was understandable. Lola had opened up to him when they first met, telling him that she didn't really celebrate her birthday much before coming to Monarch. Ollie, on the other hand, grew up with birthday's being a huge deal until his parents died. Even then, Ollie had typically enjoyed celebrating other people more than he enjoyed celebrating him; and knowing that she didn't grow up with the same upbringing in that way only gave him more motivation to make the day better. Ollie had left a birthday surprise when Lola had gotten home, telling her that he would be picking her up around 7. Well, that time was now here. He had picked her up dressed in black slacks that were paired with a black button down and black suit jacket, making it a point to rave about how beautiful she looked for five minutes before actually leaving the apartment. It had been about a half hour drive to the surprise destination, and once they reached their destination, it had been obvious that they were at some sort of beach. "Wait, before you get out of the car...I want to give you your actual present." he stated, knowing very well that Lola would probably end up killing him if he kept pulling out all of these stops for her day. Taking off his seat belt, he reached in the backseat and grabbed a gift bag, a gift bag that had contained a box that held a special ring just for her. Ollie placed the bag on her lap, but immediately grabbed her hands before she could open it. "Look, I know what you're going to say. I know how awkward you get when it comes to your birthday, and granted we probably could've gotten away with me not decorating your room with a million balloons. But a couple of days ago I got a notification from my snapchat memories, and it had just been a picture that I took of campus on my first day, which was the first day I met you. I got a little nostalgic and a little sappy about the fact because in just a short span of a year, you went from being my sexy tour guide to girlfriend and best friend." he rambled nervously. He was still amazed by the fact that it seemed as though no matter how much time they two spent together, he always seemed to get nervous when it came to speaking his feelings. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but it was more that he didn't want to scare her away with his intense, sometimes overwhelming, feelings for her. "Okay, now that I've softened you up a little bit, you can open the gift."

Lola thought that Ollie's excitement over her birthday was adorable, although she didn't like the fact that he wouldn't tell her what he had planned for the day. After her dad died, there hadn't really been anyone around to celebrate her birthdays and by the time that she was a teenager, she was so used to keeping people at arm's length that she never celebrated the day with her friends. That had changed when she came to MU, mainly because she had befriended Charlie and he had always insisted that they do something. With little complaint, she dressed in the outfit that Dolly had bought her for her birthday and curled her hair; applying a light layer of makeup before Ollie picked her up at 7. "I appreciate the compliments but if you really love me, you'd just tell me where we were going", she teased as they left her apartment; although she didn't push for more information as he drove. Her face lit up when she realized that they were at the beach but before he got out of the car, Ollie was asking her to wait so that he could give her a present. "Ollie, you shouldn't have! The balloons, the decorations, tonight... you've already done more than enough", she told him as he grabbed a gift bag and placed it on her lap. Despite her complaint, she knew that Ollie wouldn't take the gift back so she went to open the bag, only for Ollie to grab her hands before she could. She looked at him with a fond smile when he talked about the start of their relationship; the two of them had come so far since then and she loved him more and more with each passing day. "I may not be a huge fan of my birthday but honestly, I'll take any excuse to spend time with you. You've made today really special and I love you for it". With his permission, she opened the gift bag to see a jewelry box. Expecting to see a pair of earrings or a necklace, she opened the box; gasping when she saw the ring nestled inside. "Ollie, it's gorgeous", she murmured, completely in awe as she looked at the ring.

Ollie playfully rolled his eyes in response to her comment about the surprise. "I know you're not one for surprises, but I'm still not telling you. The only hint that you get is that it's not a party, I wouldn't put you through that torture." he assured as she got in the car. Their car ride had been filled with them blasting and singing along to some of her favorite tunes, which always came with a good laugh. He couldn't wipe the smirk off his face as she insisted he didn't have go above and beyond for her. "You deserve to be spoiled. Twenty-four years ago today a wonderful person was brought to the world, and she deserves to be treated with the upmost respect considering that she's the worlds gift." he said with a huge smile on his face. His eyes were fixated on her as he tried to gauge her reaction. "I always thought that I would somehow end up with Allison, that I couldn't possibly love anyone as much as I thought I loved her. And then you came along and changed the game completely. I wanted to get you something that'll remind you that I'm yours. You have every piece of me right in the palm of your hand. Despite what other people may think, despite the admirers we both have, I'm not going anywhere. This is my promise to you that I will always be by your side no matter what. That no matter how stubborn I am, I will always fight for us, I will always fight for you because you're worth that and so much more. Thinking about the future scares the hell out of me and I have no idea what it has in store, but I'd you to be in it." he rambled, finding himself getting more and more nervous. It didn't matter how long the two had been together, or how many of these conversations they had, Lola would always have this affect on him. "I should probably shut up now before we suddenly end up in a remake of The Notebook, but I need you to know that I love you. I love both the good and bad about you, and that's never going to change."

"Oh thank god, I was so worried that it might be a party. I've literally been practicing my surprised face so that I could pull it off without looking like I was being tortured", Lola admitted. Thankfully Ollie knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't want a surprise party. "I love you but I worked too hard on my makeup to start crying in the car because of how sweet you're being", she jokingly threatened him, although the huge smile on her face made it clear just how much Ollie's words meant to her. She had never felt as loved or treasured as she did when she was around Ollie. Her determination not to cry was quickly thrown out of the window when he talked about how much he loved her; and made his promises to her. "Ollie, this is so beautiful... the ring, the words, the promises... I love you so much. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you or the way that I love you. You may be the one giving me a promise ring tonight but I hope you know that the feeling is so, so mutual", she told him, wiping away a few of the tears that were running down her cheeks. "I can't believe you made me cry on my birthday!" she playfully exclaimed. She carefully put the ring box into one of the cupholders for safe keeping before climbing from the passenger seat so that she was straddling Ollie in the drivers seat. "I love you so much, you're made today absolutely perfect", she told him before leaning down and kissing him deeply.

“I would never put you through that torture of pretending like you’re having the time of your life for /hours/.” Ollie stated. He laughed softly in response to her reaction to his gesture, one that was both playful and sentimental; showing that she really did like what he had been doing. A part of him had been terrified to do something like this in fear that he was doing too much, or that the extent of her feelings weren’t as intense as his. He very much knew that she loved him, but until that moment he feared that he might have been getting himself in too deep. “Your makeup looks really good, but I don’t think I can hold back these intense feelings I have for any longer.” He stated jokingly, continuing to laugh softly. Reaching over, he pulled the ring out of the box before gently grabbing her hand. “I know you do. You’ve always seen the best in me, you’re the reason I’m turning into a better man every day.” He spoke in a soft tone as he slid the ring onto her finger, smiling down at how perfect it looked on her. Ollie looked up and laughed as she blamed him for hear tears, assisting her with wiping them away without ruining her makeup. “Was my romantic gesture /that/ terrible that you’re crying?” He asked jokingly, knowing that probably couldn’t have been further from the truth. He watched as she quickly climbed onto his lap, straddling him comfortably before their lips met. He rested his hands on her waist momentarily before slowly dragging them down her body as he further deepened the kiss. “God, I’m so in love with you.” He whispered quietly as he pulled away just to place soft kisses down her jawline, his breathing slightly ragged.

"Yet another reason why I love you so much", Lola told him, very appreciative that he hadn't planned a surprise party and that the two of them would be spending this part of the night alone. "I hope you know that I'm going to have to touch up my makeup before we get out of this car. I can't have other people seeing me like thus", she joked, although she really wouldn't change anything about this moment. In her eyes, it was absolutely perfect. Her hand was trembling slightly as Ollie gently took it and slid the ring onto her finger. "It's so beautiful, I couldn't have picked a prettier ring myself", she told him, her gaze on the ring she was now wearing. "I can't take all the credit. Watching you grow and become the man that you've always wanted to be, without letting anxiety or fear slow you down... god, it's been so amazing just being a part of that journey". Ollie had been completely amazing when they first met but watching him become more confident in his own skin had been truly beautiful to witness. "We both know that these are happy tears", she retorted, playfully swatting his arm. "And I'm so in love with you", she murmured. "How long do we have before we need to be at our destination?" she questioned, wanting to take a few moments to truly enjoy this moment.

[taotrooper]

Colorful horizon

Title: Colorful horizon Series: Mo Dao Zu Shi Pairing: wangxian Summary:  Wei Wuxian wants to make Lan Wangji's life more fun, so he decides to make kites just for them. An afternoon together teaching his husband how to fly a kite under the breeze of a perfect sky, smiles and song and words of love on their lips, proves to be truly special. Notes:  For visual aids, this is the novel's description of WWX's kite back in Yunmeng. There are more pics of pretty Chinese kites that inspired me on the AO3 link.

🍃 On AO3

"What a cruel man," he pretended to be offended. "I worked for three days and you mock my beast. Is it too silly to you? Too tacky? Too childish?"

"No," Lan Wangji replied. "It is in fact extremely well done."

"Well, I would hope so. Then why did you laugh at it?"

"It suits Wei Ying."

Silence fell. Wei Wuxian frowned. He turned the head around and leveled its large eyes with his. While it was a great dragon-like creature, that wasn't exactly a beautiful animal. Unbelievable. Lan Zhan was teasing him once more!

"It is lively and bright and loud," his husband continued. "It takes the entire sky, fills it with color and horror, and it's impossible to look away. It suits you."

************

Wei Wuxian leaned back. He stared at his work and sighed in relief. His nimble fingers were covered in ink, paint of every possible hue, paper cuts, and even splinters after hours of work. The desk was a real mess that could attest to the intense creative process. However, it was worth the effort if he could say so himself. Not bad for his first and second attempts at this craft! It wasn't as gentle as Shijie's brushwork or as sturdy as Uncle Jiang's frame, true, but he felt pride in his chest as he raised both toys to the light for a final inspection.

But would the elegant Hanguang-Jun consider them worthy?

'Well,' he thought with a cheeky grin, 'he ended up liking me. His taste isn't that graceful or refined as he'd like to think.' He couldn't wait to see his beloved's reaction to those masterpieces.

The crazier the kites, the more fun you have flying and shooting them. That's just a fact.

************

The wide blue sky over his head was clear, with barely some white clouds spread across. Yet the wind was both gentle enough to refresh the summer heat, and strong enough to lift anything weightless —the grass under his boots, the clothes he was wearing, hopefully papercraft— into a disarray. In short, it was the perfect afternoon to fly a kite.

A strangely-shaped white shape moved closer and closer into the azure. As it reached the little valley, it was evident to the eyes that it was but a man. Patterns of blue clouds were embroidered into his white garb. For Wei Wuxian, the sight of that beauty warmed him more than the sun and shook him more than a gale.

Lan Wangji effortlessly unmounted his sword with a poised hop and pulled Wei Wuxian into his embrace right away. They joined lips, ignoring the distracting weather and taking their time to kiss in bliss.

"Did you wait long?"

"An eternity! What took you so long, Lan Zhan?"

"I was punctual."

"But I was early for once and I missed you..." A pout was quickly replaced by a mischievous laughter. "Ah, no matter, it's okay! You're mine for the rest of the day."

Lan Wangji tilted his neck to try to look at the pouch Wei Wuxian hid behind his back. "Will you tell me what you've planned, Wei Ying?"

It was natural he was curious. Three days of secret work, locked in a corner of the Library Pavilion, fingernails red and golden underneath. Of course his husband knew he was scheming and preparing something special, with this little date as the culmination of his labor. Anyone else would have been concerned to see the Yiling Patriarch crafting anything at all, yet Lan Wangji gave him space and trusted him, and never demanded to be told what that was about.

"Yeah, now I can say!" the devious artisan grinned. "We're flying kites! I made us some really cool ones since we didn't have any. Let's play, Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji blinked in surprise. "Mn," he just said before reaching again for a final soft peck that made the other one purr.

Reluctant, Wei Wuxian let go and opened his pouch wide. He offered it to Lan Wangji, who took it. "Hold it, I need both hands to get them out."

After some rummage, Lan Wangji's eyes opened wide as a red monstrosity came out of the bag. It was all face and tail, the longest kite he had ever seen. The head was almost as large as a human's, with sharp horns and fierce eyebrows on top, bulging eyes, pig-like nostrils, and tusks coming out of a huge open mouth. While the base paint job was crimson, a plethora of vibrant colors adorned the flying beast's semblance.

Even though it should have looked intimidating or majestic, Lan Wangji's lips curved upwards and the softest chuckles were born and died in his throat in an instant. Wei Wuxian was left breathless, any outrage gone by the joy he felt, by the miracle that was making the stoic Hanguang-Jun laugh.

"What a cruel man," he pretended to be offended. "I worked for three days and you mock my beast. Is it too silly to you? Too tacky? Too childish?"

"No," Lan Wangji replied. "It is in fact extremely well done."

"Well, I would hope so. Then why did you laugh at it?"

"It suits Wei Ying."

Silence fell. Wei Wuxian frowned. He turned the head around and leveled its large eyes with his. While it was a great dragon-like creature, that wasn't exactly a beautiful animal. Unbelievable. Lan Zhan was teasing him once more!

"It is lively and bright and loud," his husband continued. "It takes the entire sky, fills it with color and horror, and it's impossible to look away. It suits you."

Whether he was saying it earnestly or trying to fix his comment to hurt Wei Wuxian's feelings less, the latter didn't know. He gaped, looked at his husband, looked back at the kite, and looked up again. He decided not to say that not only the design wasn't his, but also Jiang Cheng's kite was basically the same with slightly different colors.

"So... do you really like it?"

"Mn. It's perfect."

Beaming, and the weight in his stomach loosened a bit, Wei Wuxian turned the kite around and made the beast's mouth give a little nudge on Lan Wangji's cheek.

"Are you ready to see your own kite?"

Lan Wangji's face didn't change, but his shoulders tensed.

"Hahahaha, don't be alarmed! I made something completely different for you! Something pretty, I promise! Let me take it out."

Wei Wuxian put down the red beast on the ground and rummaged inside the pouch again. It didn't take him that long to fetch it, but he stalled and kept moving his arms for a while to increase the suspense. After building enough expectation, he pulled it out and rose it to Lan Wangji's face's level.

"Take it! It's yours now!"

Lan Wangji grabbed it with the utmost care, as if it was made of glass or silk instead, and glanced at it. The kite was larger than the targets that sect disciples and civilian children flew, but was still a more conventionally shaped kite than the beast. Bird shapes were already a current popular motive. Lan Wangji's kite was a rooster, which wasn't that usual nonetheless. It had a white body, a red comb on the upper tip, and a colorful tail made with long strips of different papers which simulated feathers. Its eyes and beak were painted. Its wings were part of the shape of the sail.

By itself, the rooster was quite beautiful. But Wei Wuxian didn't leave it there. Over the bird's body and wings, he had painted flower designs. Large pink peonies with small blue gentians around them, decorated the otherwise jade white canvas.

Lan Wangji's eyes shone bright like gold, full of emotion and wonder. With his free hand, he slid delicately his fingers across the paper, stopping on each of the peonies with tenderness. Wei Wuxian could see with delight that the tip of his ears had turned to a softer shade than those flowers'.

He didn't need to ask if Lan Wangji liked it.

"I told you it was pretty, see?" he said instead. "I gave it a lot of thought, and I think it suits you. Are you pleased with this kite, Lan Zhan?"

"Very much so," Lan Wangji spoke in a whisper, his eyes fixated on his present, on the tail feathers. "Wei Ying, it's gorgeous."

The weight in Wei Wuxian's stomach was completely gone, replaced with satisfaction. He would cherish Lan Zhan's delighted reaction forever in his memories.

"Why a rooster, of all things?"

Wei Wuxian contained a laughter. He saw that question coming and he was prepared. Of course, he couldn't just say it was because his husband had stolen two chickens the third time he had gotten drunk with him, therefore giving him a chicken kite was a highly amusing idea to him. Instead, he just pointed out at the toy.

"Turn it around and you'll see the answer."

On one of the bamboo sticks of the frame, there were three characters engraved in the wood. They read 'Lan Wangji', except wang was written with the character for watch, and ji was written with the character for chicken and rooster. As soon as Lan Wangji groaned at the pun, Wei Wuxian couldn't take it anymore and sat on the grass next to his own kite, holding his belly as he cackled.

There were so many layers to that rooster joke. Cocks, obviously —and a quality Wei Wuxian admired in his man. Not to mention, in a more serious sense, that it was a lucky, auspicious animal that symbolized wisdom, goodness, loyalty, and courage —all qualities Wei Wuxian admired in his man. It was really easy to keep the connection fun without making Lan Zhan losing face. Lan Wangji crouched next to him and held his shaking waist gently, waiting in silence for his fit to end.

"Come on," said Wei Wuxian afterwards as he took the hand offered to lift himself up. "Let's fly these handsome babies before the wind goes away."

"Mmn."

Wei Ying then took the pouch again and started to take out the two sets of bows and quivers. Lan Wangji tensed up again, his face looking angry and dismayed.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think? It's to shoot them."

"No."

"You do know, right?" Wei Wuxian threw his arms in the air, exasperated at the curt, stubborn negative. "It's an archery target game, right?"

"...You worked hard on them!"

"They can be fixed or made again. Shijie took care of ours all the time."

Lan Wangji fiercely protected the rooster in his arms as if it were a masterpiece, very much like his drunken self with the actual birds. "Nonetheless, I refuse to damage it."

"..."

They glanced at each other. Wei Wuxian understood: he saw it as a mere toy but it was something he made for Lan Wangji, who treasured everything related to the man he loved with zeal. It was just unthinkable to open holes in them. With that point of view, he felt a tug in his heart and he offered a conciliating smile while he put the bows back in the pouch. Time for a compromise.

"You win, Lan Zhan. There are other games we can play anyway: which one flies it for the longest time, or which can reach higher. And we can just be boring and look at them! That's nice, too."

"Mn." Lan Wangji had the hint of a smile in his eyes.

Wei Wuxian put his arms around Lan Wangji's shoulders. "Next time I'm bringing a few little cyclopes we can shoot into shreds. I kinda want to see which of us does better. You will shoot normal training kites, right?"

"I will, yes."

"Good boy!" He dived for a long kiss, licking his husband's lower lip before breaking apart. "Now let me show you how it's done by a true kite champion."

Lan Wangji followed his instructions carefully and emulated the way he had to run with nothing short of perfection. The rooster shot upwards and did well at first, but after he stopped in one spot it started to jerk down in the changing currents of gust.

"Do I give it more line?" he asked, glancing at the spool in his hands.

"Yeah but put... Ah, it's more complicated than that. Hold on, let me..."

Wei Wuxian quickly went and positioned himself behind his husband. He cupped each of his hands with his own, and gently moved his arms into the correct position.

"Like this, Er-gege," he murmured into flushing ears. And it would've been tender and erotic to fly the kite like this together for a while, their hands intertwined and their bodies against each other, but the breeze had another ideas. Lan Wangji's perfect silky mane was whipping against Wei Wuxian's face, not allowing him to see ahead or talk without eating hair.

He would be really annoyed if that hair didn't smell like sandalwood. He couldn't stay mad at that soothing scent. After some chuckles and coughs, he broke contact for a moment in order to grab the hair and shove it under Lan Wangji's collar. Then the lesson resumed until the kite was stabilized and the other man had learned the basics. As good as the embrace was, Wei Wuxian was itching to fly his own creation.

Soon a black-garbed man ran across the green, and a big red creature rose up behind him across the blue. Wei Wuxian managed to move so he stood up right next to Lan Wangji, but with enough space for the two kites.

"Lan Zhan~"

"Wei Ying?"

They glanced at each other, but careful not to leaving the kites completely unsupervised.

"First time flying a kite?"

"Mn."

"Have you shot kites, though?"

"I have. Archery training with moving targets is a group activity for junior disciples."

"But as a class, I assume? Not as a game with the other kids during your free time?"

"Indeed."

Just as he thought. He didn't expect Lan Wangji to share that common childhood experience. That was the real reason that drove him to get paper, scissors, paint, bamboo, string; to make something both fun and beautiful for a wonderful person who craved, deep down, for childish excitement he never had.

That, and the fact that during their drinking session last week, an inebriated Lan Wangji had demanded for kites after seeing children playing during the day. Wei Wuxian couldn't provide even one in the middle of the night and distracted him with a hide-and-seek game. Even if in the morning his husband had forgotten, he couldn't.

"Haha, look!" Wei Wuxian smirked and pointed above. "My red fury is flying higher than your white cock! I'm winning."

"Mn."

Lan Wangji was now looking at the kites closely. Even though the face remained with the same serious expression, he was mesmerized by the two figures. There was a happy shine in his eyes that told Wei Wuxian that he did not mind if he wasn't victorious. The same shine was in Wei Wuxian's eyes with that sight, infectious and endearing.

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan!"

"Wei Ying?"

"You're having fun, aren't you?"

"Yes. More challenging to keep it balanced than I thought."

An overwhelming emotion of joy filled Wei Wuxian's already puffed chest. Lan Wangji was having fun.

"Yeah, it's way less dull than I thought. And you're doing amazing for your first time, Lan Er-gege. Talented in everything he does, that's my husband."

"I have a talented instructor," Lan Wangji replied. Wei Wuxian guffawed, his cheeks flustered. Ah, that Lan Zhan was getting better and better at flirting and quips. His heart couldn't take it.

"Oh, yeah? I heard he was a champion or something."

He glanced again at Lan Wangji's direction, who had said all that without taking his eyes off his kite. Wei Wuxian's eyes wandered to his man's hands and how he was unwinding the line slowly, with care and dexterity. Then he dropped his voice to a hoarser tone. "Honestly, I wish I were that kite, to feel your fingers all over my spool until you take me to the heavens."

Lan Wangji almost dropped his kite, but he quickly recovered.

"Shameless."

"Ahahahaha!"

"...I will do that later."

"I know you will, my sweet Lan Zhan," he winked. "And I will make you fly so high as well, but let's play for a while while it's windy. After all my efforts to make these guys for us."

"Mn, let's."

He noticed that Lan Wangji was now looking at him with longing eyes.

"Are you envious of my kite, too?"

His husband didn't answer for a few seconds, weighing the question. "No need. You're the wind underneath my sail."

It was the red beast's turn to shake violently. He pouted, his face matching his own toy in color. "Argh, Lan Zhan! You're definitely doing it on purpose! And he has the audacity to call me shameless?"

But despite his complaints, this was truly happiness for Wei Wuxian. As he recovered altitude, a few notes from a tune that always calmed him against all turmoil came out of his lips, resonating in his throat and chest. Lan Wangji hummed back the following notes. It sounded so natural in his velvety deep voice, just like that time over a decade ago when the song was born out of reluctant young love in bloom. Wei Wuxian joined him for the next verse, and they kept singing along in an improvised duet.

The playful breeze made everything sway to the melody. The vibrant tails of the kites danced. Wei Wuxian's red ribbon and Lan Wangji's white forehead ribbon danced. The sleeves of their robes, their hair as dark as ink, the green grass around them. Even their souls danced to the wind and the music.

When the sky exploded in the soft colors of twilight and it was too late to play, they packed the kites; it was their time to glide in the air. Balanced on top of Bichen, Lan Wangji carried Wei Wuxian in his arms all the way home, both enjoying the sunset. Wei Ying's head rested on his beloved's shoulders. They couldn't wait to unravel in each other's hands, to make the other one reach those familiar heights.

[scratchface]

Yusaku has better shit to do.

Aka Part 2 of the Yusaku Character Analysis!

Part 1 is here

So we covered why Yusaku is so socially isolated, but now we have to discuss who Yusaku really is and why.

First and foremost, to understand Yusaku, we have to note that he is highly mission-oriented. In season 1, Yusaku is always focused on and prioritizing the task at hand. Everything else comes second, if it even registers at all. Yusaku is so focused on his mission to the point of being oblivious about other matters, such as charisma duelists. He’s very concentrated on his three reasons, his three goals, and nothing short of life-threatening situations can even compete with that in his mind. It’s all about defeating Hanoi, helping Jin, and finding his special person. Nothing else matters, except for people’s lives. Even when Yusaku makes a move to help out other people, it’s because it serves his own goals or is to keep them from dying. That’s why Yusaku, for the most part, outright ignores everybody else’s emotional drama and only sticks his nose in their business when they’re actively doing something dangerous. 

So to get Yusaku, we have to understand that what’s significant to us, as the viewers, probably does not matter to him at all. 

A great example of this is the non-relationship between Aoi and Yusaku. Take the scene where Aoi overshares with a guy’s she’s spoken to once, because he mentioned her famous brother’s name, then runs off, obviously upset: 

This infodump on a near stranger is simultaneously an accusation and a plea for help. This is where the shonen protagonist is supposed to chase after her and comfort her, feeling both offended and guilty. Where they’re supposed to hash it all out and become closer.

But while the viewer feels bad for Aoi here, Yusaku never does anything with this information. In fact, based on their most recent interaction, we can assume Yusaku hasn’t really spoken to Aoi since she ran off months ago, considering she still hadn’t thanked him for finding her unconscious body on the school roof. That’s because, to put it simply, it’s all irrelevant to him. 

He only approached Aoi to see if she had information on SOL, and it’s clear she does not, so he does not speak with her again IRL. It’s not that Yusaku is incapable of being kind, caring, or sympathizing, but he has other stuff to do. While the viewer may be attached to Aoi here, Yusaku is clearly not.

The only time Yusaku shows the slightest interest in the Zaizen’s drama is episodes later, when he points out that he doesn’t want to be involved with either of them and doesn’t want them in the darkness. Knowing what we now know about Yusaku and how he perceives the world, we know of “the darkness” = the abyss, not just his quest for revenge. Yusaku doesn’t want them to cross the abyss; he doesn’t want them to live in the same world as him, like Ryoken does. Yusaku recognizes the Zaizen’s as pure-hearted people (to a rather frustrating degree), and wants nothing to do with them, for the best interests of them and himself.

Yusaku obviously thinks similarly about Go and Ema. He doesn’t want them to cross the “abyss” either. And he doesn’t want anything to do with them either, besides what’s necessary. Take, for example, the end of the duel with Ema. Ema outright pulls the most cliche romantic Japanese line on him, and even specifies when Ai doesn’t get it that she’s not actually talking about the moon. 

Whether this is a true expression of romantic intent or an attempt to distract Playmaker isn’t clear, but Yusaku just demands she hand over the back-door program. His only interest is, as always, the mission, and not at all in the beautiful woman trying to flirt with him. His no-nonsense attitude leaves Ema no openings to continue.

I alway thought Ema looked kind of sad here, either because of the rejection or because she’s realized not even she can distract Yusaku from his dangerous path. (But she’s also interested and more than a little infatuated with the mystery of Hanoi, the Incident, and Playmaker.)

Yusaku looks at the moon after Ema leaves, but instead of wondering what Ema could have possibly seen in it or in him, Yusaku wonders if SOL’s databank will have what he needs. Whatever feelings Ema was trying to express, they clearly didn’t make much impact. 

So Yusaku has other things on his mind and no time for the emotional journeys of the other characters. 

Why is Yusaku so single-minded? In season 1, the revenge quest is Yusaku’s last resort. He’s tried years of therapy, of trying to be normal, but none of it helped his PTSD. He never smiles, or laughs, and doesn’t seem to have anything he enjoys or even likes. He’s so worried about the important person he left behind in Hanoi that it “tears at his soul”. He can’t connect with anyone around him, and doesn’t even want to. Yusaku’s life is really miserable. As he told Akira, he has no friends or precious moments, and his youth is already ruined beyond repair. The gloomy abyss scene is suggested to be how Yusaku has seen the world for 10 years. Yusaku is at the point where he is almost unable to care about anything else, because this is his last chance and his last option: revenge. 

Either he gets revenge and finally gets a chance at life after, or he dies trying.

But Yusaku also just doesn’t have much else to care about. Almost every other character in the series is motivated by their family.

Ryoken -> his father. Aoi -><- Akira. Go -> the orphans. Spectre -> his “mother”. Kengo -> his mother. Kusanagi -> his brother. Vyra and Faust -> their little “brother”. I could probably go on.

There is no mention of Yusaku’s family. He doesn’t seem to have any, or remember them if he ever did. This makes Yusaku’s task-driven nature all the more unique in Vrains, and makes his fixation on finding the special person all the more poignant. 

Yusaku isn’t just focused on his mission, he has to complete it by himself.

Yusaku is a self-proclaimed loner. Up straight, Yusaku just doesn’t like being involved with other people. [I feel ya, Yusaku, I feel ya.] Not just because of the “abyss” but because Yusaku is living a dangerous life. He clearly states he doesn’t want anyone else involved and in danger, and in the worst case scenario, doesn’t want anyone to be associated with him. Just having Cyberse Wizard and calling himself Playmaker’s friend got Naoki kidnapped.

Yusaku doesn’t want anyone else to die in his fight; if he goes down, he wants to go down alone. And his revenge is meaningless if he’s not the one exacting it, so there’s no point in endangering others. Considering its been ten years and the only information Yusaku has gotten about the Incident is what he’s actively and probably illegally obtained himself, and that must have been incredibly frustrating. The result is that Yusaku doesn’t trust authority figures, or even most people. The only way he can be sure that his revenge is done right, even done at all, is if he does it himself. 

Yusaku has lived on his own for who knows how long. And that sort of independence at such a young age has instilled in him a fierce self-efficacy as well as self-sufficiency. From these same traits comes a sort of social aversion; the desire to handle things on his own. Yusaku knew Ema was sending him down the wrong path when she suggested they split up, but he didn’t protest or try to follow her. This is also especially clear at the end of the first season when Yusaku rejects a ride home and instead walks, wanting to be alone with his thoughts after the most emotionally taxing day of the entire series. Yusaku sorts through things best when he’s on his own, but he also struggles with that same solitude. He seem to prefer to sleep around people or stay up all night with Kusanagi, as the constant noise seems to relax him. It’s not so much loneliness that bothers Yusaku, but silence. No surprise, considering how his one comfort during the Incident was a voice. 

But despite his lone wolf attitude, Yusaku comes to respect other people’s desire to fight. Watching Go struggling against Genome, Yusaku struggles with himself; with his desire to interfere and his knowledge that he should stay out of it. 

Yusaku is acutely aware during the Anothers Incident that people are being hurt in a hunt for him. He feels responsible, but also recognizes that Hanoi wants to drag him out. So Yusaku forces himself to stick to investigating in the real world, and then finds Go is fighting on his behalf, with his “identity” on the line.

 And ultimately, Yusaku decides to limit his interference to just some tough encouragement. It’s here that we see that as long as they aren’t getting in his way, Yusaku is coming to terms with other people choosing to fight Hanoi. That’s why it’s not quite accurate to say “Yusaku doesn’t want help”. Yusaku is not going to ask for help, and he doesn’t want anyone interfering, but it’s irrelevant to him if others decide to fight on their own. 

Moreover, Yusaku doesn’t seem to mind his working partnerships; he’s very comfortable with both Kusanagi and Ai, and easily accepts both their advice and assistance when it’s viable. But for reasons I’ll get to in the next part, Go, Aoi, and Ema will probably never be able to reach this level of closeness with Yusaku, unlike Takeru.

Furthermore, Yusaku struggles between doing the right thing and doing what’s necessary for his goals

When Tower of Hanoi Arc happens, Aoi and Go show up with some words about being heroes and fighting for everyone. Aoi then asks what Playmaker is doing there and Yusaku lists three much more concrete goals.

To stop the tower, protecting Ai and the Cyberse from Hanoi and effectively foiling their plans again, preventing a world-wide disaster.

Saving Ema’s life.

And to fuck up Revolver’s shit. It’s all very focused and not at all like the idealistic answers Aoi and Go gave. Its more concrete, so when their motivations turn flimsy, his remains. 

Hours after that Go, Aoi, and Akira all get deleted and join Ema in the Tower. And some of that was pretty damn traumatizing for Yusaku: both Ema and Akira’s deletions drove him into a rage, as he was faced with his own weakness and helplessness. Because despite Yusaku’s focus on his revenge, and his competency, when it comes down to it, Yusaku is really bad at it. 

Despite knowing Hanoi’s connections with the experiments that ruined his life, Yusaku struggles with actually resenting the individuals. He respects human life too much to truly wish harm upon them, causing him to spend most of his quest searching for the truth over searching for payback. 

And then, when an innocent life is put between him and his mission, Yusaku freezes up. Spectre throws him off-balance, making him question whether his mission is truly reasonable and justifiable, and if it isn’t, if he’s prepared to bear the consequences and do what it takes to complete it anyway. 

Yusaku never really gets the chance to make this decision directly, aka make a kill. Akira and Spectre and Kogami all kill themselves, but after Akira Yusaku  not only refocuses on his mission, he doubles down on it. When he was forced to doubt himself and then reaffirmed by Akira’s words, instead of opening his mind up a little and seeing more than the mission, Yusaku goes straight into mission tunnel vision. Because Akira gave him the answer: he should choose the mission over people’s lives. 

Though he didn’t get a chance to chose the mission over life, due to Akira’s words, Yusaku is recognizing the necessity of sacrifice. As Go disappears, Yusaku is much more controlled and less furious than he was in the face of Akira and Ema’s deaths. And that’s because he’s decided the mission truly does take priority, and Go’s death serves a purpose to it. 

Now we see in season 2, in the wake of the Tower of Hanoi, that Yusaku isn’t as cool with other people joining the fight anymore. Before he might have let Aoi do her own thing so long as she didn’t bother him, but now he tells her “thanks but buzz-off”, because putting herself in danger again is unnecessary. 

Even though circumstances have changed and things aren’t as life-or-death, Yusaku still has no reason to think he needs help. Yusaku managed to take down the Knights of Hanoi and the Tower almost single-handedly--only two notable members weren’t defeated by him, and he certainly could have and would have taken them down himself had he tried to. 

It’s not just a matter of independence or Yusaku’s incredible skill; Yusaku had six months of Ryoken’s “Be strong” echoing either in the room or in his head, every time he showed weakness or failed. Yusaku associates weakness, hesitation, and helplessness with pain and starvation. It’s either “Be strong” or suffer. 

Furthermore, in the wake of Yusaku reprioritizing and casting aside his hesitation, Yusaku may truly want everyone else to stay out because he’s not willing to chose them over his goals if necessary. He may very well be trying to avoid another captive Akira situation because he now knows he will have to attack anyway. 

Thanks, Akira. 

That’s why Yusaku doesn’t protest each time Soulburner puts himself in danger so Yusaku can continue pursuit, and why he ditches them in the most recent episode even with Ai expressing concern. This is not something early Yusaku would be able to do so easily.

The mission to get back Jin absolutely takes priority over the others’ safety. Hell, Yusaku seemed pleasantly surprised when Soulburner came back fine from his duel with Go. He’s so used to other’s failing that part of him probably already wrote Takeru off as sacrificed. So it’s not that he trusts Takeru’s skills yet, but that he prioritizing.

So, all in all, Yusaku is the kind of person that does everything himself and is strong enough to make it work, and the Tower of Hanoi Arc validated that mindset. Having come to terms with making sacrifices for the bigger picture and working through a lifetime of distrust and an entire season of incompetency, he once again wants everyone to stay out of it and keep the body count to a minimum, but he’s at least nicer about saying it.

Yusaku’s single-minded focus on the current task and need to complete it himself without getting any more meddlers killed than necessary are essential factors to the question: who gets to help Yusaku? It all comes down to who can reach him, on the other side of the abyss, and who is good for the mission.

So, how the hell did Takeru manage it, when the others failed? 

Well, join me in Part 3 tomorrow, hopefully.

[kothemystical]

       Although I respect people’s opinions, I can never bring myself to understand why there is so much hatred for Hinata. She loved Naruto since the very very beginning. I think that itself is enough reason to adore her because she was never against him. He didn’t have to prove himself to her and she acknowledged his beautiful personality before anything else. Meanwhile, mostly everyone had to witness Naruto’s physical strength before actually taking him seriously. Hinata was on Naruto’s side even before he could summon a shadow clone properly, before he could call himself a ninja, when everyone was so fixated on the nine tails that they treated him like he wasn’t human. 

     Forgive me if it seems like I’m comparing but when people put team 7 before everything, I close my ears. Don’t get me wrong, I love team 7 but when I think about Naruto, I don’t just solely think about Team 7. When we put team 7′s bonds before everything else, we are demolishing the bonds that Naruto shared with others. We are demolishing the fact that Naruto was alone. Every aspect (even the bad ones) in Naruto’s life should all be taken into account and not just a fraction of it. The fact that he found the woman of his life, I would think that people would be happy because the manga starts with this...

And ends with...

     If you truly think about it, Naruto’s life is being told chronologically from his years as a boy, to a teen, to a young adult, to a full grown man. The ending is quite beautiful because it shows us just how much Naruto has grown; the fact that he found love! Who would have ever thought that knucklehead Naruto would get married... being the first one out of Konoha 11 at that?! It shows that in the very beginning, he was bereft of love... and the ending is basically his earned blessing because now, he’s united with the woman who loved him even when he was just that kid who sat on the swings and sadly watched everyone from afar.  It depicts his adulthood. When watching this wedding, we shouldn’t be thinking “Why did it not end with team 7!” Instead, we should be thinking “Naruto has grown up” or “He’s not that kid anymore!” It’s his wedding. That marks one of the best days of his life. 

     Meh, everyone’s entitle to think what they want. This is just how I look at it. This is why I truly adore Hinata and the ending. While I do feel like Kishimoto should have added more into the ending, I am still grateful for the results. In fact, it makes me want to cry when taking in the beginning of the manga to the ending. Watching Naruto as that lonely kid and seeing him now...Kishimoto did such a wonderful job with explaining the aspects of Naruto’s life. I am so proud of Naruto. He’s accomplished so much and now he’s gifted with a woman with such a beautiful heart.

   She even faced death for him. We see this puny little kunoichi fight a super strong evil shinobi like Pein and lost with the intent of  protecting and revealing her love for someone who has saved her from herself; someone who broke the chains of insecurity and self affliction out of her. That itself tells you that Hinata has a story of her own. She went through spiritual battles herself so you shouldn’t trivialize her feelings and the role she plays in Naruto’s life. She’s a person too... and she is not perfect. People spend so much time with expressing their hatred for her character when even Hinata herself admits her flaws and expresses her need for change; expresses how she doesn’t even like herself. 

    In a way it’s kind of like you tell someone “I hate you” and they respond “I hate myself.” She’s not ignorant of her character flaws and that itself makes her even more of an incredible character because this whole time, she acknowledged her bad sides and it gave her more of a reason to want to change into someone stronger. Naruto was the prime source of her strength because he is the perfect example of what she’s trying to become. He motivated her to pick herself up and continue to work hard as both a person and a ninja. In return, she felt like she owed him her life which is why she didn’t care if she died on the battle field. Her sacrifice confirmed how strong and genuine her love really is. This moment in the manga defines just how strong Hinata had become over the years as both a person and a ninja.

      I don’t see why it is a problem that she wants to be by Naruto’s side. We are already aware of the fact that she loved him since young. When you love someone, being by their side is more like an instinct. This is why she impulsively intervened in the battle the way she did... and other times...

    And, you wanna know something that I find hysterically hilarious? Is that she actually makes it her duty to be by his side. She legit wants to protect Naruto more than he does for her. She wants to be there for him more than she is actually capable... and she BLAMES HERSELF for why he always ends up being the one to save her in the end. It’s hilarious because this girl legit loves this guy and there are still people that don’t actually realize that (I respect your feelings though, but still). Even when she is tired and out of energy, she still tries to make a way to be by his side. Even when she knows she will die, she still tries to find a way. It is plain and simple... Hinata LOVES Naruto. Period, point blank.

    But then again, who’s to say that she’s the only impulsive one? 

              Those subconscious feelings are stronger than a bitch. 

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

Every time she helps Naruto, it is suddenly a “problem”. But, the crazy thing is... every time she DOES help him, he BENEFITS from it completely.

   He even admits it every time. If it wasn’t for Hinata’s encouragement, he would have never had the confidence to defeat Neji in the final competition. In fact, he probably would have gotten his ass kicked simply put ^_^ He even THANKS Hinata for uplifting him so sincerely. Naruto’s depression vanished very quickly and now he is back to being himself... positive and full of energy; full of life and strength. Turns out, he actually likes Hinata as a person and understands her better.

   Even her intervention during his battle with pein benefited him seeing that Naruto was going to die on spot after all. Next thing you know, he was able to meet his father, he was able to defeat pein, rewarded the title of the village hero, and luckily for him, he is still alive.  He even acknowledges that Hinata’s sacrifice was a “save” on his part. He knows that Hinata wants to protect him hence he clearly assured her that she has already been doing that.

        You want to know what’s really interesting about this panel? It reminds me of this...

     Mind you, Naruto wasn’t exactly confident about his match against Neji (Like I mentioned before). Hinata uplifted him very quickly just like Naruto was able to uplift her as soon as he sensed how dejected she felt for being saved by him during the war. They are both very good at encouraging each other. It’s like an “eye for eye” sort of thing because they have the answer to each other’s insecurity. You would think that Naruto would have shared his worry to this team mates for those who believe that Team 7 is EVERYTHING. But apparently, he didn’t. For a girl that he considered weird, gloomy, dark , and timid , it truly amazes me that he entrust telling her about his weaknesses than the people he’s been “bonded” with throughout his early journey as a ninja. I’m not necessarily belittling the importance of Team 7 but rather proving that it is NOT the most important thing in the series. We have to be mindful of other characters too because they contribute a lot to Naruto’s character alone.

     He even acknowledges the fact that she saved him from falling into the traps of Obito.  He genuinely thanks her and also acknowledges that she “stayed at his side.” So, if Naruto can happily come to terms with that, then I don’t see the “problem.” In the end, he is back on his feet and being the happy knucklehead that we all know and love. We should be happy that Naruto has people like Hinata in his life that will sacrifice a leg and an arm for him; like his parents, like neji, etc. When putting Team 7 over everything, you are forgetting about those other precious people and things that were put in action to ensure his growth, his potential, and the extent of his passionate feelings as a character. Deny it or not, Hinata aligns with all of that and there is nothing no one can do about it. 

   “But Hinata isn’t relevant to the series because she doesn’t get a lot of                                                screen time.” 

Does the quantity of moments dictate how strongly Naruto feels about a person? Are we really going to let time away from a character dictate someone’s relevance to another person? Because, as far as I’m concern, Naruto has never spent a day with his mom or dad... but they are still upheld as important to him. Sasuke has been away from the leaf village for over 2 years. Even in their adult life, Sasuke has been away from the village for around 12 years (if I’m correct). It doesn’t change the fact that Naruto and Sasuke are very close. If screen time was genuinely relevant, then he would have let Sasuke go over the years that he actually spent time trying to find him. Jiraya has been dead for quite a long time... but Naruto’s feelings for Jiraya hasn’t changed. He still cherishes his god father with every drip of blood in his body. Gaara and Naruto are from different villages (we don’t get to see Gaara all of the time) but even that doesn’t dictate his bond with Naruto. Shikamaru is not even on Team 7 but he and Naruto are basically close as well... just like the of rest of konoha 11. Iruka hasn’t had all the screen time in the world but who did naruto ask to be his father in the wedding? Naruto even cherishes that sweet adorable ramen guy (the dude who NEVER gets screen time).  So, can we please stop making everything about screen time? It doesn’t necessarily matter. The QUALITY of the moments he share with another character is what truly defines those special bonds. Believe it or not, he shared quality moments with Hinata hence there would be no point in the genjutsu meaning anything to him. Once he was able to genuinely decipher those moments, that is when he came to terms with his own feelings for the Hyuga. He was able to realize how he felt about Hinata all along... and it didn’t take THOUSANDTHS of moments for that to happen.

[loyalflutist]

Is it worth it...? [UmiMaki]

A/N: Frack, it’s a continuation of this one shot. Been bugging my mind about it since I finished writing it. I’m a sucker for these samurai x lord plots. Warning, there will be angst because I like to have everyone suffer everywhere. Also, since I’m not holding myself back any longer, HUGE WARNING for GORE and MENTIONED TORTURE. 

It has been one month since the incident. One long month since Nishikino Maki killed Sonoda Umi’s future self. So many things had occurred during that time span. 

Funerals were held for the royal guards who laid their lives for their lord. Umi had to be treated in the medical bay with the help of Minami Kotori, Maki’s most trusted doctor. Malicious rumors began anew, spreading like wildfires among her civilians and government officials. Distrust and doubts plagued the guards that served under her. Assassination attempts grew in its number after its brief vacation. Riots and protests bubbled up in her nation. 

To put it shortly, everything was a huge mess. It almost felt like the ruler’s predicament from the past rose back from the dead. All in less than a month. Only this time, she didn’t have the blue-haired warrior by her side. 

“Lord Nishikino, please do not listen to these rumors.” 

A pair of violet eyes dragged its gaze over to the left. In this large throne room, they were the only ones present, a lord who sat on her knees in her appropriate position, her protector sitting by her side in a similar posture. By her side is Yazawa Nico. Acting as a substitute to her wife’s original role, the ninja in her black attire looked over at the young woman. Concern was scrawled all over her facial features. 

Maki, in response, let out a weary exhale. There was no reason to be subtle with her feelings and opinions on the matter at hand. 

“I know. However, it would be a lie for me to say that it is not affecting me in some way.” 

The hands that were resting on her lap balled into fists. Still fixated on the older fighter, she added, “The news of their deaths yielded a result much worse than I had anticipated.” 

Nico shook her head. “We all didn’t see it coming. It’s natural for their families and friends to take it in badly… but for them to go out and be the cause of the rumors? Ridiculous. Is this how they treat their lord?” 

“Nico, please don’t say that.” There was a sharp tone in the red-hair’s voice. “As much as their actions hurt me, I cannot blame them for acting that way.” 

How brutally humble of her lord. A ruler worthy of serving under, but, at the same time, unworthy of her title. They need to be strong and execute politically correct decisions, especially in regard to punishments of the wrongdoers. Slanders of a royal family warrants more than enough reasons to slap a stick on the wrist in this time era. Yet Lord Nishikino brushed them aside. Instead, she absorbed all of their harsh words and actions. Her response to their motives? Bear through it all with a spent smile. This kindness will soon lead to her own demise. 

The ninja simply turned away, red eyes focused on the opposite wall. How ironic. A scroll in kanji read ‘ 見ぬが花 - Not seeing is a flower’ stood across from the two figures. As if the timing couldn’t have been better than ever. Eyes narrowed, she murmured, “Right… Sorry about that, my lord.” 

A brief silence hung between the two in the room. The atmosphere became heavier as more time prolonged. Such morbid aura wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for the incident last month. Otherwise, this room would’ve been entirely bright. But for now, despite the daylight shining into the area, negativity managed to overwhelm it. The quietness finally broke once Maki let out a small chuckle. This startled the warrior from the unexpected reaction, forcing her to look at the woman in puzzlement. 

“I hope the counselors and government officials would believe in my explanation once again today.” 

“Are you speaking about the meeting that will occur in this room, my lord?” 

Lord Nishikino nodded. When Nico saw the response, she let out a sigh and lowered her head. 

“I hate to say it, but I wouldn’t believe you either had I not been the one taking out the dead bodies with my comrades.” 

It was a duty only performed with great secrecy. Maki was forced to call upon Nico and her most trusted teammates to take care of the bodies. The event was unnatural. No one would call on a specialized team of shadow fighters to do dirty work. However, once their eyes caught sight of the older Sonoda’s body, they knew what had to be done. Had words gotten out to the public on the appearance of the female’s existence, things would’ve gotten a lot worse than their current situation. (Rumors about the lord’s lack of defensive strategy plan with General Ayase would’ve twisted into the lord’s schizophrenic symptoms fit for banishment.) 

However, Maki had underestimated the end result. Since a vague explanation of how the guards died left many families and friends angry, further digging the lord’s grave by spreading false rumors about corruption, she needed the help of the government officials and counselors. Not many would trust in the words of ninjas like Yazawa, so she had no choice but to resort to those that have political powers. 

The first time didn’t work. With Nico by her side, the large body laughed it off as a foolish fantasy created by a young woman like herself. Many pointed their fingers that, because of her outrageous action as a ruler to conceal the true cause of death for the guards, everyone serving under Lord Nishikino had their reputation grounded to the dirt. 

The second time yielded less attendance. Again, she received similar treatment, if not, much worse. Most of the participants encouraged that the royal female should pass on the title to another individual, particularly to a male head of an aristocratic family. Some even managed to worsen the trust with her by spreading baseless lies on Maki’s private usage of opium, which might’ve led to her blown up simplification. 

This would be their third time holding the session. If it doesn’t work… She might have to rethink her action plan. But for now, she’s having high hopes that third time’s the charm. Otherwise, it might just end with three strikes and you’re out.

“Lord Nishikino, they have arrived.” 

Nico’s voice called her back to reality, the royal female barely realizing that she had faded into her mental zone. She didn’t have to make a motion for the ninja to adhere to her responsibility. The shorter of the two vanished. A lone, green leaf gently floated downward from where she originally sat. By the time it reached the square black mattress, Yazawa was on one knee. Fluidly, she slid the door opened. 

Through the doorway revealed a small number of men and women, ages all ranging between their late 20s to early 60s. Approximately nine of them arrived for the meeting. In comparison to the number from the second session, this was drastically smaller than Maki had wished for. Regardless, she should be counting her blessings that there were at least some important figures that would hear her out. 

“Thank you for coming, everyone,” the ruler proclaimed as they filed in. With Nico keeping her eyes like a hawk on everyone in the background, the invited guests all stood at attention. Then, the young 20-year-old watched them be seated appropriately one-by-one. Once the last person completed said-action, Maki motioned her hand. “Although there are only nine of you, I want to truly express my deepest thanks and gratefulness to all of you. I understood that what I have to say may be thought of as lies, but please, I beg of you, to place your utmost trust in my testimony.” 

A few mumbles were heard from the small crowd, yet none questioned nor objected her words so far. The young female took their reaction as permission to continue onward. Hand lowered down to her lap, Maki softly exhaled. 

“I do not know how it is possible, but as I have repeated myself for the past two sessions, Sonoda Umi’s future self came to the royal palace last month. I do not wish to place the blame on a nameless intruder as I had originally done, which led to outrage from my citizens. I also do not wish to place the blame on an innocent criminal or civilian who had no connection to this massacre.” 

Then, an unusual scenario unfolded. Their superior, who wields more commands and powers than anyone combined in the royal palace, bowed before them till her forehead came into contact with the bamboo flooring. Maki’s eyes squeezed shut as she pleaded, 

“Please… Help me with this, counselors and officials. I am but a ruler who still has much to learn. If there is any way to alleviate the crisis, I will not hesitate to take it into consideration.” 

More mumbles in the background. The red-haired woman still kept her bowing position fixed. Then, a male voice erupted from one of the nine. 

“Lord Nishikino, we all have a suggestion that you can undergo to revert the damages.” 

Her ears perked up. Immediately raising her head, she was greeted with… the tip from a steel blade. it came from another member from the audience in this premise, her katana aimed directly at the female’s face. Pupils dilating, the woman was frozen in her spot as the one who had spoken, a counselor, got up on his two feet. 

“I suggest that you… answer an important question,” he spoke in an ironically serene tone. 

Behind the throne room, Nico had leapt into action– or so she was supposed to. She was currently locked in a heated conflict with another ninja, perhaps one from her own squad as they wore the same armband and tattoos marked on the back of their right hand. Metal against metal, they created sparks upon each contact. It’s too bad that the female ninja was too occupied with one of her potential teammate. 

On the ruler’s side, she could not do anything in their current predicament. Although she wished for a katana to protect herself from having anything like this happen, Maki opted out of the option in favor of keeping her reputation from being tainted. (Who would want to be under the commands and rule of a paranoid lord?) The best that she could do was remain still and calm. Violet eyes glaring at the man, eight other individuals in the room, easily concluded to be his companions, followed after his action. 

“What is this question you wish for me to answer?” she carefully answered. “Although I wish you did not have to raise your blade against your ruler for it.” 

“I think it will be necessary, Lord Nishikino… Or should I say, Wife of Sonoda Umi.” 

She almost felt her eyes boggle out of their sockets. Where did he get that information from? What made him come to that conclusion? Before more questions sprouted, the young woman firmly planted her feet to the ground. 

Jumping to conclusion was an easy feat, yet not enough evidences suggested that he actually knew about it. Nico had taught her during the four years of her budding leadership. An enemy could easily wring an answer out from anyone by surprising them with a guess that hits straight home. Taking this important advice into consideration, Maki shook her head. 

“Wife? I hope you do understand that I am not married to anyone.” 

“Oh really? If you insist…” He shot a glance at the nearest official and gave a nod. “Since Lord Nishikino hasn’t admitted the truth, I suggest you search through her and Sonoda’s bedroom for evidence of their relationship. After all…” His gaze returned back to the ruler. “Someone from the ceremony told us about this… forbidden relationship between two girls.”

She frowned. Who could’ve singled them out and chucked sensitive information towards others outside of the privately and highly selective group invited to the marriage ceremony? Well, that thought could be pondered about later. Maki has much more pressing matter at hand. 

“Search our rooms all you want, there is nothing in there that proves our relationship to be a married couple–”  

“We may… not find proof, but tell me… Lord Nishikino, everyone in your nation are in an unstable phase. How would you like it if we… spilled this to the public?” When he saw the reaction, just a slight reaction with her violet eyes darkening, a grin stretched across his face. “After all… No one was supposed to even know that you’re married in the first place, yes? Your citizens would listen to just about anything that come from anyone’s mouth. Anyone that isn’t you, of course.” 

The lord couldn’t formulate any words to combat against his. Instead, she lowered her head. He wasn’t wrong about it. Her civilians are currently undergoing a major emotional crisis. Ever since the disruption from the future Umi occurred last month, everything just went downhill from there. A repeat of her horrific time era as a budding ruler… Only this time, the blue-haired samurai was nowhere near her. 

She gritted her teeth when a laugh came from his direction, followed by a few demands towards the other staffs. 

“I want you to make sure Sonoda Umi never wakes up, I want you to kill Yazawa Nico, and… I need you to knock out Lord Nishikino. After all, the ownership of lord cannot transfer unless we get her signature on the paper…”

 Then, a flash of pain smashed into the back of her skull. It didn’t even take a second for Maki’s entire vision to black out from the impact, and it certainly didn’t give her any time to think before passing out. 

Cold sweat. Bandaged side. Terrible aches coming from the old stabbed wound. Trembles plaguing her entire figure. This was not the first time Umi had this sort of reaction before. 

The injured samurai was seen sitting up on the futon. A dimly lit candle acting as a nightlight laid by the head of the white mattress, giving one of the couple private patient rooms a warm environment. However, the warrior felt anything but warmth. Her brown eyes flickered down to one of her hands, and squeezed the blanket’s edge with great intensity. 

Ever since she had an encounter with her future self, Sonoda has been plagued with nightmare after nightmare. Nightmares that all resulted in the death of Maki. Brutally tortured. Brutally tormented. Brutally broken. Over… and over… and over again, she was forced to relieve them through her dreams. Poor Kotori had to constantly come into her room every night to make sure her best friend wasn’t suffering from any head injuries or excessive pain. Thankfully, Umi didn’t make a single peep tonight, though the vivid dream still remain as a part of her sleeping session. (It’s no wonder why she takes so long to recover… It’s all from the lack of a proper rest.) 

“Maybe I should go back to sleep…” she groan to herself. 

This is no way for a fighter to act. If she were to continue standing by her lord’s side, her wife’s side, then she needs to recover as fast as possible. Now that it’s been a month, Umi should’ve been back as Lord Nishikino’s protector since a week ago. (She should be thanking Nico for taking over the important role for a while.) How embarrassing for the woman. 

Right when she was about to lay back down on the soft futon, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Every single red flag rose at this one moment. Whatever fatigue Umi felt from earlier rapidly eroded away. Instead, she ignored her achy, but mostly healed scar and grabbed her nearby sheathed katana. In a defaulted white kimono for patients, the samurai adjusted her posture. One hand on the hilt, the other on the casing, she was ready to last out at the enemy. 

The door slowly slid open. Umi’s brown eyes narrowed. She tightened her grip. Then, she flicked her wrist and– 

“N-Nico?!” 

It appears that it was only her fellow ninja friend, Yazawa. However, there was something seriously off about the older female. The 24-year-old stumbled into the room. She fell forward without warning, forcing the warrior’s reflexes to get back to motion and catch the raven-haired. 

“Nico… Nico!” 

“Could you… stop being… so loud?” 

Umi was grateful to hear the sound of the ninja alive enough to sass back at the samurai. That relieved moment fell short when groaned about the cuts that plastered all over the woman’s exposed skin. When Nico eventually mentioned the terminology, ‘poison’, her panic mode nearly kicked into gear. The katana-wielder has absolutely no knowledge in toxicology. She doesn’t know how to treat poison nor know how to identify them. How in the world was she suppose to take care of Nico? 

Before she picked up the injured warrior, Yazawa raised a hand and weakly pressed it against the girl’s shoulder. 

“Stop… I’ll be fine…” 

“No, you’re not fine! I’m going to take you straight to Kotori, and we’ll have this figured out–” 

“Maki… She’s taken…” 

Upon hearing the name of her lover, Umi felt her heart drop to the deepest part of the pit. Losing her breath for a brief moment, the light-headed samurai blinked a couple times in pure shock. 

“…what?” 

The older of the two let out a soft exhale. “You heard me… She’s taken…” 

“By who?!” 

“Government… officials…. counselors…” 

“Damn it… Why couldn’t you have protected her?!” 

Nico usually would argue back against Umi, but she didn’t have enough energy to exert her irritation towards the younger. Instead, she ignored the question and moved onto the more important detail. 

“In room… Interrogation… room…” 

“Oh God… When did they take her?!” 

“An… An… hour ago… I think…” 

And at that point in their conversation, it came to a sudden halt. Yazawa finally passed out. Whether it was from the pain receptors going into total overload or she became exhausted from the poison, only Doctor Kotori could diagnose the issue. Umi used this chance to gently lay her down on the futon. Then, she got up on her two feet. She needs to save her wife… fast! But at the same time, she can’t leave Nico to die from the poison. Who knows how far she had to push herself from the throne room all the way to the medical bay just to deliver a message to Umi? 

A low growl emitted from the blue-haired warrior as she slammed the door to the side. Not even five steps were taken till she bumped into two scenario. One, there was a dead official right outside of her room. Two, Minami Kotori was seen running towards her spot. 

It didn’t take a genius to put things together with Nico. Umi’s brown eyes widen upon gaining knowledge on the ninja’s objective. Then, she lowered her head. 

“U-Umi! What’s going on here?” the medical staff cried out. “I heard a lot of fighting and screaming, particularly near your room–” 

“Nico killed someone who tried to assassinate me. She’s been poisoned… so I need you to take care of her.” 

She got straight to the point. Not a single hesitation nor delay was noted in her delivery. With that finally spoken, Umi walked away from the premise and towards her destination. Kotori, on another hand, managed to squeeze in a question that reached the samurai’s eardrums. 

“Where are you going, Umi?!” 

“To save my wife.” 

Considering the pace that the warrior went, it was slow at first. Her legs were hardly warmed up, and applying the fact that she spent most of her time in bed recovering really dulled her physical stamina. However, running from the medical bay all the way to the interrogation room, which was located on the opposite end of the palace and underground, gave the female more than enough time to pick up the speed. 

Umi dashed as fast as she could. Sweat poured out of her pores as soon as she got halfway through the building. The only thing that was in her mind was Maki. All she wanted was for the woman to be safe. If anything were to happen to her, oh God, Sonoda would not know what to do. She clenched her teeth and, a hand resting on the sheathed katana, raced towards the destination. 

Five minutes were eaten up till she reached her goal. Having it located underground was nowhere as helpful as ground level. It required lots of steps, and Umi had to rapidly trend downward with caution. A single wrong move could easily result in tumbling down and breaking and/or fracturing a bone or two. Frankly, the 22-year-old has never been down in this part of the palace. The most she’s ever known about it was from the map given to staffs, guards, and soldiers on the first day of their active duty within the building. 

She was panting by the time she reached flat level. Brown eyes flickering left and right, she heard a weak, feminine cry come from one of the three rooms. 

“Maki!” she hoarsely whispered. 

Her body ran towards the source of the sound. Knowing how dangerous it could possibly be by barging in without preparation, Umi forced her entire mindset to slow down and make observations. Even when it came to her lord, if she were to go berserk, it would only worsen the situation. Getting down on one knee, the samurai peered through the keyhole. 

Brutally tortured. 

On her wife’s smoth and clear skin that belongs only to the headband fighter, there were so many bruises and cuts strewn across her exposed skin. It was so painful to observe from the distant. How long were they at it? Umi didn’t know, but based on the testimony from Nico, it might’ve been for an hour, with or without delays. 

Brutally tormented. 

Words from the captors were filled with malice. Spiteful terminologies and phrases spat out of their vile mouth, soiling their ruler’s pride, reputation, personal life, and, most importantly, her sexual orientation. 

Brutally broken. 

Eyelids closed, she was barely leaning forward with her head hanging down. Any signs of life were nowhere to be spotted. Not a single twitch came from the red-hair’s figure. 

Ah… Wasn’t this what the future Umi had warned about? Flashes of her nightmares flickered in her head. Only this time, they overlapped with reality. To see the empress gown colored in crimson red, to see the lord in a broken state, to see her wife lifeless… Was it really worth it? Was it really worth living, only to see a repeat of what they were trying so hard to avoid? 

“A-Ah…” 

A choking cry escaped her opened mouth as tears began to fall. Both of her hands were trembling violently, grip loosening on the katana. She wanted to drop her weapon, curl up in a ball, and scream that this nightmare come to an end. The samurai’s heart slammed so hard against her chest, she feared it might shatter a part of her skeletal system. 

Yet there was a small part of her brain that screamed to do something more productive. Crying won’t solve anything, right? The nine-member group is a part of the cause why Maki is suffering. They need to be punished for their crimes, and Umi is the perfect person to be the punisher. 

She finally straightened her posture. Then, her left leg violently flew out. A single kick was all it took to smash the sliding doors inward. The light wooden frames unhinged from its position, pieces of its broken barrier flew outward towards the group of men and women in the interrogative room. 

All turned their attention towards the unexpected visitor. 

The closest female in the political group was met with a sharp object plunged straight into her forehead. She didn’t even have time to react, eyes widen upon the odd sensation of a metal blade ramming through her skull, into her brain, and out. Blood oozed from both the entrance and exit wound. Umi didn’t hesitate to become brutal and harshly drag the weapon downward. Every single fiber part of the woman was cleanly cut through. Immense strength broke through the bones, muscles torn apart, organs ruptured, and skin cleanly sliced like butter. So much crimson substances spilled among the victim’s surroundings, especially onto the nearest foes and samurai. 

A barbaric action that would’ve disgusted the warrior to the core largely went ignored. Instead, Umi flicked the blade to her right in a single swipe, splattering some of the excess vital fluid on the bamboo flooring. Terrible sorrow mixed with pure rage created a monster that wields a katana before them. Tears flowed from her eyes as she aimed the blade at the now-preparing staffs. 

“You… You dare hurt my wife! What did she ever do to you all?!” 

It was a rhetorical question. She didn’t want to hear an answer from them. All she wanted was for them to repay for their crimes with their death. No, that wasn’t it. She wanted them to go to Hell, burn up, and wished they had never laid their hands on her wife. 

OH GOD, it was her WIFE! Umi screamed as she slashed two men in her path. Injuries came towards her direction. Cuts and bruises from deflecting and inability to avoid certain blows wasn’t enough to stop her. Instead, it infuriated the woman even more. She ravaged the one-man battlefield. 

Eventually, she came upon the leader and his female companion. The two pointing their katana at Umi, it was the final showdown between the three of them. All coated in the bloody mess containing the fluid from the participants, they looked like serial murderers. 

“You… You monster!” he hollered as his companion rushed forward. “You shouldn’t have been married to her! Didn’t you know that it’s taboo for females to be in a relationship with other females?!” 

Sonoda raised her katana vertically to block the incoming strike. The woman was much stronger in comparison to the other, forcing the experienced samurai to be pushed back slightly. Teeth gritted, she gave her furious response during the power struggle. 

“Damn that rule! I care for her, and all I wanted was for her to be happy! Had I known this would’ve happened, I… I would’ve killed myself!” 

“Then why don’t you die!” 

That nearly led to her demise. She was so blind with rage and sorrow that she failed to realize the male government official’s critical move. He hastily ran his sword downward. Thankfully, his aim was off point, yet that didn’t spare Umi from being painfully slashed on her right eye, going straight through her eyeball, and destroying whatever nerves that gave her the ability to see from that specific area. 

The blue-haired woman howled in agony as she was shoved back from the power struggle. A hand removed from the handle, she pressed it against the wounded area. Salty tears that were originally produced from it were doing nothing but create searing sensations that would make any grown man scream in terror. She gasped, huffing and puffing for as much oxygen as possible while the other two staffs prepared themselves for another strike. 

“Why don’t you just give it up, Sonoda Umi?” he requested once more. “If you die now, we guarantee the safety of Lord Nishikino.” 

Safety? Really…? But… When Umi raised her head and, barely seeing through her blurry left eye, the post-tortured state of her wife on the wooden chair, she knew otherwise. Left hand squeezing the handle till her knuckles became white, the fighter snarled and ran towards them without warning. 

Perhaps they weren’t expecting this from the female. For her to strike without saying a single word. Umi, though unable to use her sight well, was able to hone her other senses when most needed. Sound and physical sensation were forced to be her primary senses as she lashed out the bloodied katana. The female tried to block it, but Sonoda feinted the action. Instead of bringing the blade down vertically, she ran it across horizontally. It was a clean strike, forcing the internal fluid to spray out from the enormous wound created from a single cut. 

No hesitation was needed when she pulled the blade backward, aiming to slice horizontally at the nearby male. Yet he was smarter. Noticing her antic, he blocked her. Sparks flew from the contact. Umi reeled her arm back, and launched the blade again at his direction. She tried to feint it, but he deflected it just as easily as the first time. 

This went on for a good moment till her blade finally snapped in half. The pressure must’ve been too great for her old blade, handed down by the Sonoda clan. The upper half spun wildly in the air, flinging backward and landing on the ground. 

Then, she noticed him taking a step forward. He was closing in on her, giving her little room to escape. Umi knew this technique far too well. She clenched her jaw and removed her hand from her wounded eye. As he made his final move as a piercing attack, Sonoda tossed the weapon into her non-dominant hand. Left hand was immediately used to shove itself against the metallic blade, its tip digging and ripping straight through the palm of her dominant hand. The samurai resisted to scream, focusing all of her energy into shoving the half broken katana directly into his chest. 

Contact was made. She had to lean forward to the point that her left arm might be twisted from the abnormal angle, but Umi made it. The broken edges crashed into his chest, digging just deep enough to pierce a part of his heart. 

It was finally over. 

He collapsed on the ground. Arms extended outward, his respiratory system functions as fast as possible, desperately trying to keep the physical shell alive in any way possible. Yet Umi knew it was too late for him. He will bleed out soon, and there will be no one to treat him. 

The woman grabbed his weapon’s handle. In a single motion, she gasped upon tearing it off from her hand. Blood gushed out from the large slit. It’s a surprise that Umi hasn’t fainted from blood lost yet. The warrior, with right eyelid still shut, approached the fallen male and stared down upon his body. She allowed a shaky exhale to leave her mouth. 

“I wanted you to die first before I killed myself… Sorry.”

There wasn’t any answer, but she didn’t need any. She knew he could hear her. That as all it mattered. Sonoda turned her back towards the government official and examined her surroundings. There were so many dead bodies… All of which were slain by her own hands. For a samurai with honor, she’s bound to lose them all on this day. 

A soft groan was heard. It came from… Maki! Umi forgot about her killing spree and rushed towards the ruler. Getting down on both knees from behind the chair, she instantly used her foe’s katana to cut through the thick ropes. Then, she threw the blade to the side and crawled to the front. She appeared just in time to keep Lord Nishikino from falling off of the wooden furniture. 

“M-Maki!” 

She was so glad to see her wife still alive. Although beaten and harmed, her eyelids fluttered to showcase the beautiful pair of violet eyes so few possess. Maki was in a bit of a daze at first. When she finally recollected her senses, the first person she saw was her own wife. A smile formed on her lips out of relief, but… that only lasted for a couple seconds. Instead, a grimace replaced it. 

“Your right eye…” 

A hand, so gentle to the touch, reached out towards the fresh wound. Umi winced at the sensation, but kept her composure and posture the same as much as possible for her superior to feel it. At that same moment, the samurai couldn’t help but let out a forced chuckle. 

“Ironic, isn’t it? It’s the same injury as my future self…” 

When Maki heard that from Umi, she glanced up and saw the slaughtering fest. Ah, so Sonoda Umi, the person that she calls her wife and guardian, could be like this also? Maybe she must’ve overestimated her lover when she made a proclamation that Umi wouldn’t be the same as her future self. Perhaps it was wrong of her to say that… for this Umi looked like she wanted to succumb to her failure. 

The royal member removed her fingertips from the wound. She was about to apologize when, without warning, the older of the two shoved her face directly into Maki’s chest. A loud sob croaked from her throat as she desperately hugged the other. 

“I… I thought I would lose you! I knew I should’ve died back then! I knew I should’ve!” 

Physical pain from her wounds were nothing in comparison to the emotional anguish that struck the samurai. Over and over, waves of heartache smashed into her fragile heart as she cried into Maki’s chest, a mixture of metallic blood and salty tears soaking the royal’s robe. 

If only she had died, this wouldn’t have happened. She should’ve just listened to her older self, she should’ve just listened to her older self–

“Did you already forget?” There was a gentle touch to her head. Soon, the blue-haired female felt the lord slowly rub it. When she finally parted from Nishikino’s chest and looked up towards the woman, their foreheads came into contact. “I told you… I wouldn’t die so easily… right?”