#audriel89

[hq-analysis]

Haikyuu!! Chapter 248: Disparity

The title and the first page is pretty disheartening. 

Oddly though, Furudate-sensei does not let us linger too much with giving us side stories. Is that on purpose? For what purpose though? Not to let our hopes up? Or not to let us worry? Who knows? I’ll just get myself prepared for either outcome.

BUT BUT BUT

Is it just me or does she look a lot like Goshiki? Though I want to give her a high five for being such a good wingwoman for her friend.

This exchange is interesting. Miya purposefully approaches Kageyama and then makes a jab to Hinata. I think he recognizes Hinata as Kageyama’s partner. He is wary of Kageyama, so naturally he is also wary of Hinata, and wants to nip them in the bud, if possible. But nope, it doesn’t look like it works. Somehow Miya reminds me more of Oikawa than Kuroo. With more arrogance though. I might be reading it wrong.

Good job defending your BFF (or BF, whatever your pick), Kageyama! Really, I think there’s no one else has as much regard to Hinata as Kageyama. I imagine he already has a high standard in the beginning, and yet Hinata manages to meet it. He moves it higher, and Hinata still meets it. Somewhere along the way, he stops putting limit on Hinata.

While I know that Karasuno’s dealing with a tough opponent, looking tougher than Shiratorizawa especially, but seeing so many of the starters (Daichi, Tanaka, Noya, Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima) calm and unaffected (with nervous Asahi, which means business as usual for Karasuno) does work wonders. So we’ll just wait and see?

[audriel89]

I'M BAAAACK!!!

For background information, early August I found my main account, this blog, audriel89, was somehow terminated. I had no warning, no word, nada, zilch. As per the suggestions I found, I immediately reported it to tumblr support, but there was no response... until today.

and here I am!

My god... I have truly given up. I tried to recreate the blogs as best as i can because with the loss of my main blog, I also lost the access to my side-blogs. However, this is an excellent reminder how important having back ups is, especially with what's going on with Internet Archives. I will still keep my newly made blogs, particularly to archive my original posts. For now I have @hq-analysis blog dedicated specifically for my Haikyuu!! analysis posts. And hopefully by then I'll also pick up the rest of Haikyuu!! chapters I haven't analysed.

Good to see y'all again!!

[childotkw]

Hi! I've been rereading your time/dimension travel bnha au and was reminded how much I love it! I'd love to see an update, but I understand if you're no longer invested in bnha or the fic. I just wanna say that I love your writing and your characterization, and for you to take care and wish you the best. Cheers! -audriel

Hi, thank you! I’m glad you enjoy it! The fic isn’t discontinued or anything, but I am primarily in the HP fandom, so those stories take precedence in my mind. But still, thank you for your kind words, darling! I will be looking to update the story once I’ve gotten a few of my others updated.

[kythen]

Slow Dancing is one of my favorite of yours, so I have some questions about them, if you don't mind. You've mentioned that Slow Dancing is the only fic where the first scene is not the one you put down, so which scene it is? You've also mentioned of its sequel, can you share the ideas you have for it (including the ongoing petty war between kuroo and kenma)? Well, actually, if it's possible not only for this story :D

Hello Audi! Thanks for asking!

The first scene I put down for “Slow Dancing” was actually the dancing itself! The exact words that I started with (but were eventually deleted) were:

“May I have this dance?”

Kuroo lifts the back of his hand to his lips.​

Meanwhile, the actual invitation to dance that makes it into the fic shows up buried between banter. Things were far simpler before it became an actual fic!

As for the sequel, I don’t want to reveal too much of it in case I actually do write it eventually but it starts with Kenma going missing again, but this time on a far larger scale. Kuroo enlists the help of his secret lover, Daichi, and they go on a kingdom-wide search for the missing Nekoma heir. It’s basically a roadtrip-esque fic through the beautiful kingdom for the two lovers. Meanwhile Kenma……

Which other stories are you interested in, Audi? :D I have sequels planned but they’re in various states of planning ranging from full story to plot daydream to plain ol’ pwp. (Not for all my fics but a good most of them.)

[Ask me about my fics!]

[spring-emerald]

You really don’t have too though >_<, like all I did was reblog it because duty demands it of me AND honestly, we should all be the ones saying thank YOU. All the love that you and Until Next Time is receiving is VERY well deserved, alright?! *shakes you* IT. IS. BEAUTIFUL. AND. PERFECT.

Part of me does; the part that yearns for angst. The other part of me doesn’t, because ANGST. THERE IS NO HAPPY ENDING, WHATSOEVER, IN A HUNGER GAMES AU. I don’t think I am prepared for that. Aaaahhhh... no pressure >_<, Take your sweet time!!! 

[hqbrofest]

MASTER FIC REC LIST

For when you need to eat more.

The Demon King is an Exchange Student?!

 by milksalt, @milksalt

First, Demon King Oikawa got lost on his way to conquering the entire Human World. Then, his memory-altering magic didn't work on a certain setter.

What is any magnificent, intelligent, anime-educated alien overlord to do in that situation?

The only choice is Plan B:

"Oikawa-kun, you're a transfer student from Antarctica?"

"Yes! Every morning, I ski with penguins and snowboard with polar bears."

The Demon King is a Transfer Student is... certainly an experience. One of those you-need-to-have-read-it-to-get-it sort of experience. Rife with quirky fun, an exasperated Kageyama, and an Oikawa&Kuroo duo act, this is certainly one to try at least once. (-oranges)

down the rabbit hole

 by Haruhi02, @haruhi02

Yachi Hitoka and Kozume Kenma are not friends. They are barely acquaintances, let alone two people who are supposed to be the double protagonists of some anime light novel. They must find a way to work together and get back home, and, through jail time, teatime, cat buses, rainbow beaches, Clockwork Koushi's protests, and the darkness of the abyss, they are damn well going to make it work. Probably.

If you wanted to read about adventures bringing unlikey friends together then this is your fic. This alice in wonderland au is refreshing but familiar enough that it'll be a fun read until the very end. The character arcs are well executed, and the ending is written with much respect and grace. (-oranges)

My Name on Your Skin

by audriel, @audriel89​

What if the name of your best friend appears on your skin?

A cute platonic soulmate AU featuring all the Karasuno first years, and what they mean to each other. - work in progress (-lethey)

Mistakes and Misunderstandings

by  KanoBelx, @blackroses-violetviolets​

Some people are just meant to hate each other, but everyone in Shiratorizawa refuses to believe that Semi and Shirabu are some of those people.

A longshot which reads a little like a comedy of errors. Semi and Shirabu try, with the help of the entirety of Shiratorizawa, to get along, but they're both idiots. PS: I love Tendou's characterisation in this (-Lethey)

The Thief, the Witch, and the Fae

by  bittersweetoranges, @bittersweetoranges

Futakuchi is a thief with an aversion to magic and an unlucky streak heavily connected with his only valuable -- a silver pendant. Falling headfirst into a quest that's way above his pay grade, shouldn't be a surprise, but it is.

How shitty must your luck be that you have to steal from a witch?!

Just remember, you trust your eyes last.

A fantasy romp that starts with Thief Futakuchi falling off a roof and sort of goes its own way from there. Pretty funny read so far, with some very lovely, descriptive writing and hints at all these hidden depths that may come later. Work in progress. (-lethey)

Growth Spurt in the Garden of Eden

by  keiji05

The basics are boring, and this kid looks like he'll fall over if they start with spike receives.

But he also wants someone to play with tomorrow, once his father leaves again for another country. His mother won't stop nagging him about needing to focus on academics rather than volleyball, and he won't have any excuses to go back to the park because his dad won't be there to bail him out of study hours.

Maybe, he could train this kid to be a good enough player for him.

A story of Yamaguchi meeting Ushijima instead of Tsukishima.

a canon divergence fic where yamaguchi meets ushjima instead of tsukki. the little changes and changes of motives are really neat, and the new interactions between ushjiima and yamaguchi are very swell and interesting (-haru)

Looking Back

by  olivia71295, @olivia71295​

The final tournaments are always the hardest, plenty of things to think back on from years past.

Or Yachi has a lot of emotions while she watches the team play in their last possible tournament.

Looking Back may be incomplete at the moment, but the familiar recollection of Yachi's past with the Karasuno VB club intersped with her reflection on their present is interesting. Read if you want a different take on Yachi's past and future as karasuno's manager. (-oranges)

Summer Days, Flying By

by  ADyingFlower, @fragilechains

“Ne, Tobio.” Shouyou asked him one afternoon, smile relaxed on his face as he spread his fingers, splaying shadows on the walls. “Have you ever wondered what it’s like to fly?”

He shook his head. Flying meant going outside, and even imagining it made him tense up. He was already breaking enough rules as it was; no need to stir up his mind more than he already had.

Shouyou looked a little sad at that. “Well, I have.” His eyes went to the sky, like he could see himself soaring at that very moment. “You should imagine it, just once.”

The facts that make up his world are this: his name is Kageyama Tobio, he's ten years old, and he's never been outside his house.

Until he met Shouyou.

This one is a punch to the gut if I ever read one (-lethey)

It's okay to be broken

by  Leeva (leevazkai) @leeva-z-kai

Oftentimes, the strongest bonds aren't forged through romance. Keiji takes a while to learn that.

a fic where akaashi and bokuto break up, but still strive to be friends afterwards, a lot of feels to be had with this one, not a light hearted read (-haru)

[mari-writes]

10 + 10

Tag Game - Answer their 10 questions and then think of 10 questions to ask other Tumblr friends!

(Just for fun—don’t feel like you have to!)

Tagged by: @drsunshaine​ (thanks for tagging me! I’m finally gonna do this for fun since I’m done with work for the week lol)

Tagging:  @samarium88 / @carelesscrush / @raspassassin17 / @niwayaoi / @audriel89 / @2-funkypeanuts / @bkakfanclub / @kiddiegore / @peachysweetles45 / @goldenandyou

(I know some of you that I tagged have already done this, so I’m sorry! But I don’t have that many friends who I’ve chatted with more than a few times on here yet! lol)

1. Are you okay today? Did you rest well? Did you eat? Did you drink lots of water? I’m all right... it was a decent day at work, which is rare these days. I did drink a lot of water, but I did NOT eat very well or get enough sleep. Which is probably why I’m so lethargic right now.

2. What are reoccurring dreams that you have? If not reoccurring, what is the most memorable dream you’ve had instead? I have more reoccurring nightmares than good dreams, to be honest. I think my most memorable positive dream (at least recently) was one where I was in some kind of action-adventure setting? Like, I could actually run fast and was kinda a badass... aka the opposite of real me lol

3. Which kind of weather do you prefer? Warm/hot/sunny or rainy/cold? And why? I definitely prefer cooler weather. I DO NOT thrive in heat. I’ve gotten heatstroke a few times in my life. :/

4. Are you the type to enjoy things as they are? Or the type to analyze and appreciate things in an objective perspective? Or both? I think it depends on what the “thing” is. For instance, films: I love being able to enjoy a fun movie just for the fun of it, but sometimes I love getting into the complex details and theorize, especially when It comes to characters.

5. What is your favorite song genre? And what is your favorite song from that said genre? And why? I’m a huge music buff. I don’t think I could choose one genre. My favorite song range from orchestral scores to hip hop tracks, so... yeah, I can’t choose. 

6. What is your definition of success? Is it doing the work you love? Happiness? Buying anything you want? Traveling? Happiness. Definitely happiness. Because no matter what we do for a living, what we have or where we are... the one thing we’re all chasing is happiness. I haven’t found it quite yet myself. 

7. Who is a character that you relate to right now and why? Right now? Pam Beesley from The Office... but like, in the first few seasons. I honestly think I chose this character because of my situation at work. But honestly it’s so spot on right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3p0JMTYZT8

8. Who is a character that have greatly influenced your personality/life throughout the years? And why? I don’t know about my personality, but my sense of humor has definitely been influenced. Sokka and Toph from ATLA are definitely how I learned sarcasm.

9. What is a sport you’d like to try out? (If you’re already playing a sport, then what other sport do you want to try out?) I’d like to try out rock climbing. I’ve done it like, twice and it was fun but I was a bit too timid to go further with it. Maybe someday?

10. How do you overcome stress? Or when everything feels overwhelming? (This is a reminder for you to hang in there. That you can do it! Good job for today!) Unfortunately I usually deal with stress in the wrong ways... being lazy, eating too much. Gonna have to fix that one of these days.

MY QUESTIONS:

1. If you could choose to live anywhere else in the world, where would you live?

2. Do you have a favorite food you like to cook? Bake?

3. Did you have a favorite subject in school growing up? Now? How much have your interests changed?

4. What is something you feel uncomfortable talking about with most people? Why?

5. What do you wish people talked about more? Why?

7. Do you believe in reincarnation?

8. Do you have a comfort show/film/book? AKA a story that you resist when you need to feel better?

9. Are there people on Tumblr you want to talk to more, but are too shy to approach? (I’m asking because I definitely do haha)

10. What was the primary reason you joined Tumblr? A show, an artist, a public figure?

[izumitate]

don’t linger

So, I was trying to write something sad, but jury’s out on whether it worked, haha. This one is for my favorite angst queen @audriel89 !

Content warnings: this one’s about ghosts, so there’s referenced character death.

“Hey, Kuroo. Nice hat,” Sawamura says, wearing the same beautifully wry smile as he did when he was still alive.

“Thanks, it was a gift,” Kuroo replies numbly, reaching up to grip the brim of his hideous tiger stripe cap. Yamamoto had given it to him as a present a couple of years ago, and now he wears it when he ducks out of the apartment on rainy days for a short errand and doesn’t want to carry an umbrella. It protects his head well enough, but he can still feel the light patter of rain on his shoulders. The sound of droplets rustling against the plastic bag in his hand reminds him that he only stepped out to grab a bottled milk tea and box lunch for tomorrow, because he knows he won’t have the time to stop by during his rush for the train. There weren’t supposed to be any ghosts included in this little excursion.

“It keeps your hair in check, in any case,” Sawamura says. He gestures with one pale, translucent hand at Kuroo’s forehead. It’s dark all along this road, but for the beaming lights of the konbini storefront and Sawamura, glowing like moonlight. Still as young and handsome as Kuroo remembered, just a bit more ethereal now. A bit less grounded.

“Yeah, but it makes the cowlicks worse when I take it off.” Kuroo’s voice is steady, to his surprise.

“I didn’t think that was possible.”

“A limitation of your imagination, Sa’amura-san.”

“I suppose so.”

“So,” Kuroo says, dragging out the word. “This is new! Taking a little postmortem stroll around Japan? Where have you been so far? See anything good?”

Maybe if he acts like this is normal, things will make sense again and his brain won’t shatter. Or he’ll just go insane that much faster.

Sawamura shakes his head, amused by Kuroo’s valiant attempt at nonchalance. He floats a little closer; Kuroo wants to reach out and touch him. “Not really. You were my first stop; I thought it might be fun to visit you.”

Kuroo blinks. “At two in the morning?”

“Sorry, is this an inconvenient time for you? Should we reschedule this haunting for a little later?”

Kuroo laughs at the unimpressed look Sawamura sends his way. Still so sassy, even as a ghost.

God, what are they doing here? Is this even real? Or did Kuroo trip on his way down the stairs and fall into a coma without knowing it? Is there any explanation more logical than the conclusions he’s jumping to?

“Is that what’s happening? You’re haunting me? That’s a bit unfair. What’d I ever do to you, Sawamura?”

Sawamura grins back, floating all the way over to hover by Kuroo’s side as he begins walking back to his apartment. If they’re going to have a conversation, might as well do it somewhere warm and comfortable. Kuroo doesn’t explain where they’re headed, but Sawamura doesn’t ask, content to just go along with it. Even in the past it had always felt natural to fall into step with one another. No need to waste words when they somehow knew how to read each other’s body language fluently enough to translate without thinking.

“What didn’t you do to me, is the real question. I have a whole list of complaints, Kuroo. It’s why I came so early in the morning; it’s gonna take me until at least breakfast to get through all of them.”

“I hope you’re not expecting me to cook for you, too. I only have one egg.”

“And you’re not offering it to your guest? I didn’t take you for the stingy type.”

“Take pity on me,” Kuroo whines. “I’ve got tests to grade and and club activities tomorrow. I need the energy. Which reminds me, I’m also hoping you don’t expect me to stay up all night. I have to wake up in a few hours.”

“You’re so high-maintenance,” Sawamura jokes as they ascend the stairs to Kuroo’s place. “I should’ve chosen an easier target. But seriously, you can sleep first if you want. I’ll still be here in the morning.”

Kuroo gets to putting his purchases away once he lets himself inside, while Sawamura peeks curiously around his not-very-interesting apartment. Sawamura seems preoccupied with the photographs on Kuroo’s wall, so Kuroo leaves him be for a moment to go change back into his pajamas.

“Are you saying you’re going to watch me sleep?” Kuroo asks while Sawamura scans his bookshelf. Sawamura turns to see Kuroo vigorously brushing his teeth, and shakes his head.

“Not unless you want me to,” he says with a laugh, and then floats over to the window. “Go to sleep, Kuroo. I’ll be back tomorrow; we’ll talk then.” His form grows thin as he passes through the glass and then Kuroo is left standing alone in his apartment with toothpaste froth on his mouth, wondering if he just had a really weird fever dream. Because, what? Just happened?

Kuroo shuffles blankly back to bed and slides under the covers. There are too many words forming into too many half-woven questions; they tumble around his brain without direction. For some time he just lies there, staring at the ceiling and the dark, until an uneasy sleep overtakes him.

--

True to his word, Sawamura is back five hours later when Kuroo is packing up his bag for the day.

“You came back,” Kuroo says as he watches Sawamura fall back into place beside him, like it’s natural to belong there. It doesn’t feel as wrong as it should. Kuroo may have grown too accepting in recent years.

“Of course I did; what kind of ghost haunts someone for just twenty minutes?”

“I did think it was kind of a letdown, but it felt rude to mention it.”

“And everyone knows that you’re never rude, right?” Sawamura teases as they walk to the train. Kuroo has headphones in – the kind that also function as a microphone, so that he at least looks like he could be talking to someone on the phone. The train is crowded this morning, so Sawamura floats up to sit atop the baggage rack, to avoid phasing through anyone. Kuroo stands facing up toward him, gripping a hand strap and pretending to look at the screen announcing the next stop, but their eyes keep catching on one another’s, and they exchange sheepish smiles.

When most of the morning crowd clears out, they move over to an empty corner so Sawamura can stop perching like a cat about to strike.

“So, are you back on unfinished business?” Kuroo asks, like they’re discussing weekend plans. He’s seated, looking up toward Sawamura, who shifts out of people’s way as if he still has solid mass. He still smiles at children and the elderly like they can see him. But sometimes Kuroo catches him watching people with a certain intensity that feels unfamiliar. Maybe being dead makes the world look a little different.

Sawamura returns his attention to Kuroo. His hand is resting against the wall as if to brace himself and Kuroo has to wonder absently about how the laws of physics apply to spirits. “Mm, I wouldn’t quite put it that way. I’m just here to hang out for the day.”

“Did- um. Did you want to see something in particular? I have work today, but we could go somewhere afterwards.”

“No, I didn’t come expecting you to provide entertainment. I just thought I’d drop in and see what you get up to these days. If that’s okay?” He looks momentarily lost, and Kuroo quickly shakes his head.

“Yeah, you know I’m always up for fun. I gotta tell you, it’ll probably be kinda boring for you, but if you don’t mind chilling out and making fun of my students, then let’s do it.”

“Let’s do it,” Sawamura echoes, with the same brightness in his eyes Kuroo remembers from across the court. Phoenix fire and marble.

Behind and through him, the world blurs green and powder blue outside the train window. It’s a beautiful day.

--

Kuroo’s homeroom class is rowdy and clever and terribly annoying this morning. It takes a while to get them settled, and by the time he leaves them for his first class, Sawamura already knows them too well.

“You knew what you were signing up for when you became a teacher, right? Was corralling your team not enough for you?” Sawamura asks during his free period. Kuroo just spent the last hour going over last week’s test and listening to a whole lot of groaning. He’s marking more exams now as he sips his milk tea; Sawamura leans against his desk and looks around at the other teachers too busy to pay mind to Kuroo basically talking to himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about; Nekoma was team of pure, good-hearted angels. Now, if I’d been in your shoes, then I probably wouldn’t have wound up here.”

“Oh, you would’ve gotten a handle on them eventually. Just like you’ve got these ones under your wing. I have to say, you’re a lot better at this than I expected.”

“Thank you a million times over for your faith in me,” Kuroo says dryly. “What do you think Amagi wrote here? An eight? An ugly five?”

“Looks like a five to me,” Sawamura says. “Give her the full points.”

“You’re too soft,” Kuroo tsks, and they finish grading in this same manner for the rest of the period.

Kuroo doesn’t wonder at the fact that no one else in the school can see Sawamura. He assumes it’s because Sawamura has no ties to anyone else here, or that it’s because of some other ghost business that Kuroo doesn’t understand. Sawamura does accidentally float through another teacher at one point, and she sneezes right afterward.

They spend lunch outside, watching students milling around in little clusters. Somehow it feels easy to be together like this, despite all the oddities of the situation. Sawamura asks after all the old group, and Kuroo tells him everything he knows, though he has to apologize for not keeping up as much with all the ex-Karasuno members. Sawamura just laughs, telling him that knowing anything at all is more than he really expected.

“Do you have any good tricks?” They’re watching a crowd of kids exchanging flirtatious banter, and it makes Kuroo want to play a prank on them.

“What am I, a dog?”

“I’m just saying, ghosts usually have some fun powers. Like telekinesis.”

“Nope, I’ve got nothing.”

“Boring,” Kuroo says with a pout, and Sawamura rolls his eyes, floating backwards until he’s hanging upside next to Kuroo’s head.

“Yeah. I went to the afterlife and all I got was this lousy intangibility,” he says, and Kuroo feels suddenly guilty. Sawamura is literally dead and here Kuroo is, making a stupid joke about it.

“Shit, that was insensitive. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’ve gotten pretty used to being dead. Don’t feel too bad. C’mon, tell me which of your kids is the most likely to embarrass themself in the next five minutes.”

Kuroo gladly latches on to the change in subject. “Oh, definitely Sakurai. Watch, when he goes over to Kanda…”

The day is uneventful as far as school days go, but Sawamura never seems bored, even when he keeps relearning the same math lesson over and over. By club time he seems even livelier, floating around in amusement as Kuroo oversees the Exercise Club. The small group of students are doing stretches and jumping rope in the yard.

“Before you ask, yes, we do play volleyball sometimes. I put up a net outside when the weather is good.”

“Do you ever play?”

“Yeah, but not for long because they start complaining about uneven teams,” Kuroo says, keeping an eye on a girl chasing her friend around with her jump rope.

“Play six on two. That would even things out.”

“Too much, maybe. I’m not that fit anymore.”

“You still look pretty good to me,” Sawamura says with straight-forward honesty. Kuroo’s heart skips a beat until he follows it up with, “I mean, your face is what it is, can’t do anything about that, but the rest isn’t bad.” He gestures broadly at Kuroo’s body.

“I see you haven’t gotten any more charming since I last saw you,” Kuroo snarks back, and Sawamura laughs. He looks like he wants to bump his shoulder against Kuroo’s, but they both know it’ll just be a reminder that this can’t last.

“It’s hard enough for people to change as it is; us dead guys are totally stuck in our ways.”

--

After club wraps up, Kuroo returns to his desk to send out a few emails before calling it a day. They’re standing at the train station again, waiting to return home when Kuroo thinks to ask, “Are you sure you don’t want to go do something? Normally I just go home and crash on my couch after dinner, but it’s Friday evening, and you’re in town.”

“Are you saying you wanna go out?”

“I mean, it seems like a waste for you to come all this way just to watch dumb reality tv with me while we eat takeout. Uh- while I eat takeout.”

Sawamura shrugs. “To be honest, that plan sounds just fine to me. But maybe you’re right. I only have twenty-four hours. I should probably make them count.”

Twenty-four hours? Kuroo wasn’t aware of this.

“Is that when you have to go back? To the, uh,” he makes a sweeping motion with his arm and probably makes everyone in the vicinity want to avoid him, “the great beyond?”

“Yeah, I could only afford a one day pass,” Sawamura says like he’s joking, but Kuroo’s chest seizes painfully anyway. If he had known, he wouldn’t have kept Sawamura here, hanging around aimlessly instead of using his time for better things. Before he can get all tangled up in guilt, Sawamura puts his hands in his pockets and asks, “So what should we go do?”

Kuroo had found it a not-unwelcome change to return to the countryside once he graduated from college. The slower pace of life, the abundance of nature everywhere, the wide open spaces and quaint houses tucked among the foliage. He kept his house closer to the town center, preferring to commute over to his school, and it’s worked out well enough for him so far. The downside is most places of interest are at least a few train stops away. He thinks for a moment about where they could go on such short notice, where Sawamura might actually enjoy himself.

“We’re close to the water,” Kuroo finally offers. “It’s a little cold this time of year, but the shore is pretty nice.”

Sawamura doesn’t take more than a second to think about it. “The beach? Sure, why not. Take me to the beach.”

They have to ride into the main station before changing lines, and by the time they make it to the ocean, it’s early evening and the sun is starting its descent. There are few people around; the April weather is pleasant but growing rapidly cool now that the day is coming to a close. It leaves Kuroo space to openly talk to Sawamura without looking too strange – insofar as a man alone at a beach is ever strange.

“Do you swim?” Sawamura asks as they walk along the shoreline. His not-quite-there feet swish through the water that crashes gently against the white sand. The foam tickles at Kuroo’s bare feet, and he hops a step further from the water. It’s a touch too cool for his skin.

“Yeah, though it’s been a while. I used to go on beach trips with Kenma’s family all the time when we were kids. We’d have matching floaties,” he says with a laugh as he remembers the time Kenma got a sunburn on his shoulders and was cranky for weeks.

“I can see that. You used to splash him while he was huddling on the beach, I bet.”

“You know it. Were you a swimmer?”

“Not really, but now that I can’t do it, I feel like I miss it? That’s how it goes, I guess.”

“Well, I’ll swim twice as hard next time; you can live vicariously through me.”

Sawamura shakes his head with a smile. “Sure, you do that.”

After walking to the cliffside, Kuroo jogs back the way they came, trying to beat Sawamura back to his shoes, but ghosts can fly surprisingly fast. He collapses into the sand afterward, wheezing as Sawamura laughs at him. Since neither of them are equipped to go swimming today, Kuroo settles for making a damp, slouchy sandcastle as they talk about the current Nekoma team under Coach Naoi’s instruction.

The sun is near the horizon now, a deep molten core streaking the indigo waves with gold. Sawamura sits across from Kuroo so that the sunset shines through him, and Kuroo’s words stick in his throat for a moment when he notices.

He’d never gone to the beach with Sawamura while he was alive. There was never time, just like there was never time for any of the other thousand things Kuroo regrets not taking a chance on. Taking that art class in university. Going skydiving with Bokuto. Asking Sawamura out for a drink.

It isn’t like Kuroo had burned for Sawamura. Or tore up flowers and sheet music and journal pages trying to capture some fraction of the feelings he felt for him. Nothing ever so far-reaching or soul-wrenching.

But he had always thought that perhaps there was a greater than zero chance they might someday find their way to each other. Two lines not quite parallel, that might meet somewhere down the road, once they’d stretched far enough in the same direction. Sawamura had occupied a place in Kuroo’s life that no one else could fill – some cross of friend, rival, and if-only.

It was fondness folded into a summer daydream: wispy and weightless, with no expectations, but a whole quiet world of possibilities. And then all those possibilities came to an abrupt halt, and that was that.

Sawamura had never been his to lose. But Kuroo had hurt, nonetheless.

“Kuroo, help me dig up that little thing right there,” Sawamura says, interrupting Kuroo’s spiraling thoughts. His translucent hands comb against a shining patch of sand.

“Here?” Kuroo crouches down and scrapes his fingers through the spot Sawamura was just touching. He unearths a chunk of green sea glass the size of a stamp, and rubs it clean of sand. “Oh, nice find!”

It’s a lovely mossy color, frosted and worn soft to the touch. Sawamura runs a pale fingertip over the surface and then withdraws, floating a few feet into the air.

“Sorry, I can’t buy you anything, so that’ll have to do for a souvenir of our trip.”

“That’s more than good enough for me,” Kuroo says, finding himself stricken by the expression on Sawamura’s face.

He looks like he’s at peace, smiling at Kuroo with the same fondness he’s seen directed at Hinata or Suga or Tsukki. The sea glimmers dark like gold-embroidered velvet through him, but he looks and sounds so heartbreakingly familiar in this moment that Kuroo thinks he could forget about the last five years if he were to close his eyes.

Forget the way his heart stopped cold when he first heard the news. Forget how serious and still Sawamura’s face had looked in his memorial portrait. Forget how he had ached, sitting there with Kenma as they watched Hinata on the international court, knowing that there was someone who would never get to feel that pride when looking down at the court.

It’s past six p.m. now. Kuroo only has Sawamura again for today. This short, unsatisfactory slice of time. Eight hours left, and Kuroo doesn’t know how he’s going to say goodbye at the end of it.

--

It’s a quiet ride home, and then Kuroo brings them to a hole-in-the-wall yakitori place where he likes to grab a bite to eat after long days at work. They get a tiny booth to themselves, and Sawamura watches with patient amusement as Kuroo eats.

“What food do you miss most?” Kuroo asks, because he always loses track of his tact when he’s tipsy, and because Sawamura has proven to be awfully nonchalant about no longer existing.

“Actually, I think it might be yakiniku. Part of it probably has to do with the atmosphere; y’know, sitting around a table with your friends, fighting over the last piece of beef.”

Kuroo can see it, especially after that last day of training camp. God, they’d been so young then. Even now, he can imagine how it would be: Sawamura, crowded in his seat up between Azumane and Suga, arguing with Bokuto over the next piece of meat, making sure the pork is cooked just the way Kuroo likes it.

Kuroo waves his skewer in the air like an addled conductor. “Next time…the next time we do yakiniku, I’ll put a plate aside for you. I’ll even buy you a drink,” he promises drunkenly. “Come back and join us.”

“Well, I can’t say no if you’re going to be so generous.” Sawamura rests his chin in his hand, watching Kuroo with undivided attention. With the smoke in the air and the lights gleaming dimly against the wooden walls, the space feels suddenly intimate, and Kuroo takes another deep swig from his beer.

What if he had asked, one of those dozens of times he wanted to? Would they be sitting in a restaurant together on a night much like this one, laughing at each other’s jokes and flirting lightly as they wait for the check? Would Kuroo finally know more of Sawamura’s touch, beside those fleeting handshakes and hugs shared over the years?

Could Kuroo have changed the path of Sawamura’s life? Or do all roads lead to the same destination – with Kuroo mourning Sawamura as a lover instead of a friend?

There are no answers at the bottom of his bottle, but he drinks as if there are. Sawamura doesn’t comment, but he does pull the conversation back toward easier matters: Kenma’s promotion, Kai’s wedding, Yaku’s visit last month. Kuroo focuses on telling the best stories he can, because he thinks that if his mouth stops moving he’ll fixate on how Sawamura’s hand always rests close enough to touch, but never close enough to feel.

It’s approaching midnight when they leave the restaurant, and Kuroo takes Sawamura on the meandering path home. There’s a small park near his apartment block, and Sawamura insists that he take a seat on the bench for a moment to find his balance when he almost trips on the sidewalk.

“C’mon, I thought you could hold your liquor better than that.”

“ ‘m not even drunk anymore,” Kuroo grumbles. He slumps down, legs outstretched, and lets his head loll back. “I just get a little clumsy when I’m tired these days.”

“I don’t believe it,” Sawamura says brightly. “Not with those reflexes of yours.”

“Hey, lay off, I’m getting old!”

“You’re still in your twenties; don’t act like such a geezer.”

Kuroo pulls a face. “Not for long, I’m not. I’ll be using a cane soon. You’ll see.”

“Don’t be in such a rush to grow old. You’ll get there eventually.” Sawamura, seated on the bench beside him, floats up a few inches so he can reach out as if to brush Kuroo’s fringe out of his eyes. Of course, he only passes through Kuroo’s face like a winter breeze, but Kuroo gives him a watery smile back anyway. This is a tenderness neither of them is used to, but it feels like it’s been overdue. If only for tonight.

“Yeah, I’ll sit outside my house and yell at my grandkids’ friends when they come around.”

“At least offer them some snacks, you jerk.”

Above, the stars are brighter than they ever were in Tokyo, and Kuroo wonders if this is the sky that Sawamura used to see, looking out his window as they reached for the same dream. It’s easy to waste another hour just talking to Sawamura like this, because this is the relationship they always had, in those scant moments they shared together over the course of their friendship. Sawamura wasn’t lying when he said he just wanted to visit: it’s like he’s been dropped back into Kuroo’s life after a long trip abroad. If Kuroo were a little more idealistic, he would hope for another day like this, another chance to catch up a few years down the line.

But something in the core of his heart tells him this isn’t an ordinary occasion.

It’s a quarter to two when they finally reach the main street that leads back to his apartment. They pass by the konbini silently, and then the criss-crossing little residential streets until they’re standing only meters away from Kuroo’s building. Kuroo’s never been an expert on the supernatural, but he can feel the space around Sawamura growing blurred, like it wants to pull him back across the veil. He’s about to make an ill-timed joke about it when Sawamura stops them in their tracks and turns to look Kuroo in the eyes.

“Thanks for spending the day with me, Kuroo. I had a lot of fun.”

There’s a heavy finality in his voice. It fills Kuroo’s lungs with lead.

The alcohol is wearing off, but enough of that liquid bravery, like magma in Kuroo’s stomach, remains that he wants to say something stupid in response.

I mourned you.

I grieved for something I wasn’t even sure I understood. A lingering promise, a missed chance. A dream that faded before I could wake.

...I think I could have loved you.

But there are only a few fleeting minutes until Sawamura has to depart, so Kuroo will be civil. Kuroo will be kind, to both Sawamura and himself.

He intends to just accept Sawamura’s gratitude, but one question sticks in his mind so persistently that he’s asking before he can find the self-restraint to stop.

“Sawamura. Why did you- why come and see me? I know there are so many people who would’ve given- who would be delighted to see you one last time. So why choose me?”

Sawamura pauses, his mouth slightly parted as if to speak, before his expression shifts.

Years ago, lifetimes ago, there had been a morning in Tokyo, misty and gray, when Sawamura had stumbled into Kuroo’s corner of town and they spent a handful of hours together before he was expected at the airport. They’d done nothing exciting, but Kuroo will never forget it, if only because of the expression that Sawamura wore while they were waiting for the bus as the fog lay thick around them, blocking out the rest of the world.

Kuroo had long gotten used to being admired, or glared at, or sized up as an opponent. He’d seen all three cross Sawamura’s face in the past, though usually he met Kuroo with either amusement or teasing exasperation. In that moment, however, it had been something wholly new. Something Kuroo wasn’t sure he was reading correctly.

Sawamura was watching Kuroo like he wasn’t sure he was real, those dark eyes wide and wondrous. As if Kuroo was something special to behold, something not quite within reach. It only lasted a second, before Sawamura shook himself out of it and gave Kuroo that sly grin that he knew so well. But Kuroo could never get that sight out his head, letting it haunt him in sleepless hours.

It’s how Sawamura looks at him now.

“I just wanted to see you, I guess,” Sawamura says, eyes soft. After a second, he laughs quietly and ducks his head, in a gesture that feels painfully true to life. When he looks up again, his gaze is clear and focused, the way it always was on court. The way Kuroo remembers him best. “I wanted to catch up with an old friend. So, thank you. Maybe we can do this again sometime.”

They both know that they can’t.

Kuroo swallows, and it hurts his dry throat. “Y-yeah, of course. Just, uh, drop by or whatever. You know where to find me.”

“I do,” Sawamura says, laughing once more. Kuroo’s heart aches.

He wants to say something to prolong the moment, but if there’s anything he’s learned over the last day, it’s that any chance they had has long since been lost. Regret lies heavy in his bloodstream and his breath comes short when he inhales. Kuroo is pushing thirty now, settled in his life and happy about where he’s headed, and Sawamura?

Sawamura will never look a day past twenty-four.

Kuroo clenches his right hand, trying to remember how Sawamura’s palm felt against his, calloused and strong and searing. But nothing remains except the faintest sense memory.

He extends his hand regardless, knowing it can’t be the same.

“Goodnight, Sawamura.”

When Sawamura’s fingers brush against Kuroo’s palm, a chill runs through his skin and he tries to close his hand around the flesh that isn’t there. He gets a rueful look in return as the other man withdraws.

“This is where I tell you I won’t lose again, isn’t it?”

“And where I tell you we’d be happy to take you on again any time,” Kuroo agrees quietly.

“I think that rematch will have to wait.” And Kuroo can see his outline going threadbare.

Sawamura lifts his hand back into a wave, slipping backwards toward the light of the street lamp. The honey glow of the lamp intersects briefly with Sawamura’s own light, painting him angelic gold for a second, and for just this moment, with the veil of reality pulled thin, Kuroo can see the yearning clear as daybreak written in Sawamura’s eyes. Like a perfect mirror image to Kuroo’s own.

It’s instinct to step forward, reaching out toward Sawamura to try and touch him, to catch him before Kuroo can lose him, yet again, but already the distance is too wide. Sawamura smiles, even as he fades.

“Goodbye, Kuroo.”

And he’s gone.

Kuroo stares for a minute longer, willing the streetlight to shimmer and reveal Sawamura’s ghostly form again, but there’s nobody here on this road except Kuroo and a few sedate cars passing through. The whole world is quiet, giving him a moment of silence to find his breath, steady his heart.

The spring air embraces Kuroo with cold familiarity as he begins slowly walking up the stairs home, alone again. Above as below, the world spins on, once more without Sawamura. Kuroo unlocks his door, but stands there in the threshold for a long moment, just looking in. Finally, he takes a deep breath and steps inside.

It’s late. He should go to sleep, and wake early to greet the new day. Maybe tomorrow he’ll go for a swim.

[kyougarasu]

Tag Game

Tagged by @finnthebunneh ❤️

Rules: tag people you want to get to know better and answer the questions.

Relationship status: single and (looking I guess but I'm always too shy to admit it)

Favourite Colour: I dread this question because I love most colours 😂 but I'm definitely biased to red and green, blue.... Mostly red but.... Vin K.O.

Favourite ships: 😂🐍🐍🐍🐍 but I bicycle ship my favourite characters basically 😂 but definitely kurodai, I ship daichi with almost everyone, bottom daichi only *hides*

Other ships are Genji shipping, I really like him with mcree and strangely reaper. Sheith, but the contrary bottom Shiro shipper 😂 dekubaku, todobaku, akaboku (in that order). Basically all my best bois are bottoms in my heart, that basically summs up how I ship 😂🔥

Last Song: Pop stars / KDA really love the video for this ❤️ the kinda of music vid that makes me wanna draw

Last Movie: Battle Angel Alita, the story is was a hero's journey but the amount of effort put into Alitas animation overall is just 😌👌👌👌👌👌👌 also the cyborg designs and animation we're rly nice in terms of movement and weight 😌👌

I'm tagging No pressure, just for fun ☺️❤️ @kythen @thepharaoh @huii-2d @itsairybro @audriel89 @aeshiryzen @thatishogwash

[thatishogwash]

Fic Rec Week One

So it’s author appreciation day and I almost completely missed it! I started making a masterlist of all my favorite stories and realized how long it was turning out to be so I decided to do mini-fic rec lists each week to spotlight awesome stories I love!

1. Caught by @audriel89

I’m literally stopping myself from going back to re-read this story so I can finish this list (and then go back and re-read it).  Audriel is basically the reason I resurrected this old tumblr after years of neglect just so I could talk to her because she’s an amazing and wonderful person, but you know what else she is? A crazy good writer too. She builds worlds that I just want 10 seasons and a movie, I want to see it and be there. I want a theme park made from it, all of it.  And ‘Caught’ is everything I could ever ask for in a story.  The banter, the (not so) subtle flirting, Kuroo being a badass, Daichi being a badass, them being badasses together! And then the end. I won’t give it it away in case you haven’t read it but my god is this story all the things and more.

2. Rescue From Neverland by @stacysmash

Listen, if you’re itching for AUs that involve books/movies/shows, you go and visit her because she’s got the stuff, the real good stuff.  Okay enough of the drug metaphors but honestly?  Kind of addicted to her writing, kind of have to stop myself from reading her new stories during work (kind of fail at that everytime). When I first saw this story I was pretty intrigued, a Peter Pan AU for KuroDai?  Awesome.  But then I realized that it was a Hook AU and had to put my phone down for a second to bless @stacysmash little heart. I love that movie and she manages to capture the child-like but dangerous edge that the movie had perfectly! Also Kuroo as Hook is just so great.  Who doesn’t stand by Kuroo as a captain with a hook hand?

3. the water’s just right by @spring-emerald

If you’re looking for something that is going to make you smile like an idiot in public, look no further! Kuroo unable to be cool for like a nanosecond and Daichi still being attracted to the giant goofball is my weakness.  The banter in this story is so well done, it’s perfectly drawing from the relationship between Daichi and Kuroo that is canon but adding that extra bit that all us KuroDai lovers absolutely cherish.  Also the younger Sawamura’s are just too cute for words, plus Kai and Yaku being So Done with everything Kuroo is one of my favorite things to read.  Mutual pining for these two are common but spring manages to make it that more entertaining and her stories are just a joy to read!

4. Familiar by @kathwolfie

I’m nearly positive this is the story that got me into BokuDai and what an honestly lovely way to be introduced? I thought I was KuroDai all the way but @kathwolfie just gently knocked me over the side of the head with this story and made me fall in love with everything BokuDai.  This story though?  This story is fantastic.  It is so soft and comfortable, there is a level of trust and a bond already there at the beginning between the two that just makes you sigh as you continue reading, like some character from a Jane Austen novel, looking out the window as you read a letter from your soldier. (or something like that) It’s amazing and I love, love reading Daichi from Bokuto’s point of view. He’s all over the place but he knows he can count on Daichi. Love it!

5. Simply the best by @vikingpoteto

This story is amazing.  I am in love with every word, all 6309 of them.  I had never seen Miraculous Lady Bug before this but after I went and watched it and now I love both, the story and the show.  That way the author matured the story to fit the more adult versions of the HQ! characters was so well done.  How Daichi takes care of Kuroo, who only expects the worst in people even though he’s out there risking his life for them is soooo amazingly well written.  I am a huge sucker for a hurt/comfort type of story and this is all that and more!  Add in heroes and villains with powers and it just makes for a great story that anyone who loved KuroDai will be sure to enjoy and love just as much as I do.

[hq-analysis]

Haikyuu!! Chapter 245: Striking

This chapter can actually be titled Little Giants since it’s heavily focused on Hinata and Hoshiumi. These two has the best panels in this chapter. I don’t really like Hoshiumi, but he does make such interesting expressions. 

It can be discouraging, that is why the parentssenpais look legitimately worried for Hinata. But for Hinata, Hoshiumi is no different that Karasuno’s Little Giant, he is a representation of hope. Little Giant(s) show that is possible for small/short players like him can and does fight. (I also have to hand it to him for that speech) Hoshiumi himself is still in his second year, and if he’s a serious volleyball player, he has the advantage of early start in comparison to Hinata who has late start. 

It’s not like Hinata’s usual expression when he’s excited to meet strong opponents. Hinata looks truly, genuinely happy here. I feel like it’s different because he doesn’t want to particularly beat Hoshiumi. Or does he? Regardless, I’d want to see these two face off.

Hoshiumi, like any other wayward aces, has his own babysitter/herder/translator. However, we are not given an introduction? Only number six on his uniform? He also doesn’t appear in the match scenes, making me suspect he’s not a setter, and definitely not a libero. I wonder why. He really knows how to put Hoshiumi in place :D

The last time we checked, Kageyama is still seriously watching other teams, as noted by the background squeaking noises. Hinata is supposedly ninja-ing his way to the booth, and yet there’s Kageyama, conveniently there to introduce Hinata and Hoshiumi to each other. Deus ex machina?

I also snicker at Hoshiumi’s realization that Hinata’s the reason why Kageyama’s not particularly impressed by him back in the Youth Camp. He won’t get the reaction he wants from Karasuno, or any team who has faced Karasuno.

On another note, Kamomedai wins straight two sets by 25-20 and 25-18. It’s a significant score gap compared to our three faves. This might be on purpose to show that Kamomedai, and most likely the teams whose members are in Youth Camp, is on different level. I wonder which team Karasuno will encounter first?

Other precious scenes in this chapter:

[amaanogawa]

tumblr crushes challenge: where you post your own favorite blogs to spread positivity and get your amazing blogger-friends some more followers!

tagged by: @cherrybomb-and-starlight (ILYSM ZURIELLLLL!!!)

tagging (in no particular order i love u all with my entire ass heart): @cherrybomb-and-starlight, @kythen, @pockicchi, @gulabijamuns, @cupofkoushi, @roronoaxd,  @sctvrns, @sapchi, @imthebiggulpbehindthe7-11, @finnthebunneh, @izumitate, @otasucc, @firewindmill, @arahir, @tetsya, @audriel89, @justforbadfriends, @stacysmash, @kachimatsu, @noehhmii, @copilotsheith, @flusteredkeith

(i’m probably forgetting people because i only have (1) remaining braincell but jsyk if you’re wondering if i love u the answer is yes)

rules are simple – if you’re tagged, show off your tumblr crushes and tag your post #mytumblrcrushes and of course, you don’t have to, but why pass up an opportunity to make someone’s day with this? :)

[gulabijamuns]

get 2 know my wips!!

The Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. 

(thank u @cupofkoushi for tagging me, my wips leave much to be desired in terms of nomenclature)

🌸 oisuga cats (what it says on the tin (: masha said for oisuga & cats when i asked for prompts so here i am)

🌸 what the fuck is this (kuro/dai demon au? idk it's complicated ok neither of them are demons......yet)

🌸 what the fuck is this 2 (kuro/dai but wait for it..... it's FLUFF)

🌸 roatdrip au (yes, i am a whole adult and can’t spell - this was kmmmjr if im not mistaken but then i quickly lost steam! it's a great idea i'd like to visit later hmmm...)

🌸 jiroumina ????????? (the question marks are part of the name unfortunately)

🌸 hey finish this (omg i think it was mer/thur for my pal rip)

🌸 cAN WE PLEASE JUST FINISH (this is todo/ii/deku i think?)

🌸 yamkg (i started this for a zine but then i had to drop out because im flakey & unreliable)

🌸 10 things i hate about you au (kuro/dai i think? if it's not im gonna make it that)

🌸 soul eater au (this was for bnh/a lmao bye)

🌸 can u finish this please (tskyam :3)

🌸 nano krkn

🌸 nano shinkami

🌸 tarot-ble (this was actually supposed to be completed last year but i liked the name so there, i think it was semi/shira)

🌸 placeholder (omg.........my fic for smshr wknd!!!)

thanks for paying attention now u know why i called it title goes here because im a dumbass with not a single brain cell 😬💫

im gonna taaaaag: @stacysmash @spring-emerald @audriel89 @shitabukenjirou

[5note-5]

NOTE 5 - Note 12

Fordi Note 11 er noget lort.

[NSFW Warning!]

Links:

- SakuAtsu: https://mobile.twitter.com/miyafour/status/1299850781248503808

- Link: https://volleyball-haikyuudorks.tumblr.com/post/181301016471/tantei-armin-chapter-332-holy-shit-guys-have/amp

- https://audriel89.tumblr.com/post/617022700960022528/haikyuu-chapter/amp

- Manhua ideas: “Starting with a lie”

- https://www.reddit.com/r/haikyuu/comments/60ma7u/kageyama_and_hinatas_friendship_discussion/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

- https://for-kagehina.tumblr.com

- “19 days” (manhua)

- KuroKen: https://co.pinterest.com/pin/610941505698128093/

- “Haikyuu kuroiwa”

- https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/326933254205489355/

- https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/682436149780488328/

- https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/672866000558539181/

- https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/585468020306477111/

- https://www.pinterest.jp/pin/83316661837235290/

Oprettede: 24. marts 2021 kl. 20:23

[spring-emerald]

YES! Lot of potential (for angst, especially). I’d say this as early as now, to manage expectations (if there are any), I won’t dabble so much on the twists that happened in the original material. I just wanted to transplant Kurodai in the similar situation (of looking for memories) and eventually making new ones while they’re at it. But we’ll see. 

[passionateuchiha]

Alll the feelings I had are here written by the amazing @audriel89

I will be saving this here and sharing it to all the amazing people out there!

My favorite favorite FAVORITE KUROO♡

Haikyuu!! Chapter 318: Partner

Akane notices the same thing as I did, though my focus is more on the fact that it’s Hinata, but for her, it’s the fact it’s Karasuno, the foil to Nekoma’s defense. It feels like Karasuno is encroaching Nekoma’s territory, potentially upsetting the balance. So her worry is not unfounded, especially that with the win, it’s Karasuno who’s riding the momentum to the last, decisive set.

The Nekoma looks calm and focused, and yet Nekomata wonders whether they are still in a daze, which is an indirect acknowledgment of worry that is later shown to be mirrored by Naoi. But they need not to worry…

…Kuroo have it all handled. Just in few words, he manages to get the problem children back on track, and the team back to normal at the same time. That makes me think that he lays it thick on purpose. And this is the kind of captain Kuroo is. This is why Kuroo is the captain. But wait, this feels familiar somehow…

Because Daichi has done the same! Coincidentally (or not) in Wakunan match, Daichi did it to Nekoma’s counterparts, Hinata and Tanaka! Briefly, their leadership style looks so different with Daichi so strict and Kuroo so relaxed but at the core, they take similar approach by using their cunning. The only other captain that seems to adopt this approach is Kita, though all of them have different delivery: Daichi, snarky; Kuroo, cheesy/nerdy; and Kita, blunt. No wonder Daichi seems to connect more with these two. Urgh, I’m so happy to see more Kuroo as a captain.T^T

OH. MY. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.

BLESS YOU, FURUDATE!!!

NOT ONLY WE’RE GETTING MORE KUROO AND KENMA. WE’RE GETTING PRECIOUS BABIES KUROO AND KENMA!!! AND THEY. ARE. PRECIOUS!!

(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!! those squishy cheeks! my god they’re so tiny!)

WAIT, WHAT? KUROO WAS THE SHY AND AWKWARD ONE?!!

*drops dead*

LONG RANT AHEAD!

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