#because kan is an asshole | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-cookie-of-doom · 1 year ago

Text

okay @fawndlyvenus @shubaka this is for you lol

Chay learns, very quickly, that there are a lot of things he and Porsche no longer know about each other.

For example: Porsche had no idea that his own boyfriend's youngest brother is the same guy that's existed within a shrine on Chay's wall for, oh, five years? And when he found out about Kinn's AWOL brother, Porsche had a name, but was never able to put a face to it, because Kim was too busy stalking Chay, and giving him guitar lessons - which Porsche never found out about, either - and taking him on dates, and then ripping his heart out of his chest. Chay decides not to tell Porsche about that last part, because by the time he can, he and Kim have already made up and gotten back together, and it would make things very awkward with Porsche. Who already disapproves of Kim on principle.

So, there are still things Chay and Porsche don't know about each other. And there are more things they wish they didn't know about each other.

Still, somewhere during Porsche's apologetic, secret-sharing mood, he revealed some things about his early days as Kinn's bodyguard. Namely his interactions with the Minor Family. Chay has gotten some of the details from Macau as well; how the first time they met, Porsche shoved him into the koi pond and broke his face on a statue. (Porsche fiercely insists that's not the real story).

Between the two of them, Chay is able to piece together a story.

Kan demanded that Vegas keep an eye on Porsche. Vegas enlisted Macau's help to reel him in with a false apology, and bribe him with the cherry red Ducati he's always wanted. Chay also learns Vegas kept a much... closer... involvement with Porsche than strictly necessary. And this part of the story always makes his stomach turn, the way Vegas would push and push and push, trying to take what wasn't his, and Porsche never quite looks at him when he talks about it. Chay doesn't look at him, either.

Porsche insists that he and Vegas are cool now. Pete insists Vegas has changed, and Porsche tells him that as far as he can tell, it's true. Vegas no longer acts like the monster his father forced him to be, now that his father is dead.

Still, he tells Chay these stories, because there's a part of him that still believes Vegas is dangerous, and Porsche needs him to know. To understand. To be safe.

Macau, to his credit, doesn't take offense to the way Chay always flinches when Vegas is mentioned. They never hang out at Macau and Vegas' new house - they're not unwelcome at the minor family house, but they stay away, there's too many memories - and bringing Macau to the main compound always make him a little nervous - Khun loathes Macau just as much as he adores Chay - but they figure it out. Pour over google Maps for an hour trying to establish an acceptable No Man's Land where they can meet in peace, without painful memories bleeding out between them.

Mostly that takes place at an internet cafe roughly in the middle of them, where they can game and bicker and act like normal kids for a while. In another year Macau will join him in university, and it'll be even easier to negotiate their interactions. For now, Chay will continue to feel like he's sneaking behind enemy lines the handful of times he picks Macau up directly from his house.

"He really has changed," Macau says one day. They're in the compound this time, at Khun's koi pond, and Maucau keeps looking around like he's waiting to be shoved into it. They're the only ones in the garden. Neither of them comment on Tankhun standing in his window, watching them fiercely.

Chay tosses a torn off piece of bread into the pond and says, "Mhm," and pretends he doesn't know who Macau is talking about. But Macau is kind of an asshole, and won't let him.

"He feels bad."

"I don't know why, it's not like he kidnapped me." He technically didn't. Chay knows that. He still doesn't like him.

"He keeps making sad faces at me and asking if you hate him."

Chay laughs at that. The next piece of bread is thrown at Macau. "Liar."

"Yeah, I am," Macau laughs. "He really does feel bad, though. He's got a thing about fucking with little brothers, y'know?" He tears into his own loaf of bread. It mostly crumbles into the grass as he picks at it. "Vegas really didn't mean for you to get caught up in everything. Tawan went behind his back."

"Yep. It's cool. Really." It's really not.

Macau sighs.

He stops trying to convince Chay, though. Maybe it's because he looks up at Tankhun's window, sees the unfiltered loathing pouring through it, and shudders, and yeah. He understands. And Tankhun never ever really did anything to him, not like Tawan - and Vegas - did to Chay.

"You know, that was the worst day of my life," Chay says casually. "Well, second worst. Actual worst was way worse, emotionally at least, but that day started as the best day of my life-"

"Because of Kim?"

Chay nods, a blush dusting his cheeks. They've finally managed to get their shit back together, so they can get back together, but it's only been a few weeks. It's still new and kind of scaring, and sometimes Chay still thinks he's going to wake up and find it was all a dream. He's working on it.

Macau scrunches up his nose and says, "This family is so weird. You don't have any other brothers, right? Because I think I'd be genetically obligated to try and smash, and I don't really want to."

"Dude! You're actually insane."

"Dude, come on - think about! Your brother is banging Kinn, Vegas tried to bang him, and you're doing your thing with Kim-"

"No one's tried with Tankhun, right?"

"Yeah, but that's cause he's weird. So that just leaves me, right? The last eligible Theerapanyakul bachelor." They both break into laughter so deep it hurts, and Macau throws himself into Chay's side, batting his lashes. "But hey, if you and Kim don't work out..."

"I hate you," Chay says, and Macau's worst fear finally comes true as Chay shoves him into the koi pond, and a pair of guards come running when they hear screams.

By the time they get there Macau has pulled Chay into the water, and the two are playfully trying to drown each other, and the guards look at each other, unsure if they should get involved.

In the end, they're called off - by Tankhun, who secretly hopes Chay succeeds in drowning Macau, eagerly watching from his window - and the boys eventually drag themselves out, waterlogged and sore from laughter.

No one could tell they're crying beneath it all, months of pent-up emotions finally released. They cling to each other as they catch their breath, and maybe it's a little desperate, grasping hands that hurt, but it's okay, because even if their ribs are aching and their lungs are burning, and nothing is certain, they're okay.

#cookie writes #kinnporsche #macau theerapanyakul #porchay pichaya kittisawat #technically this isn't a fic #there would be way more dialogue if it was #hope you enjoy it anyway lmao #i have no idea what just happened #this ende dup with A Lot Of Words

65 notes · View notes

driftward · 26 days ago

Note

NPC ask game: zoissette’s opinion of kan-e, nyx’s opinion of nahbdeen, karasawa’s opinion on aymeric.

Two hard ones and an easy one! A'ight let's do this

Zoissette on Kan-E-Senna:

Zoissette likes Kan-E-Senna, and honestly, under different circumstances, they could very probably be friends. As it is, though, Zoissette does not like to be in Gridania too long if she can help it. Parts of it reminder her of the worst parts of her home, and also, too many people there feel free to be a jerk to Nyx just because of what Nyx looks like. But Kan-E herself reminds Zoissette of the rare, better leaders she knew in Ishgard. Spiritual, but not overbearing. Kind, open, willing to listen, but also able to make hard decisions when the time calls for it. Leader as supporter, and of the city leaders, Zoissette appreciates that Kan-E often takes to the field, even once coming all the way to the Churning Mists just to -help-.

So yeah. Likes her. Admirable woman. Little odd that she looks like she both has and has not hit her growth, but Padjel are like that, that's whatever.

Nyx on Nahbdeen:

Commander. High reliability rating. Reasonably predictable. They like that.

Watching his interactions with Varshahn is the most entertainment they have had in a while. Why are you like this. Interesting that he prefers the more child like model. Little brother? Even though Varshan is essentially Vrtra. Make a mental note when making mammets in the future.

People are weird.

Karasawa on Aymeric:

~*~

Karasawa bit her lip and did her damnedest to keep to herself as Alphinaud and Aymeric discussed politics and the relationship the Scions might have with the Holy See going forward.

The deeps ins and outs of state politics usually were pretty far above her head. She trusted Minfilia to handle it, more or less, and Tataru to steer her through it, more or less, and Alphinaud to be kind of insufferable about it, more or less. But the way Aymeric spelled it all out just made everything so plain, so easy to see.

And the way he spoke made her have feelings clear through to her spine.

But DAMN if she was not conflicted. He was Authority with a capital A, the same kind of stuck up asshole that would not be out of place on the Convocation. The kind of arsehole that would somehow manage to get you to do what he wanted and make it seem like it was your idea the entire time until you were like five blocks away from walking back to your flat from his house and were suddenly like wait one butt-swiving minute what just happened.

Gods she hated him. She was going to tumble him and make him be the one to swear to the stars. She was going to do no such thing, he even smelled authoritarian, all metal and chain and leather and some kind of flowery undercurrent and those cheek bones were unfair.

She was going to have to go back and see if she could not make a few more adjustments to her body this was unfair that he looked like that. Well, no, wait, she refused to go back to being that bloody wirey, being wide was great. And she had a great ass. The better to grind against his cheekbones and gods hells swive all of this.

Again, all of these feelings that came with this body that she could not make shut up, and again, she was missing half the feelings she should have, and again, everything around here was just so queer. Not weird. Weirder than weird. Queer.

Stupid beautiful authoritarian jackass.

But she was not going to swive this one up, nope. This was absolutely positively not going to be a repeat of the Cid situation, no matter how pretty he looked, how nice his voice, or how exotic his ears. Cid at least was relatable, this guy was something else. She would keep her mouth shut, her thighs together, and her hands to herself.

At least, until they got outside.

"WHOAH" she said. Alphinaud turned to look at her, tilting his head.

"Something the matter?" he said.

"Did you see him?" she hissed.

Alphinaud glanced her over. He always looked like a lost little cubus when he was confused about something.

"That man is a jackass coloured just right to shade me stupid," she groused.

"I am fair certain I fully have no idea what you mean."

"He was -stupid hot-. Like wow. I want to just grab those ears and ride that face."

"...ah?" said Alphinaud, clearly now regretting this conversation. Well, he regretted the last one, too, he could tolerate a little more regret in his life.

"But he's all hoity toity high and mighty. I bet he pals around and talks to everyone and they all love him."

"That... is often a sign of effective leadership."

"He can lead me to his bed but he can't make me lay down. UGH. Why are they always so pretty? I bet he'd make a bid for Pashtarot and probably win it too, the bastard."

"I still am full certain I have no idea what you are going on about."

"I want to tumble him until he's stupid."

Alphinaud's face suddenly went to that gormless blank polite expression he liked to wear when he was 'politely listening'.

Atraxae full intended to be impolite in her speech.

"Unsheathe your sword, m'lord!" she affected in an accent that was posh. Probably posh. Possibly posh. Well, certainly, it was all nice and civilised to her ears, she still did not have a full handle on the dialects of this new world. "Yeah I would polish it for all its worth. Maybe instead of everyone listening to him he could listen to me for a change. Like all that shite he spouted in there about helping us out?"

"He was right, of course," said Alphinaud, his voice strained.

"Sure I bet he was, can never tell with people like him, but I get you I can get him singing a different tune to the lyrical hearbeat of my nethers, you know what I mean? Ugh. Let him play percussion on my butt."

"Well, it certainly sounds as though you are enamored of him greatly," suggested Alphinaud. Had his voice gone up an octave? Weird, she was fair certain his voice was eventually supposed to go down an octave.

When, she couldn't say. Ask Urianger about that later.

"I can't decide if I wanna tumble him or strangle him. Love him or hate him, gods, he's too pretty and too nice and too smart. Not nearly cold enough out here. I do wonder what colour he is. His armor's blue, sure, but I bet he's orange." She paused. "I'd hate if he was orange."

"You do not say," said Alphinaud. A polite voice cleared its throat behind them, and Karasawa turned as Alphinaud slumped.

Aymeric had his fist in his mouth, pretending to still cough. Lucia was with him, and her expression was unreadable.

Atraxae looked around at all three, Aymeric, Alphinaud, and Lucia. After a moment, Karasawa made a decision.

"Well, I suspect we should be on our way. Come on, Alphinaud," she said, turning on a heel, and practically fleeing.

"Why do I keep having to pay the price for your behaviour!?" he complained as he scampered after her.

"Charming personality, a brilliant mind, an ass that won't quit, and oh yeah, a mandate from my bestie Hydaelyn to help punch monsters" she said breezily, before laughing hysterically.

Well, this would hopefully be one of those moments that would make for a hilarious story later.

#answer hours #ask meme #zoissette vauban #nyx blackmoon #karasawa atraxae #biot writes #this feels like it needs more tags but hell if I know what

7 notes · View notes

firstkanaphans · 10 months ago

Note

Again, thank you for translating The Eclipse my darlin; I just finished ep2 and I have some thoughts I wanted to share!

Is it just me or is Ayan’s character a lot like him in Our Skyy 2? I remember people thinking Ayan was a little off in those episodes but I honestly think they really went back to the source material in terms of his attitude, after reading this so far! And I like it! He is also so thirsty for Akk that it hurts XD

Kan is so damn delulu for Thua and it’s killing me 🤣 like, I just keep giggling at how he’s like THUA IS GAY AND SCARY but is also HOW DARE ANYONE TALK TO THUA I MUST GO SIT WITH HIM AND PROTECT HIM

Namo is just a poor wee ignored baby and I love him.

Wat is perfect.

Akk has been interesting. It’s hard to think of him as wealthy, and I think it’s a change the series did that has bettered his character? In the show it makes his behaviour and personality make more sense, imo.

Anyway, I’m away to continue my reading! Again and again, thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Yes, I much prefer Akk being gay AND poor rather than just gay 😂 Being a scholarship student gave him a motivation for becoming the curse that wasn't just "I hate those gay losers over there," so it's a little easier to stomach.

And I also agree with you that Our Skyy pulled a lot from the source material. The plot with Wat's movie and Namo's crush on that girl are both straight from the novel and I love that P'Golf decided to use that extra time to give the novel fans a little nod.

I was pretty notoriously one of the people who wasn't a huge fan of Aye in Our Skyy, but you're right that his personality in Our Skyy more closely resembles the Aye from the novel rather than the Aye from the series. Of course, I think that might be because the Aye from the novel is a bit of an asshole to Akk lol.

But omg I'm glad you're enjoying Namo because I LOVE novel!Namo. I am so mad at what they turned him into in the series because I would die for novel!Namo. He deserves the world and Akk is so mean to him 😭

Thank you so much for sending me this, Pip. The translation process has honestly been a bit lonely because I have no way of knowing if people are actually reading it, so it makes me happy to know you're enjoying it 💕

#asks #the eclipse novel

14 notes · View notes

the-somewhat-rambling-reviewer · 2 months ago

Text

Peaceful Property EP 1 Thoughts

To start off with a controversial opinion: I think New is the type of actor who is really, really good at playing a specific type of character. In his case, down-to-earth, if occasionally anxious and/or neurotic, nice guys. When he’s playing this type of character, he can bring the comedy as well as the drama and his character can show steel and fire when necessary.

I have no idea how he is in real life. He could be, I hope not, but he could be the biggest asshole diva around for all I know. But when he’s playing a nice guy, I focus on the character. Whenever he tries to play a jerkish character, I find myself thinking, ‘Well, he’s acting.’

It didn’t work for me in Club Sapan Fine when he was playing a rich, out-of-touch character, and the only times I thought he did good in I’m Tee, Me Too was when he had quieter scenes, not when his character was being mouthy and crass.

And also, aware I could be wrong, but: I’m convinced he doesn’t actually speak any English. I really hope the show drops him occasionally saying things in English. A few times, I was wondering why there were no English subtitles, because, I didn’t know what he was saying.

Then, I realised, oh, right he’s speaking English. The fact English usually isn’t translated when the subtitles are English does make a certain amount of sense, even though it might make it easier for English-speakers with hearing impairments to know what’s going on without having to find a way to get extra subtitles.

It wasn’t his accent I had a problem with; he just flat out was not saying the words to where I could understand them. I don’t know if First Kanaphan has gotten better about it or not, but I had the same problem with him in Wolf when he tried to speak English.

And finally, to get it out there, I do hope this is a BL, but whether it is or not, please, show, do not have Home end up with any female character. Kan and Pang are too good for him. Peach is too good for him, too, but if the right character development is given to Home, I can be okay with him and Peach being together with Pang (and maybe, Kan, too) being at the ready to frell him up if he ever does anything too stupid or hurtful to Peach.

I’m sort of already shipping Kan and Pang.

I don’t know if Best is going to be around for future episodes. For some reason I was surprised at how much he was in this one, but I’m definitely not complaining. For some reason, I just had the thought, ‘A wild Perth appears!’ when he first popped up.

If Best is sticking around, and assuming he turns out to be a good guy, I’d be fine with him ending up with Pang, Kan, or Peach. Or even Home, though, he might be too good for Home, too. I’d be fine with Peach ending up with Kan.

Just don’t put any female character with Home, show, I beg of you.

Onto the good:

Jan is a straight up chameleon actress.

Tay Tawan is a tall, good-looking man, and from what I’ve seen, he conducts himself confidently during interviews and the like. He can definitely play strong, confident characters, but one thing I admire about him is that he can also convincingly play characters who shy and/or sad and/or ill-adjusted.

Some performers are not afraid to play messy, pathetic, and/or tragic characters. They aren’t afraid to be goofy or annoying or just go all out bringing the type of character who, if they met an actual person like this, they’d be, ‘No,’ to life.

Could be wrong, but I don’t think he has any issues with putting it all into a character who isn’t the ideal leading man type despite being so good at playing an ideal leading man.

I know he’s played jerkish characters, but I don’t know if he’s ever played a straight-out villain. I’d really like to see him play one.

I love Peach and Pang’s relationship. She called him “hia” at one point! Aw.

Another moment I loved was, when the landlady was trying to break in, her declaring her handsome brother would soon have a billionaire fall in love with him.

Shipping googles aside what with the transition to a news report about Home immediately after this, instead of focusing on her brother eventually being able to get a good job, instead of her having any plans to get a rich person to fall in love with her (she totally could), instead of talking about how her influencer career will pay off someday (it might), she’s just like, my sweet, handsome brother is going to capture some rich person’s heart, and that rich person will take care of him and me, his sister.

Which, yeah. If Peach fell in love with someone, that someone had better be prepared for wherever they’re living to have an extra room for Pang, or Peach is gone.

I also loved when Home broke in, numerous times, Peach automatically got physically behind his younger and smaller sister.

One thing I’m curious about: Do Peach and Pang share a bed?

Pang wasn’t in the apartment when Home somehow came in and got into bed with Peach without making a sound or causing discernible movement, and I admit, I was expecting a ghost, not Home, in that scene.

I dunno. As someone who coos over almost every instance of bedsharing be it platonic or romantic, I’m not sure this wouldn’t be a rare time I don’t. I love the fact Randy and Earl share a bed in My Name is Earl, and I once read a story about someone being freaked out that an adult brother and sister, both fully clothed, shared a bed on vacation, and I didn’t understand why this weirded them out so much.

But yeah, two opposite-sex siblings sharing a bed full-time might be a little icky.

Switching to Home, I hope his uncle isn’t revealed to be a villain. I like his and Home’s relationship.

I’m here for his aunt and her loyal assistant or maid being thorns in his side. I did think New did well with some comedy in this episode, and one of my favourite moments was, when told to seize him, the aunt’s underling just wrapped around him in a hug.

I thought he was going to drop that delicate teacup, and good job on the subversion of just having him spit-spray tea, show.

Him jump-scaring the siblings multiple times was hilarious.

And random, I love that Best was saved as Best Boy in Peach’s contacts. Adorable and funny.

I think I’m going to like this series.

#peaceful property the series

2 notes · View notes

namtanlovesfilm · 1 year ago

Note

wait bro I'm so mad ok I was just thinking about the eclipse again and I just realized that Thua does his little "coming out requires courage and support" speech in front of Akk and Ayan after he fucking outed them just like an episode or two earlier???? I fucking hate this so much I think Akk should've punched him then and there holy shit how did I not realize that sooner

like he outs them in an already hostile situation and then gets to go around acting like he isnt the asshole in this and then he fucking shows up at Akk's house and thinks he gets to stand there and hold hands with Kan and smile and talk about how "coming out doesn't just require our courage, we need an understanding and supportive community and family too" like he didnt rob two people who were supposed to be his friends of their moment in possibly the worst moment he could have chosen??? Thua is lucky Akk and Ayan are nicer than I am because I would have been so pissed (although if it were me thua would have been cut out of my life the second he did that shit and wouldn't even have been allowed at the house to begin with but that's just me I guess)

ok sorry for the rant I was just suddenly Having Thoughts about this and needed to get them out before I exploded lmao

YES EXACTLY, that's why I never understood people who defend thua. the entitlement to not only out them but then say coming out is hard but important??? while getting to come out on his own terms??? and being the one who acts mad at akkayan??? they gave thua the audacity of a thousand white cishet men & it shows lmao, they really fucked up his character & I'll be forever mad 🥲

xxx

#answers #thua #the eclipse

19 notes · View notes

recurring-polynya · 2 years ago

Text

Renruki Week Day 6: Rukia’s Birthday

This is my favorite thing I wrote for this week.

Thanks to @substituted-shinigami for the beta-read and the suggestion about the lost-and-found. 😘

| ao3 | ff.net |

🍡 🎁 💕

“Oi! Oi, Rukia! Rukia, it’s me! Lemme in! C’mon, it’s cold out here!”

Rukia regarded Renji through her eyelashes as she slid open her window to let him in. “Maybe that’s what you get for climbing around the outside of the girls’ dormitory after the sun goes down.”

“I was waiting for your roommate to leave,” Renji excused as he clambered over the sill. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were bright red.

“You know she leaves for her dumb study group at quarter to seven,” Rukia chided. “And where’s the coat I got you?”

The Shin’ou dress code allowed for a special haori to be added to the uniform during the winter months--provided one could afford to purchase one of the damn things from the only shop in town authorized to embroider the school seal on the back. Rukia, a freethinker, had simply liberated a pair of them from the lost-and-found located at the rear of the mess hall.

She knew very well that Renji wouldn’t wear his because he considered it “stolen” (as if the rich kid who had lost it hadn’t just bought another right away), but he appeared to be biting his tongue on that point, for once. “I think that thing must have belonged to the largest student in Shin’ou history,” he complained instead. “No good for climbing.”

“I could get you another one,” Rukia shrugged. “I just figured with the way you’ve been growing lately, you would need it. Speaking of which, where have you been? You weren’t at dinner.”

“I had something to do.” Renji straightened up a little and cleared his throat. “Happy Birthday. Rukia.” He held his hands out in front of him to reveal a slightly crumbled, white pasteboard box.

Rukia’s eyes darted down at the box as she very slowly shut the window. “What is that?” she asked suspiciously.

“It’s your present!” Renji retorted. “Take it, already!”

“You better not have spent any money on me, Abarai Renji!” Rukia wound up. “It’s bad enough that you tested into that stupid advanced class so we had to buy two whole sets of school books, but--”

“Oh, shut your trap!” Renji cut her off. “One of the rich assholes down the hall from me came back from New Year’s break with some incredibly heavy furniture his parents wanted him to have, and he gave me some kan to help him haul it up to his room. What he’s gonna do with a whole-ass tea cabinet, I dunno, but that’s his problem. It’s my hard-earned money, and if I want to spend a small part of it doin’ something nice for you on your birthday for once…” he trailed off, his face suddenly going uncertain. “Just take it, wouldja? It’s hardly anything.”

Rukia took the box. It was slightly damp and sticky on the bottom. Carefully, she pulled open the lid. Inside was a skewer of five dango, swimming in a thick glaze of dark brown, mitarashi syrup. “Oh,” she said softly.

“We got that kind once, I think, coming up the South Road,” Renji, who never shut up, was saying. “District 3 or 4, was it? Anyway, I thought I remembered you liking ‘em.” They’d eaten a lot of things for the first time during the long journey up from Inuzuri, armed with a travel stipend from the District 70 Consolidated Shinigami Recruitment Station. Rukia honestly couldn’t recall eating anything she hadn’t liked.

“Mm,” she agreed noncommittally, trying to extract the skewer from its box. The congealed sauce clung stubbornly to the pasteboard. “Are we gonna split it?”

Renji scoffed and flung himself down in her roommate’s desk chair. “It’s your birthday present. All for you.”

“It’s really good,” Rukia insisted, after delicately biting off the top dango. “C’mon, open up! Just one!” She poked it at him.

“It’s yours!” Renji waved his hands defensively.

“It’s my birthday, and that means you should do whatever I tell you to!”

Renji narrowed his eyes. “I do not like where this is going. If I eat one, can we drop this topic?”

“Yes,” Rukia agreed, holding the skewer out to him. “It also means that you have to share all the birthday treats I buy for you on your birthday with me.”

Renji snorted softly. “Okay, fine. Deal.”

Rukia watched him latch one fangy canine onto a dango, and coolly draw it off the skewer before handing it back. Soul King forbid he touch something with his lips that she had. Rukia didn’t care. She’d gotten mostly used to the idea of regular meals, and the necessity thereof, given how hard the Academy worked them. Still, the idea of an after-dinner treat, eaten entirely as a celebration, seemed absolutely unreal.

“You did eat dinner, correct?” she asked sharply as Renji handed her treat back.

He nodded obediently. “Grabbed a bento from the mess.” He stuck out his jaw. “I was worried about getting to the sweet shop before they closed. I hadn’t actually been there before, but one of the upperclassmen gave me directions. You shoulda seen that place. Next time I get a windfall, I’m gonna take you. They had these things called ‘parfaits’. It’s a big glass full of fruit and custard and syrup. You could get them in all sorts of combinations. I wanted to get you one, but I knew there’s no way I could get one back here without making a giant mess of it.”

“You’re so ridiculous,” Rukia sighed, settling into her own desk chair across from him. She put her feet up on his knees, the pasteboard box balanced on her lap to catch any drips. “What do I need all that for? Save your money for something practical, like the new uniforms you’ll need when you outgrow yet another set.”

Renji was quiet for a long moment. “Was the dango okay?" he finally asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Rukia squinted at him for a moment. At the rate she was stuffing it into her face, it seemed pretty obvious that it was just fine. Then she rewound the last bit of their conversation and realized what he was getting at. Oh, this insecure fool! “It was exactly the proper amount of ridiculous,” she announced. “It is also very delicious.” She paused. They had never been in the habit of using social niceties. If she and Renji had to thank each other for the things they did for one another, there wouldn’t be time for anything else in the day. On the other hand, Renji’s friends thanked each other for everything, and she’d heard him awkwardly trying to return the gesture. It probably wouldn’t kill her to give it a try. “Thank you,” she said, trying to force as much sincerity into her voice as possible and still not confident that he would buy it.

The corner of Renji’s mouth tipped up. “You’re welcome,” he replied softly. He folded his hands in his lap, but then reached out one index finger to poke her big toe. “You know what Momo said I should get you?” he said with a wry half smile.

“What?” Rukia asked, immediately suspicious.

“You remember all those pretty hair pins she had when we went to her house for New Year’s? Flowers and stuff? She loaned you one?”

“It was two weeks ago, of course I remember,” Rukia replied dryly.

“‘You should get her one, Renji,’ Momo told me. ‘Rukia should have something pretty of her own.’”

It was a good thing Rukia’s mouth was full of dango, because it covered the fact that her heart had abruptly stopped beating.

Maybe Momo had said that. It was perfectly possible. But whether or not she had, Renji wasn’t telling her this to make fun of Momo. He would never make fun of sweet, kindhearted Momo. He was telling her this because he thought she should have something pretty of her own. If he had just said so, Rukia would have been obligated to yell at him and no further information could be gained from that. No, he wanted her to know, and he also wanted to know how she would feel if he did something like that. Rukia felt her cheeks growing warm. How dare he be so direct with her, on her own birthday, no less!

“What would I do with such a thing?” she finally muttered. “That Momo, always getting ahead of herself. I don’t even own a decent kimono to wear it with.”

“Mm,” Renji nodded in agreement. “True.” He stretched his arms behind his head. “You will someday, though. When we’re both in the Court Guards and have plenty of money.”

Rukia sucked a bit of the sweet, salty syrup off of her pinky. In ordinary circumstances, she would drop it. Change the subject. She liked to think of herself as a practical girl, a girl who lived in the moment. A girl who didn’t bother over things she couldn’t have. But it was her birthday, and Renji had done something delightfully impractical just for her, so perhaps she could indulge in a tiny bit of wanting. After all, he had basically asked.

“What I could really use,” she explained, pushing her hair back toward her temples, “is a pair of those clippy things that Hinamori’s roommate wears. To keep my hair out of my face.”

Renji frowned, trying to remember. “They’re shaped like little birds or something?”

“I think she has a bunch of them,” Rukia sputtered, not wanting to imply that she spent too much time staring at Momo’s roommate, who was very cute. “I’m sure they make plain ones, too.”

“Noted,” Renji said, with a curt jerk of his chin.

“You know. If there is some gift-giving occasion at some future date,” Rukia quickly amended. She picked up her dango skewer again and waved it at him. “This was a very nice birthday gift and I am very happy with it!”

“I’m very glad,” he replied.

Rukia started to bite off another dango, but paused. “The visit has been nice, too. Haven’t seen too much of you lately. Sometimes I think you’re going to forget about me, between your nerd classes and side hustles and vibrant social life.”

Renji laughed. “You know that would never happen.”

Rukia stuffed a dango in her mouth and smiled at him as she chewed it. “Yeah,” she replied. “I know.”

---

A few years later. About forty or so.

“It’s bullshit that you have to leave my birthday party early,” Rukia informed Renji, piling three strawberry daifuku onto his plate. “Take some of these, they’re really good.”

“I’m real sorry, but we’ve got a big patrol coming in from a rough time, and I told your brother I’d do the check-in so he didn’t have to leave your party.”

“You’re too nice,” Rukia grumped, trying to wedge a cream puff onto the already overloaded plate.

Renji snorted. “We’re going out tomorrow, anyway. I’m gonna let you drink me under the table and beat me at arm wrestling, right? That’s the party that counts.”

“I suppose.”

“I’m just glad I got to stop in at all,” Renji admitted. He glanced around at the room full of two hundred of Byakuya’s closest friends. “Not really my crowd, y’know?” Slowly, his eyes slipped down the length of her body. “I am glad I got to see you in that kimono.” The corner of his mouth tipped up. “You look real pretty. Rukia.”

Rukia’s cheeks flushed. “It was a birthday present. From Brother.” She flapped the sleeves at him, long enough to trail on the floor. It was a rich blue, embroidered with cranes perched amid snow-covered pines. “This thing is ridiculous. Who could fight in these sleeves?”

“There’s no Kuchiki special technique for that?” Renji arched an eyebrow. “Fighting in the most impractical clothes imaginable and making it look easy?”

He had a point. “I’m still working on that one,” she grouched.

“New hairpin, too?” Renji asked, glancing at the white-feathered crane holding the twist of hair up on one side of her head. “It matches real nice, in any case.”

“Er, yeah,” Rukia admitted, not sure why she felt so shy about it. “He’s…he’s trying, you know? And gifts are something he’s good at.”

Renji smiled at her, his eyes soft. “He is. And even I gotta admit: the man’s got great taste. Look, I gotta bounce.” He glanced down at the towering plate of desserts balanced in his hand. “Thanks, uh, for…this. Should last me through the first half of the shift, at least.”

“Do not give any to those assholes coming back from patrol, no matter how bedraggled they look,” Rukia warned him. “I know what a soft touch you are.”

Renji’s eyes darted down to his mountain of sugar and back up again. “Okay, Rukia,” he lied amiably. “Enjoy the rest of your party. Happy Birthday.” With his free hand, he gave her a good natured thump on the arm, but then suddenly trailed his hand down the length of her sleeve. On some ancient, nearly forgotten con artist instinct, Rukia twisted her hand outward just in time for him to press some small object into her palm, which she immediately pulled up into her voluminous sleeve. “See ya tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” she agreed.

Immediately after Renji departed, she got accosted by the young Noragashi Heir, whose compliments for her new outfit were better phrased, but worse received. It wasn’t for several more hours, until her maid was helping extract her from layers of silk and cotton that she remembered the little paper packet tucked in the sleeve.

If Renji had been trying to be surreptitious, he probably shouldn’t have drawn a screaming Zabimaru head on the wrapping, Rukia decided, after Mikan had finally departed for the evening. It took her a moment to undo the elaborate folding job he’d done on the paper (how he managed, with his giant fingers, she had no idea). Inside, was a little piece of cardstock, with two metal barrettes clipped to it. Each one was decorated with a leaping bunny rabbit-- just the right size to add a little visual interest without being obtrusive. They weren’t delicate or fancy, and in fact, it took Rukia a moment to place the artisan’s mark on the card as a blacksmith in the first district of South Rukongai that Renji liked.

Rukia ran her fingers through her hair, and swept the annoying piece that always hung in her eyes to one side, and secured it with one clip. She shook her head a little, and to her surprise, it stayed. She clipped the second onto the other side, and examined herself in the mirror. She looked mildly silly, but they would certainly keep her hair out of her face while she was leaning over her paperwork.

“Not bad, Abarai,” Rukia murmured, turning her head so she could admire every angle. “This is exactly what I wanted.”

#renrukiweek #renrukiweek2023 #renruki #my writing

33 notes · View notes

murderous-muse · 1 year ago

Text

wholesome stuff

The sounds of children giggling echoed in the forest. Kanoa squealed when Briar splashed water onto her, pouting. "Aww, you got my clothes wet! These were my favourite ones too!"

Briar scoffed, hitting Kanoa on the back playfully.

"C'mon, you have twelve of those shirts and thirteen of those sashes. It's not the end of the world."

"Says you. You've hoarded twenty of those long shirts you like to wear."

"Hey! We are not talking about my hoarding problem!" Kanoa rolled her eyes. "Hmph. Let's just go back to the village and eat something."

"Fine. Also, I totally won that fight."

"Did not!"

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

Briar yawned, blinking slowly. Kanoa sat behind him, brushing his hair. "Hey, Bri? Is it just me, or are the village people acting weird?"

Briar hummed. "Think its just you. They seem normal to me." Kanoa shrugged and continued brushing his hair. It was already late. They could see the two moons in the sky already. Kanoa tied the ribbon. One ponytail down, one more to go. "Kan?"

"Hm?"

"You know I love you right? You're the best sister in the world."

Kanoa laughed, smiling at Briar in the mirror.

"Aww, of course I do. Love ya too, Bri."

"Hey!! Only I get to say that! I'll- I'll trip you on the way to the lake if you say it again!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure you will. I love you too, idiot."

Briar huffed, crossing his arms and looking away from the mirror. Kanoa finished tying off the last ribbon. "And... done! Look at how pretty you look!" Briar looked in the mirror. "Eh... I still don't like ponytails." Kanoa put him in a headlock, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Hey! Stop tha-"

"Nah."

"Stop ittt!"

Their laughter rang throughout the village.

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

Briar replayed the memory in his head, not bothering to wipe away the tears freely flowing down his face. It was the last memory they had before Kanoa was tricked. Their home was razed to the ground, and every resident was killed. Kanoa was oblivious to everything going on, hidden away somewhere it'd take years for Briar to find.

The image of Esther and Remiel popped up in his mind. Them. Why did they get what he should have? Why did they get to do everything Briar could only dream of doing, all with his sister who didn't even remember who he was and despised him? He should be laughing with Kanoa. He should be causing chaos and mischief with Kanoa.

Maybe that was why he allowed those villains to use his power. To distract himself from reality. "They earned it"? What a bullshit excuse. He was a stupid excuse of a spirit. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He should've just isolated himself in some empty planet far, far away.

Kanoa was better off with Esther and Remiel. At least nobody knew she was related to an asshole who acted high and mighty despite being weaker than everybody else.

Briar wiped his tears away, forcing the same crooked smile he'd worn for years onto his face. He'd better get going. If he didn't show up, Kanoa would think something was wrong because he wasn't bothering her and her friends.

Just smile, and be the person he's made himself to be for the past 200 years.

3 notes · View notes

fightclubgayporn · 1 year ago

Text

i love undead vernon cause its like. came back wrong but Different style. like. kan hallucinates vernon's ghost, which convinces him to dig up their corpse. and vernon's back, as vengeful and angry as ever (if not more) so sure, he's back, and worse (because a part of them still hates kan for the final battle). but then also. he's really weak. he doesn't have his powers anymore, he's literally rotting, they're hopelessly dependent on kan, the one person who gave vernon any sort of worth, the guy who vernon ruthlessly psychologically manipulated until kan saw them as a god. and now, that guy is stronger than him. they can barely eat, they can barely walk, he has practically no energy, and he's also constantly haunted by the fear of death. kan could kill him so easily, and vernon knows what its like to die. they're clingy. they're nicer to kan. and on top of all of that, now he hears narrator in his head. (which he used to want. which is why cato died) and narrator's dead. the only remnant of her is the narrative power that brought vernon back. she's no longer as neutral and peaceful as she was in life. death brought out her anger, and having a narrator who constantly verbally berates you (and tries to make you kill yourself lol) is. not great. especially when your sanity is already super frayed.

and then there's kan.

kan wanted vernon back. their death was a loss of control in his life, because they were such a (ironically lmao) stabilizing force to him. as terrible as he was for kan, kan loved vernon. he saw the way that they treated him as acts of affection, even when they weren't, and even if he sometimes hurt kan's feelings, he was a constant. kan didn't have a clear sense of identity, but vernon gave him one. with vernon dead, kan had nothing. and when vernon came back, he wasn't the same. he was unstable, insecure, weak and dependent. they clung to kan, the same way that kan used to cling to them, constantly seeking reassurance that kan still sees him as a god. he's the opposite of a constant. he's erratic. one moment, they'll be treating kan like they used to, with backhanded compliments and general asshole behavior, and the next he'll be hugging kan's arm and asking him if he still loves them. its crazy whiplash and its not what kan wanted at ALL but he cant exactly kill vernon. its vernon. and something's better than nothing, right?

#this wasnt gonna be so long but then i had thoughts #anyway. shoutout to the timeline with zombie vernon.#unique flavor of toxic yaoi #AND toxic yuri considering kris ends up rekilling vernon lol

2 notes · View notes

jojotier · 2 years ago

Text

thinking about Kanaya’s reaction after pouring her heart out over this dress for this girl she has a crush on and it just gets used for Vriska to make a flushed move on Tavros and how after she’s cried it all out and mothergrubsprite pets her hair and chitters that it’s okay, she’s always to be a loved child regardless, Kanaya trying so desperately to forget the flushed feelings

but they fester as Vriska continues doing more and more shit in the session and thinking about how Kanaya admires Vriska but realizes she hates her so fucking much but she can’t do anything more than grit her teeth against it and watch her habitually make a fool of herself even though she knows Vriska has the potential to do heroic things, and maybe even improve as a person, if only the asshole would stay still and INTROSPECT for once in her life, but it’s not her place to set every fool to rights

and how after everything goes down on the meteor and vriska hijacks the trip and by now Vriska’s feeling some type of way about Kanaya too, because no longer is Kanaya just some fussyfangs, she’s a fighter, a beast, a downright gorgeous monster with a hole still in her stomach and she can’t get the image of blood smeared on Kan’s lips out her head and it’s infuriating because maybe if Kanaya stopped the goody-two-shoes passive aggressive horseshittery for five goddamn seconds they could actually put that new rainbowdrinker power to the Test, and that’s what Vriska’s all about, pushing every single boundary there is to set, right?

#homestuck #kismesis #vriskan #idk im just constantly thinking about how kismesis as a quadrant pushes them both to try and Make The Other Better #it's about the mutual respect and acknowledgment of ability its about hating someone so much you gotta kiss them it's about fighting what #you adore #and i just think the dynamic would be Good Shit #also the implication of Terezi attempting to auspistize is hilarious

15 notes · View notes

flaim-ita · 2 years ago

Note

Odd numbers for a Geats character of your choice!

You know I have to go with Ace

1 - My first impression of them

Love at first sight. I’m a Tsukasa fan so it goes without saying that I was THRILLED to have a new asshole boy for the first time in nearly 15 years. And then ep 1 his and I was fully cursed forever. He was so confident and cool and I just KNEW he was going to have something so very wrong with him

3 - A song that reminds me of them

Outside of canon Geats ones I guess the only one I can think of might be Black Sorrow from Alien Stage https://youtu.be/v0Rl9Au21lI

5 - My favorite ship of them

Ot4. I was obviously a mark for this one of course I am a Decade fan but they are all so mentally ill and I want the series to end with the four together or looking for each other, depending

7 - A quote of them that you remember

“My mother has done no wrong. I’ll prove it” the poor man is setting himself up for failure. Plus like wow. On a scale of Ace to Steven Universe what is your stance on blaming your abused mother for all war crimes and suffering ever?

9 - Your least favorite outfit of them

Ace wears this ridiculously oversized everything for Zombie arc and I cannot stop bullying it. But his worst suit is LazerBoost it’s too bulky and Mk II is sexier.

11 - What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

I want to ruin him. If he’s lucky, his cule will get the pieces to put back together.

13 - Your favorite friendship they have

Ace slowly going from forcing Tsumuri to be his sister to them clearly being genuinely open and honest with each other in the latest ep gives me Life.

15 - Worst storyline they had

I don’t have a single complaint about Ace like genuinely at all. But if I had to choose and acknowledging that I know why (making it easier on his beloved friends to fight him if he plays the villain mode up, also Keiwa basically just called him a sin to be rectified), I do wish he’d told the others what was being done to his mother.

17 - What do you think their first word was?

Mama. In every life, the first word he parses out, and usually much faster than most children, is whatever form of mother is easiest to say.

19 - The most random ship you've seen people have with them

Someone on Ao3 has written Ace x Hideyoshi Kan and I want to study their brain. I do not however want to read the fic.

21 - When do you think they were at their happiest?

Neon’s birthday. When Keiwa said “Ace is Ace”. I think in that moment Ace felt close to true happiness for the first time in centuries and it crashed as soon as it rose.

23 - Future headcanon

When everything is over, Ace keeps his hollow wishes. What he does not keep is his true one. His mother is dead, and he isn’t sure if he will finally forget, after this life. What he does know is none of the others can go home, and he built one especially for a DGP built family.

The Star of the Star of the Stars lives with popular breakout streamer Neon, who speaks openly about abuse and mental health issues in careful video essays but also chats and dances and is bright during actual streams. They live with three more mysterious individuals, Keiwa and Michinaga, who sometimes appear on streams, and Ace’s mysterious “Nee-San.”

What they don’t see: Ace is empty. Perhaps he forever will be. But having a family helps.

Even if it’s not who he spent so long searching for.

25 - When do you think they acted the most ooc

Ace rescuing Giroli like 2 days before Fox Hunt was hilarious timing but not necessarily OOC. Although it’s the only time his actions felt off from the reality of the story, it’s minor and movies are filmed super early.

As for proper OOC, when he’s all “I don’t care” about Michinaga. It makes sense, he finds Michinaga far too pathetic now to be a real rival, but it still feels odd.

27 - If they could meet a character from another show/movie/etc, who would be the most fun for them to meet?

I want him to meet Tsukasa because I miss Tsukasa desperately and I think they’d vibe together.

Also for non Toku I have this distinct image in my head of a Steven Universe crossover where not only have multiple Aces been friends with Rose, he then meets Steven and is kind of like “oh yeah of course there were things wrong with your mother but at the end of the day I think she wanted to be a good person, more than I did at the times, and we don’t necessarily have a right to judge what worlds our mothers definitely hoped would be better to us than to them.“

29 - How do you think they would be as a parent?

Ace seemed unsurprised that past and future people could not have kids so I do believe every Ace has had fertility issues, as a half breed himself. Any kids he did have, they didn’t live very long.

Ace is a doting father but he is distant and hyper vigilant. By the time the baby is two months he has had them checked for every possible disease and condition. He will always make sure the baby is clean and fed and cared for, but it takes longer to bond. After all, it never stops hurting when he loses a child.

When he does bond, it’s even more obvious. He is convinced his child is the most wonderful person in the universe, takes her with him when it’s safe, and cherished every moment.

If it’s Ukiyo Ace, the child survives.

#kamen rider #kamen rider geats #ukiyo ace #replies #chancellorxofxtrash

5 notes · View notes

useless-bi-otch · 2 years ago

Text

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 3

Last chapter / MasterList / Art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 3 - Accidental Success

"... And then, right in the middle of our conversation, enters the sugar shack's owner-"

"Cut that ‘sugar shack’ crap out, Rihito. It's getting on my nerves."

"What's getting on my nerves is your cigarette smoke. Put that shit out, otherwise they won't let us into the bar."

"Come on, guys, stop arguing! Just keep telling me about this Amazon woman that impressed you so much", Kaneda asks, excited, as the four of them walk through the crowded streets of central Tokyo. The fervor of the city didn't abate even at that time of night, and they wanted to take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to put the struggles of life aside and drink till they dropped, at the nearest pub.

It had been three days since they'd visited the Heavy Bakery, and the brief tour was still an interesting enough topic for them to keep talking about. Especially on that day, when Kaneda had finally returned from his trip, and they could finally fill him in without forgetting a single detail.

"Amazon? That chick was a real, marble carved Greek goddess, dude!" Rihito describes, smiling widely "I'm not even into muscular girls and I thought she was smokin' hot, so make of that what you will. But anyway, she arrived at the bakery showing who's boss, putting Okubo on his place-"

"You too, asshole, don't think I didn't notice", Okubo grumbles, still staring at his phone’s screen. He hadn't taken his eyes off of it since the three of them met Kaneda at the train station.

"Did not! I just stood there staring at that five foot seven monument of pure hotness, in all her glory", He holds his hands out in front of him, drawing curvy shapes in the air. Himuro took a long drag on his cigarette, blowing the smoke to the side.

"You took that lady's measurements just by looking at her? How you haven't been arrested for harassment yet is a fucking mystery..."

"Gimme a break, pretty things are made to be admired. And she rejected me anyway" He sighs dramatically "And as I was saying, she put Okubo in his place-"

“Screw you.”

"And then she kept paying attention to Tokita. Seriously, how does that seaweed head manage to attract women with his presence alone? What does he have that I don't?"

“A nice face.”

"A hair that doesn't look like roadkill."

“Fuck you all!”

“It might just be that you're not her type, Rihito. Don't be offended", Kaneda tries to appease the situation, as usual. Rihito pouted.

"Still, it sucks to see that spawn of cthulhu having a queue of women lining up for him when it doesn't even look like he swings that way."

"Although there was a moment that raised our suspicions…", Himuro comments suddenly, to which Kaneda turns to him.

“What? Don’t tell me that he…”

"Yes. For a second he seemed less interested in the food and more interested in who was preparing it."

"He arrived at the sugar shack smelling of old lady perfume and everything, that son of a bitch."

"Enough with that 'sugar shack' shit, Rihito! It's fucking annoying!"

"Stop fighting and keep talking, please", Kaneda raises his voice when Rihito and Himuro started exchanging insults "Was Ohma really interested in the bakery owner?"

"Nah, we just had that impression at first because he was taking his time to order, and then he kept looking at the counter, right where miss Kanami was", Himuro throws his cigarette butt in a trash can, still glaring at Rihito from time to time.

"Not to mention that they also arrived at the bakery together…" Okubo comments, still distracted with his phone. Rihito completes with an eye roll:

"But then he ended up ordering the first whole sheet of the menu, and then he didn't pay attention to anything else. Kind of obvious that he was just flirting with the food on the counter. I'm telling ya, it's so unfair how the universe insists on smearing all this sugar on Tokita when he would probably only enter a strip club to ask where the kitchen is."

Himuro laughs softly, while Kaneda seems lost in his thoughts. Okubo, still with his eyes glued to the cracked screen of his flip phone, only realized that they had stopped walking when he bumped into Rihito, almost knocking him on his ass.

"Ow! Look where you're going, dumbass!"

“Sorry, man…”

"Take your eyes off that thing, dude. We just arrived", Himuro points to the pub's facade, decorated with red streamers that almost hid the narrow entrance "You brought money this time, right? I'm not going to buy you drinks just to be blamed 'cause you guys pissed in the bonsai pot or something..."

"Relax, we'll pay. Or rather, Rocky here will pay for me, hehehe. We made a bet to see if I could fit more than fifteen frankfurters into my mouth, and he couldn't believe it when I... Okubo?" Rihito calls when he sees that Okubo wasn't paying attention to what they were saying, following them into the establishment without even looking up "Hey! Are you listening to me? Okubo!" He takes the phone from his friend's hand, who jumps a little and raises his head, eyes wide.

"What the hell, Rihito! Give me back my phone!"

"Hell no! You're paying more attention to that fucked up screen then to us!"

"Are you jealous? That 'fucked up' screen is prettier than your face. Now give it back, dammit!"

"Cut that shit out, everyone's looking at us", Himuro grumbles, unimpressed, while Kaneda calmly approaches them. Rihito lets out an indignant yelp as the shortest of the quartet snatches the phone out of his hand in a swift, ninja-like gesture.

"Dangit, Kaneda, I couldn't even see what was on that screen!"

“Eh, it's nothing interesting”, Kaneda unceremoniously hands the phone back to Okubo. He takes a deep breath, relieved.

"Thanks a lot, Kaneda..."

"He was just going to text a random woman, same old history..."

"Thanks a lot, Kaneda!", he repeats, this time in a furiously sarcastic tone. Rihito and Himuro widen their eyes a little, looking at each other.

"Hey, Himuro… is that what we're thinking?"

"Pretty sure it is... what other woman's number would he have on his phone other than his mother's?"

"Fuck off, both of you..." Okubo growls, rubbing his tired eyes, as Kaneda looks from him to the other two in confusion.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"That's right, we still haven't told you about this super interesting part of our trip to the sugar shack- alright, alright, bakery! Holy shit, Himuro, stop kicking me!"

"Okubo got an admirer" Himuro explains, ignoring how Rihito was flipping him the bird with both his hands "With a phone number and all. And no, it wasn't raining cats and dogs when we left the bakery."

This time, Himuro had three birds being flipped at him, one courtesy of Okubo. Kaneda, as usual, ignores the exchange of obscenities, saying excitedly:

"Hey, this is great! Better late than never, right?"

“Wow, Kaneda, thanks for the part that concerns me…”

"I mean, Himuro is the one who usually attracts admirers, while Rihito and you only get frustrated. I'm glad at least one of you managed to score..."

"Hey, come on now!" Rihito crosses his arms, sulking "I could have got that waitress' phone number if I wanted to."

"The girl looked like she was in high school, Rihito, get a fucking grip."

“That’s why I said ‘if I wanted to’!”

"Okay, now I'm curious! I want to hear more about this admirer", Kaneda pats Okubo on the arm, and he understands that his friend was, in his own way, trying to encourage him to participate more in their night out. He sighs. Maybe he really was paying too much attention to that phone.

"Alright... let's look for an available table, I really don't feel like sitting at the counter."

They sit at a small table in the farthest corner, seeking privacy and a blind spot away from the curious eyes that were still following them; their outrageous entry into the pub had not gone unnoticed. As they order, Okubo tells of his encounter with one of the bakery workers and the unexpected reaction she had to seeing him.

“She was really happy, bro. No joking. She asked me for an autograph and everything" He was saying, still looking a little dazzled by the fact "I get stopped once in a while on the street by male fans who recognize me, but by a female fan..."

"It's the first time it happens, right?"

"What? No, it's not! Counting her, this should be-"

"The second time"

"The third, at most."

"Go to hell, all of you!" He growls at Rihito and Himuro, who smirk.

"We're kidding, man, relax. As Kaneda said, ‘better late than never’" Himuro says calmly "And she was pretty cute too, that… what was her name again?"

"Uta Tomori", Kaneda is the one who answers. And when the other three turn to him, surprised, he explains: "It's the name that 'was written on the number to whom he was going to send a message, so I added two and two."

"Oh… well, yeah, that's the name", Okubo nods "And yes, she was really cute. Small, curvy, soft... exactly my type" He opens a dreamy smile "You wouldn't guess that she's a martial arts fan by just looking at her..."

"Or she may just know you thanks to her male relatives who follow the leagues on television. She must think you're handsome", Kaneda muses, to which Okubo shakes his head.

"No, she knew my epithet and everything, she's definitely a fan and… wait, do you think she thinks I'm handsome?" He puffs out his large chest, which makes Himuro and Kaneda laugh. Rihito just rolls his eyes.

"There's no accounting for taste, I guess..."

"Get a grip, envy will only make you look even uglier."

"Envy of what?" That fuckin' bolling ball head of yours?"

"The 'bolling ball head' here has a babe's number fully available, while you only have your thumb to suck on."

"Stop fooling around, you two, the waiter will be here with our drinks soon", Himuro grumbles when Okubo and Rihito start throwing paper balls made with pieces of napkins at each other. Kaneda just keeps smiling, commenting:

"If she was brave enough to give you her number when you were accompanied, it's because she decided it was worth risking embarrassment to have a chance to talk to you again."

"Yeah...", Okubo smiles after dodging yet another paper projectile. He himself was still finding it hard to believe. He had been in a bad mood that day, after the embarrassment he had experienced in the bistro when he was rejected by those college students, but everything had improved after that girl had appeared before him. A fan, and a female one, who had not only asked for his autograph, but who was also interested enough to give him her number. Was that a sign that the universe had finally taken pity on him and decided to give him a treat in the form of a cute, nice girl who apparently had a crush on him? The thought only made his chest puff out more "She left the number on a spare napkin, all neatly wrapped, next to my donut. It even had a little heart drawn on the side, hehehe."

"That's nice! Have you been texting her then?"

"Uuh..." That made his smile falter "Hnn... actually I... I still haven't had the opportunity, you know..."

“Huh? We could’ve sworn you started texting her as soon as we got back from the bakery.” Rihito blinks, and Okubo scratches his scalp.

“I was going to, but… I still had a few things to ponder."

"Ponder? Why are you speaking like a pompous fuck now? Since when do we have to ponder to fuck a chick?" He asks with some indignation, to which the other three turn to him, Kaneda even widening his eyes a little.

"Good heavens, Rihito..."

"What, am I lying? When a girl gives her number like that, to a guy she just met, it's because she's only interested in one thing, and you know very well what. Himuro can testify to it" He points to Himuro, who raises an eyebrow.

“I mean, I can't say I disagree with that. At least in my case, that's what usually happens."

"Yeah, go ahead, rub your sex appeal in our faces like the conceited bastard you are."

“You're the one who used me as proof, you idiot."

"Hey now, don't get ahead of yourselves. You don't even know that girl to be saying these things..." Kaneda starts to say, but Rihito interrupts him unceremoniously, making a careless gesture with his hand.

"I don't need to, pal. I know the female mind very well."

"Yes, as much as you know about haircuts..."

"Shut up, Himuro! Anyway, I don't get what your hang up is, man. It's clear as day that this girl is dying to get frisky with you. Why do you need to 'ponder'?" He asks sarcastically, making quotation marks with his fingers "Just seize the fucking moment!"

Okubo looks at the phone's cracked screen, Uta Tomori's contact still highlighted there.

"I mean, I don't doubt that, but I'm still not sure. She was so sweet to me, and on top of that she's my fan..."

"Do you want an even greater motivation than that?" Lihito opens his arms, smiling widely "This will probably be the most unforgettable laid of her life, man. Every chick nowadays dreams to be able to say that they climbed into their idols' bed. It's basically a trophy for her to show off. And a chance for you to hit the jackpot", He nudges his friend's arm, giving him a wink. Okubo ends up smiling, Rihito's words pleasing him quite a bit.

"Hehe.. I mean, you're not wrong. And it's not like I'd be forcing myself on her..."

"Nope! It would be one hundred percent consensual, a win-win arrangement for both parties. That said, what the fuck are you waiting for? Go give her a reason to brag to her friends. And then ask her if she doesn't have an equally cute friend to introduce me to, 'cause I'm in need of a “fan” like that too, hahaha!" He laughs out loud, and Okubo follows his cue, both exchanging a high-five. Himuro shakes his head, smirking.

"Welp, maybe that's exactly what you need. After all, when are you going to have an opportunity like that again? Go for it, partner."

"Thank you very much for the blessing granted, oh almighty Master of Gigolos."

The three of them kept cursing each other out, laughing out loud, and it takes them at least half a minute to realize that Kaneda wasn't joining them. He had his arms crossed, glaring at them. And he didn't look very pleased.

"Hey, Kaneda, what's up with that sour face?", Okubo lets out a laugh, but it sounded uncomfortable.

"Yeah, man, don't get upset… maybe Okubo's fan has a friend she could introduce you to. One who likes short guys with slanted eyes and who make a living out of humiliating others in shogi matches..."

“I didn't expect such a thing from you guys. Especially from you, Okubo", Kaneda says suddenly, his tone hard, energetic "You disappoint me."

The three of them stare at him, stunned, Okubo's jaw actually dropping a little.

"Wait- no, dude, hold on. What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your attitude", Kaneda points at him with a wave of his arm "This girl seems to really admire you. Are you really going to take advantage of her even after knowing that? And are you two going to enable him?"

Okubo, Rihito and Himuro stiffen, and the next second they're talking at the same time, trampling each other indignantly.

"Gimme a break, Kaneda! No one’s going to take advantage of anyone! Everything will be consensual, just as I said!" Rihito protests, and Himuro nods.

"Yeah, man. I have experience with these things, and believe me, these girls know exactly what they're getting into. They want it as much as we do. There's no innocent party here.”

"And I'll be respectful, dammit! I'll buy her some nice gifts, take her out to a fancy restaurant, pay for the best love hotel room, the whole package. She won't have anything to complain about", Okubo assures, to which Kaneda shakes his head.

"Except for the fact that her idol only saw her as some juicy piece of meat."

"What?! No, I'm...!", Okubo can't even find words to justify himself. He felt anger, indignation, and an extremely unpleasant feeling of shame, creeping up his neck and making his face and ears burn. Lihito takes the lead for him, snarling:

“You're being unfair now, man! Okubo is not that kind of person, and neither are we! But we deserve to reap the fruits of our efforts-"

"In the form of payment for our services, recognition and admiration. But this situation is different", Kaneda turns to face Okubo "Now answer me. How do you act with your male fans when they recognize you and come to talk to you?"

"Uh… well, I try to be nice, dammit! I sign autographs, take some selfies, maybe have a little chat with them if I can spare the time...", He shrugs "It's nice to see that I'm admired..."

"But you don't think, even for a moment, of 'taking advantage' of all this admiration, I suppose."

"Wha- Of course not! They're men, for fuck's sake!” He says indignantly, and Lihito nods vehemently.

"That's right! He’s not gay, at least not as far as I know!"

"That's not what I'm talking about…" Kaneda sighs "That's exactly the problem. You treat your male fans with respect, not expecting them to offer anything that benefits you in return. Why is it different with a female fan? Is she not worthy of the same consideration, by any chance?"

The table plunges into a very uncomfortable silence. Rihito opens and closes his mouth repeatedly, like a fish out of water. Okubo turns even redder, squeezing his phone tightly in his right hand. Himuro is the one who recovers the fastest:

"Look, Kaneda, I can see your point, but things are not that extreme. It's not cool to take advantage of a naive girl, that much is true. But we assure you that's not the case. She was a grown woman, she must've been over twenty-five or something. That is, big enough to make that kind of choice consciously. It's what a lot of my girlfriends do too, and you can be sure I don't take advantage of any of them."

"I know you don't, Himuro. But your case is also different" Kaneda speaks more softly now "You've always been popular with women, in and out of the Kengan matches. Of course, they might admire your combat prowess, but you have to admit that it's the fact that you're good-looking that attracts them the most."

"Uh... well, yeah, I suppose...", Himuro looks to the side, scratching the back of his neck. Kaneda continues:

"Okubo's case, on the other hand, is the complete opposite."

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me ugly or something?!"

"Let me finish! What I mean is that this girl primarily admires your excellence as a martial artist. You said she even knew your epithet. She's not a groupie who simply drools over your muscles. She's a martial arts fan, someone who probably religiously follows your matches, your interviews, maybe even those funny videos you post online. She's someone who feels inspired by you, who feels motivated by you", He points to Okubo's chest with an intense expression "How do you think she would feel knowing that you, a fighter who she admires so much, only thinks of her as a one night stand and nothing else?"

Okubo couldn't think of anything to reply. Remorse, hot and corrosive, begins to bubble up in his stomach. He flinches, upset, as Lihito and Himuro exchange an embarrassed look.

"Ugh... you just had to go and play the part of the feminist ally, huh, Kaneda..."

"This isn't about feminism, sexism or any other 'ism', Rihito. I speak as someone who is also a fan of other martial artists", Kaneda shrugs "I'm putting myself in that girl's shoes. I wouldn't like to know that someone I admire thought these things about me."

"Okay, okay, I got it. You… you're right", Okubo sighs, defeated "That wasn't nice of me… but dammit, what's wrong with me wanting to have fun with such a nice babe? I swear I wouldn't disrespect her..."

“What if that's what she wants, Kaneda?", Himuro asks in a mild tone, to which Kaneda immediately replies:

"In that case, he has to do things the right way. Treat her like you treat your male fans."

"Uuh... like... patting her shoulders and calling her 'bro'?"

"No! Treat her with respect, without expecting something in return", He explains. "Just be nice and talk to her. Talk about your matches and answer her questions, and then ask about her life too. Look for things you have in common and make it a fun experience for both of you. Be natural, be yourself."

"C'mon, man, you're basically asking him to stay single for the rest of his life!"

"Screw you, Rihito!"

The four of them laugh, and with relief, they realize that the relaxed atmosphere had returned to the table. The booze finally arrives, and they help themselves, realizing how thirsty that conversation had made them. They each take a sip, and then, Kaneda continues:

"And if after all that she still wants to go to bed with you… well, then you can go right ahead. You will have shown yourself to be a nice guy, someone worthy of her admiration. She will come out of this with a great memory and only good things to say about you."

Okubo smiles, feeling much better. He had been hesitant all those days because his bad experience with that college girls at the bistro had made him afraid to approach women again, fearing an encore. But Kaneda's speech had rekindled that resolve within him, and in the right way, which was a relief.

“Yeah… thanks, man. Guess I was getting ahead of myself. But now I'm going to step on the brakes and do things the right way."

"That's the spirit!", Kaneda nods approvingly. Rihito shrugs.

"Eh, do it as you will. Just don't forget to ask her if she has any single friends she can introduce me to..."

"Alright, but what about texting her? Are you doing it or not?", Himuro asks, pointing to the phone. Okubo looks at the cracked screen, again unsure.

"Now? It's about eight o'clock, maybe she's already asleep…”

"Who the fuck sleeps at eight o'clock on a Saturday night, dipshit? She's definitely awake. Just text her!", Lihito insists, and Okubo snorts at him.

"Don't rush me, damn it!"

“If you don't want to text her, then call her,” Kaneda suggests, to which Himuro makes a face.

"Call her? Hell no, she'll think he's desperate or something."

"Maybe she'll think it's cute. Especially as a fan of his."

“But they haven't exchanged any messages yet. Jumping straight to calling might scare her.”

"Seriously, who comes up with these arbitrary rules anyway?"

"Society, my guy. Society."

"To hell with society! If you don't send this message soon, I will!", Rihito tries to take the phone from Okubo's hand again, to which he lets out a swear. A real tug war breaks between them, the poor phone right in the middle, in danger of being even more destroyed.

"Quit dicking around, you jerk!"

"Give me that shit!"

"No, fuck off!"

“And that's because they're not even drunk yet. Where did I let myself into..." Himuro sighs, to which Kaneda laughs.

"Hahaha, at least it's just a phone this time. It'd be worse if they were fighting over the last piece of meat. This table was going to get filthier than a-"

He is interrupted by the sharp sound of an electronic beep. Rihito and Okubo freeze, eyes wide. And then the four of them blanch as the unmistakable sound of an ongoing call begins.

toot… toot… toot…

"Fucking hell, dude!", Okubo screeches, horrified "Look what you did! You called her!"

"What I did?! It's your fault for not sending that fucking text sooner!"

"I'm going to smash your fucking face in!"

"Hang that shit up, Okubo!", Himuro exclaims anxiously, to which Kaneda shakes his arms.

"No, don't hang up!"

"You have to, it's too embarrassing!

"It's not! Seize the opportunity!"

"Shit, shit, she'll think I'm desperate or something!"

"You are desperate, dude, so just roll with it!"

"Shut up and give me that before I-"

“Please leave a message after the beep-”

It is Kaneda who ends the call before the answering machine beeps. The four of them stand there, panting hard, positioned like football players in a paused frame, the phone playing the role of the ball. The entire bar was staring at the absurd scene, and soon, their pale faces turned intensely red. They quickly returned to their seats, and Okubo was in possession of the phone again.

"Okay… okay… that was a close call…" Himuro pants, a hand on his chest "She must not be near her phone at the moment…"

"Thank fucking god…", Okubo sinks into his chair, to which Kaneda says:

"But she'll see the missed call anyway. She'll see the unknown number, maybe will even call it back..."

"She won't. Who the fuck returns calls from an unknown number these days?", Rihito runs his hands over his sweaty face, to which Himuro shakes his head and warns:

"But she'll still recognize the number if you send her a text right away. Give her a day or two to forget, and then you can send it."

"Hell, I'll have to wait even longer… it's all your fault, you damned poodle head!", Okubo yells at Rihito, who responds by flipping him the bird.

“You're the one who's being a dumbfuck who can't even send a simple text!"

"C'mon, stop bickering. It's over", Kaneda smooths things over again "You got lucky this time, but you need to be more careful. Don't walk around with her contact open like that."

"I know, right! You look like one of those dumb teenagers who can't stop daydreaming about their crush..."

"Well, I'm gonna ‘crush’ your skull if don't shut your-"

“Dame da neeee. Dame yo, Dame na no yoooo…”

And the four of them cower, turning white with terror, when the phone starts to vibrate on the table. The name ‘Uta Tomori’ appears in large letters on the display, unmistakable.

"OH HELL NO!" Okubo shouts, grabbing the phone as if it were a bomb that he had failed to deactivate. And once again, chaos ensues at the table, the sweet sound of Baka Mitai in the background as an accompaniment.

“It’s her! Holy shit, she’s calling me!”

“Are you kidding me? Who the fuck returns an unknow number’s call? That chick’s crazy!”

“Don’t answer it, Okubo!”

“Answer it, she’ll think you’re ignoring her on purpose!”

“But I kinda am! What do I do?!”

“Decline the call!”

“Don’t do it!”

“Fucking do it!”

“You fuckers aren’t helping at all!”

“... Anta ga, suki de, sukisugiteeeee! Dore dakeee-”

And Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda hold their breath together as a panicked Okubo presses the green icon. The music stops and the call timer starts.

“... Hello?”

The female voice, a little hesitant on the other end of the line, seems to activate some area of his brain, responsible for automatic actions. He answers, without thinking:

"Miss Uta Komori?"

Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda stare at him as if a second head has sprouted from his shoulder. They remain in absolute silence, eyes glued to the phone. About three seconds of silence pass. And then the four of them jump when a high-pitched squeal that probably startled the entire pub echoes.

"Aaaaah! Oh my- oh god, I can't believe it-" Something drops on the other end of the line, causing a muffled crash "I'm sorry, I- Mr. Okubo? Is that you?"

"Uh… yes! Yes it's me!", He says, a little too loudly, as he straightens up in his chair, the hand holding the phone a little shaky "Hey there! Sorry if I called at a bad time..."

"No, it's okay! I just got back from grocery shopping, I left my phone charging at home... oh, I- I wasn't expecting you to call me! I thought you were going to send a text or..."

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you or anything..."

"You're not, I swear! I was just surprised... very surprised, actually, hahaha! But you won't hear any complaints from me. I mean, I... I was the one who gave you this number, wasn't I?"

She sounded a little shy but also very happy, her voice practically vibrating. Okubo looks up with wide eyes at the other three in disbelief. Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda gave him big smiles, Rihito making hurried gestures, pointing at phone. He wanted Okubo to put the call on the speaker. That's exactly what he does, leaving the phone on the table and gesturing for his friends to be silent.

"Well, I mean... yeah, haha! Sorry I didn't get in touch sooner, I've been kind of busy these last few days."

"That's fine, I know you’re a busy person, haha. Press interviews, your next fight coming up..."

"Yeah, I'm preparing myself for that. And speaking of the match... are you excited to see me fighting again?" He asks, trying to joke. Apparently it had been a risky gamble, considering the faces his friends made. He almost panicked again, but the fear is replaced by deep relief when she laughs happily.

"I sure am! I can't wait to see you fighting to keep your belt with all your might!"

"Leave it to me! I'll dedicate my victory to you”, He teases again, eliciting another one of those high-pitched squeals. Rihito and Kaneda laugh softly, while Himuro whispers “easy there, man” as low as he can manage. Okubo nods and takes a deep breath. He didn't want to seem arrogant in the first relaxed conversation he had with her. He continues:

"But seriously, just knowing that I'm talking to a legitimate MMA fan makes me feel more motivated."

"A huuuge fan! I've followed you since the days when you practiced wrestling."

"And you also must have watched me scurrying to amateur boxing right after. I was kinda fickle back then, haha..."

"Oh no, I admire your dedication in specializing in as many combat modalities as possible! It's a sign of a determined person who knows he can always learn more and develop his skills. My dad says it's the mark of a fighter who recognizes his limitations and wants to be prepared for anything."

Okubo feels his cheeks hurt, his smile was so wide. He puts his hand over the speaker, saying in an ecstatic whisper:

"Damn, she's so cute!"

The other three chuckle again, encouraging him with excited gestures. He turns his attention to the phone again.

"Haha, thanks! You speak like a true martial arts fan. It makes me wanna hear more about your opinions."

He hears a gasp on the other end of the line. When she speaks again, she sounded almost out of breath.

“Ooh, I…I'd love to talk more about these things with you, when…when you have a little time. I don't want to bother you..."

"Don't worry, you aren't bothering me in the slightest" He guarantees, sounding sincere "And speaking of talking more... that's exactly why I called."

There was silence again, and he could almost imagine her, speechless, struggling to find the words to respond.

"Oh... Really?"

“Sure!” He nods, looking up when Rihito catches his eye by waving a hand in front of his face. He whispers:

"Ask her out."

Okubo's eyes widen. What, already? They had barely started talking!

"Mr. Okubo? Are you still there? Hellooo?"

"Uuh- Yeah, I'm here! I, huuh..." He gets even more nervous when rihito and Himuro urge him more vehemently. Damn it, why wouldn't they leave him alone?! “I- I wanted to know if you… if you, uuh…

"Yes?"

“… Do you have the bakery's Monday menu available?”

Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda looked at him in bewilderment, as if he was the biggest dumbass in the world. Okubo himself couldn't even believe what he had just said. Where the fuck had that come from?!

"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Himuro hisses, barely managing to keep his voice contained, at the same time that a perplexed Tomori on the other end of the line replied:

"… I'm sorry?"

"Uuh… I mean..." Fuck, you imbecile, think of something quickly! "It's- It's 'cause I'm thinking of stopping by on Monday! I really enjoyed the whole '50's bakery' experience... and I'm not just talking about the food."

A few more seconds of silence passes. And then an overjoyed Tomori replies, her voice almost nasal:

"Oooh yes, please, I'd love- I mean, we'd love that! We're going to have homemade sugar cookies, baked by myself, and we're also going to debut a new dessert! Come by anytime you like, I'll be- I mean, we'll be waiting!”

Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda sink into their chairs, perplexed. Okubo just nods, his heart nearly bursting out of his chest.

"You bet I will! See you on Monday then?

"Surely! I'll separate a ruby chocolate donut just for you, haha!"

"Hehe, perfect! With sprinkles, do not forget. Good night, Miss Uta."

"Good night, Mr. Okubo..." Another three seconds of silence. And then she lets out an adorable little giggle "Oh, I thought you were going to hang up first! That's embarrassing hahaha!"

"And I thought you were going to hang up, hahaha!"

Rihito feigns violent retching, while Kaneda just chuckles. Himuro was still too stunned to have a reaction.

"Alright, alright, we hang up together then. Good night and sleep well."

"You too!"

And indeed, he ends the call at the same time as she does. He sets the phone down on the table, gripping his head in his hands and letting out a deep breath, sluggish from the jolt of adrenaline.

"Holy shit..."

"That's what I was going to say! What the hell was that?" Himuro exclaims suddenly "Monday's menu? Did Ohma die again and you embodied his spirit or something?!"

"Leave me alone! I got confused with all your signaling and shit!"

"No, you're just a huge idiot! Luckily, you thought fast and managed to come out on top by chance," Lihito throws his hands up, and then bursts out laughing "But everything worked out in the end! That girl sounded like she was on cloud nine, as we had predicted!"

"Yes! Man, I can't believe it...", Okubo groans, still smiling like an idiot, to which Kaneda intervenes:

"Just don't forget our talk from earlier!"

"I won't, I promise. After all this ordeal, I'll do whatever I can to not mess this up."

"Good to know" Himuro picks up his glass, raising it in the air "Come on, guys, here's to Okubo's accidental success!"

The four of them cheered with a resounding “Cheers!”, then burst out laughing. Indeed, it had been a struggle, but it had been worth it in the end. Okubo just hoped he could get those butterflies in his stomach under control by Monday.

NEXT CHAPTER

#Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega #kenganverse #fanfiction #Okubo Naoya #Naoya Okubo #okubo x oc #kengan oc #Rihito #Himuro Ryo #Kaneda Suekichi #cookies'n cream #the heavy bakery series

5 notes · View notes