#but then after he stopped hiding his feelings for kisa he ended up doing well with it

[couldbebetterforsure]

Man....The way Kisa's acting for Sissia changed so noticeably after she recognized her love for Suzu is so similar to how Suzu's acting for Chance changed once he accepted he was in love with Kisa. They both have a new level genuine tenderness and intensity to all they say, especially since they are both essentially just using their characters' lines to confess their honest feelings for each other. Compared to how they both individually struggled (Suzu when he was hiding his feelings and Kisa when she had trouble properly matching Suzu's passion), their new acting is sooooo adorable. Let me write out some of Kisa and Suzu's lines in this scene because of how lovely it was!

Kisa, in her thoughts: "I'm sure Sissia had something she wanted to say too. Something about her feelings deep inside her heart. Feelings that were just as strong as Chance's. Hey, Suzu. I..."

Kisa, as Sissia: "I love you too."

Suzu: "Huh...?"

Kisa, as Sissia: "Your bright enthusiasm, how you can get along with anyone...How you make weird mistakes when you talk, and how you feel passionately about things. How you get angry sometimes, how pure you are, and how you always give me so much energy. Your gentle eyes, how tall you are, I love all of that."

Suzu: "Tachibana..."

Kisa, in her thoughts: "Chance, Suzu..."

Kisa, as Sissia: "I love all of that!"

Suzu, after spending a few moments blindsided by all that like the lovesick puppy he is, as Chance: "Hearing that is making me feel embarrassed. But...I'm happy."

Like I genuinely can't tell if these two are aware their love is reciprocated and this whole thing is them flirting with each other before one of them gets the courage to truly confess or what. I would believe anything at this point, these two dummies make me so happy! I love them and I love their love, I need them to have the happiest life together!!!

Anyways, I'm glad watching Quartz's rehearsal helped Kasai and Mare out with their own troubles. Kasai can better understand why the third years would forgo their own chance to shine on stage for the last time by giving the lead roles to first years. And Mare now has actual motivation to put effort in the rehearsals because he loves his brother and wants to perform with him, because Mare was inspired to attend Univeil after watching Tsukasa perform like Kisa was inspired by Tsuki. Also poor Suzu getting jealous about Mare hugging Kisa 😂

But uh oh....now Suzu's back to being awkward when acting with Kisa....but only with the final kiss scene??? Suzu, baby, what's going on now?????

[squishosaur]

jj ramble!!

^ tags from @cygnusswan

favorite character:

UWAH I LOVE THEM ALL... even the side characters (except chui and his posse they kinda freak me out tbh)... my favorite love interest is probably fumi because i played his route first or shirota because i relate to him the most ✌️ but they're all nice, and i also want to shout out kisa because i was worried that she'd be a super blank slate with no personality, but she had so much depth and i love her immensely, she's definitely a completely fleshed out character and she's strong in her own right, so i'm really excited to play her route too! to me, her struggle with her gender and her identity is so real. like, even though she's a cis girl, the way she's written feels so??? i dunno. it's relatable to me.

favorite performance:

I'M SOO OBSESSED WITH MARY JANE... sneak peek of my phone background ⬇️

BUT.... the one i keep coming back to is oh rama havenna????? THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD... chichi and rukirora are so important to me okay.... AND THE CUTSCENES WERE SO GOOD IN THAT ONE??? god... when kisa started crying at the end i also started ugly crying. also shout out neji's massive fake honkers in the confessional mv. why were they so big. how did that work. i got scared. his strappless dress was crazy. especially since he was the main focus. (pictured below: two havenna scenes that had me in tears)

and cessia (shishia??? I DON'T REMEMBER HOW IT'S SPELLED) was also good. but i wanna see all the versions before i form a final opinion on it 😭😭😭.... i still think i'm going to like adra as the love interest the best. it feels right to me... ajdnndnd I SOBBED BTW...

BUT ALL OF THE SONG AND DANCE NUMBERS ARE SO GOOD FROM EVERY SHOW... they're all in my driving playlist ✌️ even ms. robin. which is literally such a goofy song to me.

routes:

i did fumi's first (drew a commemorative something here) and i'm playing mitsu's now ✌️✌️ I REALLY LOVE FUMI'S ROUTE THOUGH... the way he definitely fell first and pretty much immediately (i think he has a thing for tachibanas idk man ajsjsns) AND he knew all along that kisa was a girl but protected her identity all year without her even having to ask. AND!! AND!! as soon as kisa told him, he went to calling her a beautiful girl and using feminine terms to describe her... it was so reassuring(???) because he obviously cared about her identity and knew she was uncomfortable with the thought of being outed but also knew that she still identified as a girl despite having to put up a front, so using her proper gender and stuff even in private meant a lot yk??? after a year of hiding your gender identity a really pretty guy asking you to be his girlfriend seems like a w to me. obsessed with how he was confessing since his first weekend event ajdjdjd,,,

surprises/wishes:

WAS NOT EXPECTING THE BEACH EPISODE BUT I DID WELCOME IT WITH OPEN ARMS... all of their swimsuits were so goofy... I LIKE THAT KISA'S OUTFIT CHANGES SLIGHTLY IN THE CUTSCENES??? also. big fan of whatever the rhondonite first years were doing. they slayed.

I ALSO DID NOT EXPECT THE SAUNA... and why was it like. pee yellow... HELLO.. 💀💀

WISHING FOR A DLC WHERE I CAN GET WITH KASAI OR KIITO.... please please... head in my hands.... they're so silly... also would never happen realistically but poly suzu/sou/kisa when....

I GOT THE GAME LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO MAYBE and i have not stopped thinking about it.... i don't think i will check the hours i'll get scared. i'm not an otome girlie though, so i did not expect to like it for that. i got it because i'm a musical theatre kid, certified thespian, and awful bad rhythm gamer it appealled to me... i was actually very skeptical about the "girl at an all boys school" concept but it was really well excecuted imo ajdndn,,, i'm glad that there's varying amounts of romance in the different routes. i've triggered different cutscenes for suzu, mitsuki, and fumi and so i appreciate that it doesn't all feel like forced romance?? i dunno how to describe it.. anyways!! 10/10 i think there is something for everyone here ✌️ (silly guys and gender shenanigans)

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 112 & 113 (part 2)

I hate that this chapter is cut... mainly cuz it deals with the most “ horribly presented” theme in furuba anime.... grief.

-The shame of grieving: “ Rarely discussed theme in Literature”:

When a love one dies... ppl differ in how they deal with it. Some cry their hearts out, some become depressed & painfully lonely, others get angry or cynical, some might deny it, some move on quickly, others move on but years after the realization crushes them, others stay still... Above all, you feel ashamed of yourself if you didn’t move on or if you DID move on.. “ Sometimes ppl around you judge you for it... for your grief”

The later is the theme of these two chapters. Rarely discussed themes & it saddens me that it is cut. You see, Furuba anime doesn’t get grief  at all. To them, it’s a small part of the generic protagonist after she finishes her job of nurturing the real main protagonist. Mothers are strong, they help us cross the bridge between childhood & adulthood. Tohru, the show’s mom, did it so thoroughly & in slow visual & narrative details for yuki. Afterwards, the anime brushed whatever is left of her character, which the anime viewed as sheer suspenseful drama, & collected it thro 3rd person story-telling techniques in one ep “ se3, ep6″ & excessive monologue for 10 minutes in se3, ep9.

In this chapter, Kakeru, a side character, sheds light into this theme. Kakeru didn’t lose a parent by death, didn’t grieve, has no dependent familial bonds with either dead parents “ kyoko & komaki’s dad”. Yet, kakeru stood & judged tohru on how she “ should” grieve. Harshly tearing her down while she’s standing there lonely, trying to hide her shock at the loss of her only pillar in life, broken & traumatized, dealing with the pushed down traumatic feelings from her past where her mom abandoned her as a child..now her mom did it again, this time thro death.. & kakeru, rightfully not knowing all that, but wrongfully lecturing her on how to behave... kakeru isn’t a monster, but he only saw what he wanted: komaki & how the world should grieve with his lover, how he should be the hero protecting her. So self-centered, insensitive, horribly cruel & unbelievably conceited, but above all... what he did is so sadly common... it hurts.

-Judging Grieving People:

As I said many times.. grief is so personal, so unique to the person & as common as it is, so misunderstood. According to kakeru & many ppl I’ve sopken to lately, tohru should have acknowledged komaki. Komaki, the not-traumatized version of tohru, did the right “ tohru-like” thing. Not only felt sadness at the loss of her own dad, but found it in her heart to visit the other orphan, tohru, & give condolences & respect to the dead mother. Such kindness & purity. Very deserving of applaud: To not only see your pain but others’ as well. Tohru has always done the “ right, kind” thing to other ppl. When she can’t now, the author brought another “ tohru” to do the “ right, kind” thing.

Kakeru is so many ppl. During my brother’s funeral. I’ve heard so many gossip on how my mom should’ve stood tall & greeted the visitors.” Being silent , emotionless & non-responsive is not how you show visitors you value their kind words”, they said. How his widow should’ve collected herself & acted properly, respected his memory by taking proper care of herself & her kids. “Being a broken mess is not how you “ honor” loved one”, they said. Kakeru is indeed many ppl & that’s how you discuss a theme by creating characters who sin, screw up & be cruel, even if momentarily.

Kakeru is wrong. There is no “ you should have” in grief. There is no ounce of truth in his demeaning lecture to tohru & I respect komaki for her reaction to him so much. Kakeru did learn & grew from it, apologized to tohru even if he didn’t actually sought her to do so & even if she herself started the apology. But you see, these two chapters are 90% focused on kakeru as a character, his growth, thoughts, the mini focus on his relationship with komaki as an example of healthy relationship & all that is another lesson for yuki to observe & learn. He learned abt tohru’s past, kakeru’s personality & growth & got to observe another example of romantic relationship so yuki can grow as a man & approach machi healthily. But then again... nothing at all stops yuki/machi from being healthy, no past issues, no contradicting personalities “ they’re quite similar” & yuki is the only furuba character that doesn’t screw up big. He learns & teaches. He’s the personification of the author.

-Tohru.. stays a “ tohru”:

Tohru’s part is 10% of the this chapter which is fine as I think/hope it will lead into more tohru depth in the following chapters. But It is for this reason I’m glad this chapter was cut in the 13 eps season of furuba anime, cuz tohru doesnt have much depth in the anime due to the quick wrap up & the la~~~~st  thing I want is another 3rd person story-telling flashback abt tohru in the anime. Honestly, one of the most frustrating aspect to me of the anime & I’ll hold judgement abt manga- tohru till I reach its end. So far~~~ Tohru’s depth & character exploration gets better one chapter, then regress the next one, then moves on, the... it’s a fluctuating process. It has nothing to do with tohtu’s feelings.

you’ see ... kyo himself as a character with issues fluctuates a lot, he does sth good, then does sth bad, chooses right words, then makes a horrible mistake & chooses wrong! which is one of the most well-done aspects of character exploration that is rarely attempted by authors! I highly respect Takaya-san for what she’s doing with kyo in the manga so far. Other authors show us a character doing one big mistake & then he/she learns from it in a dramatic way. But Takaya-san, nope! she decided to approach it in a very human way, making us be frustrated with kyo’s repeated mistakes yet understands where he’s coming from! kudos to her!!

But I’m not yet satisfied with how tohru is portrayed in the manga & this has nothing to do with tohru’s character. Takaya-san is discussing rare themes thro tohru’s character. But what I mean is how tohru is approached thro the viewers/readers eyes. I wont judge until the last chapter. but this is the part that is frustrating to me.

Side Notes:

The flow of the 2 chapters is little off. We go back & forth between the past & the present, between yuki-machi & komaki-kakeru. Again, I’m so glad the anime cut it cuz, nope! they can’t handle such narrative. they’ll reorder it in a such heavily monologing way & insert the comedy abruptly to lighten the mood. Just look at how the comedy is inserted in momiji’s se03 ep!

Komaki is such a tohru with a sprinkle of kagura’s very softened outbursts. lol. she’s fun!

I’m liking yuki-machi interactions a lot. no drama, which is why the anime cut it -_-’, but it progresses healthily. Machi is yuki’s third-stage growth after (1) leaving tohru’s nest (baby yuki), (b) making friends with kakeru/someone who gets him (young boy yuki), (3) finding romantic love (being a man). The anime was so interested in the 2 stages above cuz that’s where the drama is & cut the third. Honestly, the anime didn’t have to include everything as there is never a space in 13 eps, but they certainly could’ve squeezed few panels or even made brand new very short yuki-machi scenes. but the anime weirdly decided after yuki “ saved” machi from her trauma by talking with her in her apartment, he should just marry her.... lol.. that’s why next scene is ep 5 momiji’s ep intro montage where yuki was abt to confess!!! making yuki-machi the least developed couple in the anime!

I love all furuba’s characters, but yuki, tohru, kyo & akito carry the big themes, therefore, I not only analyze their characters, but how the themes are presented thro them & how their presentation affects such themes. This might make it sound as I hate them or am harsh on them. not at all. It is the anime director/ manga author that I’m positively or negatively criticizing most times. Most importantly, my criticism is not the law. It’s just my perspective & my consumption of the material. Feel free to differ with me. I dont mind it. It brings interesting discussions!

When it comes to tohru’s issues... his chapter introduced nothing new. We have seen/read in canon repeatedly that tohru hides her pain behind a smile (heck! even kisa knows that & told us), that she cant stand up for herself much, that she smiles for other ppl not for herself. All this was presented thro so many characters already, which is why I understand the anime’s decision to cut it. What’s new? that yuki didn know tohru’s smile is mostly a mask & that kakleru has depth.

I love this chapter for the grieving themes it discussed that are rarely touched upon in literature, but since such themes are rarely presented, the anime’s decision to cut it, ironically proves my point! lol . They don’t get grief & so, they reduced it to se03 content & two eps worth. sad.. but expected. The anime is indeed another form of “past” kakeru: seeing one side of grieving person. The happy side.

[jetsam-kisa]

Michiko vs Jetsam

Whew! This is done! I got carried away so I am very sorry for the length :’D

Michiko’s mod and I had some fun talking about our characters and especially the gear Michi is developing!

Unfortunately they were very busy this week, but I was more than happy to write the fight results :D 

CW: emetophobia // there is a brief scene describing vomit semi-graphically

The roar of the crowd echoed through the stadium as Jetsam Kisa and Michiko Watanabe entered the battle arena. Both of the students walked to their side of the arena with a sense of purpose, even if they were nervous wrecks on the inside. Once they took their proper starting positions, the two contestants smiled weakly at each other as the announcer called out their names and the people in the crowd cheered for the next fight. 

‘I’m pretty sure I’m going to pass out,’ Jetsam thought as he gnawed on his lips in anticipation, ‘That or throw up. Oh god I hope I don’t throw up in the middle of the match. Everyone here is watching. God, my parents are watching,’ Thick, heavy plums of smoke rolled out of his mouth the more frantic his thoughts became, until they nearly completely cloaked his figure, ‘I think I saw Best Jeanist in the stands too! He’s not going to want to associate with the kid who threw up during his first match. What am I doing here? What am I even going to do-?” 

Jetsam was snapped out of his rapidly spiraling thoughts by movement in his periphery; Michiko gently waved her hands at him and gave him a broader smile, despite clearly being nervous herself (if the crease in her brow was any clue to her emotional state).

“Let’s both do our best during this fight, Kisa-kun!” Michiko called out from her side of the arena, before her gaze hardened with a resolve she often reserved for studying the most complex of quirks, “Although, I hope you know that I will not be taking it easy on you. I need to see how far I can go, and to learn about the extent of my current abilities.”

Seeing Michiko’s determination and hearing her will to succeed was like a salve to Jetsam’s shot nerves. He took a deep breath, then released the pent up smog. The smoke surrounding his body partially dissipated too. It was almost a shame how well Michiko’s words calmed him down; he would be better off easily producing the pollutants that came with high stress. Jetsam briefly wondered if her kindness was double-edged in a way; was it a strategic way to prevent him from building up his quirk before the match? He shook the thought out of his head before yelling back to her:

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Miss Michi!”

He could only hope that his grin masked the nerves that were still rolling in his stomach. He knew Michiko; knew her quirk. It could only be activated by physical contact, so as long as he kept his distance he should be okay. 

‘Although,’ Jetsam thought as he gazed at the chain-like device at Michiko’s hip, ‘that capture chain she’s been developing could be difficult to beat. I’ve never seen what it actually does before.’

All too quickly, the announcer began their countdown: “3...2...1...BEGIN!”

---------

As soon as the bell rang, Michiko shot forward, arm extended, with a single-minded determination to do one thing and one thing only: get to Jetsam before he could gain control of the battlefield with his quirk. If she could grab a hold onto him before his smogs and tars and other (frankly, gross) expellents became too overwhelming, then she could nullify his quirk with her own, and use her capture device to prevent him from continuing the fight.

Jetsam must have realized her plans, and had just enough time to dodge out of her range, smog spewing out of his mouth now that his adrenaline was no doubt pumping again. Not to be deterred, Michiko quickly shifted her balance and dove after him again, careful not to let him hide behind the pillars of smoke he was creating. 

‘He’s not going to make this easy for me, but I have been preparing for this occasion for too long to let this game of tag keep me from winning!’ She thought to herself, resolve growing with every inch closer she got to Jetsam, ‘He can’t avoid me forever, and I have a secret weapon I’ve been dying to beta test!’

After a few more moments of chasing after Jetsam, Michiko took a gamble and let him escape to the sanctuary of smog he created across the arena. She knew she had to be quick, but some risks had to be taken to assure victory! She knew that she had the power within her to win.

He wouldn’t be able to outrun her prototype, after all!

--------

‘Phew, I think I finally managed to shake her,’ Jetsam sighed with relief, dark smog still escaping his mouth and obscuring his figure to the crowd (and hopefully Michiko as well). ‘Now I have a moment to breathe. Hah, figuratively, at least.’

He made sure to keep his eye on the clear silhouette of Michiko he could make out through his smog, never before more grateful for his mom’s sight-related quirk partially making its way to him. She seemed to be standing still, perhaps strategizing her own plan to catch him and throw him out of the arena? He hoped the smoke wasn’t making her feel too sick. He had to be quick.  

‘I can probably end the battle if I cover her in tar and stop her movement. It might be unpleasant but it’d be safer than trying to beat her in hand-to-hand or some other physical contest. I haven’t been training with Tsumi for too long, after all. Yeah okay, that’s the plan!’

Just as he was about to produce the sticky tars necessary to carry out his plan, a thin silhouette darted out from Michi’s figure, slithering across the arena at a speed too quick for Jetsam to react to.

As a cold, thin figure coiled itself tightly around him, the only thought sparking across Jetsam’s brain was:

“Michiko brought a snake?”

-----

‘Bingo!’ Michiko exclaimed to herself as Jetsam’s no-doubt unconscious shout revealed not only his location, but the fact that her capture device had worked perfectly as intended.

While it still had quite a few bugs to sort out, one of the most recently added features was a heat-seeking tracker that would allow the machine to chase after targets even under adverse visible conditions. 

She cocked her head towards the direction of Jetsam’s quick yell of distress; she couldn’t get complacent. The capture device was only half the battle! She had to guarantee that Jetsam couldn’t continue the fight in order to assure her victory! 

She couldn’t just blindly run through the smokescreen either; who knows what kinds of traps he could have placed while she set up her capture device. No. She had to be methodical, and safely make her way to Jetsam’s location while he was encumbered. 

The smog was thick, but now she had her goal within sight: grapple Jetsam and nullify his quirk, thus ending the match.

-----

Okay, so it wasn’t a snake, but it was still bad news! Jetsam’s arms were completely pinned by the robotic device wrapped around his torso. So this was the work of the capture device that Michiko had worked so hard on? Jetsam had to admit that it was effective. He couldn’t fight with his limbs restrained like this, and that shout he gave out completely alerted Michiko to his location.

‘So this is it. The fight’s over, and I spent the whole time running away and cowering in the corner. Everyone is watching. Everyone saw. Everyone will know I’m just a big failure who doesn’t deserve to be here. Oh god what if Sato-sensei kicks me out of the hero course? What if they kick me out of the school?? What if everyone laughs and ignores me and hates me OH GOD-’ 

As the panicked thoughts swirled in Jetsam’s mind a pit formed in his stomach. A pit that rapidly expanded into a big, black ball of anxiety and nerves. He could almost picture it in his mind’s eye: an ugly, bloated orb dripping with heat and stress and bile. The more he envisioned it the more it grew until he could almost feel it spilling out of his mouth like a slick oil spill across his lips and---oh wait.

It wasn’t in his mind’s eye.

Jetsam groaned to himself as gushing rivets of slippery, rubbery oil spewed from his mouth all down the front of his body. 

“Well this is perfect!” Jetsam exclaimed to himself, although it was muffled by the sheer volume of oil that expelled out of him as he spoke. He really did throw up. God, could this fight be any more of a disaster?

First he gets captured by Michi’s device, then he literally vomits gross oil from the stress. Fantastic. He shifted uncomfortably, as the oils soaked into his jersey under the capture device and--wait a moment. Oil. Disgusting, smelly, beautifully SLIPPERY oil! That was slicking up his torso and arms even now!

Jetsam pulled his arms upwards experimentally and YES! They were sliding out, he wasn’t restrained anymore! Maybe he could hide again and strategize-

The victorious thought was cut off by a hand shooting out from the pillars of smog, reaching for his newly freed arms.

-----

“I finally found you, Kisa-kun!” Michiko called out, jumping from out of the smokescreen with a triumphant smile. 

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Jetsam freed from his restraints, but she simply chalked it up to a prototyping failure; she could ask him about the specifics of how he escaped once the match was over, anyways.

This time Jetsam couldn’t dodge her oncoming attack, and Michiko grappled him to the ground, pinning his arms above his head. Now was her chance to nullify his quirk! She had been practicing in hand-to-hand combat, she could still push herself to her limits and come out on top!

Michiko began to focus her energy on her quirk, as Jetsam struggled underneath her. As soon as her quirk began its nullification, she saw the startled look in his dark eyes, and winced slightly in sympathy. She had been told that her quirk was a bit unpleasant to the target; with the process feeling not unlike having your blood drawn through your whole body.

As her quirk took effect, the copious amount of smoke around them began to disappear, once again fully revealing them to the crowd of spectators around the stadium. As her own vision began to clear she was startled to find them lying at the edge of the arena; if they had tussled a bit further out they would have been out of bounds.

Jetsam followed her gaze to the boundary line, and his jaw tightened as his face flushed a dull purple. Was it anger at his predicament? 

“I’m very sorry about this, Miss Michi,” he gurgled apologetically, as the last of his quirk bubbled from his mouth into a viscous oil that was spat out onto Michiko’s face.

With a shout of surprise, Michiko’s grip loosened enough for the slick oils still coating Jetsam’s arms to allow him to escape her grasp. Vision impared by the pollution covering her forehead and dripping into her eyes and nose, Michiko was unable to dodge the hefty push against her chest as Jetsam scrambled away from her touch, getting onto his feet. It was only for a moment, but it was enough for his quirk to return in full force.

“Again, words cannot express how sorry I am for doing that.” Jetsam called out to her, although his speech was hard to make out with the thick pollutants leaking from his mouth.

Michiko shot up from the floor, furiously wiping at her face to clear it of the oil. Once her vision returned, she turned to face Jetsam. The two ran at each other, trading blows and each trying to grapple the other into submission. The build-up of tar and oils worked as a double edged sword; Jetsam easily slipped from Michi’s grasp, but she also used that to her advantage to slide out of the way of his attacks. 

Then, there it was: that single, gleaming moment where Michiko could see the exhaustion, see Jetsam’s attention waning as the fight dragged on for just a bit too long. Right there! He was right by the boundary line, and had miscalculated a move that left him off-balance and vulnerable.

‘Sorry Jetsam,’ Michiko thought as she built momentum for her final blow, ‘but I am grateful for this amazing fight!’

Just as her victorious punch was about to make contact with Jetsam’s awaiting back, she felt herself freeze, involuntarily. Her arm was stuck in position, unable to move. She tried shifting her feet, but to no avail. Her whole body was frozen in place, like some sort of statue!

After a brief moment of panic, Michiko quickly realized what was happening. The tar. The tar Jetsam had been producing. He had mixed it with all the other pollutants as they fought, and as she was coated throughout the battle, the tar was turning thicker and thicker, until it encased her whole body into a stiff, immovable statue. 

She struggled, trying to thrash her way out of the viscous black coffin, but to no avail. She could no longer continue fighting. She had lost. 

The crowd burst into cheers and jeers as they realized that the match had been settled, the announcer calling out “AND THE WINNER IS, JETSAM KISA!”

As soon as the decision was announced, Michiko felt the tar slide off her body, like showering off a thick coating of muck, until only black stains remained on her body and clothing.

Jetsam sheepishly looked over at her, hand anxiously scratching at the back of his neck.

“So… that was really, really gross. I’m so sorry. But you were incredible! You almost had me so many times!!” Jetsam babbled out, getting more and more flustered as he continued. “I understand if you’re upset, but we promised we wouldn’t hold back and-”

“That was a great match! I had such a good time, and you really tested out my limits!” Michiko interrupted, smiled brightly at him as she held out her hand for him to shake. “But I’m warning you, next time I’ll be the one to come out on top!”

Jetsam smiled softly as he took her hand and reciprocated the shake.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[korissideblog]

ᴴᵉʸ i already apologized to Dante, but I guess I also have to apologize to y’all. So… once again, sorry I did a kick flip so sick it made the tag ill. I’ll be sure to think of you all when I’m living a solitary life as a hermit in the forest who’s mistaken for the ghost of a witch.

uuummmmmmI also finished the jetsam fic last night 👉👈 so here you go bestys <3

@jetsam-kisa

Jetsam knew getting into some sort of activity with Aito would be a mistake. Usually the little creature was up to something malicious, and even if you couldn’t figure it out immediately, at some point something would take a sharp right turn and now she’s tricked you into being his accomplice for whatever his next cruel joke is. Aito hasn’t revealed what this trick will be, but it definitely terrifies him considering that they’re in the kitchen.

“It’s just that Mich’ gave me such a pretty skirt yesterday.” Aito had explained, her wiry tail wagging from side to side. “And both Ikuto and Haru said I should say thank you with a little gift in return!”

And so Jetsam (foolishly) agreed to help Aito make cookies. Aito had found the recipe and ingredients, all she needed help with was execution. Jetsam wasn’t sure if he was stressed about how little he could vet the ingredients, or if he was relieved because he was helping with so little- he couldn’t possibly get in trouble for just making cookies right? Right???

“So we have flour, baking soda… salt right here…” Jetsam mumbled, his usual plumes of smoke going up and dissipating into the air as he read off what ingredients they would need and making sure Aito got the right stuff. Aito sat on the counter nearby, watching Jetsam sort everything out silently. After making sure everything was in place, Jetsam gave Aito the thumbs up and Aito hopped off the counter to come help. “Could you preheat the oven-” Jetsam immediately recognized the fault in leaving Aito alone with a heat source and took it back “ah, no, lemme get the oven, you can start mixing th-” nope! Aito would probably be worse if he was left unsupervised with ingredients that someone would be eating, and took that back as well. “Ok then… I’ll preheat the oven, you can just… just stand there for a second.” he finally settled on, stepping away and quickly setting the oven before looking back to check on Aito and-

And she didn’t seem to be doing much. Just kinda standing around, scrolling through the phone that they were using to look at the instructions. Seeing as it was Aito’s phone, Jetsam didn’t see any reason to panic as he returned to Aito’s side. “Next we have to mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.” Aito said, scrolling up and down the instructional website in boredom. “Sounds easy, lemme get the thingies.” by ‘thingies’ Aito apparently meant measuring tools, and (with a nervous Jetsam’s supervision) measured out the dry ingredients and put them into a bowl.

“Have you started on the report for history?” Jetsam asked, starting to mix the wet ingredients together with a handheld mixer- much too afraid of something motorized being in Aito’s hands to let her help. “I know what I wanna write about, I just haven’t started.”

“Yeah, Haru made me start before we left class.” Aito responded vaguely, strangely not taking the opportunity to lightheartedly complain about her friend.“It's lame, but I’m halfway done.” she shrugged, hopping onto the counter and watching like a cat on a windowsill, her tail even swaying side to side as she watched the ingredients mix. “Now we add the chocolate, right?”

“Roawr”

“Meow?” Aito perked up and looked to the floor of the kitchen, Jetsam not far behind as Aito jumped down from the counter to greet their new guest. “Oh! Look who’s here Jetsam!” Aito smiled, picking up a small black kitten who had wandered into the kitchen. “Oh wait, You’ve never met little Jiji, have you?”

“No?” Jetsam said, not wanting to get in trouble for being seen with a pet in the dorms but… but it was just the smallest little kitten he’s ever seen! And Aito was just bringing him to him! “H-hello there sweetheart.” Jetsam hummed, carefully putting his hand out for the kitten to sniff as he realized that the kitten didn’t seem to have eyes- a terrifying realization when in relation to Aito “Can he see anything?”

“No, I think it was a birth thing though.” Aito said, petting the kitten fondly before putting him down again. “He needs to walk around a bit, get a feel for the space.” she explained as the kitten stood still for a second before realizing that Aito wasn’t going to pick him up again and running off to go explore. If Jiji ran into a few walls, Aito ignored the sound, and so did Jetsam. “I think he got out through my vent, I'll have to close it next time.” Aito shrugged, finding the bag of chocolate chips and opening it.

“Why was the vent open in the first place?” Jetsam asked, worried about Aito’s answer, but deciding that it would be worse not to know.

“Sometimes Haru locks his door so he can destress.” Aito said, pouring the chips into one of the measuring cups. “I need to be able to stop that as quickly as humanly possible.” he explained, not going into detail as Jetsam nodded, not wanting any more details. Aito poured the chips into the mix and let Jetsam mix it for her, again taking her place on the counter to watch.

“You named the cat after the Jiji sticker on my wallet?” Jetsam asked, suddenly realizing how quiet Aito was being (at least compared to the insane amount of talking she normally did) and wanting him to talk again.

“Mhm.” Aito responded, watching the dough spin around in the bowl

“It’s from a show you know.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I could show you it some time.”

“I’d like that.”

Jetsam could taste the silence in the room as he put the mixer down. He thought he was scared of an over excited Aito, but a deathly silent one was twice as agonizing. He let Aito get the sheet pan and spray it down, but decided to let her play with a small portion of the dough as he quickly divided the rest into even little balls, all spread across the sheet, with a small space for Aito’s.

When he looked up to the girl on the counter, she had her back turned to him as she messed with the dough. Aito felt eyes on his back and looked up, noticing that Jetsam was finished, and held up the plate she was working on.

The cookie dough was formed into a crude little heart shape, rough around the edges, and still needing some work. “It looks good, Aito-kun.” Jetsam said, not sure how well it would turn out in the oven, but also not willing to put Aito down when she looked so contemplative. She turned around and put the plate back down on the counter, as if to let Jetsam see what she was doing.

“You know they found a body…” Aito said, barely above a whisper as she carefully formed the dough “on an Arabian Peninsula…” Jetsam felt his heart beat quicken with nervousness as he tried to hide the larger clouds of smoke billowing from his mouth. “It was an archeological dig and… they think she’s 4000 years old- the bones that is- she was… they think she was 18 when she died.” Good lord- Aito-kun always tells her stories in the worst way possible. “I’m writing my history report on her. Her bones were all messed up- way too thin for her to do much. She was severely disabled and would have needed around the clock care… but… but they also saw that she had… she had a lot of cavities, and her teeth were falling out and it didn’t make sense till…” Aito paused momentarily, as if trying to remember what his hands were doing before he continued the story. “till they realized that she… she just ate too many dates.” He giggled, sharpening the bottom of the heart as best as he could. “They just loved her so much… they loved her to death.” Aito paused again, looking over his handiwork and immediately started poking it again, less out of a want to shape it, and more out of a need to do something with his hands. “They always say survival of the fittest and- and I think they’re right!” He said, her voice rising a bit in volume. “Humanity’s made it this far because we found out that what makes us fit for survival is love and compassion and empathy and community and- and…” Aito just stood there, collecting her thoughts as he tapped a rhythm on the center of the cookie, as if trying to make it beat on its own. “And I like things better when they’re heart shaped.” She finally finished, still tapping the dough, but calming down a bit. “Can we… um”

“We can make them all heartshaped, if you want.” Jetsam offered, pointing to the rest of the cookies. Aito simply nodded and finally removed her hands from the dough, frowning a bit at the messy edges, but not willing to reshape it as she moved it from the plate to sheet pan.

Jetsam showed Aito how to make the dough into a shape that would actually end up as a heart after the oven, and together they finished the sheet, Jetsam slipping in into the oven and turning back to face Aito. Aito still looked tentative, swinging his legs over the side of the counter, but a bit more confident than before. “You said you still needed to start on your report?” Aito asked, and Jetsam nodded. Aito hopped down from the counter. “I’ll be back.”

Jetsam followed Aito to the door of the kitchen, but stayed put as Aito continued down the hall to the dorm rooms. Aito returned a bit later with a paper, pencil, copy of their history book, and a cozy looking blanket. “You should start now. I need a nap.” Aito said shortly, turning away from the kitchen and into the common room. Aito laid Jetsam’s supplies on the adjacent coffee table and let him sit down before wrapping herself in the blanket and laying her head across his lap.

“Is this my copy of the textbook?” Jetsam asked, recognizing some of the graffiti across the well used pages. “This was in my dorm room.”

“Mhm.” Aito hummed, looking over the pages as well.

“My dorm was locked?”

“Yeah,” Aito chuckled, sitting up a bit to explain himself. “But all the doors kinda suck. If you know what you’re doing, you can get into any dorm you want without a key.” He said, flipping a few pages and ignoring the nervousness on Jetsam’s face. “Your door in particular is a bit harder though, if it’s any comfort. You have to point the handle perfectly vertical and knee it really hard. Easy once you get used to it, but I don’t exactly go around telling people these things.” He mumbled, tossing his arms over Jetsam’s legs and resting his head on his arms.

“Thanks?” Jetsam shrugged, mildly uncomfortable with the fact that Aito could just break into his room whenever… maybe he should invest in a deadbolt…

“But what do you plan on writing your report on?” Aito asked, closing his eyes and very clearly not planning to listen to Jetsam’s report. So Jetsam gave a quick summary of his ideas till he was sure that Aito was out cold (luckily she fell asleep quickly) and continued working on his report in silence till the alarm on Aito’s phone went off.

Aito immediately jumped awake at the noise, but grumbled and complained as he turned the alarm off. Aito yawned like a cat and stepped over the couch like it was nothing- and seeing how often she disregarded the proper use of furniture, she probably saw it as such. Jetsam was still sorting his supplies, as well as his (mostly finished!) report when he heard Aito mumble something along the lines of “oh I hate this part” and the sound of running water. Jetsam immediately sprung to the kitchen, only barely making it to the door before Aito reached into the oven with his BARE HANDS and pulled the pan out, before throwing it on the counter and immediately putting her hands into the sink, under the running water. “I hate this I hate ovens I hate heat I hate-“ Aito rambled on and on about hating this and that about the stupid decision he just made, leaving Jetsam in completely stunned confusion.

“Why didn’t you just??? Use the mits???” Jetsam howled, running over to inspect Aito’s reddened hands.

“Mitts? You use those for cold things?” Aito asked, as if Jetsam was the moron here.

“You… they’re called oven mitts, Aito-kun!” Aito started at Jetsam, as if finally putting something together

“Oh…”

“Oh…?”

“Oven mitts are kitchen gloves.” Aito hummed, turning the water off and reaching into the drawer that the mitts were kept in, wincing a bit as his still red hands made contact.

“What?”

“Yeah ah… mama calls them kitchen gloves and… and ours are made of cloth.” Aito explained, pulling out the silicone glove. “I thought… you know, I thought these were two different things.”

And suddenly Jetsam understood why that prehistoric 18 year old was so important. Everyone will always not know something, it’s inevitable. Maybe it was something stupid like what oven mitts were, or something less stupid like living. Nobody knows anything. One day fire may burn cold, or the sun just not rise, or our blood may not pump… and all we could do is be kind, and caring, and compassionate.

“We have to take the cookies off the sheet.” Jetsam advised, patting Aito’s shoulder as she returned the mitt to it’s drawer. “They’ll keep baking if we don’t get them on a cooling rack.”

And so, in a more comfortable silence then before, Jetsam and Aito moved the cookies to the rack, pausing only at the last one, the one Aito had made first. Jetsam was right, the shape didn’t survive too well in the oven, the tops of the heart looking more like a single hill and the bottom having lost it’s point, and yet Aito moved it without hesitation onto the rack.

“I like it.” He said softly, making sure it fit onto the rack with all the rest. “It’s a little messed up, but it’s still heart shaped.”

[chibamari]

If I could love you

Fandom: Ikemen Revolution Pairing(s): Dalim Tweedle x Laura [OC], Sirius Oswald x Kisa Ryujin [OC] Word Count: ca. 1900 Warnings: fluff to spice (minors DNI!), betrayal and angst Author’s Notes: To my dearest friend @iluvsexyvoltageguys as a celebration of Dalim’s route being announced! I know you’ve been waiting for him since day one girl, enjoy 💋

0:45am… What an evening, I thought as I waved goodbye to Sirius, a sleepy Kisa on his back. Ever calm and collected, he couldn’t hide his irritation when he saw Kisa chatting away with her ex-fiancé Jonah earlier. Little did he know that all she did was ask for advice. There were still some secrets uncovered, who knows what’s going to happen between those two. Tired, I closed the door of my pub. I should be happy with how well business has been ever since a certain little princess started working here, however, the copious amounts of attention that she received made the whole ordeal less amusing. Not that I could blame any of them, she was a rare beauty, this one, not only look-wise, though she certainly had her charms in that department as well, but more so her aura. The ladies that belonged to my usual clientele were show ponies - pretty, flaunting what they got, well-mannered, and so shallow it was almost sad. Sad, but enough for a little fun here and there.

Laura was a wild horse. Independent, beautiful and rough around the edges. Absolutely indomitable. Which made my mission all the more alluring - seduce the princess and make her come to the Magic tower. Make her fall for you so deeply and irrevocably that she’ll do anything to ‘save you’. I’m afraid that it was too late for that, having given up my morals and anything important to me a long time ago so I could serve the greater good. I had my own plans and was willing to use any means to achieve them, even if it meant giving up on myself and any chance at happiness.

Some days I regretted this choice, this burden I had laid upon myself. Days like this, breezy summer nights, enjoying a drink after my evening shift with a lovely lady by my side. How wonderful it would be to court you and fall in love with you without the deadly shadow that was looming over my existence alone. Would you believe me if I told you that deceiving you like this was what I would regret the most?

“Dalim, are you okay?” I felt a gentle warmth on my shoulder and I turned to be met with hazel eyes, gazing at me worriedly.

“Are you worried about me? I assure you, there’s no need.”

“I’m not sure I believe you, but it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.”

You are far too good for me, princess.

Turning I positioned myself in front of Laura until her back hit the counter, placing my hands on either side of her, trapping her. She wasn’t afraid. You shouldn’t trust me, princess. You should run, Laura Kingsley.

“Are you sure? You might find out a thing or two that’ll make you want to run far, far away from me.” I lifted my hand and gently put a strand of her hair behind her ear. She wasn’t a shy one, but I wasn’t blind to the effect I had on her. My plan was working.

“... I’d never run from you, Dalim. And I’m not scared of you either.”

Her genuine words made my heart ache and my facade crumbled for a moment. Your eyes, princess, they tell me everything I need to know.

I carefully laid my hand upon her cheek, letting my thumb caress it gently.

“You’re so warm, princess.”

I didn’t know what overcame me when I put my arms around her small frame, nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck, letting her scent engulf me. She felt so right in my arms and just for now, I wanted to pretend that this was real. I felt her arms circle around me and pull me in closer, a warm, peaceful sensation spreading throughout my entire body, giving me goosebumps.

“You too…”, she sighed contently. 

I didn’t want this moment to end and yet it did, when something happened that surprised even me, as Laura cradled my face with her soft hands and pressed her lips on mine. 

… What?

I wanted to cry, whether out of happiness or regret, I couldn’t tell. Her lips were softer than I imagined, something I’d done a hundred times or more. 

Oh Laura, you shouldn’t-

Feeling her fingers rake through my hair made me forget everything else. I gently bit her lower lip, eliciting a tiny gasp from her. I let my tongue taste her lips that she opened willingly, continuing to cautiously explore hers.

Was I still putting on a facade?

Her hands were now roaming over my body, moving from my biceps, down my sides, to my hips and-

Fuck.

I couldn’t stop the moan when her nimble fingers undid my belt. Slowly disengaging from the kiss, I breathed heavily, as I let my forehead rest on hers.

“Princess, you don’t-”

“I know, but… I want you. Do you not..?”

Oh, if you only knew.

Should I be happy that my plan succeeded? That she wanted me like this? That soon enough I could take her to Lord Amon?

No… I wasn’t happy. Not even one bit. How could I be when I had to betray the person who has come to mean the most to me?

“Of course I do.”, I hissed, as her hand sneaked her way into my trousers, grazing my growing hardness.

“Mhhmm, I can feel that.”, she smirked and grabbed me, pumped me a few times before she pulled down the layers of clothes, her body moving downwards along with them.

Oh no.

My breath caught in my throat when she pressed a kiss on the tip, a few milky drops now adorning her rosy lips. The duality of this gesture stole all reason from my mind. Her gaze met mine, and without breaking eye contact she took my pulsing hardness into her mouth all the way.

I whimpered and it spurned her own and my knees threatened to give out beneath me. My entire body shivered when her nails gently scratched down my thighs, one hand reaching up to fondle my other private parts. 

Fuck, my princess really knows what she’s doing.

A sting of jealousy interrupted my enjoyment - Has she done this with many guys? Imagining her with anyone else at all was not a pleasant thought. Who am I to judge though… I was not a saint myself, and she knew that. 

In order to have some sort of stability I gently grabbed a fistful of her hair, observing if she gave any sort of response, but she just continued, and I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer. Laying my hand on her cheek, I pushed her back, forcing her to look back up at me.

“You’re gonna be the end of me, princess…”, guiding her to stand back up, I grabbed her hips and lifted her on top of the counter. Perfect.

I positioned myself between her legs, pushing them apart, giving me a great view of what was underneath that skirt… Red lace. My naughty princess. My body completely controlled by lust hoisted up her skirt, swiftly removing her damp panties.

“A little souvenir for myself if you’ll allow it.”, I brought them up to my face and took one deep breath. Delicious. Her panties found a new home in my breast pocket before my hands returned their attention to her naked legs, stroking up and down, each time a bit further upwards until I could feel the heat that her core emanated. As if pulled by an invisible force, my hand disappeared completely below her skirt, touching the velvet wetness in between.

I shivered. She wants me that much, huh? I was no stranger to female desire, but I can’t say it has ever given me the kind of confidence that it did right in this moment. God, she feels so inviting. I laid my chin on her shoulder, so she wouldn’t notice the blush that was surely spreading on my face, slowly starting to rub her, closely observing her every reaction. She gasped when I stroked over the sensitive pearl, desperately holding onto me when I increased my speed. I felt my hardness twitch at her reactions. How much I want her…

Let’s see what she does when-

“Fuck, Dalim-!”

My princess cursed when two of my fingers found their way into her. She clenched around me, sucking my fingers in and I nuzzled my face into her hair, as my other hand held the back of her head. 

I love it when you say my name, like I’m the only one who can make you feel like this.

Her tiny hands grabbed my bum and it took me everything to keep it together. But my efforts were to no avail when she pulled me closer, only to grab my wrist and take my fingers into her mouth. Her cashmere tongue swirled around my fingers and I was hypnotised by the sight.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

The question was more rhetorical than anything, because she’d never understand the extent to which she has shaken up my cursed life. My chest felt tight when I looked into her eyes, so vulnerable, so completely open with her desire… If I could only-

“Show me then.”

Without another word I grabbed her thighs, aligning myself in front of her entrance. Could I really do this? Sex never meant anything to me other than to relieve myself, maybe seduce one or another aristocratic lady into telling me the newest rumors in Cradle… But what about now? Is reaching my goal still the only reason? Then why is my heart beating so fast and why… Why do I want this to mean more for her too? I laid my lips upon hers as I slowly pushed myself inside of her. 

This is not sex, this is more. So, so much more. She moaned my name when I started to move, clinging tightly to me and I kept kissing her. Whatever happens, princess, I hope this will make you understand. Please, please understand that nothing about this is a facade. This I could never fake with you. 

Right now you are completely mine and I am yours. And I wished you always were.

Her nails dug into my back, waves of pleasure shooting through every fibre of my being and I moaned into her mouth, unable to hold back any longer. My thrusts became harder, out of rhythm and we melted into one another. Wanting her to finish before me, my fingers found my way to her clit again, rubbing her as if my life depended on it. Please, please enjoy this as much as I do.

“Please cum for me, princess-!”

Laura tightened around me and I slammed my hand on the counter, one, two final thrusts and I came undone inside of her, shaking as I held her against me, leaning on the counter.

We basked in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Yes, lovemaking, I didn’t know any other word for it. I kissed her gently, still holding her close so I could enjoy the feeling of being inside her warmth as long as possible.

“Dalim?”

“Mhm?”

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

Oh, princess.

If I could love you… I’d be the happiest man on earth.

[ridiasfangirlings]

AU where Saru was homeschooled so he and Yata never met in middle school. This makes it so Yata goes through/graduates high school. Somewhere along the way Yata manages to somehow get a girl pregnant & now is a very young single father. So Sarumi meet for the first time (as members of Homra and S4 respectively) at their canon ages and Fushimi is really thirsty for Yata, but he has no idea what do with his feelings, especially since Saru doesn't know if he can deal with a kid w/ all his issues.

Okay I've done a lot of out there AUs where everyone's a dragon or a god or emotionally healthy, but...an AU where Yata isn't a virgin? Way too weird, man :P How they would become friends while being in separate clans in this AU would be interesting, like somehow even being enemies they become closer. So say Fushimi is home-schooled, though considering his parents it's probably less 'home-schooled' and more 'Kisa throws some books at him to read on his own while Niki stops by occasionally to bug him.' Fushimi grows up all miserable and alone under Niki's thumb until one day while in high school he meets Munakata and is drafted into Scepter 4. Yata meanwhile maybe ends up falling in with some troublesome people, like he's rejected by everyone at school and pretty much becomes a delinquent in self defense. In high school he befriends some other delinquent guys who like to smoke and drink and do drugs, Yata gets super drunk one day and ends up actually doing it with an equally drunk girl. She gets pregnant and has a kid and maybe dies shortly afterward of like a drug overdose or something, Yata goes to get revenge on the dealers who sold the drugs to her and that's how he ends up meeting Homra and joining them, newly determined to become a hero like Mikoto-san and to raise his kid right.

Homra probably helps Yata out a lot with the babysitting, like if Yata has to go out on Homra business he can leave the kid at the bar without worry (I bet Anna gets along really well with the kid and loves to babysit). In his position as Homra's vanguard Yata runs into Fushimi quite often and of course their relationship is adversarial at first, though without any of the bitterness of canon. At some point while Yata still sees Fushimi as an annoying Blue he also finds himself looking forward to running into Fushimi a bit, like they have similar power levels and he gives Yata a challenge which Yata enjoys. One day they end up chasing after the same Strain and end up in a perilous situation together, like the Strain has poison powers and Fushimi takes a hit for Yata, moving without even thinking, and he ends up getting poisoned. Rather than leaving him like Fushimi expects Yata refuses to leave his side, taking care of him and hiding him until Scepter 4 shows up to finish off the Strain. Fushimi figures Yata was just doing this out of obligation, like Yata would probably end up in trouble if he left Fushimi alone and then Scepter 4 found out, but even after Fushimi's taken back to headquarters and given some medicine and told to rest Yata actually sneaks into Scepter 4 to check on him out of concern. Fushimi can't believe that Yata actually cares about him and Yata finds himself thinking that maybe they don't need to be enemies, like Fushimi did save him after all and yeah he's a jerk but he seems like a pretty cool guy.

After this they basically become friends and maybe Fushimi is just a bit smitten and unsure what to do about it, he's never had these kinds of feelings before plus Yata's in another clan and clearly all enamored of his King. Yata at some point invites Fushimi to the bar and that's when Fushimi meets Yata's kid, he immediately tries to be all cool and emotionless as he asks about Yata's girlfriend and Yata says she wasn't really his girlfriend and she's gone now anyway, he's a single dad. This complicates things for Fushimi though, because while part of him is so relieved that Yata's not taken already (though this is probably a shock to his system, like wait Misaki isn't a virgin) there's the whole worry that one, does Yata even like guys, and two, if they were to hook up how would Fushimi handle a kid. The kid is probably totally attached to Fushimi almost immediately too, clinging to his leg and wanting to play with him and Yata feels strangely excited that his kid likes Fushimi so much while Fushimi's just having an internal freakout because what if he breaks Yata's kid. He assumes that there's no way he and Yata could be together then, like if Yata knew how screwed up Fushimi is he'd never want his kid to be near Fushimi at all (and maybe that leads to something of a 'betrayal' in this AU, Fushimi pulling away and declaring Yata his enemy because it's easier than dealing with the idea that he could never be the one Misaki loves).

[tardytothepardy]

Fruits Basket - Vol.15

You think you know someone, and then it turns out you really, really don't. At least, you know a very small portion of that person.

In a pretty hefty chunk of this book, we get a massive flashback into Yuki's childhood. As expected, it wasn't that great. What I didn't expect is how bad it was. It was,,, honestly a lot.

So, because he is the Rat Boy, and because I guess the rat is the closest to God in this whole situation, Yuki ended up being around Akito for most of his childhood. It wasn't ever really anything he wanted to do, it was just something he had to do. And from the short glimpse we get of Akito as a little kid, it seems like he didn't use to be anywhere near as bad as he is in the present (which makes sense). He seemed to have a short temper, but other than that, there wasn't anything unusual. Until one random day, that is. Akito kinda flipped his shit, and has been that way since. How nice.

As a result of always being close to Akito, no one else really wanted to be around Yuki. And after Akito cracked a bit, and started saying that Yuki wasn't wanted, that he was unnecessary, and that no one liked him, Yuki didn't much like being around Akito, but he didn't have any choice. Some time around then, Yuki's parents seem to have kinda sold Yuki to appease Akito, so he didn't even have his family to fall back on. Ayame, his older brother, ignored his existence as a whole. Have we even met Yuki's father in this entire series?

So when Yuki first heard of Kyo, how he was left outside, Yuki was pretty curious. He was alone, and so was this mysterious cat person. Maybe they could be friends? But, of course, the second that Kyo saw Yuki, he blamed Yuki for basically everything that went wrong in his life, just because Yuki was the rat, and he was the cat. Before this point, the whole Juunishi thing doesn't really seem to affect Yuki much, he doesn't seem to categorize people based on what animal spirit they have, but I imagine that after this incident, maybe that changed. After that initial interaction with Kyo, Yuki didn't immediately hate him, he was just sad and confused, but moving on, I bet it was excellent fuel to the fire.

(Oh hey I'll just put this here, that after Kyo yelled at him for "ruining everything" and that everyone would be happier if he just disappeared, he ran into his mom again. He was upset, and probably could've used some nice comfort. Instead of that, he got slapped in the face. So. -1 for Yuki's mom.)

Do you remember way back, probably around the first books, when Yuki brought up that time that he accidently turned into a rat while playing with some kids in elementary school? It went over that. It was already a sad scene, but now there's this additional context that when he was playing around with the other kids, that was basically one of the first times that he was truly happy. But after he changed into a rat, well obviously that had to be covered up, so all those kids that he was starting to make friends with were made to completely forget about him. He wasn't back to square one, he was at square zero, because now he had had a taste of friendship, just for it to be taken away and replaced with Akito (and probably other people) shaming him for having the audacity of being born as a Juunishi, because he totally chose to be like that, right?

Another slight detour, the hat. So the hat was originally Kyo's, but after he saw Yuki holding it, he just decided that it wasn't his anymore. And, oh my fucking god? The following panels are fucking heart wrenching, it's terrible. Did no one hear Yuki crying, or did they just ignore it? Like, I don't like kids, I can't handle them when they're screaming (why do they scream so much it's weird) or crying, but oh my god, that hurts me. That panel hurts me. He just wants a family that loves and cares for him, that doesn't avoid or ignore him. (Put a pin in this sentiment, because it pops up later.)

After a steady diet of this kinda thing, with Akito's acidic words, people's general distaste or indifference for him, he started being scared to reach out to others. (Personally, I kinda feel like screaming at these people, like wtf is wrong with all of them) It's here when he just seems to kinda shut off. All this time, he's still sickly, and feeling like your life is without worth (and having your world confirm it everyday) doesn't exactly make you fight to stay healthy, y'know?

And here's when Yuki kinda is given a purpose, because after Akito visited him when his cough was acting up, and basically asked him, "Are you going to die yet? If you're gonna do it, just do it already", he left the house, and ran out randomly out in town in the early morning, where he overheard Kyoko screaming to the police about how her adorable little daughter in her adorable little dress with her cute hair in adorable little pom-poms was missing and she was going to tear down the town to find her. He kept running down some roads, until he did actually find that adorable little daughter.

On his end, it seemed to be a series of "Well shit. What now?" after finding her, and only continued as Tohru saw him and started following after him until he led her back to her house. This whole thing, as has been explained in previous books, was basically the first time in his life where someone needed him, specifically him, to help them. And that feeling, of knowing that he was able to help someone, and that he was needed, even for a little bit, was enough to pull him through.

Then we're pulled back to present, shortly after Machi broke open the closet door with a chair where Yuki was stuck in, which was the main thing that even started this whole thing, where he's explaining kind of why he came to see and/or love Tohru in maternal way. Thing is, just like when that was revealed, I still don't blame him for it. She's very caring. I'll admit (like Kakeru, who has kinda been there sitting with Yuki this whole time, apparently in silence) that I don't wholly understand it, on a personal level, but I can see why he thinks that. It makes sense.

Now onto to wacky happenings and zany shenanigans! The school is making a play, and Kyo's one of the main characters (despite never really showing that he has literally any interest in acting or theater, but yaknow whatever) in a Cinderella play, with Cinderella herself being played as Hanajima! This has already been brought up in the last book, but I'm just reiterating for fun or something idk

Tohru's having a hard time fitting into the role of an evil stepsister, to the point that she's worried about slowing others down because she just,,, can't,,, make,, herself,,,,, be,, meannnnn omigod it's so hard ;-; Additionally, Kyo's just not showing up for rehearsals and stuff, he's not even bothering. Probably bc it's embarrassing for him. And with these two main problems (the show can't go on if Prince Charming doesn't know his lines, after all), the play is altered, ever so slightly, so that it becomes "Sorta Cinderella". What a marvelous title.

Let's go back to that pin I mentioned earlier, with Yuki wishing he could have had a family that loved and cared for him.

So, before some of this stuff with the play, Yuki brought up The Hat, of the "It was first owned by Kyo but he later abandoned it after seeing that Yuki picked it up, and later wore that hat when he led Tohru back to her mom" fame, in a very off-handed manner. I think he just said that Tohru still has the hat, in her room, that's she's kept it all this time. This throws some unpleasant memories for Kyo into the air, and leaves him rather bitter.

Leading back to the main scene at hand, Kyo kinda goes off on Yuki, saying that Yuki was lucky: he had a mom and dad, he was needed, he was involved in the family matters. He's had it easy, had the world handed to him on a silver platter, and that he'll never understand what it's like to hope for something despite knowing he'll never get it. (and both times i've read that so far, i just want to yoink kyo into the beginning of this book, like, no dude. your childhood was fucked up, but so was his.) He stops mid-rant, however, when he sees that Yuki is not fighting back, at all, and when he remembers something that (probably) Akito said, that Kyo just uses Yuki as something he can hate. Naturally, why would you ever want to feed into something that Akito would say, so he stops, but not before punching a hole in a window. Ow.

Finally, we've gotten to the play, the main event! Hiro, Kisa, Momiji, and Haru (among others) are there to witness the,, the sight? (Idk man it's 12:30am) Hiro is acting strangled, as per usual, trying to keep Kisa away from all the creeps, but also trying his small-child most to not Mess Things Up, as he has a slight history of doing throughout the series thus far.

The play in of itself is pretty funny, personally I think the narrator was doing the heavy lifting in this one. But more importantly, there's a point where "Cinderella" asks "Prince Charming" if all he ever wants out of life is to hide away from people, locked away in his own space, dying alone, (which I heavily doubt was part of the script, because,, whoa) and partway through telling her that he wouldn't affect anyone if he did do that, the "Stepsister" (Tohru) interrupts him, saying that would make her... she stops herself, but one can assume that the end of that statement would likely be that, if "Prince Charming" (psh nah this isn't about the play anymore) Kyo were to do that, she would get very upset, and generally not have a good time. And he had the audacity to be surprised about that like wtf man.

After the play, Yuki runs into a group of girls that are harrassing Machi, because she said that Yuki isn't like a prince. She didn't explain herself after saying it, and so I suppose the Yuki Fan Club (or whatever it's called idk I'd be surprised but also not if it wasn't called that) took offense to her disagreeing with her. After being pushed around (literally), Machi says that Yuki just seems too lonely of a person to be a prince, that despite being surrounded by people, he just kinda seems out of it most of the time. Now, is that true? It kinda seems so, so, props to Machi for seeing that, hopefully she's not going to be kidnapped and tortured (idk stuff happens). Hearing Machi say all that does kinda startle Yuki, but the fight itself stops after Kakeru makes a fake announcement about a photoshoot with Yuki that makes the bullies scatter away.

And that's basically the end of it. Although the flashback thing with Yuki probably didn't even take up a third of the book, it was still some pretty heavy stuff, so it's nice that it was offset slightly with the play. I don't really have much else to say about that.

[kisaerie]

Comforting Mammon

obey me! shall we date | mammon/original character 

a reimagining of what happens after Lesson 8-16: After Asmodeus and Mammon's argument, you could tell Mammon was hurt so you took him aside and confronted his feelings. | ao3

A/N: hello friends, this is my first time posting a fic in a really long time. Theres something about the 7 demon brothers that got my inspired and wanting to write so many soft self-indulgent stories about them. Anyway, I hope you like it.

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“You money-grubbing TRASH! A scumbag who'd sell his soul for a grimm! The only thing that would make up for your awful existence is if you just ended it! NOW!”

“HEY, that's no way to be talking to your older brother, now is it?! You’d best start showing me some respect!”

“RESPECT?! What did you ever do to earn my respect?! I'm EMBARRASSED to have someone like you for an older brother! Mortified even!”

What started out as an innocent bicker over you quickly turned into a heated exchange of insults hurled between the two brothers. Asmodeus wasn't relenting in his anger which only fueled the increasingly harsher words directed at your boyfriend, Mammon. While it was funny at first to watch the two fight over you, as the insults got worse you started getting concerned over how far the brothers were going with their words.

“All right you two, that's enough. Stop throwing pillows at each other. You’re sending dust flying everywhere.” Satan interceded.

“It's no use. They won't listen. It’s like they don't even hear us.” Leviathan added.

They were right. Mammon and Asmodeus continued their match without pause. It was like there were two different conversations happening in the room. You wanted to somehow break up the argument but didn't know how without getting in the crossfire of two demons.

“What do we do?” You asked the other demon brothers.

“Nothing,” Satan replied, “Either one of them wins or Lucifer breaks them up, whichever comes first.”

“I'm betting on Lucifer.” Levithan quipped.

“You’d normally be right about that but Asmo might win here.”

“Can I have my cheesecake, Levi?” Beel jumped in.

Ignoring Beel, you replied to Satan, “There's no winning in this situation.”

As Mammon and Asmo’s bickering went on around you guys, you couldn't help but grow worried for Mammon. Asmodeus were saying things that were digs at Mammon’s incompetency, character, and his existence. Which was a regular occurrence among the demon brothers, but Asmo’s words were going further than they typically do and you were growing worried that Asmodeus or Mammon might say or do something they regret. Even more, you were worried about the effect Asmo’s words were doing to Mammon. Because despite Mammon’s holier-than-thou attitude, you know it is nothing more than a facade he puts on around his brothers as a way to take on their harsh opinions of him; “scummy brother,” “greedy scum,” “pathetic.” He’s heard every variation and accepted them all with his flippant attitude, laughing it off or getting comically indignant. You have seen Mammon deny the hurt in his heart with his passing comments. You’ve never reached out to confront him as you thought there had never been a good time; Mammon is like a hurricane, he’ll swing from one topic to the next as does his moods.

But not this time. You looked at Mammon and saw anger marking his face but if you looked hard enough, you could see the sheen of hurt in his eyes with each blow that he hides behind his retorts.

“%#$! %#%! And...and also, you’re a...um a *%#$&%!” Mammon spluttered back. “Maybe it’s time you learned some new WORDS, Mammon. Because your vocabulary is pathetically small! Just what I would expect from the stupidest demon in Devildom! You really set the bar for what stupid can be!” Asmodeus shot back.

You could see at this point Asmodeus words were taking a toll on Mammon’s ability to argue, so you took your chance.

“That’s enough, both of you need a time-out. I'm taking Mammon with me.” You marched forward grabbing Mammon by the arm, dragging him out the door.

Mammon sputtered out some protests while Satan and Levi nodded in acquiescence and waved you guys off as if to say, ‘Do what you like’

“Can you bring back some food when you come back?” Beelzebub asked. “I don't know why you bother taking care of our good for nothing brother, Kisa. It’s a waste of time.” Asmodeus said while shaking his head.

“Look here, you lust-brained—” Mammon started but before he could finish his retort, you yanked on his arm harder out the door and let it fall shut, cutting off his words.

He spun towards you, “Hey Kisa, what are ya doing! Let me give him what he deserves. Asmo needs some teachin’ from his older brother!”

Mammon started for the door but you grabbed his arm with both hands to stop him. “Mammon, please! Look at me.”

He must have heard something in your voice because he stopped and turned to look at you. You let go of his arm and reached for his hand instead and held it gently. You looked into his face and searched his eyes.

“H-hey. What are ya lookin’ at..?”

You didn't reply. Mammon’s eyes were wide staring back at you. Anger was still etched around his eyebrows and mouth but his eyes didn't hold that sheen of hurt anymore that you saw for a moment inside. However, you knew him better than that. The Avatar of Greed hides his sadness and pain behind this veneer of superficial excitement of a child as if nothing ever touched him deeply.

“Are you okay?” You asked quietly.

Mammon gulped and you saw that hurt flicker for a moment in his eyes. But it was gone like a candle blown out, yet you could still see the wisps of smoke.

“I’m fine! What are ya sayin’, Kisa! hahaha, why wouldn't I be okay? I’m the Great Mammon, nothin’ hurts me! That, in there? Nothin’ to worry about! Asmo didn't hurt me at all. If anything, I probably hurt Asmo!”

You shook your head and then looked back at him with determination set on your face. You gripped his hand in yours and led him to his room that he shares with Satan and Solomon which you know is empty as they were in your room.

Mammon followed behind or rather dragged along, “Hey, where are we going, Kisa?”

“Your room.”

“M-my room!? W-why?” Mammon stuttered back, “I don’t think that’s a good idea to do this while Lucifer and Diavolo is around! I mean not that I would mind! B-because ya know, who cares if what they think. Let them know for all I care! Even better let them know you’re mine! Maybe finally they’ll keep their grubby hands off of you.”

As cute as it was to watch your demon boyfriend blabber on about his obsession with you and his overactive imagination, you decided not to put him out of his embarrassment. And to your enjoyment, his flustering only got worse as you reached his room’s door.

“K-kisa…. are ya sure about this? I mean not that I don't want to! The Great Mammon is doing ya a favour, ya know! So ya better appreciate it!”

You almost rolled your eyes at his ‘tsundere’ mode but instead opened the door of his room, all but dragging him in. You plopped him at the edge of his bed and you stood staring down at him suddenly asserting an authoritative aura with your reversed height difference.

“K-kisa…?” Mammon stuttered, a blush rising on his cheeks as he stared up at you.

“Whatever you’re thinking, it's not happening.” You finally say, putting him out of his torment.

His face immediately fell before schooling back into a mask of fake mirth. For a moment your heart broke for denying him anything, but you knew you had to confront him about this.

“Mammon, be honest with me. Are you okay?”

Mammon laughed, “What are ya talkin’ about, Kisa? Of course, I’m fine!”

You started to get a little frustrated knowing your boyfriend refuses to seek solace in you. You cupped his face in between your hands to force him to look right into your eyes, and with a deep breath you poured your heart out to him.

“I know you’re faking it. All the time. I know you hide your pain in the depths of your heart to cope with the words that are thrown at you everyday. Your brothers might not know, but I know. I know what you hide behind that mask and I wish you would trust me with that sadness and hurt and let me help you.”

Mammon stared at you with wide eyes as your words slowly sank into him.

“I love you, Mammon. I want to be there for you,” you implored hoping it’ll finally sink in.

For a moment, the two of you sat in silence as Mammon cast his eyes down and you let him. You knew he needed a few minutes to run over his thoughts and formulate a response. Your hands gently sloped over his cheekbones as you waited patiently. Eventually, his hands reached up to wrap around your hips as he slowly descended into your torso to bury his face.

“Mammon…?” You quizzically called out his name as you looked down at the fluffy white head.

“How do ya know me so well..” His voice muffled by your clothes.

Your right hand reached up to slide into his hair and gently comb through it. Your other hand reached across his shoulders to hug him closer to you.

“Of course, I do,” you replied with affection laced through the words.

You couldn't help but smile at how cute your boyfriend was being when he’s honest despite the seriousness of the situation. Mammon wasn't crying but you could feel the tiredness in his shoulders that slumped into you.

“It’s just…” he began, “sometimes I don't know if my brothers really want me around or not.”

Your heart broke at his confession but you held back from interrupting to rebut all his insecurities. You knew this was not the time to insert your voice and instead you just listened knowing that sometimes all he wants is someone to hear him out.

“Why am I seen as the worst avatar as if pride or envy isn’t just as bad? Why am I the worst brother just because I’m the Avatar of Greed? I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be the Avatar of Greed.” Mammon’s voice broke a little at the end of his rant which only made you squeeze him tighter to you.

“I know I’m not the easiest to be around and I know I make trouble for my brothers but…” Mammon trailed off as if he couldn’t find the right words. You didn’t push nor encourage him to talk, but continued absently alternating between running your hand through his hair and trailing it down to caress the nape of his neck.

After a few moments of silence as he took in your comforting caresses, he continued in a whisper that you would’ve missed if you weren't carefully listening, “I want them to see me.”

You felt your heart fracture at this quiet moment of vulnerability he entrusted you with. In that moment, you’re reminded of why you fell in love with Mammon; behind his exterior image of a money-obsessed, troublesome, arrogant demon is one that sought the attention of his brothers, wanting and needing validation of his existence; someone who was the most considerate, kind, and loyal friend and boyfriend. You pushed Mammon away from your torso and held his face so that you could look at each other. You saw his eyes lined red as tears threatened to fall. You saw the hurt that he no longer tried to hide from you and all you wanted to do was soothe that pain; to wipe it from existence.

But you knew this was something you wouldn't be able to fix alone. Mammon’s relationship with his brothers is a tenuous one, forged from hundreds of years of habits that your mere decades of mortal life couldn't compare to. Empty reassurances won't fix what years of coexistence has done to him.

“Mammon, I don’t know what your brothers feel or how they see you, but here's what I do know: they would do anything for you when you’re really in trouble,” you began. “Despite Lucifer’s exasperation and disappointment at times, he’s always bailed you out.”

“Lucifer only cares about his reputation. He only bails me out so that my mistakes don't affect him,” Mammon retorted with a roll of his eyes.

You almost shook his head at how dense he was being. “Or maybe, he does it cause you’re brothers and he cares.”

Mammon only scoffed and opened his mouth to rebut but you cut him off.

“Okay, maybe he also does it because of his reputation, but you know, Lucifer has said he would do anything for his brothers.”

His eyes widened at that news but immediately turned skeptical. “Yea’ right.”

“It's true. Why do you think he was worried when I started making pacts with all of you guys?”

The Avatar of Greed didn't have a response to that and instead he thought over your words.

“As for your younger brothers, I don't really know what they think,” you admitted.

Mammon snorted. “If you’re trying' to comfort me, you’re doin’ a great job.”

You smacked his shoulder. “Hey, I wasn't done.”

He jumped a little at the surprise attack and stared at you with mock hurt. “Way to hit a demon when he’s down.”

You wanted to laugh at his antics but settled with a barely hidden smile and a scolding, “Mammon! I’m trying to be serious here!”

“I’m just sayin’! Your comforting skills might need some work. I’ll even help you! First step, don’t hit a demon when he’s down. See, the Great Mammon is gonna teach you everything.”

Even when he’s hurt, he still manages to make light-hearted jokes. Perhaps it was a habit from trying to hide it for so many years; a coping mechanism. But you didn't dwell on it lest you stray from the issue at hand.

“As I was saying, I don't know what your brothers think, but do you think they would spend time with you if they really can't stand you? They would have done something if they really didn't want you around,” you argued, “So in a way, them teasing you is their way of showing affection. In a misguided kind of way.”

Mammon turned his head away from you with a slight scowl on his face, “Are you taking their side?”

You looked at him bewildered. “What? No! I’m not justifying their words or actions.”

You grabbed your demon boyfriend's face again to get him to face you and placed a chaste but affectionate kiss on his lips. Mammon blushed at the surprise action and you felt him tighten his grip around your hips.

“I’m just saying, don't think you’re not loved or wanted around. Your brothers do love you, but they just show it in a different, and possibly wrong, way,” you explained. “I love you and I want you around. Always. And I'll tell you and show you as many times as you need.”

At those words, Mammon smiled lovingly at you, his eyes soft with gratitude, and you could almost see heart bubbles floating out of him. He stretched up to capture your lips and you gladly leaned down to meet him in the middle. You smiled into his kiss, full of tenderness and contentment.

“Thank you,” Mammon whispered into the space left behind as your lips separated from each other, “And I…. love you.”

You couldn't see Mammon’s face from close up but you could tell he was blushing from his confession. Even after all this time dating, Mammon still was endearingly shy about expressing his feelings. You didn't mind because it meant that the words held even more weight when he actually said it.

“Do you want to go back?” You asked after the shared moment.

“No.” Mammon said bluntly with a slight frown, “You’re MY human. They can do without you for a night.”

As he finished his sentence, he fell backwards onto his bed, pulling you down with him. You let out a squeak at the sudden free fall, trying to not crush Mammon. He rolled you over to his side before swiftly pulling the duvet over the both of you.

“I can’t stay. Satan and Solomon are going to come back and report us to Lucifer or Diavolo,” you pointed out.

“They can't catch ya if you hide.” He grinned.

“Asmo is going to notice I’m not back.”

Mammon let out a curse under his breath. “You’ll just have to sneak back after they’re asleep,” he stated before hesitantly reaching an arm towards you under the blankets.

“C-can I….?” he asked, always worried about making advances towards you. You grabbed his hovering arm and draped it over your waist. This gave Mammon the confidence to pull you closer to him until you were tucked into his chest. You didn't have the heart to offer any more excuses as to why you couldn't stay. You gave into the temptation of Mammon’s arms and accepted whatever the future would hold. Right now, you just wanted to savour the precious time you have with him.

You felt the pressure of Mammon’s lips placing a kiss on the top of your head and let the pounding heartbeat in his chest lull you to sleep.

[bumblesimagines]

Pretty Monster

Part 5

Request: Yes or No

(Y/N) held his tiny hands out in front of him, focusing on the leaf. He squinted his eyes, watching red sparks appear around his fingers. He smiled as the leaf levitated. (Y/N) turned his head as the door slammed opened and his mother rushed in. She picked him up, going through the backdoor.

"On ecart." She whispered, rushing into the forest.

"Mama? What's going on?" (Y/N) asked. (M/N) gave him a smile.

"Nothing, my love. Mommy has to visit a friend." She replied. (Y/N) looked up, seeing torches in the distance.

(Y/N) shifted his gaze up from the table, looking at the group of friends. He sighed.

"After that my mother took me to a friend. She was found and hanged along with other women and men. The woman raised me until I was physically sixteen.. Someone ratted her out and she was also hanged." (Y/N) told them. Sweet Pea had a mix between anger and pity, Fangs looked sad, Toni had a pity look, Jughead and Archie watched him with sadness and pity while Betty looked close to tears.

"I slept around to make money and it when my incubus side kicked in." (Y/N) rubbed his shoulder.

"These people... They're long gone, right?" Sweet Pea asked. (Y/N) nodded.

"They've been six feet under for years." He chuckled lightly.

"Do you have something we can study? To learn-" (Y/N) made a book appear on the table.

"It was my mother's. I don't suggest trying any spells." (Y/N) said. Toni picked it up, leaving with the others. Fangs lunged forward, hugging him. (Y/N) was caught off guard, not used to sudden affection. (Y/N) glanced at Sweet Pea who watched them. He expected to his jealousy or anger but instead saw amusement and.. Love? Humans are so strange. (Y/N) might as well propose an orgy with all this people in love with him. He looked at Fangs and offered a small smile.

"You're too sweet." (Y/N) mumbled. Fangs laughed softly, sitting back down.

"You can stay for as long as possible." Fangs assured. Sweet Pea agreed with him, sitting down.

"Did you have any lovers?" Sweet Pea asked. (Y/N) looked at him, brows raised. Sweet Pea chuckled.

"Alright... How'd you meet them?" He asked.

(Y/N) ran a finger over a rose, watching it turn a darker shade.

"Dark red roses mean beauty." He turned his head, looking at the dark haired man. (Y/N) tilted his head.

"Getting some for your wife?" He asked. The man chuckled, shaking his head.

"Women don't interest me." He said. (Y/N) hummed, flashing a smile.

"Does that mean I have an admirer?" He asked, raising a brow. The man plucked a rose, handing it to him.

"Does that answer your question, Mr....?"

"Kisa. (Y/N) Kisa." (Y/N) knew giving out his real named could end with him being killed.

"Lovely name." The man said. His perfect dark curls shaped his face along with the little facial hair on his face. (Y/N) took the rose.

"Thank you, Mr..?"

"Josiah. Josiah Kai." He smiled. "Mind taking a walk with me?" He asked. (Y/N) eyed him.

"Wouldn't mind at all."

"Sounds like someone we know..." Sweet Pea mumbled. (Y/N) cleared his throat, standing.

"Can I use the shower?" He asked. Sweet Pea nodded. (Y/N) took a towel, entering the small bathroom. He stripped, looking at himself in the mirror. His finger tips slowly turned black. His arms and shoulder followed suit. Two horns grew on his head as bright red eyes stared back at him. (Y/N) sighed, turning on the water and stepping in. He felt the warm water on his skin. (Y/N) wished he was normal. Live a normal life and not have to worry about hunters and putting everyone at risk. (Y/N) sat down, bringing his knees up to his chest. He heard two soft knocks before someone opened the door.

"Sorry, I just need- You okay?" Fangs asked, crouching down by the tub. He seemed unaffected by (Y/N)'s appearance.

"Yeah.." (Y/N) mumbled as he made himself look normal again. Fangs frowned.

"You looked perfectly fine."

"I'd get shot on sight if I went outside like that, Fangs." (Y/N) looked at him. Fangs gently touched his cheek.

"Well, I think you look fine." Fangs smiled. (Y/N) rolled his eyes.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." He huffed. Fangs chuckled softly, nodding.

"Yeah, but you look cute when you smile." Fangs told him. (Y/N) hummed, watching him. He leaned in, stopping when he remembered Fangs was with Sweet Pea.

"We're poly." Fangs whispered, already knowing what he was thinking. Fangs closed the distance. (Y/N) cupped his hands, waiting a bit before throwing the water on him. Fangs flinched, moving back.

"You ass!" He laughed. (Y/N) grinned, pushing him lightly.

"Get out of here, perv. I'm trying to shower." Fangs rolled his eyes, standing up and leaving the bathroom. (Y/N) finished his shower, taking Sweet Pea's shorts to sleep in. He heard the water turn on and assumed Fangs was taking a shower. His assumption was proven right when Sweet Pea entered the bedroom. (Y/N) tensed when the tall male kissed him, pushing him back on the bed. Sweet Pea pulled back.

"Now Fangs can't brag about kissing you." Sweet Pea grinned. (Y/N) shook his head with a small smile.

"You guys are weird." He said. Sweet Pea shrugged, moving to lay beside him.

"You can't hide forever. We can just kill Hiram and get all this over with." Sweet Pea looked at him.

"I've been thinking about it. The others say it's a bad idea because of Veronica but why should I care? I haven't seen her in weeks." (Y/N) stared at the ceiling.

"Not your fault her dads a dick."

"It's not her fault either." (Y/N) reminded. They stayed in silence until Fangs entered.

"You two having a mental crisis?" He asked. (Y/N) chuckled.

"Just coming up with murder plans." (Y/N) said casually.

"Of course you are." Fangs sat down by Sweet Pea, running his hands through Sweet Pea's hair. (Y/N) watched them. He missed having lovers but they all eventually died.

"There's a cure." (Y/N) spoke up.

"A cure that can turn an immortal into a mortal.. There's also a 'cure' that can turn a mortal into an immortal. Hiram wants to be immortal. That's why he's after me."

Short but it's something.

[ladyshio]

🐉🐗📱

Favorite AU

I haven't read many Furuba AUs honestly. So I have to say the Fruits Basket Chatroom as that is the most AU fic I've read really.

My favorite AU concept is an arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, angst, hurt/comfort epic.

I could see that being a Kyoru fic. Where kyo and Tohru are forced in a political arranged marriage. Tohru secretly resents Kyo because he was the one that commanded an army to the town where she lived and killed her mother, but hides her resentment. Kyo resents Tohru because of course he'd resent the person he is being forced to marry. They are polite to each other but cold to each other. Tohru makes friends in Kyo's family's kingdom, befriending Yuki and at one point wishing she was engaged to him instead of Kyo. Kagura still chases after Kyo and makes plots to get rid of Tohru but after Tohru saves her in a political accident she warms up to her. They even try to make a deal to try to get Tohru out of the marriage. As all of this is going on, kyo and Tohru are forced to get to know each other through various steps in the marriage process. As they go through these trials they slowly start to get to know their real selves. Tohru learns the truth that Kyo actually tried to stop the army from going out that day. Out of spite they gave him the credit but his initial opposition is why he was selected to be the sacraficial prince to marry the princess of another country.

Akito is the current king and is trying to conquer all of the land either through war or through cut throat politics. Tohru and Kyo's arranged marriage was just to let the guards down of her kingdom so they can eventually take over. Akito was secretly raised as a boy as their mother, Ren, would have been a disgraced queen for giving a birth to a female. Much to their dismay once the Akito's father died the thrown didn't go to the queen but their "son". Ren regrets not owning their disgrace and purposely tries to get in the way of Akito's political advances. Including meddling in Kyo and Tohru's arrangement. Shigure is Akito's advisors that accidently discovered their true gender a long time ago unbeknownst to Akito. Shigure just goes along with Akito's plans because they are interesting and enjoys teasing and giving them a hard time. They truly want to take Akito way from the palace so they can live together happily and alone. One thing stands in his way, Akito's secret lover Kureno. Kureno is one of the servants that have been assigned to take care of Akito from a young age. Dressing them, batheing them, following their every whim. He is one of the few people authorized to know Akito is really a woman along with Hatori who is the palaces best doctor (no surprise there). Because Akito has no child, all of their cousins are in line for the throne after them. (Kyo, Yuki, ayame, momiji, Rin, and Kisa)

Ayame is one of the kingdoms best diplomats. He is part of the reason Akito has been able to conquer so much land. Ayame is just utterly convincing and manages to get other countries to hand over their land before they even know what he is talking about. Ayame has no whim to be a ruler himself and enjoys his travels and loves sharing stories. Secretly (not so secretly) his lover is the head maid. There are a lot of rumors circulating about him, including that one. But because there are so many rumors about him no one really knows which ones are true. Not even their brother Yuki knows the truth. Yuki is known for being the princely prince of princes and is the one with the most favor of taking the throne after Akito. Yuki has trained everyday to do so, he feels like a robot that only knows how to be a political prince, and feels very unauthentic. Tohru, his rival's fiance, is the first he feels comfort showing his true self to (though the first time was completely by accident). He considers her his first true friend. When he isn't busy with princely duties or talking to Tohru, he can be found in the gardens. He enjoys their calming beauty and have effortlessly authentic they can be. Over the next few weeks he notices the quality of the garden has gone down. He secretly investigates (as he would never hear the end of it if he was the one that through a fit over some flowers) and find that recently new Gardner's were hired, Machi and Kakeru. Kakeru typically slacks, does things half assed and makes Machi do all the work. Kakeru has the ability to make the garden gorgeous (which is why he was hired in the first place) but his sister doesn't have much experience so the result ends up being subpar. Yuki is upset and tries to talk reason into them. Kakeru is forced to put more effort in the garden and it improves immensely, Yuki learns more about how to keep a garden and finds it immensely interesting and secretly helps in his down time. While helping he gets closer to Machi who is still not the greatest assistant to Kakeru but she never expected to get to where they are now. He was always expected to take over so she was expected to run the fiance aspect but getting hired to do the palace through her out of her comfort zone which is why she isn't so good at gardening. As they learn they begin to fall in love. Also Kakeru was hired because some royals officials drive past his yard which looks like a beautiful garden which he passionately takes care of for his sick wife, Komaki.

Haru is Yuki's attendant and bodyguard. He deeply cares for Yuki and has a good relationship with him but because he is hired to take care of him Yuki doesn't consider him a friend while Haru does. It doesn't bug Haru though. Haru does what he is supposed to. Haru is also secretly involved with the Princess Isuzu. They met while Haru was on the job and kept running into each other when they were younger. Isuzu has always been treated awfully by the King and wishes that someone would assasinate them. Since it doesn't look to be the case she starts undergoing secret training at night so she can assassinate him. This is where she began to notice Haru, he would always catch her as she was sneaking out but let her anyway. It was there little secret. She thought he was weird, especially for letting her break the rules. Haru always said it's because he was only hired to keep track of Yuki so what she does has nothing to do with his work. She ends up falling for him despite knowing that if they are found out he could possibly be executed (because of her status and his job). She began to contemplate if she wants to go through with assassinating Akito because once she won't be able to be with Haru anymore.

Momiji is a prince that was a child of a past political marriage. Because of that he was able to live pretty freely. He is immediately drawn to Tohru and always tries to make her smile. He decides that he wants to be the one to marry her and causes mass chaos in the palace. Momiji's actions is what make Tohru realize that she does have feelings for Kyo and she does want to marry him. Ultimately momiji is rejected, he decides that he is going to sneak away from the palace to reconnect with the family he never knew in the country of his mom's birthplace. (His mom passed while he was young, rumored to have been an planned assassination by the past king, it wasn't. It was suicide as she ostracized by those at the palace and missed her real family.)

KISA is the youngest princess. She is there and no one really pays attention to her so she is really quiet and spends a lot of time reading in the library. The librarian has a son her age that often helps out at the library (Hiro) and he falls in love with her. He figures out which books she is reading and tries to finish them before she does so they can discuss them together. He really doesn't care too much for reading but he loves her smile and how animated she is when she talks about books. Which is the only time she is really animated.

Ritsu is the training to take over as the head for royal fashion. BUT Ritsu is very clumsy and makes a lot of mistakes. Usually everything ends up okay tho. They went to school with Kagura, a daughter of one of the most prominent noble families, and they use her as a model for works. Kagura always uses this as an excuse to go to the palace to see Kyo.

Hatori was hired into the palace as being one of the most prominent doctors of their country. He used to have a wife (Kana) but she was executed when she found out (not through Hatori) that Akito was actually a woman). Because she is an outsider and not an authorized person her existence was a threat. Akito charged her with treason because she found out and she was executed. Hatori only knows that she was charged with treason, not that she found out about Akito. They are hurt that someone so close to him would betray him and their country like that. He closes his heart off until he meets his medical assistant (Mayu). His assistant is supposed to work and learn from him so she can take back his skills and knowledge and teach it to the schools. She ends up finding out about Akito as well, through Shigure as a ploy to get Akito removed from the thrown. Hatori manages to save Mayu from the same date as Kana as he pieces together what is really happening. Mayu is authorized to live but she is not able to return to life outside the palace.

And things play out further from there... Welp if someone wants to write that for me please do.

OTP

This is really hard.

My favorite relationship is Kyoko/Katsuya because of how much it emotionally destroys me.

Otherwise my OTP is Kyoru with RinHaru (cowbell) in close second

Retelling of favorite scene in emojis

🦋🙁🖼️👨‍👩‍👧🙂🙁😟😢😭😭😭😭💔💔

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket, SE02, Ep23

Love is in the air is the theme of this ep! All kinds of luv~ for everybody!~ kyo/tohru (main), yuki/machi(new!!), rin/haru(on going), Arisa/Kureno (dead-end?), hiro/kisa (babies to luvers...), hana/tohru/arisa (sisters love!) yuki/kakeru (friendship), momiji/tohru (cutest friendship!) kyo/haru (underrated friendship), hana/kyo/arisa (living to tease*torment* you friendship!XD), kyo/kazuma (parental love!), Haru/kisa (big brother care), yuki’s fanclub (toxic love), hana/food (OTP). What an ep!! One of a kind where you start off crying of laughter & end up crying from broken heart!

-Arisa’s second outburst:

The best thing abt this play is that you can’t tell if they’re following a script or not for the most part. XD, However, for some it IS clear when they bring in their personal feelings. Arisa was fine acting her role with improvised jokes on kyo’s expense. However, due to kyo’s refusal to meet the princess, she got angry to the point of screaming in front of the whole school & visitors? The outburst was treated seriously with climatic music, audience reaction, fellow actors surprise & narrator-san pointing out it IS personal & not scripted. But afterwards arisa is fine. Even though I’m not into love at first sight, I acknowledge it exists in fiction & in reality. No problem. But the extreme intensity of kureno/Arisa’s love is higher than everybody’s without enough basis from those two meetings they had before... Sure, she can fall in love with him, wish him to meet her.. but her outburst is too much, too painful, too heartbreaking. However if you look at her outburst as a plot device to get kureno involved once again & complicate things, bingo, you get why it was planted there. Momiji’s footage will reach him. cool. but too forced in my opinion.. everything abt their interaction is too forced, from her first outburst at his few words that got her to cry her heart out & leave the restaurant & get nearly kissed on the lips to her second outburst in front of the entire school. Arisa likes ppl who are tohru-like. The narrative hints that kureno is tohru-like. First, his clumsiness, second? being content with his unjust life? what is tohru-like abt him so far that gets arisa to scream her heart out? I’m sure we’ll see more of his tohru-like qualities. but so far, it comes across too forced for me.

-Machi SEES the real yuki:

It seems that the confirmation that any female is heading to yuki’s heart is to be bullied by yuki’s fans. lol.  Machi not seeing yuki as a prince is her unique thing. Everybody including tohru see him as a prince & put him in a pedestal. In the play yuki descended from the sky, emerged from underground, said deep lines & glowed. Yet, machi saw thro the acting. I was cheering for yuki to step in & put these toxic girls at their place. Machi can be saved by kakeru’s indirect plan, sure, but this toxic behavior has been going since ep1. tohru was saved from them by hana & arisa. Bullying is always used as a plot device in furuba & unfortunately a comedic gag (there’s an entire ep dedicated for the fanclub). Sure furuba isn’t going to fix every issue or even provide solutions. It can’t. it shouldn’t. bullying is one hell of hard issue to solve. furuba wants to use bullying for plot. no problem. but also decides to comment on it quickly? yuki & kakeru’s argument abt the proper reaction towards bullying with each one of them taking an opposite opinion while machi herself is being bullied behind them felt too philosophical & untimely. Only for all this to end with a gag. Yuki is stuck paying the consequence cuz they’re his fans?.. ok. I’d love if the entire scene didn’t involve this argument. For example, yuki finding the girls, him listening to machi’s opinion abt him, him about to step in & defend her, then kakeru makes a prank abt photo-session with yuki, unknowingly saving the situation. Cuz the whole point of the scene is for yuki to know machi is different & sees the real him! Not that I hate how things played out, it is just furuba’s treatment of the issue of bullying is always weird to me. Similar to its treatment of violence, sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s comedy.

-Tohru’s best visual presentation ( show-NOT-tell): YES!

I’ve complained plenty abt furuba not treating tohru with enough visual presentation when it comes to hints for her issues or thoughts. but NOT today! This ep is tohru’s heaven! Tohru was torn apart between too many things & she didn’t inner monologue abt anything, YET, the visual imagery was enough to talk in her behalf!!! They showed tohru’s reaction to arisa, they showed tohru noticing haru/rin connection, they showed tohru react to Hana’s words without showing any of her inner thoughts & it works 100%. I’m so satisfied with this kind of treatment. You can show tons of silent emotions & trust the audience to make the correct conclusions without making your character spoon feed the audience on what they’re feeling. Hana’s “ do you plan to keep on deceiving yourself, locked in the castle, until you die?” is too close for comfort! it triggered kyo to react & say exactly his reasoning behind his decision without bringing the real world “ So what if I do? Does it hurt anyone else?” Kyo is sick of believing that he’s causing harm to his loved ones (mother, father, kazuma, kyoko, tohru). He agrees to be locked till death cuz this way no one will be harmed. ONLY him. he thinks he DESERVE it for existing & causing harm to these same ppl. His response prompts tohru to forget herself & react. What did tohru say? ( you are loved? you need to live? don’t hurt yourself? ) NO. It is NOT abt kyo. it IS abt HER!!! It is the (true form ) scene again but this time symbolically with 10 times harsher consequences!!! kyo’s true form’s final scene is NOT abt kyo deciding to stay, it IS abt tohru saying what she wants. That day tohru talked abt HERSELF. “ I want to listen to your complaints cuz u listened to me”. “ I want us to stay together” By demanding things & acknowledging herself, she got kyo to come back. This time, too, she react cuz SHE wants kyo to stay. “ I wouldn’t..” It is ME. I’ll be hurt if you’re locked. it is abt ME. I need you. I want you. I’m too scared to loose you. You’ve been my true support for long time now. Don’t Leave me, too!!!. Tohru stops herself cuz tohru doesn’t allow herself to want things or even acknowledge that she is worthy of things!! Just focus on her dialogue with others “ if I’m not troubling you, it is forward of me, please allow me” she’s talking to her friends! tohru has the lowest self esteem in furuba!

-Kyo, being an expert on reading tohru, knew the rest of the line. Kyo notices she’s in love with him. but again sinners don;t deserve love! You can’t love monsters? you’ll end up hurt!! hello!! tohru bled in the true form ep. he can’t hurt her again!!! NO way!! Enough causing her pain & tears. “ I wont take anything away from you again” he said in ep, 9. So, kyo forces himself to NOT see the truth. Forces his eyes to close tight. He’s an expert on that. Last ep, his eyes were forced to open to the reality that he doesn’t really hate yuki, but hates himself. Now, you want him to un-hate himself a little & acknowledge tohru’s love? if he did, where will it lead to? they’ll both confess & live together without him telling her abt kyoko?? that’s deceit! Him telling her abt kyko? she won’t forgive him, she’ll hate him! it is better to leave with happy memories than leave after causing tohru harm. Heck! tohru forgiving him or not IS not the issue, at all. the issue is HIM. he can’t forgive himself. he’s unforgivable!

-The most tragic Foreshadowing: (Symbolism DONE Right!)

They meet after the semi-confession, things are not the same anymore! they try to awkwardly get back to normal. Kyo says “ it couldn’t be, (I won’t let my self think it)” we know why. tohru says “ I wont (let my self think it)” WHY?!!! what is the show hiding for tohru? we know kyo’s issue. it is the BEST untold issue!! but tohru? What is stopping her more than her denying herself? it gotta be convincing & deep. otherwise, the writer would ruin the best complicated emotional dilemma that she is building her climax on! I know I’ll like what’s in store for tohru. No way such writer will miss on this. This will be EPIC. The tear between them is one of furuba’s greatest visual symbolism. One image only causing enough heartache to balance & take away the laughter from the entire ep!! One image leaving you with a punch in the gut. leaving you frustrated as to “Nooooooo~ stop! get back together”. I’m not usually into romance as I’m not a romantic person, but furuba has weaved this tale of emotionally abused children with traumatic experiences & tied them together with faint romantic direction & one of the best slow burns in anime! steadily building up their romantic connection without making it forced or in your face or apparent. I still can’t pinpoint when it first happened! Well-done writer & anime team. 10/10 scene!

Side Notes:

Narrator-san is the BEST! He kept everybody in check! & did it in style!

I’d like to thank the director for bringing their A+ animators to this ep! Kyo mostly looks hot & handsome but not HD, but there’s this kyo animator that kills the kyo animation!! kyo’d have three long strands of hair on his nose & his eyes would have more light animation than the mono-light. You can TELL the eps they bring this animator on! (such as Se01,Ep5, kagura ep, etc. ) & tohru!!!! my girl was done right!!!! no weird animation, no extra small baby hands, no shoulders that start around chest area, no bangs that are drawn like they suddenly ran out of brown ink mid coloring! lol. yuki is pretty & HD in every ep & so is hana!!

Hana is the prettiest furuba character hands down! 

Let’s be honest, yuki could’ve said 1+1=2 & the school would’ve celebrated his wisdom! XD. I kinda wish he’d deliberately say sth stupid jst for the heck of it. part of breaking the perfect yuki image. XD.

The opening gag of the men ogling kisa is the most unnecessary scene in furuba, eww~ Not funny!

why is every character MUST be part of romantic couple in furuba? Even children? & they have their own mini love complications with jealousy & misunderstanding, pinning & all. lol

Kazuma. that’s it. that’s the note.

Hana was mocking fiction tropes (animosity in families, traditions pressuring youth, helpless heroine, love at first sight! XD, romance for romance, happily ever after romance, main male protagonist loving main female protg, magical beings saving the day). Best play ever!

why does it feel like kyo just came from war? XD. He was in last ep. perhaps cuz he was absent for most of the season after kagura’s ep, with cameos here & there, few lines & not much focus. But they made up for it & brought his face expressions game up! from annoyed, cat ears, love struck, teased, blushing, a white cartoon-ish cat with an orange cat inside his mouth, shirtless hot, childish jealousy for his papa, his fangs, his cat reflexes. Name it & you bet there’s a kyo face for it. XD.

Speaking of funny faces, prince yuki got one today! all thanks to machi. that’s what I call women power! XD.

What is this weird skin-colored thingi? school mascot?

I love that hiro is questioning the play. XD

momiji is back, I feel that it’s been long as I last saw him!

haru is hot. Haru is kind.

I love the small awkward tension between kyo/tohru as they met after the play, tohru’s faint sweat drops as she does her closed eyes smile & kyo’s sweat drop as he takes the food from her & talks abt shisho.

Shisho & kyo mini manga. is it published yet?

kyo & hana’s interactions are life!!!! XD.

Ayame deserves praise! costumes on point!!

Hana wins the one liners game. sorry haru, XD.

You know it is serious when kyo monologues! I used to think, it happens ONCE a season (ture form SE01,Ep24, akito confrontation, SE02,Ep,9)!! but he got one or two inner monologues lines today, if you count him repeating tohru’s line! Sh*t is going down! Will I hear more before the season ends???!! or will the honor goes to tohru?!! I can’t even imagine what’ll happen next!!!!

[murasaki-murasame]

Thoughts on Fruits Basket 2019 Episode 18: “What’s Important Is . . . “

Eat your heart out, Disney, ‘cause TMS Entertainment is out here with cute and emotive 2D-animated tigers :^)

Seriously though, this was another great episode and I’m glad new fans can now appreciate Kisa and how much of a good sweet bean she is.

Thoughts under the cut. [Potential spoiler warning for the whole manga. Also I ended up talking a lot about bullying and anxiety and stuff so, y’know, content warning]

After taking a bit of a detour into Uo’s backstory for a few episodes, this episode goes back a bit and covers Kisa’s introduction arc, which was chapters 27 and 28 of the manga.

For comparison, episode 17 of the 2001 anime covered this exact same material, and in pretty much the exact same way, too. I don’t think there was anything particularly relevant that the 2001 anime cut from this episode. If I remember right, they at least kept the detail of him accepting the role of being the new student council president, even though it ultimately didn’t go much of anywhere because they didn’t get that far into the story.

Anyway, I knew this would be a really good episode because it was already a good arc in the manga, and the 2019 anime’s done a great job with the more serious episodes, but even then, it was still better than I expected. I don’t think they added or changed anything, they just adapted it really well.

One of the things that immediately stood out to me from the first scene and stayed throughout the whole episode was how good and detailed the background art and cinematography were, but I feel like I’ve said that about most episodes so I really should stop being surprised that this show’s directed well, lol. I just think it does a notably good job of elevating an already good script. But that first scene with Tohru and Yuki out in the streets while it was raining was really beautiful. And on the other end of the spectrum we got some more worrying glimpses of Yuki’s childhood. I still really like the fuzzy, black and white sorta atmosphere those scenes have.

Given that this episode is at the end of the day all about middle school bullying, it’d naturally run the risk of seeming like a bit of an after-school special, and even though some people might see it that way, I think it mostly avoids that by being a more realistic and empathetic take on the subject than most ‘episodes about bullying’ you get in TV shows. And thankfully most people, both new and old fans, seem to be totally on board with how the topic was handled in this episode.

I think it all boils down to how a big part of this episode’s message is that telling someone to effectively pick themselves up with their bootstraps and learn how to love themselves all on their own is deeply unhelpful and tends to just make the bullying victim feel worse about themselves for being unable to do that.

At least for the most part, I totally agree with the fact that people can’t just learn how to love themselves when they live in a loveless environment, especially when you think about where Yuki specifically is coming from with his speech about it, since he was literally raised in a cult. But you don’t even need to be born into a cult to relate to the general idea. Especially when you’re a kid, you’re just literally unable to do the sort of emotional introspection and self-care that’s expected of you because you just don’t have the life experience for it. People don’t just start out fully formed on an emotional level. Someone who has a healthy family environment growing up can learn certain skills earlier, but someone in a more abusive or even just emotionally distant family can struggle emotionally because they’re not being given the ‘emotional education’ they need. If that makes sense.

Like Yuki said, it can feel impossible to love yourself no matter how much you search your soul, because you have such a fundamentally warped and biased perspective of yourself that it’ll all loop back into self-hatred unless you can get a second opinion. It doesn’t exactly help that children are bullied for having traits that are genuinely good to have, which makes the idea of expecting them to love themselves for it even more unreasonable. People are even bullied for being ‘too full of themselves’ if they have even a mild amount of self-esteem, so really it’s just one of those ‘welcome to hell! welcome to hell! welcome to hell! :)’ catch-22s.

I was only mildly bullied during my school years, but I’ve always struggled with severe social anxiety, which was enough to slowly but surely ruin my education. It got more and more irrational and baseless as I got older and went to a high-school where nobody even interacted with me at all, but I still spent a good chunk of my high-school years being physically and emotionally incapable of attending.

I’ve also always had a bad habit of coping with any type of anxiety or stress or trauma by mentally shutting down and hiding away, and I still struggle with having a fairly bad stutter that’s mostly caused by my anxiety, even in stress-free environments, so I can’t help but really relate to both Kisa and Yuki in this whole sense. Once you start withdrawing into yourself, it gets harder and harder to stop, and the prospect of speaking up and putting yourself out there becomes more and more daunting, until even harmless and simple things in your day to day life start feeling overwhelming and impossible.

One thing that really gets me about this episode is how, even though we still have Tohru being her usual self and basically being the Soma family therapist, we also get a lot of focus on how Yuki and Hatsuharu are doing their best to try and support Kisa in ways that they weren’t properly supported when they were younger. It’s not like Tohru can’t relate to Kisa’s problems either, but I think it’s important that this is one of the first times we really see how the Soma members that Tohru is helping in her own way are becoming stronger and able to help others.

We also get another glimpse at one variation of a parent-child relationship in the Soma family, with how Kisa’s mother isn’t overprotective of her, but she isn’t full-on abusive or anything. She genuinely loves her daughter, but she’s becoming worn down by Kisa’s issues. I don’t think Momiji was wrong to say that Soma parents tend to fall into two categories, but it’s more like a spectrum between two points. And since the story is so long and there’s so many different Somas in it, we get to see that whole spectrum of how the zodiac curse can effect families, which in the long run makes the writing feel more realistic and nuanced than if it only ever acknowledged two extremes.

Anyway I think that’s about all I have to say about this episode. There’s some stuff here that vaguely sets up future plot points and character development, but we’ll get to that when we get to that.

In the mean-time, as I expected from having seen that one screenshot of Caitlin Glass’ notes, the next episode is going to be jumping forward in time again, but even further than the Uo episodes did, in order to adapt Ritsu’s intro episode. Which I think is for the best, considering how it looks like the rest of the season will be structured. It’s best to bundle these three character intro episodes together back to back. Though I’m a bit surprised that they’re choosing to have Ritsu’s episode be between the Kisa and Hiro episodes, rather than having those two happen back to back. I don’t think either of them would even be mentioned in the Ritsu episode, so it might feel like a bit of an odd diversion. But we’ll see.

Either way I’m already expecting to not really be a fan of the next episode since Ritsu is the absolute peak of grating shouty comedy which I just don’t like. Oh well.

[sushiobsessedwriter]

He Admits His Feelings -Akatsuki

Pein: Pein was stumped. There you were, as beautiful as usual and smiling at something he said and he was sure you just asked him something but the blank space that was once his brain refused to cooperate. He opened his mouth to answer but no sound occurred which caused a concerned look to come across your face. "Pein?" He opened his mouth again but only a sigh escaped as he stared at you. You made your way from your seat opposite him to lean against the desk next to his thigh. "Pein, talk to me." You rested your hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to him to let him know you were there for him. His eyes locked with yours and before he knew what was happening he was leaning closer to you. "Y/N," he whispered, "I need to tell you something." "Of course, go ahead." You leaned closer to him as well and made sure he had your full attention. The two of you had been so busy with work that you decided to take a day off which actually led to the both you ending up in his office anyway. You went out for lunch earlier but something had gone wrong with Kisame's mission so you both rushed back. "I was displeased with our interruption earlier." You felt relieved that it wasn't something more serious so you chuckled and said, "yeah, so was I." "I was especially displeased as I planned on telling you something rather important." Now you were curious, "and what's that?" "I-" He stopped short as you stared at him expectantly. His heart began to race and he thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest right then and there. "Pein, are you alright?"  Your expectant look was replaced by another concerned one. He pressed his fingers to his temple and moved ever closer to you. "I like you, Y/N, I like you very much." Your face flushed as you repeated his earlier actions by opening your mouth but emitting no sound. Pein's facial expression turned blank as he stared at you. Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything, but you could at least give him something in the form of words. "Pein," you breathed, "do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?" His eyes widened and you'd never seen Pein look so gobsmacked in your life. You grinned widely at your Leader and he soon pulled you onto his lap with glee. You snuggled into his side and you both got back to work.

Itachi: Unsurprisingly, the both of you were reading together but this time under a tree. You two were pressed against each other side-by-side engrossed in your books, at least you were. It wasn't until you felt Itachi shift for the 8th time in a row that you bookmarked your book and turned your attention to the Uchiha. "I'm sorry Y/N, I just cannot seem to get comfortable." Itachi shifted again to make his point but he wouldn't look at you as he spoke. His hair covered the side of his face so you couldn't see the bright blush on his face or his dilated pupils. He wanted to be the perfect gentleman for you but the thoughts that seemed to have consumed his mind recently were anything but gentlemanly. He wanted to move further from you without it being obvious but the more he thought about why he was moving away from you the more uncomfortable he got, thus making him shift more than 8 times. You chuckled and stated, "you're acting awfully weird today, Itachi." Your eyes returned to your book but you felt eyes on your face causing you to raise an eyebrow. You pretended to read as you waited for Itachi to say or do something. You hoped he wasn't in some sort or trouble, well, more trouble than usual. "Y/N?" You lifted your eyes to his with your eyebrow practically in your hairline. When you saw the serious glint in his eyes you shut your book and turned to face him completely. "I believe I am in love with you." "You believe you're..." You trailed off with your mouth open slightly. The look in his eyes told you he was completely truthful but the words that accompanied that look took you a minute to process. "Well, okay then," you smiled softly at him, "I suppose I can tell you 'I love you' now." Itachi smiled at you and cupped your cheek with his cold hand. You both pressed your foreheads together and simply basked in each others company. Kisame: You and Kisame had gone out for ice cream as the both of you had been craving the cold delicacy. It was Kisame's treat which made you smile. As usual there was a small blush on his face when he looked at you but the smile on your face made him never want to look away. "Hey Kisa?" He hummed in response, "do you think we're cute together?" He nearly dropped his ice cream. His eyes bugged out of his head as his blush increased. You said the statement so innocently he wasn't sure you knew what you asked him.

"W-well, s-s-sure. I mean, you're cute..." 

You couldn't hide the grin from your lips as you turned to face him. You noted the blush on his face and giggled. 

"You think I'm cute?"

He removed his eyes from you and stared at the blue sky. Why was he telling you this now? He'd kept his feelings from you for a while and made no plans to tell you, but, when you looked at him with that smile and those beautiful eyes... Well, he imitated a puddle of water.

"Kisa, are you alright?"

He jumped out of his skin as your hand landed on his back. He gulped and nodded, causing your smile to return.

"I'm-" 

He stopped short and mentally prepared for what he was about to do. He looked at the floor and entwined your fingers through his. He played his your hands for a second, composing himself. His eyes soon met your curious ones and he pulled you closer to him.

"I do think we're cute together, I also think we'd be ten times cuter if we were an actual couple."

This time it was your eyes that bugged out of your head. You blinked wildly up at him but as he pressed his forehead against yours you felt at ease.

"Well then why don't you ask me on a date, Kisame?"

"I thought I already did?" 

He smirked at you and all you could think was: 'you smooth fucker.'

Hidan:

It was surprisingly quiet in the hideout, meaning you and Hidan were either out or asleep. It was the former, but it most definitely not quiet. The two of you needed to let off some steam after a mission gone wrong, so you bith decided to do some training. The profanities that flew through the air were impressive. It was his turn to try and hit you but you were too quick on your feet, practically a blur as you ran through the trees. However, that grace soon ended when your foot caught on a knot in one of the branches and you lost your balance. In a panic, you grabbed Hidan's cloak to catch yourself but he went down with you.

You squeezed your eyes shut and waited impact. Your cloak fluttered around you and Hidan's arm was suddenly around you. The two of you twisted and you soon felt the hard thud of hitting the ground but.... you opened your eyes to see Hidan beneath you. Your eyes widened as you stared down at the immortal. He groaned underneath you and opened his eyes to fix you with a glare. You only sat there with your eyes wide and hands pressed against his chest.

"Wh-" 

He continued to glare as you attempted to ask him the numerous questions running through your mind. He rolled his eyes and thudded his head back against the ground with another groan.

"Hidan... What the hell were you thinking?!"

He stared up at the treeline but answered, "I wasn't fucking thinking." You went to ask him what he meant when he continued, "I saw you fall and then I was fucking falling with you but all I could think about was how you were fucking going to hit the ground and get fucking hurt. It's not like I wanted that to  happen, so I fucking improvised."

You smiled down at him and pressed your hands in the dirt next to his face. Your face hovered over his, forcing him to look in your eyes.

"You didn't want me to get hurt?"

"Shut the fuck up."

His face flared as he avoided eye contact. In an act of bravery you kissed his nose and made an attempt to get up. In a flash his arms tightened around your body and his face was pressed in the crook of your neck. 

"I fucking love you, okay?"

You couldn't help the grin that took over as you heard those words.

"Well you already know I'm in love with you so there's no point in me saying it again," Hidan fell back, his eyes filled with shock and confusion, "who did you think I was talking about that night?"

It took Hidan a moment to process what you said and before you knew what was happening he was laughing and smiling up at you.

Kakuzu:

You and Kakuzu just captured a large bounty after a couple of days of tracking her across the Land of Fire. You were both pleased with your job and made your way inside the BCO. You both sauntered in and Kakuzu placed the body on the counter. You looked smug enough for the both of you but you knew Kakuzu had a smirk beneath his mask. 

The receptionist looked at the two of you and rolled his eyes. He checked the body and its identity before putting it in the back. 

He retured with the money which Kakuzu counted with ease. His smirk fell as he double-checked the amount.

"This is not the agreed amount."

The man shrugged and returned to his desk so you took the money from Kakuzu to count it yourself and scowled when you found your partner to be correct. You stomped over to the receptionist and slammed the money where the body had been.

"We want the correct amount, either you miscounted or you're trying to rob us of our money; I seriously hope it's the former."

He shrugged again, not looking at you as he flipped through the bingo book. You growled and hauled yourself onto the counter and grbbaed his shirt collar. His eyes held fear as you practically glared into his soul.

"Either you give us the rest of the money or I'll tear off your balls and feed them to you." 

He frantically nodded and scurried away once you let him go. He returned seconds later with the remaining money and both you and Kakuzu made your way outside. 

"I love you you know."

Kakuzu said it so casually that he was confused when you stopped in your tracks. You were staring at him incrediously but he shrugged it off and continued walking, knowing youwould follow eventually. 

"Hey!" You ran up next to him, "did you mean what you said?"

"I have no reason to lie, Y/N." 

You nodded, shoved your hands in your pocket and said, "Good, because I love you too."

Sasori:

It was rare that Sasori emerged from his workshop on his day off but that morning he decided it would be nice to have breakfast with you, a fact you were not aware of so when you walked into Sasori's room yawning, you were surprised not to see him in there. You lazily walked around the hideout looking for the red head but found no sign of him... Until you reached the kitchen. His back faced you and his sweats hung low on his hips and for some reason he was shirtless. You assumed there was nobody else in the hideout, either that or Sasori had gone absolutely crazy.

"Sasori?"

He slowly turned his head to face you and locked eyes. You sent him a sleepy grin and walked to where he stood.

"You look cute when you have just woken up."

You flushed at his words but smiled. You peeked over his shoulder to see a couple of pancakes being cooked. Suddenly, you realised just how hungry you were but kept your mouth shut as you watched him flip each pancake in turn. You hesitantly pressed your chin to his shoulder, causing him to tense under your touch. You practically bolted from his body and flushed a deep red.

"What are you doing, Y/N?"

You attempted to stutter out a response but only air puffed out. You weren't quite sure where to look so you settled on your slipper-clad feet with a pout. Sasori was then in front of you, his bare feet toe-toe with you. A moment passed before he lifted your chin to look at him. 

"You don't have to be afraid to touch me, Y/N. With the way I feel about you I enjoy your touch very much."

It took you a minute to catch up with what he said and once you did, your eyes widened considerably. You lifted your hand to sheepishly touch his cheek which caused him to grace you with a small smile.

"Well I'll be damned," you giggled, "I thought I would have been the first one to admit how I felt."

It was Sasori's turn to look shocked which only made you giggle more.

Deidara: 

You and Deidara barely argued, a few disagreements maybe, but never full blown yelling matches. However, what was supposed to be a quick mission turned into the two of you standing at a crossroads screaming at each other over one thing: who left the pack full of food back at the campsite??

"You cannot seriously be blaming me?!" You screeched.

"Well it wasn't my pack to look after, un."

You folded your arms across your chest and turned your head to the side. The indignant look on your face said it all but it was Deidara's fault that you had forgotten the pack. One of his explosions had gone ary causing 90% of his shirt to be burned away thus leaving the blonde practically shirtless. That then lead to your flustered state and therefore you forgetting the pack... You weren't going to tell him that though.

"You forgot it, un, you can go back and get it,un!"

You sent him a simple, "no," and started walking back to the hideout.

Deidara groaned and trudged after you. You felt his eyes on the back of your head and you resist the urge to turn around and confront him.

"Remind me why I love you, un."

With wide eyes you whirled around and stopped his walking form with a hand to his chest.

"What did you just say?"

Deidara puffed out his chest and flushed a bright red.

"Pfft, I didn't say anything,un."

"Dei," you drew out his name as you locked eyes with his.

"I-I-I love you, un."

You flushed at his confession but entwined your hand with his and smiled up at him.

"I love you too, Dei."

Tobi:

You knew it was dangerous, the mission just seemed too good to be true and you were beyond pissed at yourself for not realising that sooner. The orange-masked man lay in your arms, his breathing shallow and blood soaking through his shirt.

"Tobi don't you dare die on me."

Your hands were pressed down on his wound, doing your best to stop the bleeding. Tears streamed down your face but you paid them no mind as you struggled to keep the blood in its place.

"Y/N-chan," Tobi coughed, "p-please don't cry."

"How can you ask me that when your bleeding out?!" 

You were becoming hysterical but you didn't care. The man you cared for was going to die in your arms as you waited for the damned backup you called for moments ago.

"Y/N..."

Tobi's hand cupped your cheek as you continued to cry. Your breathing practically mirrored his as you felt the panic bubble in your chest.

"I hate seeing you cry, Y/N."

You tried to laugh for his sake but it only came out as a choked sob. 

"Is this where we confess our undying love for each other?"

Tobi chuckled beneath you which ended in a body-wracking cough. You pressed harder onto his wound but breathed a sigh of relief as you heard Deidara's voice calling your name. You called back to him and grinned down at the masked man.

"Tobi loves you, Y/N."

You blinked down at him, and laughed loudly, your chest lighter than it had been. You kissed the top of his mask and breathed another sigh.

"I love you too Tobi."

Zetsu:

You smiled to yourself as you basked in the sunlight. You accompanied Zetsu as he tended his garden so you sat at the edge of said garden. Your head was tilted back, your hair hanging behind you, the heat from the sun making your cheeks warm.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yeah, she's fucking hot."

You chuckled to yourself; you were genuinely surprised he had not learned that you could often hear the conversations he had with himself. You blew out air as you continued to listen to him have what seemed to be a pleasant conversation.

"Do you think we should tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

You could practically hear white-Zetsu roll his eyes.

"Tell her that we love her of course."

Your entire body tensed and your eyes flew open. He didn't seem to notice as he debated telling you such vital information. You pulled at the grass beneath you as you sat forward. He loved you? You couldn't help but grin.

"Y/N?"

You looked up to find Zetsu blocking the sunshine and looking at you with his head tilted to the side. You copied his action and allowed him to pull you to your feet.

"We want to tell you something."

"For the record I think this is a piss-poor idea."

"WE just wanted to tell you that..." He trailed off, waiting for his black side to fill in the blank and by the mildly nervous look on his face you knew it was a big deal.

"Love.... You."

You grinned wildly and flung your arms around him as best you could with his flytrap. He hugged you back, a large grin on both side's faces.

"I thought you were going to keep that all to yourself," you giggled.

He pulled back and looked at you with wide eyes.

"You knew?"

You shrugged and smirked at him.

---

If you like this then please buy me a coffee. 

[akatsukibandhscenarios]

40. When They Are In a Bad Mood

Updates Pein Pein had been going over the amount of money that the Akatsuki had. You hadn’t been in the room with him, but you heard his anger when he yelled and threw something. You walked into the office carefully and stood there. Pein threw his desk at the wall. “Pein? What’s gotten you so angry?” You asked, careful to not get near him yet. “I just went over the money we have and Kakuzu hasn’t brought in enough money for anything.” Pein growled, causing you to step back. He noticed you being weary of him and calmed down. “I’m going to have to send everyone out on extra missions to make up for the lack of money.” Pein sat down in his chair and sighed. “It’ll be okay.” You hugged Pein. “That’s what your Akatsuki members are for, making them do extra work.” Pein looked up at you and looked a little less angry. “Would you go and send Kakuzu and Hidan in? I have some things to say to them.” You nodded your head and left the room. Pein was angry now, but after yelling at those two, he should feel a lot better. Zetsu You heard Tobi yelling for help, so you had to run to the garden. When you got there, you saw Zetsu trying to eat Tobi. The lollipop ran to you and begged you to calm Zetsu down. You sighed and walked right over to the plant man that was in a bad mood. “Zetsu, what’s wrong?” You asked, not even worried that Zetsu would eat you. “That!” Both sides yelled, pointing to his newly planted flowers. They were stomped all over. You couldn’t help but gasp. “What happened to them?” You asked, completely understanding of Zetsu’s bad mood now. Zetsu explained that Tobi was running around like an idiot like usual. He wasn’t watching where he was going and ended up running all over the plants. He then tried to hide them by dumping dirt on them to make it seem like it was a new flower bed. “The idiot ruined all of the new plants, the ones we have no replacements for.” Zetsu said, glaring at Tobi. “Go on Zetsu.” You said which just made him look at you confused. “Go eat Tobi.” Zetsu didn’t need to be told twice. He went after the screaming Tobi. It seemed like maybe killing Tobi would make Zetsu feel better. Sasori You weren’t sure where Sasori and Deidara were, but you were worried. You heard an explosion earlier but you never heard anything after that. You were almost worried that both of them killed each other. “Sasori are you in here?” You started to open the door to his workshop, but you gasped. The workshop was where the explosion went off in. Nothing was really damaged but there were some charred and smoky things. Sasori and Deidara sat in the middle of the room looking at each other. “_____ please help me, hm.” Deidara said, looking a little afraid. “What happened in here?” “Deidara set off a bomb and it messed up my workshop.” Sasori said, calmly. He might have sounded calm but you knew that he wasn’t calm at all. “Clearly, but why don’t you let him go and we can tal-” “No. The brat stays.” Sasori growled. You knew then he was actually quite furious with the blonde bomber. “Okay, so I will leave you to whatever you might do to Deidara.” You turned around and left the room. You heard Deidara yelling for help, but you weren’t about to go back in there. When Sasori was in a bad mood you had to avoid him or else you might get turned into a puppet. You were in no mood to become a puppet, so Deidara was on his own. Sasori would feel better after beating up the blonde, so you weren’t about to stop him. ~ Itachi You weren’t sure what was wrong. You didn’t know if it was you or someone else, but someone put your weasel in a bad mood. “Hey ‘tachi, do you have any missions today?” You asked your grumpy boyfriend. You hoped he’d talk to you. “Hn.” Was all Itachi said. “Do you want to do anything fun?” You weren’t giving up. You needed to get him to talk. “Hn.” He still wasn’t talking. You growled and took his book from him. “Dammit ‘tachi. Who stuck this new pole up your ass?” You snapped. He glared at you. “You used all my hair conditioner.” “You’re in a bad mood… because of hair products?” You weren’t sure if you should be angry, or laugh at him. “Correct.” “That was the last thing I thought would have put you in a bad mood…” You giggled, and then giggled more when you saw Itachi smirk at his ridiculous reason to be upset. Kisame There were random sharks throughout the hideout. That meant that Kisame was in a foul mood. You followed the sharks to find your boyfriend. He was in the lounge, clearly upset about something. “Kisa, what’s wrong?” You asked your sharky man. “Itachi!” He yelled. “What about him?” “He told me that he didn’t need me on his mission. So he put me in a genjutsu and left me behind.” Kisame was furious; he hated being put under Itachi’s genjutsu. “Wow, Itachi’s an asshole.” “I’m glad you agree.” He smirked at you. “I have an idea of how to get back at him.” You informed your boyfriend, hoping it would pull him out of his bad mood. “What’s your idea?” “You know how Itachi told us to never have sex on his bed?” Kisame nodded his head, smiling. He knew where it was going. “Well, let’s go do it.” Kisame smirked; his bad mood was forgotten now. Hidan You woke up to Hidan slamming the bedroom door and swearing. You sat up and stared at him. His body parts were sewn in the wrong places. His arms were where his legs were supposed to be and his legs were where his arms were supposed to be. His head was where his male parts were supposed to be and his male parts were attached to his chest. “Do I even want to know what happened?” You asked simply. “Kakuzu got fucking pissed off so he did this.” “Oh, well, I’m going to go back to sleep now.” You moved to lay down again but Hidan stopped you. “Hell no! Get your ass over here and detach my fucking parts so you can put me back together the fucking right way!” You sighed, got out of bed and walked over to your crazy looking boyfriend. “Fine, I’ll help.” You then reached out, grabbed his male parts and tore them from his body. Hidan screamed like a little girl. His bad day was going to get worse. Kakuzu You heard Hidan’s screams of pain. You knew only Kakuzu was causing the immortal pain. You sighed and left the kitchen where you had been. You found Kakuzu in the lounge. Hidan was gone but his blood was everywhere. “Kuzu, is everything alright?” You didn’t get close to him. He was in a violent mode. “Hidan burned some of my money.” You gasped. That was a sure way to make Kakuzu angry and violent. “So what’d you do to Hidan?” He explained what he did (same as in Hidan portion of this chapter). You couldn’t help but laugh. “So you dismembered him, then put him back together wrong? You are awesome Kuzu!” You forgot about his violent mode and went over to hug him. “Thank you.” You could tell he was still upset, but you had an idea. “Come on Kuzu, let’s go on a bounty hunt and make you more money.” “That’s a good idea.” He smiled under his mask as you smiled happily too. Tobi You knew something was off when you woke up peacefully. Normally Tobi’s loud mouth would wake you. You got out of bed and saw Tobi in the bathroom. He had his mask off and was staring at himself in the mirror. “I’m not an ugly monster, right?” You heard him ask himself. He was looking at his scarred face and lack of an eye. You knew his looks were a sensitive subject for him. “Obito, you look amazing.” You pushed open the door. He looked at you in shock; he hadn’t noticed you approach the bathroom. “How can you say that? Just look at me.” “Because it’s true. You are very attractive. Inside and out. Stop worrying about it.” You kissed his scarred cheek. He smiled at you. He knew you were telling the truth. “Thank you _____.” He kissed your lips then put his mask back on. “Tobi wants pancakes now!” “Alright.” You laughed. You liked when Tobi was happy and not in a bad mood. Deidara “Wake up, hm!” You were jolted out of sleep. You sat up and looked at your boyfriend. “What Deidara?” You questioned sleepily. You could tell he was angry about something. “You let Tobi set off my bomb, hm.” Your eyes widened. You were in trouble. “I did let him into your workshop but I didn’t think…” You trailed off. You hadn’t known Tobi would set off what Deidara was working on. “I’m so sorry.” “So you didn’t intentionally do it, hm?” “No, I’m so so sorry Deidara.” You were sad. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” “Good, hm.” The smirk on his face worried you. He dragged you out of the bed, out of the bedroom and into his workshop. “You will be my assistant, hm. So I’ll be able to make the replacement bomb faster, hm.” “Lovely…” It seemed like Deidara faked his bad mood to get you to do what he wants. Sneaky four mouthed man.         

Madara

Madara was usually always looking like he was in a bad mood or that he was angry, but you knew that when he was truly in a bad mood, he would act like a big baby. That’s how you knew he was in a bad mood when he came home from shopping. He was stomping his feet more than usual and was huffing and muttering about something.

“Madara? What happened?” You questioned him as he passed you to go to the kitchen. He mumbled a response as he closed the kitchen door, meaning you had to get up and go see what the man child was upset about. “Maddie sweetie, what’s wrong?” You said in a sing-song voice. He growled as a response.

“The women at the store thought I was a female and was getting female products for myself.” Madara responded, a mix of anger and embarrassment in his voice. You couldn’t help but chuckle and feel bad as you were the one to send him to the store to get you stuff today.

“Oh, well I did warn you when you put the kimono on to go out. You make a pretty woman sweetie.” You replied causing him frown to deepen. “Madara, who cares what other women thought? You know you’re a guy and I do too.”

“Damn right you do.” Madara mumbled proudly as he hugged you, both of which caused your face to go completely red.

[iwriteficsandmore]

Golden Repair

"There is beauty in what is broken and repaired." Chitanko Nagi can't understand that. Nothing broken is beautiful, nothing broken can be fixed. So she pretends to not see what is broken and holds the pieces of herself together between her steady fingertips. But as new people and friendships come into the limelight of her broken world to change it into one where heroes are brave and villains defeated, her grasp trembles. With doubt. With hope. "How can a broken world shine so brightly...and how can I shine just as bright?" 

A small preview of a current wip. A future fanfic for a new fandom: Boku no Hero Academia. 

God-fucking-dammit!  How!? How does this always keep happening!?

Already past 9 o’clock, she’d get lucky if she got there to catch the tail-end of homeroom. Panting heavily as she ran through the gigantic gate, Nagi dashed through the lockers, not bothering to change her shoes, and headed straight to her classroom. Thankfully, she’d memorized the way to her classroom and it took a few minutes from there to reach it.

Class 1-A along with the whole first-year building was far from the entrance but with everybody certainly in the entrance ceremony, she would only have to deal with the embarrassment of being a whole hour late to her first damn day of school!

“Damn you, Yori.” There wasn’t a point in cursing them under her breath but it made her feel the slightest bit better.

After drifting the corner, she saw the tall door marked with Class 1-A’s sign. Nagi slowed down but opened the door with a bit more force than she intended. Thankfully, the classroom was in fact empty but only of people. Seeing backpacks and bags strewn on the side of, on, or below desks though made a horrible feeling sink in her stomach. Her eyes scanned the desks and only noticed one completely devoid of things and deduced that to be hers. Putting her bag down at its side and placing her camera on top of the desk, Nagi felt that despite her tardiness, it was good that she was here now. But as she began lowering to seat down and calm her racing heartbeat, a rather odd note stuck to the blackboard in front took her attention. Nagi trotted up to it and instantly blanched at the ominous message.

Class 1-A at the grounds.

The grounds…

They’re not at the opening ceremony.

“...well shit.”

The grounds were a pretty broad name but Nagi thought that they had to be somewhere visible. Thankfully, a burst of explosions caught her attention and on a gamble she rushed there praying that it was indeed her class.

From where she’d seen them, they were nothing but specks of blue—god, we had to wear our gym clothes—standing around doing some physical activities. Once on ground level and closer to the large group, the one they were currently on stuck out when a ball shot out of the park. Softball throwing? Like from those fitness tests from middle school? Her eyes followed it briefly before coming back to the group as she ran towards them. But there was a difference. That became more than obvious by the fact that they were being allowed to use their Quirks.

With bated breath, she ran at full speed even when her muscles strained and her lungs burned pleading for rest. But in a short minute, she finally caught up to the group just as the voice of an older man—their teacher, she assumed—spoke up.

“Next. No. 22, Kisa—”

“Chitanko Nagi, sir!” Her own name burst from the top of her lungs as she skidded to a stop a few steps behind the class. All eyes turned to her, strands of her ponytail messily sticking to her sweating face and bright eyes staring over the rest of the students in hopes of catching the eye of their teacher.

Nagi didn’t know what in hell’s name pushed her to announce herself in the middle of their exercises—not only interrupting their teacher but also declaring her own tardiness to boot—but if this was the first impression she’d give then so be it.

But even before she had time to even excuse herself for the thirty seconds of disruption and counting, a cloth struck outwards avoiding the students and capturing her in its grasp. The moment Nagi laid eyes on it, her breath caught and her stomach sank. Oh god, it can’t be. The cloth wound tightly around her arms, snapping them tightly to her sides before pulling her forward. Not even digging her heels into the ground helped delay the inevitable. It took little to no force to fully pull her out of the crowd and to the deadly glare of Aizawa Shouta.

“Decided to join us at last, Chitanko?”

A chuckle out of nervousness was all the reply he got alongside a tumultuous, lopsided smile of hers. No matter how much she tried, there was no hiding the slight anxiety this man caused her. “Yeah—haha, you know, the funny thing about that—”

“Don’t bother. I don’t want to hear it.” Brusquely, he snapped the cloth away and tossed her haphazardly onto the center platform. “We’re in the middle of quirk apprehension tests before you graciously interrupted. Last place gets expelled and that’s where you’re standing at this point.” Nagi stiffened at that and the tears pricked at the corners of her eyes at hearing those news. A part of her thought he wouldn’t—she’d been accepted for a reason, damn it—but Yuuei was a special school that was known for its extreme teaching styles. And besides, knowing how Aizawa is, there’s no doubt in my mind he would do it.

No, she couldn’t get expelled, not when she hadn’t even started. After finally having the chance to do something, she wasn’t about to let it die out because of her incompetence. Nagi didn’t waste time in standing from the heap of limps she’d ended up as and limbered up a bit by tossing her arms back and forth before she aloofly stared back at Aizawa to say, “How many tests left?”

“Three. And don’t get your hopes high. It’s unlikely that you’ll dig out of dead last even if you hit perfect scores on all of them.”

The indifferent expression disappeared from her face and a lopsided grin took its place. “I’ll have to get better than perfect then.” Reaching out a rather scarred up arm towards him, she flicked her fingers at him. “Improbability doesn’t mean impossibility, right?”

“Believe what you want, the facts won’t change.” Aizawa nodded his head at a student, a boy that at spotting made Nagi’s eyes wide in recognition. Pale silver eyes did the same at spotting her, floppy skin-colored ears tipped brown bristlings slightly.

A thousand emotions rushed through her mind and boiled the blood coursing through her veins. All were conflicting with one another, but two—bewilderment and joy—won over the rest, the latter making her smile change to a much gentler one.

Her hand gestured just as carefully to him. “Pass it here, Yoh-chan.”

Kisaragi Yohsei held onto the ball with both his hands before nodding and showing a shaky smile. “Good luck, Nagi-san.” Nagi easily caught those words along with the ball.

Luck. Now that there was something she’d need if she wanted to put her money were her mouth was. Then again, life wasn’t all about luck. It was about effort. And this was the first place to show what her determination was worth. Letting the faux confidence from before fuel her, she winked at him. “Who needs luck?”

Pivoting her whole body to face the outer part of the field, Nagi let her Quirk activate but kept it quiet, instead searching her surroundings. Her bracelets were the first she felt—the distinct touch of her specially made equipment light against her wrists and making her skin tingle. The buildings surrounding them had some too, if the faint sensation of it was anything to go by. Guess all the glass was for show. But what surprised her most and got her grin to widen was the trace titanium she sensed in the softball. A glance to the device Aizawa held only verified her suspicions.

I love technology.

The trace amounts in the ball would be enough to propel it if she gave it enough momentum to fly. But to transfer kinetic energy to her objects, she needed to have it in the first place. A swipe of her arm would give it a bit of propulsion but a ball was different from her spears. Much more surface area meant more resistance and less velocity. No, she needed more than just a hand gesture.

Nagi held onto the ball and walked as far as her enclosure allowed her to. Garnering enough energy in her body to transfer would be quite the task in such tiny space but she forced herself to think of a way to do it without going out of bounds. If she got herself into this stupid mess, she’d get herself out just the same.

Two will be a tight squeeze but not impossible.

Two it’d be then. Two too tight ones but she was sure she’d stay in bounds if she did them right. Squatting down with the ball still in her hand, Nagi stared at her shoes and took a deep breath before kicking off. The first backflip landed her at the center of the circle and the second her foot landed, she kicked off again with the second to backflip again. As her body turned, she threw the ball in mid air letting her Quirk work on the titanium residue inside it.

Fly!

The instant she let it go, it sent the familiar sensation of having let a part of her leave her. The titanium she controlled always felt like another extension of her body though. Even landing just a mere inch away from the boundaries didn’t distract her as she felt it go further and further away until she couldn’t anymore. The connection broken, Nagi knew that thing would start descending soon enough and stood to look at Aizawa who stared at the device in his hands.

A beep went through and Aizawa turned it over for her to see without batting an eye. The bright screen displayed 732.2 meters. “First base, Chitanko. Don’t strike out.”

“Yes, sir,” she spoke under her breath, picking up her discarded jacket and following the rest of her classmates to the next task.