#even if it was Takeru who started it

[freshfrenchtoast]

Kageyama's backstory only being revealed near the very end of the series is really interesting from a meta perspective.

For reference, his chapter is 387 out of 402. That's 96% of the way in.

To contrast, other characters like Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's backstories are shown in Chapters 87-88.

Now, we do get the explanation for his "King of the Court" title in Chapter 6, at the start of the series, but we don't see how he got to that point, or why he started playing volleyball in the first place like Tsukishima's and Yamaguchi's stories show.

It creates this situation where, despite being the deuteragonist, the character our protagonist, Hinata, is practically glued to the entire series, we barely know anything about him.

We don't even know he has a sister until that point whereas other characters' siblings like Natsu, Saeko, Akiteru, Alisa have all made appearances way before then. Even Oikawa's sister, though we don't see her, we at least know she exists because of Takeru.

He's both closed off to us (the audience) as well as the other characters in the series, and this results in them finding him rude or disliking his character in general (see: the "Kageyama is abusive" discourse that somehow keeps popping up even now).

Chapter 387 takes place in 2018 and was published in 2020 so it takes him 6 years of in-universe time and 8 years of irl time to really open up.

And the catalyst for all of this is Hinata fulfilling his promise of beating him.

You see, another thing to note is that, whenever Hinata thinks of Kageyama, he's always looking at him from behind.

His internal image of him is someone who's always up ahead, someone he needs to catch up to, meaning Hinata can only see one side of him, he cannot see all of Kageyama until he catches up and passes him.

Which he finally does here.

In this shot Hinata is finally the one who's looking back at Kageyama. At this moment, Hinata (and by extension the audience) can see him for all he is, can see how he was just a lonely boy who's been waiting for someone to meet him where he is, to keep running alongside him and not quit the race.

Someone he doesn't have to go easy on. Someone who would actually tell him to hurry up instead of slow down for a change.

His someone better.

[seiwas]

next time, if it rains | iwaizumi hajime

who would have thought iwaizumi was the type to wait under the rain?

wc: 784

summary: iwaizumi waits for you on a rainy afternoon. 

contains: f!reader, canon-adjacent, set in high school (around 1st year), (eventual) friends to lovers, reader is nicknamed 'tori-chan' by oikawa (there will be backstory), you and iwaizumi are just starting to get close.

part of ‘there’s this sound (in my chest), and it only beats when you’re around’ this is the first fic in the series.

a/n: edited and reuploaded.

You find Iwaizumi under a clear umbrella in the torrential downpour of a Wednesday afternoon. 

It’s not a surprise to find him prepped to go home, just fifteen minutes past his dismissal from volleyball practice; but the gym is on the other side of school, and he’s standing here now, outside of your club’s building, seemingly waiting as he remains firmly planted on his spot, unmoving. 

You’re confused.

“Iwaizumi-san?” 

Looking up from his phone, he readjusts the strap of his gym bag. There’s a momentary pause as he squints, the rain making it impossibly difficult to recognize you at first glance. 

Then, recognition flashes across his face before he raises his hand, giving a small wave, “Hey!” 

You place your bag on the floor, freeing your hands to unclasp the lock on your umbrella before pushing it open. It’s a bit of struggle as you attempt to carry all your things, your umbrella, bag, and a few books barely being balanced with just your two hands. 

“Do you need help?” Iwaizumi calls out, voice muffled by the heavy rain. 

“It’s—“

The question is rhetorical, you realize, because before you can even get a word in, he’s already made his way to you, approaching the steps much quicker than you can seem to gather yourself. 

It honestly feels like deja vu; does Iwaizumi just always know when you need help?

Recounting the memory horrifies you to this day—the first time you approached Iwaizumi, he had to cut your rambling short just to get to the main point: 

“Do you need help with the topics for our science exam?” 

You shake your head, shooing the thought away. There’s no use dwelling on embarrassments of the past when it’s only brought you the good things you have today—like your little Wednesday study group, composed of you, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi.  

“Thanks,” you bow your head slightly as he reaches for your books. Your smile turns sheepish when you follow it up with an apology. 

The steps are slippery on your way down, but your shoes manage. 

Just a few steps ahead of you, Iwaizumi stays close by, looking back a few times in case you might slip. 

They’re discreet looks, a real attempt of his to be subtle; but you can tell, and the gesture only makes you smile. 

“Why’d you wait all the way here?” you ask, once you reach the bottom of the stairs. 

“Oikawa had to fetch Takeru. He messaged our group chat,” Iwaizumi swipes through his phone to show you the message. You fall into pace beside him, reading. 

[5:01pm]

Shittykawa: Tori-chan, gotta fetch Takeru cos of the rain! >.< Sorry! Iwa-chan will still walk with u tho, I’ll see u guys at home~~

“It didn’t show that you read it, so I wasn’t sure if you saw it,” he continues, pocketing his phone as you exit the gates. 

The rain gets stronger.

You hum in agreement, mumbling, “You didn’t have to wait out here though… I would have gone to the gym eventually…” a pout forms on your face, growing deeper the guiltier you feel.

The fact that Iwaizumi waited for you outside, in the pouring rain (and for a good while, it looks) makes you feel bad. You aren’t so close that things like this are unspoken in your friendship.  

“Sorry…” you murmur. You don’t think Iwaizumi hears you from how loudly the raindrops are beating against your umbrella, but he does.

“H-hey, it’s fine! I don’t mind.” 

You slow down your walk. 

“‘Sides,” Iwaizumi sighs, falling into step with you, “I wasn’t sure if you had an umbrella, so…” he trails off, too embarrassed to continue. 

Your brain buzzes at the implication, but you shake it off quickly. 

Don’t assume. 

(The wet patches on his uniform do nothing to cool down how warm he feels.)

“Oh,” you chuckle, focusing instead on how touched you are by his thoughtfulness. It’s endearing how he’s even embarrassed about it. 

“Good thing I have one then,” you play along, speaking as casually as you can, “I don’t think we’d fit under yours.”

Iwaizumi laughs, a boyish grin settling in to replace how flustered he’d looked. 

“I guess I’ll just have to bring a bigger one next time.” 

You glance at him from the side, observing; you don’t think he even realizes what it implies—that he wants to share an umbrella with you, next time. 

So you brush it off, chalking it up to Iwaizumi just being Iwaizumi, kind and reliable—thoughtful. 

The rain doesn’t let up the entire walk to Oikawa’s place, but you’re thankful for it. At least, the raindrops reverberate loud enough against your umbrella to drown out the pitter patter of your heartbeat. 

comments, tags, and reblogs are greatly appreciated ♡

[mirai-e-jump]

Animage October 2024 Issue Kamen Rider Gavv ft. Chinen Hidekazu & Sugihara Teruaki (translations below)

Publication: September 10, 2024

The Strange Sweets Kamen Rider

The 6th Reiwa Kamen Rider is the first ever to use a sweets motif! The cast and staff talk about the behind the scenes of the birth of the new hero who fascinates us with a gap between poppin visuals and its heavy filling!!

Having passed out due to hunger, Shouma, who comes from another world, was saved by a human boy named Hiroi Hajime. Shouma was in a difficult situation when he confronts the Granute, a monster who wants to kill Hajime, but when he "sets & eats" the familiar like creatures called Gochizo in the mouth on his stomach, he transforms into Kamen Rider Gavv and crushes the Granute. This was the beginning of Shouma's battle to protect humans.

The latest entry in the Kamen Rider series, "Kamen Rider Gavv" only just started in September. Despite the poppin imagery and visuals of sweets as its motif, this is a hard and serious drama that depicts the lonely battle of a young man named Shouma, who hides a grand past and mystery behind him.

This production features Takebe Naomi-san as the Producer, Sugihara-san as the pilot Director who determines the direction of the work, Komura Junko-san as Screenwriter, and Fujita Satoshi-san as Action Director, all of whom have worked on the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series. In particular, Sugihara-san and Komura-san are the pair that gained attention for their work in "Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger" and the fans are expressing their expectations.

The story of a fierce battle between the sweets Kamen Rider and the Granute monsters has only just begun, so don't miss a moment of the birth of a new Kamen Rider legend! _

Chinen Hidekazu (Shouma)

The first transformation born from an extreme situation

-Supported by dependable friends and the Director-

"Please tell us your impression of the Kamen Rider series."

Chinen: For me, I've admired Kamen Riders since I was a child, and I love them so much that they're the first thing that comes to mind when people ask, "Who's your hero?" I've lived my whole life dreaming of becoming a Kamen Rider, so I was really happy when I was chosen to be Shouma.

"Are there any works that you find particularly memorable?"

Chinen: It's hard to pick a single work from my generation since I'm so attached to all of them, but……I think "Kamen Rider OOO" might be the one I was particularly enthusiastic about when watching. The dialogue between Hino Eiji and Ankh was interesting, and even as a child the ending made me think, so including its theme song, it's my favorite work. Lately however, I've been super into "Kamen Rider Den-O" (laughs). I'm watching it from the perspective of learning why it became so popular, but I also like Den-O because of Satoh Takeru's (who plays Nogami Ryotaro) amazing performance in which he plays multiple different personalities.

"What kind of person do you feel Shouma is?"

Chinen: I read the script so much that it felt like I was watching myself, as I thought that Shouma was so similar to me. We're very similar in the way that we're abit out of the loop, but also curious and get into the things that interest us. I was glued to the TV when I was a child, and I'd become so engrossed when watching it, that I couldn't even listen to what my mother was saying. However, I feel like I'm far removed from him in terms of his guts and inner strength, his desire to save people even at the risk of his own life, and his ability to fight the enemy. Playing the role of Shouma gives me energy and makes me aspire to be like him.

"We think another feature of this production is that right now, Shouma doesn't have a fixed place to stay, and that he comes into contact with a variety of people wherever he goes."

Chinen: I think alot of people are curious to see what happens next, as so far in Gavv, the story continues to be dominated by Shouma's easygoingness and the fact that we don't know what he's thinking. He seems to have a connection with Sachika-san, who he met in episode 2, so what happens to them in the future is a big point to watch out for!

"Please tell us your impressions of Sachika and the person who plays her, Miyabe Nozomi-san."

Chinen: Miyabe-san is a very refined person, so when we first met at script reading, I was shocked and said, "This person's gonna be a gyaru?!" (laughs). One of the things I like about Miyabe-san is that her mannerisms show the quality of her upbringing, but the more we talked, she really started to look like a gyaru, and I felt that performing together with her was amazing. Sachika-san leaves a strong impression of being a gyaru, but on the inside, she's a stable girl who's able to understand the feelings of others. Seeing her say with a refreshing smile, "I think it's good for everyone to be happy," Shouma respects her and thinks, "She's such a wonderful person" and "I want to be like her," almost like she's the embodiment of peace. When I read the script, I always feel supported and say, "Sachika-san, thank you."

"Shouma's brother sister like relationship with her is also very interesting."

Chinen: Director Sugihara Teruaki said to me, "It's like a dog and his owner" (laughs). Still, I think that Sachika-san's all encompassing kindness, and Shouma's simple mindedness are a great combination, and we're also playing the roles with confidence.

"He's yet to interact with Shouma, but we think the role Hanto plays will also be another highlight to look forward to."

Chinen: In some ways, Hanto is also easygoing, but he's the compassionate, hot blooded type, and he too lives by carrying something on his back. I hope you'll look forward to seeing how Shouma and Hanto, who are completely different types of people, interact with each other and what they'll think of each other in their first meeting. Hino Yusuke-kun, who plays Hanto, is the mood maker who makes the set feel relaxed, which is a gap between him and Hanto, but I feel that we're similar in our passion for the production and performance, and the way we put our all into something. To me, Hino-kun is a rival but also like a reliable big brother, and we often consult with each other and visit each other's houses (laughs).

"What were your impressions of Director Sugihara, who also directed the first two episodes as the pilot Director?"

Chinen: As I had no experience in acting, Director Sugihara is a respected teacher who taught me how to perform from the ground up, including how to read the script, and he's like a father figure from Tokyo. He understands each actor's personality and gives them advice accordingly, and he's an amazing person who draws out our potential, so every time I'm on set, I feel happy to film under Director Sugihara. He's a Director I really love.

"Before filming, it seems that you and the Director practiced vocalization together."

Chinen: Yes, even before I could act, my voice wouldn't come out (laughs). I'm really grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to watch me one on one, and it was an important turning point that led to something changing in me. I want to grow so that people will feel that I'll have changed over the coming year, and one of my goals is to give an inspiring performance that'll be recognized by Director Sugihara with, "You gave it your all."

-Aiming to be as cool as Nawata-san-

"Kamen Rider Gavv, who Shouma transforms into, has a motif based on gummies and other sweets."

Chinen: When I saw the illustration depicted in the proposal, I thought it was incredibly simple, however, my opinion changed when I saw it in person. The armor on the chest and shoulders have a gradient so that it shines beautifully when light hits it, and there's a playful gimmick where a squishy dent will form when it's pressed, so a bunch of detail has been carefully put into it. I'm now so attached to it, that I can't think of anyone else but Gavv. Personally, what I want you to pay attention to the most are the feet. The feet are actually clawed, and this slightly animal like aspect is an important element of the show, so I'd be happy if you make sure to pay attention to the feet as well.

"What's your impression of Nawata Yuya-san, Gavv's Suit Actor?"

Chinen: Nawata-san is an actor who I shape Shouma together with, and he's an indispensable person to me, as I'm able to talk to him about problems that I can't talk about with the other cast members or the Director. He also taught me about acting, like how to create the mood and how to read the script. I'm grateful to Nawata-san's action, as I think Gavv's appeal has tripled, and I feel like the show itself has also become more brilliant.

"Does that also get you enthusiastic about the post transformation dub recording?"

Chinen: That's right. The recording process is more difficult than normal acting because you have to use only your voice to express your emotions and fight scenes in accordance with the footage. In episodes 1 and 2, I had to rerecord so many times that I lost the strength in my voice, and it took twice as long as the planned time (bitter smile). As well as the performances of my seniors in the Kamen Rider series, I also studied the game "Street Fighter" based on the advice of Director Sugihara, and now I feel like I'm getting by. I'll work more diligently to make Nawata-san's performance 120% more appealing with my voice performance, and to become a Shouma who's just as cool after his transformation into Gavv.

"One of the real thrills of the Kamen Rider series are the transformation scenes, but how did you create the pose?"

Chinen: The transformation pose was decided through a discussion between myself, Action Director Fujita Satoshi, Director Sugihara, and Nawata-san. It's a movement that involves rotating your arm, but the final version, which we created after discussing the angles and timing with everyone to make sure it looked cool and appealing, is the transformation pose used in episode 2. Depending on the story, he could transform quickly, so I hope people watch the way he changes based on the situation.

"In the episodes up to this point, the action leading up to the first transformation in the first episode is a scene that can't be ignored when talking about Shouma. There was some action involving wires, and we were also impressed by his performance as he was gradually being cornered by the Granute."

Chinen: That scene was prepared weeks before the shoot, as Director Sugihara and Action Director Fujita came up with a really cool direction. The scene where Shouma is beaten was especially important to give depth to the reason for his transformation, as it took two days to film. In the end, it was in the most extreme situation I had ever experienced in my life, my performance came out unconsciously, and I was complemented with, "Your facial expressions were very good." I could've never done it on my own, the scene was made possible by the advice of Director Sugihara and Nawata-san, who worked beside me, and by all the staff members who created an environment that allowed me to concentrate on my performance.

"It makes us want to go back and pay attention to the expressions on your face. Finally, please tell us your goals throughout filming of Kamen Rider Gavv."

Chinen: I'd like to learn alot about action from Action Director Fujita, Nawata-san and everyone else on the Action Team, and I'd like to improve my acting skills. I've never been in an environment where I could spend an entire year with people who are so good at captivating others, and I don't think it'll ever happen again in the future. I hope to make full use of this experience so that in the next year, I can be an actor who can do it all, from acting to action and recording, so I'll do my best to do what's in front me!

Director Sugihara Teruaki

The vibrant world Shouma comes across

-A dark story with colorful visuals-

"When did you first hear that you'd be the pilot Director?"

Sugihara: I'm pretty sure it was around last Fall, when I was working on the drama, "Tokyo MPD: From Zero to Hero," I received a phone call from Producer Takebe Naomi-san who said, "I'd like to meet and talk with you at once." I heard from a separate matter that Takebe-san would be in charge of the next Kamen Rider, and at the time, I thought I was going to be the second Director, but when I met her, she said, "You're the pilot Director." (laughs).

"At the stage when Director Sugihara joined, how much of the content in the show was decided on?"

Sugihara: Aside from the sweets and monsters motif, we'd yet to decide on the content of the story and the personalities and relationships of the characters. In the beginning, we were a small group consisting of the Producer team's Takebe-san and Takishima Minami-san, Screenwriter Komura Junko-san, and myself. Our three parties worked out the content by sharing ideas from our respective perspectives.

"What specific ideas did Director Sugihara have in mind? Personally, we felt that the visuals of the characters, including their costumes, incorporated the Director's ideas."

Sugihara: You can assume that I'm basically in charge of visual aspects like the impression and fashion. For Shouma's fashion in particular, during the rather early stages, I'd draw an illustration and say, "How about something like this?," and I'd have them look at it while I created his character.

"Not just Shouma's clothes, but also the interior of Hapipare is rich in color, so much so that it's unusual for the Kamen Rider series."

Sugihara: I told artist Fukuzawa Katsuhiro that I wanted to make the visuals as bright and pop as much as possible. Kamen Rider Gavv itself isn't meant to be a continuation of the "ism" seen in the first generation of Kamen Rider, but it includes themes like family conflict and Shouma's sad separation from his mother, so the content is heavy. Because of this, we made the impression of the colors vivid, and were careful to not make them too dark. Moreover, being in the human world for the first time, Shouma's a kid who's impressed by everything he sees, so I was conscious of the world captured from Shouma's point of view and to use rather flashy colors. Conversely, the Granute World and Stomach Family use muted colors, or to just say it outright, they have dirty colors.

"What do you value in your expression of Shouma, the main character?"

Sugihara: I wanted to depict Shouma as a pure kid, someone who suddenly comes to the human world and finds everything he sees as fresh. On the inside, he's not much different from Hajime, who he first meets in the human world, in fact, he's much more of a child than that kid. So he ponders over what he's been told, hurt by the casual mention of "monster" and afraid of hurting others, he's unable to be together with someone else, so he leaves Hajime and Sachika and goes elsewhere. However, I didn't want to make it too dark, so it was hard to depict (laughs). While he carries a dark side, I want him to be a kid who's always smiling when he's with someone, even if he has to force himself to smile.

"This Shouma is beautifully embodied by Chinen Hidekazu-san."

Sugihara: The best thing about Chinen-kun is that he looks great on camera. That's the kind of talent an actor has. Also, the expressions on his face when he eats are really good. Even though he's eating food he usually sees all the time, he eats it like it's a delicacy, looking as if he's eating something he's never seen before and is impressed. In that sense, I think he was the right choice to play Shouma. Still, since this is roughly his first performance, he had to start from a place where he couldn't express his emotions properly, and to begin with, he couldn't even vocalize. I had Chinen-kun stand on one end of Toei's rooftop, and I stood on the opposite end and had him deliver his lines. I gave him relentless acting instruction from the very beginning (laughs). Filming started earlier than usual, so we've already shot several episodes, and I feel that he can now stand proudly in front of the camera as Shouma. With each episode his performance and facial expressions are getting better and better. I have high expectations for his growth over the next year.

-Dedicated action that make the most of the motif-

"We felt that the vibes of Gavv's everyday scenes were different from that of previous Kamen Rider series, but was there anything you were conscious of in your direction?"

Sugihara: In my mind, I had a bright, pop like feeling, but during filming, Chinen-kun……it was important to me how to capture Shouma and the human world from his point of view. I may have only been thinking, "How can I get a good shot of him?"

"In that sense, it's interesting to think that the entire production is being pulled along by Shouma and Chinen-san."

Sugihara: That's right. This is especially true for the first episode, as the story unfolds from Shouma's point of view, so I was conscious of the fact that I wanted to bring the viewers perspective as close as possible to Shouma's.

"Despite the battle scenes also having a fancy sweets motif, from the very first episode, we were taken back by the intense physical battle depicted between Gavv and the Granute."

Sugihara: I'm pretty sure it was Action Director Fujita Satoshi who put out the idea of a serious fistfight at a container warehouse, and with sword fighting in a narrow space. We specified the colors and placement of the containers, and asked the people on location to arrange them accordingly. From there, Fujita and I talked in detail about the composition of the action, and we put it together by discussing the angles while adding in our own ideas as we filmed on site.

"We heard that you and Fujita-san worked closely together to create this."

Sugihara: I also like action quite abit, so I tell Fujita various things like, "Do this sort of thing." Naturally, Fujita has alot of things he wants to do as well, so the two of us are working together to come up with ideas for action sequences and angles.

"Including Gavv's own actions, the way he fights while "eating" the Gochizo is unique."

Sugihara: It was decided in advance that the transformation items Gochizo would appear alot like that of "Pikmin" and "Minions," so I thought it'd be better to use alot of them. Because of that, when Gavv takes damage, his armor breaks and he'll eat the Gochizo one after another……we're calling it "follow up sweets," and I think it'd be interesting to keep changing sweets and repair them as he fights.

"The standard Poppingummy Form has flexible armor, while Zakuzakuchips Form's sword weapon can easily break depending on how it's used, and the use of sweets as a motif was also visually enjoyable."

Sugihara: Inspiration for the action comes from discussions that are almost like casual conversations. I thought about how things like thin baked snacks such as potato chips might be weak to side attacks (laughs). Also, unlike other Kamen Riders, we don't use bullet impacts on Gavv when we depict him being hit (mechanism that detonates gunpowder that's attached to the performer). In his setup, the armor is derived from sweets generated by his own body, so we tried to create the effect of small bead like things flying around him. During filming, we've been throwing beads into the air from the side of the camera. In that sense, it may have a new visual feel.

"What scenes from episodes 1 and 2 were particularly powerful?"

Sugihara: In terms of taking the most time, I'd say it was before the transformation in the first episode. When I was thinking about Shouma's human image, Takebe-san said, "I don't want him to be a hero who fights just because he has powers." You don't fight just because you have the power to become a Kamen Rider, there's a will to fight, and that's where the power comes in. I wanted to create an image of a hero who's able to transform into Gavv because it's Shouma. Since the time of the script meeting, we had talked about how we wanted to portray a different kind of strength from that of the everyday Shouma, who keeps going despite being beaten up by someone he can't even stand up to. On set, Chinen-kun and I worked together to find out why Shouma was feeling that way, and we worked on his facial expressions and gestures one by one, and I was quite persistent throughout filming. We were supposed to film the transformation scene in one day, but we took too long and didn't get to the transformation, so I had to apologize to the staff (laughs).

"Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for the future."

Sugihara: Honestly, I have no idea how Kamen Rider Gavv will conclude a year from now, but I want to make a show that'll make people who watched it think, "Gavv was interesting." For this reason, I'd also like to delve deeper into Shouma and Hanto, and Sachika and the others characters, and to make each of them appealing. I'm sure that Komura-san will come up with some great developments (laughs), and for my part, I hope that I can take advantage of that, and as the pilot Director for the first time in a long time, to create images that people watching in their living rooms have never seen before.

[guitarstringed-scars]

how to lose a guy in 10 days- t. oikawa

masterlist

day six

toru meets you at the train station.

“good morning.” he greets, yawning. it’s early. too early, you are too tired to even act insane.

“good morning toru.” you yawn too. a chain reaction.

toru scans two tickets, one for him, one for you.

the two of you file onto the train.

“how long is the ride?” you ask, passing your bag to toru as he lifts it into the overhead bin.

“about two hours.” he says. “do you want the window?”

you nod, and shuffle into the seat, sitting down. toru sits down next to you.

“are you gonna sleep?” you ask, gazing up at him.

“i’ll try. are you?”

“yeah.” you say, closing your eyes before the train even starts moving. you decide toru probably wont mind if you use his shoulder, so you lean over placing your head on him. you fall asleep quickly. you are only woken up by the train jolting to a stop. as you slowly open your eyes, you feel the weight of torus head on top of yours. gently shaking him, toru opens up his eyes and stretches.

“hm. looks like we’re here. did you sleep okay?” he asks, standing up.

“yeah, feeling less tired now.”

“good. i thought we’d stop at my parents house first today, and then maybe meet up with my friends tonight or tomorrow. if that’s okay with you?” toru says, thinking through his plan as he pulls out your bags.

you pull the straps of your bag on.

“sounds great to me. lead the way.”

you follow toru off of the train, and he grabs onto your hand as you push through the crowded station. when you reach outside, you don’t let go of his hand.

“this way!” he cheers, pulling you off. you walk for a bit, passing different shops. each place you go, toru tells you a story, some interesting thing that happened there a few years ago, or his favorite menu item.

you hate it. it makes him seem more human, the exact thing you are trying to avoid. he was in high school, just like you. sure, he was the star volleyball player and probably a school celebrity, but he’s still a real person. you feel a little sick to your stomach. you can’t dwell on the thought for too long, because shortly after you are stood in front of torus family home. your stomach hurts even more.

“don’t be nervous.” he says. “it’s just gonna be my mom, sister, and nephew. they’re all great.”

you nod.

“they’ll love you y/n.”

and then he’s opening the front door.

“helloooooo!” he sings, pulling off his shoes. you follow suit.

“in here!” a voice calls from farther in the house.

toru smiles at you, and leads you further into the house. as you walk you appreciate all of the childhood photos hanging on the wall. toru playing volleyball, a family photo, toru with a terrible haircut. you take note of the last one and remind yourself to get a photo of it before you leave.

when you enter the kitchen, you see an older woman, who looks just like toru, standing at the counter. shes drying off her hands on a dish towel, and quickly cheers as she rushes over to the two of you.

“you must be y/n! it’s great to meet you!” she hugs you, and then her son. “i’m torus mom. this is his sister, takami,” she motions to a younger woman, who also looks just like him, “and this is takeru, his nephew.”

“it’s great to meet you all!” you say, smiling.

“why would you ever date him?” chimes in takeru.

you choke, laughing. great question, you think.

“hey!” toru squeals. “not nice!” he smacks his nephew on the back of the head. “i’ll have you know i’m a total catch.”

“fighting already and you just got here!” takami cackles out. her laughter is infectuous and you all find yourself joining in.

“i just finished making lunch, sit down!” torus mom exclaims, gesturing towards the table the rest of the family sits at. toru pulls out a chair for you, and you sit down next to him. the meal is delicious. the home-cooked feeling only adds to it, and the conversation flows easily. you feel like you’ve known torus family for years. they fill you in on jokes, make new ones, and constantly poke fun at toru. once you have all feasted, you all migrate into the living room.

“toru, why don’t you help y/n take her stuff upstairs?” takami asked.

he smiles and stands up, grabbing your hand to help you off of the couch. the two of you walk up the stairs, toru carrying your bag, and into his childhood bedroom.

short bookshelves line one wall, trophies placed on top. medals hand off of the other one, placed above a small desk with a computer on top. a volleyball sits in the corner.

“you have a lot of trophies.” you muse, looking around his bedroom.

you hear him place down your bag before he walks over to where you crouch.

“i guess so.” he says, quietly.

“you don’t sound very proud of them.” you say, looking over at him.

“i am. it’s just i was a lot different of a player in high school than i am now.”

you hum.

“your family is great.” you say.

“yeah, thats for sure. sorry if they were too much.”

“not at all, i think they are a lot like you.”

“is that a compliment?”

“most definitely.”

toru smiles at you.

a beat passes. there is no way you are having a moment with toru oikawa right now. no way. he starts to lean in.

“is it okay if i-” he starts.

you cut him off by closing the distance between the two of you. there is no denying it anymore, your feelings for toru oikawa are real, and there is no way you can lose him.

the kiss is perfect. well almost.

toru oikawa is still betting. he needs to make you fall in love in the next four days. this kiss is just another stepping stone in his plan.

when the two of you pull apart from each other, toru smiles, and checks his watch. ”we should go out, my high school friends are all in town, and i want you to meet them.” toru says, standing up.

“okay.”

the two of you head out, saying goodbye to his family as you leave. the restaurant is nearby, and when you walk in, a table of 3 guys wave you over. you both sit down, greeting the other men. ”hi, i’m y/n.” you say, shaking their hands.

“hanamaki.” says the one with the pinkish hair. “nice to meet you.”

“i’m matsukawa, you are way too pretty to be dating oikawa.” you laugh.

“iwazumi, and i agree.”

“why are you all so mean to me!” toru whines.

the conversation with this group flows just as easily as did the one with his family. you all gang up again on toru, and it’s great.

toru never thought that he would catch feelings for you. sure, when he picked you out of the crowd he thought you we’re beautiful, but he never thought it would be anything real. but as he watched you joke around with his friends, the people he loves most, he feels something. only for this version of you though. the real you, not the one who talks in movie theaters, starts fights, makes jokes about him in front of a therapist, or makes him leave during a basketball game. but the one who falls asleep on his shoulder on train rides, the one who knows how to make his nephew laugh. the one who holds his hand in a crowd. the one who he carries home. that’s the one toru has feelings for.

so, he reaches under the table, and takes your hand in his. maybe he doesn’t have to end it after the bet is up.

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[mtndew-gamerjuice]

Oh my god the new Kagurabachi chapter just explained why the Sazanami kids are all registered into the storehouse at birth. Today's chapter explained that because of how simple the "registration" for the storehouse is, anyone with an aptitude for sorcery can resist it. So the Sazanmi's are registered at birth so that they cant resist even if they wanted to. Such a great way of subtly showing us how deeply rooted abuse and brainwashing is in this family. Now I dont know which two options would be sadder:

1. The kids can resist the registration as adults after learning sorcery, but have been so deeply brainwashed they can never want to.

2. Because the sorcery was registered so early in life, they cannot remove it due to how deep in thier psyche the sorcery must be.

Takeru is a bloody genius man, showing that abuse is hard to recognize and break away from, especially if its all you have known. Even Hakuri stated last chapter, even after Kyora declared they no longer shared a connection, Hakuri realized that the abuse from his family did connect him to his father, but this time he used that connection against him to infiltrate his warehouse.

Dont even get me started on Chihiro this chapter. After Kyora says that he would be satisfied as long as he tried his best to achieve his goals, Chihiro hits him with "Your best would have been believing in Hakuri". He cares for those around him so, so much, and seeing children suffer at the hands of thier father, especially having a father who did nothing but love him, must really strenghten his resolve to cut down Kyora.

I am once again reccommening you all go read Kagurabachi. The art and action are masterfully executed (Takeru loves his circular motion), and the writing and themes are some of the strongest Ive seen in a shonen in a long time.

[versegm]

Really cool shit about digimon 02 is how a huge chunk of the show have characters constantly talking about how killing is bad and all life is precious and you should find nonlethal ways to deal with your enemies and all that jazz, but the literal second Takeru and Hikari find themself away from the group (see: Dagomon episode) they just start killing people. No question of morality they don't even pause or bring it up they just straight-up murder bitches. It really hammers home that Daisule & the gang are kids having a whimsical fantasy adventure as heroes called from another world, while Hikari and Takeru are extremely traumatized isekai protagonists who spent a seizable portion of their childhood fighting demons in hell where a "kill or be killed" mindset was the only viable option, and that means the Takari & the rest of the 02 gang have WIDELY different ways of reacting to the world around them.

[princedetectives]

in my last post i mentioned at the end how goro akechi's "detective prince" outfit looks a hell of a lot like naoto's persona. well im still thinking about it. sit down

like. when you see them side by side the resemblance IS pretty uncanny isnt it? im not crazy??

my thesis: akechi's detective prince outfit is a mix of symbols he sees as upholders of justice. aka, his role models. aka, mainly naoto and the neo featherman rangers. you know, because he's a nerd.

the latter is even more obvious in robin hood. i could swear it's canon but i for the life of me cannot remember where from. but i KNOW he is a featherman fan. it makes sense, watching a show where heroes of justice fight against evil and forming an image of justice based on that. it's further supported by his weapons, described as kids' toys. it's very likely his image of justice was formed when he was pretty young, the perfect age to form role models like this. this resemblance has been pointed out before im sure youve heard it

but i digress. you know who ELSE is a featherman fan?

(really really cute that both of them are featherman nerds. comes with being a detective prince i suppose)

that's already a pretty strong link between them -- i bet featherman ranger influenced naoto's persona, too. at least a little bit. but the resemblance to the cartoon isn't as strong with naoto. it's there, but the bird-like theme can also be explained by yamato-takeru's mythology (when he died, he turned into a great white bird and flew away).

so naoto's persona is mostly original. which means the resemblance can only be explained by respect for naoto. and i guarantee you he doesnt even realize it. (unless he's seen naoto's persona before, which might be true if you want to get funky with AUs, but probably not.) and you might look at me and think the link is kind of farfetched... but come on. the resemblance is too much to ignore to me. and even if it wasn't intentional it's interesting and fun to look at it like it is.

but what does this mean

as i mentioned in my last post, akechi's status as the first detective prince is vital to his self-image. self-image affects metaverse appearance deeply, ESPECIALLY with akechi, since his personas work differently than everyone else's. it feels easy to write this off as "oh it's just his public mask" but remember both detective prince and black mask and equally essential.

and again, it's not like naoto's popularity gets in the way of his. akechi has garnered respect on his own (or by shido's tampering, but that's a whole other can of worms). even so, the detective prince name is directly congruent with his predecessor. naoto's shadow looms over it. it's only natural that his "detective prince" form, as i've been calling it, reflects this. it's a LEGACY!

of course, naoto definitely wouldn't have a metaverse outfit like this, even with the same influences. crow is uniquely akechi, because the detective prince title is just as much his as it is naoto's.

p.s. i usually avoid the existence of persona x detective naoto as much as possible but.. but the new persona he gets there... i couldnt help but notice....

okay, genuinely don't get me started on this one LMAO

[talaofthevalley]

Imagine if Duel Links ever added the Vrains characters civilian forms as skins. Or went hog wild with it and added them as playable characters. Half of them wouldn't even be able to duel confidently anymore without the swagger the internet gives them. The other half is perfectly fine. I highly doubt they'll make them playable, and I'll be super happy if we get alternate sprites, but it would be fun.

Yusaku upon winning would have a line like "That was just a fluke. I'm not that good at dueling." When he loses one of them is "Not surprising. I don't really duel after all." He acts very put upon at the start, like he's being forced to do something annoying. Sometimes they slide into their avatar tones without meaning to when things get heated. Aoi awkwardly saying she plays Trickstars because of Blue Angel, in a way that implies she was asked about it and had to come up with an excuse. Ryoken overall just sounding nicer compared to what the Revolver avatar demands of him. Maybe he has dialouge along the lines of; "How nostalgic... ah, my apologies. I haven't dueled like this in a long time." Takeru is having a time trying to rile in his passionate side when it's going well, and hot temper when he's losing, barely snapping back to friendly glasses boy mode upon the duel finishing.

VS dialouge lines ideas under the cut it got long

Yusaku vs Takeru: Yusaku having a line how Takeru shouldn't get so excited. Takeru in return saying it doesn't matter what form he's in, Fujiki Yusaku and Playmaker are one in the same and getting to duel him makes him fired up.

Yusaku vs Aoi: Reference to their first duel. Upon losing Aoi has a line akin to "Even outside our avatars I still can't beat you, huh." But if she wins she says she won't be satisfied until she beats Playmaker too.

Takeru vs Aoi: Takeru is his usual excited self, now with focus on getting to duel Aoi like this too. Aoi, a bit embarrassed, asks him to keep it down and focus on the duel.

Takeru vs Ryoken: Takeru feels torn on giving the same heated lines as in their LV avatars, stumbling on his words but concludes with "I'm still not holding back!" Ryoken asking if his passion only exists on the net, mostly as a way to rile him up.

Aoi vs Ryoken: Aoi wondering aloud "You're.... Revolver?" Ryoken alluding that he's known her real identity for a long time, and wondering if she can fight without her virtual persona.

Yusaku vs Ryoken: cryingscreamingthrowingup-

Ahem.

Yusaku declares "Even if I'm not dueling as Playmaker, I won't hold back." (with a rare smile sprite). Ryoken says "To think we'd duel as Kogami Ryoken and Fujiki Yusaku.... fate is a curious thing." At the end Yusaku carefully asks "Back then... did we ever duel like this?" and a smiling Ryoken with a faraway voice answers "Who knows?" Alternate defeat dialouge goes as; Ryoken: "How is it, Fujiki Yusaku? A duel with no repercussions?" Yusaku: "....It was fun. Let's duel like this again, Ryoken."

[seventeenlovesthree]

Digimon Adventure subtext analysis: The other family angle

Years ago, I had already tried to conduct an analysis on how Taichi, Hikari and Koushirou were set up in a way that displayed the importance of family within their bond [I, II, III]. The conclusion there was that, by closing his own family-related arc, Koushirou was capable of supporting Taichi and Hikari's (also indirectly family-related) struggles in the Dark Master's arc as well. In a very similar vain, it can be argued that Sora, Yamato and Takeru were set up similarly. The hypothesis here is that, by mirroring Sora's and Yamato's (and Takeru's) familial issues, they're capable of supporting each other in the final arc as well.

Let's see how these familial parallels and similarities play out:

While it can be argued that the majority of the characters keep their family-related trauma to themselves, in Sora's and Yamato's cases, it has the biggest effect on the group dynamic as a whole. Because while Taichi, for example, starts to get reckless in order NOT TO get reckless and protect everyone he loves, Sora's and Yamato's instinct is to pull away from everyone and everything to protect them, even if they may declare the opposite to be true. (Mind you, that is actually some kind of behaviour Taichi will adopt in Tri onwards as well, but that shall not be the point of this analysis.)

The most obvious parallel between them is that they have rather disruptive family lives. While Sora's parents aren't divorced, they're still not living together and her relationship to her mother is rather rocky, filled with misunderstandings based on expectations and different views on life. Yamato's and Takeru's parents are divorced and Yamato has a rather difficult time approaching his mother himself, telling her how he really feels about it all, etc. He tends to surround himself with an aura of coolness and aloofness, even though the viewer quickly learns that he is very emotional and is just trying to bottle it all up.

In the novels it is implied that Sora may have known that Yamato and Takeru were brothers from the very beginning - so her deflecting or not prying further into their lives at the start of the series, especially when Taichi and Koushirou are speculating about their relationship, makes sense. Because she understands that they need space.

And Yamato returns the favour later on, letting her cry it all out; when Sora is experiencing her outburst of emotions in her Crest episode, the viewer learns that she has been doing the same thing as Yamato: bottle it all up. In the same way, they are both prone to wanting to figure out how to deal with their "inner states" by themselves, they're both not particularly good at talking it all out - and so it shouldn't be surprising that they understand that aspect about the other and give each other time and space to breathe. It's not something everybody in the group understands, but it is a very distinctive parallel: Sora basically explains to them that she kept away from the group because she hadn't figured herself out yet. Thus, Sora explaining Takeru that Yamato needs time to do some soul-searching himself is a direct follow-up response here. She sensed Yamato's need to do this on his own and followed it up by the promise that Takeru would be safe in his absence.

Takeru is a good keyword at this point as well, because similarly to how Hikari was a focal point in the other analysis, he is the key factor that makes the family angle so apparent. Yamato may be the one to give Sora space - but Takeru is the one who tells Sora what she desperately needed to hear. He wants to keep the family together at all costs, he is fed up with separation scenes, so he doesn't want her to leave again, sees her as "family", wants her to know how valued and loved she is - and so, Sora is the one who reassures Takeru when Yamato is on the brink of leaving himself, believing that, eventually, everything will turn out fine. It may look like nothing more than repetitive behaviour at first - but it is a circle of learning and trust instead, to rekindle and have better family dynamics in the future.

It's due to their strained relationships with their parents, their masks, their coping mechanisms that Sora and Yamato think they don't have what it takes to activate or even deserve their respective Crests. Love and Friendship - they don't know what it means for them personally. It's why they're so prone to being engulfed by darkness, why their dark caves are dangerous manifestations of their declining mental health, self-doubt and fears.

That is why the soul-searching is needed, repeatedly so. It's why they understand each other's need to be left alone - which is something we will see throughout the entirety of the Adventure series for both of them. But it's also why they need Takeru's softness and Taichi's persistence (as well as Jyou's support and Mimi's reassurance at different times) to get it back together again. They have to be reminded that they don't HAVE TO be alone in all this (even if they often choose to).

They know, deep down inside, that self-pity and giving in is not an option. They do ask themselves why they got into this situation, why they were chosen in the first place - but they also learn, through their experiences (and their respective bonds with and urge to support Taichi) that they're the ones who have the choice. To fight or to stay away - it's going to be their choice, again and again.

In the novels, the sight of Sora and Takeru together, right after he broke out of his own cave of darkness, even reminds Yamato of his mother, indicating that the entire journey is helping him to come to terms with slowly wanting to reconcile with her.

In general, Sora's role in the Dark Master's arc is mirrored by Koushirou's - they're support systems for the Yagami siblings (and Taichi and Yamato in combat), but Sora in particular is also often put together with the younger siblings, protecting them (enforcing her motherly role) or actually fighting alongside them (in more equal matters). In addition, she is acting as a bridge between the Takaishida brothers, especially in the final arc in which she is the one who throws Yamato's keychain at Takeru, thus helping him to overcome his own insecurities as well and eventually activating his Crest of Hope himself.

Long story short; Sora had already been on her way of reconciliation with her own mother and, after everything she went through, was able to reassure Yamato that he could go on to find his own path as she did hers before, believing that he could do it too. In return, Yamato had been put - and eventually also put himself - in the position to pull Sora out of her own state of darkness as well. Because he had been there himself, he was finally able to put things into words. Because, at this point in time, they're both incredibly similar - and may have gained what it takes to make up with their mothers.

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, epilogue

Well, we finished the movie but I wanted to take a moment to go over these epilogue slides. Especially for those fans who only know the OVA from its appearance in Digimon: The Movie, where the slides are skipped over so it can move on to adapt Hurricane Touchdown.

So, in the wake of near-nuclear annihilation how is everybody doing?

We close out Takeru and Yamato's story at the barbershop. It seems Sho has convinced Yamato to fucking do something about his scraggly-ass hair.

This somewhat bridges the gap between Our War Game and 02, where Yamato's hair is still a bit unkempt but no longer looks like a porcupine died on his head and he kept it as a hat.

Jou finished his entrance exams and looks like he's about to drop dead on the spot. Diablomon really fucked up this kid's day, and he still doesn't even know any of that even happened.

Speaking of people who have no idea what happened, Mimi is home from her Hawaii trip and everybody's got suntans. The Tachikawa family is as close as ever.

Hikari is still at that birthday party despite Taichi screaming at her multiple times to drop everything and come home. She has elected to invoke the rule of Go Fuck Yourself, a popular choice among women who've been treated rudely by domineering men.

She, too, remains blissfully unaware of the horrifying fate that nearly befell Tokyo today.

Yamato's grandma seems to be enjoying the peace and quiet since Yamato and Takeru ran off.

Nobody ate any of Yuuko's destroyed cake. Diablomon truly did get the last laugh in the end.

Koushiro finally gets to go home after what must have felt like ten years in Susumu's office.

The Digimon return to Gennai's secret mansion to continue... Whatever they're doing with their lives.

And this is the big one. Sora types out an email to Taichi that reads: "Dear Taichi. I'm sorry. Thank you for the present. Sora." Then we close on the true final shot of the film: A picture of Sora, smiling and wearing the hairclip that Taichi gave her.

As with Yamato's haircut, this also serves to bridge the gap between series as 02 will see Sora no longer covering her hair with headgear. The emotional landmine Taichi stepped on has finally been cleaned up.

So. How we feeling about this film.

Assessment: My biggest complaint is that not one of the show's three female characters got to actually do anything.

Half of the cast was written out, with only Taichi, Yamato, Koushiro, and Takeru having any significant roles - and Takeru's really stretching the definition of "significant" there. That's fine, but it does bug me that not one of the show's women apparently warranted any serious inclusion.

I think that's why they gave Yuuko so much screentime. To compensate for the fact that all three of the Chosen Children girls were excluded.

Diablomon is... pretty straightforward. It's a buggy Digimon made of bugs who eats data, and its eating of data causes more bugs. There's something simple and childlike about its demeanor right up to the end, but any sympathy I may have had for it vanished instantly with the reveal of the nuke.

That the nuke was not a reaction to Taichi and Koushiro but rather something it did right at the start of the film really gives it a lot of added menace that didn't seem present in its earlier stages. And yet it's not super clear if Diablomon even grasps the severity of what it's doing.

But it's unambiguously both aware of and complicit in the nuclear threat. That didn't just happen by accident as a result of a bug. The whole thing with the clock shows that Diablomon knows it launched a nuke and is making a horrifying game out of it.

Which is... All it really does. It doesn't feel like it's trying to destroy the world on purpose. It would have fired more than one nuke if that was what it wanted. It just feels like it's playing games. With extremely high stakes.

What an odd creature.

The stuff in Shimane with Yamato and Takeru was a lot of fun. XD More than I expected it to be. I kinda love the barbershop randos.

Sora and Taichi's drama seems like it's meant to be the emotional center of the film. This is what we open on, and it's what we close on. It's something we keep coming back to as the OVA progresses.

But it's also kinda flat due to Sora basically being a glorified cameo like Jou and the other girls. Without giving Sora any kind of active presence, there's not really anywhere it can go. All we can do is listen to Taichi wring his hands and complain about the drama they're having until his email arrives and it suddenly stops happening.

It's hard to do interesting interpersonal drama as a solo act.

I think the missile itself is the breakout star of this OVA. If there's one thing Our War Game is remembered for, it's... Well, actually, it's the debut of Omegamon. But if there's two things, then it's being the one where an evil Digimon tried to nuke Japan.

All in all... still a fun OVA. Now, there's nothing left between us and Adventure 02. The old guard are retiring to middle school. It's time for a new generation to take over.

[elenor222]

Pairing: Takeru Danma (Hatter) × Reader

Fandom: Alice in Borderland

Summary: You enter the borderlands and meet Takeru who takes you under his wing.

Words: 2.3k

(includes smut)

The fireworks in the sky glowed. It was an exceptional day in Shibuya. Not saying there weren’t usual chaebol show offs in play, but nonetheless it brightened up the sky glimmering orange in your eyes. Suddenly, it was coming burning down. The sun was too close, heat was shattering the ground your feet was on.

You blinked.

Blue was dissolving the pink sky. There were no stars. You stared for a moment longer. Where had the fireworks gone? You turned to other people to wonder if it happened in a blink of eye for them too. You were left dumbfounded. Shibuya was devoid of any body. Your breath hitched; Shibuya was never empty. No matter what.

You ran to the nearest stores looking for anyone you could find. Then when you couldn’t find anyone, you scrambled to the train station, followed by the food chains. You wondered if this was a sick joke. How as it even possible to get so many people to comply with such?

What if you were the last person on earth and were destined for something beyond? Your panic was too much to comprehend such greatness. You wondered if getting home would be the best decision. But you couldn’t. the trains couldn’t start by themselves ofcourse.

You were still sulking in the streets when the giant billboard screen in Shibuya lit up.

Game:

2 of clubs

You backed up a little. What was this? Was there actually someone? In hindsight, you saw a few men appear. They looked at you with caution. You didn’t know if you could blame them. You scanned the room, making eye contact with an intimidating man. He looked older and tired. But there was this undeniable gleam in his eyes. His hair was fine too. There was a man beside him, possibly a friend. He looked scary. Muscular and bald. Aren’t they the ‘will kill you’ types? You shuddered.

Yet you still made your way to them, having no choice. They looked the least threatening out of the bunch. There was also this hunch, no matter what you did, you would end up as companions. Or something you couldn’t possibly place your finger on.

“New?” the lanky man asked with an improvised smile.

You didn’t understand what it meant but you nodded nonetheless. They shared looks of acknowledgement, with each other. This character, who introduced himself as Takeru, placed his hand on your shoulders and led the way to the massive building. You were surprised by such friendliness to say the least.

Like both men, you collected your phone with their instructions and were instantly recognised. This disoriented you. You were explained the rules of the game. Hunting, they called it. You grimaced. You have always been much too fragile for your liking. Seeing the frown on your face, Aguni who was introduced by Takeru spoke for the first time.

“You’ll be fine. As long as you stick with us” that didn’t sound too comforting in your head. Aguni loaded his gun. No one had said anything about violence before. It was all too much to take in at once. You knew you had to play along. At least for now.

You chased and ran with them, taking in your surroundings. Formulating the turns of the hallways and memorising the patter. You had taken a gun from one of the dead players, like Aguni suggested you do. You may have gagged while doing do but were soon relived.

Once you had separated from the duo, you understood the main game of the borderlands. Kill or get killed. You were getting cornered for not having anyone to vouch for you. They were claiming you were the dealer of the game and demanding answers. Hell, you didn’t even know what a dealer was.

There was no point in saying you were not; they wouldn’t believe you anyways. Your mind went back to Takeru and how his hands had claimed your shoulders. You didn’t know the number of bullets the gun held, but you shot. Once, twice and thrice. Only when you clicked the fourth time the gun gushed. You were out of bullets with two men witnessing you killing three. You quivered.

You ran with blood in your hands. You were out of breath; never did you think you’d have to run for your life. You crashed into Takeru’s chest. He held your arms and looked in your eyes. Could he see the lifeless frames reflecting?

The men had stopped but still held the knives pointed at you. Aguni tried reasoning but soon raised his gun taking aim, once he confirmed the hatter wanted you to live. The men lunged at you, barely scraping your skin when Aguni shot at them. Your eyes went wide. You had killed 5 people. Takeru pulled you closer to his chest. A trail of blood was flowing by your collarbone. You let a tear escape when the man patted your back. You wrapped your arms around his neck. Aguni muttered something about you slowing them down but you couldn’t care less.

You put your head in the nape of Takeru’s neck and thought about your life back home, all the people you loved and all who loved you. A mutual understanding had passed between the both men, because soon Aguni turned to the dark hallways to finish the game while you stayed there, reasting your body on the man you met a few minutes ago.

The game was finished. You had returned to your senses too, face a shade of crimson. You pulled away from the man and profusely apologised for delaying their game. He looked disappointed that you had left his embrace. But his face twisted. Aguni was back. They were to go home, and you were coming along, Takeru declared. Aguni sighed.

You were glad to have a place to rest but wary at the same time. Why save you? Wouldn’t you just slow them down again? you tried to brush those thoughts of insecurity away for the night as Aguni briefly explained the games to you. You were suited for a heart it seemed.

They took you to a lavish hotel, which they called the beach where you met a few others. You liked Kuzuryu, you decided. He didn’t pretend that he was happy to see you. His face had contorted to a grimace when he saw you. Mira had whispered it was always so, and you did not play much of a part in it.

Takeru was the leader it seemed. You looked visibly weirded out by the cult, and so did Aguni. You would stay as long as it helped you and no more.

You took your place in your assigned room and washed yourself. Takeru’s smell seemed to linger on your body far too long for your liking. His smell was sweet. Like a daiquiri. You glanced at your cut and decided against taking risks of infections. Surely, they would have some band aids for cuts.

In the normal world, you would be worried about the mark it would leave. But Aguni’s body had plenty and so did the rest, you were sure. they had learnt to live with these bruises. you would too. Even if it killed you now.

you roamed the hallways in search for the kit when you stumbled across a door left slightly ajar. Light was peeking through the gap. You held the doorknob unsure whether you wanted to open it not. Someone pulled the door from the other side; and you were pulled along with the it.

For the second time that day, you were met with Takeru’s hard chest. He let out a breathy laugh.

“Hello princess”

You lingered a moment too long on his chest trying to conceal the red in your cheeks. You greeted him looking at his dark eyes. The room was beautifully lit in the dim shades of the sun. you wondered if Takeru was the sun for you.

His hold on your waist had tightened just a little when you started to ramble about how you were trying to find a damn band aid when you ended up on his room. His heart felt so full, ever since he first laid his eyes on you a few hours back. He was looking at your face with a kind of soft wonder. Would you still be in his arms if you were in the real world? Would you not be afraid of who he was?

Though awkward, you didn’t want to leave his embrace. His body had a familiar kind of warmth to it that made you think, if you were to die, it would preferably be in his arms.

Soon your voice had died and he removed his hands with a chuckle. You doubted if he even heard a word. He suggested he bandage your wounds himself. And you couldn’t deny.

So, you let him. You sat on the edge of his bed frame while he tended to your wound. He caressed your skin when he saw you flinch from the medicines he applied on your wound. He looked up once he was done.

His eyes were so bright. So dreamy. You could stare at them for hours. His nightgown had left his chest open for you to gawk at. You inched your face closer, sharing breaths. He stared back with the same light and intensity.

He connected your lips and you felt warmth spread all over you. His lips were a little chapped and the kiss was haste. He inched back searching your face if this was something what you wanted. He wouldn’t be mad if you in fact, did not. He could remember the first day he was here, how empty he had felt even with a friend by his side.

You whined pulling him back in. he smiled into the kiss, letting your lips guide him. Your hands explored his chest, drawing circles across his shoulders. With a particular hard tug of his lips, you dug your fingers in his back and he let out a moan.

“Oh princess” he whispered as he put his forehead against yours to collect his breath. His hands went to back of your neck. Your pussy tingled at the name he just called you.

“Do you want this?” he looked at you with hopeful eyes.

“please”

He turned you both pulling you in his lap as he reconnected your lips with hurry. He couldn’t waste a moment of this. He was finally feeling something. Maybe he would’ve never met you in the real life. But he was glad, he did here. You kiss him back with just as much hunger.

There is a heat forming at your core, you move your hips against his. The relief makes you tilt your head back. He takes the chance to kiss your neck. You smell of almonds and oud he notices. Just what he likes.

You tug at his robe while his hands fumble with your blouse. A string of pearls remains dangling on your neck as he removes the blouse.

He stares deep in your eyes. “beautiful”

He pushes you on the bed looming over your frame. Your nipples harden looking at his heaving body. He kisses your left breast while mauling the right. He bites your tits looking up for approval. You moan pornographically. He continues his toying with your body. He’s made up his mind to get to know every part of your body by the end of the night.

He switches his assault to the right breast while his hand travels down to your core. you’re wet already. He asks if he can, you can only nod. The pressure is too much to endure. He cups your heat as you hold your breath. He gently opens up your core and finds your bundle of nerves. He rubs slow circles watching you whimper from the motion.

“more”

“What’s that princess?”

“please, fuck me”

He plunges two fingers in your heat. Your body opens up to his hands without any deliberation. He continues to rub your clit with the third finger. He watches you squirm and kisses you as you come undone. you’re grasping for air. Face a beetroot red. Your nails leave marks on his skin. He savours the feeling.

He lays beside you to catch his breath for a moment. Turns out, you’re not the only one overstimulated.

“Ride me” he says after a while of staring up at the celling. You didn’t need to be asked twice.

You turn at him with a smug look on your face. You get up rolling your hips onto his. You fully open his nigh suit and grasp at his dick. He would surely allow you the pleasure to choke on it right?

You lick it, then suck it, gagging on his length, all while looking his face.

“Fuck princess”

He pulls your hand, and you guide his dick to its rightful place. Your pussy welcomes him home, milking it. You clench at the fullness you feel. Both of you gasp at the out worldly sensation. You start to bounce on his cock once you adjust to his size.

You bend to his face, letting him suck on your tits. He rubs his face on them. Your necklace hits his nose. He wonders where were you all his life. This wasn’t just sex to him, and he wondered if you felt the same. His cock was twitching inside, he looked at you. You had felt it too.

“Inside Takeru” you kissed him.

So, he came inside you, coating your walls and leaving a thick trail of cum when he pulled out. You laid on his chest, basking in the after-sex glow. You talked of the butterflies in your garden and the wild nights of his life and kissed all night.

You had each other today, no matter if you didn’t survive tomorrow.

Authors note:

AHHHHHHH, this was so much fun to write. Got me out of the writing slump. Like always, likes and reblogs are appreciated <3

[idlerin]

nonsense — 12. i despise you

five years ago still,,

“quit whispering in my ear, people are starting to stare,” you whisper to oikawa who was sitting next to you, arm lazily placed around the back of your chair. maybe they weren’t just staring at the both of you because of the whispering. you were already standing out being the only one in black in the midst of the white aoba johsai uniform.

“hm?” he hummed directly in your ear, which made you shiver involuntarily, you only hoped he didn’t notice, but of course he did. you see the teasing smile he held, something you were oh so familiar to.

the both of you were currently in his school, because that’s where the joint assembly was held, you had the choice to come here by classroom assignments or by club, you chose to come by club because then there would be less people crammed in the bus.

“i despise you,” you say to him when he starts playing with your hair. the amount of staring got worse. he was popular! did he forget about that? it’s like you could feel the harsh glares of the jealous girls wishing they could be in your position. they could take it! gladly!

but then you don’t really mean that, do you? shut up mind!

“okay, [name]-chan,” he says, eyes at the front as if he was listening to whatever the speaker was saying, honestly, you weren’t too, maybe you’ll ask your classmates tomorrow or something.

you’ve known of oikawa tooru since junior high, he was already popular since then (has this man ever lived when he wasn’t popular?). he was that cool and attractive senior everyone had a crush on, even you were enraptured, he was just so charming, but then you quickly realized that most of his smiles were fake the day you confessed to him, sorta.

it was the last day before his batch's graduation, he was surrounded by people like usual while you were anxiously carrying out a gift (it was milk bread, since you learned from a senior that it was his favorite food) to confess to him with. you tried to find a moment where you could be alone with him, it was difficult, since people kept approaching him left and right and you weren’t about to just walk over and hand him a gift, how embarrassing that would be, you didn’t even think he knew who you were.

but eventually, he was left alone, and you were there from afar watching how his cheery smile fell from his face and what’s left was a tired expression. you were taken aback since you never saw your senior look so gloomy. you hesitantly stepped closer, not saying a word and handing him a gift.

he looked up at you at first, confused, then you watched his mask slip on again as he gave you a smile, “oh? what’s this?” he took the gift gratefully as you froze in his presence.

“i-i’m your number one supporter,” you bowed, face heating up because you stuttered. a lot of people have probably said that to him.

“you’re… [name], right?” the way he spoke your name made your heart beat obnoxiously faster. he knew your name! oh my god he knew your name! how did he know your name? “you’re from the journalism club, i see you around our games documenting it, thank you for the praises for our club!”

“you’re welcome,” was the only thing you could say as you stood up straight again. “i’ve also seen some of the shows you’ve been in so far, i think you’re really talented,” your face was impossibly redder. “t-that’s all, thank you, goodbye,” you say and run away, you hear him call out another thanks but you didn’t have the courage to look back.

you thought that was the last you’ll see of him, since you didn’t end up in the same highschool anyways, and your tiny little crush on him had faded. that was until you showed up at the house of the little boy named takeru you were supposed to be tutoring and jumped when you saw his figure sprawled on the couch. you continued tutoring takeru peacefully and ignored oikawa tooru. the last time you saw him was embarrassing, you think he’s forgotten about you already, you hoped he has.

but when you were on your way to leave he waved a complacent goodbye, “have a safe walk back home, [name]!”

and all of that lead you here to this moment, the assembly had ended and you were being dragged around by oikawa tooru to his classroom because he forgot something in there and decided you should come with him. now you were sitting on one of the classroom chairs— it was a really nice desk, why couldn’t karasuno get a clean not-carved by students' desk.

you watched as oikawa pokes his hand inside his desk among the countless school supplies he left there.

“what are you trying to find?” you ask, head laying on the desk.

“my pen! the one you gave me,” he said, “here it is,” he says triumphantly, showing you the pen with a crow design on it, yes you gave the captain of aoba johsai karasuno merch, what about it?

oikawa leans back on his chair, stretching, “god, i’m tired.”

“has your schedule been packed this week too?” you ask, face scrunched up, you were worried of course, for the past year, you’ve been exposed to oikawa’s rather hectic life, you try to remind him all the time to watch his health.

“yeah, glad i have the weekend off though,” he sighs, he then stood up from where he sat, walking in front of you, blocking your view of the board, “do you want to go eat out?”

you pause, looking up at him, “are you asking me out?” your face heated up at the thought, you just blurted that out without thinking, you were just supposed to ask that in your head.

oikawa notices again, of course he does, he notices everything. he leaned down a little, a hand on the back of your chair, the other on the desk, "[name]-chan, it seems like you're starting to fall for me," he smirks, he was teasing you like usual.

you try to give him a deadpan face as you curl your hand around his tie, tugging him down close to your face, you felt his breath hitch, now he knows how it feels, "and what if I am?” you say boldly. inside you were a complete mess, because why were you confessing, why were you confessing.

alone in this big classroom with just him and you, the warm hues of the sun filtering from the glass windows, from this angle, oikawa’s face was just so close, you realize you were still holding onto his tie so you let go of it abruptly.

you watch as oikawa gulps, “i like you too, [name],” he says it softly. it wasn’t teasing anymore, and now the two of you were incredibly red.

masterlist — previous | next

✦ fun facts !

[name] meets the other boys shortly after this

oikawa and [name] dated for a year and a half!

[name] is a tsundere, if it isn’t obvious enough lol

nonsense ! an oikawa tooru social media au

synopsis. you were oikawa tooru’s #1 fan, until you became his #1 hater. you hated him so much you went viral on twitter (accidentally) and literally became known as “the oikawa tooru hater”, doesn’t help that he keeps fueling the fire by subtweeting you. everyone is all in for this new drama. what isn’t known to the public, is that this particular drama’s been on hold for three years (him being your ex and all).

a/n — god i love writing fluff

taglist is open ! + @kawaii-angelanne @ceneridiankaa @kittycasie @rukia-uchiha-98 @polish-cereal @kellesvt @rockleeisbaeeee @kashxyou @imsoluvly @jjulliette @tooruchiiscribs @littlefreakjulia @gomjohs @qualitygiantshoepsychic @mellowknightcolorfarm @konzumeken @migosple @kuroogguk @sangwooooo @katsu-shi @wolffmaiden @rijhi @2baddies-1porsche @yeehawcity @aishkaaa @crueldinasty @rintarousprincess @yyuiz @epeec28 @llamakenma @penguinlovestowrite

[jamesthedigidestined]

TaiKouvember, Day 5: Hope

Pen meets paper furiously, scribbling down as fast as possible, and yet it’s still not enough to capture the speed of his mind. The sight laid before him was too rich for material; it simply couldn’t be ignored. So he stared; even as his pen veered off the perfectly straight lines, he stared deep into the core of his focus. 

“Uuuh… TK? You okay?” Taichi questions, worry written on his features. He moves from his leaning position, the arm that was once draped across the couch’s top now resting on his arm, his other partially reaching out. Before it can get too far, Koushirou pats Taichi’s thigh to gain his attention. 

“It’s no use. Taichi-san, Takeru-kun simply will not stop writing once something has taken his interest.” With a gentle shake of their head, they sip coffee from a red-and-black polka dot mug, leaning comfortably into the soft material. Taichi, not entirely satisfied, leans back as well, an eye still watching Takeru. 

“Still, does he need to stare so... intently?” 

“Of course! This is the best material I’ve seen in a while!” Takeru suddenly exclaims, jumping up. 

“I suspected it for a while, but this? Living together? This seals it!” 

“Suspected ‘it’? What do you mean by that? And what does being roommates have to do with anything??? Kou, what does he mean?!" 

"In due time, Taichi-san, in due time," Koushirou says cooly, enjoying the warm drink as Takeru tightly seals his mouth, nearly exploding from laughter. 

Taichi Yagami decided that was not a great start to the day. He wasn’t the smartest; that was Koushirou, but more than not understanding something, he felt like he was left out of some kind of joke. Takeru stuck around for a bit longer but soon left as Patamon reminded him that a class was starting soon. After this, Taichi was left alone with Koushirou in their shared apartment, and he didn’t understand how that was involved. 

The day, otherwise, carried on as normal. Koushirou worked from home, occasionally poking out to grab a bite to eat or socialize with Taichi. Said retired gogglehead was studying in between sessions of scratching Tentomon’s shell. Who knew a carapace could be so sensitive? Soon enough, however, Koushirou walks out of his office and leans into Taichi, who had finished studying an hour ago. 

“Tough problem again?” Taichi questions, beginning to softly scratch and massage the spiky scalp laid before him, fingers untangling buried knots and tense muscles as Koushirou cannot help but lean closer. 

“Yeah, we’ve tried to use a new corpus of data to finetune our transformer model without as much inference time, but we still have yet to break past the Chinchilla scaling law,” Koushirou says casually, leaning more into their roommate’s touch. Taichi, for his part, cannot parse anything other than chinchillas riding massive robot cars. 

“You’ll get there, Kou; you always do. You’re a true genius, someone who can break past any barrier they set their mind to.” He says warmly, continuing to massage the scalp of his roommate, who has now turned away.

“That’s not true, and you know it, Taichi-san,” Koushirou says flatly, gently breaking off from the touch. Taichi, unsure but respectful of the newfound distance, turns to Tentomon for guidance. 

“Koushirou-han, you simply cannot blame yourself for that.” The large insect says, a robot-like arm moving up to pet his partner, a loving spark hidden behind the green compound eyes. 

Koushirou loosens their shoulders slightly, nodding as they return to leaning on Taichi. In response, Taichi naturally begins to massage their scalp, giving soft soothing words over their best friend's capabilities, remaining like this until a timer begins to go off. 

“You made dinner?” Koushirou questions, beginning to slowly stand up and stretch firmly, flexing their arms out. Taichi happily observes their best friend’s form, smiling as he confirms he at least threw something quick together. 

They walk over to their kitchen, and Taichi insists that Koushirou, as “the breadwinner," should sit down and be catered to by Taichi. Koushirou disagrees vehemently, arguing that Taichi’s studying is just as valuable as work, only finally agreeing to be served when the pair decide Koushirou will handle dinner tomorrow. 

It was indeed a simple but filling dinner, consisting of a salmon fillet for each, a large bowl of rice, and miso soup with tofu. They sit down, pray over their meal, and proceed to eat. Koushirou slowly begins to eat, eating bits of each and letting their flavors meld together. Taichi, however, quickly begins to devour his rice and miso soup, saving his salmon for last. Tentomon first focuses on the soup, enjoying the warm savory flood of miso before playing with his food, making small rice balls with salmon centers, and constructing a pyramid before continuing to eat. The pair of DigiDestineds look at the Digimon with joy, catching the eye of the other and smiling ear to ear. 

Soon, they’re all stuffed and go to recline on the couch, mimicking their position this morning except even closer, Tentomon resting peacefully in a fluffy bed made out of his favorite pillows. The similarities to this morning spark that aching question and feeling of being left out again, and deciding now was as good a time as any... 

“Hey, Kou, what did Takeru mean earlier?” Taichi questions, slightly worrying his lip as he looks over to his redheaded roommate, uncertainty written across his features despite his best efforts. 

“You mean you still haven’t understood how people see us? Taichi-san, we live together. We’re seldom apart. I can’t even think of a time in the last year I didn’t at least talk to you in a day. Whenever we talk to friends, the other always comes up without fail. Don’t you consider that out of the ordinary?” Koushirou turns to face Taichi, their eyes catching, mesmerizing their roommate. Fuck, were they always this deep?

“I, uh, thought that’s what best friends do?” Taichi responds somewhat dumbly, shifting his own body to face Koushirou as well. 

“‘Would best friends do this?’ Koushirou says, their hand reaching out to hold Taichi’s head before eclipsing their burning lips with their own. And while I don’t have all the details for this part yet, I bet the gist of it is you both end up in the bedroom, and you are SORE, Koushirou-san. Like Taichi just DECIMATED your tight-“ 

"Please spare us the details. Takeru-kun, for everyone’s sake. Please.” Koushirou pleads, pouring themselves another glass of coffee as Taichi, a flaming mess of nerves, just sputters and leans forward. A complete wreck. 

“Great, and now you broke my boyfriend; they don’t come cheap, you know.” The redhead says cooly, unphased by Takeru’s antics as they rub Taichi’s back. 

“Not in shock over this?” Takeru asks, leaning back into his chair and taking in the floundering composure of their dear gogglehead. 

“Takeru, I once saw you regale an entire group of Chosen with a legend from the Digital World you made up on the spot; your fanfiction regarding how me and Taichi got into our relationship is not surprising in the least. Now please, it’s 6 AM; me and Taichi were in the middle of sex, and I would prefer to get back to it and get to bed before Taichi is nothing but a melted mess.” In response, Takeru busts a gut and heads out while Taichi just implodes mentally at the brazen admission of his partner. Within moments, however, Taichi has more than enough motivation to return to bed, and they both have a fantastic day afterward. And Takeru had plenty of new writing material.  @taikouvember

[sterkeyra]

Side Character Election - Story Prompts

As the Side Character election is over we are already aware of the winners and the 10 stories that we are going to get. However, among the election options, there were quite a few interesting plot prompts! Some are a bit like fanfictions, others feel like trolling, but some are also interesting because the plot prompt alone tells us more about some characters. So I thought I'll combine all the stories that we will get and those that we could have gotten

Top 10

These are the character prompts that will get a story! You can look forward to their stories soon!

Takeru Momose Her Love in the Force "What if you fell in love with Momose instead of Tsugaru?"

Hayato Miyayama Her Love in the Force "What if you didn't date any of the instructors and started to fall in love with Miyayama?"

Toru Kyobashi Metro PD "What if I became Chief Kyobashi's secretary for a limited time?"

Daisuke Chiba Her Love in the Force "Will Chiba's love finally be returned!? Or…? A bittersweet unrequited love story of his youth."

Mitsuharu Kyogoku Romance MD "Unpublished story about Kasumi and Mitsuharu during their medical student days"

Ryosuke Inui Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "What if you and Inui fall in love?"

Zack Thompson Masquerade Kiss "xx Year ago. When Zack was still young, he actually got to work together with a CERTAIN person?! A hidden story from Zacks past. (Story without MC)

Takatomi Jinguji When Destiny Comes Knocking "Upon receiving a revelation from the Moeki Shrine, you decide to play pretend lovers with Jinguji. Every date with this hidden high-spec guy is a first-time experience. Could this person indicated by the gods possibly be your destined partner?"

Daisuke Agasa Metro PD "Story about falling in love with the master of Monkey Station"

Eito Ichinomiya Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "What if Eito met the child of another bidder? The next generation will have a spectacular crossover"

Not-Elected Story Prompts

These are the characters that haven't been chosen, so they sadly won't get a story. I'll still list the prompts because some are quite interesting and tell us more about the characters, or the routes if they would have ever gotten one.

Also it might inspire someone to write fanfiction, and maybe just maybe they will be more popular if Voltage did another side story election. I will group the prompts by title and have a miscellaneous section at the bottom.

Robosuke (Meguros Robot) Oops I Said Yes "I am alone at home with Robosuke (?!). I'm trying to get Robosuke to tell me Meguros secret"

Ryo Hayase Oops I Said Yes "What did he think of your as he developped feelings for you in Togo's Main Story Season 2? Experience it from His Pov"

Tadashi Daimon (Togo's brother) Oops I Said Yes "While Togo is away, his older brother Tadashi suddenly comes over for a visit. He tells you stories about the time when Togo was still a child"

Mamoru Yushima (MCs Junior Colleague) Oops I Said Yes "What kind of life would await you, if you accidentally got married to Yushima, who always wished to get married?"

Kaito Ichinomiya Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "Kaito, the middle child, is not as cute as he looks but also... What if you spend a day alone with Kaito?"

Yu Ichinomiya Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "Yu is just like Eisuke, he even looks like him?! What if you spend a day alone with Yu?"

Koichi Samejima Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "What if you and Samejima fall in love?"

Erika Matsuda Kissed by the Baddest Bidder "Erika actually worked for a different companies hotel before she changed to Tres Spade a long time ago. Find out about her unknown surprising past."

HUGO Masquerade Kiss "The story "HUGO's Secret" will explore the father-son conflict between HUGO and Shigematsu"

Caleb Townsend Masquerade Kiss "A secret story about Calebs past when he met Chad."

Josh White Masquerade Kiss "A story about how the members of the Garden of Eden (GoE) try to stop Kazuomi from being taught a bad habit"

Theo Maria Bertolucci Masquerade Kiss "Theo hosts a party for Kei that is limited to MCs ex-boyfriends" (Kei's route)

Louis St. Alfans Masquerade Kiss "A story about Louis becoming "family" with Kei and Kai by visiting the amusement park together." (Story without MC)

Takumi Shiba Masquerade Kiss "This is a story about Takumi Shiba vs. Kei Soejima where Takumi is struggling with all his might to defeat Kei."

Kai Soejima Masquerade Kiss A story about going on a mock date with Kai, because he never had a proper date. He ends up getting a little nervous (Kei's route)

Kengo Katayama Masquerade Kiss "A story of the past when Yuzuru, the founder of SHIBA, scouted Katayama." (Story without MC)

Tamotsu Suwa Romance MD "What if you get injured and have to do rehabilitation with Dr. Suwa?"

Kappei Maekawa Romance MD "A story about being indebted to Dr. Maekawa for a day" Taku Tsuchiya Romance MD "What if you had decided on cardiac surgery instead of joining the ICU?"

Mizumi Shirayuki Romance MD "Why does Shirayuki-chan love being kind? A close-up documentary story."

Theo Wilson Romance MD "What if you were Theo's assistant in a hospital in Thailand?"

Asuka Shinozaki Romance MD "A story about how the friendship with your classmate developed during your college days"

Noa (future Tsugaru?) Her Love in the Force "How does Noah feel about Tsugaru and you? A story about a little boy's first love (?)" Shirogane Her Love in the Force "What is the relationship between Gin and Noah? The story reveals the surprising contrasts of the iron-faced man."

Taketo Oishi Her Love in the Force "A love story where you are approached by Oishi, who has fallen in love with you as his senior"

Chaen Her Love in the Force "A story about Chaen being obsessed with you as a public safety detective, and him trying to make you his own in every way possible".

Blood Moon Kings of Paradise "Blood Moon kidnaps you when you got divorced and are heartbroken. During our escape, he gives me the love life I had dreamed of. A story of a wanted man and a love that defies the world."

Kasatsubaki Satsuriki Kings of Paradise "A romance between two divorcees, where love and physical relationships are kept separate. Tsubaki's overwhelming love fills your void, but with the appearance of your ex-boyfriend Taki, a love triangle emerges… Which man will you choose?"

Tomohiro Fuyuki Kings of Paradise "A story about two people who once drifted apart. Despite numerous difficult times, I can't forget his smile. A story of a remarried couple where the former husband had a change of heart and transforms from the worst to once again being your beloved."

Sydney (Tenshi Sakuto) Kings of Paradise "You used to really dislike reptiles. However, after living with Taki, you start hearing Sydney's voice?! You'll hear her true feelings for the first time… A story of female friendship."

Akito Sakamaki Metro PD "What if I had a fateful encounter with Mr. Sakamaki?"

Koichi Minase Metro PD "A story about his date with Tomomi Minase"

Tomomi Minase Metro PD "A story about her date with Koichi Minase"

X PLUST "After falling for the bold fanservice of the flashy and somewhat dangerous X, you wake up in his bed the next morning…?! A forbidden love story between him and you begins with a XXX relationship."

Ys PLUST "Ys is reliable enough to lead ThrONE, that consists of very skilled musicians. However, you witness his true nature. A story about saving YS's past and heart through love."

Zeus PLUST "An unexpected day-zero marriage with your crush?! You start a pretend-newlywed life with Zeus for the sake of him composing music. As Zeus's doting intensifies, the fate of this limited romance becomes uncertain."

PLUST Manager PLUST "The manager of PLUST is always working hard. You work together with him on a marketing plan for PLUST, but when you see his true self for the first time it sparks romantic feelings."

Shizuo Furuya Liar "What if I had forgiven my ex boyfriend for cheating on me back then? The story of an eventful date with my boyfriend when we got back together"

Mr. Takuro Irresistible Mistakes "Researching the unknown ecology, daily life, and his past… Shall we explore the true face of Takuro-san, who quietly supports and cheers on your love from beside you?"

Fuzzy Pirates in Love "Fuzzy's matchmaking story?! While watching the happy MC, Fuzzy realizes it's her turn to have a happy ending and she travels around the world to find her soulmate."

Natsuo Umesaki Bad Boys do it Better "Natsuo is a beautiful, tall dormitory leader with a loud voice. Ume-chan is like an oasis in a dormitory filled with rough boys, however when you catch a glimpse of his "Natsuo" side, you unexpectedly fall in love for the first time."

Yuki Tsukishiro Our Private Homeroom "What if you fell in love with your classmate? A sweet and sour story unique to high school classmates.

Tatsunoshin Uzuki Loves Hella Punk "Love Story with Uzuki" (Separate Setting from Tengokus)

Momogo Sato Dreamy Days in West Tokyo "A story about Momogo watching over the love life between you and Ichigo"

Bianchi Our Two Bedroom Story "A story in which you, a new editor at Seasonelle, start to fall in love with Bianchi at Jinbuono."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My thoughts

The Masquerade Kiss stories are quite interesting and some seem to tease more about the story or relation to other characters! You can tell by the amount of context of Blood Moon and Kasatsubaki, that this is most likely how their routes would have been like if they weren't cancelled. Especially Blood Moon sounded interesting to me. Together with Chaen they might be one of the few Yandere types in the app. Chaens prompt holy moly. I would have been very intrigued how that would have played out. I'm curious what else they have planned for him. Also why can't Chiba just be happy. He got a story but it looks like he is STILL in the unrequited love dilemma :') Also happy to see more content about Mitsuharu! Though i wish it was a what if story with MC or maybe a story with Sen, as we already know a bunch about Kasumi and Mitsuharu, but that's complaining on a high level. Any Mitsuharu content is good content! Speaking of Plust, i was surprised by the sudden amount of steam when you jump to X (gosh he sounds like twitter)! Almost like MC became a groupie ohmy! I can only imagine the drama. The manager being a place short of Tomohiro is almost insulting xD It seems like PLUST or Throne in that matter did not appeal as much as hoped. I still hope we get to see more of it! It's even funnier that Furuya of Liar is that popular even though he is just as much cheating scum like Tomohiro. I guess people actually wanted to see a redemption arc for him?

Another story I would have loved to see is Fuzzys? Because I love her a lot and i want her to be happy as well. It would have been so funny to see how she hunts for men! Also Tatsunoshin! OHMYGOD There were so many good options!!

Now onto the winner I COULDNT BE HAPPIER IT'S MOMO. Sure a CG would have been nice but i keep my hopes, up that we might get one with Tsugaru together eventually or maybe we would even get his own route! But... BUT... they just had to have Tsugaru comment on his win. And he says he's pleased, so Momo is also happy that he entered. PLEASE he's about to get your girl haha Agh. This will be a very interesting story. I really wonder how they'll handle his girlfriend and Momo connection to Tsugaru. I GOT WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ELECTION. I am a side character afficionado. Also Miyayamaaaa!!! Last but not least: Where's Tokyo Love Hustle at :') I'm not sure if I'm happy that the rest of the cast is not listed as side characters (would mean their routes got cancelled) or if i'm sad because we might have been able to get some more content with it if they were?

[dropintomanga]

Manga I Enjoyed in 2024

2024 has been an amazing year for manga. With the debut of the American Manga Awards to go alongside the Harvey Awards and Eisner Awards, we're about to head into some really fun times for manga recognition starting now. I read a lot of manga this year compared to last year, thanks to the libraries in my area.

But these few are the ones that impressed me the most.

Honorable Mention: Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono - I remember when I first read this manga, it became a meme. But once the meme died down, you got a title that's going to be another huge Shonen Jump anime hit. Reading Kagurabachi reminds me of the days when I loved BLEACH. The mix of sorcery, swords, and urban society combined with impressive art will leave a great impression on shonen readers. VIZ Media made an excellent decision in licensing the print edition as soon as possible as Volume 1 has sold amazingly well in bookstores across North America.

Favorite Ongoing Weekly Manga: Centuria by Tohru Kuramori - I swear more fans should know about this manga. Centuria is about a young man named Julian, who's been living as a slave for most of his life. On a slave ship, he meets a woman and a monster god - both who would change his life forever. Julian suddenly becomes endowed with supernatural powers and decides to pursue freedom however he can all while raising a child destined to be something more. This is a dark fantasy action series that is pretty much influenced by Berserk. Add the fact that Kuramori worked as an assistant under Tatsuki Fujimoto of Chainsaw Man and you have a highly underrated action series that will scratch any seinen fan's itch.

Without further ado, here's my top 5 manga of the year!

5.) She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki - While this manga starts off as a nice yuri series about two women whose common interest is food, it goes into some good commentary about what it means to be a woman living in an extremely patriarchal society like Japan (which I'll discuss in a future post). I like how the manga becomes better with each volume as you get to see the cast grow and confront issues bothering them alongside each other. I appreciate that this series is about how eating food with people you care about is always worthwhile when you get a chance to do so.

4.) Home Office Romance by Kinetsu Yamada - This is a charming one-volume manga about two people who find love during a pandemic lockdown. Reading the manga made me relate to Nokoru, the male lead, as I share the same insecurities as he does when it comes to finally finding love and having the courage to push ahead with it. The manga also made me think about the early lockdown days of COVID as I did enjoy those days quite a bit. But nothing will ever beat actually wanting to be with someone in-person. Plus, good things do happen when you take the time to slow down. I knew this manga was a hit on Reddit and I can see why.

3.) Sketchy by Makihirochi - A librarian recommended this to me earlier this year around the summer, but the premise of skateboarding didn't appeal to me at first. I later gave the manga a shot after my library put it on their top 2024 book list. I was left very impressed. While this manga is about women trying to find more to life than love/work/school, I saw myself in the main characters due to finding a hobby (mahjong) that got me out there engaging with a world full of fun people not related to the daily grind. Sketchy is a testament to finding hobbies even as an adult and making friends there as those relationships are extremely important in ensuring that you still matter even if you're not respected by mainstream forces.

2.) The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa - This is a very clever, action-packed, political thriller. It's my favorite action manga of the year. There's so much social commentary that will greatly appeal to Western readers. What I love about the manga so much are the cliffhangers. I don't remember the last time I was impressed with cliffhangers in a manga. Every plot twist has been executed properly from what I've read. There's also some great lines from a really great cast of characters. I hope this series blows up when the anime comes out.

1.) The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't Really a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai - A manga that has lived up to the hype it got online and in Japan. I love the design. I love the usage of green throughout the manga. I love Mitsuki and Aya. It may not be the most original love story, but I love this manga for bringing me back to the days of '80s/'90s rock music. My adolescence was defined by rock music and I felt that the manga is a love letter to the era I grew up in. Even though I listen to mostly K-Pop, I still listen to rock from time to time. When I see new rock artists bringing back sounds I grew up with for a newer generation, it makes my heart glad. I remember how much music from any era has the power to change people's lives. Music does give hope and courage to those who desperately need it. This year was a year where I finally dwelled back into music and that's why green yuri is my manga hit of the year.

If you haven't noticed, most of the manga I recommended are about relationships. 2024 was a year where I made some new close friends whose bonds I want to nurture. It makes me hopeful about people and those who I will meet in the future. While I can't make friends with everyone, I know how much the people currently in my life mean to me and I wouldn't be here without them.

Hope you enjoyed my list and I'll see you guys in 2025!

[oceanwithouthermoon]

detailing what sexuality i think the saiki k characters are for no reason other than its fun

saiki: probably doesnt use labels but if he ever did, biromantic and a-spec. which i honestly think is as "canon" as it could possibly be without directly saying it. hes implied to be feeling SOMETHING towards teruhashi close to the end and is at the very least attracted to her, and he definitely has a crush on satou and outright puts them in a who-likes-who chart. he had no reason to include himself in the love triangle chart if he wasnt involved in it 😭 i dont at all think asou was trying to write a bi-ace character and im aware him liking satou is a gag, but gags are generally canon in saiki k or at least have some lore behind them. i might even say that hes some form of demiromantic ? definitely lines up with his feelings for teruhashi, and i know he doesnt know satou well but hes literally a psychic so "knowing" a person is a lot different for him so i doubt you could describe his sexuality so simply. and these two are the only people he ever shows any romantic interest in AT ALL.

teruhashi: bisexual, also probably as canon as it could be without being canon 😭 she definitely does love saiki towards the end, shown pretty obviously by her expressing she would rather be with him even when hes just sitting there (canonically what he always does) than be with someone rich or talkative. she was also so clearly attracted to aiura, argue with the wall. saiki is her first and only actual crush and before that she literally pictured herself just marrying some rich guy she didnt care about, so i would argue she was probably dealing with some form of comphet although its still mostly because she couldnt picture herself truly opening up to anyone yet

akechi: queer, and i picture him going into long rants about why specific labels dont fit him but he probably knows a lot about them. we get no evidence of his sexuality other than his attraction to teruhashi (which we do know for a fact depends on sexuality because anyone who is canonically or presumably not attracted to girls does not show attraction to her even if they do have a short reaction)

aiura: bi, no gender preference. she was definitely also attracted to teruhashi and does not once point out anything about her gender so im just assuming she doesnt care. also barely reacts when mera implies shes going to have sex with her and just says "looking forward to it"???

kaido: straight but i could see him being flexible, maybe bi with a heavy preference for girls. in canon he obviously sees girls as potential partners and does not see guys as such (see: second half of chapter 232)

yumehara: straight but i can see her being bi with a heavy preference for boys. only attracted to guys in canon but theyre very immature crushes which always start surface level, evidenced by her surface level attraction to takeru dissipating when she got to know him. her crush for kaido is genuine though, it starts out surface level but she clearly sees and likes him for the weirdo he is considering she even adapts some of his chuuni-isms 😭

hairo: probably acearospec and maybe pan ? in canon, hes never felt attraction before or at least isnt aware if he has, but i would argue that what he feels for nendo is the closest thing hes ever had to a crush

kuboyasu: bisexual. we only see him being attracted to teruhashi however his reaction to that makes me think that doesnt happen much?? i know it was because hes used to being good at controlling himself but hes the only character other than imu that is confused by his attraction to teruhashi

toritsuka: straight but would kiss a guy if hes feminine enough, in a not gay but desperate way.

nendo: no label, probably doesnt care very much about gender however he is an enjoyer of tits so...

mera: no label, doesnt ever think about that stuff

saiko: straight but flexible, another person thats only shown attraction to teruhashi but he clearly has no experience with love so im just guessing shes the first person hes ever been attracted to ?

kusuke: freak (no label, i genuinely think his brother is the only person hes ever been attracted to and im unsure/undecided on if i think thatll change post-canon during his implied redemption arc ? i havent decided if i think he'll never be attracted to anyone else or not)

makoto: freak (straight? clearly mentally screwed up and has only ever been attracted to his sister, im unsure if therapy could help that. big makokuu fan though so i like to think that a slap from reality or a therapist would make him start questioning his sexuality.)

suzumiya: straight (personal headcanon is that shes a straight trans girl, obviously no evidence to that)

satou: straight, nothing queer about this guy

imu: lesbian, i can see why she could be bisexual but the way she analyzed men by their objective qualities and never attraction and only started liking makoto after literally making the connection to kokomi in her head makes me think its JUST comphet

kuniharu: straight but flexible, no explanation

kurumi: straight but flexible, no explanation

arisu: straight (i like to headcanon her as a lesbian simply because im a lesbian and i like her. also she did briefly think saikis crush was a boy and did not react to this so shes either a straight ally [most plausible] or queer herself lol)