#finally finished reading this manga after it sat on my to read list for a couple years

[lotus-pear]

what is childe doing in bungou gay dogs😟

[localmacguffin]

Description under the cut.

[ID: A work titled "A Note From The Author". Keiji Neizawa is listed as the writer in a line under the title in a smaller font. He writes:

"The atomic boom exploded 600 meters above my hometown of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 at 8:15 am. I was a little over a kilometer away from the epicenter, standing at the back gate of Kanzaki Primary School, when I was hit by a terrible blast of wind and searing heat. I was six years old. I owe my life to the school's concrete wall. If I hadn't been standing in its shadow, I would have been burned to death instantly by the 5,000-degree heat flash. Instead, I found myself in a living hell, the details of which remain etched in my brain as if it happened yesterday.

My mother, Kimiyo, was eight months pregnant. she was on the second floor balcony of our house, had just finished hanging up the wash to dry, and was turning to go back outside when the boom exploded. The blast blew the entire balcony, with my mother on it, into the alley behind our house. Miraculously, my mother survived without a scartch.

The blast blew our house flat. The second floor collapsed onto the first, trapping my father, my sister Eiko, and my brother Susumu under it. My brother had been sitting in the front doorway, playing with a toy ship. His head was caught under the rater over the doorway. He frantically kicked his legs and cried out for my mother. My father, trapped inside the house, begged my mother to do something. My sister had been crushed by a rafter and killed instantly.

My mother frantically tried to lift the rafters off them, but she wasn't strong enough to do it by herself. She begged passerby to stop and help, but nobody would. In that atomic hell, people could only think of their own survival; they had no time for anyone else. My mother tried everything she could, but to no avail. Finally, in despair, she sat down in the doorway, clutching my crying brother and helplessly pushing at the rafter that was crushing him.

The fires that followed the blast soon reached our house. It was quickly enveloped in flame. My brother yelled that he was burning; my father kept begging my mother to get some help. My mother, half-mad with grief and desperation, sobbed that she would stay and die with them. But our next-door neighbor found my mother just in time and dragged her away.

For the rest of her days, my mother never forgot the sound of the voices of her husband and son, crying out for her to save them. The shock sent my mother into labor, and she gave birth to a daughter by the side of the road that day. She named the baby Tomoko. But Tomoko died only four months later -- perhaps from malnutrition, perhaps from radiation sickness, we didn't know.

After escaping the flames near the school, I found my mother there by the roadside with her newborn baby. Together we sat and watched the scenes of hell unfolding around us.

My father had been a painter of lacquer work and traditional-style Japanese painting. He was also a member of an anti-war theater group that performed plays like Gorky's "The Lower Depths". Eventually the thought police arrested the entire troupe and put them in the Hiroshima Prefectural Prison. My father was held there for a year and a half. Even when I was a young child, my father constantly told me that Japan had been stupid and reckless to start the war.

Thanks, no doubt, to my father's influence, I enjoyed drawing from an early age. After the war I began reading Osamu Tezuka's comic magazine Shin-Takarajima (New Treasure Island); that had a huge impact on me. I began slavishly copying Tezuka's drawings and turned into a manga maniac. Hiroshima was an empty burnt-out wasteland and we went hungry every day, but when I drew comics, I was happy and forgot everything else. I vowed early on to become a professional cartoonist when I grew up.

In 1961 I pursued my dream by moving to Tokyo. A year later I published my first cartoon serial in the manga monthly Shonen Gaho (Boy's Pictorial). From then on I was a full-time cartoonist.

In 1966, after seven years of illness, my mother died int he A-Bomb Victims Hospital in Hiroshima. When I went to the crematorium to collect her ashes, I was shocked. There were no bones left in my mother's ashes, as there normally are after a cremation. Radioactive cesium from the bomb had eaten away at her bones to the point that they disintegrated. The bomb had even deprived me of my mother's bones. I was overcome with rage. I vowed that I would never forgive the Japanese militarists who started the war, nor the Americans who had so casually dropped the bomb on us.

I began drawing comics about the A-bomb as a way to avenge my mother. I vented my anger through a "Black" series of six manga published in an adult manga magazine, starting with Kurai Ame ni Utarete (Struck by Black Rain). Then I moved to Shukan Shonen Jump (Weekly Boy's Jump), where I began a series of works about the war and the A-bomb starting with Aru Hi Totsuzen ni (One Day, Suddenly). When the monthly edition of Jump launched a series of autobiographical works by its cartoonists, I was asked to lead off with my own story. My 45-page manga sub-biography was titled Ore wa Mita (I saw It). My editor at Jump, Tadasu Nagano, commenting that I must have more to say that wouldn't fit in 45 pages, urged me to draw a longer series based on my personal experiences. I gratefully began the series right away. That was in 1972.

I named my new story Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen). The young protagonist's name, Gen, has several meanings in Japanese. It can mean the "root" or "origin" of something, but also "elemental" in the sense of an atomic element, as well as a "source" of vitality and happiness. I envisioned Gen as barefoot, standing firmly atop the burnt out rubble of Hiroshima, raising his voice against war and nuclear weapons. Gen is my alter ego, and his family is just like my own. The episodes in Barefoot gen are all based on what really happened to me or to other people in Hiroshima.

Human beings are foolish. Thanks to bigotry, religious fanaticism, and the greed of those who traffic in war, the Earth is never at peace, and the specter of nuclear war is never far away. I hope that Gen's story conveys to its readers the preciousness of peace and the courage we need to live strongly, yet peacefully. In Barefoot Gen, wheat appears as a symbol of that strength and courage. Wheat pushes its shoots up through winter frost, only to be trampled again and again. But the trampled wheat sends strong roots into the earth and grows straight and tall. And one day, that wheat bears fruit."

/end ID]

Barefoot Gen introduction by author Keiji Nakazawa, from the 2004 English edition.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

December 2023

(Series: Sword Art Online | Artist: BUNBUN/abec (originally posted under BUNBUN's twitter/pixiv but abec is credited as the artist in Sword Art Online IF. If you needed any further proof that BUNBUN and abec are one and the same, here it is.))

List of Reviews:

Danmachi Familia Chronlicle Episode Lyu 2

Sword Art Online IF

Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 2

Shousetsu Heartcatch Precure

The Fall 2023 anime season has ended and I watched quite a few shows so I'm going to put all my thoughts on all the shows I watched under the cut below.

I ended up dropping JJK season 2 after episode 15 and I don't regret it. Almost every episode that has aired since then has made me feel glad that I got out when I did. It meant that I finished feeling apathetic towards the show, but not angry about it which definitely would have happened if I'd kept on going. In happier news, Pokemon Horizons is still really good. I still highly recommend it if you just want a fun adventure show with cute characters.

Dead Mount Death Play Part II - to be honest, I was really bored with most of the second half of the anime. I liked the stuff with Phantom Solitaire and Misaki but most of the scenes felt so boring. I noticed that the director was different for the second half so that may have been part of why. The pacing really becsme worse in the second half. There were plenty of episodes where I felt like we started and ended in the same place, with not enough development to justify the 20 minutes of airtime. And it introduced so many subplots and characters that there was no way that they were going to be able to provide a satisfying resolution and they didn't. I'm invested enough in the story that I would watch a season 2 if one was announced, but I found the second half really disappointing overall.

Frieren - Still really entertaining and good. I've found myself loving every episode so far. I especially love the humor and how deadpan it can be. I'm really excited to watch more in the new year.

I'm in love with the villainess - A pretty good anime overall. I definitely wish that the animation was a lot better as a lot of the time the show was almost painful to look at. It obviously isn't the worst animation that I have sat through but I wish it was better. The voice acting is definitely the show's saving grace for me as it brings something to the table that the manga and light novel could not. I've only read the manga and the anime did stick close to that so it seems like it was a faithful adaption of the source material. I'd love a second season so that the story can get properly wrapped up but we'll see.

Soaring Sky! Precure - Finally watched this and really enjoyed it. It met my high expectations and will most likely end up entering my top 5 Precure series. I love the characters and the story so much. I can't wait to see how it ends.

Spy x Family 2 - A fantastic second season that managed to surpass even the first half of season 1 for me. The cruise ship arc was so entertaining and hilarious, and then the season ended with the perfect Bond episode. There were definitely a couple of dull episodes this season but I really enjoyed it overall.

The Ancient Magus' Bride 2 part II - An incredibly engaging second half to the season. The arc was resolved beautifully and I was really satisfied. It's definitely leaves some threads left open but I think that's fine. The most important questions were answered in a satisfying way and the ending made me happy. I thought this season surpassed the first and was more engaging to me. I know that the anime has pretty much adapted all of the currently published manga now but I'll still hope for a third season in a few years time.

Tearmoon Empire - A faithful adaptation of the light novels with some minor tweaks here and there that help make the pacing better. There's a lot of fun visual gags. Like with the light novels, I found the second half of the anime, which adapted the second volume, much more boring than the first. I wanted the anime to be more entertaining than the light novels but those episodes were hard to get through, even with Sumire Uesaka's excellent voice acting to help elevate things. I was a bit disappointed with a minor change they made to the ending of volume 2 but if they don't get a second season, this is probably a better way to end it.

SHY - This was an entertaining show that has a lot of potential. I like the characters, but I feel like I haven't got a clear picture of the story yet, despite having watched 12 episodes of it. I think the show does a great job at hitting emotional beats and I really liked the Tzveta arc. Also, after watching the second half of Tearmoon Empire and the last few episodes of DMDP, it was relief to watch something where I wasn't desperately wishing the Crunchyroll had a 2x playback speed option. SHY held my attention and I'm definitely interested to see what season 2 brings.

I feel like this season was really all about the voice actors for me. Sumire Uesaka as Mia in Tearmoon Empire, Inori Minase as Misaki and Hiroki Takahashi as Phantom Solitaire in DMDP, and Karin Nanami as Claire and Yuu Serizawa as Rei in I'm in Love with the Villainess all elevated what otherwise would have been terribly mediocre shows and made them a lot more entertaining. I also have to highlight Atsumi Tanezaki's work this season. She voiced Chise in the Ancient Magus' Bride 2, Anya in Spy x Family 2, and Frieren and did a phenomenal job with all three leads, not mention the supporting work she did as Clarissa in DMDP and some other shows that I have yet to watch. She was barely on my radar as a voice actor before this season but I'll be keeping an eye out for her future work.

There are still plenty of shows from this season, not to mention this year, that I want to watch. Like with last years anime, I'll be listing my favourite 2023 shows in my February 2024 reading log post so I'll have plenty of time to catch up on things before then. I've been thinking I might even get a HiDive subscription for a short period to watch all the shows that I missed out on, but we'll see if I have the time to do that.

[caged-in-solitude]

"Whatever our souls are made of,"

Traveling down memory lane, I realized I'm never much of a hobbyist. I have placed interest in this and that, most of them are short lived and one day I would start placing my interest again on the thing I have abandoned for a while. Doesn't know where to settle, indecisive, you name it.

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." – Victor Hugo

When do you first learn how to read? To spell out each letter from a word? I remembered clearly, the first book I picked up myself was one with a bright yellow cover, a thin book that doesn't have many pages, ink printed on natural uncoated papers, only containing simple instruction how to read. I was determined to learn and finally able to read a full sentence on my own after driving my father's patience to the edge for two weeks long.

Books I have read so far:

Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

5cm by Donny Dhirgantoro

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho

I have read more books beside ones I have listed above. But alas, my memory has disappoint me.

"When life ends up breathtakingly fucked, you can generally trace it back to one big, bad decision. The one that sent you down the road of shitsburg." – Wade Wilson

I still laugh at myself every time I remember that the first time I went to a cinema was when I sneaked out with my highschool friends and came back home to give my mother a heart attack after she found out her child was no longer the infant she once craddled every night to sleep. My childhood was spent on the rural area where there was nothing but woodland and cliffs and so when my family first move out to the town, my curiosity got the better of me.

Movies/Series I have watched so far:

Harry Potter series

The Chronicles of Narnia series

MCU movies

Hotel Mumbai

The Silence of the Lambs

The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2

Annabelle

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Bird Box

Insidious series

The Nun

The Curse of La Llorona

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Little Women

Kingsman series

The time passes by while I watch scene by scene unfold before my eyes will always be enchanting, thus the list will goes on for as long as the tip of my finger click on the play button and the movie starts. Same case as the books I have read, my brain seem to unable to recollect some of movies title I have watched. Long sigh.

"I don’t want to conquer anything. I just think the guy with the most freedom in the entire ocean is the Pirate King." – Monkey D. Luffy

Was it the time around 2nd grade of junior highschool when I first start placing my interest in anime and manga? No, I think it was before that, probably around 5th or 6th year of elementary school. My mother would let me sit in front of TV every day after I finished my study to watch Naruto and my father would allow me to pick a new comic every three months as a reward. It's a memory that's easy and pleasant to remember.

Anime/Manga I have watch/read:

Naruto

One Piece

Bleach

Kimetsu no Yaiba

Jujutsu Kaisen

Shingeki no Kyojin

Tokyo Ghoul

The Promised Neverland

Inuyasha

Rurouni Kenshin

Ajin

Kakegurui

Moriarty the Patriot

Death Note

K Project

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu

Hori-san to Miyamura-kun

Spy × Family

It is very likely that I have forgotten a few titles due the passage of time. I wish I could remember every single one of it so that I can go back and rewatch.

It's not always been the case, but lately I find myself enjoying a quiet time, sitting alone on a comfortable chair in my room, scrolling through my phone with my newfound hobby of reading manhwa or doing puzzles, sometimes I simply sat and play a music playlist then I start to space out. For a brief moment, I feel at ease.

[daisyvstheworld]

Day 5 - Jan 5 - Stockholm

I slept SO good this night after only getting like 4 hours of sleep the night before and then walking around for nearly 12 hours. I knocked out at 11pm and woke up in the morning when the girl above me checked out, but fell back asleep until 10:30😂 by that time, the guy had checked out too.

This was far past when I was planning to get up and go explore but after the day I had yesterday, it was fine lol. Also it was snowing even more so I was in no rush.

I left around 11am and head to Lilleg bakery again to see if they had semla. They didn’t 😩 but they had a SAFFRON bun this time which the lady said was seasonal so I got that and the cardamom bun. Ate the saffron bun and started off again.

I just had a general walking plan to see more of the city. Because of all the snow, the parks were filled with children sledding, parents dragging their kids on sled, and people ice skating in the parks. It was super cute! The foam pads + one less pair of socks was an incredible combo - my toes didn’t hurt at all!

I eventually got to the Stockholm Public Library which was super pretty - I got a couple more British crime mystery novels added to my list of books to read.

From there, I walked by Accenture lol. Snuck some photos in while employees were walking out.

From there, walked to Mr Cake and finally got some semla. Holy bejeesus it’s so freaking sweet!!! It’s like a huge dollop of cream on top of a super sweet almond paste and that’s sandwiched into a sweet bread. The bread was good (bc of the cardamom) but otherwise I wouldn’t get semla again 😂 but it’s a winter treat so maybe I’m doing it wrong. I also started Pachinko on my kindle!

I walked around the KHT university campus real quick and then through Ostermalm before heading down to the Royal Armoury.

The Royal Armoury was quite cool - ngl. And it was free bc it was Thursday! And open late. They had a weird manga exhibit, felt a little weird about that one lmao.

After that, I realized that the sun had set and I did not want to walk to Sodermalm and through the West Islands back home, so I just strolled through Gamla Stan again, caved and bought the $10 espresso cup, and ordered a shrimp sandwich at Cafe Schweitzer for freaking $18.90 💀 I sat for a good hour or so reading Pachinko which got so spicy!! The shrimp sandwich was super filling it took me a while to finish too. Also my tummy hurt from the egg salad 🥺

After that I started walking back through the parliament building/bridge. I thought I knew where to go and walked all the way back to Ostermalm lmao.. like 10/15 blocks the wrong direction. I remember looking up to see this clock I took a video of earlier and was like HOLD UP and did a quick 180.

I stopped by Pressbryrian or whatever it get gummies for Dahlia and Susy/kids, then went back to the hostel, gulped down water, showered and pre-packed.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Yuugiroku 2 - Hijikata Chapter 5

This is my last post of the month, so I’ll end by asking you to please support me if you can through my ko-fi, and paypal or patreon which provides access to my hakuoki blog translations and early access to my postings. Also, please let me know if you have any hakuoki drama cds that you’d be willing to share that are on my Lookout List since i either do not have audio for those cds or do not have audio that I can share…. and if you are able to remove watermarks from a video, please contact me.  

For some very strange reason, I decided to watch the xxxHolic stage. i mean, i don’t even remember the plot of the manga (or the last time i even read it for that matter), and since my understanding of spoken Japanese is worse than abysmal, I didn’t really understand what was going on so it probably wasn’t a good idea to watch in the first place... though in fairness, i just had it played in the background as I was mostly focusing on something else at the time. lol. yeah, im weird.

anyway, enjoy!

Hakuoki Yuugiroku 2 - Hijikata Chapter 5

Translation by KumoriYami

Yukimura: Pickles, and freshly brewed tea for Hijikta-san...... Nn.

There was steam wafting from the tea that had been placed on the tray, and it tickled my nose [reword later].

After a trip to the kitchen to secure the pickles and tea, I headed straight towards Hijikata-san's room.

Yukimura: It would be nice if Hijikata-san could enjoy this.

I muttered quietly with anticipation, and stopped at the door in front of Hijikata-san's room.

Although it wasn't a bad idea to bring food, what if I got in the way of his work and he kicked me out?

While worrying about this, I took in a deep breath and opened my mouth to speak through the closed [im assuming it's "sliding". check later] doors.

Yukimura: Um, Hijikata-san. It's Yukimura.

…………

Yukimura: I'm sorry to disturb you while you're busy. I made you some tea...

…………

After asking several times, there was still no response/signs of movement from the other side of the door.

Yukimura: As expected, it wasn't good to bring tea over......

I was hoping this would make him happy/cheer him up, but the tea had now become cold/had cooled down.

As I listlessly hung my head as I looked down at the tea leaves floating in the teacup——

Hijikata: Hey.

The voice that I had been expecting to hear suddenly came from behind me for some reason.

Yukimura: Eh?

Hijikata: I was wondering who it was, and it turned out to be you, Chizuru. What are you doing standing in front of someone's room?

Yukimura: Hi-Hijikata-san!?

Being in such an unexpected situation, the tray almost fell out of my hands.

After reaching for the tray to keep it steady, Hijikata-san sighed.

Hijikata: Why are you so surprised. It looks like you've seen a ghost.

Yukimura: It, It's not that/N-No, I thought you'd be spending the entire day in your room working.... .!

Hijikata: Well, I was thinking about doing that earlier.

At the same he finished those meaningful words, Hijikata-san glanced at me and went into his room.

Seeing that I was still standing there dumbstruck, Hijikata-san glanced at me.

Hijikata: Weren't you looking for me? If so, don't just stand there and come in.

Yukimura: Ye-Yes!

As soon as I entered the room, the first thing that came into view were the documents and letters scattered all over the place.

After gathering up the things that had scattered to the floor, HIjikata-san sat down.

Hijikata: Well, I just wanted to ask you about what you're carrying in your hands right now...

Yukimura: Ah, yes. I was thinking that it was about time for you to take a break, so I prepared tea and some snacks for you.

Hijikata: You specifically prepared it for me? I'm sorry for troubling you.

After I put down the tray, Hijikata-san immediately reached for the pickles.

After he put the pickles into his mouth, he seemed to be chewing them carefully, as if to taste them slowly/slowly savour them.

Hijikata: Hm? This taste...

Yukimura: Yes. I heard these pickles were brought/sent over from Hino.

Hijikata: I see. No wonder why they taste familiar. 

Hijikata:——Ah, these are really delicious. The taste from my hometown is really different/special.

As if he were thinking of his hometown, Hijikata-san looked off into the distance as he sipped his tea.

That's good... he seemed to be happy.

Yukimura: Where these pickles were delivered from——Hijikata-san's hometown is the same as Kondou-san's hometown right?

Hijikata: Yeah. Haven't I mentioned this/it before? I used to learn the sword at a run-down/poor [word i have is 'poor' but i think run-down makes more sense... though i also can't think of any other word at the moment] dojo in Tama with Kondou-san, Souji and Gen-san.

I've heard several stories about that time.

The dojo that Kondou-san was the dojo master of ——. [reword later? 'dojo' repeats twice]

It was where the other executives met.

Yukimura:...It must have been a friendly dojo.

Hijikata: That's because the owner of the dojo is/was a good person. Thanks to that/him, the number of freeloaders increased while it became more and more poor... 

Hijikata: At the time, all you could eat for a meal were sliced pickles. 

Hijikata: How about it, Chizuru, why don't you try a slice too?

Yukimura: Is that okay/Can I?

Like Hijikata-san suggested, I brought a slice to my mouth.

When I bit into it, a salty taste spread inside my mouth.

Yukimura: They're/It's delicious/Delicious......

Hijikata: Yeah. [So?] You also think that they're delicious......

Seeing how my eyes had widened, Hijikata-san smiled.

I couldn't help but feel fascinated by that smile.

Yukimura:…………

Hijikata: What/What is it? Is there something on my face?

Yukimura: N-No, that's not the case... but, I was thinking that Hijikata-san had a very tender/gentle expression just now...

Hijikata: Huh.... I couldn’t help it since you were praising the flavours of my hometown.

Hijikata-san looked away and whispered softly to himself.

...Perhaps he was feeling embarrassed.

Then/After, as I saw Hijikata-san stretch by lightly turning his neck, I nervously opened my mouth.

Yukimura: Um, speaking of which, Hijikata-san, you've been working all day... If it's alright with you, can I massage your shoulders?

Hijikata: No need to massage my shoulders. Rather, I wouldn't want such a sight to be seen by Souji [reword later? awkward]. 

Hijikata: If he saw that/you doing that, he would definitely say something to me about retiring/about how I should retire.

Yukimura: Yes/I see...

I lowered my head.

Perhaps it was because he couldn't bear to see my pitiful appearance, but Hijikata-san bitterly smiled and shook his head.

Hijikata:......I changed my mind. Well, in fact, my shoulders are [feeling] very stiff/sore.

As he spoke, Hijikata-san turned his back towards me.

Hijikata: Then..... I'll leave it to you.

Yukimura: Y-Yes! Excuse me then!

I tried to hide my nervousness as I put my hands onto Hijikata-san's shoulders.

When I touched him like this, I once again realized that he was a man again [????].

Hijikata-san's shoulders were much wider/broader than mine, and the muscles in his shoulders were as hard as rocks.

With what little strength I had, I worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything...

While I thought that, I used as much strength as I could as massaged his shoulders.

Yukimura: Is, Is this okay?

Hijikata:…………

Each time I pressed my palms into his shoulders, Hijikata-san's normally stern face seemed to loosen because of how comfortable/relaxing this was [to him].

Although he didn't answer my question, the sigh that escaped his lips was enough of a response.

I might be overstating it, but it seemed that he trusted me [???]....

Seeing his wholly relaxed/comfortable and defenceless expression, I couldn't believe that this was the same Demon Vice-Commander.

Yukimura; You seem really stiff. Thank you for all the hard work you do every day. So, will you be continuing to work after this?

Hijikata: Yeah. I was originally going to work all day today.... that's how it was supposed to be.

Yukimura: Supposed to be?

Hijikata-san glanced at me again with another meaningful look in his eyes/Hijikata-san glanced at me with the same meaningful eyes he had before.

As I blinked my eyes, not knowing what he meant, Hijikata-san's lips lifted into a smile.

Hijikata: In fact, I was going to ordering uniforms, estimating the cost of repairing the leak in the roof... But it seems like the work I was supposed to do was done by someone else. 

Yukimura: Th-That/Th-Then...

I finally managed to figure out the situation.

Then, almost as if he were waiting for it, Hijikata-san gently put his hand on the top of my head.

Hijikata: I rarely have free time.... but it wouldn't be bad to go out.

Yukimura: Ye-Yes!

Hijikata: Tell/Call me when you want to go to the festival. If you like, I'll accompany you.

Seeing that Hijikata-san was cheerfully smiling/cheerfully laughed, I also smiled.

Since I could go to the festival with Hijikata-san, what should I/we go do now——

-end of chapter-

[jariten]

Okay July 2021 roundup. I will continue to focus on english manga releases in these and this month I finally caught up on all the unread manga (in english) that had piled up!! This is honestly a relief, I hate just leaving stuff unread so now I feel ready to move on to other comics and novels I have, and spend more dedicated time working through my Japanese manga (will not be able to catch up there anytime soon...) Among the things I caught up with I had a really great time finally starting Dai Dark by Q Hayashida. Dai Dark so far feels a lot more conceptual than Dorohedoro, I love the weird space fantasy world building and all the concepts Hayashida comes up with and I’m really excited to see where it goes especially after volume 2. And idk why I sat on the final Diamond is Unbreakable volume for so long but wow its such a great final battle and great ending to what has to be one of the best parts. Super looking forward to re-experiencing part 5 since the anime didn’t really do it for me and mind you I had to read the deep-fried scanlation with the really unfortunate translation quality so that part will feel brand new. CITY by Keiichi Arawi is also still a lovely head empty surreal read I’m really gonna miss it after it ends with the next volume. 

And this is the “Did you read this? 2 years later” segment where I answer a “Did you read [insert title]” ask years after the fact. I finished it in April when the second and final omnibus volume came out but yes now I have read Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi! Definitely up there as my favorite Rumiko title, in general i like the idea of stories following an immortal being through different periods of time and different places and she really pulled it off I think. And in licensing news Viz at the beginning of the month announced new upcoming physical and digital releases, I already said that among the manga announced I will get Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, Came the Mirror and Other Tales, and Orochi [all announced titles listed here] And reminder for people who buy english manga and having a hard time finding specific titles to read this ICv2 article that explains the specific distribution issues the North American manga industry is struggling with due to the pandemic, which in turn affects every retailer across the world who sells english manga. 

[asian-hero]

Number 14 ("Would you like to put the star on the very top of the tree?") is SO CUTE. I picture this with Eri and class 1a! Could you make a drabble (or whatever you like) in which the reader is in class 1a and Eri is particularly attached to her (like a big sister or something) and she ships reader with Mirio or Todoroki?

A/N: You have to have known that I would absolutely say that Eri ships the reader with Todoroki, I mean, c’mon, look at my blog (but seriously, this is such a cute idea, thank you for sharing)

I would also like to thank Kim Taehyung for releasing “Snow Flower” because it was the sole reason I could get one final story out for Christmas :) Merry Christmas everyone!

Wait also I know that in the manga she dressed up for Christmas, but let’s just pretend it’s her first Christmas and it was before Aizawa had explained anything to her okay? :)

"Would you like to put the star on the very top of the tree?" from Tis the Season prompt list 

Summary: What better way to celebrate the holiday season then with the rest of your class and a cute little girl? You may even get a boyfriend out of it

Words: 2,286

Christmas. A holiday where you spend time with those who you love the most, and where children and adults alike get excited to open the presents under the tree. It’s a holiday beloved by all, if not only for the material reasons, then for the memories and love the holiday brings.

However, one certain little girl at U.A. had never known of Christmas, and your class wanted to fix that this year.

You had all found out that Eri had no idea what Christmas was when Aizawa had left her in your class’ care for a few hours, with the excuse that he needed to attend an important meeting, and he wasn’t allowed to bring her along. So, while you and the other girls were fawning over her, the subject of Christmas had been brought up, which had caught the attention of Kaminari, who suggested that you all should decorate the dorm for the festive season. As your classmates had gotten more and more into the Christmas spirit, with Yaoyorozu even stating that there was no reason to go out and buy decorations, since she could probably make enough for the dorm, you felt a slight tug on your sleeve. 

Turning your head, you were met with the most adorable, inquisitive eyes you’d ever been graced with looking at. Kneeling down to match Eri’s height, you tilted your head, a small smile on your lips. “What’s up?”

“What’s Christmas?”

At first, you were confused. You weren’t sure how anyone could not know about Christmas, especially someone her age. However, as your brain had caught up with the situation, you let out a short hum, trying to think of the best way to describe the holiday.

“Well, it’s a holiday in winter that’s about being around those you love and enjoying things like making gingerbread houses, eating good food, and opening presents,” Deciding that you would bestow upon her the white lie that every parent told their children, you spoke, “There’s also a man named ‘Santa,’ and he looks at your behavior for the year and decides if you’ve been naughty or nice. For all the nice children, he travels around the world to give them presents that they wish for,”

Her bottom lip jutted out slightly, a sign that she was thinking about something, “What kind of presents?”

“Well, you usually write a letter to him, telling him what you want and he’ll try to get you what you want,” Seeing how her eyes sparkled a bit when you told her, you felt your smile grow larger, “How about next time you come and visit, we’ll write our letter’s to Santa together, yeah?”

You let out a giggle when she enthusiastically nodded her head.

Soon enough, Aizawa had returned from his meeting, picking up Eri and bidding you all a good night, but not before you and a few other students had asked him if she could come back later to write her letter to Santa and to help decorate the tree. Thankfully, your teacher thought it was a good idea for her to have some fun during the holiday season, and agreed that she could come the following weekend.

So, giving the little girl a tight hug with the promise to do all the fun Christmas activities soon, you bid her good bye. 

Little did you know, as you were gushing over how cute Eri was to the other girls, a certain candy cane haired boy’s eyes had never left your figure once, neither had the small flush that decorated his cheeks.

As the weekend slowly approached, all of your classmates had chipped in to buy all of the items you’d need in order to make Eri’s first Christmas the best it could be. Your class had decided that it would be most efficient if you were all divided into teams so everything would get done on time. A few of your classmates had gone out to buy decorations, while others went to go get ingredients to bake some gingerbread cookies for the little girl. Kirishima and Kaminari had insisted on being the ones to go and get the tree, which therefore meant that Sero and Bakugou had tagged along in order to make sure that those two wouldn’t get hurt, or get something that was too big for the room. 

Once all of the items had been bought, you, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Uraraka were in charge of setting up some of the decorations, like the string lights that would hang all around the common area, and setting up the tree and putting down the tree skirt. You were sure that the girls wanted to tease you and Uraraka, since you were fairly certain that neither Todoroki or Midoriya were good decorators, but you decided to put aside your tiny crush on Todoroki in order to make this the best Christmas you could.

Grunting slightly, you stood on your tiptoes, trying to make yourself even taller, though you were already standing on a ladder, in order to hang the final string lights in the corner. While you knew it wasn’t the smartest idea you had, your brain was simply focused on finishing your task. In fact, you were so focused that you didn’t even notice that the ladder began to shake beneath you, the uneven distribution of your weight taking a toll on the stability. It wasn’t until the ladder began to slip from underneath you that you finally noticed how dumb you were being.

Luckily for you, a hand reached out, stabilizing the ladder before it had any chance to fall. Breathing in a sigh of relief, you turned your head, locking eyes with a pair of heterochromatic ones.

“You should be more careful,” Todoroki chastised, not taking his hands off the ladder, “It doesn’t matter if these lights are perfect,”

Smiling, you shook your head, moving to quickly set up the lights before stepping off the ladder, “It’s Eri’s first Christmas, I want it to be special,”

As you moved to get the decorations out of the second box you noticed that Todoroki still lingered behind you, most likely worried that you’d end up hurting yourself. 

“Well, at least let me do the other lights,” He spoke, taking the string out of your hands, “I don’t think she’d appreciate her favorite person getting hurt over something like this,”

Before you could even protest, Todoroki was already gone, moving to the next section of the room. With a small smile, you allowed your heart to beat just a bit faster, and for your eyes to linger on him for just a moment longer.

Soon after the common room had been decorated, except for the Christmas tree, it was finally the weekend. Aizawa had dropped off Eri in the morning with the warning that all of you should be on your best behavior, otherwise there’d be consequences. However, the way his eyes softened just a bit when she immediately ran into your arms told you that he wasn’t completely serious. 

Once he’d left, you took Eri over to the common room and sat down at the coffee table beside her. Your classmates had left out some pieces of colorful paper out, along with some envelopes, pens, and stickers for her to use to write to Santa. At first, she seemed hesitant about writing, and when you asked why, she told you that she wasn’t sure what she should put down. 

“Well, think about some of the things that you really want, and write them down for him,” You paused in your own “letter,” a small smile on your face, “If you aren’t sure of what you want, you can just tell him about what things you like, to give him some idea of what you might like,”

The two of you sat in silence for a while, writing your letters in peace when you noticed someone walking towards you. Looking up from your letter, you smiled at Todoroki’s curious demeanor. 

Once he realized that your eyes were on him, he cleared his throat, looking even more curious. “What are you doing?”

“Writing letters to Santa, is it not obvious?” You spoke, a teasing lit to your voice.

“Letters to,” He paused, his eyebrows rising, “‘Santa’?”

You hummed in confirmation, patting a spot beside you. “Come and write one with us, it’ll be fun.”

After a few seconds of him standing there like a statue, you were sure that he was going to reject your offer. However, after you had turned your attention back to your letter, you felt a slight thump next to you, followed by a warm presence by your shoulder. Turning your head, you noticed Todoroki sitting next to you, leaning a bit too close to be friendly.

“You’ll have to help me out too,” He started, grabbing one of the colorful pieces of paper on the table, “I’ve never done this before,”

Smiling at him, you nodded your head, and for the next ten minutes, you three had written and addressed your letters to Santa, and you promised Eri that you’d deliver hers to the jolly man personally, and to Todoroki that you wouldn’t read his.

Finally, with the help of the entirety of class 1-A, you had begun to decorate the Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the room. You would never forget the look of astonishment on Eri’s face when you showed her the bag of ornaments you all had bought, nor would you forget the soft smile that lit up Todoroki’s face when he noticed just how excited she was for decorating the tree.

For a while, all of you helped Eri with decorating, helping her reach the taller branches and watching as she piled many of the cat themed ornaments towards the front of the tree. You had even watched Bakugou lift her on his shoulders to reach the top of the tree, and though his face screamed of his pretend anger, you could tell that the small girl had even wriggled her way into his grinch heart as well.

Though, the moment that you would remember for quite a while was when you pulled out the showstopper: a simplistic golden star topper. 

When you pulled the star from the bag you could hear a quiet gasp come from the little girl. Looking over at her, you gave her a warm smile, extending your hand. “Would you like to put the star on the very top of the tree?”

Though she didn’t answer you verbally, the look of excitement made it very clear what her answer was. Squatting down slightly, you hoisted her onto your shoulders, making sure she was secure before moving to grab the star, though a certain boy had beat you to it.

“Looking for this?” Todoroki asked, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Letting out a quiet laugh, you thanked him before taking the star out of his hands and handing it to Eri. Heading towards the tree, you pointed towards the one upright branch at the top. “Go ahead, give the tree it’s hat,”

With a bit of fumbling, she finally placed the star at the top, cute giggles escaping her lips as she clapped for joy, and though you couldn’t see it, a big smile had found its way to her face. Setting her back down onto the ground, you gave her a gentle high five before she ran over to the rest of your classmates. As you turned around, you found yourself face to face with Todoroki, who continued to look at you with a gaze you couldn’t quite place. Though, as he gave you a small smile, you didn’t really pay attention to anything else.

You didn’t even notice the small plant that Eri had pulled out of one of the bags, nor did you notice Uraraka use her quirk on it.

“So,” You asked, moving a bit closer to the boy who caught your attention, “Was this a successful Christmas?”

He nodded, the soft gaze not leaving his features, “I would say so, she seems happy.”

Just as you opened your mouth to speak, you could hear your classmates begin to giggle. Turning around, you gave them a look, not understanding what they found to be so funny. When Kaminari had pointed up, you could feel your heart stop in your chest. 

Hesitantly, you looked up, not surprised to find some mistletoe floating between the two of you. Snapping your gaze to the boy in front of you, you sighed at the confused look on Todoroki’s face that had resurfaced. 

“What does this mean—��

Steeling your nerves, you leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. As you pulled away, you could feel the heat lick up your cheeks. 

“When two people are under the mistletoe, it usually means that they have to kiss,” You explained, not quite looking him in the eyes, “Sorry about that,”

As you were about to leave, you felt him grab your hand, squeezing it gently. Moving to look at him, you noticed a teasing glint flicker in his eyes.

“Well then,” He spoke, pulling you in closer, “We better follow tradition then, right?”

He didn’t even let you answer as he pressed his lips to yours. But you were sure that even if you could speak, nothing would come out.

As the two of you pulled apart, the cheers from you classmates filled the room, with your friends expressing their relief that they’d never have to hear you complain about how he didn’t like you.

While you could feel your cheeks heating up from embarrassment, you supposed that the Christmas gift you’d received made it worthwhile.

[beewolfwrites]

And When I am Formulated, Sprawling on a Pin - Chapter Twenty-Four: And the Rest is Silence

And this is it: the final chapter! It’s been insane, but this is the only fanfiction I've ever finished before, and it wouldn’t have happened without all the support. Thank you so much!! I didn’t think anyone would read this, but seeing everyone’s reactions to each chapter has kept me going :D

I’m sorry for the essay, but I’m aware I didn’t post anything about this in the AIB tag. Yes, there will be a sequel!

I need to read the manga properly before writing it, so I don’t know when the sequel will start. But in the meantime, there’ll be a series of Chishiya one-shots of his perspective, and there’ll even be scenes that weren’t in this fic, plus an original game!

For the full fanfic, you can find it here on AO3. 

I’ll also be creating a master list, and I'll post the literature references after this for those who wanted them <3

Once again, thank you so much!! And I hope you enjoy this last chapter. 

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

By the time Kuina found us again, it was already late afternoon, and even though our visas had extended by ten days after the Witch Hunt game, there was something about the setting of the sun that felt foreboding.

We lit up the furniture shop with candles and changed into the clean clothes we’d collected. Seeing Chishiya wearing ordinary clothes felt strange. Aside from when we’d crossed paths in the Tag game, the entire time I’d known him he’d been wearing swim shorts and flip flops.

Now, he emerged from the bathroom wearing grey sweatpants and a variegated blue cardigan that suited him perfectly. When his eyes flickered to mine, I realised I’d been staring, and distracted myself with preparing dinner instead. It wasn’t much, especially since all I had was canned goods and a camping stove, but the vegetable stew kept us warm while we curled up in our makeshift living room. As evening turned to night, however, it became obvious that something was missing.

There are no games.

Kuina chewed on her lip, looking out of the window. ‘What d’you think will happen when our visas run out?’

‘It probably has something to do with the Ten of Hearts,’ I told her. ‘Maybe there’s no need for games anymore, since we’ve got all the numbered cards.’

It didn’t bode well for us. If there were no games by the time our visas ran out, there was no chance of us getting out of the Borderlands. At least not alive.

As the night wore on, Kuina was the first to go upstairs. Covering her yawn with her hand, she waved goodnight and winked at me. I tried not to blush. Not that it made a difference, anyway. Chishiya was busying himself over a scrap of paper, and barely reacted when I smushed up by his side.

I frowned at the paper in his hand. ‘Isn’t that...’

‘Ah.’ He held it out so I could see it. ‘I took it from the tagger’s pocket.’ It was a drawing of a circle with squiggly lines, clearly a rushed sketch of something. In the middle of a line, the pen had stabbed a hole straight through.

‘What is it?’

‘Well, I have an idea,’ he said, but never elaborated.

Fighting the onset of sleep, I leaned my head against his shoulder, paying no mind to the way he tensed beneath me. The fabric of his cardigan was soft as down and made for a perfect pillow. ‘Aren’t you going to tell me?’

‘And if I don’t want to?’

I pushed my face into the fabric, pretending to settle in for the night. ‘Then I’ll just stay here and annoy you until your visa runs out.’

‘I have a feeling that won’t happen any time soon,’ he said, looking out the window.

And that was when I noticed it too. Midnight had passed by only a few minutes ago, yet there were no lasers. Did that mean the Borderlands were at a standstill? Were we stuck here permanently now? I wasn’t aware of how silent I had become, lost in my own thoughts, until Chishiya spoke up.

‘I believe it’s a map.’

My eyes slid to the drawing again. ‘And that hole in the paper, do you think that’s where the others are? The dealers, I mean.’

He shifted uncomfortably and I sat upright, conscious that I might have been unintentionally hurting or bothering him. Looking at the map properly, the lines could represent different interlocking pathways. If the marked place was a hideout of some kind, it couldn’t be in the open streets; there was too big a risk that a player might stumble upon it by accident.

So where...?

As soon as the idea came to mind, the words slipped out of my mouth. ‘The subway....’

He hummed in agreement. ‘I went to the nearest subway station this morning to check it against the real map. It’s a loose fit, but it works.’

I thought back to the second tagger – the crying woman – and how she’d been forced to participate in the game, donning an explosive collar. ‘Maybe if we find the place, we’ll get some answers.’

‘Probably,’ he said. ‘But I’m curious to see if anything changes within the next few days.’

‘Do you think we’ll hear something soon?’ I asked, yawning into my hand.

‘I believe we will.’ He gave me that same half-smile I had grown so used to. ‘But right now, I think you should go to sleep.’

Chishiya didn’t complain when I crawled into his bed. Like the night before, he kept his distance, but I could’ve sworn at times, when my sleeping became lighter throughout the night, I could feel fingers lightly touching my hair, only to pull back the moment I stirred. Over the next few days, it became the norm, and every night I would curl up on my side of the bed, slipping into calm dreams under the blue light of the window.

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

Despite the sunshine washing over the grey of the city, the stairs leading into Minami-Aoyama station descended into darkness. We’d checked and double-checked the drawing against the official subway map several times, but the idea of entering an abandoned station to uncover who knows what wasn’t inviting.

‘Are you sure this is it?’ Kuina asked for the third time.

I looked at the route map hanging over the station entrance, my eyes tracing the shape of the lines. ‘Positive.’

Folding her arms, Kuina went first. I waited for Chishiya to take a small torch from his pocket before following behind. The station was truly submerged in blackness, and if not for Chishiya’s torch, we would have easily become lost. He shone the beam at the paper in his hand, then held it up against each train line.

‘This way,’ he said, and walked towards the edge of the platform.

We hopped down onto the gravel below, using the metal tracks to guide us further into the tunnels. It was disconcerting to see the subway so empty, but with Kuina and Chishiya here, I felt safe somehow.

Several minutes in, Chishiya stopped abruptly, and I almost walked into him. If he reacted at all, I couldn’t see to tell. But he seemed more focused on something else, as he pointed the torch at a door that had been busted open.

‘That must be it.’ Kuina’s voice echoed.  

Without hesitation, Chishiya disappeared through the door, leaving Kuina and I in the darkness.

Chishiya?!

I panicked, arms waving as I tried to find something to hold onto. I heard Kuina hiss as we stumbled into each other and bumped elbows. Feeling around for the door frame, we managed to make our way inside, where Chishiya held his torch at us from further away.

‘Hey!’ Kuina snapped. ‘Don’t do that again! You’re the only one with a light here.’

‘Walk faster then,’ he said, waiting impatiently as we jogged over.

He shone the beam in the opposite direction, where it bounced off something. It was still too dark to tell just what, but as we walked forwards, everything became clearer. A structure lay ahead, with tunnels and walkways all leading into a giant room. Overhead, wires were strung across the ceiling, all feeding into the same place. We entered through one of the tunnels, and my heart jumped.

Televisions. They stared, black and empty, in rows and columns up the walls. But what was even more surprising was the setup right in front of us. It was an office, with papers, pen pots and coffee-stained mugs strewn about on desks. It would have looked like any other workplace, if not for the bodies draped in chairs and across the floor.

‘What... is this?’ I crouched to inspect the body of a man in a suit. Judging from its state, he had only died recently, but more importantly, there was a singed hole running through his head. He had been killed by a laser. ‘They’re not the ones in charge of the games.’

Chishiya closely inspected a desk. ‘Evidently not,’ he said, picking up a folded piece of paper and passing it to me. It was filled with numbers, some ticked off. Whoever it had belonged to was keeping track of their visa.

They’re playing games too, I thought. Or at least, they were.

‘So, these guys were the dealers.’ Kuina gingerly held up a sheet of paper with scribbles all over it. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be odds. ‘They were betting on us,’ she said.  

A shiver ran along my skin. Of course, they had been watching us this whole time, that was expected. But to place bets on our survival was a whole other story. If the dealers were playing too, there must’ve been a separate system for them to extend their days. Perhaps how many people survived each game had some kind of impact on their visas.

A finger lightly brushed the back of my arm and Chishiya appeared beside me. ‘Momoka’s friend,’ I said, ‘she died right after she told everyone she was a dealer. And the taggers died because we won. I have a feeling their visas depended on whether or not we cleared each game... or maybe how many people didn’t make it.’

From his expression, I knew he had been thinking the same thing. ‘It doesn’t explain why they’re all dead now.’

I glanced around at the stiffened bodies slumped around us. ‘Actually, I have a bad feeling about that too.’

At that moment, a tap of footsteps echoed from the entrance. Chishiya instantly turned off his torch and tugged me into one of the tunnels. Kuina joined us and we hid, waiting. The footsteps grew louder, closer, and two torchlights waved through the darkness. I kept my eyes trained on the tunnel opposite as the footsteps paused.

‘Where is this place?’  

‘Who knows?’

With a sigh, I relaxed instantly.

Those two.

It had only been a few days since I had made peace with Arisu and Usagi, but I was glad to see them again. Arisu was cleaned up, his wounds well on the way to healing, while Usagi stared in amazement at the television screens around us.

Chishiya grazed past me as he moved out from under the shadows. ‘You actually found this place,’ he said. ‘As expected from someone I have high hopes for.’  

‘We meet again,’ Kuina said, walking around the desks to lean against the wall.

Arisu and Usagi’s eyes scanned the two of them before stopping at me. They looked visibly confused, probably wondering what I was doing with them after I’d told them I wasn’t involved in Chishiya’s setup. In an attempt at diffusing the awkwardness, I smiled and waved.

‘You guys,’ Usagi whispered. Her voice bordered on distrust, not that anyone could blame her.

I couldn’t tell whether Chishiya was trying to make things better or worse when he held up the full deck of cards and smiled. ‘Thanks to you guys, I have all the playing cards with me,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’

Arisu only looked at him cynically. ‘How did you discover this place?’

Chishiya rooted in his pocket and pulled out the drawing. ‘It took me some time to realise this is actually a map. The route map of the subway.’ He sauntered around the desks. ‘As for what happens when we collect the cards... I thought I would know the answer if I came here.’ His eyes jumped to mine. ‘But there’s something else we discovered instead.’

‘They’re not the gamemasters,’ Arisu said, eyes fixed on the bodies around us.

I stepped over a hand strewn across the floor. ‘カードを集めたので、殺された.’ Because we collected the cards, they were all killed. I struggled for a moment, trying to think of the right words. ‘There must be someone above them.’

Chishiya translated, and Usagi turned to me with worry. ‘But who?’

‘Who knows?’ Chishiya shrugged. ‘They might be aliens... or even God.’

The idea didn’t sound as strange as it should have done. We were in a world where lasers appeared from the sky, and death games were the norm. Even when I first arrived here, I’d wondered whether this was a form of judgement. Nothing was out of the question anymore.

Suddenly, the screens burst into life and white light flooded the room. I jumped, flocking to Chishiya and Kuina’s side.

Have we been caught?

Music reverberated all around us, and the screens displayed all four card suits, along with a message I couldn’t read. It didn’t matter though, as the voice that rang through the speakers was one I remembered well. My stomach dropped.

‘Congratulations to all players!’

The screens blurred until Mira’s wild eyes and subdued smile came into focus. It was now obvious why the Ten of Hearts had taken place at the Beach at the very moment things had fallen apart.

She must’ve been feeding information back, I thought. But back to where?

‘How interesting,’ Chishiya said. Seeking stability, I slipped a hand into his pocket. There was a slight hesitation before his fingers laced around mine.

Mira’s voice shook with a quiet excitement. ‘With the exception of the face cards, you’ve all cleared the numbered games and emerged as victors. It’s a sweet victory, gained by sacrificing so many lives.’ Her expression turned wistful as she stood. ‘I wonder, how many of your comrades have died. Try remembering those who were shot dead with guns.’

A single screen switched to show footage from a miscellaneous game. A group were stood, clutching their guns as they inspected the scatter of bodies across the ground.

They’ve been recording us.

‘And that girl you burned alive.’

A second display opened up, revealing several players watching on as a girl, engulfed in flames, struggled and clawed at her skin and clothes. I held my breath, Niragi’s animalistic cries ringing through my memory.

‘Those struck by lasers, and those that drowned.’

My eyes widened, and I gripped Chishiya’s hand as the inside of the furniture store appeared on-screen. The fractured image of myself flinched, quivering with shock, as the first man and Green Shirt leapt from their seats, only to crumple to the ground, lasers piercing them where they stood.

Chishiya’s fingers squeezed mine, and I gasped, blinking away the image. He must’ve seen it too.

‘Those who’s heads were blown off,’ Mira continued, dreamily. ‘Those comrades of yours, the despair you’ve felt so far, and those dying moments you’ll never forget.’

The screen changed once more, and from the corner of my eye, Arisu winced. Following his gaze, I recognized his partner from the Tag game, his neck exploding around a collar.

I’m so sorry....

Meanwhile, Mira’s expression shifted into pure, childlike delight. ‘Everyone... I’m so touched!’ She held her hand over her heart. ‘All of you players, we’d like to give you a present.’

We?

Chishiya tensed slightly. He had noticed it too. If Mira wasn’t the only gamemaster, just who were the others?

Although Mira couldn’t hear us, Kuina mumbled, ‘Are you returning us to the real world?’

It seemed too good to be true, and sure enough, it was. Mira clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘There will be new games! Let’s play more games together and fight for the face cards this time!’

Aside from Chishiya, everyone sank with disappointment and fear. Just how much more would we have to deal with before we could go home? If we were competing for the face cards, did that mean there were only twelve more games in total, or would there be repeat cards like there were for the numbered ones?

Kuina groaned. ‘New games? You’re kidding.’

‘I don’t dislike the idea,’ Chishiya murmured.

I looked at him, curious. ‘What do you mean?’

His expression was guarded, but before he could reply, Mira’s voice cut in again. ‘The next stage will commence tomorrow at noon. Everyone, let’s have fun together!’

All at once, the screens shut down, leaving us all in the darkness once more. Everything was quiet as we came to terms with what had just happened. It was Arisu who first suggested that we get out of here. Him and Usagi disappeared back through the tunnel, and with one glance at Chishiya and I, Kuina followed.

My fingers were still interlaced with his, hidden within the warmth of his pocket. He was watching me, waiting.

‘These games,’ I said. ‘They’re going to be harder than the others.’

He was silent for a moment. ‘Probably.’

‘About what you said before...’ I began. ‘Do you remember that time on the rooftop of the Beach, when I asked you if you were okay, and you told me it shouldn’t matter to me.’

I could see him thinking back. ‘I remember.’

‘What I said then still stands. You might not care about your own life, and I can’t stop you from taking part in these new games.’ I bit my lip, unable to face him as my eyes began tearing up. ‘Perhaps this is selfish of me, but you need to survive. And if you can’t do it for yourself, then....’

He sighed. ‘You cry too much.’ When I looked up, his lips were curled into that same, familiar smile, only this time, there was nothing cruel or condescending there. ‘We should find the others.’

Wiping my eyes with the edge of my sleeve, I finally let go of his hand, following him back out and through the tunnels. As we climbed the steps of the station, emerging into daylight, a series of loud bangs resounded throughout the city. The others were peering up at the skyscrapers towering over us, and the fireworks that burst like flowers against the sunlight.

‘Let’s make a new deal,’ Chishiya said, idly watching the display. ‘I’ll survive, if you return the favour.’

I looked to him, admiring the way his hair shifted in the breeze, and how the reflection of the fireworks danced in his dark eyes.

Let’s go home together.

‘It’s a deal.’

[13eyond13]

Well, that's the thing, he established a contrast between L and all the other characters, even though he said he could never have created the other characters either, and only said of L that he didn't feel real for him. That's why it never sat well for me, despite it being a good opinion at first glance.

And I agree. I read some similar things about both Near and Mello in the How to read while checking for that information. I'm not too surprised either about what you say about Platinum End, though I have not read it myself. I don't rely much on them either to form my opinion besides what's in the text, I agree it seems like the best choice all things considering. Like the Ryuzaki thing having to do with L and R sounding similar, I see that, but prefer to roll with Another Note here. It works wonderfully with it being Beyond Birthday's real name (I was this 👌 close to start rambling about identity again but goodness what a wonderful messy thing L has going on there). And still the washing machine bugged me, I couldn't help it. I thought for the longest time it was some kind of absurd joke headcanon popular in the DN fandom and I liked it a lot more as such xD

I don't like to dismiss completely File no. 15 though! I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion (pseudo ☕), but I love that L visits museums and likes art, and that he enjoys going to the park at times, and maybe I'm biased due to my background, but I adore and find so thought inspiring that he finished the demonstration in his first case with "Q.E.D."! The message is long again (with the new limitless asks it's easy to get carried away), but I wanted to add some positive things. I didn't mean to sound so bitter and negative in the other messages, sorry about that.

May I ask what are some of your own unpopular opinions? You don't have to reply, of course.

Oh, I didn't know the asks became limitless recently 😆 No worries, you didn't sound bitter! I tend to like being a bit critical or negative as a way of analyzing or attempting to discuss stuff honestly as well, and that's bound to happen in unpopular opinion sharing. I think it's valid to still be bothered by those things in the HTR13. I was just explaining how much I prioritize it or let it affect my feelings personally when it comes to my own interpretations of things.

Oh man, I haven't thought about my own unpopular opinions in a long time! But I think I made a list of them once in an ask I received way back in the day... I'll copy some here and then add some others, too.

I hope I don't offend anyone with these opinions, I'm not saying these are objectively true or anything but my own subjective takes, but

Some Unpopular Opinions:

-I think Misa is a worse person than Light and would rather hang out with him and be friends with him than with her. This is mostly because of how differently he acted upon losing his memories whereas she stayed almost exactly the same.

-I strongly prefer the manga to the anime because I think it's better written, more consistent, funnier, prettier, and more in-depth with all the characters and themes. I love stuff about the anime like the music, but I don't think the changes the anime made to L such as seemingly giving him regretful emotions before his death and little flashbacks to his past were automatically improvements on his manga self. I think he was far more original and complex as a character without that other stuff added in

-I LOVE LIGHT YAGAMI and can’t comprehend not loving him because he’s such a good character. Roasting him is always fun, but just straight up hating on him with no sense of humour about it is boring to me

-L is probably my all-time fave character but at the same time I think he can get a bit boring after a while if he isn’t fleshed out more in shippy fanfics and things. I love it when people give him a backstory and an interesting life in fics that go in-depth, because otherwise he can be left too much of a question mark

-Lawlight is both my favourite ship and also something I find a little overrated in the fandom at times. I think it's a really entertaining ship as an uncertain one full of tension and mind-games, but when it comes to actually putting them into a secure and loving relationship I end up getting easily bored by it

-sometimes I think Wammy's is overrated in the fandom compared to the other interesting characters and stuff in the series as well. I would love to see a little more exploration of the task force and SPK and mafia and such instead

-I think Higuchi was actually pretty nice to Misa on their date and the only thing that was awkward was that he lunged at her a little in the car when he got excited, lol

-I love Kiyomi and think it’s so silly to hate on her just because she killed Mello, he kidnapped her and made her strip at gunpoint first. I also think she gets blamed more harshly for things the guys also do sometimes, both by the characters in the story and by fans

-I don't believe Matsuda is as much of a pure cinnamon roll as some people seem to think, but he's more interesting with that darker side included in his characterization too

-I LOVE NEAR and think he’s so funny, and one of the most three-dimensional characters in the manga

-I think it was a good story choice that L died when he did and that he wasn't the final one in the warehouse showdown (though if I had only watched the anime that probably wouldn't be the case)

-I like that the story says that all the characters go to MU no matter what they do. I don't see it as just an edgy nihilistic thing which we should pretend isn't part of the story due to being too depressing to think about. In my opinion it's important to include it because it forces the audience to draw their own conclusions about the actions we see onscreen, and who we choose to sympathize with or condemn. If there was some sort of afterlife consequences based on the characters' morality it would easily become way too weirdly preachy or annoyingly nonsensical for me. And I respect how permanent the character deaths are because it would weaken the dramatic stakes and lessen the tension a lot if characters could arbitrarily come back from the dead

[dreamersleeps]

I keep re-reading MHA 299 and I know many are upset Hawks is standing up for Endeavor but... I get the whole chapter was setting up that Hawks is going to commit suicide by heroically protecting Endeavor. He doesn’t want to look at the alternative because it just adds to the tragedy of his life, but also because he wants to die. He probably feels he doesn’t HAVE to investigate it at ALL because what does it do for him? He’ll be dead and it won’t be something he has to worry about.

Hello, it’s nice to talk to you again! :) So I’m not sure if this is the response you were looking for cause I just sat down, began writing and it kinda went off topic? I’m not entirely sure, but thank you for sending your thoughts and opinions in!

I read over Chapter 299 a few more times and I’m not sure if I really interpreted it as Hawks wanting to die. However I think I can kind of see what you mean by he’s going to commit suicide in the sense that (depending on the outcome) the action of Hawks going to help Endeavor is “suicide” in that it is his choice. 

I think the root of my interpretation lies with my opinion that while Horikoshi does work with heavy and difficult subjects, I can not see him ending the story of Hawks’ with death. While I think he could die in a metaphorical or symbolic way (something I believe has already happened when he took Jin’s life) when his story ends, a physical death is not impossible.

Just to express my train of thoughts easier, the following panels are not in the exact order of how they appear. 

"Endeavor’s in Trouble” 

I can see how you could interpret what Hawks says as him “standing up” for Endeavor but I did not really read it in that way. Standing up for him implies that he is in a way “okay” with what Endeavor has done in the past, and if we get more on Hawks’ thoughts later it will be clearer on where he stands but if this is all we get, I’d argue that he is not “letting things slide,” because it’s Endeavor. 

All we currently have is that Hawks states, “Endeavor’s in trouble.” I think he’s most likely referring to Dabi here. 

I guess you could argue that he may commit metaphorical suicide by choosing to help Endeavor. If we want to continue pursuing the Icarus narrative: then even after falling and after gaining his freedom, Hawks chooses to head towards Endeavor, or the sun again.  

So as you convey, this is the controversial page. 

“Even if what Dabi says about the Todoroki family is true... I know things are different now.” 

The inclusion of Hawks’ memory of Shouto and Endeavor is very, very important here. It appears in the middle of this sentence. I’d argue that Hawks here was not brushing off or ignoring what happened in the Todoroki household, and again this is mainly because of the inclusion of the memory which happens during the Endeavor Internship arc. This is how he is thinking through the situation. Seeing as we get a glimpse of Hawks’ past memories, I’m sure that he has been contemplating about everything that was revealed by Dabi. Especially considering that Hawks most likely can relate to Touya to a certain extent. 

Hawks’ hero career involved a lot of him having to collect information, analyze information and reach a conclusion in order for him to act upon it. Perhaps that is why when he states, “I know things are different now,” it comes off as very bold. I think the boldness of his statement is what may have upset people but I think it has to do with the way he’s been trained to think. 

The secret missions Hawks had to undertake while working for the Hero Public Safety Commission required one to detach their job from their individual feelings and thoughts. He must not let sentiments get in the way. 

Sentiments 

As always, I like to include definitions of words I find very important that could be understood differently based on who you are - what are sentiments? A couple definitions that come up in the dictionary are: 

1) an attitude, thought, or judgment prompted by feeling, 2) an idea colored by emotion (Merriam-Webster) and 3) exaggerated and self-indulgent feelings of tenderness, sadness or nostalgia (dictionary) 

We see that feelings and emotion get in the way with his job when Hawks confronts Jin. Hawks had a connection and relationship with Jin that he did not have in his life. As we see below in Chapter 265 even Dabi points this out, “Looks like sentiment tripped you up after all, hero!” Yes, ultimately Hawks takes Jin’s life but I do believe he was hesitant and did not want to. The dialogue between the two has Hawks expressing that he believes that Jin is a good person who was dealt an unlucky hand in life. 

While he does convey that he wants to “save” Jin by helping him but after already assessing the threat he believed Jin posed and with the arrival of Dabi, Hawks weights his options and chooses to take his life. 

From a detached, cold reading of this scene, Hawks does mess up. His hesitance distracts him and makes himself vulnerable to Dabi’s attack which badly burns him, and he loses a large portion of his feathers. 

Now I’m only going to focus on the fact that Hawks takes Jin’s life and the thinking that went behind it. I’m not here to discuss in depth about my thoughts and opinions on the matter however I think by the end of this post, you may have an idea on where I stand.  

What is a hero? 

Okay, my wording here is confusing but I’m going to try the best I can to convey what I’m trying to get at. There is also the idea of the two concepts of heroism that float around the manga: 1) working as hero as an occupation and being able to fulfill that role, and then 2) one who we label as a hero/heroic in how they think and act. For both we think of saving, strength, power, charisma, etc. 

Then there are the other qualities we tend to associate with the second concept of who/what a hero is: being selfless and compassionate, having moral integrity, showing concern for others no matter who it is and being understanding of others’ perspectives. There are others as well but these are what come to mind at the moment. 

While the qualities I list above can be associated with heroes in general, in BNHA there has been an effort to differentiate at least two different concepts of heroism. The biggest example was with the introduction of the character Stain. If the reader had not been questioning hero society beforehand, Stain told us directly to think critically and refrain from being passive like the characters in the story. Due to the emergence of quirks, there were those whose quirks deemed “unacceptable” by society, their existence often leading to a difficult life or being  labeled as a villain. The demand for heroes created the concept of the hero as a job. 

And so heroes became celebrities. They are rich and influential, and they cover the cities with their faces to sell and endorse products. Even the physical copies of the BNHA manga have ads of various pro-heroes selling products in the back. There’s plenty of other criticisms that you could talk about such as the Hero Billboard Chart. 

While the older pro-heroes seem to have lost or never embodied the meaning of what the reader may argue as “being a true hero,” we see that there is a difference with the students, but first let’s go back to Hawks and Twice again. 

Yes, Hawks attempts to save Jin but the outcome is that he takes his life instead. Definitely not what the act of saving is supposed to look like. As seen above, Hawks had already verbalized that he may have to kill Jin. I’ll also throw in that I felt like Hawks was looking down at him in pity (like he does with his parents) and determines that Jin is need of saving. Hawks reaches that conclusion himself. But that is not what happens. Instead he decides that the death, or “sacrifice” of an individual is worth it if he can save hundreds or thousands of others. In this way you could argue that he has successfully acted to fulfill his job as a hero. But, as many people were wondering: 

Aren’t heroes supposed to save everyone? 

Perhaps one of the defining qualities of a hero is that they chose to save indiscriminately or most importantly, whoever they can reach. 

In the same arc we get Midoriya who is faced with a very similar situation. Shigaraki poses as a significant threat to the heroes and the rest of Japan. Midoriya knows that Shigaraki can wipe out all of those he holds dear to him and the rest of Japan if he is not stopped. Midoriya sees firsthand Shigaraki’s terrifying and destructive powers, his friends, teachers and allies being critically injured. He is with the knowledge that the people in his life and millions others may lose their lives. 

When faced with such a horrifying outcome, would stopping Shigaraki be enough? I’m assuming that taking his life would have been a very tempting option. To take a life to save millions of lives.

But even after all that we get this page spread of Midoriya’s final thoughts before he loses consciousness at the end of Chapter 295. 

Midoriya chooses compassion. 

The juxtaposition of Midoriya’s thoughts and image gave me chills when I first saw it. We see the outcome of the conflict: a quiet, lifeless city in ruins with the dust in the process of settling. This is the result of Shigaraki’s destruction. The reality that there are thousands of civilians who got hurt, are critically injured or even dead hangs heavy in the air. When society chose to ignore Shigaraki and the heroes chose to label him as an evil, unredeemable villain, Midoriya has chosen to look directly at him. 

Based on the first concept of what a hero is/does according to hero society, Midoriya dues not fulfill his duty as a hero after failing to defeat Shigaraki, however based on the second concept because he chooses compassion he has begun to embody the ideals of who a hero truly is.

Hawks is tripped up by sentiments but acts to finish the job the way he sees fit. 

exaggerated and self-indulgent feelings of tenderness, sadness or nostalgia 

He tries to be compassionate and understanding but isn’t. He has an image of Jin he created himself that is not the true Jin, hence why they are mere sentiments. He chooses to focus on his mission because he does not actual understand how Jin was feeling. This results in him looking past Jin’s life to protect the lives of millions of others. In contrast, Midoriya recognizes Shigaraki, the person who is standing immediately in front of him. In its purest form, to be a hero means to save indiscriminately and to save those you can reach. 

Being a hero as a career in BNHA becomes tricky as it means to defeat and take down villains, and choosing who to save as Hawks demonstrates. 

However to save someone like Shigaraki, Dabi or Toga (who were all let down by hero society) requires someone to take the more difficult path to reach a hand out with selflessness, compassion, and understanding. It seems that Midoriya, Shouto and Ochako will be the ones to extend their hands to them. 

“Starting With my Origin” 

Children often are only able to understand and grasp basic concepts. A hero is someone who saves you, or puts a smile on your face. We get a glimpse back in to Hawks’ childhood, to that innocent concept of heroes that Hawks had. 

As they say, “Never meet your idols/heroes” mainly because they are not actually who they are portrayed to be. The world looks very simple when you are younger, black and white, but as you grow and experience more of life, you start to begin to see just how complicated things are. There are way more gray areas when you begin to look closely. 

Similarly, Hawks does not see him in the same lens as he did in his childhood. He understands that the image of Endeavor he had when he was younger is not who Endeavor actually is. I don’t think that Hawks’ decision to want to go help him was made without thought. He takes in information and contemplates on it until he makes a conclusion. For someone who was actively seeking out more information, I’m wondering if all he has is what Dabi has stated. We have to remember that the information we have as the reader is not the same as the characters in the story. I’d also argue that he is not ignoring what Dabi has said but taking into consideration the past and whether Endeavor is working to change. 

Now that he is most likely no longer working for the Hero Public Safety Commission, he is free to do as he please, and as seen earlier, he chooses to walk towards Endeavor. The team up between the two in Fukuoka, and the ambush against the League of Villains and Meta liberation army may have strengthened their relationship but Hawks wanting to help Endeavor this time does not stem from hero work. 

Wanting to help Endeavor will put him directly on the path towards Dabi. 

Like you, some people believe that he may as in consequence for his actions, he will ultimately crash in to the ocean like Icarus, and die. The final fall. Perhaps his mistake will be that he will choose to pick Endeavor over Dabi, or find himself in a position where he may believe he has to take Dabi’s life away as well. 

Others believe that Hawks has had his Icarus fall already but will learn from the consequences of his actions. He’s died, but has been reborn like a phoenix. Shouto will be meeting Dabi again as well, and as we’ve seen, like Midoriya, he sees Touya as a person: his brother. He even identifies himself to him. I’ve seen people talking about and hoping for a team up between Hawks and Shouto so we’ll see what happens if they do. 

I’m going to bring the very last page back, but most of Chapter 299 has to do with Hawks’ childhood. His mother would ask him about why he was born and what the point of his wings were for and Hawks’ answer is to save people.

“Starting with my origin, so to speak... Endeavor’s in trouble.” 

We get a focus, visually to Hawks’ back. The origins of what allowed Hawks to save and be a hero: his fierce wings quirk, and it looks his wings are healing and growing back. I think you could also see it as him referring to Endeavor as well. The hero who saved him when he was a child, could also be seen as his origin.

During the High End vs Endeavor fight in Chapter 190, we see some of Hawks’ insecurities. Hawks is/was insecure about his back, and that is where his wings are. This was during the time when Hawks was working as a hero because it was his job. He did have that desire to save people but it was only a muted motivation behind what he did: he worked as a hero as a job first. I’m wondering if things have changed. 

Putting this all together, I think I’m currently leaning towards the second possible outcome from what I listed before. If Hawks can go back to his origin and become someone who tries to embody the true heroism. Of course he’ll stumble but it’ll still be a drastic change from how he had been living before. 

While I understand that many people are upset about these panels, I think we have to wait to see what will happen. To be honest, while I’d personally prefer the second outcome, I think I would be satisfied with either outcome. 

As the reader, we certainly can argue that Hawks is a tragic character however I’m not sure if Hawks considers his life as “tragic.” I think he will continue to do what he can as I feel like he defines his purpose based on what he does.

So will Hawks be tripped up on sentiments again, or will he be able to think and be understanding like Midoriya? 

As for now, I think it may be the first. 

[mrpenguinpants]

Lisa and Diluc: Book Bonding HCs

Ah..I remember getting this so long ago..and only now am I writing it. I am so sorry inquiring anon I hope you are still there;; But don’t worry too much^^ and I totally get the Lisa and Diluc ship. The manga gave them some moments and Lisa is so mysterious but I’m into it. I might have piggybacked off it hehe. 

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Okay, today’s appreciation post goes to sweetstrawberrybabe. I’m going to see if I add people’s @ in the tag list then maybe tumblr will be okay with it. [WHY ARE YOU NOT OKAY WITH IT] Hopefully. Honestly, with you I don’t think it matters since you’re mach 20 speed and I can always count on you to pop up in my activity haha. But ty for the really fast and constant support and I love the aesthetic of your blog. 

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[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji  @mikeysbike @unionwitch @musekala @twistedsunnshiii @stanzastic @akaasea @xoneaboveallx @adoring-ghost @asheseiler @childelover @dilucsz​ 

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Lisa and Diluc: Book Bonding HCs

It first started when Jean had sent Lisa to investigate Diluc about the evil eye delusion his father had. He was in the garden at the time and it was her first time visiting this specific part of the Dawn Winery. She and Diluc were more on acquaintance terms, both of them working in their own way to protect and serve the City of Freedom, but not close enough to be considered close friends. It was a bit of a passing joke she made when she recommended him a gardening book specifically on cecilia flowers that was in a specific section in the library.  That if he ever decided to switch career’s and become a florist she would have the book on hold. 

As much of an intellectual Lisa was, she couldn’t peer into the future, so she was a bit surprised to see Diluc walk into the library right when it struck noon. His aloof nature only made him nod at her before he retreated to a corner to the library. Well, it didn’t matter to Lisa. Just so long as he was quiet and didn’t disturb anyone else then he could do what he wanted. He never took out a book out, just simply flipping through the collection Mondstadt had to see if anything peaked his interest. After a while of him loitering and scanning the pages, Lisa had enough of this awkward tension and recommended that if we was interested in cecilia flowers, it was on the bottom floor, right most corner. 

From then on, it seemed to be almost a weekly ritual. Diluc would come in and Lisa would direct him to a different part of the library that she thought he might be interested in. First starting with things that the winery business man that Diluc was would be interested in. Different plants that could be added to distill wine or how potatoes could make something call vodka only seen in Snezhnaya. But then it turned into personal interests, Lisa was well aware of Diluc’s night activities so she recommended books written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. He simply sighs under his breath and mentioned he already read it before. She chuckled at that and said that Kaeya had mentioned he read it when he was young. She was simply wondering if he would humour her or not.  

Lisa still keeps her charming persona and was never bothered by Diluc’s aloof personality and likewise, Diluc respects her but never understood why she only remains as the Favonius librarian. He’s seen the “cauldron” she made and that she only uses it for warming tea. Lisa catches on quick to his shifting attention and invites him for tea time. At first Diluc declines, he’s far to busy to be having “tea time” which cause Lisa to chuckle. 

Lisa enjoys the small things in life. Even when she has to collect overdue books it’s a time for her to catch up with others and enjoy the slowness of the days. While her life is a nice and steady drawl, Diluc’s is always set to max with broken brakes. She always feels a tiny bit of pity whenever Diluc makes his weekly visits to see if anything new or interesting came in, which she’s always happy to provide, but she can’t help but feel this is his little escape. Even if Diluc’s stay is short it’s nice to see him wander about rather than staying cooped up in the tavern or working on what the winery needs. 

Diluc began to find his weekly visits with Lisa slow but pleasant. Walking into the quiet but warm library early in the morning to see the ever present librarian sitting at the counter like a languid cat, yawning and giving him a small wave, mentioning that Sarah finally found the overdue book she was missing and if he was interested in reading it, before going back to her nap. She always offered for him to stay a bit and keep her company but even still, Diluc always declined. 

Until one day, Diluc found himself with a free day and found himself back at the library. Lisa seems a bit surprised to see him on an off day but smiles charmingly and offers once again, if he would like to keep her company and have some tea together. To his surprise, he agrees. 

It became a bit of a tradition for them both. Diluc would come in at least once a week, ask if she had any thing to recommend, she would point him to a section on the library, and they would have tea together until it was time for him to leave. During their tea time chats they always seem to talk about everything and nothing. It was fitting that Lisa was the librarian since she herself had a library of information and trivia locked tight in her mind but sometimes they just sat in silence and read. They still aren’t on the same page as close friends but they are definitely closer than acquaintances. But the day is too slow and too fast to worry about labels. 

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I FINISHED MY QUOTA!! I ended up just writing this at work on my phone so if there’s any typo’s that’s probably why. God, why do we live in a society that needs money. I want to go back to caveman times where we 1v1 for a dying corpse of an animal. Time to commit sleep [I’ll answer everyone tmr^^] and hopefully wake up at 6 so I can get a few hours head start on the next fics. 

I don’t want to make these shorter than my usual posts because people have been waiting on them for a very very long time but holy jesus I might have to because I can’t keep up. I’m going to crash and burn one day and sleep the entire 24 hours. But we’re gonna try! Tomorrow’s 3 fics are on Diluc and Childe. 

[frightfurtabby]

Himikiyo Week 2021 Day 2! Bookstore Ambience

// Likewise with yesterdays entry, amino crossposting to be added later. i feel this one’s pretty damn cute

later edit- all links will be collected later in an individual post that will act as a guide/directory.

Word count: 1837

Link

AO3- https://archiveofourown.org/works/34138636

Amino- https://aminoapps.com/c/danganronpa/page/blog/himikiyo-week-day-2-bookstore-ambience/d3DX_eE8Sbum1JjvngPBwrwNV6mNR1eD7WR

A first date, depending on who you asked, was either more nerve wracking or less so than you expect. Kiyo wasn’t sure which they’d agree with but nonetheless they were fretting. Pacing back and forth in their office at the university. A cute teacher from another department had ended up inviting them out on a date, like a date date. They’d been on the job for a few years now but hardly socialized much outside the other anthropology staff who were understanding of at least some of their eccentricities.

Then just before the start of the previous semester the college hired a new batch of professors including one taking a spot over in the English department in a room in just the opposite hall. So they would see her often in the mornings downstairs in line at Coffee place, usually she was to the back of the line and they’d cross paths when Kiyo was going up with their usual order. The first sighting was like this, and entirely by chance as the anthropologist had to turn to answer a colleague briefly and eye contact was made with the cute redhead in line just over the other’s shoulder, Himiko Yumeno.  

They soon hit it off, spending time talking to each other in between class periods in one room, the other, or in the previously mentioned cafe. About work, future plans, what they did in their spare time. Kiyo was always busy doing work, research generally and most of their interests revolved around it and there were days in a row just immersing themself in study. It was like that for as long as they could remember, though what in particular they were fascinated by changed over time.

Legends of monsters, legends of heroes, artifacts left behind, Asia, North America, Africa, they’d deep dive into something and come out the other end being aware of enough to teach their students in extreme detail. Little did they know at the time but in a moment of serendipity just before they met Himiko they felt a pull toward researching the history of magic. And then it turned out that she was interested in that as well.

There were very few days they didn’t find a chance to talk. They had a shared routine every day, and now was a step up.

Kiyo adjusted their collar and tie before straightening out the skirt a bit more and wondered if it was all a little too formal and they were overthinking this. They did tend to do that kind of thing after all. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of an issue, Himiko was definitely understanding of that kind of thing, they knew that much already. There were also the times they’d complained of that trait and she called it “adorable.”

It was to a bookstore with a cafe in it, so they didn’t need to be terribly formal. Kiyo remembered that it was taking place at around 8 tonight and looked over at the clock and realized that it was much sooner than they thought. She would be showing up any moment. Time went somewhere while they were lost in thought so they quickly put on their shoes, grabbed an umbrella just in case and headed out to the bus stop that was only a few blocks away.

The couple met while Himiko was sitting on the bench still, tapping away at her phone to text Kiyo to make sure everything was alright.

She looked up after hearing footsteps and sighed in relief. “You never seemed much like the type to show up late.”

“My apologies.”

“You also never seemed like the type to straight up ditch either, so…” she blushed and looked over down sheepishly. “I was getting a little worried something happened and you couldn’t pick me up as soon.”

“I got a bit distracted. I-” their explanation started as they took a break with her to sit and rest, arm wrapping around her shoulders.

“Was trying to make yourself extra cute for me?” the redhead teased, putting an arm around them right back and leaning in cutely..

“I… yes, I won’t deny that.” It was a cloudy evening and the autumn breeze blew downed leaves past where they had sat and began to cuddle on the bench. “You know how it is sometimes.”

“Yeah, I remember the time you genuinely didn’t grasp that the poetry I had been showing you for your input was, in fact, about you.”

Kiyo chuckled. “Oh god yeah, that took me a few to even have an inkling of it going on. I just might be the most useless lesbian ever.”

“Mmm, you’re useful for warmth sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?”

“Hehe, y-you know what I mean. Like right now, it’s a bit chilly but you being here makes it not so bad.” The first date was finally here, after they had planned it to be a day they were both free. So the woman was going to savor every moment of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The couple approached the doors of the date location holding hands, under the umbrella. Skin made cold by the walk over in spite of hands sharing warmth. Small flecks of rain along the top of the umbrella dripped down. Inside, Kiyo instantly felt the warmth of the building. It wasn’t a long trek at all, if it was they would have done this by car. Everything around here was luckily close to the campus, including home.

The umbrella was put back in its holder, so as not to drip all over the place. It would be rude to do so.

Kiyo turns and gives Himiko a peck on the cheeks. “Food and coffee first, darling?”

The shorter woman nodded and smiled. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

It was just to the back left corner from the entrance. Rows and rows of enticing books had to be passed by before you could reach it, but who would come and not buy anything? Romance, sci-fi and fantasy, Manga and light novels too were all present.

After ordering, they got one booth to share, and sat down at the same side. Kiyo’s umbrella, bag, and jacket sat on the ground on the very inside corner. Everything they had ordered would be coming up, and luckily there wasn’t that much of a line on evening’s like this. The barista was even a student from university and had recognized them. It was awkward at first but Kiyo joked that it would be interesting to see which class would become fully aware they were dating first.”Let’s turn it into an experiment. Who has more Gossips attending their lectures?”

And they were glad that put her more at ease. It felt nice gently rubbing Himiko’s shoulder with their hand as she leaned in and placed a kiss on their cheek.

“Well, I sure hope it’s not mine. That’d be a pain.” she said to play into the gag a bit more. “Besides, it’d be fitting for your class.”

Kiyo feigned offense, mock gasping “Hey now what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, just you observant types over in anthropology, always wanting to know everything you can about how people work. I can see that tendency being correlated.”

They had told her previously they thought about doing more research for a paper about something like that after listening to some of their colleagues, ironic though it may be, gossipping about student rumors.

“Point taken.” Kiyo returned her smooch with their own, directly on her forehead.

The coffee and tea arrived first. So the talk continued with the added benefit of drinks. Himiko changed the subject to books on her to-read list. “You know there’s this new book I’ve been thinking of assigning in a future quarter, I’d have to read it first.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s about this girl that finds out that she has magical powers and gets some training, eventually she encounters a strange, beautiful spirit and they fall in love. I always feel like courses need a little more gay love. Oh, and the author is too, so the representation is genuine.”

KIyo nodded and listened. “That’s very good. Perhaps we’ll get a couple copies? I’ll pay. I’ll also be getting a few things that have been on my list for a while.”

They held hands, sat so close. Hans resting between both of their legs. It was such a good time to fit in cuddling any time there was a little lull in the action of the date. Some time to lazily place kisses.

Right on cue the meal arrived. Breakfast for dinner was a classic, from the bacon egg and cheese on croissant to the pie slices as a dessert. Reluctantly, they separated to more easily eat and drink.

“This is as good as it usually is, mmm, actually, it’s even better.” Himiko said, taking their hand again.

“I agree. I don’t know if coming alone will cut it for me any more.” Kiyo leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Shall we move on to the next leg, or savor this moment some more?”

The food was finished or wrapped up for later.

After a few more minutes cuddling in the booth, the couple looked through the aisles closer to the cafe portion first and Kiyo’s stack started, growing through each section until they had to split the load and have Himiko carry some.

“Sheesh, I thought you were only getting a few.” she complained, intending it to be lighthearted.

“My list is quite long.” Kiyo replied with a chuckle.

“Guess this is why you needed the bag then. If this was only a few I have to imagine it’s as long as you are.”

“Oh my~” the tall one replied, complete with suggestive eyebrow wiggling.

“Kiyo! Not like that, I meant your height. Did Iruma from the Engineering department teach you that one?”

As that line of discussion thankfully ceased the couple came to the one Himiko was looking for, it was up front on the display close to the cashier. She picked up one copy and put it on her pile and handed the second over to Kiyo.

“We could have, like, a little book club date. Just the two of us.” If only it weren’t so difficult to nuzzle close due to all these books, she thought.

“I think I’d enjoy that. Your company is always a pleasure darling.” They briefly leaned up close, cutely brushing against her before leading the way to check out.

Himiko blushed. “Yeah this was nice, we should do it more often.”

With a couple of coupons Kiyo kept in their pocket the price was cut down, but still cracked 12,000 yen. They stuffed the back full and carried it over their shoulder. Umbrella similarly along their back for if it would be needed again.

Arms wrapped around each other, the couple walked out and noticed the rain had stopped for now, and it would be dry on the bus trips back home.

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 4 - The Track Meet (Part 4)

Merry Christmas guys

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Not really a translation note but King calls Kakeru a “hentai” as in pervert here

Previous | Next

At the second TSU meet at the end of June, Prince finally got a time of 16:58:14. All of the members of Chikusei-sou had at last earned the right to participate in the Hakone Ekiden qualifiers.

After the race was over, the residents joined hands in a corner of the field and rejoiced. They danced in a circle with their hands still joined as their happiness intensified. They continued to turn around in their ring formation, which looked like a ceremony to summon a UFO, until a totally exhausted Prince sank down to the ground.

Kakeru didn’t join the circle, instead watching the residents from a short distance away. He did feel happy and relieved that they were able to participate in the qualifiers now, but he thought that it was too early to be that happy.

Seeing the excited members of Chikusei-sou, the runners from other universities started murmuring to each other.

“I heard that they can join the qualifiers now. That’s pretty good.”

“But there’s no way they’re going to pass the qualifiers, no matter how you look at it.”

“Well, it’ll be a nice memory, so isn’t it fine?”

They talked among themselves, laughing slightly. Kakeru could keenly sense the various implications in those laughs.

Spotting Kakeru standing a short distance away from the circle, TSU’s Sakaki approached him.

“I heard you guys are aiming for Hakone. Make sure not to embarrass yourselves at the qualifiers.”

Kakeru glared at him. He was frustrated, but couldn’t say anything back.

“Kakeru.”

Kiyose waved him over, and he left Sakaki to walk over to the circle.

“You all did a great job,” Kiyose said, showing his appreciation simply. “We’re a step closer to Hakone. From now on, we’ll train to increase our distances. But first, we’ll have a grand party tonight; after our evening jog, gather in the twins’ room.”

“Woohoo!” the twins cheered. Kakeru hid cool feelings beneath his smile. We have parties all the time, don’t we?

He called to mind each member’s best official records at this point in time.

Kakeru   14:09:95

Haiji                 14:20:24

Musa      14:49:46

Jouji                15:03:08

Jouta      15:04:58

Yuki        15:36:45

Shindou  15:39:23

Nico-chan       15:59:49

King                16:03:83

Prince             16:58:14

They were now able to participate in the qualifiers, but rather than being set free from his impatience, Kakeru’s mind was becoming increasingly filled with frustration. That was why the alcohol didn’t taste good at all even during the party in the twins’ room. Unable to join in with the rowdy atmosphere, Kakeru sat by the window.

Kiyose’s home cooking was almost entirely eaten up, and after taking a rest, the residents all began to praise Prince.

“I was afraid of what might happen, but Prince pulled through,” King said.

“Today’s last spurt was amazing. You made it to the finish line in just under seventeen minutes,” Shindou said.

“Yes. Prince’s gallant figure brought a few tears to my eyes,” Musa said.

As a reward for Prince, the twins presented him with the weekly manga magazine that had gone on sale early, which they had gone to buy from the shopping district. He immediately put aside his drink and started reading it at rapid speed. Nico-chan and Yuki laughed as they watched him.

Irritated, Kakeru muttered, “Is it that great?”

Startle gazes gathered and fell on Kakeru. Unable to stop now, he spoke again.

“Prince-san’s time is not something to be proud of.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” Prince agreed, nodding without lifting his eyes from his magazine.

“What do you mean by that, Kakeru?” Jouta stormed, turning on him. Even Jouji, who was always cheerful, protested with a forceful tone.

“Prince-san shortened his time a lot in three months, you know? If he keeps going at this rate, he’ll be able to run five-thousand meters in an instant by the time the qualifiers come around!”

“I highly doubt that,” Yuki quipped. Kakeru ignored him and turned to Prince again.

“Do you understand, Prince-san? This is no time to be reading manga.”

“Not at all.” Prince paid him no mind, but the twins stood up angrily.

“Stop it, Kakeru! You’ve been weird lately. It’s kinda scary.”

“He’s right. Quit blaming Prince-san. If you have something to say, say it to all of us!”

“I will!” Kakeru put down his cup and stood up, too. “We’ll never make it to Hakone if you guys keep running at a snail’s pace like this! Never! So I have no idea how you guys can drink so carefreely!”

“Kakeru, Kakeru. You’ve been drinking a lot too, haven’t you?” Shindou frantically gripped Kakeru’s ankle. “You’re drunk. Right? Just sit down.”

Musa tried to calm the twins as he held them back under his arms. However, the three first-years of Chikusei-sou shook off their seniors’ restraints and started grappling with each other.

“Don’t talk so high and mighty just ‘cause you can run a bit faster!”

“You told me to talk, so I did!”

“There’s things you can and can’t say, you know! Not everyone can run as easily as you!”

“You can say those kinds of things after you practice more! But it might be pointless no matter how much you practice!”

“That’s too far, Kakeru.” Nico-chan tried to sit up.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, you asshole!” King tried springing at Kakeru faster than the twins, but he didn’t make it.

Kiyose, who had been quiet until that point, ran up to Kakeru with a leopard-like agility and ferocity and grabbed him by the collar. “You idiot!” he yelled. “Wake the hell up! Why won’t you acknowledge that Prince and everyone else are trying their best! Why are you denying their sincere running! Is it because their times are slower than yours? Is speed the only thing you value? If that’s the case, then there’s no point in running. Ride the train! Take an airplane! Those are faster!”

“Haiji-san…”

Not just Kakeru, but everyone in the room was shocked still by Kiyose’s furious look.

“Know this, Kakeru. You can’t only pursue speed; that’s empty and pointless. You can figure that out by looking at me, right? It’ll be too much someday…”

Kiyose’s words were suddenly cut off. He staggered as the strength went out of his hands, which had been grabbing Kakeru’s shirt.

“Haiji-san!” Kakeru panicked, supporting Kiyose’s body. “Haiji-san, what’s wrong!”

Kiyose was pale, his eyes closing languidly.

“Hey, Haiji-san! Stay with me!”

He didn’t react even when Kakeru slapped his cheek.

“What do I do, he’s not conscious!”

“What!”

The room fell into panic. Yuki immediately took Kiyose’s wrist and checked his pulse.

“Twins, lay out a futon! Someone call an ambulance. Actually no, it’s faster to call a doctor. Tell the landlord to ask for a house call right away!”

Jouta and Jouji took out a futon from the closet, sobbing, “Haiji-san, don’t die!”

Shindou and Musa leaned out of the window and shouted towards the main house, “Sir, we need your help!”

A flustered Prince went down to the first floor to get water, and King, disconcerted, just wandered around aimlessly.

Kakeru, along with Nico-chan, laid Kiyose down on the futon. Even though Yuki told him not to worry so much, Kakeru refused to leave his bedside. Until the neighborhood family physician the landlord called arrived, Kakeru stayed next to Kiyose, his head hanging down.

Consultation hours had finished long ago, but the old physician was an acquaintance and immediately came running. The doctor pushed his way through the residents gathered around the futon and approached Kiyose. He checked under his eyelids, pressed a stethoscope against him, and checked for the presence of heat in his palms. Finally, he looked around at everyone and spoke a single word: “Overwork.”

“He seems to have anemia, but right now he’s more asleep than unconscious.”

“He’s…sleeping?”

The residents shifted their gazes from the doctor to Kiyose all at once. Certainly, Kiyose’s chest was peacefully rising and falling with regular breathing. It was good that he wasn’t seriously ill, but they felt drained, wondering why there was so much fuss over calling a doctor.

“I’d say he’s been accumulating fatigue from lack of sleep.” The doctor searched through his black bag and quickly prepared a syringe. “I’ll give him an injection with some nutrients. Let him rest tonight. If anything happens, you can call me again. Now, take care. Don’t let him work too hard.”

“Thank you very much.”

All of them said their thanks, and Yuki and Shindou accompanied the doctor to the front door. Kiyose had continued to sleep, even as he was being pricked with a needle, and the twins put the blanket over him again.

“It’s my fault. I made Haiji-san worry…”

Kakeru hung his head, watching Kiyose’s sleeping face. He felt frustrated and pathetic. Even Rokudou’s Fujioka had perceived that Kiyose was not in good shape, but Kakeru hadn’t noticed anything; he was so focused on running that he couldn’t even see the people he was living together with.

Prince, who was sitting across from him on the futon, weakly shook his head. “That’s not true. It’s my fault that I can’t run fast.”

Like the forest animals after learning of the Buddha’s death, Kakeru and the others solemnly gathered around the futon. Yuki and Shindou, who had returned from seeing off the doctor, recoiled at the wake-like atmosphere before they sat down on the tatami.

“If you think about it, we have been leaving everything up to Haiji-san,” Musa said.

“Yeah.” King crossed his arms. “Haiji was doing the administrative stuff like applying to meets and even cooking all the meals.”

“He worked like a coach-slash-manager-slash-dorm parent,” Jouta said.

“It’s partly because we’ve been so busy training and training, but we’ve been putting too much pressure on Haiji-san.” Shindou seemed to be chewing on bitter thoughts.

Jouji made a proposition with a purposely bright tone. “From now on, let’s at least take turns cooking. Let’s all work together.”

Sounds of agreement rose up here and there.

“If that’s the case, let’s make up,” Nico-chan said as he looked between Kakeru and Prince.

“Yes.” They both nodded, Prince readily and Kakeru timidly, embarrassed by his childish attitude.

“The twins should forgive Kakeru too,” Yuki said, and Jouji and Jouta glanced at Kakeru embarrassedly.

“Of course,” they said in unison.

“Come on, let’s all get along.” Nico-chan took the lead. “Don’t let Haiji’s dying wish go to waste. Let’s go to Hakone as one.”

“Yeah!”

The residents of Chikusei-sou gripped each other’s hands tightly over the futon where Kiyose was sleeping.

“I don’t remember being dead. I hope I’m not.”

Surprised, Kakeru looked at the pillow. Kiyose’s eyes were opening.

“Good grief, what’s all this?” He moved the residents’ arms that were complicatedly tangled over his stomach out of the way and tried to sit up.

“Please sleep!” Kakeru hurriedly pushed Kiyose’s shoulders and made him lie back down on the futon. “Haiji-san, you collapsed. The doctor said you got anemic from overwork.”

“I see. Sorry I caused trouble.” Kiyose looked up at Kakeru’s face, who was peering down at him. “But it looks like the fight is over—that’s good to see.”

Kakeru shifted to intentionally sit in seiza. “I’m sorry,” he said with his head bowed. “I’ve been so on edge and impatient for a long time.”

“Was it because the music coming from Yuki’s room is too loud?” Nico-chan said, a sympathetic look in his eyes that said, “I feel you.”

“If you ask me, it’s the creaking in the ceiling.”

Yuki’s words scared Prince, who felt guilty.

“No, that’s not it,” Kakeru hurriedly said. “I’ve felt that way since before I came to Aotake. I was just running and didn’t see much of what was around me.”

He still didn’t actually know what he should do; Kakeru still hadn’t figured out what he should be running for, other than speed. “But,” Kakeru started, lifting his face up. “From now on, I will also aim for the Hakone Ekiden seriously.”

 “What!?”

The twins’ room shook with astonishment.

“’From now on?’ What were you doing until now?” Jouji looked like he was about to jump down his throat.

“No, I just thought I would play along with it somehow,” Kakeru said honestly. “I thought everyone would get bored and quit soon anyways. I’m sorry.”

“You can train that much, even though your motivation was so low.” Shindou was deeply impressed.

“I’m not good at anything other than running, after all,” Kakeru said seriously.

Yuki shook his head with a “Good grief,” and a stunned King said, “You really are a weirdo, Kakeru.” (1)

“You’re incredible, Kakeru. You’re so incredible it’s funny.” Jouji stifled his laughter. A bit angrily, Kakeru wondered what was so funny, but then he saw that even Kiyose was nodding and decided not to object.

“I can’t stop reading manga, but I’ll work even harder too,” Prince declared, raising his face.

It wasn’t that there weren’t any ill feelings, but it was the first time that the desire to aim for the same thing had budded equally in all their hearts.

Kiyose, who was watching the scene, called out, “Kakeru.” Still in seiza, Kakeru shifted a bit closer to Kiyose, whose head was resting on the pillow.

“Do you know what’s the best compliment for a long-distance runner?”

“Is it ‘fast’?”

“Nope. It’s ‘strong,’” Kiyose said. “It’s not enough to be fast to finish a long-distance race. The weather, the course, the development of the race, your physical condition, your own state of mind... Runners calmly analyze those various factors and persist in moving their body forward even in difficult situations. What long-distance runners need is strength in the true sense of the word. We run everyday for the honor of being called ‘strong.’”

Kakeru, as well as the other residents, listened intently to what Kiyose was saying.

“As I watched you run these three months, I became more and more convinced,” Kiyose continued. “You have talent and aptitude. That’s why, Kakeru, believe in yourself more. There’s no need to be impatient—it takes time to become strong. You could say that there is no end; just as there are people who jog and do marathons even into old age, long-distance is a sport that is worth tackling for life.”

 Kakeru’s passion towards running had always been an ambiguous emotion, making his mind waver unsteadily. But Kiyose’s words skillfully cut through Kakeru’s murky and wavering inner world; they were a light that flashed into his heart and flooded it, illuminating him.

However, Kakeru rebutted, partly due to embarrassment. “But the elderly can’t set new world records.”

“That came out of nowhere,” Nico-chan teased. Kiyose smiled, as if to say there was no helping it.

“I thought that way too. Until I got injured,” Kiyose said gently. “But it’s the older runners who are more likely to be ‘stronger’ than you, Kakeru. That’s what’s profound about long-distance.”

Kiyose’s words were aimed not just at Kakeru, but at everyone present. Perhaps tired, he stopped talking and lowered his eyelids.

“Haiji-san, you can’t sleep here!” Jouji and Jouta shook Kiyose.

“Shut up. You’re dismissed,” Kiyose mumbled.

Everyone quietly took their leave of the twins’ room.

Kakeru was the last to go into the hallway. As he closed the door, he turned around and saw the twins squeezing into another futon from the closet.

What is that strong running Haiji-san talked about? Kakeru was pondering it. He knew it wasn’t about arm strength or leg strength. But, it didn’t seem like he was referring to just mental strength, either.

Kakeru suddenly recalled the snow-covered field he had seen when he was little. When he had got up early and gone to the field in his neighborhood, the snow that had accumulated during the night had completely changed the familiar landscape. Kakeru had run on the white field where no one had left any footprints. He had run as his heart desired in order to draw beautiful patterns. That was his very first memory of thinking that running was fun.

Maybe strength was something beautiful built upon a delicate balance—like the patterns he had drawn in the snow back then.

While thinking that, Kakeru quietly went down the stairs, careful not to make too much noise.

The next day, the skies were clear for the first time in a long while. When Kakeru returned after his early morning jog, Kiyose was feeding Nira in Chikusei-sou’s yard.

“Welcome home,” Kiyose said when he saw him.

“I’m back,” Kakeru responded.

The morning light was shining clearly. It was the beginning of a usual, new day.

Previous | Next

[chocoboba]

Second Time’s A Charm || Kaminari Denki

Authors note:

AHHHHH-- it’s finally happening

This is my piece for the The wedding collab and I’m very grateful to be part of something put together by so many talented poc creators of the mha fandom🤧💕

Overview:  Being able to transfer from general studies to the heroes course was a big accomplishment, but it wouldn’t be the your only big accomplishment after meeting an electric blonde

Warnings: None (it’s Fluffy) 🥺

______________________________________________

“You did it!”

“Nice going!”

“That’s awesome!”

Compliments were being given out left and right all morning.

Why?

“I can’t believe you were able to transfer to the hero course!” One of your friends said a smile on her face.

“Me neither,” you replied, still in disbelief of what Principal Nezu had told you yesterday afternoon. You had met in his office to receive the news that you had been accepted into the hero course and what class you were in.

“Class 1-A huh? They’ve been through so much already, do you think it’d be overwhelming? Y’know, since they’ve been at the center of almost every attack?” your other friend said in deep thought.

“Shhh! You’ll make her nervous!”

“Ah, sorry y/n!”

“No, it’s alright. To be honest, I am a little nervous,” you admitted, “But I’ll do my best!”

“Make us proud baby, mwah.”

“And don’t you dare forget about us!”

_______________________________________________

Standing at the giant doorway of your new hero course homeroom was intimidating to say the least. But after taking a deep breath, you somehow managed to knock hard enough so they could hear you. Not long after, the door had opened to see your new teacher standing there, gesturing for you to come in.

“This is L/n Y/n, she just transferred from the general studies department.” Aizawa had introduced you to the class. “You can say a few words or not, doesn’t matter,” he grumbled, climbing into a yellow sleeping bag.

“Uh—””

“Um...it’s nice to meet all of you. I hope we can be friends.” Y/n smiled at her new classmates. There was a bit of an awkward silence before being asked to take your seat, which was behind a guy with green hair, whom Sensei had addressed as Midoriya.

Class went on as intended, no hero training that day, just regular subjects. So far your induction into the course had been fine for the most part, even though you hadn’t gotten to know anyone yet personally. At lunch, you were invited to sit at the girls table meeting and instantly became friends. After lunch was over you excused yourself to go to the bathroom.

On your way back to class though, you accidentally bumped into someone on the way.

“I’m sorry--” both of you said simultaneously, as if it were an echo.

It was actually one of your new classmates who sat on the opposite side of the room. He had bright blonde hair, with a very defining lighting bolt mark in it, and those almost mesmerizing golden eyes.  

“Wait, you’re the new girl,” he said with a smile while gesturing to himself. “We haven’t had a chance to talk yet, the name is Denki Kaminari and I’m pretty much the cool guy of 1-A. I like drawing, manga and trendy stuff, not to mention cute girls like you~” he says in a confident manner. 

You stifled your laugh, concealing it with a small smile instead. “It’s very nice to meet you Kaminari, I hope we can get along.

“Also,” Y/n backtraced, “You said you like manga right? Me too.” Y/n smiled. 

“Woah, really?” he asked in disbelief, to which you respond with a ‘yes’.”

“What other things do you like?”

“Oh, well some others things would be...hmm, I guess--””

As Y/n listed the things she liked and her hobbies, Kaminari was fascinated.

Denki knew he had a tendency to flirt with almost everyone, but something about Y/n made him feel different, like her being the first girl to give him the time of day. She was gorgeous. Her hair, her complexion, those (eye color) eyes that he noticed lit up when you started talking about your favorite things. 

And to top it all off, you liked nearly all the things he liked!

He was absolutely fascinated.

“I think that’s pretty much it for my interest”--””

“You are literally everything I want in a woman.” Kaminari’s eyes sparkled.

Y/n’s face flushed. “Wha-I, uh”--

But then he grasped your hand and dropped on one knee with an exaggerated dreamy expression. “Will you marry me?!”

“O-oh my!”

“Oi! Dunceface!” A rough voice came before Denki was yanked backwards by a fiery ash blonde. “Quit being a dumbass, you’re creeping her out!” he said to Kaminari as three others came over. They looked a bit embarrassed by their electric friend.

“We’re so sorry about him.” The red haired guy had apologized to you. 

“Yeah, he does this more than he’s supposed to,” another black haired guy had said. 

“Hey! Don’t make it sound like I just go around doing this to anyone!” Kaminari argued.

“You shouldn’t be doing that at all!” The blond spat back as the other boys laughed at their antics which made you laugh as well.

.

.

.

.

“””I remember that day.”

“Hm? What was that, honey?”

Kaminari smiled widely as he looked over his shoulder on the couch. “The day we met.”

His partner had just finished cooking before wiping her hands on a kitchen towel before grabbing two plates. “How could I forget? You literally proposed to me, a complete stranger.” She giggled.

“Hey! I mean it wouldn’t have been the last time though. I had to try again of course,” he said before putting down a photo he was very fond of. A picture of his wedding day that showcased him, his beautiful wife with their friends and family. “And it worked this time didn’t it?” Kaminari said, almost smugly. His wife shook her head while preparing their plates.

 “You were such a goofball...well I mean you still are but—”

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. Shifting her gaze, Kaminari had softly laid his chin on her shoulder.

“Well guess what, I’m your goofball for life, babe,” He said, kissing her sweetly before pulling away. “Besides...you’ll have to put up with another goofball soon.” His hand rested on her stomach. “So it won’t just be me,” he chuckled.

You smiled. “I can’t wait.” 

“I love you y/n...so much,” he muttered beside his wife’s ear.

“I love you too, Denki.”

______________________________________________

Thank you for reading! I really enjoyed being apart of this!  🤧💕💕💕💕

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

My Top 15 Anime of the Decade

So I’ve seen a few people do their top animes of the decade, so I figured I’d make one too. My list will include both anime series, OVAs, and films as I haven’t seen enough in all three catergories to make top 10-15 lists for each one. Also keep in mind these are series I have seen, so chances are there’s series or film you’ve seen and liked will not be on this list. There will be spoilers for these anime, so look away if you don’t want any for the series in the tags below.

Rules:

1. The series, OVA, or film must have be created between 2010-2019 and can’t be a continuation of a series made in previous decades (so sadly BLEACH and FMA: Brotherhood can’t make this list :( )

2. Remakes of series or direct sequels to series from previous decades can be included, just so long as they were made btween 2010-2019.

3. It has to be a series I saw all the way through the decade, with seasons  (not necessarily the story itself) being completed by the end of 2019 (so sadly I won’t be including Made in Abyss, Psycho Pass or Kimetsu no Yaiba as I haven’t finished watching any of them)

Honourable mentions: Erased (2015), Sweetness and Lightning (2016), March Comes in Like a Lion (2016-2018), One Punch Man (2015), Arrietty (2010), Yuri!!! On Ice (2017), Tiger & Bunny, Parasyte: The Maxim (2014), 91 Days (2016), The Anicent Magus Bride (2017), The Promised Neverland (2019), The Boy & the Beast (2015), Mirai (2018), Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail (2010-2011), Zankyou no Terror (2014), and Cells at Work! (2018).

____________________________________________________

15. Deadman Wonderland (2011)

Deadman Wonderland was one of the first anime series I saw in the decade. Because of it’s weak ’go read the manga’ ending, I almost didn’t put it on the list. However, after rewatching it, I remembered exactly what I liked about it: the great bromance between Ganta and Senji, the crazy twist and turns in the story and fights, and it’s memorable opening.

14. Violet Evergarden (2018)

Some have said this show was one of KyoAni’s greatest accomplishments in terms of animation and style, and I whole-heartedly agree. Aside from the goregous animation and colours, the show has beautiful music, an intriguing main character in Violet, and a few well crafted stand alone episodes (my favourite being episode 10).

13. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (2012-2013)

The film trilogy that got me into one of the best manga ever created. Some of the CGI is a bit shoddy in the beginning, but gets better by the last film (and is heck of a lot better then 2016 series). Although it doesn’t capture the full spectrum of emotion, grit, and bad-assery of the manga, these films still do a good job at telling the essential story of the Golden Age arc. Of course, the infamous Eclipse scene is brought to life in all it’s horrifying glory, and the final scene in the last film - where Guts has that darn hopeful smile when he sees Casca after all the crap they’ve been through - makes me cry every single time.

12. Kids on the Slope (2012)

I didn’t expect to like this show as much as I did. I expected a standard coming of age story, and what I got in the end was a great slice of life anime with some catchy music. I remember being in awe of the animation for the drum and piano playing sequences and how well they matched up with what was recorded. It also made me really interested in what Japan was like during the 1960s, and I even went on to do a bit of reading about it.

11. Your Name (2016)

It’s hard to believe this film only came out three years ago. This film is still a marvel to behold. The animation and style is still breath-taking (just look at the backgrounds!), the story is engrossing, and it’s probably my favourite film from Makoto Shinkai.

10. Death Parade (2015)

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long watch this one. Death Parade has always interested me, but it wasn’t until the middle of this year that I finally sat down to watch it. I ended up binging the whole show over the course of two days. It’s strong in it’s visuals and concepts, and I consider Decim one of my favourite anime male characters. Oh, and of course, that opening is gosh darn catchy as hell (and an ending that’s just as good on my opinion)!

9. Shingeki no Kyojin (2013-ongoing)

There’s no doubting the massive impact this series had on the anime community and beyond when the first season started airing. Everytime the studio has brought their A-game for the animation; even to this day, I still watch the vertical maneuvering gear sequences from all the way back in season 1 in complete awe. Every opening just gets me pumped up before the episode has begun and a few other pieces of music are memorable. The characters have gotten better with each season and the story is unfolded damn near masterfully.

8. Boku no Hero Academia (2016-ongoing)

The classic shounen that builds on the conventional tropes of the genre. It’s given the community some of the most memorable fight scenes in recent anime history - like the fight between All Might and All for One O_O. This has been a series that’s gotten better as it goes along, building up a likeable cast of heroes, a complex villian in Shigaraki, and an interesting world. In particular, I’ve come to really like the conflict within the Todoroki family (including whether or not Dabi is a Todoroki) and the dynamics between the students in class 1 A.

7. Fruits Basket (2019- ongoing)

It’s good to be watching this series again! It’s even better to see previously excluded scenes finally get animated. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? The characters are quirky, relateable, and so full of life,  the animation and visuals are stunning, and once again, Tohru is my favourite anime character of all time.

6. Anohana (2011)

I first saw Anohana before it boomed into popularity. I knew after finishing it that it wouldn’t take long before it gained a large following. The characters are believeable and relateable, and the story is compelling from start to finish. To this day, the final episode and the ending theme song bring a tear to my eye.

5. A Silent Voice (2016)

I have to admit, I was surprised when I heard A Silent Voice was going to be a movie. I didn’t think they’d be able to fit in everything essential to the story into a film; I was thankfully proven wrong. With KyoAni’s signature stunning visuals and animation, the story and it’s characters is just as poignant as they were in the manga. Shoko and Shoya are fantastic characters, and their complex relationship tugs at the heart-strings. I also just love seeing sign lanuage animated and being used in anime.

4. Wolf Children (2012)

Oh this film ;w; I went to see this with a few friends and had no idea what I was in for. Hana is an inspiring character, her relationship with the Wolf Man is the emotional equivalent of the first ten minutes of Up, and Ame and Yuki are such cute kids. The dynamic between Hana and her children made them feel like genuine family. It also has my favourite anime soundtrack of the decade, and I’ve pop in the CD at least twice a year since I’ve seen it.

3. Devilman: Crybaby (2018)

Oh wow this show! The emotions were high, the action packed a punch, and the visuals were the best combination of wacky and horrifying. I barely knew anything about the original Devilman, so a lot of what happened in this show came as a shock to me - a pleasent one at that. Akira sent me on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, as did his relationship with Miki. Despite the awful things Ryo did and how much I came to hate him, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him in the final scene (where he finally learned that emotons, the one thing he denounced, weren’t a weakness...a lesson that comes too little too late).  I don’t think I’ll ever forget the last two episodes for as long as I live ;_;

2. Ore Monogatari!! (2015)

This show came at a time in my life when I needed just pure fluff and sweetness, and it delivered that in spades. It’s a breath of fresh air in the shoujo genre, with so many tropes being flipped on their head . I adore everyhting about this show, from it’s characters to it’s comedy. Takeo and Sunakawa have the greatest bromance in all of anime, Yamato and Takeo are so friggin’ sweet together, and the whole cast is just so likeable. It’s an anime I always come back to when I need something light and fluffy to watch, and is one of the first shows I recommend people who want to get into anime.

1. Mob Psycho 100 (2015-ongoing)

I knew from the scene in the gif that I would stick with this series, and I was most certainly not disappointed. Mob Psycho is a gem of an anime that I think everyone at least has to give a try. The animation and visual style are unique, using One’s simplistic character designs and switching between 2d, glass painting animation, and shots like one in the gif above. I love the message the series promotes, as seen in the main character who strives to better himself personally rather then rely on his powers. Mob is one of my favourite character of all time, and Reigen is one of the funniest, most dynamic characters I’ve seen in a while; I love seeing these two help each other develop and grow, and how their relationship of mentor-apprentice flips back and forth between them (in one episode Mob has something to learn from Reigen, but a few episodes later, it’s actually Reigen who learned something from Mob). Finally, there’s the awesome battles and fight scenes, which made my jaw drop to the floor one minute, and had me an emotional wreck the next. If you haven’t already, go watch this anime!