#for once I like the Masumi one more than the Sakuya one

[jujumin-translates]

★ Main Story | Act 13 - Budding Spring | Chapter 3 - One Step Up

*Door opens*

Kumon: We’re back~!

Juza: We’re home.

Taichi: I’m starving~.

Tenma: Looks like Omi-san’s in charge of dinner tonight.

Tsuzuru: Smells like it’s something with a demi-glace sauce…

Omi: The beef stew will be ready soon.

Kumon: Woo~! I was hoping to eat some meat~!

Kazunari: The Yosei Uni Gang’s really building up their forces~.

Muku: Kyu-chan’s the only new one, though.

Yuki: But he’s got the presence of about two or three people.

Tsumugi: How’s college life been going, Kumon-kun?

Kumon: It’s super interesting! Unlike with my classes in high school, I actually feel motivated to study on my own.

Kumon: Plus I get to be with Nii-chan!

Banri: I figured you had had that planned from the start, but you actually didn’t decide on where you were gonna go for school until much later, right?

Kumon: Hey, I thought about it a lot, y’know.

Kumon: And I didn’t just think about Nii-chan, I also made sure to think about the best college for me to go to.

Azami: The growth of someone with a brother complex.

Yuki: They still ended up at the same college, though.

Kumon: That’s ‘cause Nii-chan and Tenma-san seemed like they really liked it there!

Tenma: Well, you are right about that.

Juza: Glad ya got accepted in.

Taichi: You’ve been doing great with writing essays and doing job interview prep~.

Kumon: Hehe. That’s thanks to you, Nii-chan, and Tenma-san for teaching me so much!

Chikage: It’s so touching to see Tenma becoming the tutor.

Tenma: Thanks for that.

Kazunari: Yawn~…

Tsuzuru: You seem tired, Miyoshi-san.

Kazunari: I had a deadline for some urgent work yesterday. Hardly got any sleep~.

Tsuzuru: Good work.

Muku: You suddenly seem like much more of an adult, Kazu-kun.

Kazunari: What I do is kinda just an extension of what I did in college, but once that label of “student” is gone, it makes you a little more conscious of it.

Omi: It’s a lot of work and responsibility, but it’s also a lot of fun.

Tsuzuru: Is that so…

Kazunari: You’ll get what we’re talking about in a year, Tsuzurun~.

Izumi: Omi-kun’s right, your impression of things changes once you graduate from college.

Azuma: I enjoy seeing these changes every year once spring comes.

Homare: Yes, however, there are still some of us that haven’t changed much at all.

Azuma: It’s thanks to everyone that spring is nice like this.

Tasuku: Well, even though some of us haven’t been through any major changes, I’m sure we’re all busy with something, right?

Guy: It appears that you’ve been getting more and more requests to do guest appearances, Takato.

Sakuya: Ah, actually, I’m about to get an offer to perform on a slightly bigger stage too--.

Tsumugi: Really? That’s great.

Tasuku: That’s probably the result of steadily building up your experience. Shows how much you’ve become recognized as an actor.

Sakuya: Thank you so much!

Citron: I have started getting pressured to do arts and culture-related work from all over the place~.

Itaru: And I’m still annoyed that I���m stuck being treated like some mid-level NPC…

Chikage: That’s normal for having worked there for five years.

Guy: Speaking of that, I’ve been entrusting Mikage with more work, too.

Hisoka: I know how to make a few appetizers now…

Tasuku: What, like toasted marshmallows and marshmallow pizza?

Hisoka: Well, yeah, but there’s other stuff too.

Homare: To be dabbling in dishes other than ones with marshmallows… that’s quite remarkable progress!

Misumi: Speaking of new things, my friend Mii-chan just had a litter of kitties~.

Muku: Congratulations!

Yuki: Why are you congratulating the Trianglien for it?

Izumi: Seems like everything’s going smoothly for the company while each of you is moving forward and changing in your own ways.

Izumi: That reminds me, the kid we met today also said he was going to be a new high school student starting in the spring.

Kumon: Huh~, what was he like?

Tsuzuru: He was an interesting one, for sure.

Masumi: He wasn’t interesting, he was annoying.

Itaru: He was an avid Masumi fan.

Izumi: He said he used to live in a rural area and that he’s been supporting us for quite some time via our streams.

Sakyo: Is that the power of MIZUNO Enterprises…?

Sakyo: We’ll have to keep up our efforts to reach an even wider audience.

Izumi: He said he was really looking forward to seeing one of our performances live.

Tasuku: There is just something different about seeing a play in person.

Sakuya: There really is. He was really looking forward to seeing it, so we’ll have to do our best not to disappoint.

Izumi: Ah, right! The idea came to me when we were talking to that kid, but--.

Izumi: How does a workshop aimed at beginners sound for the upcoming event?

Izumi: When I realized that people were interested in theater because of MANKAI Company’s performances, I thought that maybe promoting theater as a concept could be necessary too.

Izumi: And I think it’d be a good experience for us to share the joy of plays with them more directly and to have fun together.

Sakuya: That’s true, that could be a really good idea!

Citron: It sounds very fun!

Chikage: But wouldn’t people who have more experience with theater, like Tenma, Tasuku, or Tsumugi, be more suitable for teaching people than us Spring Troupe members?

Tsuzuru: He’s got a point, most of us are still pretty inexperienced actors. I mean, almost all of us were complete amateurs until a few years ago.

Masumi: I can do it.

Itaru: You’re probably the least qualified to teach.

Izumi: That’s the point. You all still feel like amateurs and remember how you felt when you first stepped on stage just a few years ago.

Izumi: I’m confident that you guys will be able to convey theater from a perspective that’s closer to a beginner’s.

Izumi: It’s not a workshop for actors, and it’s definitely not just for teaching like Yuzo-san’s workshops…

Izumi: I think it should be about just trying to enjoy theater together, just like if you were reminiscing about your old selves. That’s the best we can do, I think.

Izumi: And it could be an opportunity to expand our fan base too…

Izumi: I think it’s only because of how everyone is now that we can try to make people more aware of theater.

Sakuya: Yeah… I get it. Up until now, we’ve just been doing our best in regards to ourselves, but now…

Itaru: Exactly. Maybe we’ll be able to have some fun together.

Chikage: We could be our own motivation.

Tsuzuru: Maybe I’ll even be able to get a hint for our next play.

Citron: I will take on any challenge!

Izumi: Alright, it’s decided!

Izumi: Once the date is decided on, can you take care of the flier design, Kazunari-kun?

Kazunari: You betcha!

Izumi: I’ll take care of the printing and distributing myself then.

Masumi: I’ll help.

Itaru: We’ll also need an announcement on our social media, right? Leave it to me.

Chikage: It’d be a good idea to also put something on the theater noticeboard, right?

Izumi: Alright, I’ll leave all the announcement-related stuff to you two, and then… Sakuya-kun and Citron-kun, can I leave outlining the workshop to you guys?

Sakuya: Roger that!

Citron: We will think of an eggciting workshop that will eggcite everyone~!

Manager: Ah, everyo~ne, it’s almost time~!

Kumon: We gotta turn on the TV!

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[izumi-fanclub]

A3! Translation: Chikage Utsuki SSR Card “Dear My Moon” [ Twinkle Sign ]

Work pilled up for Chikage while he was busy for the 10th play. How will he handle this?

Part 1

Chikage

…

*Phone buzzes*

Chikage

… Understood. Will keep monitoring.

…

*Phone notification*

Chikage

Tsk, this again… pushing everything on me.

(I’ve been putting both of my jobs on the backlog to focus on the show… it takes time to handle work when it piles up this much.)

(I wonder, is there a way to clear this all up——)

(Hands move faster when you’re actively thinking about it.)

Hisoka

… Welcome back.

Chikage

I’m home. You still on your shift?

Hisoka

We ran out of seasonings at the bar, so I came to the dorm to borrow some.

Chikage

You’re taking your job more seriously than I expected.

Hisoka

… Work got you busy?

Chikage

We don’t have enough manpower. It’s unreasonable but I can’t just disregard it.

Hisoka

… At least do it in the dorm, instead of that room. Everyone else gets worried when you’re not around.

Chikage

Absolutely not. That’s too risky.

Hisoka

… Guess even Chikage can’t do it.

Chikage It’s not a matter of whether it were me or not.

Well, I’ll get this over with as soon as I can.

Part 2

Sakuya

Ah! Almost there! Tsuzuru

I lost again!!

Chikage

(It’s quite lively at this hour…)

Citron

Once more!

Izumi

Oh, welcome home!

Chikage

I’m home. What’s going on?

Masumi

A board game we got from a package from Zahra.

Tsuzuru

We were all playing it while waiting for you to come home.

Sakuya

It’s really fun! How about you join us, Chikage-san?

Chikage

At this hour?

Sakuya

Huh!? What time is it?

Tsuzuru

I didn’t even notice the time.

Itaru

Well, let’s draw the line at this hour.

Chikage

You should. I’ve had some troubles at work, I’m just getting caught up on my backlog now.

Itaru

…

Chikage

What?

Itaru

You’re probably tired.

Chikage

No——.

Izumi

You’ve been coming home late recently.

Tsuzuru

You’ve been busy before, but not to this extent.

Sakuya

Let’s just play the board game on our next off days.

Citron

If we do not sweep soon, Azami will be on our trails!

Masumi

Sleep.

Tsuzuru

Good night.

Chikage

Night.

Sakuya

Night guys!

Chikage

…

Did I look that tired?

Itaru

Nope, if I didn’t say that, everyone would just stay up playing board games.

Chikage

Alright then.

(But I think you just added an extra layer of worry.)

(... Guess I really got no other choice.)

Sakuya

Huh!? Chikage-san isn’t going back to the dormitory for a while?

Izumi

He’s got a lot of work to do. It’s more easy and efficient to binge work while isolated for a couple of days.

Sakuya

So that’s why…

Itaru

He tried to lie at first, saying he was going on a business trip. But I’d find out about it anyway so he told the truth.

It’s unusual for senpai to have this much work to do. He’s at the top of his game at the company.

Tsuzuru

That’s quite something if it’s coming from you, Itaru-san.

Sakuya

Should we bring him some refreshments?

Masumi

If he wants to concentrate by himself, don’t get in the way.

Hisoka

… Hey.

Izumi

?

Part 3

Chikage

(That’ll be it for today. Now let’s get on with my other work——.)

Itaru

Nice work.

Chikage

… You too.

Itaru

You heading to the conference room?

Chikage

I am… but what are you grinning about? Itaru

You’re seeing things. Have a good one, see you.

Chikage

… I’ll be going.

Hisoka

… Quicker than I thought.

Chikage

You, what are you——.

What’s this?

(Stars and the moon… is this a planetarium?)

Hisoka

… I told everyone in Spring troupe that your room looked bleaked and lonely.

Chikage

So all this is…

Hisoka

… Then I’ll be going. The rest is up to you.

Chikage

Honestly…

?

(A note?)

Izumi

“Good luck with your work!”

Sakuya

“Let’s play the board game when you get home!”

Tsuzuru

“My brothers got tired of this pretty quickly, I hope this will soothe you.”

Masumi

“Careful not to put your backbone too into. You’ll end up like Tsuzuru, that’s just a pain.”

Citron

“We await your return back home!”

Chikage

… I'm guessing this is a drawing of Earth?

Itaru

“Wanted: photo of senpai working in his fancy room.”

Chikage

There’s no one to take that picture.

Sigh…

(I should rest for a while before work)

Chikage

…

(To think that this room would look like this one day.)

(Quite the drastic change compared to when it was cluttered with bags of marshmallows and cushions.)

(I’ve had my fair share of unfair workload in my life, but I’ve never wanted to get it over with this fast before.)

(I just clear it all up like a robot without thinking much about it.)

(Why am I so desperate now? … I think I can answer that.)

(Because I want to return to my home as soon as possible.)

… I see.

(I thought I’d prefer to be alone since it’ll be less of a hassle, and I’m more comfortable with less stuff.)

(But now, I wanted to return to the everyday hustle and bustle of MANKAI, filled to the brim with things, like this room filled with all sorts of lights.)

…Can’t help but laugh at myself.

*Text notification*

Hisoka

[ Forgot to ask for marshmallows as a reward. Come back soon. ]

Chikage You don’t need to tell me. I’ll return home soon enough.

Story Clear!

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 12: The things I can do right now

[Phone ringing]

Masumi: …

Misaki: “Hello?”

Masumi: What did you want when you called earlier?

Misaki: “Are you doing okay?”

Masumi: Yeah.

Misaki: “I wanted to tell you a local student started an internship in our overseas branch last week.”

Misaki: “They’re a high school student, but they’re quite talented, so they’ll probably be asked to join full-time once they’ve graduated university.”

Masumi: … And?

Misaki: “You’re a second year now, but you’re on your way to the third and fourth years.”

Misaki: “I got to wondering whether you’ll find a job in the future, or you’ll continue as an actor.”

Masumi: … You’re rushing things.

Misaki: “Is this something you should be taking so leisurely? Students who take it seriously have their eyes set on an internship the moment they enroll.”

Masumi: … I’m focused on the theater company right now, so the time isn’t right. When the time comes, I’ll think it over thoroughly.

Misaki: “If anything’s troubling you, contact me immediately.”

Masumi: Okay. … See you.

[Masumi hangs up]

-

Izumi: … *siiigh*

Izumi: … Hmmm… Nope… Ah! This might work!

Masumi: ?

Izumi: Ahhh, this won’t work, after all… Then, maybe this… But no…

Masumi: She’s making all those faces… Cute.

Izumi: Hmmm…

Masumi: What are you doing?

Izumi: Hm? I was reviewing our ticketing and promotions methods.

Izumi: I want to do whatever I can to help with the New Fleur Award, and that includes outside the context of the performances.

Izumi: I’ve been able to do lots of things as a Director thanks to Banri-kun, so I’ve got to do my best in return!

Masumi: I could be an assistant too.

Izumi: Of course, if you’re truly interested in directing, I’ll ask you for help when that time comes, but…

Izumi: That’s not what you’d be doing it for, right?

Masumi: … I’ll help with the promotions, then.

Izumi: I appreciate the offer, but this requires a certain kind of knowledge. Right now, I’d rather you focus on yourself and the Spring Troupe, rather than me.

Masumi: … Okay. But don’t overwork yourself. Take a rest an hour from now.

Masumi: If I see you still moving around, I’ll make you take a break myself.

Izumi: And how will you do that!?

Izumi: Ah, is this how you get Tsuzuru-kun to take breaks? Thanks. I’ll be careful.

-

Izumi: (I’ve started drafting a promotion plan, but it still needs some work…)

Misumi: All of them look interesting~!

Yuki: They’re definitely all using more saturated colors.

Kazunari: IKR~ More flyers are being put up lately, so they’re probably all designed like that in order to stand out more.

Izumi: What are all these?

Muku: We’ve been collecting the flyers from other companies for reference.

Tenma: The faster ones have already started their performances.

Izumi: What, already!?

Izumi: (No, we don’t need to rush…)

Itaru: Ah, this “Yua Troupe” was created during the pre-voting. They’re holding a performance so soon, huh.

Muku: The one here also says it’s a debut performance.

Izumi: There’s a lot of newly formed theater companies. We can’t tell what their performances are about just by looking at the flyers, so I’d like to go watch at least one of them.

Citron: I am interested in this “Working Overtime Again Crew”! (1)

Sakuya: That’s a funny name!

Izumi: Huh, they’re also a newly made company. Let’s go watch their performance together.

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

[lcs-library]

This fic is. Really weird. But in my defense I am eepy and this is a day late and I can do whatever I want forever.

Safeshiptember Day 16: Apology

Taglist: @dango-daydreams

“Come on, just one? Please?” Lu begged, running ahead of Masumi so she could face him as the walked.

“Not worth it,” he responded, adjusting his school bag on his shoulder.

“You’re so boring! It would be good practice, you know it!”

“And?”

“I don’t know, maybe the director would like it if you did? We’ve got a show coming up? Promoting the company?”

“Fine,” Masumi sighed, knowing full well she would keep this up if he didn’t agree to just one.

“Yay! C’mon, let’s go find a spot,” she said with a smile, dragging him into the plaza of Veludo Way.

It wasn’t often that Lu asked to do a street act with Masumi, but, when she did, it would mean a lot of pestering for Masumi, and a longer walk home from school for the both of them. Even then, she knew that, despite his silly tsundere tendencies, he couldn’t help but enjoy it too, no matter how he felt about her.

They finally settled on a spot in front of the Veludo Library, setting their bags down to begin discussing the content of the street act.

“Masu, you got any ideas?”

“Not really.”

“I should’ve guessed… how about a couple?”

“Seriously? Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know, it was the first thing that came to mind!”

“Fine, whatever, let’s do it.”

“What?”

“So, where should we go today, dear?” Masumi asked, slipping into character quicker than Lu had anticipated. She sighed, realizing she should have known better than to suggest this, but started speaking a little louder and clearer regardless.

“Well, I was hoping you’d take me for parfaits!”

“Parfaits? You realize how expensive those are, right?”

A fight ought to liven things up, she thought, noting the small crowd gathering around the two of them.

“Well, maybe you can be a good boyfriend and pay for me once in a while!”

Unfortunately, that was the moment Sakuya decided to step out of the library, clutching a few new scripts close his chest with a smile on his face. His eyes lit up as he saw the small crowd, and when he saw that it was some of his favorite people performing, he felt his smile push up even further.

However, his eyes met Lu’s right as the word “boyfriend” left her lips.

Lu gave him a blank stare. Uh-oh.

Sakuya set his books on the ground near the library’s door, storming up to the two of them.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

“Saku, it’s not what you think, I swear, it’s a-“

“I don’t wanna hear it!” He shouted, glaring angrily at Lu, shoving her aside to make his way towards Masumi. “What do you think you’re doing?! That’s my girlfriend, man! I thought we were friends!”

“She was the one who wanted it, I swear!” He replied meekly, shrinking away from Sakuya’s now imposing presence.

That was when it finally clicked for Lu, as she sat on the ground teary-eyed. Sakuya wanted to make things more interesting. To gather a crowd. Man, his acting had improved.

Lu summoned her courage, and let her tears roll down her cheeks as she let out a sob. Sakuya rushed to her side, kneeling down to where he had knocked her. He stared firmly at her, his back facing the audience so he could give her a small smile, before cheating out and grimacing.

“Why did you do this? What’s wrong with you!?”

“I- I don’t know!” She blubbered, cowering away.

“Why?” he continued to press on, Lu keeping an eye on the crowd to notice more people appearing at the dramatic scene.

“Because you’re like this!”

“Like what?”

“Like- like, this!”

“And you thought this was okay?”

“I’m sorry! I really am!”

“Sure, fine. You’re sorry. And?”

“I won’t do it again! I won’t!”

“You better.”

The two exchanged a look that simply said “we should end this before it gets serious.”

They stood up, Lu with Sakuya’s help, and bowed.

“Thank you for watching! We’re with Mankai Comapny, please come to see us sometime!” Sakuya shouted promptly, making sure to throw the extra ad in so as not to get murdered by Sakyo.

The audience clapped, some still a little uneasy, before dispersing to continue on with their activities, and the trio turned to each other.

“Sorry for just coming onto the scene! I probably should’ve stayed out of it, huh?” Sakuya apologized, going to pick up his books.

“You’re fine, it wasn’t really going anywhere, but you did scare me, so that’s what you should be apologizing for more,” Lu replied, giving him a light punch.

Sakuya laughed.

“I’m sorry about that, too! It’s fine if you fake-cheat on me! It’s not like I really care, it’s in the job description.”

“Same here.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, happy to get to see the other after a long day, even if it took a fake cheating scandal to let it happen.

“Can we go home now?” Masumi interrupted, ruining the moment.

“Oh, we should! Izumi’ll kill us, huh?” Lu replied, grabbing her own things to walk with Masumi as he almost left the couple behind.

Even then, it wasn’t like it mattered if they were late, it was nice to spend extra time together, no matter how strange it was.

[akaikami-cherryblossom]

Hey guess what my kid has a relationship timeline now

Year 1

Pre-Mankai

-Lu and Saku barely cross paths. They saw each other at auditions for Hana High’s drama club, but only she got in.

-Lu also tends to catch his monologues by the riverside on the way home from practice. Why is he always there so late?

-(This is expanded on in the lore post)

Spring

-Saku’s monologues slowly become more cohesive, and it’s always one show: Romeo and Juliet(or Julius? The name seemed to be wrong). Lu assumes it’s a newfound interest in one show, but he’s been leaving school earlier these days, as if there’s somewhere he needs to be.

-He’s also been stopping by her classroom more often, typically to pick up or drop off the boy every girl in her class seems to be infatuated with. Masumi’s never really struck her as more than an acquaintance, but looking at Sakuya up close, he’s kinda…cute?

Summer

-The more time Lu spends at home, the more kids she notices popping up in the Mankai dorms next door. Of course, that strangely included Masumi of all people, though Sakuya was showing up more in her mind. Was that why the monologues started to fit together?

-She wonders when the last time the abandoned building was so lively…

Autumn

-Another one joins the trio of Hana High boys. Lu can’t help but see Sakuya as the only sane one.

Winter

-Not much, honestly. Was that an audition sign out front? But it’s for men…

Year 2

Spring

-Looks like someone landed the spot for the Spring Troupe. That’s fine.

-Sakuya…graduated? That was surprising. She always thought he was the same age as her. Oh well, there goes the highlight of her day.

-Though there was one way to see him. Lu works up the courage to buy a ticket to Mankai’s performance of The Wonderful Charlatan of Oz. Sakuya had really improved from when he was clunkily reciting Shakespeare during her first year of high school.

Summer

-Another missed chance. Seems the audition was only held for one person. If only they truly auditioned people and didn’t just steal them.

Autumn

-Seriously, when was the audition? Did it just never exist?

Winter

-Masumi hasn’t been in school for a week. That’s strange. She saw him completely healthy recently, and he was seen at the dorm right before he disappeared!

-Oh, he’s back. And there’s a new guy in the troupe. No way she has a chance now….ensemble member auditions? These seemed reliable…

-Lu goes in to finally test her acting skills, hoping she’d pass as a boy. She didn’t expect to pass so well that she got in.

-Masu says he recognized her off the bat, Saku does once she’s not in “boy mode,” and even knows her name.(he knows???? My name????)(girl that is just something he’s good at)

-It’s decided it would be best to hide her gender for shows, yadda yadda it’s in the chara bio, this also allows her to continue in Hana High’s drama club because her roles are always small.

-It’s also quickly discovered(by Masu at least) that she has a crush on Sakuya, even if she isn’t fully aware of her feelings.

Spring(Harugaoka)

-Ok I know we skipped a year but bear with me.

-During this time, she’s gotten closer with(read: bothers) Masumi, and goes home with him often because she lives so close. (It’s also definitely not because she wants to spend more time with Saku)

-Saku also invites her along on a lot of outing events! Things like Queen Camelia, A Springtime Snooze, etc. If Saku’s there, so is Lu.

-This is also coupled with stuff like street acts!!

-The more time she spends with him, the more her feelings grow, and eventually her confusion spills over and lands itself in the Masumi cafe fic. Bro also fully feigns ignorance to her feelings until this point. V silly.

-This is also where the Azu cafe fic takes place.

-Skip a few weeks. Tenma-Saku fic.

-The next week is where the confession fic takes place, during the last tech rehearsal for Harugaoka Quartet. Sakuya spent a week writing and rehearsing the script, checking it off with Tsuzuru, and making sure he could find a time to do it.

-Turns out, telling Citron about your plan and feelings late at night isn’t a good idea because he can and will set up an elaborate plan to force you to confess your feelings to your crush.

-That’s it for now!!! More to come as the fics roll out :3c

[freshie44]

Well, you know what it is, I'm here to ask you all to vote for my boy Juza. But I wrote propaganda once so might as well do it again. This time in a bit of a story. Please excuse any OOC in my writing. First go at writing these characters

Juza exhaled as he returned backstage. He did it, he actually did it. When he came in he would've been happy to go a few rounds but now he is in the finals. It was still blowing his mind, like how? He could feel the weight of people's expectations. His fans, the fans of those who trusted him to go all the way. From the Hermie and Barbie fans to maybe even a few Karen fans. Speaking of, hopefully, she'll feel better after they go get those parfaits. He knew a great place she would hopefully enjoy. God, I hope the girls there won't be so scared when they see him walk in. As long as he is with her. He sighs once again wishing he sometimes looked more like Muku and Kumon so he could go in there without worrying about scaring people. He opens his dressing room when he hears a cacophony of shouts.

"Congratulations," shouts the entirety of the Mankai company shocking Juza as he closes the door.

Muku and Kumon rush him and pull him into a deep hug.

"Congratulations Ju-chan,* shouts Muku.

"You're so awesome Nii-chan," shouts Kumon.

"Just relax and have yourself a snack, you're making us all proud," assures Omi as he hands him some macarons. "Even made your favorite flavor."

"Those Shadow Girls better watch out as you got this," follows up Taichi.

"Oi, don't give him a big head," says Banri looking away.

"Well to be fair he should have some ego, he got further than any of us," retorts Tenma.

"Just shows hard work leads to results," smiled Sakuya.

"If you need any help the winter troupe and I will be happy to help you prepare," said Tsumugi.

"Thanks, I don't know if I deserve all these kind words. Honestly, it should have been one of you. You are the leaders for a reason and make a much better representative for our group," responded Juza.

"Banri," stated Itaru, smirking and giving Banri an expecting look. Bringing a blush from Banri.

"You're going to have to say something," joined in Chikage. Bring a groan from Banri.

"Just do it already leader, you know you have to," followed up Azami in a matter-of-fact tone.

"FINE, ok listen here because I'm going to say this once! I don't want to hear you say you don't deserve this. You acted your ass off and you deserve to win out, because you're my rival, and I want you to prove yourself the best because it means I have a higher level to reach when I catch up," says Banri, blushing furiously.

"Ah it seems Banri is being tsunami about this, no," chimes in Citron.

"It seems so," nodded Guy.

"It's tsundere," groaned Masumi correcting the two.

"I feel inspiration coming for a poem," celebrates Homare.

"Will you all shut up," screeches Banri.

"Banri," catching Banri's attention. "Thanks …. but don't get bold thinking you're going to catch up after I win. I'm about to leave you in the dirt, but feel free to try," smiles Juza. Bring a chuckle from the group as the two enter a shouting match.

"We had our laughs but it is time to focus, the shadow girls are no slouches," states Tasuka.

"Indeed they will be formidable opponents, but we're sure you'll pull through," says Azuma calmly.

"If you need a good luck charm, hold one of my lucky triangles," cheers Misumi.

"Marshmellow," offers Hisoka holding out one of his beloved marshmallows to Juza.

"If you need some new costumes I can help you out, standard gangster," says Yuki with a knowing smile.

"I can help with running through some scripts as well," follows up Tsuzuru.

"I'll be firing up the hashtags to help you win," smirks Kazunari already typing up a storm on his phone.

"Everyone," blushes Juza.

"Hyodo," states Sakyo as he and Izumi approach him.

"Juza when you joined us you were worried you never be able to stand on stage, but look at you now you got a chance to win the best actor tournament. But win or lose we are all proud of you," congratulates Izumi.

"Hyodo, I'll not mince words. You're far too humble I know you want to go out there and prove yourself the best. In my opinion, you've proven yourself a true thespian more than enough times. But if winning this tournament is the proof you need to feel you deserve to call yourself a true thespian I want you to go out there and crush them, can you do that," asks Sakyo.

"I …" stutters Juza.

"I ask can you do that," says Sakyo raising his voice.

"Yes … I want to win this, I want it more than you could believe," says Juza almost holding back tears.

Sakyo smiles. "Then you best go out there and win, because I want you to believe what we all believe," everyone in the room smiles with confidence nodding to Sakyo's statement.

Juza just runs his hand through his hair, "God it is going to suck now if I lose, but if you all believe in me. I refuse to let you all down … thank you, everyone." said Juza through a few tears of happiness as he gets pulled into one big group hug.

Juza now walks toward the stage, the final stage of this tournament. He knows no one will be ashamed he isn't to win as long as he gives it everything but now that isn't good enough. He wants to win dammit, and he going to do just that. He charges the stage ready to act his ass off.

Finale

Propaganda under the cut

Juza Hyodo: "Juza had been wanting to be an actor since middle school, but because of his scary appearance he didn't get to try it until his senior year of high school. He wanted to act in order to "become someone else", but in the process of acting he learnt to embrace himself instead, and to use that as fuel for his acting. He's extremely passionate and this passion is contagious to his fellow troupemates. He may not be the leader of the troupe, but he sure is its heart. Despite his wanting to change himself at the start, even from his initial scenes he's ready to face who he is, and to show vulnerability on stage. This and passion are key attributes for any performer to have."

More Propaganda for Juza

Even More Propaganda

If that's not enough propaganda check here

Guess what, more propaganda

Have some more

There really is a lot to say about him

More links

Even more

More

Shadow girls: "The shadow girls are a literal embodiment of a Greek chorus within the stage-inspired world of Utena, complete with moving sets, prop-like stabbings, and actual spotlights all magically appearing in universe. They are a theater story telling device living on a metaphorical and literal stage. Their awareness of the show, its themes, characters, ect has been enough for a person who worked on Utena to call them the real main characters of the show. They serve as narrators, story telling devices, and important characters that appear in every episode."

More propaganda for Shadow Girls

A bit more

[emilycollins00]

A3! Troupes as parents

NEEDED TO GET THESE OUT SO HERE WE ARE LET'S GOOOO!

Please enjoy! 💕

🌸 Spring Troupe 🌸

Sakuya

Was definitely hesitant to have kids because of his past. What if he wasn’t up to the task?

However part of him also wanted to believe he’s not gonna be like his foster families.

The moment he carries his son for the first time -who in return wraps his tiny hand around his finger- Sakuya notices himself crying from the overwhelming amount of love he feels.

Tries to include himself in anything his son does whether it’s his interests or activities at school. He wants him to always feel supported and cared for.

Just, a soft and gentle dad. He’s so glad to have his son in his life.

Masumi

Extremely protective, especially if he has a daughter??

Like, he’s incredibly attached to her and doesn’t let her know what personal space is because he’s always carrying her and giving her kisses.

Also keep him at bay because Masumi won’t blink twice before consenting his daughter absolutely everything she might want.

Not very good with words, but will try to remember how his grandma was with him and imitate her the best he can.

Forever his little girl. He might be listening to her rambling about something and suddenly pat her in the head murmuring something like “…don't grow up too fast.”

Itaru

Low-key scared to mess it up -this event is for life what do you expect.

When his son is born though something in his heartstrings go boom. “Looking forward to loving you for a while” he jokes while holding him.

Talks to him like he would do to another adult, especially if he’s tired “Let’s make a deal, I give you your milk and you give me tops ten minutes to use my LP, then we can continue crying together.”

Gaming buddy since baby is able to handle a controller. Lets him appear on his streams and wears matching sets of headphones - the chat goes absolutely feral.

Has however absolutely NO mercy when playing video games with him.

Once he was thinking whether he should pull for a gacha his son moved him and pulled it making him get like 4 SRR and he and the baby stare at each other like???

Citron

Of course he calls his daughter princess.

She definitely takes after him. Both of them are the definition of chaotic. “Go higher, daddy! Higher!” she screams laughing as Citron flies with her over his shoulders around the room.

He goes to every single school event and you bet he’ll be the type to stand up and cheer like mad or give a standing ovation even when no one else is.

Loves to get on his knees and dance with her?? My heart???

It’s a special moment, with music in the background, feeling her cheek and arms smashed against him. When they separate he bows. She bows back giggling. And Citron’s heart grows ten times at the sound and wastes no time showering her with kisses.

Tsuzuru

Years of babysitting his siblings have prepared him for this he is rEadY.

To be fair he’s probably also traumatized so he just wants to have a small family. To his delight he gets a daughter and a son not long after.

He’s a bit lost at how to deal with his oldest one at first but kids are kids and he soon learns how to braid and take care of her hair every morning.

Because he’s usually up at night he’s the one who most likely go to calm the kids down -especially his youngest son- if they had a bad dream or suddenly hears them calling for something.

His kids adore listening to him telling stories before bed. They however get also overly excited and keep asking him questions about the story once he’s finished. That is, until they exhaust themselves and Tsuzuru takes each of them to their rooms with a tired but fond smile on his face.

Chikage

Honestly, having kids was the last thing he expected to have given all he had gone through.

Doesn’t know how to act around his son at first, mostly because his kid is much, much more attached to him than he expected.

He ends up carrying him almost every time, and gets used to the newborn smell he gives off. It's soothing, somehow.

Watches with curiosity as his son holds clumsily onto his leg, propping himself up the floor. “Eager to walk, aren’t we?” he ruffles his hair wearing a proud smile.

As he grows older becomes very protective of him, and will most likely provide him with all the knowledge he can to make sure he can keep himself safe.

🔆 Summer Troupe 🔆

Tenma

Okay but listen I bet he tried to tempt his son to eat his baby food by trying it himself, then nearly gagged and the only thing he was able to say was “eugh- yuMM!”.

Anyway, he imagined parenting was stressful but was also like eh it CAN’T be that bad right?? He was SO wrong.

Tenma knows too much about having busy and famous parents so he will try to spend as much time as he can with his son and I’m sure he will support anything he might wanna do as he grows up.

Also I can just imagine Tenma during a red carpet event taking his shy son into his arms during an interview, answering questions as the little boy hides in his chest.

And when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up and his boy said “Like daddy!” If you saw him cry no you didn’t. He’s completely smitten by him.

Yuki

Knew his main goal once his son was born was to make him confident in himself no matter what. He teaches him to stand by if mean comments come his way- not afraid to answer back.

So not much to everyone’s surprise he becomes a fast-talker and quick-witted little boy and yuki is so proud.

Yuki LOVES to dress his son up and will often wear matching outfits with him. His room is a dream too.

He’s up for anything. His son wants to wear a skirt/do makeup/paint his nails? He’s already calling Azami to get the best stuff.

Just- Yuki loving his son so much and being always there for him.

Muku

As a new dad he is such a ball of nerves.

Reads every single parenting book he can find.

But honestly far from having to worry because this little girl charms absolutely everyone at first sight?? She is a doll and Muku adores her baby girl.

Also a bit of a bookworm who really enjoys reading books together at bedtime. A habit that stays around for a surprisingly long while much to Muku’s delight.

Gifted with her father’s athleticism and sweet nature, Muku does his best to let her know she can do anything she sets her mind to.

Kazu

Makes dad jokes on purpose.

Would probably post the news of him becoming a parent all over his socials.

I BET he wore his best clothes when her daughter was born so that she would “have a good impression of him.”

Has like a bazillion nicknames for her. Also takes so many pictures it’s insane and you bet he will also record EVERYTHING from her first walk to her first words. Literally his entire mobile is filled with photos of his daughter and they’re his wallpapers on his phone and computer for sure!

I think he would be the fun dad that’s always so lively and makes his kid confide in him no matter the situation, the topic or how awkward it is.

Kumon

Kumon holding his daughter for the first time is an instant click. They are just two sunshines, loud and energetic blinding everyone wherever they go.

I think he would be the type to put his daughter on his shoulders a lot or just throw them into the air.

Sweets aren’t a thing in his house -his daughter doesn’t really pay them much mind either- but he will give in from time to time.

One of his favorites things to do while playing is to tickle and nuzzle her in the crook of her neck until she can’t stop laughing.

Kumon will also most likely take her to baseball matches if she’s interested and will probably buy a tiny cap of his favorite baseball team for them to wear together.

Misumi

Super validating of whatever his eldest and youngest son enjoy. He is so happy to see his two children playing together and can somehow see himself and Madoka in them.

He would happily teach them everything they ask for just like his grandfather did, like them the importance of friendship, or asking for help when needed.

Apart from triangular toys and clothes, double piggyback rides are a thing in his household!!

He always bounced each of them as a baby on his lap until they let out that cute squealing giggle.

When they are old enough he takes them to the BEST places for stargazing at night. Both of them love it so much.

🍁 Autumn Troupe 🍁

Taichi

Surprisingly capable of handling everything thanks to his young siblings.

His son is a carbon copy of him and they become best friends from the start.

Loves to go play with him to the park and built pillow forts in his room. They are super loud too not gonna lie, but because of that he grows up to be a carefree and happy kid.

Taichi is the type of dad that will probably get teary-eyed if his kid falls and cries and is more anxious about the first day of school than his own child.

Wants his son to think he is the coolest dad EVER so he is very weak when he gets asked for things or favors.

Banri

Of course his daughter is the best, was there any doubt?

Too cool to be affected by anything that might be embarrassing, so there’s a good chance he wears washable marker all over his face to the mall because he “needed some makeup too”.

Might have said a few bad words in front of her that she MIGHT have picked up and used later on but where’s the evidence.

She’ll take after Banri in that she likes to battle with the concept of authority, questioning nearly everything and will drive many teachers up the wall, although they also recognize the extent of her talent and charisma.

Banri is obviously pleased to have a daughter capable of thinking for herself instead of blindly following others defying sleeping hours maybe not so much.

Azami

TWIN DAUGHTERS I REPEAT HE HAS TWIN DAUGHTERS.

Oh I can already tell he would spoil them rotten. Like, even though he’s not the most expressive they are his little princesses and deserve the best. He lets them play dress-up and tea parties with him and they always put makeup on him with little tiaras and they love to try to braid his hair.

I want to think they tell him every single thing and there are almost no secrets between the three of them because aside from them respecting their dad’s opinions he gives really good advice and words of wisdom.

Prepares them THE best bath times ever and honestly you have never seen two little girls with better skin than them.

Anyway Azami would be an amazing dad to his little girls and you can’t change my mind.

Omi

Omi isn’t sure if he is allowed to feel this happy the moment he holds his son in his arm. He will press his forehead against him while whispering a promise to always be there for him.

The type of parent who makes homemade baby food and I’m SO sure he makes the majority of the toys too.

One of his favourite things to do is to put on the baby harness across his chest while he works and bakes -catch him in the kitchen wearing an apron and whipping up his son’s favorite smiley face pancakes.

He’s so soft for his son and loves to shower him with kisses.

But also just like his father did with him, he’s 100% the dad that rough-houses with him from time to time, tackling and throwing him around a little, his son loves it so much.

Sakyo

He's the type of dad who's scared of his daughter growing up too fast.

Will definitely present solid ground rules that are expected to follow. His daughter will be above all be raised responsibly.

This said while whiners don’t have room in his house, he will give in from time to time– silent puppy dog eyes are his big weakness.

Will never EVER miss a play, performance, or sports game (Sakoda also likes to tag along).

Incredibly supportive to push his kid towards pursuing their passion in any and every possible way.

Juza

He should have some memories from when Kumon was young but honestly nothing comes to his head.

Worries at first that his own child would be scared of him but instead was met with his son's little hands and smile reaching towards him, and honestly has barely time to swallow real hard not to sob right there.

They have plenty of staring contests. Call it bonding...?

He’s also gonna stare at his son like??? in silence when he changes his first diaper. Someone help him.

Will be curious and taste baby food once immediately regrets it.

❄ Winter troupe ❄

Homare

He’s SO prepared to be a dad.

I can picture him buying everything in the baby store. He will ESPECIALLY buy him personalized fancy clothes and then everyone is half crying because, please dress your son like a baby not a lord from 30s.

What can you do Homare exists to create art and please his son.

Anyhow you all bet this sweet boy will become the very best gentleman following his father’s steps, learning how to do poetry ( he’s just scribbling for now though Homare dismisses it and will most likely put it in one of his works, much to his editor’s dismay) and of course dance.

Of course he makes special poems for his son who babbles happily and claps whenever his dad gets particularly extra.

Hisoka

Hisoka will take quite a while to even think of being a parent, but the moment his soft-spoken little girl yawns he’s done for. He will protect her with his life.

That said in the daily life he is a 𝗉𝗋𝖾eeet𝗍𝗒 𝗅𝖺𝗂𝖽 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 dad.

Thankfully this little girl is wise beyond her years, and will often say things that surprise the adults around her. An “old soul” if you may.

Developes a sweet tooth regarding chocolate, and honestly he doesn’t make it any better as he bends to his daughter every whim, because if daddy gets his share of marshmallows so shall she.

Can't help but bring her into the bed when she whines about how she doesn’t wanna sleep alone, placing her next to him in the cozy blankets, moving the hair out of her face before caressing her hue cheeks and falling asleep snuggling against her.

Tsumugi

He’s somewhat self-conscious thinking he will do something wrong and is constantly asking himself if he’s good enough to be his daughter’s father.

But to be honest his daughter is?? A bliss. This shy sweet girl is constantly reminding him how much she loves him, and Tsumugi can’t help but feel the luckiest when she smiles at him like that.

He definitely names flowers after her and even arranges flower crowns for her to wear.

If his kid ends up liking theatre it would be amazing but anything that makes her happy is enough for him.

So yeah, everytime he looks at her is a daydream to him. Tsumugi is always looking at how to be a better father for her.

Guy

It’s kinda cute how concentrated he is watching his baby boy doing absolutely nothing but babbling for hours.

But yeah no this man is ATTENTIVE he knows the exact time when his kid has to be fed and already distinguishes the different cries from hunger, sleep and so on.

Will most likely also speak to him in Zahfran.

He will feel the urge to press his lips the moment he hears his son say “Dada!” for the first time. I’m not crying you are.

As his son grows older he will ask him about his day, his interests, and most important will encourages discussion about his FEELINGS while sharing a cup of tea- He's very protective of him and will always put him first over everything else.

Tasuku

Has a rough time adjusting to the whole being a dad. Not because he doesn't love his kids (a boy and a girl, much to his shock) it's just... different from anything he had experienced before.

So yeah he’s more than a bit clumsy while handling them at first but gets the hang of it as time passes. He would be the really supportive, loving dad that doesn’t really know how to communicate well with words

Also makes dad jokes by accident.

Carried both of them on his shoulders once (he obviously CAN have you seen him) and now they just don’t stop asking him for shoulder rides.

Takes them to many of his rehearsals and honestly they are extremely in awe of how his dad acts and whenever he sees or hears them re-enacting some of his plays with exaggerated moves and sounds? his chest practically burst from pride.

Azuma

Azuma will most likely lean more towards fostering kids rather than having one of his own due to his childhood.

He lets them sleep with him when they’re having a bad night or wake up scared from a nightmare because he knows what it feels like.

And then one day this boy, a bit older than the rest of the kids he had been fostering appears and makes way into Azuma’s heart so much can’t conceive not having him in his life until finally adopts him.

He will sit down with him, crayons and pencils splayed usually all over the table while they both do some books coloring

Soft eyes and sweet voice, this boy is the most gentle thing Azuma has seen and is so glad he will be able to see him grow.

_______________________________________________________

What a nice beginning of the year aaaaah have a wonderful day!! 💕

[kanjukucompany]

【A3! Translation】 A3! 2nd Anniversary Book: SUNSHINE (Blooming Special Interview)

「We asked the company members about their everyday and personal lives!」

a quick two question interview with each character! reprinted from the 2017 b's-log october issue

(translation under the cut)

(glitch text ignore)

🌸 Sakuma Sakuya

Who was your last LIME message to?

Masumi & Banri. - I invited them to eat lunch with me, and even though they both said 'no way', they always come.

What's the first thing you look for in a lover?

Nothing special. - Sorry, I couldn't think of anything... I can't come up with any requirements. But, I'd be happy if they liked acting.

🌸 Usui Masumi

Are you the type of person who likes to spoil the one you love?

I want to spoil them. (Only Director) - I want to do whatever she wants, even if it's selfish, that's the privilege of being lovers.

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Either. (Only Director) - If she wants to eat curry outside, then outdoors. If she wants to eat curry at home, then indoors. Everything I do is up to her.

🌸 Minagi Tsuzuru

Who was your last LIME message to?

Second oldest brother. - He called to ask me when I was coming home, so I told him I'd be home this weekend. The prodigal eldest son has come home for the first time in a while.

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Checking the script. - I go over the script with the lead and the director. If we find something we think needs improvement, we sometimes just change it on the spot.

🌸 Chigasaki Itaru

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Waist. - This is the only other thing aside from my face that Yuki's praised. I also think that's why a lot of my costumes emphasize my waist.

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Indoors. - I could go outside, but the glare from the sun makes it hard to see my screen. If I want to game, I'd have to be inside.

🌸 Citron

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Skin. - My tan skin is so sexy! All natural too!

Who was your last LIME message to?

Omi. - I got a lot of free vegetables from the shopping district! I asked Omi to cook us a Japanese dinner.

☀️Sumeragi Tenma

Who was your last LIME message to?

Taichi. - It was about.... a school schedule thing. It's not like I'm trying to do make up lessons or anything like that!

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Indoors. - I can't really walk around freely outside because someone could see me. It'd be better to spend our free time watching movies or just talking about stuff.

☀️Rurikawa Yuki

Are you the type of person who likes to spoil the one you love?

I want to spoil them. - I'm a guy, I should be allowed to spoil my lover, right?

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Costume maintenance. - I check for dirt or loose threads, and get rid of any dust and wrinkles. I want the costumes to be as perfect as the performance.

☀️ Sakisaka Muku

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Hair. - I didn't really like how curly my hair was at first, but after being complimented by Kazu-kun and Azu-nee, I started to like it.

Who was your last LIME message to?

Sakuya. - I found the most wonderful book of plays at the library, and I wanted to read it together by the riverbank. We were both so invested in it, we ended up being late for dinner...

☀️ Ikaruga Misumi

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Eyes. - I have triangles in my eyes! Did you know? If you didn't, make sure to take a closer look next time! I get a little embarrassed when people stare at me so closely, though~.

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Outdoors. - I'd want to go triangle hunting together! After we found a really nice one, we would eat onigiri! Doing it with two people is definitely more fun than just one.

☀️ Miyoshi Kazunari

Are you the type of person who likes to spoil the one you love?

I want to spoil them. - I wanna spoil them~. Isn't being pampered by the person you love the best!? Of course, it'd be nice if they'd spoil me once in a while too ☆

Who was your last LIME message to?

Frooch-san. - I wanted to get some new resource collections for my designs, but I was shot down immediately. "Draw it yourself," he said. Can't be helped, so I'm gonna show him what an art student's really made of.

🍂 Settsu Banri

Who was your last LIME message to?

Tasuku. - He called me to play soccer tonight. Y'know that's really the only time he ever LIMEs me? I'm fine with it, though. Let's me get some exercise other than practice every once and while.

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Napping. - I usually eat something then take a nap. Autumn Troupe does a lot of action, and that takes up a lot of energy. I try to rest my body so I can perform the best I possibly can.

🍂 Hyodo Juza

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Eat. - I eat sweets. I try to choose warm ones so I don't mess up my throat.

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Either. - Whatever they want. I'm not as up to date with the latest trends as Taichi or Kazunari-san, but... I could show them good sweet shops.

🍂 Nanao Taichi

What's the first thing you look for in a lover?

Love! - I-If they love me, that's enough....! As long as we're in love, I don't need anything else! Uuu...! This is a little embarrassing, huh~?

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Outdoors. - We'd shop, eat crepes, skateboard, and then.... and then after that...! I want to so bad~! Dang it~! It'll happen one day.

🍂 Fushimi Omi

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Facial scar. - It's not really confidence, per say, but... When I look at it, I'm reminded that the past me is the reason I'm here today. I've come to feel that way since joining the company.

Who was your last LIME message to?

Itaru. - I asked him if he was getting dinner at the dorm. Itaru-san often goes out to eat for work meetups. To think how he balances practice, gaming, and work... it's pretty amazing.

🍂 Furuichi Sakyo

Are you the type of person who likes to spoil the one you love?

It depends on the person. - I'd like to spoil them, but I'd be strict with them if it's for their own good. Well, I guess you could also say that's a form of spoiling them.

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Taking a break in the back of the theater. - The dressing room in the theater isn't very big, and Autumn Troupe is full of big guys. I usually go out back and read the customer surveys.

❄️Tsukioka Tsumugi

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Hands. - It's just because I get a lot of compliments on how beautiful my hands are. To be honest though, I don't really get it...

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Chatting. - I try to communicate with everyone as much as possible. You can improve a lot of things just by talking, like what we could improvise, etc.

❄️ Takato Tasuku

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Back muscles. - I've been focusing a lot on my back and shoulders, so that's where I'm most confident. Though lately, I've been having to focus on my abs because Rurikawa keeps nagging me about not changing costume sizes.

What's the first thing you look for in a lover?

Understanding of theater. - I'm all about theater and not really the thoughtful type. I don't think I could be in a relationship very long with someone who doesn't understand that. I'd try my best to be understanding of them too, though.

❄️Mikage Hisoka

Who was your last LIME message to?

Tsumugi. - He mentioned he was going to a convenience store in the next town over, so I asked him to pick up some marshmallows. I asked for these yogurt-flavored marshmallows, which you can't buy anywhere around here. I've gotten kind of addicted to them.

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Napping. - Eating marshmallows and sleeping. It noisy in the dressing room (Alice mainly) and it makes it hard to sleep. Thankfully, Itaru gave me a pair of expensive earplugs so I'm able to sleep comfortably.

❄️ Arisugawa Homare

Are you the type of person who likes to spoil the one you love?

I want to spoil them. - Isn't it normal to want to serve the one you love? If they wanted a hug, I would gently embrace them. If they wanted to hear my poetry, I would recite it as much as they desired.

When it comes to dates, indoors or outdoors?

Outdoors. - Thanks to various trips I've been on as an author, I have lots of places I'd like to show them. Meeting new people and seeing new scenery, it's a wonderful way to enrich your life and broaden your horizons.

❄️ Yukishiro Azuma

What part of yourself are you most confident in?

Secret. - I get lots of compliments on my hair and my looks, but... The thing I'm most confident in? Fufu, f you cuddle with me, I'll tell you.

How do you spend your time in between matinees and soirees?

Shower. - Winter Troupe's plays don't have anything too strenuous, but still, I sweat a lot. Taking a lukewarm shower helps me rest, and refreshes my body and mind, too.

[leaving-grapefruitss]

A3! Laundry Headcannons

Because I said so

Tsuzuru once accidentally (read: intentionally) shoved the bird into the laundry 

Sakyo thinks that it’s valid to place bubble wrap in the washing machine in place of laundry sheets since they’re “cheaper”

Sakyo instructs Matsukawa to buy packet refills of fabric softener to place into old milk cartons in order to reduce wastage (it’s because he’s cheap but we stan an environmentally responsible king)

Kazunari thinks the fabric softener is strawberry milk and pours himself a glass…the look on Tsuzuru’s face when Kazu continued to drink it unsuspectingly 

Misumi snacked on unstoppables and claimed they were “too bland and circular” for his taste…

Tenma grabbed an iron hot-side up and began complaining when he said it’s “hot” like, no kidding-

Masumi was instructed to fold his own underwear (as he should) and somehow ended up tying it into a knot? Itaru began teasing him for having “pAnTieS” even though the teen somehow tied his briefs together…

Kamekichi is significantly more capable of folding and tying his bowties than Banri, who can only apparently roll up socks somewhat properly

Yuki neatly folds all of his and Muku’s laundry and subsequently throws Tenma’s sheets out the window when he offered to pay Yuki to fold his linens

Misumi cut triangle holes into his blanket so now his limbs flail out of them randomly when he goes to bed 

Omi, Tasuku and Tsuzuru are the only troupe members who inherently know how to use a top-load washing machine; Muku fell in once and Juza tried to help him out and subsequently fell in too. Omi and Tasuku had to fish them out whilst Tsuzuru passed out on the warm laundry.

Hisoka consistently sleeps on warm linens, regardless of whether or not it’s been washed. Azuma walked into the laundry room and saw Hisoka splayed out on top of the working dryer whilst cuddling a…bottle of detergent.

Homare insisted that the curtains were causing dust allergies within the troupe given that they potentially hadn’t been washed in over an inherent decade. Matsukawa alongside the odd troupe member aided in “washing” them which subsequently ended in the bird and a sleeping Hisoka being shoved into the washing machine yet again. 

Sakuya attempted to teach Itaru, Masumi, and Citron how to fold their socks and hand towels which ended up in Masumi folding love letters into the director’s socks whilst Citron made an elephant out of his towel. Itaru gave up and shoved all of his clothes into one drawer; they never saw the light of day again (just like the bodies in Chikage’s attic)

Itaru decided to be a functioning and valuable roommate for once in his life which led to him asking Chikage what the slightly-red washed-out stains on his old shirts were. Chikage claimed it was from an ‘experiment’ of sorts.

Juza got his laundry mixed up with one of Yuki’s mock-costumes for a play which ended up in him parading around in a frilly lilac skirt - he almost murdered Banri for taking photos of him. Omi found the entire ordeal rather endearing. (I have no idea why he’d put the skirt on, I just feel like he’d think that it’s intentional…)

Sakyo invested in a dryer, which, amongst other things, perplexed Guy rather heavily; what’s the need of a dryer when you can dry your clothes outside?

An incredibly sleep-deprived Tsuzuru once placed his dirty dishes in the microwave and his clothes in the dishwasher (not speaking from experience). Such husband material wow 

Tenma was genuinely confused on the difference between a dishwasher and washing machine and inherently placed a mug and fork into the top-load…thank goodness for Tasuku insisting that plastic mugs and cutlery would be valuable.

Taichi thought that tie-dye looked really intriguing so he bundled up an old shirt with a fork and forgot to tie it up...which inherently ruins the point.

Banri suggested that he washed the shirt and started over which made all of Taichi’s white shirt turn a rather nasty shade of brown given all the colours he tried to dye his shirt with. 

Muku once tied a warm sheet around his neck and attempted to pose like his favourite anime character whilst Itaru filmed him (he fell later but it was adorable regardless)

The members of the summer troupe like to banter over who gets first dibs on their fresh laundry that came straight out of the dryer.

Kumon ends up putting his worn clothes into the dryer so they’re both soft and warm (though slightly muddy from baseball). He gets a lecture from Sakyo and Azuma on personal hygiene and puberty.

Azami insists on washing each hand towel after a single use and repeatedly cleansing through the “facial towels” in the bathroom since it’s bAd FoR yOuR sKIn tO rEuSe (reuse, reduce, recycle mf 🙄 he’s not wrong, though)

This is unhinged and unedited so- 😭 just ignore any mistakes

I’m trying to get back into producing valid content again and I’m not sure if it’s working or not so uh…yea :D

[beyondtheborderridiculous]

Mankai Stage Act 2 Spring 2022

ACT 2 FINALLY CAME TO MANKAI STAGE!!!

I watched the last available showing on dmm, which was a little more than a week ago, so I'm a bit disappointed that I can't write a more fresh review, but I was busy and now I have the time and energy to write down my thoughts for what I watched.

I have many thoughts and feelings, but the overall feeling I had was just... Tears. I cried so much during this show, lololol. Everyone's acting is so good! You could tell that the actors were really invested in their characters.

I will be honest though, it didn't really feel like a Mankai Stage, stage play. I think it's because I'm so used to with what they were like before, that with the many changes, it felt like I was watching a different production company. Like, the stage for one, is MUCH bigger. I kind of miss that little homely feel that Mankai Stage had previously, but it does give you a sense of, 'wow, Mankai Company grew a lot. No wonder they're able to afford looking for a 6th troupe member.'

And the format changes. Usually, there's two plays per show, but this time there's only one. Which is understandable, since the main stories in Act 2 are so much longer than those in Act 1. If I were to describe this show, then before intermission was centered on Masumi, and after intermission was centered on Chikage.

Speaking of Masumi, another thing that made it feel like a different company was that there were a lot of new actors. Masumi, being one of them. Now, the new actor for Masumi is great. He's a great actor, good singer, etc. But he plays Masumi in a different way than Hikaru did. And that's not his fault, it's just a different Masumi than I'm used to. So I think it'll just take time for me to get used to him. Same goes for Yuzo.

Despite all these changes, Spring 2022 was great. Chikage's actor is awesome! He was really able to capture Chikage's switch, from being the polite, perfect troupe member one moment, to being one second away from committing a crime to the next.

There were so many Gekka scenes. I cry every time. Hisoka, you made me cry every time. And August is there! You can't see his face, but he's there!

Tsuzuru's zombie number was great. Absolutely no lyrics, just him groaning. Yes.

I'm still bitter that there was no Tasuku, lololol.

Also, Mankai Stage is determined to go the same absolutely no-woman-on-stage-route that the game does, since there was no actor for Masumi's grandma. Like. Masumi's dad's secretary had an actor (with a really deep voice), but no grandma, lololol. The actors talk to the audience, just like they do when they talk to the director.

Ok, speaking of director, Chikage does kidnap the audience!!! They blacked out the whole venue, so you see absolutely nothing, and all you hear is Chikage's voice, just as if you were wearing a blindfold. And then suddenly you're in a dimly lit room.

But you know the scene were Izumi bugs Chikage to recite the lines with her? I think they manipulated that scene pretty well using their staging and Sakuya, lol.

One thing I am kind of disappointed about, was there was no family scene with them calling Chikage grandpa (or at least, I didn't catch it), but what I DO APPRECIATE, is that they copied the sleepover scene EXACTLY the same as the CG!!!!! Citron and Itaru cuddled up against Chikage, and Tsuzuru sleeping in that wtf awkward angle, lololol. That scene was just extremely cute.

Oz was done really well. To be honest, it was probably only possible because of the new stage that they got. They played around a lot with their space.

And the actors, once again, were able to greet the audience during the finale! I guess Covid restrictions are lifting in Japan at this time.

Spring 2022 was a lot of fun!!! I can't wait to buy the DVD to watch it again, and the backstage! If any of you watched it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] Sakuya Sakuma | [SSR++] The Garden that Bounded the Four Seasons | Courtyard Time Capsule: Spring

Citron: …And to make a long story short, that is that.

Tsuzuru: Yeah, I didn’t get any of that.

Citron: That is why I am going to use the time thing to put into a capsule!

Masumi: That’s way too hard to follow.

Sakuya: He’s talking about a time capsule. Like how each troupe is burying a time capsule in the courtyard.

Sakuya: That’s why we all have to decide on one thing to put into it.

Citron: Please decide by next week!

Tsuzuru: Ohh, a time capsule, huh? Sounds interesting.

Itaru: Sweet, I’m gonna bury my billing records.

Masumi: That’d be pointless.

Chikage: I suppose it’s nice feeling the impermanence of worldly things, isn’t it?

Sakuya: Putting billing records aside, it should be something that you’ll be able to look at in ten years and really feel how the time has gone by.

Itaru: If that’s the case then maybe I could use one of those… Just last week, I bought a bunch of copies of the software for this one game to get a store-specific bonus, so maybe I could throw one of those in or something.

Tsuzuru: Why game software?

Itaru: Maybe it’ll become some legendary game in ten years.

Chikage: Just out of curiosity, what’s the review average for it online?

Itaru: 3.2 stars…

Chikage: Seems like it could become very legendary indeed.

Citron: You are not being very imaginative. You will not be surprised when we open it up! 

Masumi: Well, I guess that’s fair, but what exactly should it be then?

Citron: It should be something with more heresy! 

Tsuzuru: Sincerity?

Sakuya: Something with sincerity… Maybe something handmade?

Chikage: Something we made with our own hands would definitely carry more feelings ten years from now than ready-made products would.

Itaru: Hey now, let’s not ask for something unreasonable again…

Sakuya: (Something handmade… I wonder what I should bury.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Citron: …Hmmhmhmm, scratchy and prickly~.

Sakuya: What are you sewing, Citron-san?

Citron: The item I am going to bury in the time capsule!

Sakuya: A felt doll?

Citron: Yes. This is the plan!

Sakuya: Whoa, it’s a new Citron Junior! 

Citron: A Sleeping Beauty version! It is very romantic to wake up after sleeping for ten years!

Sakuya: I see! So he’s a Sleeping Beauty because he’ll be sleeping underground for a long time.

Sakuya: (Citron-san really is amazing. That’s the perfect theme for a time capsule and it’s a really Citron-san-like thing to do.)

· ❀ —– ٠ ❀ ٠ —– ❀ ·

*Knock on door and the door opens*

Sakuya: Tsuzuru-kun, Masumi-kun, the room we’re rehearsing in for afternoon rehearsal has changed.

Tsuzuru: It’s already about time, huh?

Masumi: I’ll be there once I’m done.

Sakuya: What are you making, Masumi-kun?

Masumi: A picture frame.

Masumi: I’m going to put my favorite recent photo of the Director in it and then bury it in the time capsule.

Tsuzuru: That’s like idol-fan worshipping behavior…

Masumi: I’d be really happy to be able to compare the Director’s smile here to her smile ten years from now.

Sakuya: I see! That really is an idea only you could’ve come up with, Masumi-kun.

Sakuya: Have you decided on what you’re gonna bury yet, Tsuzuru-kun?

Tsuzuru: It’s not really that much, but… it’s handmade, so it should work.

Sakuya: A notebook?

Tsuzuru: It’s got stuff like the plots for story ideas that I’ve had to scrap so far written in it.

Tsuzuru: Maybe the stuff that I’ve had to scrap because I couldn’t handle it now will be something I’ll be able to write about ten years in the future.

Sakuya: I’m sure that ten years from now, you’ll be an even better writer than you already are, Tsuzuru-kun!

Tsuzuru: I hope so.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Knock on door and the door opens*

Sakuya: Itaru-san, Chikage-san, the room we’ll be rehearsing in for our afternoon rehearsal has been changed.

Chikage: Ahh, got it.

Itaru: Gotcha.

Sakuya: By the way, have you both decided on what you’ll be burying in the time capsule?

Chikage: I’m thinking of bottling up an extra hot spice combination that I’ve come up with and then burying that along with the recipe for it.

Chikage: This is the best combination to me currently, but… I might come up with an entirely different recipe ten years from now.

Chikage: I think it’d be fun to compare them.

Sakuya: Spices! That’s a very you thing, Chikage-san. I bet the Director would love to know that recipe too.

Chikage: I bet she would.

Itaru: And I’m thinking of making a homemade strategy guide to bury with the software since I’d never hear the end of it from Citron if I only buried that.

Itaru: It’s basically just a notebook with a hand-drawn map, gameplay notes, reviews, etc.

Itaru: I used to write out strategy guide notes by hand, but now that I’ve got the wonder that is the internet, I don’t really do that anymore.

Itaru: So I’m gonna try unleashing my little gamer boy heart again.

Chikage: You say that as if you’re not still basically a gamer kid.

Sakuya: That seems like it’d be more memorable than if you just put the game in.

Sakuya: (It’s incredible how everyone’s found something that’s so uniquely them… Just what am I going to bury?)

· ❀ —– ٠ ❀ ٠ —– ❀ ·

Sakuya: (Hmm, the sun is so warm and nice today.)

Sakuya: (Our time capsule is gonna be buried in this garden and then we’ll all dig it up ten years from now…)

Sakuya: (Ten years from now… I wonder how much everyone will change, including me. I’m really looking forward to digging it back up.)

Sakuya: (But before that, I need to figure out what I’m going to bury in it…)

Sakuya: Hmm…

Izumi: Ah, looks like I found the first guest.

Izumi: Omi-kun made gâteau au chocolat. Would you like to have some with me?

Sakuya: Sure thing!

Izumi: What are you thinking about?

Sakuya: I actually haven’t decided on what I’m gonna bury in the time capsule yet…

Izumi: It seems like the other troupes that buried theirs before put a lot of different things in theirs too.

Izumi: Pictures, poems, design data, autographed balls, keys for a treasure hunt, things they use on a daily basis…

Sakuya: I’m thinking of making something homemade, but I’m not particularly good at making anything…

Izumi: Being homemade doesn’t mean it has to be good.

Izumi: The feelings you put into it and the reason you made it are more important, don’t you think?

Izumi: It should be something that’ll make you happy when you dig it up ten years from now.

Sakuya: I see… I guess you’re right.

Sakuya: I was also just looking forward to digging the time capsule up in this courtyard and imagining what it’ll be like.

Izumi: That reminds me, the first generation said that this courtyard was full of their memories, too.

Izumi: This courtyard really is a special place for MANKAI Company members, isn’t it?

Izumi: It’s full of fun times, happy times, troubled times, and lots of other times too.

Sakuya: Yeah! It’s a place that I really, really love too.

Sakuya: --Ah.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Citron: Alright, it is time to put our things in the time capsule one by one!

Tsuzuru: Alright, I’ll start with mine since it seems easy to put in.

Itaru: Mine’s flat too, so it’ll be fine being at the bottom.

Chikage: Mine can go next.

Citron: I will put mine in too~. Good night, Junior~.

Masumi: I’m putting my picture of the Director at the very top.

Itaru: That’s a disgusting amount of bubble wrap.

Tsuzuru: I think you might’ve over-wrapped it a bit.

Sakuya: Alright, mine can go in next then.

Chikage: A watercolor painting? Did you paint that, Sakuya?

Citron: Ohh! It is of the courtyard’s scenery!

Sakuya: It honestly kinda sucks, but… I borrowed some art supplies from Kazunari-san and painted a little bit of it every day.

Sakuya: I hope this view of the courtyard I love will still be the same in ten years when we all dig up the capsule.

Sakuya: I painted this with that wish in mind.

Itaru: I’m sure it won’t change.

Citron: Just like our bond.

Sakuya: Yeah!

[izumi-fanclub]

A3! Translation: Chikage SR Card “You Can You Know” [ Secret Notepad ]

Chikage is gifted with something he doesn’t know how to make use of.

Chikage

Fu…

(I’m almost done. I’ll be able to go home soon.)

Boss

Utsuki, come over here for a second.

Chikage

What is it? Boss

Here’s a package addressed to you. I got it so I’m bringing it to you.

Chikage

Thank you very much.

Boss

Where’d you get it from?

Chikage

It’s from a business partner representative, the item is… stationery?

Boss

Heh, I’m curious to see what’s inside. Go on, open it up.

Chikage

Haa…

…A notepad and a fountain pen.

Boss

These are some pretty high-end ones, right? That company’s got a lot of money.

Chikage

They sent it as a thank-you for that successful transaction the other day.

Boss

You’re an upright representative.

But, how often do you use a notepad these days?

Chikage

That too… but they were kind enough to give it to me. I’ll be very grateful to use it.

Chikage

—So that’s why.

Tsuzuru

I see. So that’s the notepad you received.

Izumi

It’s sturdily made!

Citron

A must-have item for a man at work~.

Chikage

Even though I told my boss that, I usually mostly work on the PC. I rarely have a chance to use a notepad like this.

Itaru

True. You can just take notes on your phone.

Why not let Tsuzuru use it?

Chikage

You’re right. I mean, he’s a scriptwriter, he’s going to have more opportunities to write down notes. Shall I give it to him?

Tsuzuru

I’m not getting something that looks that expensive! I mean, please don’t try to give me things that people gave you.

Chikage

Just kidding.

Masumi

…You were definitely not kidding.

Tsuzuru

Or maybe take notes during practice, I think it’s better to use it for that.

Citron

…That is it! I have got an idea!

Izumi

Citron-kun, what’s up?

Citron

This can be used for role study!

Chikage

Role study?

Citron

Next performance, Chikage plays the role of an editor-in-charge!

If you are an editor, a notepad is essential. You can also use the notepad you have received, two birds with one stone!

Tsuzuru

An editor is required to have a notepad… well, I don’t know about that.

Masumi

Too on-the-nose.

Chikage

But you don’t exactly get to do this kind of analog work unless you’re fully aware of it, and it’s good to try it out once in a while.

Itaru

Senpai’s interest switch is a mystery.

Izumi

Ahaha…

Part 2

Izumi

That’ll be all for today. Thank you for your hard work!

Masumi

Good work.

Itaru

GJ.

Sakuya

Chikage-san, do you still have the notepad with you today?

Chikage Yeah, I’ve got it in my pocket close to me, as you can see.

Tsuzuru

I often see you taking notes these days.

Izumi

Now that you mention it.

CItron

Chikage, you are doing a great job!

Chikage

Thanks.

Itaru

I mean, what’re you always writing down?

Tsuzuru

Did you notice anything during our rehearsals?

Chikage

That’s part of it, yes… but I think it’s mostly personal.

Well then, excuse me.

Itaru

…I’m kinda worried bout what’s in those notes.

Tsuzuru

What in the world is written in those…?

Chikage

…

Izumi

(Ah, It’s Chikage-san.)

(Looks like he’s writing something on his notepad… he sure is eager about his role.)

Chikage-san, you’re writing down notes again.

Chikage

Director-san, yeah.

Izumi

Chikage-san, I’m glad you look enthusiastic.

Chikage

…Aren’t you curious about what I’m writing?

Izumi

Well, if you ask me whether or not I am, I’d say yes…

Chikage

I can’t show it to anyone else, but… I’ll let them know next time since the director will know.

Izumi

You can’t show it to anyone else, huh…

(Maybe it’s got something to do with Chikage-san’s organization…!? No, no, that can’t be it…)

Chikage

…I’ll never get tired of watching the hundreds of faces of director-san.

[ Option 1: Are you teasing me!? ]

Izumi

Are you teasing me!?

Chikage

I was just being honest.

Izumi

I don’t have hundreds of faces, at least not on purpose…

Chikage

I think it’s good that you get to express your emotions so well. Rather than be like me and get told that they don’t know what I’m thinking.

Izumi

Is that so…?

Chikage

I don’t dislike director-san’s facial artistry though.

Izumi

It’s not facial artistry!

Chikage

Haha, sorry.

Izumi

(He’s definitely teasing me…)

[ Option 2: What are you writing? ]

Izumi

What are you writing?

Chikage

It’s still a secret. It’d be boring to reveal the magician’s trick so early.

Izumi

That just makes me even more curious if you say that.

Chikage

That’s right… Director-san would be interested in this.

Izumi

I would…?

Chikage

That’s the biggest clue of it all. You can figure out the rest yourself.

Izumi

Hmm… It’s like a mystery solving game.

Chikage

Look forward forward to the major reveal.

Sakuya

We’re home!

Itaru

We’re back.

Tsuzuru

Welcome back, you two.

Citron

Welcome home~.

Sakuya

Something smells good!

Izumi

Tonight’s dinner is chicken and spinach curry.

Sakuya

Sounds delicious!

Masumi

Curry made by you is always delicious.

Kamekichi

Oi! Someone lost something! Whose is it!?

Tsuzuru

Huh, that’s…

Sakuya

Chikage-san’s notepad?

Citron

We cannot say until we have checked the contents.

Itaru

From what I can see, I think it’s senpai’s,

Izumi

I think it probably is, he hasn’t come home from work yet, so it’s hard to say…

Kamekichi

I’ll just leave it with ya for now!

Tsuzuru Wait, you can’t just throw something at me like this…!

Itaru

Look, it fell on the floor.

Citron

Kamekichi’s control is bonkers.

Kamekichi

What was that!?

Masumi

…The notepad’s open.

Sakuya

Looks like it opened from the impact of the fall.

Tsuzuru

I don’t think it’s a good idea to look without permission, you know?

Citron

It is an accident! It cannot be helped.

Itaru

Well, we can’t leave it like this.

Tsuzuru

You two just want to take a peek. Itaru

Let’s see… hm?

Masumi

This is…

Izumi

Could it be— a recipe for spice blends!?

Chikage

…Ah, I got found out.

Tsuzuru

Chikage-san!? When did you come back!?

Sakuya

Sorry! We didn’t mean to look…!

Chikage

It’s not like I was hiding it from you.

Izumi

Amazing! As expected of Chikage-san! Let’s try the formula next time!

Chikage

And as expected of director-san, I like how easily baited you are.

Masumi

Chikage’s only sly. I’ll do it too.

Itaru

…I wondered what kind of bad stuff you wrote about, turns out it was recipes for spice blends.

Citron

How very Chikage~.

Story Clear!

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 9: Going Back To The Start

Girl A: Thank you very much~!

Girl B: We’ll be supporting you from now on, too!

Chikage: Be careful on your way home.

Young man: You have once again made me think that actors are amazing! Thank you so much!

Youth: That was fun~!

Citron: For us, too!

Towa: Thank you so much!

Izumi: Thank you for participating. We were able to come up with a wonderful project because of you, Towa-kun.

Towa: To be honest, I was really hesitant about participating. Failing in front of Masumi-kun would’ve been embarrassing.

Towa: But I’m glad I took the plunge!

Towa: I understood what kind of scenery Masumi-kun and the others look at from the top of the stage…

Towa: I think I understand more about how a theater play is made, and about everyone who works on it, now.

Towa: A new world has opened before me!

Tsuzuru: Hearing you say that makes all of it worth it, right, Masumi?

Masumi: Well, you did your best.

Towa: All this from my oshi…! 

Izumi: Come see our play next.

Citron: We’ll be waiting!

Towa: Yes! I absolutely will! I’ll be going now!

[Towa leaves]

Rento: Our first event was a big success.

Akashi: Even though… I don’t get many opportunities like this… I had fun, too…

Rento: Us backstage staff usually don’t have any contact with the audience.

Izumi: Thank you for your help today, you two!

Rento: Call me if ya do anything like this again.

Akashi: Me too…

Izumi: Of course!

Sakuya: We’ll be counting on you!

-

Izumi: … It looked like everyone was having fun.

Sakuya: It made me think of the first time I stood on stage.

Tsuzuru: Yeah, it was really nostalgic.

Citron: I could feel the chills in everyone’s hearts~!

Itaru: We were like that too, at the start.

Chikage: When you think about it like that, we’ve improved a lot.

Masumi: I was better than that.

Tsuzuru: That part of you hasn’t changed at all.

Sakuya: At first, just saying one line made me nervous, and I was constantly conscious of what the next line was.

Tsuzuru: Right, right! I kept thinking about how I had to move during a scene, and then I panicked because I missed everyone else’s lines.

Citron: I could do it when I was practicing alone, but when we were all together, I kept fumbling!

Masumi: You still do that.

Itaru: If my past self saw me now, he’d be surprised.

Chikage: Because you didn’t think you’d dedicate so much of yourself to acting?

Itaru: Something like that. But isn’t that true for you too, Senpai?

Chikage: I can’t deny that.

Izumi: Towa-kun’s eyes were sparkling as he told me that a new world opened before him.

Masumi: Even though he was nervous at first, he enjoyed himself.

Sakuya: I was like that too when I first decided to join MANKAI Company.

Sakuya: I’m really glad I took the courage to jump into that new world.

Tsuzuru: I remember hesitating a lot before taking that step, too. It got so busy after I joined that I didn't have time to think about it, though. 

Masumi: It felt like fate for me, so I didn’t hesitate.

Izumi: Ahaha, that’s how it was. How nostalgic.

Sakuya: Also, this made me want to do RomiJuli again!

Citron: I know, right! I kept almost saying the lines myself!

Itaru: IKR.

Izumi: Should we hold a run for it again?

Tsuzuru: If we do that, I’d like to give Chikage-san a proper role.

Citron: And I want to appear a little more!

Izumi: Right, as Citron-kun is now, he can play all kinds of roles. 

Chikage: But if everything else remains the same, it won’t feel fresh because it’s been reran multiple times.

Sakuya: If we’re going to do it, we’ll have to do it once the Fleur Cup is over, right?

Itaru: Since RomiJuli is such a catchy subject, it’s got movie and ballet adaptations, and it’s easy for people who aren’t into theater to get into it.

Itaru: I think it fits our aim of going back to the basics.

Izumi: But participating in the Fleur Cup with a repeat performance is too risky…

Tsuzuru: … Oh.

Izumi: ?

Tsuzuru: How does a sequel sound, then?

-

Tsumugi: Good work on the workshop. How did it go?

Sakuya: Everyone was hesitant at first, but as soon as their voices and gestures started coming out, they started having fun!

Tsuzuru: Watching them inspired me.

Tasuku: Sounds like it became a good opportunity for you to look at acting objectively again.

Tsumugi: I want to try it with the Winter Troupe, too. It sounds like we could learn a lot. 

Homare: We should make some time for poetry when we do that.

Tasuku: That would change the subject.

Homare: In the sense of studying lines, I believe studying poetry, which emphasizes the rhythm of words, would be helpful.

Guy: That makes sense. Shakespeare was both a playwright and a poet.

Hisoka: … We can light a bonfire and roast marshmallows at the end.

Tsuzuru: You say it like it’s a recreational activity at the end of camping, but this is just your hobby.

Sakuya: It’ll be a workshop that highlights each of your unique characters.

Izumi: Let’s plan one again when we have the chance.

Sakyo: We’re all here now.

Izumi: Let’s start the meeting, then.

Izumi: This meeting is about the Spring Troupe’s performance for 1Q of the Fleur Cup.

Izumi: After the workshop, we got to talking about going back to the start…

Citron: Simply put, we wanted to do RomiJuli again!

Sakyo: You mean you’re going to rerun RomiJuli?

Tsuzuru: No, not exactly. I was thinking about writing a sequel…

Tsuzuru: The RomiJuli that can be done by us thanks to our growth— One that will be depicting the future of the RomiJuli we debuted with.

Tsuzuru: I think it’s something we can do because we live in the future of that time.

Sakuya: This is also our first attempt at a sequel, so I think it will prove to be a challenge.

Sakuya: Of course, we really want to perform RomiJuli again, but…

Chikage: We also have to make sure this performance is a stepping stone towards the Fleur Cup.

Itaru: If we don’t collect votes, we won’t be able to connect to the next performance…

Itaru: Since this isn’t only our problem, we wanted to hear everyone’s opinion.

Tenma: A sequel to the debut performance… I’d have never thought of that. But I understand the feeling of wanting to go back to that again.

Tsumugi: You can’t help but wonder how you would perform this role now. It always feels fresh, no matter how many times you do it.

Kazunari: Since it’s the first one, it’s prolly the one where the theater company and the troupe’s colors are most prominent~

Sakyo:  Despite how rough it might’ve been, it can also be said that it’s what determined the Reborn MANKAI Company’s direction.

Banri: Since it’s the first one, it’s been rerun a lot. That’s also a plus, yeah?

Juza: Since you have a solid foundation of your role, you can approach it from a different perspective.

Juza: And above all, it’ll be rewarding to connect the dots from the debut performance to the sequel.

Homare: The parts that have changed and the parts that haven’t changed…You get a chance to express on stage those things that come to you naturally as you live day-to-day.

Guy: This will be a good experience for you as actors. It will help you grow.

Tasuku: I think getting to experience the long life of one of your characters is a precious opportunity. 

Taichi: And the OG RomiJuli fans will be real happy with this!

Omi: The fact that the original was so well received is also advantageous.

Azami: It’ll also be easy to imagine the world setting.

Yuki: What I’m worried about is that since they’re the same characters, it might lack a sense of freshness.

Kazunari: It’d be good to be conscious of that and make changes in the visuals.

Itaru: And there’s also the jinx that sequels can’t surpass the originals.

Banri: We can do more in the lighting and sound department now, all we can do is show ‘em how much we’ve leveled up.

Yuki: When I think of my past self as a rival, I get a little fired up.

Kazunari: We can’t lose~!

Sakyo: We also need to satisfy viewers that haven’t seen the first performance. That’s quite a gap from a stand-alone.

Kumon: But, I’m jealous, Chikage-san! I want my own role in the Summer Troupe’s first performance, too!

Misumi: And I’m curious what the Genie from “Water me!” is up to!

Muku: I understand! Just like how we’re living in the future compared to those days, I want to see what they’re doing in their future, too.

Azuma: If we’re making a sequel for the Spring Troupe’s debut performance, we should do that for the Summer Troupe and the others, too.

Tenma: That’s where we’ll end up, naturally.

Juza: I wanna put myself in Lansky’s shoes once more…

Omi: I’ve got some sudden motivation now.

Sakyo: We will only go through with this if the Spring Troupe’s sequel doesn’t fail.

Homare: Choosing to do a “sequel” in a situation where we absolutely can’t lose and also have to deal with a lot of first-time viewers is quite brave.

Izumi: That’s true.

Tsuzuru: I-I’m feelin’ the pressure…

Hisoka: … All troupes have to make sure they can connect to the one coming after.

Guy: Following the Spring Troupe in 1Q is the Summer Troupe in 2Q, and then the Autumn Troupe in 3Q and the Winter Troupe in 4Q. We must all contribute to the ranking in order to make it to the finals.

Tsumugi: But isn’t it reassuring to know that the initial performance of RomiJuli will be by our side in such a situation?

Sakuya: Exactly… Because this was our “start” as the Spring Troupe.

Citron: It was the Spring Troupe, and the Reborn MANKAI Company’s first ever adventure!

Masumi: If we can’t do this, the other troupes won’t be able to do it, either.

Itaru: Pretty much.

Chikage: I think it’s worth the bet.

Tsuzuru: No choice but to go for it…

Izumi: Then, let’s make each performance for the New Fleur Award a sequel to the troupes’ initial performances!

Izumi: (With this, we’re taking our first step towards the New Fleur Award)

Izumi: (All that’s left is the same as usual, we come together and prepare for the performances. I hope we can get through it without any troubles…)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) the fleur cup mentions are not a mistake. they started calling it that so i just went along with them

(2) the text says Q, but the voiced lines all call it quarters. i went with the text, so i hope that's not too confusing

[lcs-library]

Yes this is an A9! AU like most other A3! Selfshippers come at me if you must

Safeshiptember Day 11: Magic

Taglist: @dango-daydreams

Lu sighed, glancing over the spellbook again, trying to make sure she didn’t read it wrong for the upteenth time. Sure enough, the words were the same as always, she just couldn’t get it right.

The drama club needed this effect for their next show, and yet none of the members were in the Spring Dorm, meaning none of them could produce wind magic. Granted, neither was she, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying.

She grumbled, summoning her courage to try again, not caring how many people passed by her, no doubt curious, possibly even making fun of her. She was quite literally out of her element, given her affiliation with the Summer Dorm and its fire magic.

She chanted the incantation, making sure her hands were in the right position, took a breath, and… nothing. Well, nothing being a few sparks, as opposed to the short gust of wind she was hoping for. Lu waved them away, trying not to cry.

She covered her face as she laid in the grassy courtyard, hoping and praying she could actually get it right just once.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

“Are you okay?” It asked.

Lu dragged her hands off of her eyes, peering up to see who it was.

She was met with a fairly short boy, with reddish-pink hair, matching eyes that were as bright as stars, and a concerned expression. He looked somewhat familiar…

“I’m fine,” she groaned, more to reassure herself than him, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You’re a Summer student, right?”

“Hm? Why do you ask?”

“That’s a Spring spellbook.”

Lu glanced back at the book she had abandoned.

“So it is.”

“So, what are you doing?” He asked, crouching down to her level, prompting her to sit up.

Lu let out a deep sigh, not sure she should really tell a stranger her plan, much less a Spring-affiliated one, given his uniform. And yet, she found the words spilling out faster than she could keep track of.

“The drama club needs a wind effect for our next show, but there aren’t any Spring students in there, so I asked my friend Masumi if I could borrow his spellbook and do it myself.”

Why did she tell him all that? Did he really need to know? How did she manage to deem him trustworthy right off the bat?

The boy giggled.

“That’s really kind of you. If you want, I’d be happy to show you.”

“Would you really?”

He nodded, offering her a hand to help her up, which she immediately took.

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” he started, “what’s your name? I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“Lucille. Just call me Lu, though, it’s easier.”

“Lu? That’s pretty! I’m Sakuya, the Spring Dorm leader.”

Leader? It’s true that she must have seen him around at events, maybe that was why he seemed so familiar.

“Sakuya… is Saku fine?”

“Sure! Now, how about we get started on that spell?”

“Okay!”

So, with that, Sakuya repositioned Lu’s body, making sure it was in the right spot, putting her fingers in the correct places, and let her recite the incantation.

As expected, nothing but sparks, though they did swirl around a bit this time, which was an improvement.

Sakuya decided to demonstrate first, seeing as it might not have been her fault things were going awry. Despite his awkward positioning, he managed to create a small burst of wind without even using an incantation.

Lu gawked, forcing a blush to rise on Sakuya’s face.

Another try from Lu, even with attempts at improvement, and nothing.

Two, ten, thirteen tries all turned to sparks, sometimes even full bursts of fire.

She chewed her lip, turning back to the book, re-reading every word as carefully as before, even if nothing changed. Sakuya couldn’t help but pity her.

“Lu?”

“Hm?”

“When is your show running?”

“About a month from now. Why do you ask?”

“I think I’d be able to make it! Would that help?”

“Are you sure? Don’t you have, like, leader duties or something?”

“I’m sure! Even if I do, I’d be happy to cancel, I’ve been wanting to check out the drama club for a while now!”

“Really?”

“Mhm! So, can I help out? In the meantime, I can help tutor you on that spell in case I need an understudy.”

Lu’s eyes lit up, a smile crossing her lips for the first time since they met as she trapped him in a hug.

“Yes! Thank you so, so, so much!”

Sakuya was taken aback, partly due to her nearly toppling him over, partly due to physical affection still being a newer concept to him, but mostly due to the sheer nature of the action, the amount of love it held, even if they barely knew each other. He gingerly placed his arms around her waist, trying his best to reciprocate the affection.

“You’re welcome…”

“Can you be there for rehearsal after school tomorrow?” She asked, pulling away from the hug to face him.

“I think so!”

“Great! So, I’ll see you at tomorrow’s rehearsal?”

Sakuya chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll see you then. It’s a promise,” he said, sticking out his pinky. Lu stared at it for a bit before bursting into another smile.

“Yeah! A promise!” She replied, linking her pinky in his, enjoying every bit of his warmth, a gut feeling telling her she’d eventually feel this way forever.

[the-himawari]

A3! Minagi Tsuzuru - Translation [SSR] MANKAI Memory (3/3)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Citron: Happy birthday, Tsuzuru!

Izumi: Happy birthday, Tsuzuru-kun!

Itaru: Congrats~.

Tsuzuru: Thanks so much, everyone.

Citron: Alright, to celebrate Tsuzuru’s birthday, Citrun will perform a birthday manzai show!

Tsuzuru: Hold on, what’s a birthday manzai show! Besides, I’m the one we’re celebrating for in the first place!?

Masumi: Their manzai show has already begun.

Tsuzuru: It hasn’t started!

Sakuya: Ahahaha.

Itaru: Tsuzuru’s birthday bromide also came out really well, didn’t it?

Chikage: There was a huge variety in his accessories.

Izumi: It turned out to be a very wonderful bromide.

Tsuzuru: It’s all thanks to everyone who helped with the photoshoot.

Citron: Tsuzuru’s memorable item was a Ranger’s t-shirt, right?

Chikage: It’s very like Tsuzuru to choose clothing as opposed to a transformation belt or weapon.

Itaru: Were you thinking about your family’s situation even when you were a kid?

Tsuzuru: Ah, yeah. I have a lot of brothers, so I guess I was. I thought they might be reluctant to buy me a transformation belt or toy. But clothing is practical, so… I wanted that t-shirt no matter what, so I took the plunge and asked them.

Izumi: Oh, I see.

Sakuya: Even so, you have great parents for buying it for you when you asked for it.

Tsuzuru: Yeah. It’s a genuinely good memory of mine, so that’s why I used it for my bromide this time.

Masumi: You’re considerate in a weird way.

Itaru: It’s fine, isn’t it? That kindness feels just like Tsuzuru.

Izumi: (It does feel like it’s rare for Tsuzuru-kun to beg for something.)

Option 1: “You really loved them”

Izumi: You must have really loved those heroes to want that t-shirt no matter what.

Tsuzuru: I did. There were a bunch of other books and shows that I liked… But I was particularly into the Star Rangers back then. I admired the main character since he was so cool. He was kind, fun, and dependable to boot. I wanted to become a hero just like that.

Izumi: That sounds just like you, Tsuzuru-kun.

Tsuzuru: Eh?

Izumi: You’re kind, fun, and dependable. You’re really cool, Tsuzuru-kun.

Tsuzuru: …! T-thank you very much…! It feels a bit embarrassing… But I’m thrilled to hear you say that, Director.

Option 2: “Once in a while, ask us for something too.”

Izumi: Once in a while, ask us for something too. Alright, Tsuzuru-kun?

Tsuzuru: Eh?

Izumi: There aren’t many times you’re selfish or beg for something, so I just thought I’d like to hear some of your requests.

Tsuzuru: No way. You’re always letting me be self-indulgent with my scripts.

Sakuya: In that case, we’re the ones always being selfish towards you, Tsuzuru-kun.

Citron: We want to pepper* you too!

Masumi: It’s pamper, not pepper.

Chikage: Exactly. You should learn from Chigasaki who’s full of desires and be self-indulgent too.

Itaru: Lol. But yeah.

Sakuya: We’d be more than happy to listen to your requests, Tsuzuru-kun!

Tsuzuru: T-thanks. …I’ll take your word for it and try asking for something next time.

Izumi: Yeah!

Citron: By the way, Tsuzuru. Did you talk about the morning show with your brothers?

Tsuzuru: Ahh, no… when I brought this t-shirt out, we got excited chatting about the Star Rangers who were my favourite. They even got me to do the Star Ranger’s transformation pose.

Citron: OH!? That sounds fun. I want to see that transformation pose too! Do it, Tsuzuru!

Tsuzuru: Ehh!? Err, I’m not gonna do it?

Sakuya: I’d like to know about the Sentai heroes you liked too, Tsuzuru-kun!

Tsuzuru: Even you, Sakuya…

Itaru: I might have some sorta transformation belt.

Tsuzuru: Wait, you’re from a different generation, aren’t you!

Masumi: I’m not interested. Why don’t you do it by yourself?

Tsuzuru: That’d be kinda cringe though…

Chikage: Haha. Tsuzuru taking jabs from every direction is as interesting and reliable as always, huh?

Izumi: That’s also a part of Tsuzuru-kun… isn’t it?

---

*Citron originally says “ふやかす” (fuyakasu: to soak), which Masumi corrects as “甘やかす” (amayakasu: to pamper/spoil).

previous |

[citowon]

spring troupe and gender neutral s/o watch horror movies

about time i finally write for this blog... i was hit with the image of masumi watching a horror movie with his s/o, thought how lovely it would be if there was content of that, then realized i have that power now

word count: 1,935

tags: established relationship, non-detailed mentions of horror themes (gore, monsters, etc)

sakuya sakuma

🌸 when the topic of a horror movie date first comes up, he’s a bit scared. he’s only seen a couple, one of which was for mankai play research.

🌸 when it’s actually showing, though, he’s pretty calm! the anticipation was the worst part, and he somehow doesn’t get scared even during the most terrifying movie of the year. he’s great at reminding himself it’s just fictional in the end

🌸 vampires? not scary. aliens? he thinks they’re cute! gore? well, yeah, it’s unnerving at first but it’s all fake, and once he reminds himself of that he’s fine

🌸 he gets scared at the littlest things though. there might be a continuity error where a knife is in its holder on the counter in one shot and then removed the next, and no one in the movie acknowledges it nor is it supposed to mean anything but he can and will psych himself out thinking about just what moved it

🌸 king of predicting plot twists! he might be very good at spotting continuity errors, but he’s even better at picking out little bits of foreshadowing and putting together the mystery

🌸 gets spooked the most by jumpscares. every time he squeaks a bit (on really bad ones he might scream) and every time he always does the same embarrassed sigh afterwards and goes to squeeze your hand to calm himself

🌸 psychological horror is definitely the best pick for sakuya. he thinks a lot about what’ll happen next in the movie and loves to discuss about movies with you regardless of the genre, so with thought-provoking psychological films it fits him like a glove

🌸 and hey, if things ever get too intense he loves b-list horror movies! he thinks the bad acting is endearing and always finds something to compliment even with the trashiest, corniest flick

🌸 if you ever get uncomfortable, he might commentate in the movie and try to poke fun at it- i mean, the killer clown is kind of funny! look how bright and colorful it is compared to the rest of the set! he keeps his voice light and sunny so you have something comforting to concentrate on

masumi usui

🎧 he loves the idea of horror night. cuddling with you, holding you protectively as the suspense rises, stealing kisses to distract you from the monster and erase your fear...

🎧 he’s only seen a few horror movies in his life, less than the fingers he has on one hand, but whatever. it’s a movie. it’s not real. if he got too immersed he could just tell himself it’s fake and be done with it.

🎧 spoiler alert: he didn’t.

🎧 masumi did not, and i repeat, did NOT expect to get so invested??? even if you’re scared, he’s definitely the most terrified

🎧 that’s not to say he’ll show it. he’s doing everything to keep a neutral face, and you’ll probably assume he’s holding to you tighter during the scary parts like he’s protecting you.

🎧 (it’s actually because you’re the one [1] thing grounding him. you’re protecting him, not the other way around! in hindsight, he likes being cared for even when he thought he’d be the one spoiling you, not the other way around. he just wishes it didn’t have to be during such a scary movie, that’s all)

🎧 will take his fear to the grave... unless you ask him directly about it. please hold him and tell him the monsters aren’t real, even though he’s a heavy sleeper he will stay up until 3 am, his mind reminding him how creepy the movie was every time he’s about to drift off

🎧 so does not fuck with ghosts, if he didn’t believe in them before he certainly does now. the poor guy looks up how to ward away spirits and ends up carrying around a salt packet on him for the next two weeks

tsuzuru minagi

📖 tsuzuru’s not exactly a horror fan. he claims it’s brainless and pointless

📖 (admittedly he’s a little scared of them, but he still thinks they’re dependent on shock alone, and have zero rewatch value since the writing is more focused on in-the-moment spooks than actual plot.)

📖 he’ll roll his eyes and tease you a little but eventually he’ll go along with watching a horror movie

📖 to psych himself out of his fear tsuzuru decides to watch them critically and note what plot points to do (or more likely not to do) for future plays

📖 this works out for the beginning but by the middle of the movie he’s enraptured. he can’t tell if it’s actually good or if it’s a car wreck he can’t help but watch

📖 does the corny move where he yawns and wraps an arm around you, and you’d almost buy it from his earlier cynicism but then the killer shows their face and he tenses up like hell and you just know

📖 gets embarrassed every time he’s scared- he even turns pink, and gets even redder if you try to hold his hand or cuddle him closer (even though there’s nothing he’d want more after something that creepy)

📖 by the end he’s got a few new ideas that might go to autumn or winter troupe’s latest plays, and admits okay, fine, maybe horror isn’t so pointless after all

itaru chigasaki

🎮 screw movies, you’re playing horror games instead!

🎮 most of itaru’s horror games are single-player, so one of you takes the controller while the other sits next to the player, but itaru’ll drape his arms around you from behind in a back hug the entire time you play

🎮 he doesn’t really shut up. the entire time, he’s either cracking a joke or trying to freak you out more, if only so he doesn’t get in his head and overthink the creepy atmosphere

🎮 asshole only quiets down when the game gets tense, and then suddenly puts his hands around your shoulders or neck to scare you. regardless if you fall for it or not, he always laughs at himself and just-so-happens to break the tension as a scary cutscene plays

🎮 still commentates when he’s the player, but gasps or jumps even at small atmospheric scares

🎮 itaru definitely overthinks the game. he gets super cautious over tiny details and makes the missions way harder than they should be since he keeps overestimating the enemy line of sight and how noisy the avatar is

🎮 if you happen to be playing a co-op horror it’s a constant “no u” battle over who should do the scariest tasks

🎮 “reader, we need to cleanse the room next. you should do it” “no, you should do it. you have the quartz item remember” “i can give it to you since you have the ghost ward” “the ghost ward doesn’t apply to this quest, besides, you’re better at this ghost attack quick time event than me” “no it does, and you’re more optimized” “i can just give the items to you-“ “no you should do it” “no you” “no you” “no you” “no y-”

🎮 you both lose

citron

🍋 citron loves horror movies! he thinks they’re... comforting?

🍋 turns out he’s only seen movies about cursed dolls and b-horror, which explains a lot- he loves dolls too much to be scared by them and he thinks b-list horror is hilarious- but he’ll still proudly proclaim he’s unflappable and swear to protect you from the bad guys

🍋 when you’re actually watching the movie you can’t tell if he’s faking his reactions or not. he’s very noisy

🍋 he gets scared enough during the gruesome and horrific scenes to hold you close and tight like a teddy bear, and during the worst of it he might muffle a scream by diving into the crook of your neck, obscuring his vision until the scene changes

🍋 and yet, he laughs at the next scene’s unrealism, and manages to poke enough fun at the movie that you giggle and his terror disappears, he loves your laugh way more than he can be afraid of monsters

🍋 can’t do gore for the life of him, but when it comes to the actual plot, he’s rather critical of characters acting dumb. he catches on to nonsensical writing quick, but usually asks you to clarify the plot holes before realizing that he found a loophole in the writing

🍋 whenever you’re scared and not even his goofy reactions and commentary can help, he plants a sweet kiss on your cheek, strokes your hair, and holds you close to his chest until the fear goes away. he’s surprisingly good at protecting you from the movie

🍋 after the movie he’ll say his country has a similar legend to the movie monsters, but he claims the legends are true in zafra, and zafrans have a very specific tradition to prevent the monsters from attacking them

🍋 the movie also gave citron the idea of creepily standing behind you silently until you turn around and get startled, or occasionally chanting in a strange, cultish language and pretending he didn’t say a thing, or making a doll with the same markings as the clown puppet from the movie...

🍋 citron continues to be even scarier than the actual horror movie, but can’t wait until the next horror night! maybe watching it was a bad idea after all...

chikage utsuki

🌙 chikage just doesn’t get the appeal of horror. it’s just a fake movie, why do people get so creeped out by terrible sfx and unrealistic monsters?

🌙 he’s seen scarier things than any werewolf pack, zombie outbreak, or witch coven can throw at him. if you insist on watching a scary movie, fine, he’ll be happy to let you sit on his lap, just don’t expect to creep him out as well, or else you’ll be sorely disappointed.

🌙 he analyzes the movie more than he watches it, but doesn’t speak up even though the fight scenes look pitiful. if this were real life, he’d sweep the whole brood of shambling monstrosities in record time and be back home in time for izumi’s curry

🌙 chikage runs his hands under your shirt whenever the monster’s on screen to scare you. it’s actually really creepy- his fingers are light and quick and always makes you flinch, even if you know it’s just your boyfriend

🌙 he’ll listen to your thoughts about the movie, but doesn’t have strong opinions himself. he thinks the scares are mediocre at best, even without considering his background, but won’t mention how unrealistic it was unless you mention it first.

🌙 psychological horror, however, is a whole different story

🌙 maybe chikage can’t get scared by generic spirit halloween monsters but once you introduce thought-provoking plot, questions and dilemmas, now he’s hooked

🌙 he really likes wondering if the protagonist is actually the good guy and making theories about the origins of the monsters and why they’re so destructive, even if he forgets about them once the movie’s over.

🌙 love love looooves the “the monsters were harmless creatures before humans dished out the first blow” trope. he knows how common it is, but there’s a lot of ways to go about it, especially on a subtextual level, and he just can’t get enough

🌙 the deeper the plot is, expect a longer conversation about the ins and outs of it. they get surprisingly thoughtful and introspective, even if chikage throws in a few bullshit stories related to the movie just to watch you squirm