#he really watched hoshino become a monster

[satosktty]

rewatched lily chou chou and remember why I hated every character that wasn't kuno or tsuda... my beloveds im so sorry

[lunephased]

What does Tsuki really think of his students? One rule, he has to be brutally honest. And list all his students.

This blog is accepting development anons!

Oh boy.

AKATSUKI YŪHA -

“I don’t really care about his skills academically or duel wise. What really interests me is that Duel Spirit of his. It’s very unusual. Gentle Darkness Prince. He seems to have memories of ‘when he was human’. I needed to have Akatsuki enrolled. …It kind of did scare me. I thought- well, I still think Gentle Darkness Prince is a sign of the Duel Monster’s world and our world colliding.”

DAIGO AESIR -

“When Aesir first came, I thought he was an odd one. He uses a combination of Gem Knights and Crystal Beasts which is rather interesting and to top it off, he has a sister who uses Crystal Cats. Their teamwork is outstanding, definitely one of the best students to perform Eclipse Summoning. Hm… Though I have to say, he has changed a lot after becoming friends with Yūha. I suppose that mask he used to wear all the time was there because he was shy.”

HOSHINO TANPEI -

“I swear, I see this young man flirting with everyone, he might as well be called “Pan-pei”. On a serious note, I feel as though I’ve met him before which is strange. He uses Constellars which… Have some quite interesting history. He might be clumsy and irresponsible but I expect a lot from him.”

FAFNIR (???) -

“Yūha’s bonus. Though … They do seem off. I honestly don’t think they should be in Tierra Black. They seem to be holding back and I assume it’s because of Yūha. Otherwise, a really good student. Calculative and intelligent. I’ve tried to get them into Sophia White but they don’t seem to want to.”

[ cont. below -

SELENITE AESIR -

“Ahh, Selenite. Such a sweetie. She can be playful at times but I can tolerate it. Her duels are so very majestic, it’s hard to not sit and watch.”

HIGASHI SHUN -

“Such a well mannered student! It’s a shame that most of the Sophia White students have this… Ego. Shun is a great example of what you should strive to be.”

YOPPI DAICHI -

“Another well mannered student! I feel as though he does a better job looking after the school than the staff… He keeps our gardens looking damn fine. Very smart and clever, that Daichi.”

SHIRAYUKI NOAH -

“Sometimes I wonder if I should straight up expel her. I swear I heard that she locked Shun into a locker… Haaa… If only she listened to her sister.”

SHIRAYUKI TSURARA -

“Despite looking like that, she can be ruthless. Her duels scare me a little but are always enjoyable to watch? She seemed to be like Daigo until she joined a group called the A.O.J. I’m happy that my students are inclusive!”

PYRON VYLA -

“Ahh, another prankster. If I thought Yūha was bad… At least she gets along with Ken from Sophia White. It’s rare seeing the Sophias and Tierras together. I wonder if it’s because of Daigo and Yūha?”

TATSUNOKO SPARTA -

“I believe she’s one of the closest in reaching Sophia White. A strong willed girl with just the right amount of determination. Though I do hope she stops trying to strangle Noah. That really has to be dealt with…”

LABBY LABE -

“Please wear your uniform, you look ridiculous. On a more serious note, he should really leave Daigo alone.”

MILLIE HALICE -

“I don’t like her deck. Milling just isn’t my thing… Also, please wear your uniform.”

XAPHAN - 

“At least he wears his uniform! Still doesn’t excuse his actions though. He did try to take over my school once with Millie and Labby.”

CHOROBO -

“……..Who? I don’t remember having this kid in my sch… Wait, he’s a robot made by the A.O.J!?”

KEN EGILHARD -

“Sometimes I wonder if he deserves to be in Sophia White- but he performs so well when dueling. It’s like we have a second Yūha except he’s not ashamed to muck around at all…”

DEE VYLA -

“Please, someone, stop them from yelling ‘dee haw’.”

[ that’s it tbh - !!! ]

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan

Not going to do a Summer 2018 write up because I only lasted through one anime, and Chio’s School Road had… issues I don’t feel like discussing.

Also, haven’t had time to continue the Digimon Rewatch (which is exclusive to the Patreon until I finish season one).

Doesn’t mean I’ve been slacking! Netflix’s most recent license camping for it’s tedious binge watch format is Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan, which was a delight to watch! Go watch it, right now! Do it!

Anyways, time for my… whatever this thing is... on it.

Hisone is a woman who joined the airforce because, near as I can tell, she didn’t have any other ideas for what to put on her school’s career plan worksheet that shows up in every anime, and she saw a fighter plane soar by.

There’s… worse motivations, I guess?

Anyways, while working a desk job, she’s invited to an interview at a far away hangar.

She goes to the hangar and is promptly eaten by a dragon.

But it’s okay! The dragon just wanted to eat her old flip phone! And the crew got her thrown up pretty quick! And now they want her to pilot the dragon.

By getting swallowed and controlling the thing but prodding its soft innards.

Anime

So, Dragons are a thing that exist, and the world governments have been helping hiding them because… that’s the deal they made? Anyways, Japan hides their dragons as fighter planes, and has their air force manage them.

Because we need to explain this bizarre premise somehow.

Dragons are selective about who they will swallow and not digest, and Hisone is one of those lucky few. So she’s a D-Pilot now, which is probably a promotion from her ill-defined desk job.

Also, now she has to put up with Nao Kaizaki, initially the only member of Gifu Base’s D-Pi program, and a woman who couldn’t get the dragon to swallow her, so her position is more theoretical.

Kaizaki is introduced exhibiting the mannerisms of your typical High School Thug boy character, so you know she’ll be interesting.[1]

Hisone’s superior officer, Remi Kakiyasu, was also once a candidate for dragon piloting who couldn’t get the dragon to accept her. So the entire program is kind of low on practical experience.

Then there’s the woman selling yogurt who is clearly important, but it’ll take a few episodes for yogurt woman to reveal her purpose.

So Kaizaki and Kakiyasu train Hisone up as she comes to grips with her new responsibilities.

Hisone finds a plaque embedded in the dragon to learn his name is Masotan.

And so, the title is complete.

Then three more pilots fly in in episode 4, and the main plot starts to meander in a direction.

Let’s meet the other three team members!

Elle Hoshino: Enlisted to become the first female fighter pilot, and is displeased to have been placed on the OTF (Organic Transformed Flier) program instead. So her dragon, F-2/Norma, refuses to leave it’s plane form to please its partner. Eventually Elle comes around and loosens up. She’s fine.

Mayumi Hitomi: A matronly shaped pilot. She’s soft-hearted and soft spoken. Flies a large, goofy looking dragon named Futomomo. She’s fine.

Lilico Kinutsugai: Winner of the Canvas’s ‘Wait, I want more’  award, Lilico is a shut-in with a wry sense of humor and love of manga. Her dragon is the samurai-looking Akemi. Lilico is also apparently asexual, something I wish they’d given space to explore a little more.

She could’ve been my favorite pilot,[2] but the show didn’t commit enough.

So the pilots are placed through a couple adventures to become friends as the creepy Iboshi (some vaguely defined government guy) watches and plots.

Iboshi is the closest thing the series has to a villain, despite it being more of a Man vs. Nature affair. He possesses a callous disregard for the people of the D-Pi program, focused on the looming Ritual the D-Pi are needed for.

This cold-naturedness made me dislike him, but also allows the series to run relationship drama in a really interesting direction.

Because, guess what? If the D-Pi fall in love, the dragons will instinctively reject them. And they need the D-Pi to keep the Dragons healthy, and also escort a giant dragon to ensure it doesn’t destroy Japan in its wake! Oh dear. This frames the ‘will-they, won’t-they’ of Hisone and Haruto of the maintenance team into an major conflict with dramatic consequences and justifies a dumb ‘misunderstanding’ plot with one of the other D-Pi.

This shows builds a very grounded, mature, and compelling view on romance, and I am super game for it. And super down to sing its praises.

I’ve found that the sweet spot for making me care about a romance plot isn’t tsundere antics, or fear, or dumb misunderstandings, because there’s nothing I crave in my media more than emotional honesty.

No, the slow burn I crave is sheer ignorance. It takes several episodes for Hisone to understand she may have feelings for Haruto beyond friendship, then more for her to actually accept and admit her feelings to herself, then the fantasy takes over to prevent a tedious ‘Oh, will you two just talk’ subplot, because Hisone can no longer do her job lest she get digested by her dragon! So the conflict of “How does Hisone deal with her feelings” becomes augmented to “How does Hisone do her freaking job now!?”

The answer, seemingly, is just have a level head on the topic: Mayumi Hitomi also has plenty of ship teases with another character, but never is at risk of being eaten. It doesn’t get examined, because Hitomi’s ability to just kind of… casually acknowledge it and not let the Doki-Dokis mess up her stride doesn’t draw attention.

And because Hitomi’s resolution to the conflict eventually comes down to “I don’t want to abandon anyone ever” means her love for Haruto[4] is just added to the pile of things Hitomi is just anxiously passionate about, in equal measures to her love of flying Masoton, and that seems to work out.

Which, I guess means the secret to flying the dragon’s isn’t a creepy expectation of a pure heart, Iboshi, but emotional maturity.

Which brings us to the jerky, playboy wannabe breaking Elle’s heart. Like a monster.

Take note, writers: this is the first time ‘I broke your heart to protect/save you!’ has ever been successfully executed without one or both parties catching a case of the stupids! Watch this and learn!

So, early in the series, we meet Yutaka Zaito, a wannabe womanizer who has no success, but maintains his illusion of charisma nevertheless. Then he meets Elle, whose serious attitude and cold shoulder grabs his attention, and he suddenly abandons his swarm and tries to, gently, ingratiate himself to Elle, who gradually warms up to him.

It’s nice.

But then the whole ‘Dragon digests those with unsteady hearts’ plot point happens, and Elle is in a position where she can’t even fly her dragon, sending her ambitions even further away. And she hasn’t realized it’s Zaito causing her heart flutters.

But Zaito, upon learning the situation, does understand. And knows that it’s either him or Elle’s career.

So, he turns up the creep, approaches Elle, and proposes a friends-with-benefits arrangement, claiming not to want a serious relationship, and subtly mocks Elle’s dragon rejection. This breaks Elle’s heart, of course, but resolves the matter. She can fly Norma again, and Zaito is left to bite his tongue and let his crush pursue her best life.

The sequence is well executed. It’s a misunderstanding perpetuated intentionally, knowingly, and selflessly by one party, and exists for reasons beyond ‘Neh, let’s have some dumb romance drama now’. Zaito knows what he’s giving up, but still breaks Elle’s heart because she legitimately needs him to so she can pursue her dreams. There’s no other timely way.

On the other end, the show introduces Natsume,[5] a childhood friend of Haruto, who comes in to be Hisone’s rival!

Except Hisone is too oblivious and all-loving to care, and Haruto is straight disinterested in Natsume. And Natsume is a shallow Tsundere and lacks any appealing characterization. They could’ve given her role to Nao, who desperately needs something to do in the later half of the series, or, better yet, just have Haruto be the human sacrifice.

“But you need a girl for the sacrificial beauty role!”

Okay.

Make Haruto a girl.

“Are you proposing the show suddenly swerve into Yuri?”

I mean, Yogurt lady’s backstory is literally a Tragic WWII-era Yuri love story.[6]

Sada Hinomoto shows up selling yogurt and being charming and mysterious so you know there’s something deeper going on.

Turns out, she’s the last D-Pi from the last time they did the ritual, so she actually has proper experience to teach the new kids, and, oh yeah, she hates Iboshi, resents the entire procedure, and carries a lot of trauma from when her friend Yae was chosen to be the human sacrifice last time, and though the show doesn’t spell it out, the intimate blocking and their schemes to flee to Paris paints a super clear picture about what that relationship was about and, gosh dangit, is she one cool grandma.

All she wants to to get back to the giant dragon to find closure with what happened to Yae and force an alternate solution.

Fortunately, Hisone is just the sort of loveable goofball to find an alternate to the Giant Dragon’s bedtime snack!

So there’s another reason why Hisone’s love interest should’ve been a girl.[8]

Now, practically this could’ve been accomplished a couple of ways: gender flip Haruto, cut Haruto and use Nao, pr combine characters. Point is, no matter how you do it, this hypothetical female love interest is now the human sacrifice for Mitatsu-sama.

With this change, there is a new parallel drawn between Hisone and Hinomoto,[9] further underlines Hisone’s tendency toward heartfelt dedication to unconventional methods, and Hisone’s desire for saving the sacrifice changes from an impersonal “Human sacrifices are wrong”[10] to “Human sacrifices are wrong, and also screw you I love that girl!”

And if that girl had Tsundere tendencies (like Nao or Natsume), that’d make the pairing even cuter.

Also, points for the entire D-Pi team unambiguously disbelieving Hisone’s ambiguous fate at the end. It’s fun to see such trope-awareness.[11]

In conclusion: Dragon Pilot is super adorable and sincere, the premise is quintessential anime, and it’s just fun. Sure, most of the characters deserve more depth and exploration, but that’s always my complaint and it’s only a 12-episode series. Plus, it very good at portraying mature characters without stooping into immature means.

And it’s really cementing my love of BONES as a studio.[12] I need to put more effort into seeking out their work.

So go watch it.

Thanks for reading my review! These do tend towards inconsistent release, but they’re fun to do. Consider checking out my other reviews, essays, and the rarer original work. I’m also nearing the end of my Muffin Comics experiment, so catch those while you can! If you really like what I’m outputting, I’ve got a Patreon, set on a monthly schedule so you know what you’re committing to.[13]

Next time: a Netflix Original of a magical tone! (And hopefully more Digimon)

Kataal kataal

[1] At least, that’s the hope. Gets dashed once the other D-Pi arrive on base and Kaizaki slips out of the spotlight. [2] The title goes to Hisone herself.[3] [3] Anyone else have troubles saying the main character/romantic lead are their favorite? Like it’s too easy an answer or something? Because I do. [4] All these H names are raising the hackles of my Mug Rule… [5] Presumably so they can localize Harvest Moon games. [6] Which means we were this close to a Yuri anime not about assaulting high schoolers and creepy family dynamics,[7] but one about Dragons pretending to be a spitfire and historical context and and light-hearted comedy and I honestly would trade this show for that and I love Hisone & Maston! [7] Citrus did not sit well with Canvas. [8] Canvas’s full tilt idea, by the way, is to combine Haruto, Nao, and Natsume. Condense characters and keep them all relevant longer. [9] Way too many H names. [10] Not that Hisone being a goofy all-loving hero isn’t super endearing. [11] Though it’d be nice to know what Hisone and Masoton were doing. Had Hisone ejected out of the dragon at any point during the… months(?) long time jump? [12] Wolf’s Rain notwithstanding. [13] Not going to lie, nothing deflects me from lending support quicker than a ‘Per Update’ schedule.

[prancingmaria]

[non-no August issue] 4 Questions to BTS

source: myheaven0624 twitter

JIN 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? Since JUNGKOOK said he will learn how to play the drums during our world tour breaks, I also started playing the guitar. However, we couldn't bring drum set during the tour, so in the end I'm the only one bringing a guitar and always practicing (laughs). I play our own songs, "Butterfly" and "Spring Day." I want to play them on stage someday.

2. Tell us your fashion style I like neat and simple fashion. As much as possible, I keep in mind to wear things I received when I go to places where I'll be seen by many people. It's because I think that if I'll be in the opposite position, I would be very happy if I see my present worn by an important person.

3. Favorite scent I'm using a perfume with a sofly wafting sweetness. If I will compare, it's like the fluffiness of cotton candy. It's not the scent of the cotton candy itself (laughs).

4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to I love Japanese anime, so I watched "ONE PIECE" and "BLEACH" every week when I was a trainee. Recently, I'm into a manga about high school volleyball called "HaiKyuu!", I often read it.

SUGA 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? Day-off, so to speak, I think of "ordinary" things to do. Going to cafe alone, meeting a friend, a regular day with nothing happening is important for me. Since it's a rest day, I don't do special things and I just consider spending the day relaxing.

2. Tell us your fashion style Rather than picking up various kinds of clothes, I'm the type who gets attached to things I like and wear them for a long time. I think I have worn clothes of my choice and also expensive clothes tens of thousands times at work since debut, but I want to become a person who looks special even if I wear ordinary clothes, so I choose simple clothes these days. And, I dislike showing off my skin, so even in summer I'm the type who wears long sleeves.

3. Favorite scent I like sweet scents for perfumes, but depending on my mood on that day I only use perfumes sometimes, I have never used 1 up. I like drinking coffee, so it really calms me when I sniff its scent. For me, coffee is like a substitute for water, an indispensable thing.

4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to "Slamdunk" is the all-time best manga in my life! Since I repeatedly pick up my favorite works, I've already read it more than 100 times. The animes I watched during my childhood were mostly Japanese works.

J-HOPE 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? I'm currently obsessed with collecting figures. I've recently added boards* called skateboard deck to that collection. They are colorful and have a variety of designs, I enjoy just by looking at them. Unfortunately, bringing it outside to go skateboarding.....I don't do that (laughs).

2. Tell us your fashion style I pursue styles in which I can express myself well without being too safe nor too much. I plan to challenge a cool-looking fashion this summer. However, since I've bought a street branded black fur jacket last year's winter, I haven't shopped yet........

3. Favorite scent I'm really sensitive to scents, so it's natural for me to wear perfumes, and then I apply a sweet-scented body lotion before going to bed and I always use a diffuser in the room. I bought kona coffee powder when we visited Hawaii in April, so I intend to use it as a substitute for air refresher.

4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to I like Otsuka Ai-san's "Sakuranbo"! A senior** introduced it to me when I was playing a game in an internet cafe when I was a child, I thought it was a good song. I also often listen to YUI-san's songs.

T/N: *board part of a skateboard ** somebody who is older than him

RM 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? I'm most into studying Japanese language now.......Really! I'm watching the drama "Midnight Diner", whose dialogues are easy to listen to. Getting in touch with nature is one way to refresh. Walking in a nearby park and also if there's time going as far as the sea.

2. Tell us your fashion style I choose clothes whose styles are nicely seen while having a relaxing feeling.　I didn't have confidence when it comes to style before and I didn't like skinny (pants), but after I debuted everyone told me that my legs are long and that they're pretty, so it became like a challenge*. The stylish among the members, other than me (laughs), is probably J-HOPE. He is good at matching items!

3. Favorite scent The scent of natural fabric softener. Also, I've talked about it with JUNGKOOK, the smell of the Japanese buildings (laughs). Particularly, I'd sense it with the airport. When we arrive (at the airport), everyone talks amongst themselves and say "We've arrived Japan!."

4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to I listen to AK-69-san, KOHH-san, Sakamoto Ryuichi-san, and Kuramoto Yuhki-san's music. As for movies, I like Director Koreeda Hirokazu's works. The peaceful world view through his film making captivates me.  I will certainly go and see if ever there's a screening** in Korea.

T/N: * challenge of wearing skinny pants ** screening of Koreeda Hirokazu's films

JIMIN 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? Playing my hobbies which are billiards & bowling with friends and gathering at home playing computer games. Whoever wins that time differs, so whatever I do me not being the best is for certain (laughs). 2. Tell us your fashion style I'm the type who wears western type of clothes for several months if I find a good style. These days, I like simple fashion such as shirts + slacks and white shirts + denims. However, I haven't decided yet as to what kind of style should I do for this year's summer.....It seems like once I start shopping I will buy different clothes (laughs), I will think carefully and I will go shopping. 3. Favorite scent Scent of flowers and the smell of meat when being roasted.....I like natural smell, so I don't wear perfume that much. The refreshing smell of the diffuser in our room is my favorite. However, my roommate, J-HOPE-san is particular about that type of smell more than me. 4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to As for manga and anime, we should keep an eye on famous ones. As for novels, I just recently bought "Reisei to Jônetsu no Aida." I look forward in reading it!

V 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? Classical, jazz, opera, R&B, hip-hop, EDM, regardless of genre. I particularly like Hisaishi Joe-san's "Summer" now. Tatatatatantata~n (starts to sing). I want to listen to a live piano performance (of it) someday. 2. Tell us your fashion style The item I often wear is shirt. I have several pieces of designs with simple to unusual prints. The traveling bag I bought in New York this spring too, it's my favorite. I'm using it carefully! 3. Favorite scent There are many instances when I chose refreshing & relaxing scents for perfumes. I use several types to match my fashion. 4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to I recently finished all the episodes of the drama "Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu!" I like the weekly hug scene between the heroine and her contract marriage partner every Tuesday. I thought I've seen that male character somewhere, and when I searched, I was surprised that it's Hoshino Gen-san, the artist whose music I usually listen to. By the way, I like Hoshino Gen-san's "Nichijou." I'm also practicing "Koi" dance! JUNGKOOK 1. Hobbies etc. that you're into now, way to spend your day-offs? Recently, I enjoy playing FPS (kind of shooting game). I play 3-4 hours every day, and in the blink of an eye I don't have time to sleep (laughs). That and I always listen to music. I also easily get into music like future bass, so if anything there's a bit of seemigly sad mood, I prefer peacefully heart calming melodies. 2. Tell us your fashion style I like big silhouettes such as parkas, and color black. I think I don't change the things I wear that much including summer. The genre is different, but I feel RAP MONSTER-san and J-HOPE-san's dressing well, I think it's cool. 3. Favorite scent The scent of the wind and greenery the moment spring arrives. Long time ago, on a spring day, I went biking along the river while listening to music together with RAP MONSTER-san and V-san. I felt the unique beginning of spring's atmosphere, my heart gets excited when I remember that day, it becomes an enjoyable feeling. 4. Japanese movie, drama, anime etc. that you're attached to I like Japanese animes, and particularly "HaiKyu!!" which JIN-san also likes. It's also helpful in studying Japanese.

COMPLETE!

☆may repost / use translation w/credit☆

[kiibx]

Why exactly am I allowed to write again? XD WHy did we think Joi was a good idea? WHY DO WE SHIP THIS?! XD

Right, because the precious perfection <3

HAVE SOME MAMA!AOI <3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blue-green focused on the pile of mud in her doorway, trying her hardest to contain not only her laughter, but a sigh and a reminder this… This was actually fairly normal. So were the globs that trailed behind it, and the two bits that reached up to her, expecting her to pick it up and hug it. Oh good god, the memories that brought back of her academy days…. “Didn’t you just have a bath?”

“Uh-huh.” The mud pile fidgeted, peeling part of itself off to reveal a torso of dirty tanned skin. “But I found a froggy! It hopped around, Mama- Like this! Ribbit, ribbit-” And before she could remind him they were indoors, she was watching her oldest child hop around the once clean bathroom, splattering globs of mud across the tile and pulling a laugh from her lips. At least with every glob of mud she could see more of him, a matching pair of eyes turning to look up with her a moment later in pure glee.

“Frogs usually do come out as night around here,” Aoi commented, peeling Amai’s mud-caked clothing off and scooping him up into her arms. At least she’d gotten Hoshino through her bath and out to watch tv in the living room before he’d come back in, though she didn’t relish the idea of sending muddy pajamas through a wash while she slept and hoping they came clean. Then again, had she not grown up alongside her husband during their time at the academy, she knew she’d have been out there with him, hopping around in the mud without a care in the world.

Carefully balancing – when had he gotten so big?! - she nudged the faucet for the tub with her knee, re-filling the moderately sized porcelain container with warm water. “Did I ever tell you about the froggies your Daddy and I once found?”

A gasp rose from her hip, where Amai had taken to drawing on her shirt in mud. Even for a six year old, he had some talent, accurately managing to recreate a kuriboh on her shoulder before her question caught his attention. “I like froggies- Were they BIG froggies?!”

“Mhm! The biggest! We caught two and hid them under Uncle Chazz’s bed,” she paused, lowering Amai into the tub and leaning over to turn the water off, kneeling beside the white porcelain, “and then we kept bringing bits of our lunch to the others for a few months! One of them was big and brown and covered in little bumps- We named him Crowler.”

“What’s a Crowlie?”

“Crowler, my little snowflake. He was one of the meanest teachers we ever had when we were kids. Daddy once got him hit with a baseball- Uncle Bastion hit it, but your Daddy threw it. And one time, he even made me run laps around the school because I told him his lipstick was done wrong.”

Amai laughed, letting his mother gently rinse the mud from his small form with a cup and multiple scoops of water.”Like Mrs. Mazaki! She said I can’t bring Pip to class anymore an’ made me leave him outside in the cold!”

For a moment, Aoi thought of the lizard in question; no more than a tiny green anole, it’d taken to following Amai to and from school after he’d fed it a few insects he’d found. She’d been initially against it – they didn’t have money for a pet, and he loved his lizard friend far too much for it to be anything else – but the more they’d established a set routine and the reptile even became a class favorite, she’d relented. It wasn’t like Pip himself could cause much trouble.

Or so she’d thought; it’d only been a few months before she’d gotten messages from the school of Pip being left on the teacher’s desk, climbing all over Amai and distracting him from his lessons- effectively being the partner in crime she and Jaden had been to each other, and still were. Then again, how could she not laugh? They were in their late twenties and the parents of a six and four and a half year olds, yet they still often reverted to their ‘let’s do things we shouldn’t’ modes and left frogs in Chazz’s house and bags, played pranks on Bastion and Atticus and even Zane, often even teased their own kids, who would counter with teasing of their own and new games for them all to play. Hard not to expect their son wouldn’t be the same, really.

Carefully, Aoi rinsed the mud from his hair, grabbing for a bottle of shampoo with her other hand. “Maybe it’s best if Pip doesn’t follow you inside anymore. Figure out which window is your classroom’s, then set him on it to wait while you’re in there.”

“But what if he gets lost?!”

She laughed, letting her ‘troublemaker’ mentality rise. With the shampoo bottle in one hand and the other gently lathering up his honey brown hair, the elder jabbed at the air, using the bottle as a makeshift sword with a wide grin. “Then he’ll have to become Sir Pip, Knight of the Yuki family! He’ll fight his way back an’ find you again- He can’t leave his charge unattended! You’re Prince Amai- He needs to be with you!”

But her excitement deflated rather quickly while Amai cheered and bounced, rinsing his own hair after a minute. Prince Amai… Any mention of royalty reminded her of their third year at the academy, when Jaden had found out who he was, and Yubel’s reign of terror. By all technicalities, Amai could be a prince – His father had been the supreme king, even if they fought to forget that and move on with their lives. It was difficult to, though, especially when the nightmares still persisted over ten years later, and Yubel was constantly with them as part of his soul.

As it was, she had that familiar tingle down her spine that usually came with the monster watching them, prompting her smile to return rather quickly. Though Yubel’s presence still occasionally made her nervous, she’d come to terms long ago with her being a part of her husband. She’d always be there, watching over, protecting, and helping him, and honestly, Aoi was thankful for that – Yubel was a terrifying being, powerful and protective, but she also only had his best interests at heart. Even she couldn’t fault her for that.

Aoi tilted her head, checking her son over for any remaining traces of dirt and mud. Aside from a few traces under his nails, he was dirt free, the water he sat in nearly completely brown from it all. “And now we just have to get you dried off and into bed. It’s getting late, snowflake.”

“But I want a story! Daddy tells good ones!” Amai argued, climbing out of the tub and forcing her to quickly grab a nearby towel to wrap him up in, lest he track dirty water into dried mud and need a third bath. She already wasn’t looking forward to the cleanup when she’d had a long day herself, trying to fill orders and take measurements between household chores and taking care of Jaden while he lay in bed with a cold.

But per the usual, she refused to complain, gently running the towel over his hair and skin to dry him off. “Daddy’s in bed already, honey. He’s still sick- no stories tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Not even 'bout puppies?”

“Mm-mm. I’ll tell you what. When Daddy’s all better, then we’ll surprise him with breakfast and he’ll read you all the stories in the world, okay?”

“….Okay! Ones 'bout lizards, too!”

“Any story you want. Promise.”

She could’ve sworn Yubel laughed at that, though chalked it up to her imagination. And with Amai dry and wrapped up once again, Aoi scooped him back into her arms and shuffled into the hall, fully expecting to find a mess of mud…

And found nothing but a spotless hall instead, the tv even off and living room dark.

For a moment, it set the woman’s nerves on edge; she’d fancied herself her pup’s protector ever since he’d fused with Yubel, and unless he’d used those powers he’d gained then, there was no way things should be this quiet. She would’ve heard Neos, too, or Yubel, even Kuriboh – something had gone horribly off.

“Mommy?”

“It’s all right, love,” she managed to get out, somehow keeping her tone light and sweet despite her nerves being on high alert. “But Mommy does need to go check on Daddy and Hoshino, so let’s get you into bed, kay?”

Amai nodded, freeing a hand from his towel to rub at his eye. “B’ I’m not tired,” he countered, his argument punctuated with a yawn that made even his mother giggle. Knowing he couldn’t win, he laid his head against her shoulder, allowing her to carry him into his bedroom and set him on the bed so she could get a change of pajamas.

Within minutes, she had the six year old changed, towel dropped into the laundry, and tucked in, a kiss to his forehead matched with a tight hug and one to her cheek in return. And though it made her heart melt, even to see him snuggle up under his blankets and drift off to sleep, her on-edge nerves had her quickly flicking the lights off and slipping out, for once welcoming the tingle along her spine that signaled Yubel’s presence. If something really was going wrong, she had backup – though how much the monster could do as a spirit was beyond her.

A peek into her daughter’s room eased a bit of her worries; Hoshino lay in her bed fast asleep, tucked in and clutching the plush kuriboh Aoi knew all too well. She’d given Jaden that when they were only 16… He’d turned around and given it to their daughter in turn, declaring it a fairly heirloom. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if wonderful described her family anymore…

Shuffling down the hall, Aoi undid the wide clip holding her hair back, blue-green gaze darting every which way for any sign of intruders. The door was locked, everything cleaned up, a muddy cloth in the sink, upside down plush on the couch-

Wait.

The tension eased from her body at that, a smile replacing it and sending her not only into her own bedroom, but crawling into bed to place a gentle kiss to her husband’s cheek. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in bed, Mr. Yuki? You’re not going to get healthy again cleaning up after our son.”

Jaden chuckled, rolling onto his back and gently tugging her down to lay beside him. “Can’t let you deal with everything alone. Mud would’ve kept you up for hours.”

“And yet in half an hour you not only cleaned it all up, but locked up shop and put Hoshino to bed.”

“Hey. After years of cleaning up mud from Chazz throwing frogs at us-”

She laughed, draping an arm over his middle and nuzzling her face into his shoulder. That was a memory that often crept into her mind whenever their friend or frogs came up in conversation, retaliation for trying to 'ribbit’ him out of his room as a harmless prank. “And we wonder why he doesn’t visit often.”

“Probably thinks we have more.” Still chuckling, he tilted his head, nuzzling his nose into her hair and peppering the raven locks with little kisses. His hold on her tightened just slightly, and for a moment, she could forget she was fully dressed and he was sick – they were back in the early days of their relationship, curled up in his bunk in the Slifer Red dorm and just basking in the fact they were alive and together. A pair of teens thankful for everything they had, and then some.

Lifting her head, she caught his lips in a soft kiss, body snuggling closer to his. It’d been at least ten years since their relationship had started, closer to thirteen since they’d met… And still, she couldn’t think of any other path she’d want her life to take. Even with all the pain and heartache, they’d done it together, survived together – And they were stronger for it. Stronger and by far happier, settled into a life they both loved.

“What was that for?” he whispered upon parting, lips quirked into a smile. “I’m still sick, y'know. Trying to get yourself sick and bed-bound, too?”

“Mm-mm. Just wanted to make sure you knew I love you. More than anything.”

She couldn’t change a thing in a life that led her to him.