#i do like hanashiro in it though

[tact-and-impulse]

Three Strands Part I

@shinkaneweek, thank you for the prompts! This is kind of inspired by a dream I had a long time ago, plus I don't think I've ever done this trope. Mild allusions to Psycho Pass: Providence, but nothing too spoilery, at least in this installment! On FF.net and AO3

A cord of three strands is not easily broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12

part 1: perspective

To be fair, he had asked for this.

The hotel’s upscale interior reflected the owner’s taste for finery. Ornate chandeliers, polished mahogany tables, delicate porcelain dishes. Begrudgingly, Kougami had to admit the coffee was good. Next to him, Akane had finished her own cup. He was used to her Holo disguise now, her lighter and longer hair, though he still had to move carefully, to adjust for the slimmer physique of his own.

Across from them, the planner opened a book of color swatches, already blurring into a gradient. “Now, I will say that most women want to be a June bride, but do you have a preference?”

“Autumn is fine.” Akane said. “I have no issue with waiting.”

“And you, sir?”

Kougami tried not to jolt. “Sooner rather than later.”

“Eager, aren’t we? I’ll put you for October then. How lovely! A wedding among the maple trees.” Then, the conversation veered towards budget and packages, leaving Kougami to reflect on how exactly this situation had unfolded.

***

To him, the mission was clear; the hotel had to be investigated. On the surface, Yume appeared to be a quaintly run business, but it had once been run by a criminal now in custody and the building had changed hands quickly. Too quickly. The new proprietress was Yanase Juria, a confident woman who appeared younger than her forty years. And despite her glamorous image in surveillance footage, reports of illegal immigrant labor were deftly buried in her file. And under her direction, the newly branded logo was a three-tailed fox.

So, Foreign Affairs had to be involved, and they met with Public Safety to negotiate jurisdiction. Unit One was already in the meeting room, Akane the newest addition. It might have been a pleasant afternoon, except for the arrival of the new chief. The man was deft and calculating, steering the discussion in Public Safety’s favor.

“And on that matter, we need to decide who will be going undercover.” Homura smoothly said. “Since this is a collaboration between our departments, it would only be appropriate to have a representative from each. Statutory Enforcer Tsunemori will be ours.”

Hanashiro nodded. “Of course. As for our end-”

Time slowed. There were a number of Foreign Affairs employees, experienced with undercover jobs. He didn’t know whose name Hanashiro was going to say, who she was going to pair with Akane. But he interrupted anyway.

“I’ll do it.”

All heads had swiveled towards him, a mural of shock and surprise. It was obvious what they were thinking: really? He could have been blistered by Gino’s appalled aura, radiating from the next chair over, and Sugo’s discomfort was marked by a cough. In his peripheral vision, Homura was like a statue.

Shimotsuki could no longer suppress herself. “Haven’t you already created enough trouble for her? And have you ever worked undercover before?”

“Someone wise told me to expand my expertise. Why not this opportunity?” And that was true. Also, he didn’t trust anyone else with her safety.

Then, Akane spoke up, her gaze warm. “I don’t mind. I’d be happy to work with you again, Kougami-san.”

“Likewise.” He muttered and promptly forgot the rest of the meeting. Foreign Affairs would reconvene at headquarters, and he was bound to get an earful but he didn’t care.

Afterwards, he found her by a vending machine, grabbing a bottle of flavored water. He punched the buttons for his own drink. “I guess we’ll have to call often, make our cover.”

“Well, it helps that we know each other.” She wryly pointed out. “The best ones have a core of truth.”

“So…what are we?” Damn, that came out wrong.

Akane raised her eyebrows. “What would you like us to be?”

An answer came to mind, but he suppressed the thought. “We’ll have to fit in with the clientele, while keeping our story believable. A business trip may not buy us enough time.”

She opened her wrist device, searching through photos of the hotel. “They host a number of events. Graduations, retirement parties, weddings…”

As casually as he could muster, he said. “A wedding would give us an excuse, even reserve rooms.”

She looked at him, her lips curving upwards in agreement. “Yes, it would.”

“If we’re engaged, you’ll need a ring.”

“Oh.” She glanced down, extending her left fingers. “Right. I didn’t think about that.”

He took her hand, turning it over in his own. “Let’s find you something suitable.”

Her skin was soft, her pulse a quick rhythm. “I can always borrow from Shion-”

“No. It should be yours.” Before he could stop himself, his thumb ran over that space. A ruby for her name, set in a thin band…

The sound of approaching footsteps brought reality back, and they pulled away from each other.

“We can talk more later.” Her cheeks were pink.

“Sure. I’ll call you tonight.” And he walked off, scratching the back of his head, where it felt intensely warm. Posing as a couple getting married…wherever he was, Saiga-sensei was surely cackling.

***

They toured the reception halls first, while the planner dug for details about their backgrounds. Kougami gave brief responses about their jobs – he was freelance, she was in the Ministry of Health. They’d met at work. The planner wasn’t satisfied, asking how long they’d been together.

Akane easily replied. “Eight years. But we’ve been on and off until recently.”

He flashed a sharp look at that, but she ducked her head. Still, her hand entwined with his, and he immediately noticed the cool silver of her fake engagement ring. It really did look nice, better than he expected, and he squeezed tight.

“And now, I’m not letting her go.” He sensed her eyes now, but he refused to give in.

They walked on, and the flashy taste extended to each offering; they made noncommittal comments, it didn’t matter anyway. However, the planner seemed to sense their lack of enthusiasm, beckoning them to a Japanese style garden.

It was actually outdoors; the rocks and shrubs were real to the touch. Smooth ceramic tiles outlined a path over the gravel, to a rectangular patio framed by elegant maple and pine trees. A fountain burbled, trickling water through three stony pools. This side faced the mountains, and at dusk, the sun would burn in the distance. There was no pretense here.

“It’s beautiful.” Akane breathed, and she stepped towards the middle of the walkway. She gave a whirl, her skirt aloft for an instant, and asked. “Don’t you agree?”

He stared at her smile, and his traitorous imagination clothed her in a white kimono, a white gown, a veil unable to hide a radiant expression just for him. “Yeah. Beautiful.” And it didn’t feel like lying at all.

[comickedbook]

psycho pass ss3 is so stupid and ooc. i like kogami being a dilf and the fight scenes are cool as always but that’s where my enjoyment ends

[husbandomail-archive]

HI IM HOPING I MADE THE CUT-OFF because a friend sent your opening offer requests to meee if it's not too late can i request for relationship/date hcs with ryotaro itsuki, luro tobaya, and seriya hanashiro from windboys because there's just.. not a lot of work for the game as a whole and im Sad about it hhh but if i didn't make the cut-off in time i understand if you refuse this request, thanks still for your time :>

you weren't joking about the lack of content dfghgfd, I hope these are okay!!

Ryotaro Itsuki:

When you ask him to eat lunch with you, Ryotaro laughs. He’s quick to apologize though— he’s not laughing at you and your offer of friendship, he’s laughing because you’re too cute to be approaching an old man like him. And then you’re pouting up at him, reminding the boy that he’s not an old man, he’s still in school, and he laughs again. Out of all the people who have approached him, you’ve got the most attitude. He likes it.

Although he’d never verbally accepted your request, during lunch the next day, your classroom door slides open; Ryotaro strides in, lunchboxes in his hands, his eyes scanning the room until he finds you at your desk. He seems used to being stared at, because he’s unfazed my everyone’s eyes on him as he approaches you, collapsing into a chair and setting his food on your desk. You blink at him in a daze, so he smiles. “You wanted to eat together, right?” 

It continues over time, with Ryotaro swinging by to eat lunch every few days, and then every other day, and then daily. The two of you eventually move from your cramped desk to the school roof, spread out happily as you trade from your lunches— one day, as you’re chewing on something he’d made personally, you mutter about wishing you could cook like that. Ryotaro’s smile widens as he leans closer; do you want to come over so he can teach you—?

Kuri Tobaya:

You’re not sure what’s been drawing you to the arrogant Kuri Tobaya; he’s difficult to talk to, and seems to think social interactions are games to be won. Most days you just wanna knock that smug little grin right off his face— and yet, despite the mutual animosity, you keep showing up for his performances. Attitude be damned, he’s good at what he does— but when you slowly approach him as he emerges from backstage, he’s got a pensive look on his face, one you’ve never seen before. One much softer than the way he looks at you. One that makes something in your chest grow tighter.

Second thoughts begin to roll in. if he’s reflecting on his performance, you probably shouldn’t interrupt, so you turn to vanish back into the escaping crowd— but before you can get very far, you hear your name, and someone has snatched you up by the wrist. You don’t have to look back to know it’s Tobaya. He asks outright what you thought about his playing tonight; there’s no arrogance dripping from his voice this time, no backhanded compliments. In this moment, he’s nothing like the boy you usually know.

When you hesitate, Kuri does too; he shoves his hands in his pockets and mutters something about not having dinner yet. There’s a late-night diner not too far from the auditorium, if you’d rather sit and talk there—? Apparently you said yes, because you find yourself across from him in a steel pink-and-blue booth, underneath buzzing fluorescent lights. Tobaya is busy delving into his messy burger as you slowly sip on your drink; under the harsh lighting, in the quiet of such dark hours, he seems so much more real than the boy who sneers at you in class. Seeming to feel your gaze on him, Kuri glances up too quickly for you to look away; he smiles, a real one, just for you. “I’ll ask you out properly next time.”

Seriya Hanashiro:

It’s a bit difficult to tell where you stand with Seriya— he seems to be fairly open and affectionate with most people, so you’ve got no real reason to believe he’s treating you any differently. He does his best to take care of everyone, right? So the fact that he packed two lunches today, and they just happened to have some of your favorite foods— irrelevant, right?

When he sits behind you in class, he’s always tangling his hands in your hair, arranging and styling it for you instead of paying attention to the lecture. He’s constantly pulling new makeup out of his bag, batting his eyes and asking if you’ll let him decorate you a bit— when you agree, he grins and tells you to swing by his place after school. Wait a minute—

You do end up walking home with Seriya after school ends for the day. You can’t tell if he’s radiating his normal energy, or if he’s giddy underneath that manufactured surface— but then he’s quick to whisk you to his room, past his family before they can ask any questions, and then he’s unpacking his makeup bags on the desk and practically bouncing on his toes. If you’ll just hang out here for a moment, he thinks he’s got an outfit in your size, and he knows exactly what eyeshadow will go perfectly with it; in his excitement to dress you up, he lets slip that there’s a cute new cafe right around the corner, and it’d be great if you’d be up to eating together—

[white-queen-lacus]

Frederica and Homura as potential love interests?

Ok, before writing this post, I must admit that this thought has been wandering in my mind for some time and I will do my best to be as analytical as I can in the explanation. First of all, I've truly and wholeheartedly supported Shinkane since season 1 and I am sure that before or after, they will be endgame (in Psycho Pass' meaning, well... offscreen if we're lucky enough), so this post is just an attempt to see what is happening.

Let's make a premise: PP3, among all the seasons of PP, is the one that addressed romance in a more evident way, somehow. Not that it is a priority and it's fair as it is, since the focus of the series is basically human nature and its reaction to a world dominated by AI, but among the three seasons, PP3 caressed the topic. Not that it wasn't already addressed in the previous installments (Shion and Yayoi, Kaori's wedding, Akane's growing fascination, and not-so-well-hidden attraction and love for Kougami, Mika and her schoolmate, just to say), but starting with Sinners of the System, something else happened. Masaoka and Sae, Sugo and his friend's wife (tell me whatever, but he seemed to care a little bit too much and I found something similar in Arata's behavior towards Maiko)... and in season 3, the already mentioned Arata, both with Maiko (the hospital scene) and Karina, but also with Irie and Mao (I loved the whole music box scene) and Mao *not-so-well-hidden* fancying Kei. Did I mention the brief and glorious Shinkane's scenes? The cherry blossoms in First Inspector screamed "LOVE" in caps lock.

Well, ladies first, so let's talk about the mysterious and glamorous agent of the SAD: Hanashiro Frederica. When her character was revealed, all of us (or at least, the majority) thought that she could be a potential threat or a possible enemy. So far, it seems that apart from bigger fanservice than all the girls in PP, a still-secret agenda, and the fact that she managed to recruit Kougami, Gino and Sugo in her team (as well as granting them some privileges), there isn't any evidence that she could be an enemy. Yes, the whole Ministry of Foreign Affairs/SAD goals and mission aren't clear, that's why I hope we might get PP4 or a dedicated special, in order to understand more about them and her apparently personal motivations too. Now... thanks to the lovely @kumapillow who kindly translated the SAD extra chapter, something made me wonder. I already said in another post that Frederica seems to have a soft spot for Kougami. Just a few words about Kougami. So far, with the exception of the novels, where his feelings are clearer, he's never shown particular interest in women (or relationships in general). In the profiling book, it's said that he doesn't remember his first love, but it's also said that he would let Sybil choose for him once the time comes, until the movie updated version when it's said that his favorite type of girl is a companion who can keep up a conversation. Considering that in season 1 he was revenge-driven and Makishima-absorbed, romance was practically out of question (also, if we consider that he's been a workaholic since he was an Inspector, I'm not this impressed if he never had a proper relationship). Complete silence in season 2, then in the movies he said that wherever he goes, he's punctually involved in some conflict, aka... no time for romance again (for ghost!Makishima's joy). I read sometimes that the fact that he declined Shion's advances in episode 18 with the sentence "I don't think we are each others' type" was eloquent about his sexuality, since he probably is gay or bi, at least. I don't think he is, but simply, being the kind person he is, Kougami just found a colloquial way to remember Shion where her heart truly laid (and in the novel, it's more obvious). No surprise, during the fight against Rutaganda, when the mercenary said that listening to Kougami made him happy like he was listening to some Wagner's piéce, Kougami promptly answers that he could have rather listened to those words from a glamorous beauty than from him (he used the word "bijin" there). I won't mention all the Shinkane subtle of the movie, but it was truly obvious how things had changed for Akane and Kougami and what could have been happened if the mercenaries hadn't come. Case 3 shows that his relationship with the fair sex still hasn't progressed this much... though I LOVED Kougami's interactions with Tenzing and the teasing of the little girl who said that he reminded her of her dad (ok, that's progress, since in a radio drama both he and Gino made a small child crying because of their idiocy) and I headcanon that in the years past Case 3 Kou had some chances to hear back from Tenzing (because of MoFA and Frederica's care), when it comes to the blonde colleague... I guess that things haven't changed this much. Now, so far, Kougami has NEVER shown any sign of reciprocating Frederica's possible feelings, but it seems that he's the only one who knows how to cheer her up or to understand her. Coming back to Frederica, after this digression, that's the core: she technically has all the qualities Kougami would possibly need. She's a glamorous beauty (hello there, reference to the gekijouban). She's a companion who could keep up a conversation. This point is trickier, because the conversation under the moonlight (now that it comes to my mind, it was also said that if he ever had to set a date, he would probably talk about work or taking somebody to stargaze), which largely reminds me of his conversation with Akane in the movie (I'm talking about the structure of the scene in general), shows that

Frederica too is perfectly able to lecture Kougami and pull the shits out of him about his true motives for keeping on traveling, she's been interested in him since the lessons with professor Saiga, but also... the fact that she mentioned his mother, I think was some kind of a rehash of the novel version of the conversation between Akane and Kou. I was under the impression that Ubukata and Shiotani were trying to test the waters... Also, Frederica is a skilled fighter, she has a no-nonsense attitude and she's pretty harsh in what she says, but she's also friendly, humorous, and caring (the days they spent together with Tenzing). Then the renowned scene of the two of them making the deal... ok, I need to admit that in the beginning, I didn't see it as malicious, neither I do it now, but... mhhh... sharing the same bottle of water to make a deal... well... kinda intimate, right? Not that Kougami made a fuss, but Frederica was... pleased? After all, she didn't do any of this with Sugo (also, her approach to him was more formal) and we still don't know how she recruited Gino (I think it happened because of Kougami, after Akane's demotion)... I don't know, but it seems to me that her approach toward Kougami (at least in Case 3 and in the manga extras) is more personal... after all, when she approached him the first time, she was quite intrigued, since she wanted to take a look at the face of a celebrity like him (all said while pleasantly smiling). The extra chapter shows that while Gino and Sugo's efforts to help their chief were wasted (not for us who read), only Kougami's proposal was well received by her. Shooting like in a guerrilla field... after all, Frederica is a tough one (just like Akane) and Kougami knows it very well... like Gino adds at the end, she's definitely a female version of him, but she also is somebody able to kick Kou's glorious ass (just like Akane). Now, time will say where the truth is, but I feel like that if Ubukata and Shiotani keep on following the route "there's a deep respect and a bond which goes beyond love and romance between Shinkane... and also Kougami doesn't see Akane in that way", and instead they choose to spice things up (but I don't think so) Frederica might be the one chosen. Luckily enough, our dear former Enforcer seems to have chosen the celibate warrior monk route, but I'm still sure that things can change and in the end, the most natural outcome will be Shinkane. Well... since the post has become longer than I expected, I'll write another time of Shizuka and Akane, but thanks for reading until now!

[brian-in-finance]

Caitríona Balfe (pronounced like “Katrina” has also had roles in “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Now You See Me.” Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

In August, Balfe announced that she gave birth to her first child with music producer Tony McGill, her husband of two years.Although she hasn't gotten much sleep these last couple of months while promoting the film, "having a baby is the most amazing thing," Balfe says. "It's been a juggle, but it's nice to have my old life back and also have this beautiful little boy."

Dublin native Caitríona Balfe always gets a Guinness when she returns home to Ireland. “It doesn’t taste that way anywhere else in the world.” Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

Balfe spent a lot of time with her child co-stars and their moms shooting "Belfast," and "in some way, that encouraged me to go for it and have my kid," she says. "If I could have the same relationship with my son that they have with their mothers, I think he'd be really happy."

As a new mom, she also feels an even greater connection to her character than when she made the film.

After giving birth, "Ken (Branagh) called me and was like, 'Does this mean we have to do reshoots now?'" Balfe says. "I was like, 'Maybe we should do a prequel, just me and Dornan for an hour and a half trying to get a baby back to sleep.' I don't know if that'd go down as well, though."

Remember… they’re quick to anger, quick to love and quick to have fun. — Caitríona Balfe

[jediofbooksandsnacks]

wounds

Each scar has a story to tell.

also on AO3

This is set after Kogami returns to Japan after Sinners of the System Case 3. Season 3 had not debuted when I wrote this, uhm, some time ago.

all my thanks to @whatsyourcolor, @sandypenguin6 and @saber-of-dreams for their beta reading skills. All mistakes are mine, and I’m not a medical professional so please tell me if I mixed anything up, yes?

~

The wan morning sunlight drew Shinya from restless sleep. The palm of his hand rubbed over his eyes as he blinked slowly awake, his legs shifting beneath the yellow sheets in the still bedroom. Everything around him waited, as though it had caught its breath in anticipation of something soon to happen.

He dropped his hand.

The clock said it was too fucking early for this.

Next to him, Akane slept with an unburdened face. Nothing pulled her mouth tight, nothing caught her brow and then vanished when he glanced at her. This waiting game was slowly driving him crazy, but he couldn’t push her. Not on this.

He sighed. Ran a hand through his messy hair, ran his tongue over his teeth. A deep breath had him sitting up, sheets falling to his waist. The bed squeaked as his feet met the floor and he rolled his shoulder to work out a kink as the nail marks she’d left behind twinged on his back. On the way to the bathroom, he picked up his abandoned boxer briefs.

Their night had been lustful, and he couldn’t remember when he’d tossed them aside and had buried himself in her, in her scent and her body. Time stopped when he was with her and he didn’t yet know if it was a blessing or a curse. The spigot washed soap from his hands over the low hum of water refilling the toilet. Their toothbrushes were in the holder, hers looked like she needed a new one. He spat the toothpaste out, rinsed. Decided to shave later. The cotton of his boxers was loose around his legs as he returned to the bedroom.

She’d shifted while he was in there. One foot draped off of the bed and her face was buried in a pillow, her mouth opened on a small snore. A print book was on her nightstand and a glass of water stood next to it, blurring the digital time on her clock. The bubble they created together, a place where their daily responsibilities were laid outside the door, slid through his thoughts as he lay back down next to the sleeping curve of her body.

A mole stood out against her pale skin, just beneath her left shoulder blade. Gentle fingers ran across it, trailing down the naked skin of her back. In sleep she rolled over and settled against him and the pillows, her brown hair falling across her face. It was soft as he brushed it back. The smell of chemical apples lifted from her shampoo filled his nose as he kissed her forehead.

The sharpness of her eyes, the curl of her hair tucked under her ear, the slope of her shoulder in the night; he wanted to fix this in his memory, the entirety of Akane, to recall in the long nights he knew were ahead.

In a few minutes she stirred and woke. The exhalation of her breath made goosebumps prickle his skin as her eyes blinked open to meet his. Flashes of a hundred things ran through her look, and he was struck by the fact that they could discover something new each morning ahead until they were old and gray and faced that last, final discovery; if he could only ask her. If they had that luxury. One hand touched his chest as she lifted herself and kissed his shoulder with her tired mouth. As she sat up, she gave out a jaw-cracking yawn while the sheets fell back and dim morning light caught on the smooth skin of scar tissue healed on her upper abdomen.

Evidence of the night before was in the bite mark on her shoulder, the hickey bruising her right breast.

“Be back in a minute,” she said sleepily and kissed him again before she got up to go to the bathroom. The fluid lines of her back bent as she picked up her own underwear and then closed the door behind her.

When the door clicked shut he lay back, his hand beneath his head. It was a struggle to still his mind and think of nothing.

The expectation of violence had been his life, as an enforcer and then as a guerrilla. Wars had been his purpose, and he was prepared at any moment to sacrifice himself for the good of something greater. But nothing, nothing at all, had prepared him for the way he’d died last night in her arms.

Soulmates, his destiny, the One; he hated that take. It was thoughtless. Regressive. It wholesale shattered the fire and blood and meaning each person struggled with to make a life worth sharing and replaced it with a ridiculous trick of fate. But that wanting hit on something as-of-yet unspoken between them. Something that was, for all of its ups and downs, inescapably true.

The bathroom door opened and her footsteps shuffled across the carpet. The bed did not sink quite so far as she slid into it again and curled her arms around his torso and managed to tangle her legs through his. One hand drew an absent line down his chest, and then back up, as her breath tickled his skin and her face settled flush against his neck. Cotton met his hand as it settled on her hip. Yawning again, her breath now minty fresh, she murmured, “How long have you been up?”

“Not long,” he said. Fingers traced up and down her back, making slow, steady progress.

She hummed. The midday deadline for his departure loomed in front of them and manifested in the ceaseless motion of her hands against the contours of his skin. Will they ever be free of the System and its demands on their attention, on their hard work, and on their sacrifices? Her fingers settled into a circle on his side, tracing from his hip to his ribcage and back again. Both of them handing in their resignations and retiring to a house in the countryside, like Saiga, almost made him mention it to her. But that hadn't ended so well for him, had it?

Absently, she kissed his chest.

Understanding their jobs and saying goodbye were two different things.

“When did you get this?” His hand skimmed across the puckered skin on her side, just beneath her ribcage. Dominators were her judge and occasional jury, but this looked like—

“I got shot while we were making an arrest.” Her hand curled in the center of his chest. “I was glad that Gino was there to pursue while Hinakawa radioed for help.”

Of course it was Gino. Gino and his steady presence, manifesting his own guardian enforcer version of Dime. For whatever else was going on, for whatever bullshit Gino was going through, Shinya knew that Gino would have been tempted to end those assholes for hurting Akane.

Gino’s one problem was that he fell into the trap of being Iago’s green-eyed monster. But Gino’s feelings towards Akane were that of an older brother looking out for little sis, and that hadn’t changed. Masaoka’s own role suited him, though Shinya was leery of saying that. Their healing relationship was still sometimes contentious.

“He’s a good friend,” she carried on, “though he’s always trying to be a warrior.” The motion of her hands on his skin made him shiver; she traced one of his scars with gentle fingers.

“You seem to attract them.” The conversation he’d had with Hanashiro many months ago resounded in his head.

Eyes bright with knowing insight sparkled in her otherwise obviously controlled and clearly quite serious face which was in absolutely no way fighting a smile. “Detective instincts.”

A more secure him would not draw her close and kiss her. A more secure him would not fight a battle with himself about any of this, hue be damned. A more secure him would say the hell with it and ask her to--

(Still.)

One of her legs came high, her warm knee brushing the hair on his thigh as they lost themselves in a long, slow kiss. When it ended, her hands fell into her habit of retracing his scars. The bullet slash on his neck, the deep cut on his chest, the mottled skin of a one on his side that had healed slowly and needed better medicine than they had available.

“I can feel that,” he said to break the silence, “but at a remove.” Her waiting eyes watched him, so many questions looming unanswered between them.

“I know.” Fingers splayed over the wound, briefly erasing the mark from their sight. Beneath the warmth of her hand, though, he felt that dead zone, that place holding his marked history. Only parts of that story had come out since he’d been back, something he felt almost a pull to tell her and bring reality back to their plastic and Hue-cleared world. Someday he’d tell her more. But not now.

He threaded his fingers through hers. Kissed them. The sorrow in her smile held grace as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Could he turn time back to that first click of the loaded gun? Does the passage of time only heal wounds, or set them in deeper? And how can you find absolution when each morning dawned on a fresh battle with your own demons?

He’d met people like that. He fought back against it every day.

Shinya buried his nose in her hair, inhaling lab-created apples once more. Fingers ran over her back as he set those thoughts aside as he murmured, “I’m not dead yet, you know.”

Contrite, she hummed. “Are my thoughts that clear?”

“I know you.”

“You do,” she sighed. “Then I’ll see you when you return.”

“Only if you make the same promise.”

Her nose pressed into his neck, her mouth gave him a light kiss beneath his jugular. One hand slid down to her hips while the other traced her back, his own body responding to having her so close. The curve of Akane’s hip sloped down beneath his hand, and on his way back up he brushed his fingers over her stomach and abdomen and between her breasts before he brought them to her jaw. Ran his knuckles along her cheek, kissed her nose.

Trust and worry warred there and something deeper. Darker. But there was nothing they could say unless they opened her own tightly closed doors.

And how could he push through them, when his own had opened barely a crack?

Her face was only inches from his own when he caught her lips in a kiss.

Notes:

[dayuwritings]

Paraiba Tourmaline Sacrifices (Part 3)

Rating: Young Adult/YA

Fandom: Psycho Pass

Relationship: Ginoza Nobuchika/Shimotsuki Mika

Characters: Ginoza Nobuchika, Shimotsuki Mika, Frederica Hanashiro, Kei Mikhail Ignatov, Shindo Arata, Kougami Shinya, Sugo Teppei

Language: English

Part: 1, 2

________________________________________________________

It’s been almost one hour and Shimotsuki can’t bring herself to sleep. Why the hell he invites her here anyway? She questions herself. They really don’t even have a deep talk, and the room has been dead quiet since their last conversation. If Ginoza treats her as a colleague, at least they can talk about their respective job. But all she did was taking a bath and had a dinner. Refuse to immerse too deep into her thoughts, Shimotsuki gets up from his bed and walks towards the living room where Dime is now far into its dreamland. She turns on her device and begins to search about Hidaka Corporation. The corporation has a lot of subsidiaries which focused in media production, virtual game, fashion, and jewelry. It was found that the members from the black market smuggling their products through Hidaka Jewelry’s subsidiary. Through their annual reports for the past three years, these black market’s products aren’t included within the reports. Which means, either they didn’t use any of Hidaka’s product as disguise or the report has been manipulated. No other employees except the suspect of Ranuvitha’s murderer show any odd change in their crime coefficient numbers. But of course, the suspect cannot work by himself.

“Wait, didn’t Ginoza-san mentioned that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the data of Japanese citizens who works under Hidaka Corporation and connected with the black market?” she murmurs. Then why their crime coefficient shows a fine numbers?

“I need to contact inspector Kei and Arata about this…” she says as she calls upon both Inspector Kei and Arata.

“Inspector Kei and Inspector Arata-“

“We knew you will call us, Chief” Arata says, the screen shows his face and Inspector Kei driving beside him.

“Then I presume you already know what to do?”

“Yes. We’ve rechieved the data from Kogami-san. Now we are going to Akeichi Suzunohara house for interrogation with our enforcers” he answers.

“Do you think he will open the door to you at this hour?” Shimotsuki sighs, she’s preventing herself from yelling.

“He will. Because me and Kei actually got this” Arata shows an old-fashioned mobile phone.

“What is that?”

“As you can see, Chief. It’s an old phone made from outside Japan. It’s not registered within this country, we’ve asked Karanomori-san about this too. Though, we don’t know exactly which country produced it. But definitely not Japan-“

“Okay, okay. What did you found there?”

“His last message with the suspect” Kei answers and Arata continue to smirk,

“Oh by the way, we actually send a message to him telling that we found his phone without informing that we are from MWPSB”

“Good- wait, NO! what are you guys plotting!-“ her call gets forced off. No wonder he’s very confident that they will meet him at this hour.

“Those two are very energetic don’t you think, kanshikan?”

“What are you doing?” she asks him. She feels quite bad for waking him up from his sleep.

“Hiding such a thing like that from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs when we asked for the evidences from MWPSB. Quite cunning, aren’t they?” he says with a scoff while walking towards her.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nothing to do with Akeichi Suzunohara” she snaps and glares at Ginoza at the same time.

“Debatable” he answers with a chuckle.

“But you seem not trusting them enough” he adds.

“I am confident enough with my men and their capabilities”

“Even the enforcers?”

“I can make sure of that” she smiles confidently.

“You have changed, kanshikan…” Ginoza says, almost inaudible.

“I told you to not call me that!”

“Then,” he pauses and continue, “Shimotsuki…”. Hearing her name coming from him makes her cheeks red, she doesn’t know what to reply. Ginoza sees her awkward face and let out a laugh. He takes more steps forwards, and sit beside her. Shimotsuki stays frozen.

“Thank you for staying tonight. Shimotsuki” he whispers on her right ear while snuggling his face onto her neck.

“Wha-“ Shimotsuki tries to protest , but Ginoza quickly shuts her by kissing her neck gently and letting out another chuckle.

“Let’s stay like this till morning rather than being separated, shall we?” he whispers. And Shimotsuki getting even more confused with their relationship.

To be continue

(Note: I’m very sorry for taking so long for the third chapter! I’ll now try to update every week. Thank you for your understanding)

[papperpine]

Paraiba Tourmaline Sacrifices (Part 1)

Rating: Young Adult/YA

Fandom: Psycho Pass

Relationship: Ginoza Nobuchika/Shimotsuki Mika

Characters: Ginoza Nobuchika, Shimotsuki Mika, Frederica Hanashiro, Kei Mikhail Ignatov, Shindo Arata, Kougami Shinya, Sugo Teppei

Language: English

Part: 2

__________________________________________________________

How odd.

Not wanting to waste her time any longer, Shimotsuki Mika calls one of her subordinate. But the person who is now several miles away from her doesn’t pick up the call. It is getting late, and it is out of the schedule plan. It’s sunday, most people probably stay at their house or go out with their family or friends enjoying their day off. But a crime doesn’t care of your beloved day off, it strikes whenever it wants, like it or not. Nearly five hours ago, she rechieved a report to investigate a murder case inside a jewelry shop. She handed it to Division One as it fits with the capability of the aimed division. Their last conversation happened four hours ago, and she hasn’t received further progress from them. According to the report she received, the owner of the jewelry shop is an immigrant from Sri Lanka. She has a hunch that this case will involve The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Suppressing Action Departement, or easily known as “S.A.D”. Their involvement is what worries her. She wonders if her subordinates have bumped into them. It’s nothing serious, but she has personal grudge with their assistant officer, who took away her ex-subordinates from her, most of all those who actually capable, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, her trusted one.

The case is about a murder of an immigrant shop owner, Ranuvitha Semel, who is suspected on having a connection to the black market. The suspect is his own business partner. Ranuvitha used to sells jewelry, as he born from a country which famous of its gemstone. The current missions is to investigate Ranuvitha Semel himself, his business, the person who is suspected as his murderer and lastly, the black market itself. His action on doing such a business without Sibyl noticing is definitely odd. At first, some suspected him as a criminally asyptomatic, before it got debunked as his records shows that he is an ordinary man. The report came after a suspicious actions regarding the business and their sudden increase on purchase numbers.

Several hours later, she finally gets a call. The words on the screen pops up, it’s inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov.

“How is it?” she asks.

“We are still investigating the matter, inspector Arata just contacted analyst Karanomori to track the suspect after we found out that the now deceased owner of the shop, Ranuvitha Semel, is indeed related with the black market which connected with several countries, including Sri Lanka itself, as his supplier and business partner” the man answers.

“He is a first generation immigrant, all document that isn’t registered and connected with his previous life must still be there—“

“That’s the problem, the suspect took it together with a gemstone, paraiba tourmaline” he adds.

“And how is that possible?”

“We are too late to stop the suspect, I supposed—“

“YOU!” she yells and continues,

“Such a thing like this happened because of your incapability! are you two taking this seriously or not?!”

“We are going to track him down right now, I won’t let such a thing happens again” he says with a sigh.

“AS YOU SHOULD!” she ends the call abruptly, and leans on her chair. She takes a deep breath, and tries to control her anger, which is difficult. While she still controlling her emotions, a video call pops up,

“How is there?” says a woman with honey-blonde hair while smiling teasingly to the screen. The person she wishes to see the least today.  Hanashiro Frederica, an Assistant Officer of Suppressing Action Departement.

“What do you want?!”

“How’s your team doing?” Frederica smiles, but Shimotsuki knows so well what’s behind that smile.

“We are still investigating, and if you and your guys interfere our process, I won’t stay still” Shimotsuki says while pointing her finger to the screen.

“Well, too bad because my people already down there. You know that this also be a case for Ministry of Fereign Affairs” Frederica says. Of course Shimotsuki knows that, but she despises every involvement that come from MoFA. Once again, because of her personal grudge and her dislikeness towards Hanashiro Frederica. The woman on the screen continues,

“Now then, let’s share informations don’t we?” her smile fades, and her voice becomes more serious. But Shimotsuki can’t give anything as her team failed to capture the suspect and now playing Tom and Jerry on the road. She doesn’t want to admit that to her, she’s furious with her current situation, but she tries to be professional.

“My team are still investigating the matter, and if you want information, go ask the people from your own department” she cuts the video call, and returns leaning on her chair. It takes several minutes until she comes back focusing with her own tasks.

It’s getting late, and the sky becomes darker. On the street, behind those wall, and under the bridge, something is creeping. In the world under Sibyl System, Japan has turned into something else. It is peace, but it is also hides monstrosity. It says that people who lives in Japan are good people, because every people with bad personality went to jail, or just, ‘gone’. But who says that good people can’t hate? Who thinks that good people can’t kill? Good people can do what bad people do. It’s just that when they do them, they call it justice. At least, that’s come from a book she ever read before.

Shimotsuki plans to go home, but she hasn’t received anything from her subordinates, so she decides to stay longer in the office. But she’s too impatient, so she calls them instead,

“Progr—“ she says but her words get cuts,

“Chief, what a coincidence I just plan to reach you” the man says, he’s Inspector Shindo Arata.

“Continue…”

“We have captured the suspect, he’s unconscious now. We also collected some evidences regarding his business and it’s connection with the black market…” Arata explains.

“And…?”

“Ranuvitha Semel didn’t know that he was doing a business with a black market, that explain why his crime coefficient stays normal. The black market is hiding under a registered company with the name ‘Hidaka Corporation’, which also the main supplier for a big production company” he adds,

“Big company?” she murmur, “—how is the product, anything strange?” she asks.

“Nothing suspicious with the mass products, but for valuable items like jewelry and gemstone we found out that they mixed unlicensed chemical powder with the gemstone, which can dissolve when you mixed with certain degree of hot water, and um…other things that is now being analyzed by Karanomori Shion-san” a drugs. So they sells gemstones as disguise through a jewelry store to their consumers. That answers the question on why the number of purchases increases for something that people don’t often buy.

“Have you investigate the customers?” she asks.

“We got the data already, and I’ll send them to you”

“Alright, now get back to the office and brings the evidence from the black market”

“Well about that, Chief…” Arata says, nervously.

“We are now with the Suppressing Action Departement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they asked for the evidence for further investigation purp—“

“HAH?! NO THEY ARE NOT!”

“Stay right there and don’t let them move any inch! I’ll go to your current location!” Shimotsuki takes her bag and runs towards the lift across her office.

 ***

 Shimotsuki starts her car and sets it to auto-pilot, while she calls towards Frederica Hanashiro.

“I know you will call me” the woman from other side says, she’s still at her office just like when she called her in the evening.

“If you know then stop your people from snatching away of what supposed to be mine!”

“I see, you are on your way to them right? Then I don’t have to bring myself there, one of us is enough” she smiles, and it’s testing Shimotsuki’s patience once again.

“You are not answering me!”

“Ara, in the end the upper will ask us to investigate it after all” Frederica says,

“Then it’s them to decide and not you!”

“We will invite you to our office to discuss this, take this as a request from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to negotiate with you”

“And if I refuse?”

“We will apply for a request again” Frederica smirks, she knows that she will get that no matter what. Shimotsuki knows damn well that shes’s that kind of person. And she hates it. At the moment like this, she sometimes wondering what will her senior will do. But thinking about Tsunemori Akane only frustrated her. Not that she hates her, she used too, but as time passes by, Akane is the only senior she looks up onto, and one of people she care for. Even now.

Shimotsuki arrives at the location, the whole Division One is there, also three people from Suppressing Action Departement. Including him. Her trusted one.

She gets out from her car, staring at her subordinates and then to S.A.D. Shindo Arata and Kei Mikhail Ignatov comes to her, and giving her a ‘salute’ pose. She responds to them, and stares back to S.A.D. Her ex-subordinates, Sugo Teppei, walks towards her. She knows what he going to say, but still letting him to say it himself.

“Our chief invited you for a meeting with us to discuss this matter” he says calmly, and he adds

“Just you” Shimotsuki sighs.

“What?” says Kei, feeling unacceptable. And before he shouts at Sugo, Shimotsuki stops him,

“I only accept the offer if you let my two inspectors attending the meeting, other than that, I decline” she says, Sugo looks at his team mates, and they nod to each others.

“Very well” he answers.

They hold the meeting in the meeting room inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tower. The room is quiet spacious for a room with just one medium-size coffee table, two big and small dark brown couches. The room is sets with warm temperature since it strats snowing outside. There is three huge windows covered the wall and exposing the outside which is now dark and various color of lights from the city starts appearing. Outside, people are selling Christmas ornaments and cookies. She just realizes that it’s Christmas eve tonight. Shimotsuki didn’t celebrate Christmas last year, she off for work. And it’s looks like it will not be any different for this year too. Even though, she doesn’t really mind, but the longing to rest and relax her mind are strong. The S.A.D team enters the room, it looks like they have been discussing something for a while, but letting the guests waiting while you are the one who invited them quite irritates Shimotsuki.

“You sure took a while” Shimotsuki says as they enters the room.

“Paradon us, we are discussing something”

“Do mind it, my side also has something to do too” she says with annoyed tone.

“Well then, let’s get into the business” Frederica says as she glances towards a man with pony-tail, Ginoza Nobuchika. The man nods, and shares a file to all people in the room. They opens it through their device. The screen shows several profiles of immigrants and also Japanese citizens.

“Let me explain what our side purpose and need is. Before this, we are currently investigating some certain immigrants and Japanese citizens who are involved with the black market under the company of Hidaka Corporation and their connection to a big production company. But we found no evidence since they are using normal products to big company. We try to investigate Hidaka Hikoichi, who is currently the CEO of Hidaka Corporation, but found out he knows nothing regarding the black market under his own company, which was proven right. Until we got a report of suspicious action from a jewelry shop that runs by immigrant. We suspected it has something to do with our previous case of black market under Hidaka Corporation. We can’t continue to progress our previous case without evidence, now that this case brings it, we offer you a help and reach for a bigger goal” he explains.

“How is that profitable to our side?” Shimotsuki says, she frowns. He chuckles and continues,

“We believe MWPSB is a non-profit organization, and of course we will also give our collected reports regarding the Japanese citizens who works under Hidaka Corporation and connected with the black market to you” he adds.

“That is not apple to apple. I give you the evidence, you step further from where you are now, you give me the reports it only enrich my my final report to the higher ground” Shimotsuki says as she crosses her arms, staring at him. But the man who sits in front of her doesn’t shudder, instead he smiles at her. She doesn’t know what the meaning of it, but she doesn’t like it. That look he gives to her is somewhat saying that she’s only a kid who is yet to understand this kind of thing.

“Our report also consists regarding what inside the gemstone, since these people we have investigated might involved with the making of the fake gemstone. Each type of gemstone apparently represents different kind of drugs” he says calmly, still with the same smile.

“What do you mean?” Kei asks.

“This is still our assumptions, but if you accept the offer then you might prove our assumptions. For example we suspect they have cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, and ecstasy for sapphire” Ginoza answers. This reminds Shimotsuki of what Inspector Kei mentioned before about paraiba tourmaline.

“There are several type of gemstones which Ranuvitha Semel offers, but according to our investigation, three or perhaps more types of them are connected with this case” Ginoza adds, while sending a file to Shimotsuki and her subordinates. Cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, ecstasy for sapphire, and what’s for paraiba tourmaline? There is no tourmaline left, even when her team finally caught the suspect, the paraiba tourmaline has already gone.

Even though, she hates to admit it, she feels tempted. It shows all over her face.

“We can use this Chief” says Arata beside her.

“I can agree with that” Kei adds while looking at the report. Shimotsuki glances at Ginoza’s face, to make it more specific, his ‘winning’ face. Besides him, there is Hanashiro Frederica, who also shows the same expressions, while the other two, Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei stays with their unreadable faces. She finally comes to conclusion,

“Alright, i take the offer! With this we are now even, internal matters are our turf. Do not ever interfere with our matters again!” she sees Ginoza with a smirk on his face. She reaches her peak of patience.

“Alright, then it settled” Frederica says while getting up and walks leaving the room, follows by Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei.

“It’s nice to have a deal with you, kanshikan” Ginoza says, definitely on purpose.

“kanshikan—“ she murmur, then follows with ‘hmph!’ while leaving the room.

Outside the meeting room, Kougami walks towards Ginoza.

“What’s wrong” Ginoza asks, Kougami only gives a smile.

“Nothing, it’s just you seem enjoying yourself” Kougami says.

“What do you mean?”

“You seem enjoy teasing your own junior” he answers.

“She is not my junior, she is my superior”

“was” Kougami corrects him. He chuckles,

“Right, ‘was’”.

 ***

 The snow is getting a little bit thicker, Shimotsuki is out of Ministry of Foreign Affairs building while watching over her two subordinates, Inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov and Shindo Arata, leaves the place by car. A white smoke comes out from her mouth, she rubs her palm to warms herself as she walks towards her own car.

“Kanshikan” someone calls over her, and it is no doubt from whom the voice is. Ginoza approaches her while she is about to open the car’s door.

“Saying, kanshikan, are you trying to mock me?” she answers, almost like shouting at him.

“I never intend it like that” he lets out a small laughs.

“Then, what do you want from me now?” she asks, ignoring his laugh.

“Nothing, it’s just are you free tonight?”

“Why are you asking?” she stares at him dumbfoundly, but Ginoza doesn’t answer the question.

“I have to work tomorrow, now that you add more into my work lists” she adds while opens the car’s door but Ginoza suddenly holds the door and closes it back. Shimotsuki stares at him questioningly. He walks closer to her, and whispers to her ear

“Kanshikan, will you accompany me just for tonight?” his breaths feels so hot over her skin, and it gives her shivers.

“Wha-what are you doing?!” she yells while her face is blushing. But Ginoza stay still with his awkward position.

“What happens with you?” she asks once again, but more gentle than before, noticing his weird behavior. Something is wrong, she thinks.

“Alright then, just for tonight right” she says while pushes him from her. He lets out another chuckles, and lands a kiss on the left side of her lips.

“Thank you”

 To be continue

   (Author note: the book that mentioned in here is “Strange The Dreamer” by Laini Taylor. Thank you for reading!)

[psycho-pass-lists]

The Bachelorette: Psycho-Pass Edition

Original idea from @lacourtefille!

Host: Welcome to our newest season! This season is unlike any other, where our girl is Fredericha Hanashiro, who is an assistant officer in the Foreign Operations Department and has proven herself to be a dedicated worker and wants to see the same level of commitment in her dream guy.

Fredericha: Yeah, I just figured I should start considering settling down and finding a nice, simple guy to love. I don’t have a lot of luck with guys, so I decided to join this fake, simulated TV show. I’m ready to meet all the guys.

Kogami: Hey, I’m Kogami. Fredericha and I have a bit of a history and worked well together, so I hope she finds we’re more compatible for more than just work.

Ginoza: I’m Ginoza, I work with Fredericha but we don’t work as closely as some other people. I’m hoping to change that now.

Sho: I’m Sho and I don’t know why I’m here. I only sent my application because I admire Hanashiro-san. I can’t believe they actually accepted me into this show.

Sugo: Hi, I’m Sugo, I too have a history with Fredericha and she helped me a lot. I’m hoping to now help her realize that I’m her dream guy.

Arata: I’m Arata, I’m currently an Inspector in the first division. I don’t know much about Fredericha besides what I hear what Chief says, though I can do a mental trace to find out more, but she may not find that romantic. So here I am!

Host: Okay, here are your roles.

Kogami: Score, I can act like the handsome one!

Sugo: I am the cool-headed, muscular guy.

Sho: I’m... the shy guy? Am I being typecasted?

Ginoza: Isn’t this just the fan version of ourselves?

Host: Anyways! There will be romance!

Fredericha: I love seeing you workout, Sugo-san. Especially how tight your clothes are.

Sugo: Of course, Hanashiro-san.

All the other guys who couldn’t help also watching: ........

Host: There will be intrigue!

Fredericha: So you really can see the past of... anything??

Arata: That’s right, if I concentrate hard enough. Why? You wouldn’t happen to have a super shady past, right?

Fredericha: ... Sure.

Arata: That’s not reassuring.

Fredericha: Are you interested in finding out?

Arata: I swore to Kei I would only use my abilities to solve crime related cases.

Fredericha: Oh thank goodness.

Arata: I can’t believe I’m the one being creeped out.

Host: There will be drama!

Ginoza: *during an outing together* I saw you having a romantic dinner with Kogami... do you really want such a shady guy as your husband? He chose to break the law and put himself to exile.

Fredericha: Well, he’s a fun guy - 

Kogami: *suddenly comes out of the bushes* Hold on!

Ginoza: Were you spying on us!?

Kogami: Fredericha, I think it’s important for you to know that Gino had this huge thing against Enforcers! He treated them - me! - like subhuman. Sure, he seems like he’s over that but how would you know for sure?

Fredericha: How about we just don’t ruin this outing, Gino - 

Ginoza: Plus, Kogami still has feelings for Tsunemori!

Fredericha: Everyone knows that.

Ginoza: And you’re okay with that??

Fredericha: Surprisingly so.

Kogami: Wait, everybody?

Host: Who will she give the final red rose to??

Sugo: I’m honored that I made it this far. I know that she will make the right choice for her.

Ginoza: I’m glad that the “drama” I had with Kogami didn’t put Fredericha off and I’m very glad that I was chosen. Not that... it was a competition... Anyways, I will be privileged if she chooses me (and show it off to Kogami’s face).

Fredericha: This has been a very, very hard choice. I’m actually surprised I survived a month of this show. Clearly, I fit the ‘flirty, fun blonde type’ the script called for. Anyways, the one I choose is...

Host: Catch us in the all-new season of The Bachelorette to find out!

[hinderyourfear]

Psycho Pass First Inspector thoughts (spoilers ahead)

the moments i liked:

Homura actually outplayed everyone (or on his way to do so) that makes him even better than Makishima

it was nice to see 2nd and 3rd units despite the outcome

okay jokes like “having a little chat with Mr. Kougami” look fresh and somehow at the same time it doesn’t ruin the common dark setting

i must admit Azusawa and Obata is a nice duo

Shimotsuki’s reaction to Homura’s appointment is relatable

the moments i disliked:

yo animation need sum medical assistance :x

my heart hurt when i saw Ginoza visiting the father’s grave alone.. i mean Kougami’s here now and cmon show some respect to Pops, you’ve worked with him for so longgg mannn

totally forgot about Sugo Teppei, perhaps we should appreciate 5 secs of his screen time *shrug*

idk but im sick of watching all the juice at the end, a half and hour passed and still nothing important happened

and i thought it would be great reference if Ginoza made a comment upon cherry blossoms like “meh such a shame it’s just holo” or smth like that when he had a chat with Arata (who read Kanshikan Kougami Shinya will understand :^) )

why would you introduce new characters and then kill em.. why what for i don’t get it

so many “why”s.. why is Kougami always apologizing to Tsunemori? What was that last scene about, okay i understand they’ve finally met but yo you know Ginoza almost since the childhood and what Kougami did leaving his FRIEND without warning and explanations.. he is the one who he needs to apologize to (and i dont get shinkane stuff.. there’s mentor-apprentice relationship between them and i don’t see any romance hints at all)

since when Sybil System got so naive and dumb, why did Bureau Chief(Sybil-System) offered Homura a job... like his game is obvious. also what was the point of accepting his terms i mean releasing Tsunemori and Sybil’s decision to let Arata be even though they know ThE tRuTh Of ThE wOrLd ahhh my head

i do hope MFA SAD will do something useful already but for now i dont see how and what for it was created. Hanashiro looks very suspicious to me (the question why she recruited ex Inspectors-Enforcers is still open)

[tact-and-impulse]

Shinkane Week Day 7

The conclusion from yesterday (and fair warning, it tilts M in the last half). Thanks @shinkaneweek for putting this event together!

Prompt: Fate

“I only have one bed.” The words left her mouth before she could think twice, and she hastily added. “I have extra blankets so one of us can sleep on the floor.”

“I can.” He readily volunteered. “It can’t be any worse than chairs.”

“Or you can have the bed. You must be tired from traveling.”

“No, I’ll take the floor.” He reiterated, firmer this time.

How stubborn, she thought but smiled. “Alright then.”

She folded the blankets into a semblance of a futon, before realizing they hadn’t discussed where exactly he’d be sleeping. He had jumped into the shower, and she hesitated at the thought of disturbing him.

The bathroom’s connected to my room, so I’ll just leave the blankets near my bed. When he gets out, he can move wherever he likes.

Her nightstand was in her peripheral vision, but now that this was real, she was doubting herself. In the background, the pour of water was relentless. The lights in the hallway were too bright. Her awareness had been sharpened ever since he walked through her door, windblown from his motorcycle and mouth curling when their gazes met. They’d greeted each other with familiarity and a handshake, a strange contrast to how they reunited last year. She easily recalled that encounter. His thighs under her hands, his body braced over hers when the drone struck, his shirt on her frame to conceal her identity.

Itching to do something, Akane slipped under the covers of her bed, fixating her attention on her phone messages. As she pulled down the sleeves of her powder blue pajama top, her phone lit with an update from Kaori. Her friend was thinking of names for the baby due next year, and she began to draft a reply. She still noticed when the shower abruptly stopped.

Kougami stepped out in his spare clothes, black shirt on black pants. He vigorously dried his hair with a towel. “Thanks again.”

“Sure. The blankets are right here, so make yourself comfortable wherever you want.”

He nodded, continuing to rub the towel back and forth. The muscles of his arms shifted underneath his sleeves. He sat down in the middle of the blankets, minding the extra pillow she’d placed at one end. He wasn’t moving.

Her pulse sped faster.

“So…” Kougami draped the cloth around his neck and expectantly looked up at her. “We have time now.”

“Huh?”

“To talk.”

Right. Talking. “Where should I start? I did mention some things over the phone.”

She told him about the case Ginoza and Shimotsuki handled, what they uncovered and their success. Kunizuka’s Psycho-Pass had recovered to an acceptable level, and she had a set date to returning to society, though she was loath to leave Karanomori behind.

“They’ll be just as surprised as I was to see you.” She remarked.

“I wonder how they’ll react. Gino warned me not to show my face near Unit 1 again, and then, he punched me in the face.”

“Is that what happened?” She had figured as much but it was good to have it confirmed.

“Ah. He used his non-robotic arm, so he showed some mercy.” He ran a hand along one cheek with a sardonic smile. “I’ll prepare myself for the same treatment.”

“Well, it could be different this time. It’s been a year.”

“I hope so. That reminds me, I’d like to pay respects to Pops.” A pensive moment followed, and Akane inevitably thought of Kagari, along with the old sting that there was no grave for the other fallen Enforcer. “You said Mama was getting over a cold?”

It was endearing, that a grown man like him still referred to his mother so affectionately. “Tomoyo-san almost kicked me out, she didn’t want to infect me. But she rarely coughed and her temperature was just a little warm. She doesn’t show any weakness.”

“Hmph, Mama acts strong but she’s only human. By the way, you call her ‘Tomoyo-san’, but you still refer to me as ‘Kougami-san’.” Was that envy in his tone?

“You’ve always been Kougami-san to me.” She countered. “I think your mother noticed I hesitated around her, and she was kind enough to suggest ‘Tomoyo-san’.”

“When we meet, I’ll bring up how unfair that is. I met you first.”

“And you left first.” Her annoyance seeped through and she instantly regretted it. She averted her gaze from him and the nightstand, shame bubbling up in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you were right. I was being childish and she must know you better, given how long it’s been.” The wall between them was reforming, and when she stole a glance, his expression was impassive.

“I do like talking to her, but I wouldn’t say she knows me better. In fact, I haven’t made any new friends in a long time, not since a certain case.”

“This is the tough one you mentioned before.” He stated.

She related the notable events while avoiding the truth of the Sybil System. Kamui, the loss of Aoyanagi and the gain of Sugo, the sadistic game that had targeted her. She tried to be neutral, like she was dictating a report, but her voice shook when her grandmother inevitably entered the narrative.

The bed creaked. He sat next to her, one hand on her shoulder to steady her. He didn’t speak, but his shadowed eyes told her to keep going. She managed not to cry, although it’d been close and she pressed her fingertips against the unshed tears.

“It’s easier than before, I could at least finish talking.”

“There’s no rush. You were close to her, and you blame yourself, that you could have done more to protect her. It’s how she died that you regret, but it becomes easier to bear. You’ve shown me that, just now.”

She had thought about what he would say about this case, and his actual words were exactly what she expected. But his voice, his touch, his scent…those made it all real and sweet pain bloomed in her chest. He was here, reassuring her, and it was not a dream. She breathed, in and out, and felt calmer.

“Thank you, Kougami-san. I’ve talked enough about myself. Do you have any stories?” She put on a brave face, and his hand slipped off. Her shoulder was noticeably cool.

He must have recognized the atmosphere and avoided talking about his travels, promising he’d give a timeline later. Instead, he provided the rundown on what being a tactical advisor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meant, and what he knew of his schedule. His first day was technically Monday, but he had to complete preliminary administrative tasks tomorrow afternoon. That gave her a good excuse to suggest turning in, and he agreed, returning to the blankets on the floor.

She switched off the lights, glad that whatever expression she was making couldn’t be seen. “Good night, Kougami-san.”

“Good night.”

Her bed was still warm from his presence. It was quiet enough that she could hear his slow breathing. She turned from one side to the other, and even that made too much noise for her liking. Shadows danced behind her closed eyes. She was considering the monotony of counting in her head, when he spoke.

“You’re not asleep.”

***

There was more rustling, as she kicked off the blankets. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw her legs swing over the side of the bed as she sat up.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked.

“Nothing definitive.” A pause. “My friend Kaori wants to name her child Koyuki if it’s a girl.”

He recognized the significance. “It’s not a bad name.”

“Her husband’s concerned that such a name will affect her Psycho-Pass, that she’ll always think of Yuki and what happened.”

“That’s certainly possible, but she doesn’t know whether the baby will be a girl.”

“I planned to remind her of that, and maybe, the baby won’t look like a Koyuki.”

Amused, he propped himself on his elbows before mirroring her position. “Would you want the same life?”

“I would have to find someone to marry first, but I’m too busy with work.” She lightly said, and he hid how pleased he was. “What about you?”

“No one ever caught my eye.”

“Hanashiro-san was able to bring you back.”

As much as he enjoyed her passive-aggressive jealousy, he quelled it. “I made a deal with her; I’d work for her if she’d help me kill someone.” He confessed the full story to her, about Tenzing and the peacekeeper mercenaries and how he’d committed murder again. She listened without comment, only moving to turn on the lights so they could face each other properly.

At the end, she said. “I can’t judge you with a Dominator. I don’t know what I would see, if I could. If I had been there, I would have done my best to find a different way. However, I wasn’t and you took the path you thought was right. In such a place without laws, you sought a form of justice for Tenzing, her family, and the other victims. It can’t be undone, but you claimed responsibility in order to protect peace. That counts for something, and Tenzing did not pursue revenge on her own. Your words reached her, don’t forget how important that is.”

His throat was dry. A small part of him, that had been gradually growing in her presence, had desired absolution, and she’d given it so freely.

“So you came back, because you couldn’t stay on the mainland.”

“It would be a lot harder with an entire country wanting a bullet in my head.”

“Would you rather have stayed?”

“Five years is a long time. Little by little, I was growing tired of warzones.”

“You did not make a good stray dog.” She smiled, and he returned the expression.

“But you’re an even better owner than before, from what I’ve heard of the Public Safety Bureau. We’ve both changed since Shamballa, though there’s no case for us now.”

“No, and there probably won’t be, unless it’s a case that involves both domestic and foreign affairs.”

“That wasn’t my point.” At her confusion, he asked. “Why do you think I’m here? In your house?”

She was visibly thrown off guard, echoing. “Why…?”

He stood and walked over to her, bending close. She stared at him with trepidation, but she didn’t seem repelled. He leaned in, stopped short of her mouth, and answered his own question. “I want to be with you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re too cunning, Kougami-san.” And she closed the distance.

The kiss was clumsy at first, before they settled into each other. He cupped the back of her head, her silky hair in his palm, and marveled at the feel of her. When they stopped for air, he looked at her flushed, dazed face and completely surrendered.

“I changed my mind. I’ll join you on the bed.”

“Then, come.” She pulled away, sliding further on the mattress, to make room. It was an invitation to follow and he accepted, moving over her.

He paused. “I didn’t bring any-”

“I went to the nearest store before you arrived. Here, in the top drawer.” She said even as she reached for the knob on her nightstand. The assortment of contraceptives was impressive, and it was obvious she didn’t know what to buy other than to prepare for any possibility. Of course, she would.

He couldn’t suppress his laughter.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all.” He kissed her pouting lips. “You thought of everything, didn’t you, Inspector?”

“Almost everything.” The corner of her mouth pulled into a smirk. “You have the rest, Kougami-san.”

Her answer intensified the roar of blood in his ears, and he released her. He stripped off his shirt, tossing it to the floor, and admired her appreciative gaze before she remembered to undo her buttons. The powder blue pajamas soon joined his black clothes, and he leisurely looked over her. The freckle at the inner slope of one breast, the gentle curve of her hips, her legs pressed against one another.

A rosy hue colored her cheeks, but she lifted her chin. “And please don’t call me ‘Inspector’ again.”

“Tsunemori-san, then? Or just Tsunemori?”

“You called me something else once.”

He knew exactly what she was referring to, and strangely, he was embarrassed. He scratched the back of his neck. “And in return, I get ‘Kougami-san’?”

“No.” Her eyes sparkled. “You’ll find out soon.” Her hands grasped his shoulders, bringing him in again.

He fumbled with the condom, which he blamed on her stroking his thighs. Her touch was too shy, ultimately teasing. Damn her. “You’re really not helping; you’ll regret it.” He exasperatedly said.

She had the audacity to giggle. “It’s payback.”

“For what?” There, he had it and he grabbed her by the waist. Laid out on the bed, she feigned an innocent, wide-eyed appearance despite the challenging accent to her clarification.

“For sleeping on chairs last year.”

He braced himself over her, taking pleasure in her dark pupils and swollen mouth. “Call it foreplay. Are you ready now?”

In her expression, there was determination and eagerness and something else he recognized but could not name aloud yet. “Yes.”

She was already slippery, and his fingers slid to the knuckles without much effort on his part. It only took some coaxing before she was relaxed. When they finally fit together, she sharply inhaled.

He touched her cheek. “Alright?”

“Mm.” She nodded, struggling to keep her eyes open. Lazily, she caressed his arms, his chest, his abdomen. “It’s good.”

He kissed her again, his heart aching. “Akane…” He murmured on her skin. And then, there was no more talking for a while. He focused on what she liked: his thumb sweeping over her clit, the circling of his tongue on each of her nipples, a steady pace as he drove within her.

She came first, shivering around him and nails biting into his back. A choked gasp was his only warning before she delivered the blow. “Shinya-san.”

That was much better, and he was taken to the edge. The timing hadn’t been right last year, but now…now was a good time. He was home and there was no place he’d rather be.

Afterwards, he nuzzled her throat. “Feel like you can sleep now?”

“…Not yet.” She flipped them over and before they started anew, he decided that if she offered, he’d stay for as long as fate would allow them.

[darklightsworld]

I watched the third Psycho-Pass SS movie in Sendai! With this I watched the three movies in three cities ^^;;; The movie was great and high quality like the others. I think people will like this one the best, became 100% Kougami, and he’s hot! Very hot!

Obviously the whole movie takes place outside of Sybil and without any connection to the main team in Japan. Kougami is still traveling around South-East Asia, and helps people in need. When he saves a bus full of immigrants from bandits, a girl from the bus asks him to teach her to fight, because she wants to revenge her parents. Kougami is reluctant, of course, but agrees to teach her how to protect herself.

They soon get an unexpected visitor, Hanashiro Frederica, the woman from Foreign Affairs/Defense in Case 2! I was really surprised, I thought she was someone, who would appear in a potential season 3 that time (might be true, who knows), and I was also suspicious of her, but she had a big role in Case 3, and she was an ally all along the movie (I still don’t trust her completely tbh though). From her looks, she’s the walking wet dream of men, full lips and two watermelons, and she was also used for fanservice: there’s a bathing scene, so we get a good look at the watermelons (plus nipples for a sec) and of course the little girl is also there for the loli fans. I’m not complaining too much, because we get Kougami in the bathtub too, but the length and the level of what we see are far from equal... Anyway, Frederica is not stupid though, she turns out to be a student of Saiga, and she has some merciless observations about Kougami, his feelings towards his mom and his situation. Still, her main role is to be the link between Kougami and the team. It seems the movie takes place after she spent some time with the team, and she has the best opinion about them.

Anyway, the main conflict is about peace talks in the region and a group of “UN” soldiers, whose head turns out to be the mastermind behind some of the conflicts. But like so often with PP, it’s not black and white, it’s rather gray. Things happen, and for the sake of peace in the region Kougami ends up as a wanted terrorist. The other theme of the movie is Kougami’s conscience, how he faces the past (Makishima’s ghost included), and decides to move forward - by returning to Japan! Yep, that’s it, that’s how the movie ends! Like I mentioned before, the world of PP has been expanding, and it continues to do so in this movie, also suggesting the Japan will change. Frederica needs Kougami, and she seems to know a way to get him back, but well, the movie ends. Still, it connects nicely to Season 3, where (according to the first synopsis) Japan will give up seclusion.

This movie screams for a direct continuation, so I’m not sure what to think about the time skip suggested by the synopsis of season 3, but the production team was doing very well with these movies, so I’m not too worried that they pull a Tiger&Bunny/Double Decker on us.

Two tiny remarks, I still don’t know what to think about the killings in fights: Frederica is shown killing bandits left and right, but is it okay for her psycho-pass??? Also, the movie ends with Kogami saying he wants to go back to Japan and they ride off, then ending theme starts. Tbh I need an edit where the video cuts to the ED immediately after Kougami’s words, and with the instrumental intro of Namae no nai kaibutsu - they started with the singing part, so no real impact, but it’s also true, that the remix messed up the instrumental part... The Namae no nai kaibutsu remixes all suck in that regard...

[heroesverse-inactive-blog]

a callout post for SUNFLOWRD / CASSVOICED / VICIOUSRY / AEROMANCI / WHITEDAWND

INTRODUCTION

Hey everyone, I’m tired of letting this go and watching things continually get worse with this situation so I’m going to say something since it affects people like me and people I’m close to.

The topic that we’ll be talking about is her racism + white-washing, transphobia, and fetishizing of culture and abuse.

Let us say this now; Do not send any sort of death threats, any sort of hate, just don't do any sort of witch hunt on this user.

side-note: before anyone asks, we have had someone point out to her that her actions were gross (which the user that messaged her here is one of my friends) and she never addressed any of the things we had as concerns.

RACISM

So cass has done many racist things, though a lot of them were in the past and she could have possibly learned from her mistakes ! Though there are still one or two current things that need to be addressed, which is her white-washing and her use for names from incorrect cultures for her muses Ethnicity.

So cass seems to have a big problem with keeping skin tone consistent for her muse, constantly white-washing Kotaru in the process of all of these inconsistencies.

(image link just in case)

I went and got all of her most current portrayals of kotaru, her newest face-claim for them, the most recent heroes edit she did, as well as any other icons that are from this month alone and it’s very easy to tell, the ones with Kikyo (the first icon) is okay, it could be ... passable, though comparing kikyo’s skintone to the very next one, an edit that I believe cass made herself, the skintone is already much lighter and when we move down the list the only darker one is from the edit of female corrin’s art where her shoulder is shaded. Most of the “Darker skin tones” are actually grey (The other “Okay” skintone actually being orange, which isn’t any better), Which is a problem, as dark skin /=/ grey skin. Even her most recent promo, which uses her most recent face-claim, as a wildly different skin tone than her actual icons ! (number 1 compared to number 7)

Now, people could try to say “ It’s an overlays ! It’s just the layers “ And while that may be true, there are many ways and many tutorials that teach people use to use overlays for rp icons and such, to make sure you don’t end up white-washing your dark-skinned muse, because making your dark-skinned muse’s skin grey or orange when overlays, while everything else is still colored correctly, is white-washing. There is no reason for Kotaru’s skin to go from a warm medium tone to grey because of overlayed layers.

(image link just in case)

Now next, She has Kotaru listed as Hoshidan-Vallite which she lists as Japanese-Indian! That’s completely fine until you noticed that Kotaru’s real name is Kotaru ‘ Xia ‘ Hanashiro, Xia being a Chinese name with Chinese origins, which kotaru is in no way Chinese, given the Ethnicity cass wrote for them - So why is this listed here ? Kotaru isn’t Chinese and has no reason to have a Chinese name ! It just comes off as fetish-y that they have a Chinese name while being in no way Chinese.

TRANSPHOBIA

So, cass does a lot of transphobic things. Many that bother every person who is trans as well as cis who I have asked, Myself as well, who is trans !

Cass constant use of having other muses both deadname and misgender kotaru is both transphobic as well as uncomfortable, no amount of tagging it make a difference.

Here are a few links to several rps she has done where she allows people to constantly misgender and deadname Kotaru, which adds no substance to either character, adds no plot to the rp, and just allows cass to often use it to vilify certain character

One, Two, Three, Four

As I said, this offers nothing to plot or to character, It just allows cass to either vilify a character or vilify a country ! Constantly misgendering or deadnaming (or both) your muse only makes you look bad, allowing people to constantly do it over and over also doesn’t explore any new “plot points”, as you have done it several times. It’s been very recommended by countless people, trans and cis, to NEVER write about deadnaming and misgendering in this way as it makes people think that it’s okay to ask for a trans character real name so they can “explore this possibility” which many people are uncomfortable with. It’s not a good look to have on your blog or you as a person allowing people to misgender and deadname your muse.

FETISHIZATION OF CULTURE AND ABUSE

It’s always been said by Asian people, especially asian woman, to never pick random picks of Asian women off of Tumblr, Pinterest, weheartit, etc because it makes them incredibly uncomfortable if they aren’t models and it’s also incredibly fetish-y to use them because they look “Aesthetic” for your moodboards. In short, doing this is creepy ! Cass has done this twice and since she does not link the source for her images that she presumably plucks off google, it comes off as both lazy and creepy, not to mention completely being unaware of the ethnicities of the real woman she is using to portrayal her muse

One, Two (not to mention in this one, because of her overlay she, again, whitewashed these women)

Now, it’s also been said there are certain things you shouldn’t write when it comes to trauma. Rape is one of those things, and Cass writes a lot about sexual abuse and rape, as well as trauma as a whole - It’s actually a constant topic on her blog for kotaru ! She, herself, even writing that painting the MU as a traumatized child makes their choices make more sense, despite it’s been confirmed in canon that the Mu was abused (via the cd drama’s which are canon)

Though the way this is both worded, and constantly approached on her blog, has made many people, myself included, uncomfortable. As a survivor of child sexual abuse and near rape, the way she constantly portrays Kotaru’s abuse as a means to vilify certain characters or as a means to somehow get people to fish about their abuse when it’s not their business (see the tags for more), is incredibly uncomfortable and comes off much more as using their abuse as an accessory to make the character appear as if they have more depth, rather then making it actual trauma, seeing as she rarely or never addresses what trauma does to a person and if she does it’s the same rehashed thing about how Garon raped them or how Marx is a rape apologist (this one is by cass’s friend but is directly linked to how cass writes kotaru and writes their relationship with Marx, which makes him a rape apologist)

At the end of the day her portrayals of abuse come off as fetish-y, as if she wants to garner pity from those around her by making her muse traumatized, which isn’t a good thing to be using trauma for - In fact, it’s an incredibly awful way to use it and it doesn’t offer many avenues to explore, instead if offers many avenues to damage real survivors of these events.

IN CONCLUSION

I wrote this because i’m incredibly tired of her constant racism, transphobia, and fetish-y tendencies towards the things i wrote. You can choose to agree with me or not but with the current state of cass’s blog there is a lot of wrong with the things she writes. There are other things i didn’t include in this, as she has either removed them from her blog or changed them so i feel that she, hopefully, learned from those things, but all of these things i listed are constant things she does that are problems.

If you have any questions, my dms are open. I know this community isn’t a fan of posts like these, but i’m not going to sit idly while these things go uncheck as they harm people like me and people close to me.

thanks for reading !

[junker-town]

The Rams had to get creative to bounce back in the NFC West

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The NFC West is still stacked, and the Rams had to make some tough cap decisions to stay competitive.

The Los Angeles Rams regressed in 2019 after they had come so far so quickly in recent seasons. The Rams finished the season at 9-7 and out of the playoffs a year after losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl 53.

In that time, they went from an NFC powerhouse to a team with very little offensive identity as the shine on Sean McVay faded just a little bit. Now they face major issues, including Todd Gurley‘s lingering leg injury and the lack of cap space created through a string of win-now moves made before their Super Bowl run.

The Rams have some big decisions to make that will shape the future of the team — and they don’t have a first-round pick this year to help them.

Los Angeles Rams (9-7), missed playoffs

Los Angeles still has a lot of great players, but the team needs help at premium positions this offseason.

Before free agency:

Left tackle: Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is set to be a free agent, but he’s 38 and coming off a down year. Even if the Rams bring him back as expected, they really need a young tackle to be ready to take over when Whitworth calls it a career.

Guard: The Rams need help across the entire line. As the unit struggled last season, Jared Goff and Gurley both became less efficient. Goff is still a big question mark, but LA can’t get an accurate read on him if the line can’t keep him upright. On that same note, when Gurley is playing, he needs better blocking.

Edge: The Rams still have Aaron Donald to rack up sacks (12.5 last season), but edge rusher Dante Fowler, Jr. was right behind him (11.5 sacks) and will be a free agent. While retaining Fowler is ideal, Los Angeles might not be able to afford him. If they do re-sign him, the Rams could still use a Day 2 or 3 draft pick to upgrade from the aging Clay Matthews.

What Turf Show Times wants most this offseason: Because of their cap constraints after Les Snead and McVay got so spendy in the last couple of years, the most important objective for the Rams is keeping as much of the band together as possible. The three names to watch are Whitworth, Cory Littleton, and Fowler. Because Whitworth sounds like a guy intent on returning, the focus turns to the two defensive players. Out of the two, Fowler’s pass rushing abilities might have the most value to LA next season, so I may stress focus on him before Littleton. — Kenneth Arthur

After free agency:

The Rams, after building for a narrow Super Bowl window, saw several players leave this offseason. Gurley, Fowler Jr., Littleton, Matthews, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and Eric Weddle are all gone. Brandin Cooks was traded to the Texans. They re-signed Whitworth and managed to retain Brockers after his deal with the Ravens fell through. Still, there are a lot of holes to fill. Unfortunately, they do not have a first-round pick for the fourth consecutive season.

Linebacker: The Rams lost a home-run hitter and now they have a bunch of unknowns. Micah Kiser had his season derailed due to a chest injury, but if he can fill the void left by Littleton, even a little bit, it’ll be great news for Los Angeles. Then there’s Troy Reeder and Travin Howard, two other linebackers the Rams like but who are far from proven.

Running back: It’s unsurprising that the Rams moved on from Gurley, who had a massive contract and nagging injuries. But his release leaves the roster with only Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson, and John Kelly at the position. While the Rams will likely be wary of paying top dollar for another running back, they could use some help in the draft.

Guard: The line as a whole needs help. Left tackle was an issue before they extended Whitworth, though it’s far from a solved position given he’s unlikely to play another three seasons like his contract suggests. The team re-signed Austin Blythe at guard, but the Rams needed two quality ones and Blythe doesn’t inspire much confidence.

After the draft:

Without a first-round pick, the Rams took some chances in the draft that could end up paying off down the road. Running back Cam Akers, a second-round pick, never quite lived up to his potential in college, though Florida State’s shoddy offensive line could be blamed for that. Their other second-round pick (courtesy of the Cooks trade) was used on Florida receiver Van Jefferson, who should be a good fit for the offense.

LA’s biggest steal could end up being Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis, who was selected in the third round. If he can stay healthy, he’s a potential All-Pro in the NFL.

The main concern with this class is the Rams didn’t address the offensive line until their very last pick, taking Clemson guard Tremayne Anchrum in the seventh round.

Dan Kadar’s draft grade: B-

[dayuwritings]

Paraiba Tourmaline Sacrifices (Part 1)

Rating: Young Adult/YA

Fandom: Psycho Pass

Relationship: Ginoza Nobuchika/Shimotsuki Mika

Characters: Ginoza Nobuchika, Shimotsuki Mika, Frederica Hanashiro, Kei Mikhail Ignatov, Shindo Arata, Kougami Shinya, Sugo Teppei

Language: English

Part: 2

__________________________________________________________

How odd.

Not wanting to waste her time any longer, Shimotsuki Mika calls one of her subordinate. But the person who is now several miles away from her doesn’t pick up the call. It is getting late, and it is out of the schedule plan. It’s sunday, most people probably stay at their house or go out with their family or friends enjoying their day off. But a crime doesn’t care of your beloved day off, it strikes whenever it wants, like it or not. Nearly five hours ago, she rechieved a report to investigate a murder case inside a jewelry shop. She handed it to Division One as it fits with the capability of the aimed division. Their last conversation happened four hours ago, and she hasn’t received further progress from them. According to the report she received, the owner of the jewelry shop is an immigrant from Sri Lanka. She has a hunch that this case will involve The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Suppressing Action Departement, or easily known as “S.A.D”. Their involvement is what worries her. She wonders if her subordinates have bumped into them. It’s nothing serious, but she has personal grudge with their assistant officer, who took away her ex-subordinates from her, most of all those who actually capable, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, her trusted one.

The case is about a murder of an immigrant shop owner, Ranuvitha Semel, who is suspected on having a connection to the black market. The suspect is his own business partner. Ranuvitha used to sells jewelry, as he born from a country which famous of its gemstone. The current missions is to investigate Ranuvitha Semel himself, his business, the person who is suspected as his murderer and lastly, the black market itself. His action on doing such a business without Sibyl noticing is definitely odd. At first, some suspected him as a criminally asyptomatic, before it got debunked as his records shows that he is an ordinary man. The report came after a suspicious actions regarding the business and their sudden increase on purchase numbers.

Several hours later, she finally gets a call. The words on the screen pops up, it’s inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov.

“How is it?” she asks.

“We are still investigating the matter, inspector Arata just contacted analyst Karanomori to track the suspect after we found out that the now deceased owner of the shop, Ranuvitha Semel, is indeed related with the black market which connected with several countries, including Sri Lanka itself, as his supplier and business partner” the man answers.

“He is a first generation immigrant, all document that isn’t registered and connected with his previous life must still be there—“

“That’s the problem, the suspect took it together with a gemstone, paraiba tourmaline” he adds.

“And how is that possible?”

“We are too late to stop the suspect, I supposed—“

“YOU!” she yells and continues,

“Such a thing like this happened because of your incapability! are you two taking this seriously or not?!”

“We are going to track him down right now, I won’t let such a thing happens again” he says with a sigh.

“AS YOU SHOULD!” she ends the call abruptly, and leans on her chair. She takes a deep breath, and tries to control her anger, which is difficult. While she still controlling her emotions, a video call pops up,

“How is there?” says a woman with honey-blonde hair while smiling teasingly to the screen. The person she wishes to see the least today.  Hanashiro Frederica, an Assistant Officer of Suppressing Action Departement.

“What do you want?!”

“How’s your team doing?” Frederica smiles, but Shimotsuki knows so well what’s behind that smile.

“We are still investigating, and if you and your guys interfere our process, I won’t stay still” Shimotsuki says while pointing her finger to the screen.

“Well, too bad because my people already down there. You know that this also be a case for Ministry of Fereign Affairs” Frederica says. Of course Shimotsuki knows that, but she despises every involvement that come from MoFA. Once again, because of her personal grudge and her dislikeness towards Hanashiro Frederica. The woman on the screen continues,

“Now then, let’s share informations don’t we?” her smile fades, and her voice becomes more serious. But Shimotsuki can’t give anything as her team failed to capture the suspect and now playing Tom and Jerry on the road. She doesn’t want to admit that to her, she’s furious with her current situation, but she tries to be professional.

“My team are still investigating the matter, and if you want information, go ask the people from your own department” she cuts the video call, and returns leaning on her chair. It takes several minutes until she comes back focusing with her own tasks.

It’s getting late, and the sky becomes darker. On the street, behind those wall, and under the bridge, something is creeping. In the world under Sibyl System, Japan has turned into something else. It is peace, but it is also hides monstrosity. It says that people who lives in Japan are good people, because every people with bad personality went to jail, or just, ‘gone’. But who says that good people can’t hate? Who thinks that good people can’t kill? Good people can do what bad people do. It’s just that when they do them, they call it justice. At least, that’s come from a book she ever read before.

Shimotsuki plans to go home, but she hasn’t received anything from her subordinates, so she decides to stay longer in the office. But she’s too impatient, so she calls them instead,

“Progr—“ she says but her words get cuts,

“Chief, what a coincidence I just plan to reach you” the man says, he’s Inspector Shindo Arata.

“Continue…”

“We have captured the suspect, he’s unconscious now. We also collected some evidences regarding his business and it’s connection with the black market…” Arata explains.

“And…?”

“Ranuvitha Semel didn’t know that he was doing a business with a black market, that explain why his crime coefficient stays normal. The black market is hiding under a registered company with the name ‘Hidaka Corporation’, which also the main supplier for a big production company” he adds,

“Big company?” she murmur, “—how is the product, anything strange?” she asks.

“Nothing suspicious with the mass products, but for valuable items like jewelry and gemstone we found out that they mixed unlicensed chemical powder with the gemstone, which can dissolve when you mixed with certain degree of hot water, and um…other things that is now being analyzed by Karanomori Shion-san” a drugs. So they sells gemstones as disguise through a jewelry store to their consumers. That answers the question on why the number of purchases increases for something that people don’t often buy.

“Have you investigate the customers?” she asks.

“We got the data already, and I’ll send them to you”

“Alright, now get back to the office and brings the evidence from the black market”

“Well about that, Chief…” Arata says, nervously.

“We are now with the Suppressing Action Departement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they asked for the evidence for further investigation purp—“

“HAH?! NO THEY ARE NOT!”

“Stay right there and don’t let them move any inch! I’ll go to your current location!” Shimotsuki takes her bag and runs towards the lift across her office.

***

Shimotsuki starts her car and sets it to auto-pilot, while she calls towards Frederica Hanashiro.

“I know you will call me” the woman from other side says, she’s still at her office just like when she called her in the evening.

“If you know then stop your people from snatching away of what supposed to be mine!”

“I see, you are on your way to them right? Then I don’t have to bring myself there, one of us is enough” she smiles, and it’s testing Shimotsuki’s patience once again.

“You are not answering me!”

“Ara, in the end the upper will ask us to investigate it after all” Frederica says,

“Then it’s them to decide and not you!”

“We will invite you to our office to discuss this, take this as a request from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to negotiate with you”

“And if I refuse?”

“We will apply for a request again” Frederica smirks, she knows that she will get that no matter what. Shimotsuki knows damn well that shes’s that kind of person. And she hates it. At the moment like this, she sometimes wondering what will her senior will do. But thinking about Tsunemori Akane only frustrated her. Not that she hates her, she used too, but as time passes by, Akane is the only senior she looks up onto, and one of people she care for. Even now.

Shimotsuki arrives at the location, the whole Division One is there, also three people from Suppressing Action Departement. Including him. Her trusted one.

She gets out from her car, staring at her subordinates and then to S.A.D. Shindo Arata and Kei Mikhail Ignatov comes to her, and giving her a ‘salute’ pose. She responds to them, and stares back to S.A.D. Her ex-subordinates, Sugo Teppei, walks towards her. She knows what he going to say, but still letting him to say it himself.

“Our chief invited you for a meeting with us to discuss this matter” he says calmly, and he adds

“Just you” Shimotsuki sighs.

“What?” says Kei, feeling unacceptable. And before he shouts at Sugo, Shimotsuki stops him,

“I only accept the offer if you let my two inspectors attending the meeting, other than that, I decline” she says, Sugo looks at his team mates, and they nod to each others.

“Very well” he answers.

They hold the meeting in the meeting room inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tower. The room is quiet spacious for a room with just one medium-size coffee table, two big and small dark brown couches. The room is sets with warm temperature since it strats snowing outside. There is three huge windows covered the wall and exposing the outside which is now dark and various color of lights from the city starts appearing. Outside, people are selling Christmas ornaments and cookies. She just realizes that it’s Christmas eve tonight. Shimotsuki didn’t celebrate Christmas last year, she off for work. And it’s looks like it will not be any different for this year too. Even though, she doesn’t really mind, but the longing to rest and relax her mind are strong. The S.A.D team enters the room, it looks like they have been discussing something for a while, but letting the guests waiting while you are the one who invited them quite irritates Shimotsuki.

“You sure took a while” Shimotsuki says as they enters the room.

“Paradon us, we are discussing something”

“Do mind it, my side also has something to do too” she says with annoyed tone.

“Well then, let’s get into the business” Frederica says as she glances towards a man with pony-tail, Ginoza Nobuchika. The man nods, and shares a file to all people in the room. They opens it through their device. The screen shows several profiles of immigrants and also Japanese citizens.

“Let me explain what our side purpose and need is. Before this, we are currently investigating some certain immigrants and Japanese citizens who are involved with the black market under the company of Hidaka Corporation and their connection to a big production company. But we found no evidence since they are using normal products to big company. We try to investigate Hidaka Hikoichi, who is currently the CEO of Hidaka Corporation, but found out he knows nothing regarding the black market under his own company, which was proven right. Until we got a report of suspicious action from a jewelry shop that runs by immigrant. We suspected it has something to do with our previous case of black market under Hidaka Corporation. We can’t continue to progress our previous case without evidence, now that this case brings it, we offer you a help and reach for a bigger goal” he explains.

“How is that profitable to our side?” Shimotsuki says, she frowns. He chuckles and continues,

“We believe MWPSB is a non-profit organization, and of course we will also give our collected reports regarding the Japanese citizens who works under Hidaka Corporation and connected with the black market to you” he adds.

“That is not apple to apple. I give you the evidence, you step further from where you are now, you give me the reports it only enrich my my final report to the higher ground” Shimotsuki says as she crosses her arms, staring at him. But the man who sits in front of her doesn’t shudder, instead he smiles at her. She doesn’t know what the meaning of it, but she doesn’t like it. That look he gives to her is somewhat saying that she’s only a kid who is yet to understand this kind of thing.

“Our report also consists regarding what inside the gemstone, since these people we have investigated might involved with the making of the fake gemstone. Each type of gemstone apparently represents different kind of drugs” he says calmly, still with the same smile.

“What do you mean?” Kei asks.

“This is still our assumptions, but if you accept the offer then you might prove our assumptions. For example we suspect they have cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, and ecstasy for sapphire” Ginoza answers. This reminds Shimotsuki of what Inspector Kei mentioned before about paraiba tourmaline.

“There are several type of gemstones which Ranuvitha Semel offers, but according to our investigation, three or perhaps more types of them are connected with this case” Ginoza adds, while sending a file to Shimotsuki and her subordinates. Cocaine for ruby, cannabis for aquamarine, ecstasy for sapphire, and what’s for paraiba tourmaline? There is no tourmaline left, even when her team finally caught the suspect, the paraiba tourmaline has already gone.

Even though, she hates to admit it, she feels tempted. It shows all over her face.

“We can use this Chief” says Arata beside her.

“I can agree with that” Kei adds while looking at the report. Shimotsuki glances at Ginoza’s face, to make it more specific, his ‘winning’ face. Besides him, there is Hanashiro Frederica, who also shows the same expressions, while the other two, Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei stays with their unreadable faces. She finally comes to conclusion,

“Alright, i take the offer! With this we are now even, internal matters are our turf. Do not ever interfere with our matters again!” she sees Ginoza with a smirk on his face. She reaches her peak of patience.

“Alright, then it settled” Frederica says while getting up and walks leaving the room, follows by Shinya Kougami and Sugo Teppei.

“It’s nice to have a deal with you, kanshikan” Ginoza says, definitely on purpose.

“kanshikan—“ she murmur, then follows with ‘hmph!’ while leaving the room.

Outside the meeting room, Kougami walks towards Ginoza.

“What’s wrong” Ginoza asks, Kougami only gives a smile.

“Nothing, it’s just you seem enjoying yourself” Kougami says.

“What do you mean?”

“You seem enjoy teasing your own junior” he answers.

“She is not my junior, she is my superior”

“was” Kougami corrects him. He chuckles,

“Right, ‘was’”.

***

The snow is getting a little bit thicker, Shimotsuki is out of Ministry of Foreign Affairs building while watching over her two subordinates, Inspector Kei Mikhail Ignatov and Shindo Arata, leaves the place by car. A white smoke comes out from her mouth, she rubs her palm to warms herself as she walks towards her own car.

“Kanshikan” someone calls over her, and it is no doubt from whom the voice is. Ginoza approaches her while she is about to open the car’s door.

“Saying, kanshikan, are you trying to mock me?” she answers, almost like shouting at him.

“I never intend it like that” he lets out a small laughs.

“Then, what do you want from me now?” she asks, ignoring his laugh.

“Nothing, it’s just are you free tonight?”

“Why are you asking?” she stares at him dumbfoundly, but Ginoza doesn’t answer the question.

“I have to work tomorrow, now that you add more into my work lists” she adds while opens the car’s door but Ginoza suddenly holds the door and closes it back. Shimotsuki stares at him questioningly. He walks closer to her, and whispers to her ear

“Kanshikan, will you accompany me just for tonight?” his breaths feels so hot over her skin, and it gives her shivers.

“Wha-what are you doing?!” she yells while her face is blushing. But Ginoza stay still with his awkward position.

“What happens with you?” she asks once again, but more gentle than before, noticing his weird behavior. Something is wrong, she thinks.

“Alright then, just for tonight right” she says while pushes him from her. He lets out another chuckles, and lands a kiss on the left side of her lips.

“Thank you”

To be continue

  (Author note: the book that mentioned in here is “Strange The Dreamer” by Laini Taylor. Thank you for reading!)

[papperpine]

Paraiba Tourmaline Sacrifices (Part 2)

Rating: Young Adult

Fandom: Psycho Pass

Relationship: Ginoza Nobuchika/Shimotsuki Mika

Characters:  Ginoza Nobuchika, Shimotsuki Mika, Frederica Hanashiro, Kei Mikhail Ignatov, Shindo Arata, Kougami Shinya, Sugo Teppei

Language: English

Part: 1

________________________________________________________

“I’ve finished using the bathroom” she says. Her hair is wet as she walks towards the living room while drying her hair using a white towel.

“Alright. Here…” the man offers her a shirt, his own shirt. Plain white shirt with short sleeves. She takes it without looking at him. Her eyes wanders to the table, and finds out he has been drinking while she’s gone. On the right side of the room, his pet dog, Dime, is sleeping quietly.

“Do you plan to change here or?” he teases her. Panicking, her eyes finally fall on his figure.

“Of course not, are you stupid!” she shouts and leaves to another room to change. The man finds that attitude pretty amusing. He takes another sip then gets up from his seat, taking his turn to the bathroom.

On the other room, Shimotsuki trying to calm and collect herself. She sighs, tries to figures out what happened in the parking lot and how she ends up here now. She thinks, she might find out what happen to his weird behavior, and if she may- learns why he left her and joined another team. It’s for his friend, she knows it. Ginoza has been blaming himself for what happened to Shinya Kogami. It happened before she joined Division One, something about Kougami killed a man named, Makishima Shogo and he became a wanted man in Japan. When he finally returned, Ginoza took the chance to make up for everything he failed before. Shimotsuki wish she can do something to help, but everything happened before she knows him and everyone else. Before she could do something. It’s too late, and she hates that she can’t do anything for something she can not change and it keeps bothering her. Sometimes she thinks it’s the best for him to work side by side with Kougami, even though it means to leave her. Well, it’s not as if she can’t see him anymore, in fact, sometimes her job makes them bumps into each other and ends up where she’s standing right now. But of course, not every case leads them meet each other. Shimotsuki touches her lips, the side where he lended a light kiss before. It was out of nowhere, and she hasn’t fully understand it. She’s now debating with herself whether she should ask it or not.

The shirt she wears right now is big enough to cover almost half of her body, it’s comfortable enough so she decides not to wear a short pants. She walks towards Dime, which is now still sleeping. She pats it gently, and the Siberian Husky enjoys it. While waiting for him, she turns her device and starts searching about jewelry. Her current case gives her a little interest towards jewelry, especially gemstone. She looks up different kind of gemstones. Amethyst, Diamond, Aquamarine, Cat eye, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, and when it reachs Tourmaline, she stops. It says that Paraiba Tourmaline is a very rare variety of Tourmaline, it traditionally mined from Brazil. The vivid glow which also known as cuprian elbaite is one of its uniqueness. There is only a single Paraiba Tourmaline from the case, which is not sold to anyone. But that one and only Paraiba Tourmaline is gone. The interrogation with the suspect will be hold tomorrow morning.

“How is it, find something interesting?” he asks from behind, startles her.

“Not yet, I’m just reading general informations regarding gemstones” she says, acting calm. He sits by her side. Shirtless. His towel hanging on his shoulder.

“Are you hungry yet, kanshikan?” he asks again.

“Stop that, are you mocking me?” she says irritatedly.

“Then, Shimotsuki…” he adds, and she doesn’t know how to respond to it. It’s not the first time he ever calls her like that, but she’s not used to it just yet.

“Do you plan to cook something?” she asks.

“Well, if you wish…” he smiles at her.

“Then, try cook something simple after you dry your hair” she takes the towel from his shoulder and starts rubbing it on to his hair. The man falls silent, he’s unprepared for her current action. Shimotsuki is also surprised by her own action after she see his surprise face, but she try to cover it and continue rubbing his hair. Time goes very slow, and she feels a bit awkward not knowing how to stop it, so she tries to tease him a little bit.

“Dime’s hair is softer than yours!” she says with giggles. He lets out a sigh while smiling.

“Well, should I take that as a praise?” he says then softly pinches her left cheek. She avoids it playfully while hits him with his towl.

“Now what do you want for eat?”

“I’m not in mood for heavy meal, let’s just have udon!” she suggests.

Both of them having their meal quietly, enjoying their own food. Shimotsuki plans to ask why he invites her to stay with him tonight, but she dismiss it. Ginoza offers her to sleep on his bed while he will taking the couch. She nods, and brings herself to his bed. Several minutes passes, and it feels like forever. None of them fall asleep.

“Ginoza-san, is there anything you want to say to me?” she asks, finally.

“I just feel to be accompanied tonight” he says.

“Hah? That’s it?”

“That’s it”

She expects something more. Something like, perhaps, a deep conversation. But they didn’t even done any proper conversation since then. She wonders if he doesn’t trust her enough to share his feelings, or he doesn’t see her as someone who fits enough for having such a conversation.

“Then, why don’t you ask your own teammate?” she asks again, slightly feeling irritate.

“Usually, if it’s not Kogami then I’ll ask Aoyanagi kanshikan. But she has passed away, and I don’t want to burden Kogami more than what he has now” he explains. ‘So, I’m just his last option’ she thinks. But compared to those two, she knows that she understand Ginoza less than them, as they have know him long before her. But she tries to cover her disappointment,

“Next time ask the teammate of yours and stop bothering someone from another ministry!” she yells at him, but he only let out a soft chuckle.

“I’ll note that, kanshikan…”

“Good night”

 To be continue

(Author’s note: I’m very sorry for publishing the second part too late. Second, I’m sorry that I only able to make it short. I’ll make it up on the third part!)