#i love u rin

[nepttunnee]

like. do i understand that rin very much struggled in weighing the consequences of her actions against her anger. yes. but also was it so fucking funny how she was just pissed the entire series. yes

[laikabu]

[ambrosiagourmet]

Rin Masterpost

Rin! Rinsha Fana! Beloved side character I think about far too much (or maybe not enough?)

I decided that it might be nice to put together an informational post about Rin, since she has some of my favorite background details of any character in Dungeon Meshi. This is partly as reference for myself, and partly for anyone else who might be interested in her but not know where to chase down the tidbits we we get of her, both in canon & extra materials. There’s also a little bit of theorizing and analysis sprinkled in for fun.

If anyone spots something I missed, please let me know and I will add it in!

Alright. Time for ultimate #rinposting

History and Timeline:

We don't have an official timeline for Rin (even in the expanded Adventurer's Bible, sadly), but we can put a lot of pieces together based on Kabru's timeline & their respective ages.

Rin is 2 years older than Kabru, and they met when he was 9. Assuming that he met her soon after she was taken to the elven capital, that means that the elves took her when she was 11.

Before that, she lived on the Northern Continent. Interestingly, when Mickbell asks about Shuro, Rin says she was born "here."

Since "here" doesn't mean the actual Island itself, it must mean simply "not the east." She is described in the Adventurer's Bible as having "no real knowledge of or attachment to the East," so maybe that's why she draws a "there" verses "here" line.

I'd also like to add a note here that the elves don't seem uh... they don't seem great about respecting the value of other cultures, especially those of short-life species. Milsiril seems to have discouraged Kabru from eating or remembering food from his hometown, at least, and that's even as an adoptive parent who cares (at least in some way) for her child. As I will touch on later, the "care" that Rin was under probably had even less respect for her history or ties to either Eastern or Northern culture.

That is all to say, considering that Rin spent many years with the elves, I'd take her having "[no] attachment to the East" as more of a comment on how she feels now, and less as a definite choice she made. She may genuinely have chosen that approach and opinion for herself, she may have been pushed towards it by the elves, and she may have had little choice at all in the matter - all are valid interpretations, though I personally lean towards the thought that it's unlikely the elves didn't have at least some hand in it.

Anyway, Rin does seem to know at least a bit about her heritage - she can presumably name and identify the specific island her parents are from, and she recognizes that "Shuro" isn't a name used there. She also knows that different places from the Eastern archipelago speak different languages, so she knows at least a little about the other islands as well.

Some additional extrapolations I'll make based on these facts: she never mentions, and probably isn't in contact with, any family from her island. This may be because her extended family died, because her parents didn't (or weren't able to) maintain contact, or because she lost contact when she was taken by the elves. Somewhat relatedly, she also prooobably doesn't speak the language, at least not fluently, though her being able to comment on the state of language in the archipelago makes me think that she at least learned a little as a kid.

Anyway, Rin's parents were refugees from the archipelago, though we don't know what specifically caused them to leave. There is this little tidbit of info we get (from the cover of chapter 48, of all places), though:

So yeah, that seems like it would be the backdrop of Rin's parents fleeing. As I said earlier, it's unclear if Rin might have any living family left back on her island. The listing she has for “family” in the Adventurer's Bible is just a dash, but so is Izutsumi's, for instance, and we know that she was taken from her family with no knowledge of who might still be out there. It's possible everyone else was killed, it's possible they were separated... it's possible that Rin's parents didn't even know.

As an additional note, and this is speculation on my part, but I think there is an argument to be made, with this tidbit from the cover as well as the Nakamoto clan's specialty in espionage and use of ninjas, that the politics of the archipelago are partially based on Sengoku era Japan. Not necessarily super relevant here, but I think it's interesting context for all... of the archipelago characters, honestly.

(Especially considering it seems like the Nakamoto clan is in a relatively comfortable position, and yet clearly are involved, or at least prepared to be involved in larger conflict. How stable is their position, really? How is Shuro's father viewed by the wider region and archipelago as a whole? What about his lord? NOT THE POINT THIS IS A POST ABOUT RIN. BUT IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT.)

Okay, back to Rin's parents.

Whatever caused them to leave, they made their way to the north, where they made their living with their magic for a time. There are no specifics about what kind of magic they used, but we know at least some examples of jobs that magic can get you, based on the flashback to Laios and Falin's childhood in chapter 26. Laios proposes that Fain could use her magic to be a priest, gravekeeper, or wandering exorcist. Though these are specific to Falin's affinity with spirits, they give some idea of the shape of the work that might be available. It's important, but it is also on the outskirts of society - not necessarily admired or appreciated by the average person.

And Rin’s parents were killed by vigilantes for that magic. It's not entirely news that superstitious villages in the area would sometimes kill magic users - we see a small drawing of people being burned at the stake in a panel towards the end of the manga:

Nonetheless, Rin is the only person in the main cast who has experienced this brutality firsthand. And she did experience it firsthand, having been found by the elves as the sole survivor within the burnt ruins of her home.

It is unknown exactly how she survived, or what happened to her parents before and during the fire. Rin lived, and they did not.

The elves came some time after the fire, intending to investigate reports of ancient magic. They (and we) don't know if Rin's parents actually did use ancient magic, or if the reports and murders were simply spurred by general fear and superstition. Rin was the only piece of "evidence" that remained, and so she was taken back to the west with the elves when they left.

We don't know much about her time on the Northern Central Continent (where the elves/Canaries are based), but it doesn't seem like she was adopted or taken in by anyone the way that Kabru was. According to the Adventurer's Bible, after being taken into custody, "under their care she was treated as a captive animal would be." I would guess that means very basic food and shelter, little to no education. Probably the most social contact she got was from Kabru, as well as maybe, occasionally, from elves treating her as a curiosity, such as in this bit in the Adventurer’s Bible:

Assuming she left with Kabru (which seems like it is the case, there's no info about them having separated during that time), she spent 9 years with the elves, and has been with Kabru on the Island in the 4 years since then.

She also stays in the Golden Country after the end of the story, apparently working as an apothecary.

Additional Details (& Speculation):

What does she remember of her family and home?

I'd like to take a moment here to explore a little of what Rin might remember of her parents and home.

For reference, we can look at Kabru. The canaries came to Utaya when Kabru was 6, and he arrived in the capital when he was 7. He remembers the events of the tragedy in his home, and has some memories of his mother and life in Utaya, including memories of local dishes.

Rin lost her parents and home at 11, so she presumably has much clearer memories of the events that lead to her being taken by the elves... or she might, assuming that they haven't been completely blocked by her trauma from the event.

Yeah, I am fairly damn sure that she's got some memory issues from trauma and PTSD. For one, this is the state she was found in:

As already mentioned, she was also treated like something of an animal by the elves. She probably didn't have a lot of contact with other people, which would further perpetuate that sense of isolation and dehumanization. What I'm getting at here is that Rin probably didn't have much to help pull her out of this place, or heal these wounds. She had Kabru, who was also a kid and even younger than her, and she had herself.

Obviously trauma leaves different scars on everyone, and everyone responds and copes in different ways. But I do think it is interesting that we never hear anything about Rin's parents or life before the elves, and there are no real details about it given in the Adventurer's Bible the way we have for Kabru. What's presented is more surface level facts: they were refugees, they made a living with magic, they were killed.

I'm inclined to believe that things are laid out this way because that's how Rin holds on to these things. She knows things about them, but possibly remembers them more as things she was told/knows to be true, rather than actual memories she can picture herself experiencing.

Rin's Magic

In an interesting counterpoint to her potentially spotty memory, I do actually think Rin may have learned magic from her parents (or started learning, and was self-taught from there). She never attended a magic academy, and actually has a bit of grudge against people who did - owing to the social protection afforded to "upper-class mages," which her parents did not have. She also almost certainly wouldn't have been taught by the elves, who not only treated her as an animal but also knew her parents may have been involved with ancient magic.

Falin began to show signs of magical talent at 8, and was sent to the Magic Academy at 10, and that was as someone who had absolutely no guidance about or exposure to magic in her home town. Raised by two mage parents, I think Rin absolutely could have been learning some things by the time she was 11.

In terms of continued learning, I'll add that Rin is able to identify Marcille's magic as being A) from an Academy student, and B) cast by an elf:

This makes me think that she continued to study magic on her own while held by the elves, and probably even more so after leaving with Kabru. They didn't form the party until two years after they left the elves, which would give Rin plenty of time to try and learn from other adventurers on the Island, or to study up on her own. She'd probably be able to pick up some dungeon-crawling basics (like the water walk spell), as well as become familiar with the skill level and expression of skill common in different people with different backgrounds (hence why she is able to comment on the "textbook" academy wards).

Much like Marcille, Rin also seems to rely on a 'one size fits all' Big Boom method of dealing with monsters: lightning. We see the best example of its power in the fight with Chimera Falin:

But we also see her cast it pretty recklessly in a few other places, including the end credits of the new anime ED, which I think provides a good example of the downsides to such an approach...

Yeah, it is very much a 'get out of the way or get zapped' spell.

Especially since Marcille's offensive magic is self-taught and works very similarly, this definitely reinforces the idea that Rin figured most of this stuff out herself.

Outfit and Character Design

Dear sweet Rin of the Red And Black... how I love her design.

First of all, her clothes are damaged. Despite the fact that Rin looks relatively well put together overall, her outfit is worn out. I have some theories on why this is that I'll get to in a bit, but for now I'll just touch on what this design communicates in general about it.

I think, just like with Kabru's horribly messy room, it creates a sense that there is something more complicated underneath the surface. Something that isn't being addressed or seen to, just as the dress hasn't been mended or replaced.

It also reflects her not caring a ton about her appearance. She's neat, but she's not concerned about being pretty, so she doesn't bother with fixing up her outfit after her dungeon crawls. This also fits with her perpetual scowl (which I will talk more about in a bit), and slightly disheveled hair.

Next: the gloves. At first I thought they might be a sort of uncomfortable-with-touch thing, but after skimming through the manga and some bonus content, I have another theory. Rin takes the gloves off to eat, as well as a few other instances, such as when working on a spell with Holm and Marcille in chapter 36

This one is especially interesting because she has them on in the next chapter, during the fight with Falin. Since she also isn't wearing gloves during some of the Daydream Hour art of her outside of the dungeon, that leads me to believe that they are specifically for combat.

What does she need them for, though? Most other casters we see don't wear gloves. Well... just look at the other half of the page where she attacks Falin with lightning:

She is enveloped by this spell. I said it before was pretty reckless magic, but maybe its not just a problem for her teammates, but for her as well.

So here's my theory: maybe the gloves are rubber, or some other electricity-resistant material? They might help protect her from her own magic. I don't know why a caster would need gloves for combat otherwise.

I also think this might be why her dress is tattered at the bottom, by the way. Especially since the Daydream Hour genderswap design doesn't have a similar problem with his outfit, since the tunic isn't as long.

I will admit this is a bit of stretch/guess, but I think it's a fun one, and I wanted to share. I do think I'm right about the gloves being for dungeons/fighting specifically, at least. That seems pretty consistent throughout all of her appearances.

I also mentioned her scowl, so I'll touch on that briefly as well. The (fairly confirmed) explanation for Rin's expression is that she intentionally wears a frown to prevent her other expressions from showing through. I think it's important to emphasize that it's not just smiling that she is trying to suppress here - it's any strong emotion:

Anyway, because I can, here is the art of Rin smiling.

Rin and Kabru

I have talked a bit about Rin and Kabru's history, but I think it deserves its own section.

I think it's very interesting that Rin is pretty much the ONLY character in all of Dungeon Meshi that has explicit canonical romantic interesting in someone. It's literally part of the main summary sentence in her character profile.

This could be sort of reductive as a way to describe a female character (and in some ways it still is), but I think in part the simplicity and directness of it actually is part of what makes it so interesting. Especially when on the very next page we see the comic about her backstory. "This mage is in love with Kabru" -> one page of a horribly traumatic event and a child frozen in shock with no one to comfort her. What does that do?

Well, in my opinion, it shows how much Rin focuses on Kabru as something to keep her in the present. In contrast with the immense loss she has experienced, her love for Kabru is current and alive. He has presumably been her anchor for years, and I think that her love is part of that anchor.

Adding to this, in contrast with how explicit her feelings are, she never seems to actively pursue Kabru. She complains about his potential interest in other women, but she doesn't really flirt. She doesn't let herself smile around him any more than anyone else, and she doesn't hide her bitterness or anger from him to present a more appealing persona.

As much as she craves Kabru's attention, and has stayed by his side for years, I don't know that she really wants to possess him. He seems to know about her feelings, more or less, and she seems to know that he knows. Maybe she believes he doesn't reciprocate and is respecting that, maybe she's afraid of what she could lose if she tried to change things, or maybe the change itself frightens her. In any case, though she's not exactly happy with the way things are between them, she doesn't seem to be trying to change that status quo.

A specific thing I'd also like to talk about with their relationship, beyond Rin's love for him, is her fear for him. As the Adventurer's Bible puts it, "she worries that his knack for dealing with whatever life throws at him might lead him to get too full of himself and end up in serious trouble."

Rin is an interesting mix of restrained and explosive, herself. Her magic is destructive, her temper seems to run hot (she gets annoyed easily, at least), and her feelings for Kabru are apparent. At the same time, she doesn't let her emotions show on her face, she is the one who bluntly states that the group has hit the limit of their abilities, and she doesn't act on those obvious feelings for Kabru. It's interesting, then, that what she fears for Kabru is that he won't restrain himself.

And a small personal idea about that as well: I wonder if she somewhat blames her parents for getting killed. Again, this is very speculative, but I think it's interesting that her fear for Kabru is that he will get too full of himself. Take up too much space. It's never really stated what Rin thinks of her parents, but it can be easy in grief to search for control, and control often means blame. If they hadn't been so confident, so flashy, would they still be alive...?

I don't know if she's ever thought like that, and it could well be that her fears for Kabru come from a totally different place. But it's an interesting connective thread between her past and present - the idea of "getting in trouble" for taking up too much space and being too confident in one's own abilities.

Miscellaneous Tidbits:

On that note, I'd like to wrap up the main part of this post, and move on to a few extra things that I couldn't find another place for.

Rin plays with her hair when she's stressed

Using stressed as a pretty big umbrella here, because I think it's hard to perfectly pin down all the emotions at play, but it is a habit of hers. Best displayed in chapter 32, but it shows up in other places, too.

Her design contrasts with Marcille

This is a small thing, but I just love how much they are visual opposites.

Rin wears red and black and has dark hair, Marcille wears blue and white and has light hair. Marcille cares a great deal for her hair and puts it up in elaborate hairstyles, and Rin's is mostly loose and a bit messy. Marcille was even educated at the Magic Academy, which Rin dislikes. They both have little capelets. Also they both look very cute in each other's clothes.

Rin knows Flamela (and they meet again in canon)

Nothing much is done with this in canon, but I think it’s super interesting that Flamela's squad are the ones that find Rin as a child and take her away to the west, and then they end up stuck in the dungeon together for a bit.

Two days??? I'm so very curious what things were like between these three.

Aaaand I think that's all I have to say about Rin! For the time being at least. There's a lot more analysis that could be done about her and Kabru especially, but for this post I wanted to keep things at least somewhat anchored to canon facts, with only a layer or two of speculation on top.

If it isn't already obvious, I think Rin is a super interesting character with a ton of potential depth to explore. She mostly interacts with Kabru in canon, but has ties to a bunch of other characters: she and Marcille fill similar roles in their parties but have differing personalities and histories, she and Falin (and Laios) have been tremendously shaped by xenophobia and fear of magic common in the Northern Continent, her parents fled from conflict in the same region Shuro and his retainers are from, and she has history with Flamela and some of the second canary squad.

Her temper, her fear, her love... her repression and passion - they all inform her character, even in small ways, even with as little time as she spends on the page.

[rinnstars]

overdose!

he can’t stand this distance anymore

itoshi rin x reader: self-destructive behaviour (overdosing, vague self-harm), probably yandere (?), rant fic (?), kind of insane maybe lolz!

he thinks he must be going crazy, laying in his own mess that he created. he knows its all his fault, the calling ring mocking him. he swears he might just be having a heart attack - his hearts pangs in guilt and in fear, his breathing fast as his lung seems to collapse on h i’m, his hands shakily clutching his shirt. and another missed call. he knows he messed up - he’s never been the best at communicating his feelings, always isolating himself. he knows you’ll one day get sick of it, but god, he thinks he can’t live like this.

youre his heart - without you, he feels completely empty without anything beating inside, he feels as though his biological heart has been ripped completely out of him, its remaining gory mess left pumping outside of his body, he can’t survive like this. and youre like his lung, youre the reason he gets to live and get too play socccer and all, youre the oxygen that gets him going, youre everything he needs. youre his limbs, without you, he’s practically frozen on the spot, his limbs going numb - he doesn’t know how long he’s being here completely still lying still in the pile of clothes he’s haphazardly thrown earlier this morning before anything happened, feeling instead that he’s lying still in the pool of his own blood and gory guts and insides strewn out of him.

and maybe its your absence, or logically, it would probably be the pills he took. logically, he should be much calmer, its sleeping pills albeit ten or maybe twenty he doesn’t know, he doesn’t care. he should be getting sleepy, his breath should be slowing down from the earlier conflict, his mind should be relaxing but in contrast he feels more alive than ever, aware of his ripped apart organs and insides from your absence, he’s practically violently hyperventilating, feeling his lung pump too as though its his heart, his mind racing with the worst possible thought.

he should apologise - if he could, he would go to your house, apologise with his literal heart ripped out of his own body, dripping with blood and hand it right over to your. no, he would offer his limbs, give you his finger or something as a cat would bringing home a rat. no, he should disfigure himself for you, show his love and dedication he just can’t seem to - his eyes that you always adored, counting his eyelashes as you once laid right beside him at the floor area without a pile of mess, his wrist that he should brutalise yet again to show you his love isn’t anything superficial in opposition to his horrible communication skills, hell, he would take his own rib out and give one more to you.

yet, the minute he hears your voice vibrating from his phone - everything stops. the pile of bloody gore mess he swears he was in that sticks against his skin and pool at his shirt as though ripping through it too turns back to just the pool of clothes he logically sees of his discarded jacket, football jersey and a pair of shorts, his lung and heart no longer feeling out of his body and instead slowing down slightly as though you are truly his heart and lung, no you are truly the one keeping him alive, and his mind slowing down - perhaps you’re the only melatonin he needs. and its with your tired voice, still comforting him as though he didn’t practically break apart the house of cards of your relationship with him yet again with careless words, his eyes slowly blink and close, melting entirely into your voice that seem to hug him, his mind getting quieter with only thoughts of you, his breathing slowing down. he rubs away tiredly at the blood leftover from his nose and mouth from his earlier session, feeling it stain and pool at his hand, sighing.

“i love you.” three words he says, its all he can say - he doesn’t want to tell you of what he’s done - not the overdosing, not the harm he’s done to himself, not the panicked state you left him in. its not your responsiblity, he tells himself - but deep down its selfish. hes way too scared that you might just leave him when you figure out he might just be a little too dependent and obsessive over you, he’s way too scared you might only stay because youre afraid of what may happen, and hes way too scared one day you might just leave solely to leave him for dead. but for now, he’ll take a nap needed and call you back - and just maybe this time, he’ll stop this cycle of self-destruction the second he makes a mistake

[ryouichiii]

have a kagamine rin for ur troubles ✨

[yrdnzz]

> the scent of a goal.

on twitter | on instagram

[bachirasbodyguard]

a short intro to the blue lock guys (lower your expectations)

[evelyn-art-05]

[OC] slut (they're on the ace spectrum)

[frobby]

what is more homoerotic than the fact that rin and bon would have both literally died at birth if the other didn't exist

[earthtooz]

x : SAY YES TO ME :*+ﾟ

in which: itoshi rin tastes like grape soju, temptation, and adoration, all in one.

warnings: -16 DNI, 2k words, gn!reader, jealous!rin, ANGST but with happy ending, making out, alcohol, reader and rin are in their 20s, party setting, slightly toxic dynamic but it's bc rin's emotionally constipated, swearing.

a/n: thank u @scarahearts for sitting with me through this abomination from 0 to 2000, i started at midnight <33 it is now... we don't speak abt it. don't be like me. anyways, rblgs appreciated and enjoy!!

itoshi rin is seething.

standing in the corner of the dingy, overrated house party, rin overlooks the partygoers with an expression of distaste whilst nursing a bottle of grape soju. it’s hot, he’s sweaty, and all rin wants to do is leave- but he can’t, because you’re here. 

but you’re talking to some random who should be him, and what’s worse is that said random is far too close to you for his liking.

rin can sense their underlying motivations. knows that because of how they’re looking at you, they want you all to themselves. knows that the way they run their hand through their hair is an attempt of trying to lure you in. knows that the many unnecessary, fleeting touches was to hint towards turning this into something more- rin doesn’t even want to think about it.

“hey, rin!” a voice yells from beside him, bypassing the thumping music. isagi materialises beside him, red solo cup in hand. “are you enjoying the party?”

“fuck off, isagi,” the dark-haired murmurs harshly, not even sparing his fellow soccer player a glance. isagi, who was about to refute rin with a confused exclamation, shuts his mouth and notices the intensity of rin’s glare. 

following his gaze leads to where you stand and through the wild strobe and disco lights, isagi spots your figure and someone else beside you- someone he doesn’t know. putting two and two together (his specialty), isagi works out whatever is wrong with rin rather quickly.

“when will you say something about your feelings for y/n?” he asks. 

rin pretends not to hear him because he wishes he didn’t.

“you’re a fucking idiot, rin, you know that?” 

“what.”

isagi hides his smile of amusement, biting the inside of his cheek. “i said it. are you seriously going to stand here and be miserable over someone talking to y/n when you’ve had so many chances?”

“what are you talking about, dumbass.”

“sure. call me the dumbass, at least i don’t pretend like i don’t care about someone i like.”

rin finally breaks his gaze from you, whipping his head to look at isagi with an offended glare. “huh?”

“you heard me. what are you scared of?” 

the younger out of the two pauses, staring emotionlessly at isagi before scoffing, taking a quick sip from the bottle in his hand and wiping the corner of his lips. “you wouldn’t get it.”

“get what? y/n is into you too, you have made out before on several occasions, so what are you so scared of?” 

rin is silent once again as his thoughts diverge to you- to everything about you that rin has committed to memory and his heart stutters at the mere intervention. even now, in the most pathetic party he’s ever attended, he can’t help but want you.

in fact, here he wants you even more, but isagi doesn’t need to know that.

“leave me alone, fuckhead.”

isagi frowns, knowing that this conversation was not going to go anywhere. if rin is immovable when sober, then it’ll be impossible to change his mind drunk.

“fine,” he huffs. “don’t cry to me about it when y/n finds someone else when that could have been you.”

his words hit a nerve and rin almost drops the bottle in his hands. the dark-haired awakens with a sudden urgency that was previously dormant, suddenly overcome with fear and dread at the idea that isagi has planted within his head.

stupid isagi. fuck that piece of shit. rin hopes he trips and twists his ankle so-

“rin?”

you’re looking at him, and fuck, suddenly he’s away from the corner and standing right in front of you and he doesn’t know what to do. the random looks at him with a repulsive look, clearly unhappy with the sudden intervention, however, there’s no time to think about them when you’re right in front of him, looking at him so concerned and curious.

you’re so gorgeous, it’s unfair. 

“what’s the matter?” you ask. rin hears you over the reverberating bass, it’s easy to when all he’s thinking about is you.

“got a problem?” the stranger parrots, puffing out their chest like some peacock. rin thinks they look stupid.

glancing back at you, he simply mutters a ‘need you’ that you don’t even hear, before grabbing your wrist and pulling you out of your seat. apart from a few sputters of surprise, there’s no complaint or resistance as he expertly navigates through the halls as if it were his property.

weaving past dozens of partygoers, your mind races in synchronisation with the wild beating of your heart; the only thing grounding you to reality was the firmness of rin’s grip.

when he, somehow, finds an empty hallway that’s secluded from where the majority of people are, he turns around to give you a frazzled look that is swimming with determination. 

then, his hands grab your face to pull you in. 

all of a sudden, his lips are on yours and all you know is him, him, him. rin is moving like he’s done this before- because he has. he has traced the expanse of your body and lips several times before in scenarios just like this, kissing you breathless with dizzying passion and unparalleled desire. he tastes like grape soju and your greatest mistake. 

it’s easy to melt into him, especially when he’s slotting himself against you so perfectly with one hand holding the back of your head and the other on your hip as he carefully leads you backwards. your back hits the cold wall, shielded by his hands, and the hiss of surprise you let out is inhaled by him.

recovering quickly, your arms snake up to wrap around his neck, eliminating any space between the two of you to mould yourselves into one- even if it was just for the night. 

rin parts, heavy pants fanning on your skin as he proceeds to trail kisses along your jawline. he presses his lips so tenderly against your vulnerable skin, a stark contrast to the burning fervour of his previous kiss. 

you wonder when you will stop falling victim to his siren call. 

this was the first time he’s ‘spoken’ to you since you walked in to the party, having ignored your smile and wave of greeting from across the room despite very clearly meeting your eyes. the soccer player in your arms even had the gall to turn around and walk away as if you were some nobody, retreating into the kitchen. his indifference stings and yet, whenever he pulls a stunt like this, you welcome it every time.

when will you finally be able to push him away?

noticing the way you’ve stilled in his grasp, rin pauses and takes his head out of your neck, looking up at you.

“what’s the matter?” he breathes, voice quiet and raspy. 

you push at his shoulder lightly and he loosens his hold, just a little. “we shouldn’t do this,” you murmur, avoiding his teal eyes. 

he flinches like your words burned him. no- you shouldn’t give yourself too much credit, you could never have that much impact on itoshi rin, not like the one he’s had on you.

readjusting yourself, you try to gently coax yourself out of his hold.

“what do you mean?” he questions.

you can’t breathe under the pressure that rin naturally exudes, coupled with the uncontrollable and uncomfortable racing of your heart, it’s almost impossible to breathe. “i mean,” you continue, “that i can’t do this. not with you, not tonight.” 

the dark-haired blinks once, twice, thrice, suddenly filled with a bout of sadness looking at your dejected stance. “y/n?”

“i can’t do this,” you echo, slowly, but surely, distancing yourself away from rin; from the man who has claimed your heart almost a year ago, from the man who has made you feel magical and unreal and disheartened and defeated, all at the same time.

“i like you too much for this to just continue on every time,” you ramble, running a hand down your face. “i can’t be used like this anymore. you know how i feel about you, rin, i know you do, and yet you do this every time.” your voice cracks. “so i’d appreciate it if you just left me alone.”

somehow, rin finds his arms empty and you’re now walking away, back turned to him and hunched, as if protecting your heart from further destruction at his hands. seeing you so uncharacteristically fragile and unlike the you he knows is a punch to the stomach, and the idea of breaking you makes him feel even worse. 

“wait- y/n, please,” he calls, catching up with a few, effortless strides. the soccer player reaches for your shoulder only to have you brush him off. “where are you going?”

you don’t answer.

“what do you mean ‘this’, what do i do every time?”

you turn around to face him. “you go from caring about me to ignoring me to then pulling stunts like this- i’m sick of it, itoshi!” your tone is accusatory and angry. rin gulps. “then you make me question whether or not you like me too, sometimes it feels like you do, then other times it feels like i’m the least important person to you in the world- what is up with that? i’ve had enough!”

the soccer player opens his mouth, hesitating, before shutting it again, unclenching his jaw and fists.

“i do like you,” the dark-haired murmurs after a moment of collecting his thoughts. he feels awkward; so out of place with confronting his emotions and problems like this. “i don’t want anyone but you.” 

rin’s voice wavers towards the end of his sentence. with the harsh house lights illuminating all of him, he feels even more exposed under your gaze. 

you cross your arms. “sure doesn’t feel like it.” 

he’s silent and it’s devastating how impassive he is, especially in the aftermath of your little outburst.

“whatever,” you huff. “i’m going home.”

“wait- don’t go,” rin pleads, voice echoing around the halls and he cringes at the deafening silence that follows. “i’m sorry. i’ve been… selfish.”

your eyes widen slightly. rin? apologising? acknowledging his faults? 

he recalls seeing you with the stranger and all the fury he felt during that moment. what right did he have to simply grab you and pull you with him? what right did he have to drag you away like you were his? “i shouldn’t- i shouldn’t have- i’m sorry, i had no right to do what i did, you’re not mine, but i want you- i really do and-”

“-then why aren’t you acting on it? you know how i feel yet nothing happens- why won’t you say yes to me?”

tentatively and hesitantly, rin takes a few steps towards you, opening his arms. you fall right into him, seeking solace in the warmth of his embrace and the scent of his cologne. 

you sigh. “i’m tired, rin.”

“i know, i’m sorry,” he rubs circles on your back. tests his luck by pressing a chaste kiss to your head. “another chance. don’t give up on me yet. please.” he whispers the last word as if it were a delicate promise- as if one wrong move could break you.

“i won’t.” you take your head out of his chest, looking at him with glossy eyes. “but this is definitely the last chance.”

“okay.”

“can you kiss me. please?” 

a small smile dances along rin’s expression and he nods before slowly leaning down, giving you enough time to push him away if you so pleased, but you don’t. instead, you let him press his lips against yours once more.

this time, it’s more gentle and slow. he tastes like love and hope with a dash of grape soju.

© EARTHTOOZ 2023, do not steal, translate, repost my fics and do not recommend my fics onto any other site.

[wttcsms]

yet another friendly reminder that this is a SOCCER manga 😭😭

[megwuru]

when a character is so mischaracterized u just

[popponn]

a room of two, in three parts. [itoshi sae x f!reader]

notes: a bday bby chose roommate!sae as bday fic so i gave her one. i too wrote this one sitting at 2 am. it was fun. little warning: a little suggestive at the end, but it's more of a wiener joke from a grade schooler more than anything as this is a romcom. there are obliviousness, pinning, allusion to your life being not the healthiest, and such as too, btw.

i.

Becoming a roommate with Itoshi Sae was honestly a freak accident more than anything.

It was like as if some gods decided they were bored and decided, “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we stick some failgirl with the shining beacon, the prodigal mid-fielder of Japan?” And then they pulled up everything they got so it became an unavoidable hot mess. Unavoidable enough that Sae’s money couldn’t save him before pressing the two of you with various ridiculous out-of-this-world circumstances as the final nail in the coffin.

Looking back, it was honestly a premise for an absurd comedy that should have ended up with Sae murdering you in cold blood, in the most hilarious way possible. And then, he would cover up everything with his money.

Yet, lo and behold, Itoshi Sae—stable career, not a really good reputation due to his wording to the press sometimes, your roommate for three years and counting—was laying on your lap whilst scrolling through his phone.

And like a confused poor soul you were, you merely let him as how it had always been. Your focus was away from the TV you were supposed to be watching, but like some trained pet, your hand never failed to comb Sae’s hair gently every few minutes or so. It honestly never really hit you how domestic you were with him sometimes.

“Sae,” you said as you still could feel your brain slowly blanking out.

“What?” Sae asked without putting down his phone.

(He spared you a glance, but upon finding a dumb, flat look on your face, Sae decided to just wait for what sort of shit you would soon do. Judging by the unfocused gaze you still let linger on the screen, Sae knew this had something to do with him.)

“Uh,” you answered dumbly.

“What are we?” you wanted to ask. “Are you like this with everyone?” you wanted to ask too, but it was a very dumb question that would earn you a dirty look. “Are you secretly a cat boy?” you wanted to ask, though probably risking getting a silent treatment for a week was dumb.

“What’s for dinner?” was definitely not what you want to ask.

So, in the end, you said, “Isn’t it about time for dinner?”

You looked down and found Sae taking a moment to stop scrolling without putting down his phone. Clearly just finishing checking the clock displayed on the upper corner of his screen, Sae answered, “Five minutes.”

Most the times, you would reply with a whine saying you were hungry. Then, with a mean glare that never truly meant anything, Sae would follow.

This time, you merely hummed, “Sure.”

(Sae sent you a sharp look. You did not notice as you returned your attention back to your TV.)

ii.

Despite the cocky rich guy aura Itoshi Sae exudes, honestly he wasn’t a terrible roommate. Even you dare say that during the first weeks of sharing a roof with him, he would rather pretend you did not exist whenever he was home. He was not a messy guy and just a bit occasionally unreasonable.

Who were you kidding—he was unreasonable most of the time. Pretty hard headed, pretty prideful sometimes, and would not hesitate to scar you for life with his words. It was just after he started getting softer on you that discussion was possible in the first place.

(That discussion too was followed up with several unnecessary shopping sprees prompted by Sae. According to him, it was so his money would not rot off. Sae never told you it started up as a way to say ‘thanks for taking care of the chore and my stuff when I was gone that one time’ and somehow became a routine that sat snuggly in his schedule during off seasons.)

But, even as years and seasons passed, one rule persisted.

Never disturb Itoshi Sae’s nap time.

Sadly, that rule wasn’t exactly registered in your brain—as it just pulled a 21 hours work for a deadline.

That was why, the moment you entered the bedroom, you didn’t bother to check whose bedroom you entered as you threw your body to the bed. Not knowing, your action just jolted Sae awake.

“What the fuck?” Sae muttered, sounding more than a little pissed. He glared at you sharply with voice still heavy and hoarse. “The hell you are doing here?” he continued at you, who were burying your face on his pillows.

“Wha…?” you groggily turned your head towards him with much efforts. You couldn’t really muster the strength to do much, as you used what was left to plop on your stomach and stayed in a very awkward position with half of your feet out of the bed. But, it was Sae’s voice, so you tried.

When you saw him glaring at you, you tried not to groan and cry. Though, you supposed Sae caught that desire from your expression alone, as he said, “…did you just finished the deadline?”

“Uhum,” you answered, your cheek pressing itself to Sae’s pillow. Slowly, you could recognize his smell around you. It was comforting—perhaps after years of sharing a home, you had came to associate him with it. “Gim’me five minutes… just let me gather my shit together and I will be gone… soon,” you continued, drowsy. A part of you hoped Sae would be merciful enough to agree and kick you off his bed later, because you had no energy to get your phone and set a timer or to walk to your room.

(Sae watched as you slowly drift to your dreamland. Was it some years ago or someone else, he would have kicked you as hard as he could. Yet, it was you and a part of him wanted to flick you in the forehead or pulled your cheek or simply put the tips of his fingers on your heavy eyes.)

A few seconds passed and Sae finally let out a grumpy sigh. “Just sleep,” he said as you closed your eyes. You felt the bed shift as he threw his body back to bed. You chuckled silently and dreamt of him petting you in the head.

You woke up four hours later to a note saying Sae was off on an afternoon jog.

iii.

“Honestly,” you groaned, leaning against the shopping cart with an exaggerated pout that definitely annoyed Sae. “Why should I also eat healthily? You are the high profile athlete here. I’m just some lowly roommate.”

“Because we share a fridge, stupid,” Sae said while choosing between Lettuce A and Lettuce D. Lettuce C and B laid inside the cart, fresh and green, along with the things Sae had bought. You couldn’t understand what were the differences between them—but, hey, he was the more observant one between the two of you.

“Why don’t you buy another fridge then?” you asked, unironically starting to miss the days of instant food after living with him as afterwards it was filled with whatever his strict diet allow. When Sae didn’t even bother to grace you with even a disgusted look, you continued, “Or at least let me have some fries—”

Before you could finish, Sae threw both lettuces in his hands violently towards the cart. You winced for the lettuces’ sakes as you found him send you a look that was somehow angry and flat at the same time, “I’m not gonna let you eat fries and brag while I watch.”

“Even if I buy it with my own money?” you piped up with a small voice. Sae’s face somehow got even flatter and you gave up, “…fine.”

Sae hummed as he slightly pulled the cart towards his direction, indicating for you to push it and follow him. As the two of you walked, you could hear him continuing the previous unserious conversation, “You seriously need to learn to stop complaining about this.”

“This?” you prompted.

“Eating actual foods,” Sae answered. “Your life schedule would make some coaches cry by how messy it is. At least learn to eat properly.”

“Rude!” you protested. “I know my life is not as get together as yours, but it’s honest work, you know!”

“Work harder then,” Sae bluntly chided as he gave you a glance, his steps slowing down as the two of you reached the cashier.

You didn’t bother to check why he was stopping. Knowing him, he would buy you some low sugar candies as peace offerings for the previous argument. It was a habit that the both of you carried to give each other peace offerings after whatever disagreement, despite understanding on both side of how most of them were mere debates that exist to fill in the silence. You wouldn’t complain though—getting something or doing something for each other without a word was a nice thing in life anyway.

With that in mind, you let your mind wander to what sort of small thing you could do to Sae as your ‘peace offering’, not paying any attention to what he bought.

When Sae stepped beside you, you asked, “What did you get?”

Sae hummed, “Something to shut you up.”

You raised an eyebrow at that, “Huh?”

“Well,” Sae added an afterthought. “If I don’t read things wrong, that is.”

You didn’t really got it, nonetheless you still chuckled and gave him a light shove, “Sure, sure. As if the esteemed Itoshi Sae could be wrong.”

“Don’t start,” Sae responded dryly.

You merely smiled in silence and went back to your thoughts, waiting for the line.

(What Sae bought were 3 different flavors of condoms, but this is a story for another time. Though, of course, it ends well, as it had always been between Sae and you.)

[f4gilicous]

I know lots of people are DREADING this scene in Blue Lock season 2, but I’m actually looking forward to it. The things I’d do to read Bllk for the first time again…

[fumifooms]

Mickrin

Fifth entry of my “Dunmeshi rarepairs I will birth with my own hands if I have to” series. This one’s straight up embarrassing, like of course the shadow version of Chilchuck and Marcille would get me.

It suddenly grabbed me out of nowhere. What got me thinking about it is this exchange, first comic third panel, because like… Woah. He knows she has a thing for Kabru? Or something. And he has NO FEAR. Like it’s so forward and has 0 pretenses lmao. And then I thought… And oh no. Oh no.

"I can fix him" x "I can make her worse"

Very uptight and strict and rules-following and too self-aggrandizing tbh x will not hesitate to insult you to your face and sleazy and free spirit…. Kuro is involved in an ot3 of sorts in my head and basically they drag her into Situations of various moral standing aka scams or idk going to a club god forbid. I think she needs to relax and get taken down 1 peg maybe, and I think he needs like…….. Someone to teach him what is unhealthy lmao, also remind him to get work benefits, and if they can like get to feel safe and comfy with one another (and god just the road there would be a beautiful trainwreck to watch) they would be gossip besties worsties.

Kabru needs to be the epitome of morals but like, if it’s Mickbell she can lower the bar… Just for him… <3 She can fix him just a little and she’ll be like "wow! Ok I can settle for this amount of upstanding behavior from you Mickbell you get a gold star"

I never expected it ok I read this extra expecting nothing and god knows why I saw him be like "hey u like Kabru right. You’re his babysitter right. Which poor sap is being Kabru’s maid" with 0 fear and her being so casually pissed back at him and idk, how they’re so comfy being not polite with one another but they’re still coworkers-friends despite it… Crazy for how prickly they both are that they manage that much. They bicker and see each other as annoying at best but weirdly dependable and friends despite it all and……….. I am going to grow them in a lab and observe how I can make it work

MICKBELL IS A REBOUND MORE AT 9??? Maybe Rin and Mickbell have a one night stand and then the aftermath dynamic is this….. She probably regrets it. And then it gets more complex and grows into something odd as she becomes hyperaware of him and they have this little complicity thing going on….

I think cuddling with Kuro (who would be more like a platonic protective & soothing presence in his and Rin’s relationship rather than romo) would destress her actually I think she needs and deserves it. Go to a dog cafe bbygirl it’ll fix you. So what I’m saying is the three of them watch a movie and Rin and Mickbell are sitting on Kuro’s laps and everyone is so comfy. Kuro’s legs die halfway through but he’s self-sacrificing it’s fine….. Actually Mick is on his laps Rin’s just nuzzled into his side. There, fixed. I am so weirdly invested in them… They’re funky to think about. Rin seeing Mickbell and Kuro like "you guys are aware that what you two have is fucked up right" and then joining them in the messy dynamic 🤝  Put them in situations. That will be all.

The sheer amount of sass on their own, let alone together…

Make them get drunk together it’ll be glorious

[magurosnacks]

MELANCHOLIC