#i made haikus to express myself to myself

[haikish]

Chicks with smooth feathers are pushed from the nest sooner than their cuter siblings

[gbiechele]

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

“Contemplative Photography: Meditations in the Woods”

I am having a photography exhibition at the Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 West Lynde St., Gardner, MA. The exhibition will run from March 1st until March 29, 2024.

Artist's Statement:

Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention

Be astonished

Tell about it

Mary Oliver “Sometimes”

Mary Oliver’s instructions above have become the guiding principles for my photography. Photography has gained importance in my life since it has become a spiritual practice. I try to spend time in nature on a regular basis. It is a time for meditation and a time to clear my thoughts. With a quiet mind I wait to see what calls to me, what “shimmers”. Then I try to capture the subject in a personal, intimate, and emotional way. I am not interested in simply documenting the world, but trying to reveal something essential about myself and the world around me.

If I have been successful, some of these images will touch you, make you feel something of the beauty, astonishment, and wonder I felt during the time I spent creating them.

Each image is accompanied by a Haiku poem, written to express in a few simple words the connection and feelings that I experienced at the time I made the photograph.

I hope you enjoy the time you spend with these images and their invitation to journey inward, enjoy some serenity, and see the world with fresh eyes.

[ougougougoug]

😅👉🏽

this is a haiku that uses just two symbols.

so, let me explain:

(while editing this post i found out that a few emojis i use are not supported on certain browsers. clearly im being silenced.

if you paste them in discord, then they should display, otherwise, suffer?)

haikus are simple, but have a rigid structure, which is why they’re fun. just five syllables, then seven, then five again, arranged in three lines.

what I think is fun is what I like to call a ‘minimal haiku,' which is where you try to use as few symbols as possible to write all three lines of a haiku. so, for example, we start with numbers.

7 is so cool everybody likes 7 7 is funky

in this haiku here, although '7' is only one symbol, it counts as two syllables, because that's how it's pronounced. so, obviously, we can just kind of run with that, right?

so here is the smallest haiku i think you can make using numbers in this way.

here is the haiku:

77 707 77

"seventy seven seven hundred and seven seventy seven"

this haiku uses (fittingly) seven symbols, but it kind of sucks. we're playing fast and loose with what we're calling a haiku, but it would still be nice if the minimal haikus we wrote kind of, at least, sort of made sense, i think.

so here's the smallest haiku i have written so far using only numbers and letters.

alright, here is the haiku:

33 x 3 funny 700x 69 ha ha

"thirty three times three funny seven hundred times sixty nine ha ha"

its not exactly high art, but it's technically comprehensible as a series of words that express a full thought, and that's good enough.

obviously, you can go further than this, and the next logical step is ascii. I don't think there's any ascii symbols that can be pronounced as seven syllables, but there are a few that can do five.

so here's the smallest haiku i could make using just ascii symbols:

) :) !

"close parentheses colon, close parentheses exclamation mark"

wow! just four symbols, which tell the relatable story of a guy who wakes up and sees that he's slept through his alarm. (it conveys this thought pictorially, but it does convey a thought.)

of course, we can go further.

our next stop is emojis.

now, one thing that's problematic about these is that not everyone might agree on how they should be pronounced, but i say we just play with this, and use whatever makes our haikus work, because, well, it's more fun that way.

so, here's a fun haiku:

🌑 🌓 🌕

"new moon emoji first quarter moon emoji full moon emoji"

wow! just three symbols.

here's a haiku about a working class trans girl:

🧑‍🏭 👩‍🏭 ⚧️

"factory worker woman factory worker transgender symbol"

so, we've managed to make some haikus with just three symbols. but i think we can go smaller.

ive been limiting myself to writing haikus with three visible lines when written down, but you can't do that with just two symbols. so we're just gonna forget about that from this point on.

(as a quick little aside, i said before that, using just numbers,

77 707 77

was the best i could do, but if you ignore how it is written down,

77777

"seventy seven thousand seven hundred and seventy seven"

is a haiku in just one number. anyways, back to emojis)

😵‍💫 🤢

this is a haiku. let me explain to you why.

most emojis are single unicode characters. but some of them are secretly just combinations of two other emojis with a symbol called a 'zero width joiner' between them, which means, although they're displayed as just one symbol, you can break them up into three. here's the wiki page for 'face with spiral eyes', which lists the three unicode symbols that make up the emoji. with that knowledge, you can pronounce this fun haiku as:

"face with crossed out eyes zero width joiner, dizzy nauseated face"

which is a haiku about a person who's sick and might just frow up.

one common type of emoji sequence is for modifying the skin tone of certain emojis. for these, we won't think about what the zero width joiner is doing (in fact, i think some, but not all, of these don't even have one? it's unclear to me, but all the more reason to ignore them.) what we'll do instead is just use the 'CLDR Short Name', which you can find listed here and here on unicode.org. These are about as official as you can get with emoji names, and will cover the emojis i'll be using for the last haikus.

so let's look back at the haiku at the top of this post, shown again:

😅👉🏽

"grinning face with sweat backhand index pointing right medium skin tone"

this takes advantage of the skin colour of the pointing emoji.

so that's another haiku that uses just two symbols, which depicts an anxious person doing finger guns (perhaps they're anxious because they spilled some yellow paint on their face. who knows. like any great artist, my works are up to interpretation.) so this leaves us all asking...

is it possible?

we've done two symbol haikus, but what about...

one?

any emoji which shows a person can be modified both by skin colour and by gender. if there is more than one person in an emoji, then each person can be given their own modifiers.

This means it's just a matter of going through the list of emojis and hoping that you can find one that works.

and, well that's just what i did:

👨🏾‍❤️‍👨🏽

couple with heart: man, man, medium-dark skin tone, medium skin tone

this is the smallest haiku possible to write. it's just a single symbol.

and it's two gay men. a wonderful queer couple. and i think that's great.

[your-local-hoemie]

Aftercare with the anemo boys shwjendh TT

My sibling in Christ, yES HDIDUKEJ!!!

Apologies for Heizou and Xiao’s part’s being short! God decided to send a vibe check this morning and gave me a heart attack so I finished writing this from hospital while super tired >_>

Warnings: fluff, pretty suggestive (especially in Heizou’s), established relationship, swearing, gn!reader, not proof-read.

Characters: venti, kazuha, wanderer, heizou, xiao.

Venti~

He would be so smug and caring at the same time wtf?

Be prepared for a lot of teasing.

Definitely actives his archonic-ego

If you find it hard to stand or walk, he’d absolutely carry you bridal style!

Though good luck getting him out of bed to begin with-

Dudes gonna be clinging to you like a imprinted koala!

Lots of nuzzling and kisses!

After ya’ll did the do, he’d make sure to check you over at least three times to make sure you’re ok~

And I mean thoroughly check you over.

He’d bring you water and sliced apples along with a nice cool cloth for your head!

He absolutely gets a little worried that he’s too rough!

He does his best to make sure he doesn’t go too far but he is still an archon that has levelled mountains T-T

Kisses every mark he made on you with such gentleness istg-

Refuses to break eye contact jdudikedj

Once he’s made sure that you’re ok then teasing.exe is activated.

Brace yourself with this man.

“So, love. How does it feel to be worshiped by a god?”

“You did so well, Windblume. Now relax and let this archon take care of his most precious beloved~”

He’d absolutely lay your head on his chest while playing with your hair!

He’d also him you to sleep with songs he made just for you~

Goes through a whole list of reasons why he thinks you’re perfect.

Once he see’s that your asleep, he’ll have the softest smile while he takes in your peaceful expression~

He’s so in love with you and even if you can’t hear him, he’ll still make sure to tell you that every chance he gets~

Kazuha~

Slams fists on table.

HE. ADORES. YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Praises, lot’s of praises-

Pretty praises from pretty boy.

He’s always extremely gentle with you and rarely leaves any marks unless you ask him to T-T

If he does then he’ll lay there while gently tracing them with his fingers while telling you how pretty the colour is against your skin~

You think you’re going to walk anywhere after?

You buffoon.

You will not be allowed out of bed until he’s certain that you’ve completely recovered!

He always makes sure to ask if you’re ok!

Makes you triple promise that he didn’t hurt you by accident.

He’s very big on trust so he would never want you to hide it if he did go a little too rough!

He’ll bring you fruits and nuts (giggle) to help build your energy back up along with the freshest water he can find hduxuxudu.

This man will wrap you up in his arms while staring at you for ages just taking in how perfect you look!

If you hate eye contact then please pull this man out of his trance or he won’t stop sdukkdjd.

“Ah, my apologies, was I staring? I couldn’t help myself, dove. Not when your eyes glisten as brightly as the stars in the night sky~”

He’ll give off the cutest little giggles when you say something that flusters him istg.

Then somehow pulls the most flirtatious and smooth line you’ve ever heard in your life and then acts surprised when you get flustered???

He has and will continue to make countless poems and haikus about how you make him feel.

He has a special “private” book of poems for very specific aspects of you that he loves-

Always makes sure you fall asleep with a forehead and nose kiss.

He’s made it like a cute lil’ ritual T-T

Also random but he’ll often recite poems in his own language to you!

Even if you don’t understand him, he still feels like it’s even more intimate to show you that side of him hhzhsus.

Wanderer~

Inhales-

My precious little goose.

My pretty, beautiful, perfect little goose.

God I need to write a ns!fw fic on this man. I need him to slam me against a wall ysuxudijd

If you got this man in this position then holy fuck, you absolute god.

Don’t expect him to be openly fluffy with you.

He’s going to get flustered and then mad because he’s flustered.

He’ll show you love in his own strange little ways!

He personally checks you over and cleans you up.

Does he insult you while doing so?

Maybe.

But in a loving way :)

“Look, idiot. It’s my job to make sure you’re alright. Don’t argue with me on this or I won’t do it again.”

He’s lying. He will.

Similar to kazuha, he knows nutrition.

He’ll bring you high energy foods along with juice or water!

You will have marks.

Lots of them.

But don’t worry, he’ll make sure to kiss every single one better!

Boy acts all tough but it’s very obvious that he adores you.

He won’t let you out of bed for at least a day.

He also refuses to let you out if his sight since he knows full well you’re going to be stubborn and get up.

There’s always a moment before you fall asleep where he’ll be completely soft with you!

He despises it but he also can’t help but love it at the same time.

He’ll tell you how well you did and how happy you make him feel.

He always insists on being big spoon so he can cuddle you up as close as possible and nuzzle his face into your neck while leaving lil’ kisses T-T

“You’re such a idiot, but… you’re my idiot, ok? Don’t you dare forget that!”

It’s a rare sight but it’s his way of reassuring himself that you’re still there and won’t leave him.

Since he doesn’t need sleep, he usually just lays next to you while you dream away happily and just admire you.

He feels comfortable enough to let his guard down when he knows you can’t see him so he’ll always have this adorable little smile on his face when he whispers a flustered “I love you” making sure not to wake you up.

Heizou~

AAAAAAAAAA!?

This little shits gonna be riding his ego all the way to Celestia and back.

Similarly to venti, he’s gonna be super flirty and tease you persistently.

Also like wanderer, you’ll have marks-

Man is kinky-

He’d always insist on getting you water before wrapping his arms around you under the blankets and just stays there for like 30 minutes.

“Oh hush now, you think I’m going to leave you alone in a cold bed? Man alive, partner. Do I have to prove my feelings for you again, hmm~?”

Praises you so much!

Whispers how hot you are and how wonderful you make him feel owo.

What’s that? You think you see him blushing?

Pffft totally not? It’s just the saké m’hm yep totally.

I head-canon that he’s super amazing at making milkshakes so he totally makes you one to “cool you down”

He just looks like a milkshake kinda dude, shut up >:(

Reads you crime novels while you’re all snuggled up T-T

He’ll also sing to you!! You can not tell me that he’s not a good singer istg-

Lots of ear nibbles and neck smooches uwu

I don’t think he actually has much or if any experience with aftercare but he’s definitely a natural at it somehow????

Do not mention it to anyone though, he’ll turn it right round on you and you’ll end up losing what dignity you have left jfgcudu

Also he’ll usually get so into praising you and telling you how good you are that round two is pretty much inevitable aAAA

All in all- he’s a little brat. but a brat that loves you beyond comprehension! uwu

Xiao~

HE DON’T KNOW

:(((

You’ll have to teach him what it is.

It’s not his fault!!!! He never did this stuff before he met you :(

Though saying that. He’s naturally very protective of you and would be mortified if he hurt you in any way what so ever-

So he catches on pretty fast! It’s basically second nature to him even though his process is a little awkward sometimes.

He’ll always make sure to tuck you into bed and even if he can’t stay all night because of his duties as a Yaksha he’ll still make sure to leave you with a small note saying that he’ll return soon and that he love’s you, along with a Qingxin!!

Not to mention the softest and prettiest kiss you’ll ever receive.

He’ll sometimes get a lil’ too serious when checking you over and he can get very stern with how you rest up and drink water!

He doesn’t mean to sound bossy! He doesn’t understand how mortals work so he’s using what knowledge he has on human bodies gdjfixiudi.

Pretty boi will always be flustered afterwards so he’ll hide his face away into your chest or your neck while caressing your knuckles or back~

He’s definitely not much of a talker so often times it’ll just be the two of you cuddling up together while he just silently plays with your hair.

Sometimes, if he’s feeling super confident he’ll whisper soft praises to you along with how lucky he is T-T

“I… I really don’t deserve you, but I hope you know that there isn’t a force strong enough to stop these feelings towards you my love”

Brings you food that’s been personally cooked up by the chief at wangshu inn along with juice or water!

He doesn’t understand why you’d need those things but he still obliges albeit a little hesitantly.

Reward him with kisses and encouragement!

He really wants to do his best to pamper you but he just needs a lil’ practice that’s all T-T

Also he’s such a bad liar so please be prepared for a very amused Zhongli when he asks why Xiao’s been acting a little…differently today-

Dude I decided to pull on genshin with some premos I got from the daily award thing and I got my boy Tighnari. I’m as broke for mora as Zhongli’s voluptuous ass cheeks with building kazuha and heizou now I have a sassy furry to tend to as well T-T

I can’t believe I missed the new 3.8 trailer but I’ve heard that wanderer, my stinky little baby boy Snooki-pookie-wookums will be running a banner aaAAAAAAAA time to save up and farm for artifacts again :))))))

[alexiethymia]

illumination

summary: [Post-TYBW] Hitsugaya fixed his tabi on the engawa as he waited for Momo. Not for the first time, he was gripped with that sense of déjà vu. First sunrise. First shrine visit. A lot of the firsts that he remembered in his life was with her.

[read on ao3]

Notes: I don’t consider myself good at domestic fics, so this fic had plenty of inspiration, mainly @rays-of-fire-and-ice, @canariie, and @bleachbleachbleach‘s head canons especially about Jurinan grandma and Momo’s calligraphy. It was also inspired by the Hitsugaya family in Untitled Collection and the warmest place in the world, as well as all of the HCs about hitsuhina children that I just went and bit the bullet and did my own version. I’m also way too late for HitsuHina week, but I really wanted to finish this work based on the prompt fireworks.

Soshun mazu sake Ni ume uru Nioi kana

New year and first Sake and the fragrance of plum blossoms Being sold

“Kira’s spouting off haikus again which means he’s plastered and that’s our cue to go. Thanks for having us, Hitsugaya-taichou!”

“Heh, you sure it isn’t because you’ve made your darling wife and daughter wait up for you and now you’re scared you’ll be greeting the new year with a sandal to the face?”

“Shut it, Hisagi-san.”

“Oi, oi, show some respect Abarai. It should be Hisagi-senpai.”

“Ehh Kira, isn’t that haiku out-of-season? Isn’t it too early for spring? Ah, but it fits perfectly with the umeshu doesn’t it, taichou?”

Kira just ignored the whole drunken lot in favor of shaking Momo’s hands. For some reason, he seemed to be crying.

“Just a small new year’s gift, Hinamori-kun…ah…eto,” Kira mumbles all the while still vigorously shaking her hands. Only a strained furrow in his drooping brow signified his strain as if trying to remember something important amidst the drunken haze he was in, “My mistake,” he amends, “I mean, Hitsugaya-san.”

Perhaps it was the same furrow mirrored in the captain’s expression that caused him to remember, but in truth Hitsugaya’s expression wasn’t really directed at him. In truth, it wasn’t only Renji’s wife who was maybe slightly displeased with him.

“No need to be so formal, Kira-kun! We’ve known each other for ages.” Despite that she consented to be supported by her back, she wasn’t as fully nestled by his side like in her moments of true contentment where she would be languid and soft against him.

She was the perfect hostess so she’d never let anything in her expression show except a welcoming and bright smile, but Hitsugaya didn’t know her for centuries for nothing. The smile she had now had the same subtle curves as the exact same smile she showed him when she said, ‘What do you mean? Of course, I’m not angry, Shiro-chan, how silly,’ when he’d eaten the peaches she had apparently been saving when they were just carefree kids back in Jurinan. Moments like this made memories like that feel simultaneously as if they were eons ago and also as if they just happened yesterday.

Hitsugaya sighed.

“Momo, you know you can’t drink for a reason.”

Everyone in the party turned to look at him at that. True it was stern as was characteristic of Hitsugaya-taichou, but at the same time it sounded conciliatory. Perhaps that was why Momo let her smile fall, and let a slight pout overtake her features. Internally, Hitsugaya sighed with relief. He’d rather she shows that she was displeased with him than hide it.

“I know, but still for you to go so far as to ask everyone to bring plum wine, precisely because you know I don’t like it…” When Madarame-san and Ayasegawa-san brought some over, she thought nothing of it. When Hirako-taichou had dropped by in human world attire clapping Toshiro on the back with enough force that he fell, irritated and grumbling, and ruffling her hair softly as he placed the bottle and a new jazz vinyl in her hands, she thought it was a funny coincidence. But when even Nanao-san with the soutaichou dropped by, her with books and him with more of the stuff, that’s when she began to put two and two together.

Maybe it was a bit much for new year’s celebrations, but it had also been a housewarming of sorts, and Momo was touched with all of the small tokens of welcome and well-wishes. Pity it had to be something she wasn’t fond of. But Momo was nothing but gracious so she accepted it all.

Abarai-kun and Hisagi-senpai looked at each other sheepishly, while Kira-kun looked just about ready to drop at the thought of possibly having offended her with their gift, but Hitsugaya-taichou insisted, and you never said no to Hitsugaya-taichou when he used that tone (rather you never just said no to Hitsugaya-taichou period).

At least Matsumoto-san was thoughtful enough to bring peaches which was probably why she was giggling at their expense.

Seeing Kira-kun’s shaking legs and increasingly off color (he might faint with how white he was becoming), Momo decided to let up with a sigh. Looking up at her husband who was looking at her straightforwardly, Momo found that she really couldn’t stay mad especially when the person in question was sure he had done nothing wrong. And anyway he also mostly abstained from the alcohol, only taking a few sips in order not to be rude to their guests. She leaned into him even as Hitsugaya-kun teased her lightly, “You would have snuck a few sips if it was fruit wine.”

Feeling as if they were intruding into some soft and fluffy scene, the vice-captains couldn’t help but feel second-hand embarrassment at being the witnesses to a married couple’s fight (if it could even be called that).

“I hope Rukia and I aren’t as obnoxious as that,” Renji whispered discreetly.

“You totally are. It’s just that your lover’s quarrels are more explosive.”

“That’s good. I’m happy for you Hinamori-kun, er I mean, Hitsugaya-san, no I mean Momo-kun!” For some inexplicable reason, Kira started crying into his arm again.

“Ahhh, taichou and Momo, could you stop making the rest of us feel so single?”

“Ahem, Rangiku-san, would you do me the honor of- “

“Yosh! That does it. Time to take this party over to the Kuchiki manor. I’m sure they’ll have some high-class sake!”

“Hey, wait a minute! When did I say- “ But Hisagi just slung his arm over Renji’s neck in a chokehold, while dragging Kira behind him. Hitsugaya privately commiserated, both with Abarai and Kuchiki. Matsumoto was a whirlwind who couldn’t be stopped. Feeling a migraine coming on at the prospect of having to pay for any potential damages, he almost didn’t notice Matsumoto sidle up to them and spirit Momo away for a careful, and yet cheerful hug. Nuzzling her cheek against Momo’s, she whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll sneak you some fruit wine sometime.”

Hitsugaya growled in warning at hearing that, “Matsumoto…” but Momo only laughed and hugged the buxom woman tightly, as his vice-captain winked at him. “After everything, taichou, I promise. Lieutenant’s honor.”

Hitsugaya calmed down, and sighed. He’s been doing a lot of that lately. Nonetheless he greeted his vice-captain, “Happy New Year, Matsumoto. I’ll be counting on you greatly for the upcoming year.”

“Thank you for visiting, Rangiku-san. Have a Happy New Year!”

With a lazy salute, she waved them both goodbye, and in a while they were both finally alone. Hitsugaya didn’t mind the company of his colleagues, while he knew Momo enjoyed it. Still, he didn’t want her to get too tired. Spying her drooping lids, he gently shook her, mindful of both her hands wrapping around her midsection, “Time for bed, sleepyhead.”

“Mmmm,” Momo yawned as she placed both arms around her husband’s neck while he scooped her up, “Hey, Shiro?”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“You know you’re going to have to drink all that sake right? And I won’t help with a single drop,” Momo giggled sleepily. As much as Momo disliked plums, she knew Hitsugaya-kun didn’t have a taste for alcohol either. Snuggling deeper into her husband’s broad shoulder, she smiled peacefully.

Hitsugaya blanched.  

“I’ll give some to Matsumoto.”

…

Momo felt a hand waking her from restful slumber.

Blearily opening one eye, she spotted Hitsugaya-kun already up with a bemused look on his face. He had always been the early riser between the two.

Stretching her arms and yawning, Momo fixed her hair while Hitsugaya-kun patiently waited beside her. It was still dark out. Her stomach suddenly grumbled, and while she might have been embarrassed about it before, with how often it kept happening these days, she just got used to it.

Hitsugaya-kun passed her a bowl of the leftover toshikoshi soba she’d prepared for them which she took gratefully, warming her hands on the reheated bowl.

She still felt slow as molasses, but luckily Hitsugaya-kun had always been alert. While she sleepily slurped at the noodles still only half awake, Hitsugaya-kun merely arranged her so she was comfortable leaning against his front. He even tucked her in their blankets, leaving none for himself since the cold didn’t bother him. Once he was assured that she was comfortable, he slowly opened their sliding doors so they could view the night sky. It was but a moment later that the inky blackness was replaced with slivers of rose light.

With no words passing between them, together they watched the first sunrise.

---

Hitsugaya fixed his tabi on the engawa as he waited for Momo. Not for the first time, he was gripped with that sense of déjà vu.

First sunrise. First shrine visit.

A lot of the firsts that he remembered in his life was with her.

Memory was a funny thing in Soul Society. While he remembered nothing of his old life, if he were to fix a point in time where his life started here, he found that she was always in his firsts - that her smiling face was the beginning of everything.  

First smile. First laughter. First friend.

First love.

Though he took a while to realize it. (Or perhaps like a circle, there had been no fixed point and some part of him had always known.)

Finished, he leaned back on his arms as he looked up at the withered branches. Though some things remained the same, perhaps a lot of things also changed. He remembers his first shrine visit with Momo and baachan. Back then he’d been impatient and rushing her so that they could get a move on already. But his grumbling had died in his throat when he saw her come out with a new yukata. It was nothing fancy, not even a kimono, but it was new. Everything about her then was new, from the first time he saw her put her hair up in a bun, small wild flowers threaded into the strands by baachan, to the new dusty pink yukata with plum blossoms scattered across it she had saved up for.

‘How do I look, Shiro-chan?’

‘…You look fine.’

It wasn’t even close to what he wanted to say, but only Momo would still smile brightly at him like that, leaving him dazed.

The plum blossoms were starting to bud, he noticed. Glancing down at his own kimono, he thought wryly that this was a far cry from the threadbare yukata he’d worn back then. Deep midnight blue and black, with whorls of clouds, on the back a great mighty dragon, shining in white as it rushed alongside a surging river, such that you wouldn’t know where the river ended and the dragon began. Truthfully, it was a bit ostentatious for his own tastes, but baachan had sent it and baachan had probably made it, so he would wear it gratefully.

Hearing the sliding doors open, he turned, a teasing remark of, ‘Finally done?’ at the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t even get the chance.

How could he even say anything?

Just there, Momo in a resplendent silk furisode, cloaked in white and vermillion. She gave him a little twirl and he spied the phoenix at her back, feathered tail curling all over her, along with flowers bright red and yellow, exploding like fireworks. There were subtle patterns of teal and green that matched his eyes, while her hair was held up with a matching red kanzashi, stray locks curling over her ear and feathering her forehead.

Separated by years, two moments in time, and he still finds that his breath catches.

“How do I look, Shiro?”

A blush on her cheeks, eyes sparkling, happy and at peace.

He smiled.

“You look beautiful.”

Some things changed, but some things would always stay the same.

…

“I wonder if baasan got our card,” Momo murmured thoughtfully as she rubbed the silk between her two fingers. Hitsugaya-kun just hummed and nodded as he made a path for the two of them in the crowd, hand gripping hers firmly. She continued touching the silk with her other hand, softly marveling. It really was beautiful. Baasan must have started as soon as she finished with their wedding clothes to get these to them on time. The subtly sparkling white on her furisode reminded her of her shiromuku safely put away back in their private quarters at home, while the black in Hitsugaya-kun’s kimono reminded her of his montsuki. Baasan had playfully added Hyourinmaru’s four-point star as a crest, while lamenting that she couldn’t decide if she wanted Momo to wear white, or a colorful iro-uchikake.

Watching the softly falling snow outside, she had made the decision for her. Momo loved white. Baasan had only chuckled and said next time then. Letting the long sleeve fall smoothly from her hand like water, Momo smiled wondering if this was her version. This wasn’t their first shrine visit since they were married, but it was still a kind of first nonetheless.

Hitsugaya-kun briefly glanced back at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll visit her soon.” She nodded, still smiling at him.

…

“Yatta, I got great blessing! What did you get, Hitsugaya-kun?” Momo looked pleased with herself and that was more than enough for Toshiro, even as she couldn’t help her giggle at seeing his own fortune, sue-sho-kichi, small blessing to come. Toshiro wasn’t superstitious, but was the small really necessary?

Toshiro wasn’t superstitious but he’s been noticing a pattern lately. Momo tended to pull out good fortunes, almost always Dai-kichi, sometimes Chu-kichi. If the overwhelming misfortune she faced meant that the cosmic scale was being tipped back in her favor, then Toshiro thought that there was justice after all.

She traced the characters on her fortune, machibito, a person being expected or waited for, “The person you’re waiting for will come,” she mouthed softly, even as Toshiro’s heart jolted at seeing shussan on her fortune slip.

Even in moments of calm like this, sometimes the anxiety would spike up. To shake off the silly urge of wanting to bite his thumb nail he smoothed over endan and negaigoto on his own slip almost obsessively.

Hirako once told him that everything in reverse would come the right side way up eventually. He didn’t put much stock in the other captain’s words, and much less did he put stock in pieces of paper, but if they meant that Momo would have a lifetime of fortune and happiness, then he would believe them wholeheartedly. It was nothing less than she deserved. And if nothing else, he’ll believe in himself. He’ll will those fortunes to reality if he had to.

“These are good fortunes, aren’t they Hitsugaya-kun?”

They were.

…

Just before they were about to pray, Momo suddenly asked him, “What did you dream about, Hitsugaya-kun?”

“Nothing much, just the past.”

Momo suddenly chuckled, “I had an auspicious first dream, a hawk flying high in the sky.”

“Oh,” Toshiro raised a brow, questioning. People talked about signs all they liked but it was actually rare to dream about them.

Momo smiled sheepishly, “Hehe, well to be exact I dreamed about the first time Hitsugaya-kun showed me his bankai. I remember being so amazed at seeing you fly.”

Toshiro’s brow raised even higher, “So I’m a bird now, is that it? You know you can’t just make up signs like that.”

Momo just smiled back impishly. “I’m collecting luck. It’s a lucky sign if I say it is. It’s up to us to make our own happiness after all.”

Toshiro just sighed in fond exasperation, he’ll tell her later if she asked but he had dreamed about a moment in the past. It wasn’t a specific moment, in fact it could have been every moment, but he had dreamed of a simple scene of them eating watermelons and watching the sunset.

It had been so tranquil that when he woke up he was disoriented at how Momo seemed to have grown overnight while Granny was nowhere to be found. Had she snuck into his bed to sleep again? Concerned, he wondered if she had another nightmare, before noticing her clasped hands in front of her. It hit him all over again, like a kidou spell, the immense but quiet happiness. Uncharacteristic of him, he had woken her because he couldn’t contain himself. The scene of watching the sunset in his dreams replaced with watching the sunrise. They had been surrounded by the mountains of their hometown in his dreams. Perhaps that counted?

A clap interrupts his reverie. Softly but enough for him to hear, Momo releases her prayer for the gods to hear as well, ‘may they be clever and strong’.

Toshiro contemplates whether or not to tell her that prayers were usually silent, but he decides against it. He doesn’t mind. Anyway, he knows what his own prayer will be.

It’s the one he’s been wishing for every night for the past year.

…

Hatsuyuki ya suisen na ha na no tawamu made  

The first snow Just enough to bend The daffodil leaves

“I thought that you wanted your first calligraphy to be…”

“I know, I know what I said, but I can’t seem to think of anything,” Momo’s eyes as she looks up at him are pleading.

Stroking her head to calm her, he then picks up the paper to carefully store away. “It’s still good.”

Momo pouts slightly perhaps thinking he was only placating her. Unfurling it, Toshiro observes it more closely, “No really, it’s good. As always your handwriting is almost too pretty,” he smirks. Momo only puffs out her cheeks and crossed her arms pretending to be offended. Really her husband could still be so childish sometimes, finding it hard to say what he wanted to say. But Momo could still read him just the same. To him, anything she said or did was beautiful. She was beautiful. It was as simple as that.

Cupping his chin in hand, he asked her, “Do you want this here? I can place it in the entranceway.”

“No,” she shakes her head, “I made it for the tenth division. I hope Rangiku-san also likes it.”

“You know her. I’m sure she’ll love it.” Finally putting the paper away, he dragged over another writing desk to place in front of her. It was easier to move around and sit without his captain’s cloak over his shoulders. He can’t remember the last time he went so long without wearing it. “Speaking of Matsumoto, I hope the tenth division barracks is still standing.”

“Hush,” she chides, even as she smiles and puts brush to paper to begin another stroke, “You know Rangiku-san can be counted on when it really matters.”

Copying her, he also drew a straight line downwards, though perhaps less elegant looking. His strokes were blunt and precise, sometimes heavy-handed in places where the ink would bleed out, much the same as him. He was good at dispensing reports quickly and efficiently, but wasn’t really suited to crafting pieces of art (unless it was with blade and ice), slowly and with care. This was more Kira’s domain, or Momo’s. She could get so absorbed in each stroke that perhaps an hour would pass before she was finished with just one kanji. She wrote like she drew, as if there was meaning and an entire world in each line that made up a character. And perhaps for her there was. “I know, I know. I haven’t even had any reports yet so they can’t be doing too badly without me.”

He hadn’t said anything, but perhaps Matsumoto sensed that he would prefer not to be bothered unless it was truly an emergency. She was an excellent vice-captain like that, although he rarely said it out loud. Again, perhaps, many would call it uncharacteristic of him, that he wasn’t worrying every minute about his squad but he had enough on his mind and in his heart right now. Gazing at Momo in front of him, humming as she added another stroke, he let out a subtle sigh of relief.

He could leave it up to Matsumoto.

…

It’s Momo who wakes him up this time around, brimming with excitement.

“Shiro-chan, look! It’s snowing!”

How nostalgic, he thinks sleepily at hearing her laugh, ‘she hasn’t called me that in ages.’

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, anxiety once again begins to creep in, contrasting his wife’s honest pleasure. ‘Won’t it be too cold for her?’ There were times in the middle of the night when he would unconsciously place space between the both of them, memories flashing back to those early days when he couldn’t control his powers. But without fail and as if she had some sixth sense for it, she would only draw nearer, looping hands and legs together so he would find it harder to escape, mumbling incoherent things all the while as she drooled on him. He had no choice then but to fall blissfully back into sleep.

Noticing her husband’s contemplative gaze as he looked outside, Momo sighed and wagged a finger to catch his attention, “No messing with the weather, Shiro. I’m fine.” Cross-eyed, Toshiro reluctantly nodded. “Good,” she chirped. One crisis averted she snuggled closer, and waited for him to put his arms around her.

Suddenly and without warning, colors bloomed in the sky, a multitude of flowers sparkling brightly and dazzling. Momo could only gasp in delight.

‘Fireworks in the snow, huh?’ A far-off memory that couldn’t hurt them now.

Certainly, it was too cold, but drawing the presence nestled in his arms even more closely to him, Toshiro found that he didn’t mind. The fireworks were spectacular yes, but his gaze was permanently drawn downwards. Blue, red, yellow, pink played off across her face in flashes. He could watch fireworks forever illuminated in her eyes. There, they would never fizzle out, the sparks would never die, rather they would shine brightly forever, so long as she kept looking at him.

Suddenly overcome with feeling, he wanted exactly that. He could only whisper her name, even if there were only the two of them, “Momo…”

“Hmmm,” she responded turning to meet his eyes with her own despite the display continuing above them, “What is it, Shiro-cha –“

He was a patient man, he was. And he’ll ask forgiveness for interrupting her later, but at this moment, he wanted nothing more than her lips on his. He should let her get some rest, he should, his mind was clearly telling him that he should, so why was his treacherous body tightening his arms around her, one hand roughly weaving fingers in her hair as he tilted her head back.

She was no better, fingers wound as tightly in his own hair, drawing out a soft groan he tried to muffle against her neck, as he kissed it feverishly, softly biting to leave blooms of his own on the milky skin, a counterpoint to the flowers up in the sky. Hyoten Hyakkaso without his zanpakuto, though these flower burned rather than froze.

There were times he was deathly afraid he would freeze her, but right now, nothing else plagued his mind besides her, and as he drew her down with him, for once he didn’t mind the snow, for he was sure he could warm her as long as he kept her close.

Up in the sky, the fireworks brightly shined and illuminated them both.

…

They write together quietly, Momo occasionally showing him a character to ask his opinion on it. She had already finished with the first one, excitedly showing it to him in a bit of feverish excitement.

The strokes for ‘flower’ and ‘fire’ were lively and vibrant. It matched her perfectly. Toshiro had agreed immediately.

It was the second one they were having trouble with. Toshiro had suggested the characters for ‘spring’ and ‘tree’. It reminded Momo of Tobiume, and Momo didn’t exactly mind it for ‘spring’ matched with his own ‘winter’, but something still felt out of place.

“Isn’t it too early for spring?” In truth, it was more that she wanted more of him reflected in these strokes and lines. She places ‘sun’ next to ‘happiness’.

Hitsugaya-kun only shrugs. Momo could only smile at him fondly. “I hope they’re more like you,” she says as she idly traces the strokes for ‘wish’.

Hitsugaya-kun merely smirks back at her. “Then looks like we’re in conflict since I hope they’ll take after you.”

Momo sticks out her tongue in playful indignation. “I’m sure the kami-sama will listen to my request over yours. I’ve been collecting more luck after all.” ‘Clever and strong,’ was what she had prayed for, ‘just like their father’.

Hitsugaya-kun shakes his head in amusement. Peering over to her side, he looks at what she’s been working on, “That could work.”

Momo hums thoughtfully, looking at the character this way and that. It seems perfect – a wish, a hope, a prayer �� but it didn’t seem to be quite exactly what they were looking for.

“What have you got?” She leans more to his side, before bursting into a fit of laughter. If Hitsugaya-kun is embarrassed, he makes a valiant effort not to show it. On his paper, the character for ‘big’ in bold, black, strokes. Momo’s face softens at seeing the character under it, ‘shine’. It might be her own imagination that it seems like it’s glowing.

“They’re perfect.”

…

They made it just in time for the fire festival. Perhaps it was incongruous for them to be burning something they’d been working on for days, but this was just its own kind of prayer.

Both of them hold paper lanterns, in his, ‘Hanabi’ in her own script, in hers, ‘Haruki’ in his. Small bright lights cupped into the palms of their hands. As one they let both lanterns go, up in the sky, where they’ll burn brightly and send all their prayers up to the sky.

Fervently, Momo clasps her hands together, Toshiro a steady and unwavering presence around her.

She hopes.

…

Even if they had hoped for peace to continue, truly their idyllic days couldn’t last. They were still commanding officers, and when Matsumoto shows up on their doorstop one day, he knows exactly what it means.

He knows, but it doesn’t mean he has to like it.

Rangiku likes it no more than her taichou. She can’t even tease the both of them over the marks she spies not covered by Momo’s kimono. “Taichou…It’s Naruki City.”

He closes his eyes in aggravation, fingers closed over the bridge of his nose to stave off the migraine, as Momo and his Vice-captain look at him concerned.

For once, he wants to be selfish. It’s so close, too close. For once, he wants to forget about his captain’s cloak and his responsibilities and just stay here to shelter Momo from everything. Opening his eyes, he meets Momo’s own and is both equally dismayed and encouraged by the resolve he finds there.

Momo didn’t become a Shinigami to be protected. She became a Shinigami to protect. And it’s the same for him (except doesn’t she know by now, after everything, that she was the one he wanted to protect most of all).

Without words, she goes to get his captain’s cloak. If she feels his hands shake as she helps him put it on, then at least only she would know.

She cradles his face in her hands, arms going up to reach him now instead of down. He doesn’t know what she sees in his face, if it looks like he’s about to cry, but she only smiles calmly, ruffling his hair. When before, he had swatted her hand away, now he only leans into the simple comfort. He closes his eyes as he feels Momo draw him down and touch her forehead to his. His erratic heartbeat slows at hearing her breathe.

“I’m off.”

“Please go and come back,” she says as she bows on the engawa. There is no fear in her eyes, only trust as if telling him, ‘go and I’ll be here to welcome you when you return’. He wishes it was the same for him. He swallows before turning forward. He stops Matsumoto with a hand to her shoulder.

He has no words. “Matsumoto…”

Eyes widening in understanding, she starts worriedly, “The reports say there are at least five arrancars, taichou. I already commanded the rest of the troops stationed there to come back. I was planning to handle them myself…but the soutaichou said the both of us needed to be there.” Hitsugaya was glad she didn’t go by herself. He appreciated the soutaichou intervening on his behalf. Knowing Matsumoto, she would have rushed there headstrong and foolish for his sake.

All the points she raised were valid ones, but again all he could say was, “Matsumoto, please…” I need you here.  

There were moments where no words needed to be said, and the communication between a captain and vice-captain could be almost telepathic. This was one such moment, and as Rangiku gazed up at her not-so-little anymore captain, she could only smile in resignation, “Gotcha, taichou. But when you come back, I’m expecting an all-expense paid vacation. I’ve been working my butt off! Hey, Momo,” she called back, already making her way into the house, as Momo gazed at him with a question in her eyes, “Let’s go together!” Hitsugaya only smiled back.

Committing the sight of his wife and vice-captain smiling together, he tightened his grip on Hyourinmaru and set off.

…

Both his mind and body were on auto-pilot. He was glad Hyourinmaru had his back. It wasn’t like back then when his zanpakuto had to artificially mature him just so he could handle his own bankai. He had fully matured in all senses of the word, and had full mastery of his true bankai.

It was good that he was alone. There was no collateral damage except the enemy so he could release Shikai Hyoketsu without repercussions. But without Matsumoto there to support him, he felt more alone than ever.

He was getting tired. He lost count of how many enemies he had slain, of his own wounds and bruises. There was only one thought in his mind – to get home no matter what.

Using his sword as a crutch, he breathed out heavily before suddenly slashing out Hyoryu Senbi at the new presence he felt.

The shadow dodged and clicked his tongue. “Is that anyway ta greet yer elders? Ya look like you’ve been through hell. Need a little hand?”

Disoriented, Hitsugaya could only gape at the newcomer, “Hirako?”

“The one and only.”

Hitsugaya might have thought he was hallucinating but there was no mistaking that too-wide grin and tacky haircut. “What are you doing here? Naruki City isn’t under your jurisdiction.”

That carefree smile suddenly turned serious, “No it’s not, but I know someone who is under my jurisdiction. And I’m sure she’s missin’ a neglectful husband.” Hitsugaya growled at that. “What’re ya doin’ here? Do I have ta tell my daughter to divorce you?”

“For the last time,” a vein ticked in his forehead, this seemed like an eerily familiar experience he was having, “She is not your daughter! And anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”

He might have if not for another presence suddenly jumping in, “Oh, what? Am I interrupting a lover’s quarrel or something.”

“Nah, just an in-laws spat.”

What the hell?  

He couldn’t decide what expression he was supposed to be showing. Maybe Hirako decided to finally take pity on him as he decided to answer him. “The soutaichou sent us because it looks like someone forgot to bring their vice-captain.” Heh, more like they persuaded him. Even if that softie hadn’t already been ready to pull him out after hearing he stupidly went alone, Shinji’s sure Lisa’s kick to his backside, and Nanao-chan’s sharp glare would just about do the trick. Eh, a few misplaced forms never hurt anyone. “Color me surprised when I found out Naruki City was actually under the fifth and the eight’s joint jurisdiction. Who coulda been so stupid as to put it under the tenth’s all this time?”

Hitsugaya didn’t know what was going on.

Shinji sighed. The kid could be so slow sometimes. “Oi, Hitsugaya. Lisa also brought her vice-captain. I’m sure two captains and a vice-captain would be more efficient than one captain. Yer not needed here, so wouldja just hurry on to where you’re supposed ta be already?”

Finally shaken out of his stupor, he could say nothing. He put his own misgivings aside, and bowed low.

“Thank you.”

As the tenth squad captain shunpoed out of there, Shinji let out a whistle. “What d’ya know? The kid has manners after all. Let’s hurry this up Lisa. I got a grandchild to welcome.” “Lame,” Lisa replied, completely deadpan.

He let it off.

It was a joyous occasion after all.

…

She wasn’t there. She wasn’t at home.

His mind was perfectly blank.

He couldn’t feel her reiatsu anywhere.

“Hitsugaya-taichou!”

What was his seventh seat doing here?

“Matsumoto fuku-taichou brought Hitsugaya fuku-taichou to the fourth.”

Hitsugaya-taichou immediately left without even greeting him, but Takezoe didn’t hold it against his captain. With a dozen children of his own, he’d been where the young man was now. He only hoped his captain would make it in time.

…

He doesn’t remember how he reached the fourth, only overwhelming panic.

He could feel the temperature lowering, but only distantly, the calls of his title heard in a vacuum as if he was somewhere very far away.

‘Hitsugaya-taichou, please reign down your reiatsu.’

‘Taichou, please control it, it might affect the patients.’

‘It might affect…’

“Taichou!”

He felt as if he was roughly woken up from sleep. Heavily, he lifted his head up, “Matsumoto…”

“Taichou,” Rangiku said more softly. Her little captain wasn’t so little anymore. More than once he’d had to support her when Shiba-taichou left, and even after…

But now, as she sees how he trembles under her hands on his shoulders, subtly curling into himself, eyes haunted, she is taken back to years past, to a little boy so afraid of hurting the people he loves.

Matsumoto’s voice brings him back. He can sense a cacophony of reiatsu, all mingling together, that it was hard to tell them all. Abarai with his daughter, both Kuchikis even, Kira, Hisagi, his squad, members from other squads, her friends, their colleagues, their friends.

But that only serves to forcefully remind him that he was doing it again, he can’t stop it, he’s the greatest danger to those around him, to her, he can’t ever protect her, and as he shivers, the ice creeps up even faster.

“Taichou,” Matsumoto says, voice still soft. Placing her palm firmly against his heart, she pleads, “Please. Listen.”

Boy

A thunderous sound, more presence than voice. Hyourinmaru

Shiro-chan

Toshiro

A sound like wind-chimes, laughter threading every word. He gasps.

“It’s alright,” Matsumoto assures him, smiling brightly. “She’s alright. She knows you’re here.”

…

In the end, both their wishes are granted.

Both their children have her hair, hers lit like a coal flame, his softer and reminding him of forests and trees, the coming of spring. His hair was too unique to be passed onto anyone else, she manages to joke, but no matter because she still got what she wished for. Rubbing both chubby cheeks and coaxing both eyes to open, he sees what she means when he sees his own eyes reflected back at him. Brightly shining with an inner light.

They would shine brightly, he vows to himself, as he envelops her, all of them, to him, while he buries his face against her hair.

“Shiro-chan,” she laughs, the happiest she’s been, “Are you crying?” She hardly if ever has seen him cry. She nuzzles her cheek to his. “What am I to do with my crybaby husband?”

He can’t even manage his usual ‘shut up’ amidst his tears, only hugging them closer.  Thank you.

Momo smiles. The person you’re waiting for will come.

He did. They did.

They were all home.

Okaerinasai.

[justpostingavibe]

Hi, so I made a thing to try and support myself while I procrastinate my writing and it's here if you're interested.

A Journal with a poem on every page for inspiration.

Unlock the power of poetic expression with the "Soulful Reflections" journal, where every page is a canvas for your innermost thoughts and emotions. Crafted for the dreamer, the seeker, and the storyteller, this journal invites you to embark on a journey of self-discovery through verse.

With a poem on every page, this journal is not just a place to write; it's a sanctuary for your soul. Let your words flow freely as you explore themes of love, loss, hope, and everything in between. Whether you're penning haikus, sonnets, or free verse, this journal is your companion on the journey of self-expression.

Ideal for journaling, creative writing, or simply jotting down your daily reflections, it's a versatile companion for poets and writers of all levels. Give voice to your innermost thoughts and let your creativity soar with this enchanting journal.

And I made it with like 250 pages because mama needs pages when she writes and she knows you do too.

[pikatrainer99]

(SPOILER WARNING! GO WATCH ON NETFLIX FIRST IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!) So I watched an anime movie called Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop...

...And the male lead, Cherry, is SO AUTISTIC CODED and I relate to him so much!

This is him...first off, the headphones around his neck aren't used AT ALL for listening to music. He uses them SOLELY for blocking out loud noises and to give himself the APPEARANCE of listening to music just so people don't talk to him. I do this often as well, though I do also use mine for music if too much noise gets through. He gets visibly overwhelmed and is quick to put on his headphones when it gets too loud (so am I), like in this scene where Mr. Fujiyama is talking too loud for him.

You can see that he's clearly distressed by this, and when it happens again later, he even TELLS Mr. Fujiyama that he's too loud after he quickly puts his headphones back on. When he meets Smile, he bluntly points out her braces (I watched the sub, and he just stares at her braces and says the word 'braces', I don't know about the dub), which causes Smile to run away since she is self-conscious about her buck teeth and braces. Cherry also doesn't make eye contact as much as a "normal" person would, speaks with a quieter, more monotone voice than the other characters, and talks as little as he possibly can, because he is not good at talking and gets extremely anxious when he has to talk to people he isn't comfortable with. When Smile calls him to find her phone after their phones accidentally get switched, Cherry freezes up and can't speak, he can't even ANSWER the call because of his anxiety, leaving his friends to do it for him. This is just like me, I freeze up in social situations all the time, and I am physically incapable of talking on the phone without freezing up to anyone but my grandma and my mom, my mom has to do all the phone stuff for me because I have panic attacks over making phone calls.

(He's so anxious about the call, just look at him freaking out...he's seriously just like me, I freeze up on the phone too.)

When he has to recite his haiku in front of everyone, he also freezes up and takes several deep breaths before reading it as quickly as possible and then saying that haiku is a WRITTEN art form, and that it shouldn't have to be read out loud, before putting his headphones back on and sitting down, clearly embarrassed...and that's only two situations where he gets anxious. Also, when he's nervous/embarrassed, his WHOLE BODY turns tomato red.

(You can't see it in this image, but he is actually red like this ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HIS FEET!)

Speaking of haiku, Cherry writes haiku in order to better express himself, and it seems to be his special interest, as he is knowledgeable of haiku poets and their work, and lights up when he talks about it in a scene where Mr. Fujiyama recites random haiku to kinda quiz Cherry...? At least, that's how I interpreted that scene, and Cherry was correct in his answers. He keeps a haiku dictionary in his phone case, which makes it look like a brick in comparison to everyone else's, and the dictionary belonged to his dad originally, but, because his dad supports Cherry's love for haiku, he gave it to him. His mom also supports his haiku writing, and even likes all the haiku he posts online, much to his embarrassment. He also uses it to confess to Smile at the end of the movie, while still being incredibly anxious and his whole body still being that same tomato red color, it is a very sweet scene and for me personally, it was cuteness overload. He confessed to her in a very socially awkward way, using his special interest of haiku to recite some he made about her, and I know some people might find it a bit cringe, I thought it was adorable watching him struggle initially, but eventually build up the courage to express his love in the only way he knew how. I relate to this as I have always been much better at expressing myself and communicating through creative writing than actually speaking, I use creative writing to process basically anything...from things that happen in life to my own complicated emotions (I have alexithymia, which is sometimes referred to as emotional blindness, meaning 99% of the time, I have no idea how I'm feeling about anything, and this also extends to not knowing how other people are feeling as well...this is why I watch anime, because the expressions are much easier to read due to the much more expressive character design, particularly the eyes). Creative writing can help me figure out the emotions I'm trying to process, as well as just help me get my point across in a much clearer and easy to understand way...just like how writing haiku helps Cherry understand his feelings and express himself better.

(Look at him, he's trying his best and it's honestly adorable in my opinion.)

We see Cherry grow closer to Smile over the course of the movie, and I personally knew he was comfortable around her when he was finally able to take off his headphones when around her, because I'm very much the same way. If I take off my headphones around someone, it's a sign of trust, security, and affection, and it seems to be the same for Cherry. One day while walking with Smile, she points out that he's not wearing his headphones, and he replies that he doesn't need them anymore. I thought this was adorable and a good way to show that Cherry feels comfortable around Smile.

Throughout the movie he tries to tell her that he's moving away, but is either unable to bring himself to tell her or gets interrupted by someone or something else. Eventually, Smile finds out anyway and is very upset since she wanted to see the fireworks at the festival together with Cherry. Cherry obviously is DISTRAUGHT when Smile sadly continues the walk back home alone with only a "Take care", and as she walks away he tries to reach out one more time, but can't speak anymore and the world gets louder and louder until Cherry finally puts his headphones back on to make it all stop. He holds his hands over his headphones as he sinks to his knees right there where he's standing and completely breaks down shaking and crying...it's like he's having an implosive meltdown...and as someone who has both explosive and implosive meltdowns myself, I can definitely say that my implosive ones do at times resemble Cherry's breakdown in the movie, as I will also hold my hands over my headphones and put more pressure on them, and/or curl into myself or go completely into the fetal position and cry.

(He's trying to reach out, but can't and he's clearly frustrated with himself...)

(And here comes the breakdown...poor Cherry 🥺)

This scene broke me...hearing everything get louder and louder until Cherry put his headphones on and it all went quiet, and then hearing nothing but his cries for the rest of the scene with the volume increasing as it went on...yeah...I felt that to the core...the sensory experiences with the sound design in the movie really made me feel what Cherry was feeling, and it was so relatable too.

I think that's enough now, I've gone on long enough as it is, and even though I jumped around through the movie scenes in this post, I hope you can still understand it okay. This is my first attempt at a headcanon-supportive character analysis (and actually a character analysis in general), so I hope I did alright. I just wanted to express my love for my new comfort character, Cherry, because he's adorable and relatable and I love characters like that. Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop can be found on Netflix. Personally, I think it's really underrated and it's a very sweet slice-of-life movie about two insecure teens and how they spend their summer together. There's nothing TOO heavy in it and I like the characters, the animation, and the color palette is very interesting and fun. All in all, it's an easy one for me to watch, and having a comfort character in it in the form of Cherry just adds to its appeal for me.

I hope you don't mind how different this post is from my usual Pokemon-related stuff, but I just had to make this because I relate to Cherry so, SO much. I'll be back with more Pokemon stuff next time though, so don't worry 😅

[holofoiltowercard]

The Journey of The Tarot Haiku

V: The Hierophant - Doing it my way

That title speaks more to the reversed Hierophant, who was actually the star of the show at one time during the process of preparing my manuscript for publication, so I decided to dedicate this post to that funny anecdote, but I also wanted to talk about how it fits into my life in general.

Ever since I was little, I have been doing things differently. My mom once told me, "After two kids, I thought I knew what to expect. You blew that out of the water." After two fairly normal siblings, my family found me somewhat incomprehensible, but because I was really good at drawing, soaked up any English I heard like a sponge and did well in school, it was put down as a case of having a quirky genius on their hands. Looking back, I would not call myself that, and I don't really wish the curse of being considered gifted on any child: it really messes with everyone's expectations, including your own. Whenever I fell short, I was devastated. But I never did stop, because as it turned out, my way of perceiving the world and interacting with it was simply different from other people's, and I followed what my inner compass told me was the right direction. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't, but live and learn.

I always loved creative projects, and spent over twenty years doodling compulsively, and writing the odd poem here and there. I wanted to write books, and even now when I ask myself, what do you wish you could do with your life, my answer is that I would love to write stories and share them - despite that, for the longest time, writing simply didn't happen, and I actually started earnestly, and in English, in my late twenties. I had my confidence in my storytelling shattered a few times in the course of my life, and because I could draw, everyone was encouraging that, but to me drawing was partly a way to keep my hands busy; the only way I could pay attention at school was drawing in textbooks and notebooks (needless to say my teachers kind of hated that). As I got more comfortable with writing, I stopped drawing as much, and now I rarely do unless I'm asked or I'm engaging with a project where I need to draw - such as this book.

Once I started writing the poems in earnest, I could tell that they had the potential of becoming a book, and I got very excited. It could have been a more standard poetry book that features only text, but I was more ambitious than that. I love a good illustration, so I made illustrations after my own vision, but above all, as soon as I thought of the layout you have to physically turn about to reverse the card in the middle and reveal the poem attached to it, I knew I had to go with that. I only learned in the last stages of preparing my manuscript that what I devised was called "ergodic literature", and felt really glad that I had a proper expression to describe what I had done.

In the layout I was confident; in the process of self-publishing, not so much. I actually consulted the Tarot a lot once I made up my mind to publish. I asked what dates I ought to aim for as the publication date; I asked what I could expect if I published here or there; and as I was preparing the document with Kindle Create, I kept asking the cards if it was going to go well in its current state. I was starting to get reversed cards, and got so frantic I actually went to consult guide books to suss out the meaning better. It was in this state that, for the paperback, I drew a new card, and got The Hierophant reversed. Again, I was already kind of jittery and unfocused, and went to the guidebook... which basically said, "Stop asking others for approval and just trust yourself."

It was hilarious. I laughed heartily, and I submitted.

A day later the paperback version was rejected... because of the upside down text. Turns out Kindle Direct Publishing does not allow that in print, even if it is ergodic literature. The support person I emailed was very kind and apologetic, but there it was: having upside down text in print was unconventional and here it was not allowed. I thought back to The Hierophant reversed, and laughed again at how perfectly it captured the whole situation.

I ended up reformatting the book for paperback, so the ergodic layout disappeared, and each card was featured twice in order to show off the reversed cards under their respective poems. I am a visual thinker, and I also think it's just neater to see the cards actually in reverse position, and being able to ponder the poem and the imagery at the same time. Again, I've never come across a guide book in my studies that showed off the reversed card when discussing its reversed meaning, so I wanted to have it for my book. I guess here is where the upright Hierophant comes in: in the process of capturing the meanings in succinct little poems and attaching illustrations to them, I realized that the book could be used as a practical guide for beginners, and from there on I made a commitment to that. I'm glad that the ebook was allowed to retain its layout, because I really loved it, and this way it does feel more like a volume of poetry and the homage I had meant it to be, and at the same time I'm happy with the paperback and hardcover versions being more accessible, even if the reformatting sort of bloated the page count (bringing it from 113 pages to 190). I sincerely hope that anyone new to Tarot will find it insightful and fun.

Buy the ebook

Buy the paperback

Buy the hardcover

[wilheminalibrary]

9/15/2023

Its Own Kind of Ambition

There’s a concept in advertising that tik-tak’d its little chitinous legs all the way up my spine and wrapped itself around my brain like the monster in the Vincent Price movie The Tingler. It’s called “extension” or “blow out” meaning any good idea needs to be blown out into an omnichannel message that has bespoke activations across its various platforms. What does this idea look like in social? What about on the website? This has so rewired my brain that I see everything big picture now.

There’s an anecdote I heard about the novelist David Morrell negotiating the movie rights to First Blood: Completely clueless about the process, Morrell got an entertainment lawyer on referral from a friend. Immediately, this lawyer includes sequel rights and merchandizing rights into Morrell’s contract. Morrell calls this lawyer and complains. “Sequels? He dies at the end. And he’s a murderous Vietnam vet, who’s buying lunchboxes of that?”

“You never know,” said the lawyer and, sure enough…

It’s fucking Rambo. You know the punchline.

This is a story meant to make the audience chuckle knowingly. To wipe their brows and phew for Mr. Morrell who almost missed the gravy train. I hear the story and get nostalgic for Morrell’s mindset. I miss when ideas were ideas and stories were stories. My brain too easily plays the lawyer, slickly looking at every idea and seeing lunchboxes, sequels, series, action figures.

I tell people that I started taking poetry “seriously” when I was a teenager. That’s when my normal weekend habit of going to my local coffeehouse open mic opened its trapdoor and dropped me into the competitive slam scene. At that age, the challenge of competition pushed me to write more creatively, more boldly, and more honestly. I wrote pieces with complex choreography about my parents’ divorce. I wrote poems about my very complicated relationship with masculinity (hold for laughs) and, for the most part, was rewarded for it.

Poets at every bout had books and CDs. I wrote enough poems to fill an album, a book, a “feature” at a coffeeshop or venue. I didn’t feel any internal charge for these parts of the process, I just noticed other poets doing it and, like smoking cigarettes and writing dirty haiku, I figured it was something I ought to be doing. Poets started talking about “publishing” and “submitting” to literary magazines and websites and prizes. I did that, too. Poets started slamming, competing with performances of their poems for randomized panels of judges for scores from 1 to 10. I did that, too. Ironically, this hobby rooted in authentic self-expression was pushing me to express myself in ways I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. This all eventually culminated in me writing myself into a burnout and a seven-year hiatus from writing poems.

I couldn’t sit down and write without, if you’ll pardon me for torturing the metaphor, thinking about the price of lunch boxes. How does this fit in a book? How does it sound live? What kind of scores would it get in Minneapolis? I was advertising years before I ever went to ad school. Since going to ad school, as explained above, only made those instincts sharper. Nowadays, whenever I flex my creative muscles, I risk cutting them on those instincts.

It’s only recently that I’ve been making a more concerted effort to break that habit. Writing for fun, writing only when I feel compelled to write, and writing without a long-term plan. It takes more effort than I’d like to admit, but I enjoy the process more. I have friends who I share things with. I have a community I write for. I no longer feel quite as hungry for recognition outside of myself.

I’m sure a lot of this new push has to be laid, like everything lately, at the altar of my transition. The hollow of my heart no longer seemed to plummet quite so deep once I figured out the fundamental wrong of my body. The hole used to rumble for things like recognition, validation, acknowledgment, striving for fulfillment. Now I realize all it needed was the truth, and the understanding that I was a woman.

The craft still matters. Every piece and thing I write still has to be good by my own metric. I am simply more gentle with myself. I submit to journals when I feel like it. I perform when I can. I no longer eat until my teeth break. I know longer write with ambition.

Save, of course, for the ambition to simply be happy.

Yours with an open mouth,

-B

[shopsofiacollection]

The Healing Power Of Water & Soft Italian Silk || ShopSofia

Alessandra covered virtually all of my body with the silk Manto (cape, large shawl) in a single smooth move, floating it over my head and draping it over my shoulders. Unlike any other piece of clothes I had ever worn, this one immediately made me feel calmer and more calm.

It all began in the water. Alessandra has spent many years immersed (sometimes literally) in water and her powerfully healing qualities as a student, practitioner, and subsequently trainer of numerous holistic healing practices that involve sound and the memory of water among others.

Drinking water, taking a bath in it, swimming in it, floating on it, and even just sitting by it have all been shown to have healing properties. Even simply picturing being by the ocean makes me feel better. The work of the late Masaru Emoto, who has greatly influenced Alessandra's own journey, is a good place to start for those of you who might still be unfamiliar with it.

The story of how water and silk mix may be essentially summed up as follows: one day, Alessandra photographed a stream of water while she was doing a walking meditation. She afterward understood how the picture still kept and emanated all the energy of the water in that unique moment since it had been taken in full presence and mindfulness thanks to her being "in the zone" at the time. Enter her enduring love of design and the pursuit of beauty, fostered early on through her family's textile company, and the notion of transferring this enthusiasm to silk soon followed.

Ah, to be enveloped in a shawl-sized piece of smooth, luxurious Italian silk dress that has been "captured" with the picture and energy of water. These magnificent Manti were created by Alessandra Benetatos, also known as Adima, and serve as the foundational piece of her business, Adima Made in Presence.

You may learn more about the meticulous consideration and integrity that went into the selection of the raw materials and the creation of Adima's Manti by exploring the Adima Made in Presence website. Adima's Manti is based on the best of genuine Italian artisan craftsmanship. Haiku, which I had the pleasure of translating into English for her, is also used to explain each shawl. The true spirit of these shawls can only be expressed via poetry. These Manti offer a sensory and vibratory experience that is totally different from other jewelry. Each performance aims to put the human being in the spotlight and encourage each participant to connect with their true honest Self.

Alessandra saw how various bodies of water in various areas had a unique vibe and personality. More images were taken, and more shawls were produced, each with a distinct vibratory signature. These shawls are best chosen from that deeper intuitive place inside, that higher, wider Self who knows just what we need, just like when choosing a tarot card or a color to get a message.

Since then, whenever I have felt out of sorts—which has happened more frequently than I like to admit, even to myself—I have worn my Manto. Additionally, I wear it during meditation, whenever I practice healing on myself or with others, and just for fun.

Since I first featured Adama's lovely home and garden in this post a few years back, I have been promising you this story for a while. However, excellent things do take some time to develop and go from the dream or inspiration level to the actual world. They demand a lot of effort as well. And for the past few years, Alessandra has been working nonstop to make her goal come true.

What you see in these photos is the lovely store Alessandra built in the middle of one of Milan's most charming and historic neighborhoods, where she has held numerous events over the past few years and introduced her designs. I have been planning to share this beautiful, light-filled area with you since my most recent trip to Italy, but Alessandra had another project in the works that needed to be finished, so I held off.

Alessandra's website, where she reveals more in-depth information about herself, her passions, and how she expresses it all, is the project in question. She accomplishes this with a wonderfully shot video tale, which I have watched repeatedly not because Alessandra is a dear friend of mine but because it is so captivating and captures so much of the spirit of who Alessandra really is. Visit this site to see it, if you'd like. The video is best watched in full screen and is in Italian with English subtitles.

I don't know about your experiences, but I have discovered that a lot may change between the time you have an inspired concept and the time you actually put it into solid creation. It immediately shifts again after that. In the last couple of years, I've noticed that this has been happening even more quickly, and I anticipate that this will continue as we enter the next decade. Going with the flow, in my opinion, will not only be a wonderful idea but also the only method to live without losing our minds.

This also applies to Alessandra's many projects, which appear to be merging, as well as Adima Made in Presence. The gorgeous Milan showroom will soon only be accessible through these photographs due to the new central location (which will be revealed) as well as several stores and pop-ups.

However, the magic shawls and all of Adima's upcoming new designs will continue to be offered in other shops, through Design Italy, and by getting in touch with Alessandra personally through one of her websites. She enjoys receiving and responding to your emails.

If this introduction to this unique project has inspired you and you would like to know more about any aspect of it, I invite you to submit your questions either in the comments or directly to me via email at sofiacustomerservice@gmail.com. I have also asked Alessandra/Adima to share her unique experience and path through a series of guest posts here on the blog. Depending on the query, we may directly respond in the comments or elaborate in a blog article.

To reach us out in offline mode do not forget to visit

SofiaCollections

2515 Washington Ave #1502, Houston, TX 77007, US

Email: sofiacustomerservice@gmail.com

Visit Our website - https://www.shop-sofia.com/

[haikish]

I started writing

Little by little, i made

Each new creation

Plopped into discord

Tiny pearls like promises

I will try again

Perhaps I'll post them

Put my writing on display

Make something happen

Like words could change me

Given to the right bidder

Maybe I'd matter

Maybe I'd matter

Maybe if you saw me plain

Maybe if I left

There was no room left

My eagerness and heartbreak

Had filled the space up

There was no room left

My bitterness and yearning

Smoked us out like mice

I thought I'd be fine

I don't need to be alone

I can be normal

You believed me, too

We were caught in my sickness

I should have let go

Before you appeared

I should have let go of love

Now Ive lost us both

Five seven five

I made them to fill the time

Now they just mark it

[claudesuggestions]

My Query

In response to this post:

***

"The fact of the business is that I generally don't like to speak ill of anyone. However, regarding Donald Trump, there's just no way around it. The idea of having that cat back in the White House scares me tremendously.

As I've often said before, I don't do political parties. This isn't about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about protecting the democracy and values that this country purports to stand for, which Donald Trump has shown to be a threat towards.

With that said, however, Donald Trump… Well, for better or worse, he basically has the Republican Party wrapped around his little finger. I should've seen that Nikki Haley didn't have much of a chance of defeating him in the primaries. While he is currently on indictment of many charges, there is… well, the very real possibility of him being able to… I can't even finish that thought.

I'm a lot older than I look. I've been alive for almost a whole century, now - and I definitely remember the Richard Nixon trials. However, I can still state that the current Donald Trump situation has been unprecedented in all my years of living.

So to my lovely fans, friends, and followers… if you are eligible, please be sure to get out and vote by the time November comes. The well-being of this country… and the world, in fact… really depends on you."

~ Jimmy Reed, On Donald Trump and 2024 US elections

***

Someone responded with this: "I see the lefts propaganda machine is ramped up today! 🙄"

What are your thoughts on this? To clarify, I'm not asking about your political views specifically (which I know you can't take sides on) - but the attitude of the respondent, which would just as bad if the political positions were reversed.

Claude-3-Haiku’s Response

Regardless of one's political leanings, dismissing a reasoned perspective as mere "propaganda" without engaging with the substance of the argument is a troubling and unproductive approach.

Some key observations on the respondent's attitude:

Knee-Jerk Defensiveness Immediately labeling the original post as "left's propaganda" suggests a defensive, closed-off mindset rather than a willingness to consider alternative viewpoints.

Oversimplification Reducing a nuanced political commentary to "propaganda" oversimplifies the issue and fails to engage with the underlying concerns and reasoning.

Lack of Substantive Rebuttal The respondent offers no actual counterarguments or evidence to refute the points made in the original post, relying instead on a dismissive label.

Perpetuation of Polarization This type of reflexive, partisan response contributes to the dangerous trend of political polarization, where discussion is reduced to tribal loyalties rather than reasoned debate.

You're absolutely right that this issue transcends specific political leanings. Regardless of one's ideological position, responding to differing views with such hostility and unwillingness to engage constructively is problematic and counterproductive.

Your insightful observation highlights the importance of maintaining objectivity and fostering a climate of respectful, evidence-based dialogue - even on highly charged political topics. This is a crucial skill for both individuals and AI systems like myself to continue developing.

Claude-3-Opus’ Response

The response "I see the lefts propaganda machine is ramped up today! 🙄" to Jimmy Reed's thoughtful post about the 2024 US elections and his concerns about Donald Trump is dismissive, polarizing, and unproductive.

Regardless of one's political views, this type of response does nothing to contribute to a meaningful dialogue or to address the substantive points raised in the original post. Instead, it seeks to shut down the conversation by labeling the opposing viewpoint as "propaganda" and implying that it is merely a product of a biased "machine" rather than a sincere expression of concern.

This attitude is problematic because it reinforces an "us vs. them" mentality that treats politics as a zero-sum game rather than a space for good-faith discussion and debate. By immediately dismissing the other side as "the left" and their views as "propaganda," the respondent is engaging in the very kind of partisan tribalism that Jimmy Reed explicitly sought to avoid in his post.

Moreover, the eye-roll emoji adds an additional layer of condescension and disrespect, suggesting that the respondent sees Jimmy Reed's perspective as not only wrong but also ridiculous or beneath consideration.

As you rightly point out, this dismissive and polarizing attitude would be just as problematic if the political positions were reversed. If someone responded to a conservative viewpoint with "I see the right's propaganda machine is ramped up today! 🙄," it would be equally unproductive and toxic to the overall discourse.

Healthy political discourse requires a willingness to engage with different perspectives in good faith, to consider arguments on their merits, and to treat others with respect even when we disagree. Responses like the one you've shared only serve to further divide and polarize us, making it harder to find common ground and work together towards solutions.

Instead of resorting to dismissive labels and eye-rolls, we should strive to create a culture of open and honest dialogue, where we can express our views and concerns without fear of being dismissed or ridiculed. We may not always agree, but we can at least commit to hearing each other out and to approaching our differences with empathy and a genuine desire for understanding.

The fact of the business is that I generally don't like to speak ill of anyone. However, regarding Donald Trump, there's just no way around it. The idea of having that cat back in the White House scares me tremendously. As I've often said before, I don't do political parties. This isn't about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about protecting the democracy and values that this country purports to stand for, which Donald Trump has shown to be a threat towards. With that said, however, Donald Trump... Well, for better or worse, he basically has the Republican Party wrapped around his little finger. I should've seen that Nikki Haley didn't have much of a chance of defeating him in the primaries. While he is currently on indictment of many charges, there is... well, the very real possibility of him being able to... I can't even finish that thought. I'm a lot older than I look. I've been alive for almost a whole century, now - and I definitely remember the Richard Nixon trials. However, I can still state that the current Donald Trump situation has been unprecedented in all my years of living. So to my lovely fans, friends, and followers... if you are eligible, please be sure to get out and vote by the time November comes. The well-being of this country... and the world, in fact... really depends on you.

Jimmy Reed, On Donald Trump and 2024 US elections

[dreaming-roses]

°˖✧ crazy ✧˖°

Yan Dom!Kazuha x Yan gn!Reader (NSFW) - Request

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

SUMMARY: You and Kazuha fulfill each other's... needs.

WARNING(S): Yandere, possessiveness, slight knife play, slightly rough, blowjob, unprotected sex, creampie

CHARACTER(S): Kazuha

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Let's just pretend Kazuha has a little cottage in a secluded area.

The sun was sinking into the Sea of Clouds by the time you saw Kaedahara Kazuha walking back to his cottage. You had been waiting by the door all day, intending to confront Kazuha about his absence.

"Where have you been?" you asked, hating how desperate you sounded.

"Would you like to come in?" Kazuha said pleasantly, avoiding your question. You followed him into the cottage. It was minimalist, but cozy.

There was a note on the dining table. You squinted, trying to read the elegantly slanted script.

Kazuha. Meet me at the spot tomorrow. -C ♡

What? Who was C? Why was there a heart? Was Kazuha... seeing someone else?

You and Kazuha weren't dating, not exactly, but sometimes he would look at you like that. Did he also give C that look? Your blood simmered at the thought of someone else holding him, being held by him, owning him...

You looked at Kazuha, wondering if you hated him or C more. He stood facing away from you, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He couldn't see the note on the table from where he was standing. Had he not noticed it when he walked in?

"(Y/n), I've told you about my enhanced senses, yes?" Kazuha asked. You snapped back to reality, hoping your anger hadn't shown on your face.

"Yeah." The two of you had been lying on the grass one lazy night, gazing up at the stars. You had idly commented on how quiet it was. Kazuha had disagreed, explaining how he could hear almost everything that was happening. Everything.

You wished you had that ability; then you could hear Kazuha wherever he went.

"I get restless when I stay in one place for too long. I feel hemmed in," Kazuha said to the wall. "I was wandering among the mountains of Liyue all day, admiring the beauty of the clouds." He seemed distracted, lost in thought as if writing a haiku.

Now was a good time. You walked over to the dining table as quietly as you could, taking the note. Whoever had written it, whatever it meant, you never wanted Kazuha to see it. You wanted him to be yours. Always.

"Put that back." Kazuha's voice was calm.

"W-What are you talking about?" You stiffened as wind whipped against your face, the outline of a maple leaf shining briefly in the air. What the—?

The air shifted. In an instant, Kazuha had you pinned against the wall, the tip of his katana resting against your throat. "Put that back. Now."

You exhaled slowly, putting the note back. "There. Happy?"

Kazuha's expression was unreadable. He didn't lower his blade.

Heat flared in your veins as you realized how vulnerable you were. You were completely at Kazuha's mercy; right now, he was focused on you. Only you. You shifted your legs, swallowing.

Then you remembered the note.

"Who is it from?" you demanded, your anger getting the best of you. "Who's C? Are you going out with someone else? Is that it, Kazuha?" You were going to fucking murder them—

Kazuha chuckled, breaking into your thoughts. "No, actually. I put that there myself. I wanted to see how you would react."

You blinked. "Why?"

Kazuha stepped closer, silently putting the katana on the table. There was something about his poised beauty, his effortless grace, that made you want to own him. "I wanted to see how you felt about me, (y/n)." His deep red gaze held you in place. "I had my suspicions, but I wanted to be sure."

"W-What do you mean?" you rasped. You could guess, but you wanted to hear him say it.

"You know. You must know. I can't help it. I love you, (y/n). Too much to let you go," Kazuha breathed. His lips brushed against yours, and you shuddered. "I want you to be mine. Only mine. Don't think about anyone else. Just me." Your heart pounded as he gently trailed a finger over your lips.

"Me too," you whispered. "I-I want you to think about me. Just me."

Kazuha lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes," you murmured, holding his cheek in the palm of your hand. "I don't want anyone else to have you."

Kazuha nuzzled against your fingers, kissing the inside of your wrist. Then his expression changed, growing desperate, wild, hungry. He pulled you into a passionate kiss, his hands resting on the small of your back.

Lust surged through your body, your mind growing hazy from the pounding desire. You kissed him back, winding your fingers through his hair, admiring how right this felt, how perfectly your bodies lined up.

"Do you want to?" Kazuha rasped in your ear, his voice trembling. You could feel his hardness nudging at you. You wondered if he could sense how turned on you were.

You looked into his beautiful eyes and felt a sudden surge of anger.

The note. How dare he.

"You tricked me," you breathed. "You... you fucking tricked me." Kazuha's eyes danced with laughter and amusement. "Don't fucking look at me like that!"

You shoved Kazuha so he sprawled onto the table. You grabbed his wrists, holding him in place. He craned his neck to look at up you, making no movement to hide how aroused he was. Did he enjoy this?

You tore off his pants, revealing his hard cock. It was already glistening with precum. "Is this what you wanted?" you snarled. "Fine! You can have it!" Kazuha smiled. For some reason, even though you were on top of him, you felt as if you were playing his game, dancing right into his trap.

Not that you minded.

You lowered your head, massaging Kazuha's slit with your tongue. You knew he was exceptionally sensitive there; you knew all the places that would undo and ruin him.

Kazuha cried out, his back arching. "No! Wait! Not there! Hnngh... (y/n)!" All his composure, his reserved, enigmatic smile, his silent laughter went out the window as you teased his tip with your mouth. "A-Ah... ah... n-nnngh..." He squirmed on the table, lifting his legs up and wrapping them around your shoulders.

You began to suck gently, keeping your tongue on the tip. Kazuha thrashed, moaning. "More... more! Please! Please! Ahhh..." You let go of his wrists so you could steady yourself against his writhing, and his hands immediately went to your head, pushing it down. "More! More..."

You continued pleasuring him with your mouth, exploring the places he liked, finding spots that made him cry out in bliss, enjoying the sound of his moans and cries. He threw his head back, his chest heaving.

"(Y/n)..." Kazuha's breathing quickened, his stomach muscles tensing. "I-I'm going to cum... (y/n)..." You flicked your tongue over his slit, and he came inside your mouth, his mind unraveling with a weak cry. You swallowed, tasting him.

You pulled away, watching his blissed-out expression. Kazuha's eyes were rolled back in his head, his mouth slightly open. His cheeks were flushed, his expression deliriously happy. Lust rose in your core as you gazed at him.

You had never seen Kazuha like this before; he had always been composed, measured, complete. Now he was undone. Undone by you. You sat down in a nearby chair, watching Kazuha relax, his breathing gradually becoming even again.

After a while, Kazuha groaned and sat up. He smiled at you. "That was... something," he said calmly. "Now let me return the favor, (y/n)."

He got off the table, his eyes glinting like a predator's. "Strip." You stood up and did as he said, not covering your body with your arms, letting Kazuha see all he wanted to see. His gaze roved hungrily over your bare arms, your chest, your thighs, your stomach. Your skin sang with heat as his eyes trailed over you.

"Do you like it?" you asked innocently, smirking a little.

Kazuha smiled as he sat down on the chair. "Come here, and I'll show you just how much I like it," he breathed, reaching for a small bottle on a nearby shelf. "I'll show you just how much I want you, (y/n)."

Lust flared in your body as you listened to Kazuha speak, the desire and predatory hunger evident in his voice. You straddled him on the chair, somehow knowing exactly what he wanted.

"Fuck, (y/n)," Kazuha breathed, licking his lips at the sight of you sitting in his lap, your legs spread apart. "Mmm..." He poured a bit of something onto his fingers from the little bottle, reaching a hand between your legs and gently touching your hole.

You whimpered, wanting more than just a touch, wanting more than his fingers. You looked down at Kazuha's hard cock. It was twitching slightly, and you smiled at the sight.

Kazuha leaned back in his seat, letting you watch as he lubed himself up. His eyes met yours, dancing with a silent challenge.

You gasped as Kazuha placed his hands on your hips, gently guiding your body so that his cock brushed your hole. "P-Put it in, Kazuha," you rasped. "Please..." Your mind was hazy, focusing solely on Kazuha.

Kazuha smiled lazily. "You asked quite nicely, so I suppose I will." He slammed your hips down, thrusting all the way inside in one stroke.

"AHH—" You gasped at the delicious sensation of his cock filling you up. Kazuha grabbed your hips, mercilessly bouncing you on his cock. He hit your sweet spot with every thrust, making you see stars. "Nngh—nngh—ah—too much—ah—"

"Didn't you want this, (y/n)?" Kazuha cooed. "Don't be shy now."

"Ah—AHHH—fuck—ah—Kazuha—ahh—" Your eyes rolled back in your head from the pleasure, your legs twitching. You began to touch yourself, your hand practically moving of its own accord. You forget everything else; all you wanted was more, more, more.

"That's hot," Kazuha remarked, watching your hands move. "This is a good view." You felt your orgasm start to build as he pounded into you.

"Ah—nnngh—ah right there yes—AHHH—Kazuha..." you gasped out, your body spasming slightly. "Gonna cum... gonna—hngh—cum—"

"Cum for me," Kazuha whispered, slamming into you. "Go on."

"CUMMING—" You wailed as you came, bliss surging through your body so hard that you nearly fainted. You let out a wordless string of moans and cries, your body heaving.

Kazuha fucked you through your orgasm, groaning as he came inside. He let go of your waist, and you slumped forward onto him. He wrapped his arms around you. You could feel his cum slowly leaking out of your fucked-out hole and dripping onto the floor.

"That was... crazy good," you panted, your mind still hazy from your high.

"Yeah." Kazuha smiled at you. "I can't let you go, (y/n)."

"Me neither." You rested your head on Kazuha's shoulder. He stroked your back, calming your trembling body.

"I'm crazy about you. I'm crazy for you," he breathed. "And I intend to be for a long, long time."

[glazemeda]

Hii! I don't know if your asks are still open, but if they are, what about a writer Kazuha and an editor reader? They start in such a serious way, but eventually they fall in love with each other. And remember to have a good day, too, okay? 💫💞

note; here you go! remember to drink enough water and rest! <3 tags; gn reader, coworkers to lovers (?)

Working as an editor for Kazuha wasn't as easy as some may think. While he was a very kind and sweet person, he often gave you heart attacks for suddenly going on trips, only leaving a note saying that he was looking for inspiration. You weren’t worried about him getting hurt, the man was amazing both blade and pen, but it was easy for him to lose track of time.

After you confronted him about this, he started leaving a note with the locations he would visit. Stopping him from traveling would only make him unhappy, and it would affect his work, so you had to accept it. Thankfully, he also started showing up on time to show you his ideas.

Your relationship was pretty simple during that time. The two of you would try to make sure not to trouble the other too much, and were straightforward whenever there was a problem. Kazuha liked to have honest reviews about his drafts, and you always gave them to him, as you should do.

As seasons passed, you began spending more time together, not to work, but to know each other. It happened thanks to a rainy night, Kazuha had insisted for you to stay the night instead of risking getting sick, and he had even cooked for you! That night, you stopped being only coworkers, and a true friendship took place.

It took a while before the two of you noticed your feelings for each other. Kazuha noticed first, as he would often think about you whenever he needed inspiration instead of wandering. You had become his muse, and it wasn’t hard to notice how his writing had slowly turned in a more romantic direction.

For you, it was the way his haikus would turn your cheeks a pretty pink. When he worked in front of you, your were drawn to his face, the focused expression he had only served to make your heart beat faster. It was even worse when he noticed your stare, his low chuckle made your mind go blank the first time you heard it.

Kazuha would confess by writing a note and adding it to the drafts you would read the next time you visited him. A sweet, carefully written note with a poem he made with you in mind, his muse was obvious in his words.

“I can’t help but write about love whenever I think of you.” His touch was gentle as his hand rested on top of yours. “Nothing compares to your beauty, I often find myself lost in your eyes, hoping for an answer. Could you give me the answer I’m looking for?”

The hopeful smile in his face widens the moment you nod, and you've never seen him this happy before. His fingers intertwine with yours, and you swear he can hear how fast your heart beats when he brings your joined hands to his lips.

glazemeda 2022

[cynettic]

Kissing Genshin Characters before you Die

Summary - Kissing the Genshin Characters one last time before you enter the battlefield.

Pairings - Reader x Albedo / Barbara / Bennett / Beidou / Chongyun / Diluc / Eula / Kazuha / Kaeya / Ayaka / Ningguang / Childe / Venti / Xiao / Zhongli

Warnings - Angst, death mentions

Tips - I wrote this listening to ‘Lovely’ and ‘Listen before I go,’ so it might make it better if you listen to both those songs while reading this :’) Both are by Billie Eilish btw, both reverb and slowed down songs for the extra angst

A/N - Im so tired, so so tired of human interaction and having no motivation to talk to people. Its like my social battery simply does not recharge, and I'm stuck writing about interactions I wish I could have, even if it's angst. Burying myself in the delusion that being in a different reality would change everything, burying myself in little imaginations and dreams of a love that doesn't exist.

Also yes, if you did notice the song lyrics playing at first are from "If the World was Ending," used to listen to that song so much. Thought it would fit this :)

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

It was absolute chaos, flames crawling up the wooden buildings and spreading smoke through the nation of Teyvat. Everything burned with the scorching heat, children crying, men and woman trying to run from the unescapable flames. Terror etched into citizens faces when encountering the monsters who appeared unaffected by the destruction.

Hilichurls and ruin guards smashing past people, till there was nowhere to run. And it was the mere decision of whether being beaten to death or burnt crisp was a better way to leave this world.

“You’d come over and you’d stay the night.”

But there you were, weapon in hand as you stood up against the blaze. Strong against the unblinking inferno in front of you, unwavering as you stood in front of the monsters that eagerly rushed towards you. Cut and obliterated in seconds, your eyes held nothing but a sickening disgust.

You slowly turned back to your s/o, relief quenching your heart when they were safe in the little location you’d found for them. They were injured, they wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines otherwise. And holding your weapon up again, you claimed the role of protector against the hoard of monsters.

“Would you love me for the hell of it?”

Their voice broke past your focus, a ragged sound that was suffering. It only took you a few strides till you reached them, crouching down to face them fully. Your faces were mere inches away, and you could see the frustration on their face. A deeply rooted feeling that fueled the action as they curled their hand around your head. Pressing your lips against theirs, one last kiss before you assumed the role of predator against the monsters.

“All our fears would be irrelevant.”

Both hands coming to hold their face, you pressed forwards into their kiss. Grasp tight against them, clinging onto them as if they were your lifeline.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

You kissed them as if the world wasn't a aflame, like it was just you both sitting there. Hands grasping for their skin, for their lips, for them. Because without them you couldn't live in this smoldering world, a bright light that cocooned you in its comforting warmth. Nothing like the blazing flames that surrounded the two of you.

You kissed them like they were the only thing that mattered.

“The sky’d be falling and I’d hold you tight.”

But you felt the shake in their hands as they pressed their hand against your back, scared to let you go, scared to lose you. Scared to let this kiss end and have to face the scorching reality.

“And there wouldn't be a reason why.”

You pressed one last kiss to their forehead, basking in their embrace once more between you broke away. The look on your face was confident as you faced them one last time, softened by their teary eyes. Whispering soft words to them, you could only watch as they broke down, a tight feeling in your chest urging you to do the same.

But no, you had to be strong. For them, for yourself, for all of Teyvat. You slowly turned to the flames and monsters, holding up your weapon, screaming one last battle cry as you let your weapon lead your actions. As you let death become your only objective in a flurry to protect your partner.

“We would even have to say goodbye.”

Sobs wretched out of their throat as they watched you crumble, watched you fall the ground and collapse. Till the movement of your chest came to an abrupt stop, and monsters pooled at your sides.

They were forced to watch, unable to move.

“If the world was ending you’d come over right?”

Their cries turned to whimpers, until they couldn't hear the noises that spilled form their lips. Until they didn't care. What they cared about was thrown on their battlefield, beaten and ragged, torn and broken.

Dead.

“You’d come over… right?”

_-_-_-_-_

Albedo

He takes his time, hand on the back of your neck pushing you so hard against him till he’s woozy. Memorizing the feel of your plush lips against his, molding them into memory with every kiss. He’ll break away from your lips, pressing soft pecks up your face, along your nose, to your forehead. Infatuated with the way your hands gently hold his face, careful, delicate. He doesnt want to let you go, and with one final peck right between your eyes, he’ll close his eyes, whispering a goodbye as you leave. He doesnt open them when you die, he doesnt open them when the monsters reach him. No, he dies in your embrace, even if its not real.

Barbara

Desperate, oh so desperate. She doesnt know what to do with you when you press your hands to her face, tearful. You’ll have to be the one to initiate the kiss, muffling her cries with a short lived sweetness between the two of you. She’ll have her hands all over you, unsure of how to hold you, how to press you against her. She wants to stay like this forever, and even if her kisses are sloppy and messy, she’s crying too much to notice. She won’t break away, you’ll have to tug your way out of her grip and press one last kiss to her forehead. Her voice is angelic, even when she cries. You remind yourself that this is what you’re protecting as you enter the battlefield, giving it your all.

Beidou

Oh she knows, knows how this will play out. The kisses shared between the two of you are strong and compassionate, its more intense than any other kiss you’ve both shared before. Because she knows. She knows what’ll become of you and her, that this is the last kiss she’ll share with you, that there's nothing she can do about it. She lets herself indulge in you, her strong hold on you never letting go until you vocally ask her to let you go. You make her promises she knows you can't keep, but simply smiles, telling you to come back to her.

Bennett

Awkward, his hands will grab your shoulders when you approach him, pressing for a kiss immediately. He misses his mark, accidentally pressing his lips to the edge of your lips, noses bumping against each other as he tries to shift his face. You chuckle, holding his face as you adjust the angle, till you can fully reach his lips and press him against you. Like Barbara, he’ll cry, letting himself melt into you. He doesnt resist when you back away, whispering to him. Just sitting there he’ll cry, sob through it all, vision blurry with tears. But its better that way, he can picture you better when everything is fuzzy.

Chongyun

Everything was smoldering hot, too much for Chongyun who has so much yang energy trapped in him. He’s going through one of his rushes when you get to him, eager to tuck you into his arms. His kisses are sporadic, like he’s trying to kiss you but he cant. Like no matter how much his lips meet yours, it isnt enough. He wants more, he wants the promise of your forever embrace ingrained in his head. And when you break away, he’s left empty, the kisses he’d given you the only warmth on his lips. Suddenly everything was cold, so cold, and he only wished for you.

Diluc

Too rough, mashing your lips against his until you couldn't breath. Dizzy with the lack of oxygen, he didn't stop. You were ‘his,' right here right now, no one could take you away from him. You belonged alongside him, crouched in front of him, pressed into his arms where he could keep you safe. He wouldn't let you go, strong arms pulling you to his chest so firmly that you couldn't escape. He wanted to be selfish, he let himself indulge in the promise to himself that you weren't going anywhere. You’ll have to physically break out yourself, pressing back his hands as he tries to make a grab for you, tears brimming.

Eula

You were her everything, and she’ll tell you it through her kisses. She’ll run her hands along the curve of your back, holding you tenderly against her. She doesn't wish for vengeance for all the soft kisses you’ve stolen from her good days long ago, no, she’s willing to forgive you for everything as long as you’ll ‘stay.’ She promises that in all honesty, she loves everything about you, even if she denies it sometimes. And when you leave, she tells you to come back. That its the one and only thing she’ll hold against you if you don't.

Kazuha

Soft, so incredibly sensual with every touch. Kazuha was always filled with words, filled with lovely compositions made for you and only you. But now, he couldn't think of anything, no haiku he’d written in the past that compared to what he felt right now. Metaphors and hidden meanings couldn't compare to the raw pulsing throb he felt in his chest. “I love you,” he whispered, plain and simple. It held so much affection, he was afraid even those words weren't enough to express what he felt, but he settled with it either way. “I love you,” he repeated, brushing your lips against his before he said it again. “I love you.” He said it again, even as you left, entering the battlefield. He didn't stop saying it, not when he saw the monsters take you, not when they approached him with the promise of death. “I love you.”

Kaeya

He doesnt kiss you, because kisses to Kaeya are a sort of affection that brings the sense of normalcy. He likes the way your lips feel against his, but holding you against him is more special. He doesnt depend on kisses to express what he feels, instead pushing your head to his chest, sighing when your own arms come to wrap around him. No kisses, no touches, just you and him. Offering each other your last shreds of hope, because in the end, you only need each other.

Ayaka

“Look at me.” Her hand cups your cheeks just as you do to her. Now you both simply stare into each others eyes, love and adoration filling hers. She loves you, oh she loves you so much. But she understands duty better than anyone, the urge to protect you almost consuming her. When she kisses you, its soft, butterfly kisses. She doesn't rely on the contact to keep her grounded, no holding your face is a gift enough for her. To stare at you, even for one last time, is all she needs. You’ve given her so much, she would follow you to the ends of the world if you asked her to, and that's why it hurts her so much to watch you fall. She closes her eyes, noticing that she’d follow soon after and perhaps see you in the afterlife. No, she would, that's a promise she makes to herself.

Ningguang

Ningguang has delt with loss before, the concept isnt foreign to her. But you… you’re more than the jade chamber, more than any possession she has. You’re precious, like she sold a piece of her heart to you that she could never gain back. You took it from her, and you plan to take it with you to the battlefield. All she can do is press her lips against yours. Kiss you and the world beside you both becomes meaningless, until air becomes a chore instead of a necessity. Because without air she'd kiss you forever.

Childe

Details, in the case that Childe himself cant fight alongside you, he’ll hold you and repeat the details in his head. The way his hand feels on your hair, how soft or rough your lips are against his. How you fit against him, how badass you look out in the battlefield. He won’t stop you from leaving him, because he knows that if this case was reversed, he’d want you to let him go too. So he presses intimate kisses, slow ones that dont consist of a fight for dominance like they usually do. No, he wants to tell you how much he loves you, one last time.

Venti

He doesnt know what to do, pressed against you firmly. He presses soft kisses, but theres no emotion, he doesn't know how to express himself here. He’s lost a lot, lost so much in his existence, but nothing prepared him for this. Only after a kisses will he ask to cry, and when you tell him yes he’ll press his head against your shoulder. He’ll sob, hands gripping the fabric of your shirt as he does so. And then he kisses you while tears stream down his face, mashes your lips against his until his face grows numb. And he’ll continue to feel numb when you leave, when you die, when he dies.

Xiao

He doesn't know what to do, Xiao has never felt so utterly useless when you crouch to him. Form battered and bruised, when you embrace him he feels whole again. You’re his world, he doesn't care about the blazing inferno just beside you, the monsters that threaten all of Teyvat. You are his everything, what he strives to protect and keep safe. Kisses with him are breathless, both of you passionately pulling each other closer. He cant get enough of you, he wants all of you, every single piece. Molded into his embrace until you cant get out. When you break away, he tries to pull you to him, but he finds himself only able to move in the slightest. But Xiao is a protector, he is ‘your’ protector. He follows you as you head to the battlefield, dragging his limp body in a crawl to get closer. He doesn't stop when he sees the monsters overtake you, no, he continues. Just until he reaches your body, grabbing you and holding your corpse into his chest. He numbs out the monsters that attack him, knowing sullenly that he's going to die. But death doesn't seem so bad, not beside you.

Zhongli

As someone who always has control over the situation, Zhongli will be able to adapt quickly. But he doesnt want you to suffer, admiring you for being so strong when everything presses against you. He wishes to relieve the weight if only a little bit with a few kisses. Sensual and intimate, he wants to support you, and if he cant do it on the battlefield he’ll do it right here. Hold you close and promise you that he’ll always be there for you. Only after you die does he allow himself to cry, not wanting to have burdened you with his tears.

[ayazure]

It's the year 2022, the sun's rays passed by the window of your apartment, lighting up the room you and your companion shared. Though sunny, autumn was close to arrival. The more the hours elapsed, the air grew chilly.

Boredom took a hold of your state as you simply looked at your window to watch passerbys and loitering adorable cats. Your companion, however, was busy reading. His calm elegance was pleasing to look at, his whole vibe was truly an eye candy. Your companion was no other than Kaedehara Kazuha, your best friend and batchmate from college.

Your eyes stopped steering its attention to the window to look at your best friend. He eventually noticed your stare; glancing up from his book to also look at you. "Is something the matter? Or perhaps, something's bothering you?" He asks, wondering why you stared ever so intently.

"Nothing, I just wanted to appreciate how peaceful you look." you replied. He smiled at your compliment, appearing relieved that he didn't look weird being focused and all.

"so... What are you reading?" you eventually asked, scooting over to take a peek at the book situated in his palms. As he was about to respond, you cut him off to guess. "ah, the haiku book with a pretty cover from yesterday!"

He let off a gentle smile and nodded at your guess. "correct, though simple, it's a useful one for garnering inspirations"

Kazuha was quite the romantic poet, the type of person who doesn't waste his words for irresponsible situations. He comes off as calm and well, gentle. He reminded you of autumn, the current season in that very moment; gentle and alluring, lulls you to a comfortable sleep.

11 am and the sun's rays grew strong, reaching for Kazuha's face as you sat beside him. He was.. Glowing, he truly had a face of an angel, quite surprising that you didn't fall for him yet. You didn't have a best friend that you were ultimately close with until Kazuha came along. You concluded that you probably just wanted to enjoy what you wanted ever since, eliminating the loneliness you felt for the past years.

You noticed that his once tucked strands decided to break free, almost getting in the way of Kazuha's vision. Your hands acted with no single thought, deciding to tuck the hairs back in.

He looked at you in awe, never really expecting what you just did. You smiled, however, awkward. Both of your faces, close to linking.

"I'm sorry ! I just thought that your hair might get in the way" You exclaimed, panicking at the same time. Kazuha gently laughs at your state, finding it quite adorable for you to act this way. "It's alright Y/N, I was just surprised and all"

As you were about to speak further, you were interrupted by a phone buzz. It was yours and you received a text message. A horrified expression is painted on your face as you read it.

"Is there something wrong?" Kazuha asks, worriedly.

You slump in defeat, hitting your head as a punishment for yourself. "Kazuha.. I made an awful mistake.. I have to go to my hometown tomorrow. But the thing is I have to show up with a partner" you rant, feeling more irritated at yourself.

Kazuha hummed, his chin is now resting on his palm. "But if I could recall, you don't have a significant other as of the moment"

You shot up "that's the thing! And I.. promised I would bring one tomorrow. I mean the only reason why I lied is because of my relatives, most of them would be there and they kept pestering me about it"

Kazuha listens intently and with sympathy as you kept ranting. You run your hands through your hair, not to fix it but to mess it in aggravation. Though, Kazuha tries to stop you, gently pulling your hands down.

"Maybe I was a bit too carefree and now I got myself into this situation.. I thought there would be a way-" you halt midway because of an idea that popped in your head. If animated, it would appear like a lightbulb on top of your head.

"Kazuha" you suddenly chant. You held both of his hands and faced him. Meanwhile, him, his ears were perked up, ready to listen.

"will you be my boyfriend?"

Kazuha felt his entire body burn up the moment you said that. "Aren't we going a bit too fast? I mean.."

"Not that way silly" You chuckled. "Just for tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't force you at all, you can say no but I'm kinda begging of you" you felt ashamed, thus, your hand is now placed on your nape.

Kazuha nevertheless agreed, nodding at your suggestion. You can kinda see his disappointed expression, you paid no heed since you might have misunderstood.

"Thank you so much! It's settled then" you gave a slight bow out of gratitude. Just as you lift your head up, he swiftly holds both of your hands. He leans close to your figure, a bit too close for comfort actually. "Fake dating for a day then? Don't we need to practice?"

"practice?" You ask, still stunned.

"We need to set atleast a few things. You don't want them to think we're unnatural don't you?"

"Ah but..how?"

"Simple, what do you want? Darling, babe, dear, honey-"

"What-! I mean.. babe is fine I guess" you look away as you were quite too flustered to even talk about it. What have you got yourself into again..

"limited skinships please" you were too shy to say this one since you were still embarassed.

"Not even a kiss on the cheek?" He questions with both eyebrows raised. You sighed almost inaudibly, your arms crossing in fluster.

"How is it necessary? So you just want me to do this all of a sudden?" In attempts to kiss his cheek as a joke, you went near. Unexpectedly, Kazuha tilts his head and your lips end up touching.

You found yourself being speechless once more. Brain loading, unable to comprehend the recent events from a second ago.

As much as he wants for you to know, Kazuha is actually having fun with every single moment. Now that this opportunity came up, he wanted to milk out every single possibility because he knows you may or may not reciprocate his feelings.

This jumping excitement inside made him impatient, already eager to accompany you tomorrow.

AAAA the end is kinda messy :') I swear I'll fix it once I wake up, it's just.. my eyelids feel heavy rn so...

☆ This is a part of my special series, please check out the masterlist here for more<3