#i originally wanted to do this for cherry and joe

[sebdoesthings]

Sorry but this post was made for them

[theminecraftbee]

smallishsona au: in which joel smallishbeans is the world's most reluctant persona protagonist.

My ongoing au in which Joel is a wild card in an original Persona setting, based on Persona 3/4/5 but not the same as any of them. He and the other members of the cherry blossom hill in Season 10 will awaken to their Personas and try to explore Altered Space, a mysterious realm people are vanishing into, in order to rescue the Vanished and save the world. Also, Joel will do this while despairing the whole time that he somehow ended up in a story that wants him to make friends to get superpowers. That also.

The Story So Far (actual ficlets, listed here in in-universe chronological order):

1: Basic premise/Joel arrives in New Hermiton, hints at Joel's backstory. Written as a bit more of a general au post than a fic, but the important first chapter of this story. Some of the mechanics weren't finalized when I wrote this so some of the keywords are wrong.

2: Joel wakes up in the hospital after awakening his Persona, first proper ficlet.

3: Joel forms his first Social Link with Skizz.

AU Tag:

smallishsona au (contains everything to do with this au on my blog)

chronological tag (only works on desktop, shows all the au posts in chronological order, by which we mean "order i made them" not plot order.)

Important Premise/Mechanics Posts :

Premise/World Mechanics: contains all the basic information on what Persona even is, as well as an explanation of the specific mechanics this specific "Persona game" that I made up runs off of. Contains important concepts like what Altered Space is, what the Vanished are, and how Personas work.

The Main Party: contains the current information on what the main party is, what order they join in, what their Persona and combat abilities are like, and a few little hints as to what they are like themselves.

Social Links: a list of all of Joel's social links, as described by Joel. Gives an arcana to every single social link Hermit.

Velvet Room Mechanics: the specifics of how Joel's velvet room works for him, how Igor fuses Personas, and a little about Jimmy.

Additional Notable Brainstorming Posts:

Velvet Room Jimmy initial thoughts

Early social link brainstorming for Cleo, Xisuma, Doc, Scar, Skizz

Early version of party brainstorming

Early explanation of AU/premise

Additional small "Persona theming" thoughts

Party weapons brainstorming

Lizzie thoughts

Joe, Scar and Grian before the main plot

Bdubs the teacher and pharmacist

Etho, the lovers

Bonus:

Art of Velvet Room Attendant Jimmy by @/phoenixtherobot!

Comic of Etho and Joel's first meeting by @/crystaldoodler!

[distortedataraxia]

Sk8 the infinity x reader (platonic)

When you first start skateboarding

Author note : Hi ! Sorry this is really small and rushed, i wanted to begin and try to post in this fandom with something simple, like i did for bsd, i hope this is enjoyable anyways ★

Reki ! ★

When you first start skateboarding, reki is really excited and motivated to help you learn, he'll be patient and will keep you motivated, giving you a lot of tips and making sure you're okay on the run.

Chances are, he's the one who's gotten you into skateboarding, or he kept harassing you to try it out, both are very possible.

Reki will make sure to congratulate you on every small steps of the way, if you don't feel confident or scared, reki will reassure you that it's okay.

He might aswell build you a personalized skateboard while he's at it.

Overall, he'll be supportive, bright , patient and kind.

Langa ! ★

Langa will be patient and considerate, if you're injured, he will forbid you from being reckless.

He'll also probably ask reki for advices when you're having troubles with something and he doesn't know how to help.

He'll get worried when you fall down but he'll also encourage you, he'll try to make you feel the fun and freedom feeling in his own ways.

And most certainly, Reki will be included 100% in one way or another, so you're probably going to have the duo supporting you all the way through this journey of skateboarding.

Joe ! ★

Joe. Joe... How do i say this.

He'll be supportive, sure, but he'll probably flex and use himself as an example very very often. Am i wrong?

Please bury me if i am.

I can imagine you two chatting about skateboarding tricks in a restaurant(most certainly his restaurant) in a very chill atmosphere.

He'll encourage you, that's for sure, and remind you to never isolate yourself and come to him or anyone else for advices or to hang around and have a good time.

He might look like a dad with his child.. unless-

Cherry ! ★

Cherry will be supportive, though he might not look that happy, he is happy about it.

He completely believes in you and encourage you to learn.

Looking at the way you stand on the board and skate when you're able to, he'll give you advices, a lot of advices, probably based on operations, degrees and all of that.. AM I LACKING ORIGINALITY?? I'M SO SORRY-

Overall, Cherry will be really sweet and will help you learn skateboarding in his own ways, if joe came across him teaching you though...

Well, guess you're having a break and a show to watch, yay! Where is the popcorn at now?

Shadow ! ★

Shadow.... uhm, shadow.. I.. Uh..

It depends on multiple factors, shadow can be a complete "antagonist" Or a real sweet guy, if he's on his "antagonist" mode, he won't be really supportive , as you know..

But if he's on his sweet side, then he'll be supportive and patient, he'll try to make sure you don't get too hurt...

Or he won't.

Maybe try to kidnap him through the garden store, he'll complain but uhm..

I guess it'll work out.

Shadow can be helpful though, i swear. I'm just too tired lazy to think furthermore.

Miya ! ★

Miya will be a tease, but he'll also be very supportive and caring, he'll make sure to give you advices and that you're okay, and will, once again, tease you a lot, but you'll surprise him caring a few times there and there.

He's very sweet, and he'll encourage you, he doesn't want you to leave him too, so, he'll be really considerate and all of that...

I uhm, this is too much for my heart plz imagine the rest i'm quitting my job bye

Adam ! ★

Adam.. He'll try and see if you're suitable to being his uhm... Eve..

If you are, then be ready because this is going to be something, if you're not, then he's completely disinterested.

I don't know what else to say, maybe he could give you a few advices like he did to miya?

[fanellifest]

Who Was Joe Fanelli? Pt. 2

Relationship With Freddie

This is where we start to enter speculation territory, as there isn’t more information readily available (at least that I’ve found through doing research) on the specific start and end dates of Joe and Freddie’s relationship.

Queen played a show in Boston, Massachusetts on November 13, 1978 as part of their Jazz 1978 Tour, followed by a show in Providence, Rhode Island on November 14, and then two shows in New York City on November 16 and 17. It’s not unreasonable to believe that Freddie might have met Joe around this time.

There is photo documentation showing that Joe was with Freddie at Queen’s March 1, 1979 show in Paris, France and in Japan (show dates ranging from April 13 through May 6) as part of their Live Killers Tour of Europe.

Their relationship ended certainly before November of 1979 as Peter Freestone began his employment with Queen at this time, and in his second book written in collaboration with David Evans (published 2003), Peter says the following:

I had heard of Joe Fanelli before I actually met him. He had been spoken of by the band, Freddie and their friends when I started working for Queen in 1979. The impression I received of him was that of an American, small-town country boy who had become caught up in Freddie’s whirlwind. Freddie preferred to find a ‘clean slate’ as far as material for relationships was concerned and then to imprint his own stamp on them. From what I gather, Joe had not been able to cope with all the pressures unintentionally put upon him by the process of being ‘imprinted.’ He had walked out of Freddie’s house and their relationship but not from Freddie’s life because Freddie had taken it upon himself to guarantee the conditions for Joe’s alien residency in England. (Freestone, pg. 48-49)

Due to the pressure of having to hide their relationship from the public eye—in a lifestyle of fame that provides little to no respite from being perceived publicly—and having to keep up with said famous lifestyle, Joe did develop a heavy drinking habit. This possibly contributed to their relationship’s end, as Joe did achieve sobriety after he and Freddie separated.

The story of their breakup is further corroborated by (less than reliable when it comes to Queen history and timelines) David Minns, in his book written in collaboration with David Evans.

David Minns—Freddie’s first boyfriend, with whom he cheated on Mary—was receiving similar treatment and being cheated on by Freddie with Joe. Freddie was bold enough to have them interact at times.

All photos included in This Was The Real Life, courtesy of David Minns. Photo 1 Caption: Cherry Brown, David Minns, Freddie and how weird for Joe Fanelli Photo 2 Caption: David Minns, Freddie Mercury, Joe Fanelli, Peter Straker. 'The night Freddie and I broke up.' Photo 3 Caption: Freddie, Peter Straker, Mike Allison, Wendy Allison, Joe Fanelli

According to David, “Freddie had decided that he had found a new lover and that the young man, Joe Fanelli, would be moving in with Freddie at his new flat in Stafford Terrace.” Some time after this, David received a phone call from Freddie “seeking solace. Freddie confessed that Joe had flown back to New York and taken money and belongings from Stafford Terrace.”

(Several sources date Freddie moving into Stafford Terrace in 1976, and as previously stated, please keep in mind that David Minns’ recounting of the timeline of events is questionable.)

If David is to be believed, at some point after this, Joe returned to England and continued to live and work in London after Freddie had originally moved him there in 1978.

Freddie and Joe reconnected in 1983 for Freddie’s thirty-seventh birthday celebration hosted in Los Angeles, California. According to Peter Freestone in his first book in collaboration with David Evans (published 1998), Peter writes:

Freddie wanted Joe Fanelli to cook for the party and Joe duly arrived from London. The occasion marked the rapprochement between Freddie and Joe who had been working independently as a chef in several London restaurants including September’s in Fulham Road since the break-up of their relationship. (Freestone, pg. 90)

Joe would later be employed full-time and move into Garden Lodge in 1985.

[kudouusagi]

Utsumi TV guide A stars vol 1 interview

This is a really long interview and I'm just going to do a summary of new things mentioned in this interview.

The interview starts with Utsumi talking about the infinity week event and how she talked from behind the stage because Kobayashi wasn't there and she wanted to make it fun for people. She says it was nice to see everyone excited about season 2 and the OVA.

She says the reason the S course ends in an abandoned factory is because they needed to think of a place that Langa could do a backside rodeo (the trick he does at the end of ep 1) and they decided that was a good place for it and so it influenced the whole course. There are multiple routes people can take so it's interesting too. It's not based on a real place. The conveyor belt that Langa uses for the jump in the first ep isn't shown clearly where it is so they didn't have to draw it in the scene every time and have it get in the way.

Since Reki and Langa are normal and Adam and Shadow wear crazy costumes they designed Cherry and Joe to try to balance them out or it would just seem like Adam and Shadow were weird cosplayers

She talked in a previous interview about how this story is all about male friendships and the interviewer asks about that and about Reki and Langa and their fight etc and Utsumi says that their fight lasted so long because it makes you feel how important their friendship is and it makes it even stronger when they make up, but it's not just friendship, she believes that it's also that they also acknowledge each other as rivals and their race scene at the end of ep 12 is proof of that.

The interviewer tries to ask about the friendship between the adults and she's like "I was mainly focused on Reki and Langa, that was all Ookouchi".

Utsumi says that the CEO of bones told her that this is the first time he's seen a 1 season original anime have so much hype about it over a whole year after it was made and he's been in the industry for a few decades so it made her really happy to hear him say that and she's happy that everyone is so passionate about this anime

She says there's a plan for season 2 but the OVA isn't really decided yet and since the OVA isn't decided yet season 2 isn't finalized yet either.

She says all she can really say is that the OVA will probably be a short story since OVAs are limited in time, and they haven't really decided yet but season 2 will probably be not long after season 1 with maybe a small time gap.

The interviewer says personally they'd like to know more about Joe and Cherry in high school and what happened with shadow after the end of ep 12 and Utsumi says Joe and Cherry's past would be interesting... and she came up with a story for how Cherry got his lip piercing but everyone rejected it.... but what happened with shadow and his boss (and if that was really her BF) will be in season 2.

The interviewer then asks about ADAM at Langa's party at the end up ep 12 and Utsumi says that the scene was designed to show that ADAM had returned to how he was before and that skating with Langa had reminded him of the fun of skating but she really doesn't want ADAM to change either. So they hadn't really thought about how their relationships would be at that point and she's only really thought about if after she's gotten questions like this. They'd probably have different conversations with him that they've had with him up until now. "I think we might see that in the continuation!? (lol)" also it's the first time we see ADAM during the daytime so his outfit is really red.

The interviewer asks if there were places they found during location hunting that they didn't get to use in season 1 that they still want to use and she says there was this huge tree they wanted to use that would be around Reki's house that they probably played around ask kids etc and they thought about shoving it in their fight scene but decided it would be too weird so they didn't use it. There was also a shopping district will probably be used in season 2.

That's pretty much it. It ends with her saying that while it might be a long wait she hopes people can wait patiently while having fun imagining what could come as they wait.

[specterthief]

sketched up a rough high school age design for reki's friend because i want to maybe write something involving him someday and wanted to do some brainstorming, so here's tomoya nakasone (仲宗根智也)!

仲宗根/nakasone - common okinawan surname, "relationship", "pillar", "origin" (since he's the one who started reki skateboarding - the central pillar of the friend group :'D)

智也/tomoya - "wisdom" and "to be", mainly picked because the ship name for him and reki is tomoreki (from tomodachi/friend instead of a proper name), so i thought it would be cute if his name still had tomo in it so tomoreki still fit

i tried to extrapolate his design from this screenshot, maybe he borrowed reki's shirt and never gave it back :')

(i forgot until too late that the teens wear their uniforms in these renders, but he goes to joe and cherry's old high school)

[danceofthephilos]

Ichiro Okouchi Interview (SK8 the Infinity Official Guide Book)

Skateboarding was the peak of fun.

Series Composition & Screenwriter Ichiro Okouchi*

*(though his name is romanized "Ohkouchi" in the book, I'm choosing to write it "Okouchi" as he is usually called in English-language sources.)

PROFILE

Screenwriter and novelist. He was in charge of the series composition and screenplays for major works such as Lupin the Third PART 5, Princess Principal, and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, among others.

—First, how are you feeling now that episode 12 has finished airing?

FAN & FUN! In working on this series, I myself became a FAN of it, and it was a FUN series to create.

—Could you give us your honest impressions of what you thought when you heard the outline for the series?

When I heard it was an original work by Director Utsumi, I accepted right then. Utsumi-san's series have been so enjoyable to watch, after all. I only heard definitively that it was going to be a skateboarding anime after that. I had never ridden a skateboard before, but working with Utsumi-san was so appealing that I wasn't anxious in the slightest.

—Do you have any favorite episodes, or scenes that left an impression on you?

Episode 2 might be the one that made the most lasting impression on me. How I imagined episode 2 and the episode 2 the director wanted to create were different, so it was the episode that made me think, "Ah, it's this kind of series," and solidified the "image" of SK8 the Infinity in my heart. Thinking back on it, it was an important episode.

—Were there any episodes or behind-the-scenes developments that you hated to cut? (lit. "cut while crying")

There are! But, I can't say definitively that we won't use them in the future, so they're secret!

—Do you have a favorite character? Could you explain your reason why?

I like all of them, so it's difficult to single one out. Langa is dazzling, I love him. Reki, I understand your feelings! MIYA is a good kid who diligently worries about others. Shadow, I'm glad you grew up into a lovable character. Joe is an incredible adult, and if I were a woman I'd fall in love with him. Cherry Blossom might be the most pure-hearted. ADAM is the most incredible heel character, and elevated this work to the next level. Kikuchi, please keep supporting Ainosuke from now on!

—Could you tell us your impressions of the voice cast?

Of course everyone's performances were excellent, and the arrangement and balance of the youth and adult groups was wonderful too.

—Can you tell us about the appeal of skateboarding we felt in the series?

As the line in the series goes, "fun!" is what it's about. Not just when you're skating yourself, but talking to your friends, seeing your buddies' tricks, diligently practicing, and falling down are all fun. I interviewed all kinds of skaters, and it was striking how all of them made even the painful parts sound fun.

—Could you tell us any stories you would like to include in a spin-off?

I already wrote two spin-off scripts for the Blu-ray and DVD bonus CDs, so if possible, I'd like to write a continuation of the original work next.

—Do you have any anecdotes about Okinawa, the setting for the series?

The production staff and I all took our skateboards and went on a location hunt around Okinawa. It was spring, but it was already incredibly hot, and we had to scramble to buy hats. In that brightly saturated scenery, skateboarding was the peak of fun.

—If "S" opened in the real world, what part do you think you'd be most interested in?

I'd be happy to be an irresponsible spectator. But I'd at least like to try participating by Adam dragging me by the leg around a corner. (laughter)

—Can you send a message to all the fans who loved SK8 the Infinity?

Thank you so much for watching and loving SK8 the Infinity! The responses echoed stronger and stronger with each episode and filled all of us creators with strength. It was a work where we could feel the strength of everyone's support in a way that's only possible in this era of social media. I'm grateful!

(from SK8 the Infinity OFFICIAL GUIDE BOOK, released December 22nd 2021)

[fantastic-rambles]

Sk8 Analysis: Eastern Zodiac Signs

Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not believe in astrology, zodiacs, etc. I do not guarantee the reliability of any of this information (especially since I think it's all bullshit): it's just something I wanted to try out for fun.

I started this off by being curious about Adam (as always) and realizing that there was a connection between the Ox and the Dog that could span him and Tadashi (and, as I found out, Langa) and then I began to dig into each of the characters. 🤣

I've organized the characters by birthday due to an aside I included that makes it make more sense to organize it that way, but again, Adam was the first one I pinned down (as an Ox, like Taurus, and the one that put him closest to 26 years old in 2021: no reason beyond that) and the rest came out of that. I'm worried that this post is already too long under the cut, so I won't go into detailed ramblings about these, but they do match the characters surprisingly well, in my opinion. I have made some small comments in brackets like [this] in some cases.

Most of the zodiac-related information in this post comes from here.

I have altered some of the original text for brevity or grammar/wording. Furthermore, the "romantic" readings have been altered to be gender-neutral.

Langa :: Feb 8, 2006 :: Fire Dog

People born in 2006 are gentle, kind, compassionate, able to put themselves in others’ shoes and give help at the most appropriate time. Therefore, they are popular among friends. Moreover, they are careful and scrupulous, and they always abide by their responsibilities when doing things. They are intelligent, responsive and have strong intuition. However, Dog people attach too much importance to theories but lack action and judgment in reality. They are stubborn and fond of flaunting their superiority before others. In addition, they are not easily satisfied. The male Fire Dog is not very active in love. He does not know how to run a love business, nor is he good at expressing his inner thoughts. Most of the time, he cares about his lover very much but shows a cold attitude [I love unintentionally cold Langa so much 🤣], which easily leads to misunderstandings. Men should learn to show their love bravely.

Miya :: Feb 22, 2010 :: Metal Tiger

People born in 2010 are quiet and composed. They are family-centered. They have good interpersonal relationships and can easily get along well with others. Male Metal Tigers are usually hesitant, capricious and coy. However, they are relatively quiet and will not easily accept other people's advice, even if they need it. Their determination is not firm enough and easily wavers. Their love fortune is pretty good. They prefer people who have common interests, and they feel very comfortable staying with them. Hence, they are more likely to get married to their good friends. After they get married, their relationships are also very harmonious. They love each other very much and like to create surprises for each other on special days.

Cherry :: March 27, 1997 :: Fire Ox

Adam :: May 1, 1997 :: Fire Ox

People born in 1997 are very smart, kind-hearted, honest, diligent, creative and practical. They have a strong sense of responsibility and are hardworking. However, they are selfish, short-sighted and narrow-minded, and they do not easily become close friends with others. They are not capable of responding immediately and confident in their decisions, so they leave a slow impression on others [I don't agree with this bit, but *astrology*]. Their love fortune is pretty good. They may meet a sweetheart at an early age and finally step into marriage [my heart, TadaAi and MB 💕]. After getting married, their lives are also very happy. But they may not be able to control themselves very well when there are temptations around. It is suggested that they travel more with their partners and make some romantic surprises occasionally.

Aside: Joe and the Sk8 Timeline

I'm sure some people are going to take issue with me not putting the DK3 in the same year, but honestly? Joe is quite different, personality-wise, from Adam and Cherry, so even though they're the same age in the show according to the official information, if I want to do this zodiac thing properly, it would only make sense for him to have a different sign.

Furthermore, since the cutoff for student enrollment in Japan is April 1 (as far as I can tell), this arrangement actually allows Cherry and Joe to be in the same year (their year would span April 2, 1996 to April 1, 1997), which I personally prefer for their relationship. This would make Joe the oldest of the trio (and Adam the youngest, as well as a year lower than the other two) which, honestly, also makes sense to me given how Joe's usually the most mature of the three.

Since the three of them are the same age, though, that means that whenever their ages were reported in the official materials, the date was somewhere between May 1 - July 7, 2023 by the math in this post.

Joe :: July 7, 1996 :: Fire Rat

People born in 1996 are smart, capable and generous, and they are good at socializing. They respond quickly and have strong environmental adaptability. They like all kinds of activities and can always provide interesting ideas. They are also very kind and considerate, so they can easily get along well with others. However, they lack internal control and discipline, so the most intolerable thing for them is for their freedom to be restricted. They are so stubborn that they tend to do things in their own way, which may make others feel uncomfortable. They are strict with themselves, but they cannot stick to one thing for a long time. Their love lives may not be very good. Although they are attractive, they are also easily involved in romantic affairs, so they should pay attention to their behavior.

Reki :: Aug 8, 2005 :: Wood Rooster

NOTE: I've been reminded that Langa is actually older than Reki/Langa was held back a year because of his transfer, so they're actually the same zodiac (Fire Dog), with Reki's birthday being Aug 8, 2006. But I'm too lazy to change this. It's the same thing as Langa, anyways (though I think Wood Rooster fits my image of Reki better xD). NOTE 2: Though actually, since the Lunar New Year tends to fall in February (the cutoff in 2005 actually being Feb 8/9), they are different zodiac signs (Langa would be a Wood Monkey). I'm still too lazy to fix any of this. I might get around to it eventually.

People born in 2005 attach great importance to their families and are eager to be loved. They are warm and generous, have a good sense of humor and often ease the tense atmosphere, so they are often popular. Roosters are good at communication so they can easily get help from others. However, Wood Roosters are conceited and always want to rely on others when they face problems. They are not good at thinking and solving problems independently. Moreover, they are kind of vain and impractical. If they are unhappy, they will show it without reservation and do not know how to take care of others' feelings. The love and relationships are not that good for the Wood Rooster. In a romantic relationship, they cannot only consider their own feelings: they should learn to care about their lover, which will be of great help in sharing their feelings. After getting married, they should be careful not to neglect their spouses even if they are busy with work. They should try to spend more time with their lovers.

Shadow :: Sep 14, 1998 :: Earth Tiger

People born in 1998 are kind-hearted, helpful, and generous, so they are absolutely reliable friends. They are extremely clever, confident, ambitious and enterprising. However, most of them are irascible, violent and mercurial. Their desires are so strong, they can even be described as greedy. And they are too proud to care about their partners. [This totally supports my "Shadow is an incel" vibes. 🙃] Earth Tigers may be born with beautiful appearances, so they can be quite popular among others in their youth. They can meet soulmates who will accompany them all their lives, but they need to spend more time with their lovers. Also, they need to be faithful to their lovers and keep a good distance from others.

Tadashi :: Nov 22, 1994 :: Wood Dog

People born in 1994 are honest, reliable and polite. They always try their best to repay the care and help they receive from others. They are born with a strong sense of justice. When they encounter something unfair, they will protest loudly [unless it's beaten out of them 😢]. But sometimes, Wood Dogs are too upright and outspoken to be accepted by others. They are a little touchy and often keep ruminating on small things. In addition, they lack their own opinions [💯] when thinking about problems and are easily influenced by other people. Wood Dogs have a straightforward and frank attitude towards love. They always express their feelings with 100% sincerity and hope others can give corresponding responses. In love, they are relatively inflexible and passive, and they are not romantic people. Therefore, they should learn to take the initiative and create some small romance for their lovers, which will make their relationships more harmonious.

Compatibilities:

Obviously, there is a large number of permutations of these, but I'm just going to do the ones I like the most because this is my blog. I don't have issues with other ships, even if they're not my favorites (other than with Shadow because I despise him 🙃, but I'll still include him in character analyses like this or full-cast fics because he is part of the cast). Descriptions come from here, again with minor revisions to the text in some cases, so if you're interested, check out your own ships if they're not here!

Yes, I use different emojis for the same character in some cases. xD The order of the ship name doesn't mean anything.

🌹🐶 TadaAi (and 🌹❄Eden)

The Ox and the Dog get along very well with one another, regardless of whether they share a friendship, love or business relationship. When they are a couple, they’re able to understand each other and make many compromises that ensure their success as lovers. Oxen are honorable and serious, but because Dogs are very loyal, they’ll never feel envious of them. Any Ox will respect the fact that Dogs are dignified and devoted to make the relationship between them based on honesty and love.

🌹🌸Loveblossom

The relationship between two Oxen is seen as strong, passionate and centered around loyalty. Naturally slow and steady [Really?🤨 I will note that the original text said "these natives are slow," which I altered because it sounds weird and a bit incomprehensible to me, and I believe it means something like I wrote.], they believe that this way, they can win at anything they may try to do. While very romantic, Oxen prefer to think twice before getting involved in a relationship. Two Oxen in a couple are very attached to luxury, culture, a comfortable home and everything that’s material. They’ll be able to understand each other very well, which means they have all the chances to live a happy life together.

🍵🌸Matchablossom

When Rats and Oxen are lovers, expect fireworks to come out of their bedroom. Rats are all about physicality and materialism, while Oxen possess an incredible body and can make Rats go crazy about them. It’s impossible for these two to ever get bored with one another. The Rat is charming, a little bit aggressive, cautious with money and romantic. No one can beat Oxen when it comes to remembering things, and as far as family goes, both they and Rats are very attached to the ones they love.

🐍🌺TadaReki (and ❄🌺Renga)

When it comes to love, the Rooster and the Dog are interested in completely different things. The Rooster wants to keep up appearances and to show friends only what’s good about him or her, this being the reason why people with this sign care so much about good looks, while the Dog doesn’t care at all about the image of a person and only wants to have fun. [😢] However, both the Rooster and the Dog can be extremely loyal when it comes to love, and the Dog is also known for being very diplomatic.

Just like the animal that represents them, Dogs love to be in packs rather than alone, which means they’ll be attracted to one another because they have the same social lives. When living together, these two will help one another with it comes to domestic errands because they simply refuse to allow only one of them to struggle with everyday issues.

🌹⚙LoveGear

The Ox and Rooster are compatible as a couple because they have many similarities and even their differences help them complement each other. It seems that no matter the nature of their relationship, be it marriage, business or friendship, they get along very well as they have the same beliefs and approach life in similar ways. As far as romance goes, they’re a couple that’s pretty much conventional because they both prefer to use logic and wouldn’t want to risk anything in order for their life to change too much [Adam, the consummate risk-taker? 🤨]. See: TadaAi and Eden

[mihai-florescu]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Hello and welcome to watchmojo where today we will be ranking my favorite fictional characters.

Before we start, honorable mentions to Nobimaru, Reigen Arataka, Noah Czerney, half the cast of enstars, and so on and so forth.

10. Hamlet

Most of the list is going to have anime characters but I can't imagine a top 10 list without my original literary blorbo. We studied Hamlet in my first year of highschool, my teacher asked in front of the whole class whether we know which one of us suffers of Hamlet's tragic flaw, then pointed to me and proceeded to dismiss us for the day. How is one supposed to move on from that? I only hope I have managed to change whatever fate she implied I'd meet. But, besides that, I actually did really enjoy the play and the character even before this incident.

9. Kaoru Sakurayashiki from Sk8 the Infinity

I've said it before, but how painful is it to have one of your favorite characters be from a seasonal 12 episode sports anime... he's not even the protagonist. I just like seeing characters who appear analytical and driven by logic with low emotional intelligence make very emotional decisions. Using the logical persona more like a shield, especially if their feelings have been hurt in the past. And, well, That's Cherry. The Joe-Cherry-Adam plotline will always be so dear to me. Kaoru who kept the grudge born out of a lack of proper closure for years. Kaoru who wanted to believe things could maybe go back to how they were. Kaoru who was snapped to reality so, so violently. He's just so dear to me.

8.Victor Vale from Vicious

It's not that before I read Vicious I didn't know what morally gray protagonists were, but this is the book that really made me realise just how much I actually enjoy reading about such characters. I like how Victor (and Eli, but I've always been a Victor girl) walk the line between hero and villain, how Victor, seen as the villain, may kill but only with a reason, whereas Eli, the hero, is killing out of the conviction that EOs shouldn't exist when he himself is one. We are foils of each other, we are separated by different ideological beliefs, youre the only one who can kill me, im the only one who knows you, and so on and so forth.

But beyond his rivalry with Eli, Victor's found family of criminals, necromancer and resurected dog is so dear to me. He even dies and comes back wrong countless times. How is he not a popular tumblr blorbo already...

7. Takahashi Yotasuke from Blue Period

Blue Period has a lot of compelling characters but Yotasuke's story in particular is the dearest to me, followed by Hashida and Maki. As for what I like about Yotasuke... The way our first introduction to him is as the tehnically skilled prodigy, but soon enough learn that he doesn't have much going on in life besides that. The way his mom's assumptions of his life ended up controlling it. The way Yotasuke never really had any choice besides art. And the irony in the fact that art was all he ever had and, in the end, it wasn't why he got admitted into university, but because of his high academic exam scores. And the way he finally starts becoming his own person in university, makes actual bonds, starts choosing things for himself. I wish we had even more chapters about him but I also understand the value in seeing perspectives on life and art from a wide variety of characters in the cast.

6. Daiba Nana from Revue Starlight

The stage girl that got me into Revue Starlight herself babyy. Her fear of the future and refusal to move on, her wanting to repeat the same pleasant but unchallenging year over and over and over again. The same stage repeated with no divergences cannot continue to be captivating, yet the familiarity of the scene is preferable to losing it completely, to it becoming just a memory. What Nana had to learn was that Starlight is the only play the 99th class will do, but there is value in seeing it shift and change throughout their years together as they also grow and mature.

I initially found it funny that she was on the villains wiki since that's why i decided to start the anime to begin with, but after i watched the show and films, I can't help but think that people who honestly believe she's a villain kind of miss the point. She takes on the role of antagonist opposing the natural flow of time, sure, but she's not a villain.

5. Aoba Tsumugi from Ensemble Stars

Sometimes I'll call both Nana and Tsumugi my Jokers, so you know he had to make the list as well. As for why I like him... I'm intrigued by his utilitarian outlook on life, his ability to make himeslf believe in things, even if they're not real, to serve his purpose, and of course, his clumsy girl charm. I like seeing him make up for the pain he has took part in causing during the war. And I like hearing about his home life, it makes me insaaane whenever mrs Aoba or his brother get brought up... Overall, while he himself might not think so, he is indispensable to the story, to the war, but more importantly to what follows the war.

4. Sunohara Momose & 3. Orikasa Yukito from Idolish7

Well, here's the thing, Momo and Yuki's stories are so entwined that you can't talk about one without the other, so I will write my thoughts about both of them here. Momo is the sports anime protagonist whose career was stopped before it could even start as a result of an injury during a game, who then turned to his sister's favorite idols Re:Vale for comfort, at her recommendation. He was there at their important concerts as a follower and defender, and he was there to witness when Ban had the light fall on him. Without Momo's daily pleas, without him joining Re:Vale, Yuki wouldn't have continued being an idol. But while Yuki starts to feel better, to love both Momo and their work, Momo is haunted by the promise he made in those desperate attempts to pick Yuki up: they will not have to be partners for longer than Yuki and Ban were. Even after they find Ban and Yuki makes Momo realise he would never want another partner at this point, they're both so stubborn and ready to sacrifice themselves for the other that they're still not fully on the same page. I like the other arcs in Idolish7 but Re:Vale are what elevate it to my favorite anime of all time. There was a period in my life when I would read the Re:member manga almost daily just because I love Yuki and Momo so much.

2. Hibiki Wataru & 1. Tenshouin Eichi from Ensemble Stars

I will lump these 2 together as well, not because I don't think they're complete characters on their own, but because they defined what the story of Ensemble Stars is. To me, at least, they're the most important pillars, the foundation even, if you will. At the end of the day, enstars is a story about humanity with its multitude of complex facets, and love (learning to love and be loved). Wataru and Eichi just portray the themes of the story in the most interesting ways. Eichi playing the protagonist in his and Keito's revolution turned war story, Wataru and the other eccentrics playing the villains. That story ends with the protagonist emerging victorious, as all stories do. But it was such a rushed, not well written story that it is not satisfying for anyone involved. So, with Natsume's dream pipe of a plan, Wataru asks Eichi to write a sequel with a happy ending. That's the base for everything past the Yumenosaki war. Wataru stays by Eichi's side to see the plan through, and in the process they happen to actually grow to appreciate deeply and even love each other. Even after the original story finishes, they continue to walk together into the new era. I will Eichi here: I wonder if that's what society calls love... I just adore seeing their story unfold, and I'm nervous for what the future holds for them...

[moniesmonsters]

Hi Monie! Love your GrimmUlqui stuff! <3 <3 For the writers' ask 27, 28 & 29. Answer whichever you want!

I'm glad you do! I always love getting to see your comments, especially the cascade of hearts. And I'll answer 'em all~

27. If we're talking fanfic, I had some trouble writing Kaoru/Cherry Blossom from Sk8 lately. His characterization kept flipping around on me when I was working. I couldn't quite nail him down, but I always have trouble writing a character for the first time in some capacity.

In terms of original fic, it's always been my character Ezra Sparrow. He's a trauma surgeon and all around not a very pleasant guy. I use a lot of experience working on him when I write Aizen. He's very in it for himself and will drag anyone down with him or kill who he deems unnecessary. Plus there is the whole hates his daughter, turns her into a monster, and tortures her friends thing.

28. God it's a toss up in fic between Grimm and Joe from Sk8. Grimmjow's just fun to dig into and explore his obsessiveness while Joe's a horn dog. Aggressive and/or horny characters are fun.

And speaking of aggressive and horny, that's my original content character, Monifa. Love when I get to work with her. She's my first OC and whee my username Monie comes from. When I get to write her, it's always a party!

29. I get inspiration from the silliest places sometimes. It can be a song, it can be something Spade said, or it can be Grimmjow yelling something in my head while I try to make lunch. Yesterday for example I was listening to Hold Me Like A Grudge from the new Fall Out Boy cd and a buddy fic for Ulquiorra and Shuhei hit me in the face so hard.

When the inspiration dries up, I tend to look at other medias to work in for a bit. I draw, or I read. Chat with Spade about her ideas, or even just scroll through the internet until something hits. Sometimes it's a few days sometimes it's a few years. It always comes back eventually though.

thanks for the asks, Calla~ Feel free to drop more in the future if there's ever any silly thing you'd like to know about how I treat Grimm and Ulquiorra~

[two-sides-samecoin]

On the topic of Nancy cheating, a lot of people direct you to interviews where actors and the Duffers say they broke up earlier so it didn't happen essentially. I just feel like if you have to clarify something in interviews you are either a shitty writer or you hadn't anticipated the reaction you got. Like the Duffers obviously wanted you to root for Jancy they made Steve the one blaming himself because people should love Jancy and s1 Steve wasn't so beloved soo they thought nobody would rally behind him that way. I just think Joe was so charming the Duffers wanted him to be a bad boyfriend but they didn't elaborate enough to make it convincing he was a bad boyfriend. Like the way he looked at Nancy, him wanting to get a stable job so he could provide for her, going to the dinners with the Hollands. He was there for her and I don't like the argument well bc he didn't want her to expose the lab he was surpressing her trauma. We didn't get them as a real couple through their prime we only ever saw end and beginning. And by the end Nancy's grief turned more into guilt and revenge fantasies and that's where Steve and her don't allign. He cared about Barb, he would talk to Nancy about her when they went to go to the dinners, it's not like he ignored the matter. He just wanted to cheer her up and do anything else besides that because he thought it would help. I'm sorry he wasn't a bad bf for not indulging Nancy's revenge fantasies that put everyone in danger. The Duffers should have given Steve more of an asshole role in order for him to be considered a bad bf because his way of coping with trauma should be allowed just like Nancy is allowed to cope in a way.

honestly i don’t care about duffers interviews especially cuz they also just say shit about the first draft and people graze over it so quickly. also like please people cherry pick which of the phrases and ideas that the duffers put out whenever they’re interviewing. remember when everyone got mad that they were going to originally kill of max? like are we pissed at them or are we going to take everything they say with complete and utter fact?!? which is it cuz i’m getting tired of some people picking both. agreed with the jancy thing and about joe. honestly if they wanted jancy to happen they legit could have put in the effort and time for it but they genuinely just don’t. like idk they want you to root for them yet make how they start and how they continue in the relationship sooo bad. like honestly they even more toxic than stancy but people ain’t ready for that opinion.

i hate the whole ‘he was surprezsing her trauma’ argument to cuz like bitch last season we saw the gov go through the end of the earth to make will’s family believe he’s dead HELL PEOPLE MADE A BIG DEAL ABOUT BARB’S DEATH AND THE GOV COVERING THAT UP! we see benny get shot for helping el despite him not knowing shit. honestly i just think it’s because steve is the one who is scared of the gov so they ain’t gonna look deeper into that fear but i trust that if any other character was terrified of the gov it would be 100% justified of how steve reacts. ALSO THEY IN PUBLIC! did we just forget that the gov has everything rigged? like hello?!? FUCKING SAY THAT ABOUT STEVE NOT HAVING TO INDULGE NANCY’S REVENGE FANTASIES!!! THAT LAST FUCKING SENTENCE YES!! also like the way people will go out of their way to be like ‘nancy is a traumatized teen’ well yeah so is fucking steve and the rest of them. also can we please just stop acting like cuz you’re traumatized that means you get to treat people like shit cuz honestly that’s what the argument against nancy seems like to me

[ao3feed-renga]

Too Cool for Skate School

Too Cool for Skate School

by garygluejeans

"Baby, you're a professional skateboarder who can do things I can't. I make boards, not to mention taught my three little sisters to skate. Because of you, kids across Okinawa want to learn, and they could learn from the person who showed them how great it is!"

Reki and Langa start a summer skate school in an attempt to spend more time skating together. Things sort of take off from there.

Words: 15718, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Chinen Miya, Higa Hiromi | Shadow, Oka Shokichi, Original Characters, Kyan Reki's Family

Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom

Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Kyan Reki Has Anxiety

From https://ift.tt/CEklVMS https://archiveofourown.org/works/46979614

[ao3feed-matchablossom]

Too Cool for Skate School

by garygluejeans

"Baby, you're a professional skateboarder who can do things I can't. I make boards, not to mention taught my three little sisters to skate. Because of you, kids across Okinawa want to learn, and they could learn from the person who showed them how great it is!"

Reki and Langa start a summer skate school in an attempt to spend more time skating together. Things sort of take off from there.

Words: 15718, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Chinen Miya, Higa Hiromi | Shadow, Oka Shokichi, Original Characters, Kyan Reki's Family

Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom

Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Kyan Reki Has Anxiety

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/46979614

[starberry-cupcake]

I was tagged by @lady-harrowhark ♥ in a tag meme game, answers below the cut 👀

Three ships: I don’t even know how to tackle this lol I know kids these days use the word ship in ways I don’t get, but I’ll go with my understanding. I’ll do a historic ship, a hall of fame ship from last year and the one most read in my ao3 history currently. 

So, for historic ship I’d say Royai, but I have come to accept that I do ship them as a qp relationship, not romantically. I think they are probably in the top 5 of the most well developed qp relationships I’ve ever read (unintentionally probably idk), but I only noticed the importance of that once I lifted the fandom veil of “every ship that isn’t canonically romantic and sexual is lacking it and fandom has to fill that void”. 

For a hall of fame from last year, I’d give props to Lilly Fortenberry and Candace Powell from Astrid and Lilly Save the World. The nerdy fat girl and the popular girl with a strict upbringing who used to be friends as kids and something happened that made them drift apart but turns out they’re in love with each other, love to see it. Hope they get another season. 

And my most read currently in ao3 is probably superbat but that also counts as a historic one too. I also don’t care about what kind of relationship they’re in, I’ve always liked their dynamic, so it’s a delight whatever the case. 

First ever ship: It’s probably a toss up from shows I watched as a little kid, Rogue and Gambit from Saban’s X-Men was probably one of the firsts when I was in primary school. 

Last song: I am learning how to play One Summer’s Day by Joe Hisaishi (the Chihiro song) in kalimba, so that’s the last I heard. Normally I look for several versions on the instrument and listen to the original and make my own tabs from all of that (I’m using 4 different versions for this one, but one is in a different kalimba with a different amount of keys than mine). I had stopped playing after my cat passed away because she used to be with me when I did and I miss her terribly, but I picked it back up finally this week. 

Last movie: So, in the last 4 days I watched Strange World, Glass Onion, the latest Prince of Tennis movie (Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis I think it’s called, we watched both versions) and the Cherry Magic movie. I’m catching up with the fun ones before awards season is upon us.

Currently reading: I finished the 2nd AriDante book and I’m going to pick back up friend recommendations, so I’ll continue with Wayward Children (recommended by @bewareofitalics first and then Locked Tomb recommended by the lovely Emily who tagged me on this). I’m also reading a bunch of non fiction books, depends on my mood what I pick that day. 

Currently watching: Blue Lock, Yowamushi Pedal (the latest season) and we just finished His Dark Materials season 3. A lot of eclectic youtube stuff. 

Currently consuming: as in food? nothing atm. I have to start preparing the rosca de reyes tomorrow, to finish it on the 6th, though. Tomorrow I’m in pastry cream and sugar confections duty. 

Currently craving: the Eliza McFee doll is the first thing that comes to mind, she looks very adorable and I collect fairies. 

Tagging: whoever wants to do this, consider yourselves tagged by me and post it! because most time the people I tag aren’t in the mood and the people I forget to tag would like to do it, I have terrible aim in tags. 

[cherryblossomsandhydrangeas]

The Cultivation of the Hydrangea - Prologue

Read the Prompt [Here]

You can also read this on my Wordpress.

Tags: Single Father Kaoru, Trans Sakurayashiki Kaoru, Canon Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Full Swing Kiss Aftermath, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma, Panic Attacks, Adam Canon Characteristics, Familial Reconciliation, Food as a love language, Gift giving as a love language, Original Characters, Slow Romance, Accidental Pregnancy

Relationships: Endgame MatchaBlossom, Past LoveBlossom, Platonic Nanako & Kaoru, Platonic Hiromi & Kojiro & Kaoru, Platonic Kaoru & OCs

Trigger Warnings: Physical & Mental Child Abuse, Transphobia, Misgendering, Child Neglect, Pedophilia, Ableism Note: (The beginning of all scenes with triggers will be marked with a -X-)

Word Count: 11,544

Time to Read: 64 Minutes

Chapter Summary: The infamous beef between Adam and Cherry Blossom draws near, along with the end of life as Joe knows it.

“I think I'll take the Osso Buco tonight. And a glass of Lafite if you will.”

“Oh, feeling fancy tonight, aren't we four eyes?” Kojiro huffed as he wrote down the order, a small wisp of a smile dancing on his lips as he passed it through the window to the kitchen for one of the line cooks, Tagawa Rioto, to take. The chef rested his forearms across the bar and whispered, “Early celebration before your beef with Adam?”

Kaoru scoffed, leaning back in his chair, “No. Just wanted to try something different, that's all.”

It was a night just like many other nights. Sakurayashiki Kaoru had found himself drifting through the luscio vetro doors of Sia La Luce as the last of the dinner rush's customers filtered out the establishment, bellies full from delicious meals and tongues stained from decadent wines. He's seated in his usual seat, twiddling with his fan while the busboys cleaned the dining tables and the manager and sous chef counted down the registers.

“Still. Didn't even settle for the Tomato Risotto, the Crab Ravioli, or hell, even the Pasta Puttanesca." The smile dropped from Kojiro's face. “Are you worried about Saturday?”

Worried, or perhaps the man's anxiety was beginning to overwhelm him? The previous weekend, everyone at S was bursting at the seams for the titular beef between the gallantly Matador of Love and the ice demeanored AI Skater, but a singular phone call had destroyed the tense yet exciting atmosphere of the tournament.

“What?!" Kojiro remembered Adam snarling into his phone, his grip on the device near-shattering. The god of the mountain had been disgruntled ever since he pulled Cherry Blossom's card from the selection box, his reluctance to race the pink-haired ninja ever evident as his normal pre-battle peacocking was nowhere to be found.

Adam's brows had pinched; his lips fell into a repulsed frown. Whoever was on the other end of the line was obviously delivering some very unwelcome information.

“Ugh," Adam sighed before picking up his board and flipping it over his shoulder. “God help me. Fine, doggy, I'm coming. Be a dear and have my suit ready, will you?”

The little beep as he hung up seemed to echo around the now silent starting line. Adam turned to Cherry Blossom.

“Sorry, Cherry darling, looks like our little rendezvous will have to wait. You know just as well as I do that we can't just ignore when duty calls," the matador said and shrugged in response to the rosy haired man's raised brow.

The S Gallery started to moan in disappointment, “No way!s”, “Come on!s”, and “Are you fucking kidding me?s” coming out from all around.

“You could just forfeit here and now," Cherry Blossom had said cooly, crossing his arms as Adam took a small step towards him. “It would save you the embarrassment of losing later.”

Some of the gallery gasped. Some even whistled and crowed at the audacity.

Adam had grinned, “Hah, cute, but no. You're not going to ruin this for me, Cherry. Besides, you've been vying to beef with me for so long, it'd be so horribly pathetic if I didn't finally grant your wish.”

“Tch," Cherry had glared as the man walked past him.

As two capmen opened up the gates for their boss to pass through, Adam suddenly turned around and held his arms out wide.

“Fear not, everyone~" a lilt had made it back into his voice. “While I sadly must depart, I assure you the tournament will resume as soon I deal with a couple annoyances.”

Adam clicked his heels. “Oh yes, I can see it now, can't you? Sparks to fire, fire to ash, enmity running through our very bones, through our very flesh. Oh, the tracks will be flush and full with our passion!”

As it was whenever Adam showered the mountain's occupants with his baritone voice, the S Gallery was enraptured and triggered into a vigorous furor. Cheers, screams, and chants were abound. Boards were held aloft, high over skater's heads like flags waving in the wind. The fan groups came to life, injecting the mountain air with bolts of fanatical energy.

“Hell yeah, Adam!”

“You got this, Cherry!”

“Cherry-sama, don't lose!”

“Can't wait, Adam!”

“Adam!”

“Cherry!”

“Adam!”

“Cherry!”

“Adam!”

“Cherry!”

As the crowd's rowdy screams grew louder, the matador's grin grew wider, his fangs on full display for all to see. He clicked his heels again, and the wind slid in to pick up his cape as he twirled round. As he walked out of the iron gates- a black sedan waiting for him on the other side- he gave a few final, foreboding words of departure. They still echoed in Kojiro's mind even now.

“Next Saturday. The Parable of Sakura!”

“It's not Saturday I'm worried about," Kaoru muttered as he set his fan down on the bar. “I've had a rough week.”

“What happened? Difficult client?" Kojiro asked.

“It's nothing I can't handle," Kaoru replied, pausing as a server, Oshiro-san, came bearing two wine glasses and a 1996 vintage.

“Thanks, Hirohito," Kojiro smiled as he accepted the glasses. “Don't worry about the rest of those dishes, I'll get them. And tell Jona that after she plates the polenta she can leave as well. I'll take care of this freeloader," he continued with a smirk in Kaoru's direction.

The calligrapher rolled his eyes. “Oshiro-san, I must thank you for constantly putting up with this bumbling oaf of a man. Though, perhaps the paycheck is why you tolerate him?”

Hirohito smiled, having grown used to the two's banter a long time ago. “It's nothing, sensei. Chef's always been good to me, so I like to stand by him as much as I can.”

Kojiro laughed, “See, now that's what we call loyalty, four eyes. I'd imagine you'd kill to see an employee show you that.”

The server chuckled, “But the pay's good too," and headed back into the kitchen to finish the night's duties with his coworkers.

As a betrayed look fell upon his friend's face, Kaoru snickered, “Aww, gonna cry?”

The restaurant owner flipped him the bird as his sous chef and manager shut the drawers on the registers and walked over to him.

“Deposit bag's in the safe," the manager, Uehara-san, said as she slid the night's paperwork into the pocket of Kojiro's apron. “I'm gonna head out early tonight, see you Chef, sensei.”

“Goodnight, Uehara-san." Kaoru nodded at her while Kojiro said, “Night Sayuri.”

As the manager hurried out the door, the head chef slapped a hand on his sous chef's shoulder.

“Thanks again for coming tonight, Miyoko," Kojiro said earnestly. “I got a text from Teijo a couple hours ago; his plane is still delayed. Possibly going to be stuck in Osaka for a couple more days until the storm clears.”

“I needed a few extra hours anyway," Miyoko shrugged as the rest of their coworkers filtered out the back.

“Polenta's plated, Chef!“ Jona smiled. “Nice to see you again, sensei.”

“Likewise," Kaoru waved in their direction. “I hope all of you have a good night.”

“Thanks, sensei!" many replied in unison. “See you tomorrow, Chef!" the employees of Sia La Luce called as they left the two alone.

Kojiro waved them off as he spoke, “Now, what exactly is making you so tired?“ and popped open the bottle of Lafite to fill the pink-haired man's glass.

“I told you it's nothing I couldn't handle." Kaoru reached over and swirled the glass in his hands. “Just the usual.”

“Which usual? Client who doesn't know what they really want usual or client who wants to get inside your yukata usual?”

“Both wrapped in one," Kaoru grunted before taking a sip from his glass.

“Oh geez, “Kojiro shook his head, his curly, forest green locks threatening to come loose from their tie. “Let me go check on dinner while you get into it.”

The calligrapher sighed, “It's not much to talk about. He has a party coming up so he wants me to make a banner, but he doesn't know what he wants the banner to say, so I've been spitballing ideas waiting for him to say yea when he's constantly saying nay." He took another sip of wine. “It'd go a bit faster if he didn't get distracted trying to look down my collar.”

“He's not gonna see much other than your binder.”

“They think if they keep trying they'll get me on a day when I'm not wearing it.”

“He's gonna have to see you on an off day for that. And honestly, he's kinda sounding like the type of client you reject after the first time.” Kojiro pondered for a second. “Unless this one happens to be your type. Maybe after his commission he can make up for some of the stress he's caused you.”

“You know I don't do one night stands, you pig.”

“Hey, I'm just saying, maybe you'll get a full night's sleep for once.”

“I sleep well enough, thank you,“ Kaoru retorted.

“We both know that's not true," Kojiro countered through the window. “Seriously, you're trying to hide it, but I can see you've used concealer under your eyes.”

Kaoru's fingers hovered over his face, inches above his tired eyelids. “Fine, so I was up late a couple nights, but it wasn't because of this client. It's nothing too serious.”

Kojiro's voice sounded a bit off from the other side of the kitchen. “You sure?”

“Positive,“ Kaoru responded.

“Really positive? Cause if something's bothering you right now I think it's fair to use the same excuse Adam did. If he tries to make you forfeit I'll just call him out on his bullshit.”

“Thanks, but I intend to settle everything this Saturday. Besides, I don't think the Gallery would tolerate another abrupt ending to the tournament like that.”

Kojiro huffed, well aware of just how close the S Gallery got to city destroying ball sports fans when something ruined the electrifying energy of the mountain. He was about to give a word of assent, when suddenly, Kaoru's phone started to sing like a morning dove.

Kaoru retrieved his phone from his bag, eyes narrowing at the ID as he stood from his seat. “I have to take this. Be right back.”

“Take your time. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Hello?“ The calligrapher's voice drifted away as he walked to the front of the restaurant, the door letting off a little chime as he walked out.

Alone, Kojiro began to whistle, eyes utterly focused on the meal in front of him. Using a fork, he pierced one of the veal shanks, humming in approval as the tender meat easily gave way and broze broth trickled down into the simmering pot. Reaching over, he pulled the plates of plated polenta closer to him before reaching up and grabbing a ladle.

“I'm back, sorry about that,“ Kaoru said as he returned to his seat.

“What happened? Client cancel on you or something?”

“Not a client. It was just a friend calling, nothing serious.”

“Oh, a friend you say?“ the chef jested and smirked. “And here I thought you didn't do one-night stands.”

“I will fucking stab you in your own restaurant.”

Kojiro snickered. It wasn't every night that the calligrapher got a random call, but Kojiro never gave up the chance to tease his rosy-haired friend whenever a misdial or a telemarketer interrupted their nightly rituals.

“So, when you win, who do you think you'll go up against next?“ the chef asked, switching the conversation back.

“Don't know. It could be Shadow, it could be Snow, it could be this Snake, it's all chance anyway,“ Kaoru replied with a a shrug.

“You don't think Miya can beat Snake?”

“Miya's good.“ Kaoru frowned as he took another sip from his glass. “But, I don't think he's that good. Snake's experience will triumph over Miya's skill.”

“Yeah, well, I'm living proof that that's not exactly true.”

“Just because your technique's so sloppy that you could lose to a rookie doesn't mean everyone else will.”

“You of all people know that's no normal rookie!”

The two argued back and forth about their skating techniques as Kojiro plated the braised veal shanks and vegetables atop the polenta. Their conversation broke as he slide the plates onto a serving tray along with a basket full of the last of the day's fresh bread. He walked out of the kitchen, throwing open the door with a flourish and winked at his best friend.

Kaoru huffed, smiling into his glass.

As Kojiro set his plate down in front of him, the calligrapher suddenly jumped, eyes a bit wide. “Oh, I almost forgot, did you remember to give your okaasan the herbs I gave you?”

“Yeah, she made pesto pasta for herself and chichi one night, used the thyme for some cornish hens, think she said she was going to turn the lavender into syrup,“ Kojiro said as he sat down and picked up a fork to stab at his veal. “Can't believe my haha got you of all people to start an herb garden.”

“Perhaps I've learned the pleasure of nursing plants.”

“You can feel pleasure?”

“I could break this bottle of wine and ruin these counters, you do know that right?”

“Oh, and what are you gonna do when I have to replace them? Sit at the tables where people probably stick gum under?”

“I'm gonna throw veal on your chef whites.”

“I'll send you the receipts for the dry-cleaners.”

“You are insufferable,“ Kaoru pouted and shoved a forkful of veal, carrot, and polenta it into his mouth.

Kojiro chuckled, reaching over for the Lafite to fill his own wine glass.

“So, you prepared to wipe the track with him?”

“Everything is going to be fine, Kouki. You don't have to worry so much.”

“I know, Raki. It's just...it's him you know.”

“You don't have to remind me again.”

Kojiro reached for a piece of bread, and Kaoru reached for his glass once more.

“Hey, Kouki?“ Kaoru called as he drained the last of his Lafite.

“Yeah?”

“After this beef with Adam. I...I have something I need to tell you.”

“Why can't you just tell me right now?”

“Because you-because...it just has to be after.”

“Is it something bad?”

“No, not bad per se, but it may be a bit shocking.”

“Hmm, are you secretly planning to elope to Canada with that Kurihara guy?”

“What?! Kojiro, that man was older than my sofu!”

“Really? Cause with the way he was coming onto you, you'd think he was at least in his fifties.”

“He was not coming onto me; he's just really passionate about the history of calligraphy. He was complementing my stroke work.”

“Oh yeah, I'm sure those were the “long lines and lustrous curves” he was talking about.”

“Oh my god, shut up!”

“Make me!”

--

As the last of the lights to Sia La Luce blinked off, the engine of his panel van came to life with a dissonant hum.

“Carla, please play Car Soundtrack 7.”

“Okay, Master. Playing Car Soundtrack 7.”

He started off. Darkened buildings waved him down the road; bakeries with dead ovens, other restaurants, flashy clothing stores, and the like drifted by as they were enveloped by the shadows trailing behind the vehicle.

It didn't take long before he was driving by his temp studio and storage as well. The cherry blossom tree out front was dancing, twirling this way and that like a stout ballerina, her hair fanning out against the brisk winds of the night, the street lamps her spotlights and the moon and stars her ever captive audience.

“Incoming message from “Mongoose”," Carla interrupted the soft tunes of the radio. “Don't stay up all night making out with Carla. It would be a shame if Sleeping Beauty lost the only two traits he was known for.”

“Carla, reply with a middle finger emoji.”

“Replying.”

For a few minutes, there was a back and forth of chimes between the two departed friends. Kojiro eventually sent his last goodbye and the song on the radio returned, the combined forces of Lafite and light piano chords lulling Kaoru into a meditative state.

Perhaps it was the calm night, perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was the songs trilling through his mind, nevertheless, inadvertently, his mind wandered to the past.

"Are you going to break up with me?" the nineteen year old Kaoru asked.

His childhood room was both clean and messy in its own right, his own little haven of programming and engineering textbooks stacked up on the shelf closest to his desk, canvases and scrolls piled up in his closet, nearly spewing out the door, paints and inks and their smells clung heavily to the tatami mats and anything else that was laid out during the long sleepless nights of fights against anxiety attacks. That night, he'd laid in bed next to his second closest companion, the only light offered to them from his moon-shaped lamp on the left nightstand.

"Now, why would I do that?" Adam- no, Ainosuke- asked as he lazily flipped through the latest edition of his astronomy magazine. The blue-haired skater had always been somewhat interested in his little hobbies; it made him wonder if he didn't have his own stash of magazines at home.

Kaoru pursed his lips, his fingers curling around an errant string from his pillowcase. "You haven't wanted to come over like this in a while, and you haven't wanted to beef lately either; I was starting to think you'd gotten bored of me..." and immediately flushed when he looked up and caught a scarlet eye peeking over the edge of the magazine straight at his legs. He'd only been out of the bath for about five minutes when the signature tap tap tapping against his window meant that either his boyfriend or his best friend wanted entry and was in severe danger of falling from the cherry blossom tree's high branch that raked its fingers against the glass, so he'd hurriedly slipped on his bra, boxers, and a t-shirt to go let them in.

"My obasans have had me practicing for a violin recital," Ainosuke muttered as he set the magazine down next to the lamp. "I've been neglecting you. I'm sorry, darling."

"No, no!" Kaoru waved him off. "Family matters suck, I understand. For the past couple weeks my otoosan has been making me take tea with with a few of his business partners."

"Why?" Ainosuke raised a brow.

A sour looked came upon Kaoru's face. "He and my sofu have been "concerned" about my marriage prospects."

"Oh," the blue haired teen gave him an amused smirk. "And what are they like?"

"If you added yours, mine, and Kojiro's ages they still wouldn't be the same age as some of my "prospects"."

Ainosuke let out a loud, sharp laugh that filled the room and echoed down the hall. It was fine; Kaoru'd been the only resident in the house for the last couple of days anyway.

"Are you going to be the topic of those talk shows where people make fun of old men with young brides?" His eyes twinkled with mirth. "Or will you be on the front cover of a tabloid in a wedding dress?"

Kaoru snorted. "I'll jump off a bridge before I let anyone force me into a wedding dress."

Ainosuke huffed. "I think there's a better way to ruin your marriage prospects."

"How?"

In a flash of white, the other had thrown himself on top of him, his hands cradling either side of his head and a knee pressed between his legs. Kaoru's eyes widened a bit as he sunk down into freshly laundered cotten sheets.

"One thing I know all men hate," One hand had trailed inside his shirt to fiddle with the clasp of his bra. "is when they see something they want claimed by another man."

His bra was undone, and he gasped as that same hand slipped into his boxers. He reached up and started tugging on the other's jacket and turtleneck.

"You better not bite me too hard," "Kaoru grunted as his boyfriend leaned down to kiss his neck. "Kojiro called you a vampire last time he saw the mark you left."

"Maybe I am a vampire, and I'm claiming you as my mate."

"Oh, a creature of the night? And here I thought you were heaven-sent," Kaoru joked as he finally got the other's tops off and froze.

Both of Ainosuke's forearms were like a canvas, streaked with vibrant red strokes all the way up to his elbow. The last time he had seen them, they were a powdery pink, but these had been irritated, prodded, and scratched. Kaoru gently trailed his fingers along one of his forearms, and Ainosuke grew still.

The rosy-haired teen reached up to cradle his cheek. "One day, you have to promise to tell me about these, okay?"

In the dim lamplight of his bedroom, Ainosuke's eyes had always seemed brighter, like an ardent sun, fuller, like polished rubies. He stared down at him unblinking, and Kaoru stared back, unafraid and amorous.

"Fine."

Pulling him down, Kaoru pressed a gentle kiss against Ainosuke's lips. "Go on. Claim me."

The rest of their clothes were discarded on the floor as his boyfriend reached a hand under his mattress to retrieve a condom. Once more, they came together, hot and rough like asteroids, murmurs cool like comets sprang from their lips, with each thrust they became closer and closer.

"Ainosuke~"

"Look at me, darling. Don't focus on anything else. Not your family, not those old perverts, not even Joey. Just me. Keep all your attention on me."

After, they'd laid in his bed for a couple more hours, Ainosuke's head rested against his breasts, his breath even against his warm, sweat covered skin.

It'd be a sweet memory if he hadn't seen the man lead someone he'd called his Eve off a cliff just a week later.

It was a long thirty-five minute drive before he was moving by the larger atelier and driving into his garage. The radio shut down with a small chut; the engine shuttered before dying. He grabbed his bag, and when he climbed out of the driver's seat the estate greeted him as an old friend.

“Carla, what's the temperature for tomorrow?" Kaoru asked as he unlocked the door, the lights from the living room receiving him from the genkan.

“The temperature is estimated to be high 32*C (89*F) low 22*C (72*F) with a estimated 7% chance of rain. It is recommended to wear sunscreen along with your parasol.”

“And my schedule?" he said as he slipped off his zori, the sound of the television playing Akatsuki No Danuja went through his ears.

“You have a meeting at Kaede Cafe at 9:30am, you then slotted time between 10:45am and 12:45pm to grade your students' trimester projects, at 1:30pm you scheduled to meet with Yamamura Hayate to discuss payment on the march exhibition piece, and you then slotted time between 6:00pm and 8:00pm to work on commissions.”

“Thank you, Carla.”

“You're welcome, Master. Have a goodnight's rest. I will begin playing Melody 1.”

--

“Thank you for meeting with me here today, Yamamura-san.”

“No, please, the pleasure is all mine, sensei.”

Lunch time at Sia La Luce was a venue of golden rays, the evening sun shining through the windows to bask diners in its soft light. The air was filled with the sounds of guitars as waiters and waitresses danced and weaved through tables, their hands filled with streaming trays and cold drinks.

Two bowls of steaming cioppino sat on the table between the calligrapher and his client along with a basket of breadsticks. The smell of crab, scallops, shrimps, and other delicacies from the sea wafted up to their noses and made their mouths water.

“I was elated when you agreed to meet with me in person about the exhibition piece instead of doing an auction, “Hayate said as he spread a napkin across his lap. “You see, my wife just loved it and wanted to have it sent to our vacation home in Spain, and I couldn't say no to her.”

“It's truly no problem," Kaoru replied as he folded his hands atop one another, his fan buried beneath them. “Believe it or not I prefer to talk with buyers one on one rather than auction off my pieces. It means that someone loved my work enough that they were willing to take time out of their day for it, and it gives me a chance to speak with others who respect the art of calligraphy as much as I do.”

The two let off hearty chuckles.

“Well, I won't waste your time, sensei, and I wouldn't want to let this delectable meal grow cold, so I'll get straight to the point. I'm offering ¥1,500,000 for this piece with an additional ¥5,000 to have it shipped directly to the port for my men to receive." Hayate smiled.

“¥1,500,000? Oh my; that's certainly the highest offer someone's ever started with," Kaoru said with faux surprise. “Most people usually start at ¥10,000.”

“Those people don't usually frequent art museums," the business man countered. “I've been to enough to discern whether or not something is pure garbage with too many zeros behind it or a work of art such as yours.”

“You flatter me," Kaoru tapped his upper lip with his fan and fluttered his lashes.

“You flatter yourself, sensei. Honestly, Kida-sama was a genius to leave his legacy in your hands.“

At the sound of his master's name, Kaoru's smile became a bit real.

Hayate reached inside his blazer to retrieve his checkbook. “Now, sensei, do we have a deal?”

“Indeed we do. ¥1,505,000 is a very generous payment. Thank you, Yamamura-san," Kaoru beamed as the man scratched the numbers down.

“Honestly this amount almost feels paltry." Hayate smiled as he tore the check out and handed it across the table.

“Such a man with words, Yamamura-san," Kaoru chuckled. “Carla, please put a notice on my website that the march exhibition piece has been sold, and send a receipt for the amount of ¥1,505,000 to Yamamura-san's email.”

“Okay, Master," the purple bracelet responded.

“I've always been envious of your assistant," Hayate marveled at the slender device. “Dutiful and only speaks when she needs to.”

“Sometimes I feel like I'd be lost without Carla," Kaoru said with a smile towards his wrist.

Payment secured, the two dug into their meal, fish and scallops melting on their tongues along with the garlic and parsley of the bread. With their business concluded, the two shared a light conversation, of course, about the calligrapher's business.

“Have you ever thought about starting a museum, sensei?" Hayate asked as he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.

“Museum? Why, no, I can't say that I have," Kaoru set down his spoon. “While I have visited and donated to a few, I can't ever say I've had the thought to put my works in one or create my own.”

“You should," the man's voice took on a conspiratorial tone. “AI Calligraphy after all is a way to bring the art and history of the skill to the modern age, into the minds of lower class children and other everyday people. You could start your own museum, mix together your technical know how and calligraphy to your heart's content.”

Kaoru giggled into his hand. “Are you sure you just don't want a chance to see my pieces whenever you wish, Yamamura-san?”

“Ahaha, I won't say no.” The business man grinned. “A museum would give more like minded people a chance to meet and chat.”

“Oh, have you ever met someone at my exhibitions that you wish to speak to again?”

“Plenty! Why, at the march exhibition I ran not only into a friend, but a few more people who I ended up business partners with.”

“Oh, what luck. I'm happy that you could meet them.”

“Yes, yes. Oh, and thinking of that exhibition, I have another question, sensei.”

“Ask away, Yamamura-san.”

“Right, well, for context, it was right as a friend and I were leaving the exhibition. It was the oddest coincidence; just as we were about reach my car, we ran into another man with the last name Sakurayashiki!”

Kaoru froze, his hands frozen in mid-air. “Is...that," he took a breath, dropping his limbs. “Is that so?”

“Yes, indeed," Hayate nodded. “He was a rather astute man. We ended up taking lunch with him and talking for a while about your works. He happened to know alot about you, almost intimately, and I couldn't help but wonder if you two were related in some way. Tell me, do you have a relative with the name Daishi?”

Under the table, Kaoru's hand gripped his thigh tightly. His heart, that had been relatively calm throughout this entire interaction, was starting to beat a bit faster.

'Damn it,' he thought. 'I didn't even see him that time around.'

“I do have a relative with that name," Kaoru painted a tight smile on his face. “Though I haven't spoken with him in almost a decade. If it was him, I'd honestly be surprised that he remembered much about me.”

Hayate nodded. “Understandable, I was just so curious since he seemed to know so much about your work. He has, it seems, been to every one of your exhibitions, and to every auction, and to every charity fundraiser you attended. I couldn't help but think he was a close relative.”

“What dedication!" Kaoru said through nearly gritted teeth. “Perhaps it is him, and he's trying to reconnect. Perhaps I should look up his number and give him a call.”

Hayate chuckled. “Indeed. Now sensei-, “the man was interrupted by a loud buzzing sound from his back pocket.

“Excuse me, sensei, that must be my son with this quarter's report. I will be right back.”

“There' s no problem. Take your time, Yamamura-san.”

As Hayate stepped out of the restaurant, Kaoru took his chance to remove his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off a headache.

'Fuck, 'he thought. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Giving up, Kaoru covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath, but not allowing himself to let out the load groan he wanted to. The chatter of other tables in the vicinity and his reputation well on the forfront of his mind even now.

A tiny clink caused Kaoru to remove his hands. In front of him on a cute, little, flower-shaped serving dish laid a serving of vanilla panna cotta with a mixed berry coulis.

“You okay?" Kojiro asked as he handed him a dessert spoon. “Do you need to take a step in the back to breathe?”

Kaoru shook his head. “I...I'm fine. It's just....it's my otoosan.”

The chef's eyes narrowed. “He's still stalking you?”

“Apparently," Kaoru looked back to see if Hayate was still occupied. “I hadn't seen him in a few months. I thought he finally stopped.”

Ever since Kaoru had started living on his own, he'd made an effort not to think about his father. However, he quickly learned that his father was not so keen on forgetting or letting go of his child. Sakurayashiki Daishi was like a blot of stray ink on the well crafted art-piece that was Kaoru's career and adult life. It was small and hard to notice, but if he were to slip up even once it would smudge and reveal the imperfections not only in his work but in himself.

“You really need to consider getting a restraining order," Kojiro ran a hand through his forest green locks. “He can't keep harassing you like this.”

“He won't comply with a restraining order, and I can't risk him retaliating by outing me to some of my clients." The calligrapher grimaced. “You know he would.”

Kojiro rested his hands on the table, “Have you thought about hiring a security guard? They could be with you when you do your exhibitions.”

“Once or twice, but it seems like a waste of money to have a security guard just to have him looking out for one person." Kaoru placed a hand on his chest, breathing slowly to ease his heart.

'"'In two, three four,' Kaoru thought and exhaled, 'Out, two, three, four.'

“Your safety is always the most important thing. I can even get a uniform and be with you on those days if it would make you more comfortable.”

“My exhibitions are always during your work days, and you never take days off," Kaoru denied. “Plus, it would be during the lunch rush, and you need all hands on deck for that.”

“I can hire another line cook," Kojiro replied flippantly.

“Can you even afford another line cook?" Kaoru let out a deep breath.

“I'm back- Oh, hello," at the sound of Hayate's voice both men straightened up.

“Welcome back, Yamamura-san," Kaoru said easily. “This is Sia La Luce's owner, Nanjo Kojiro.”

“Hello, Yamamura-san," Kojiro grinned and took the man's hand to shake it. “I hope you've had an enjoyable time.”

“Hello, Nanjo-san, I have indeed. A fine establishment you have here." Hayate nodded. “Wonderful food, wonderful music, and just the right company." He smiled at Kaoru.

“Still with the flattery, Yamamura-san," Kaoru opened his fan to hide and fix his deteriorating smile.

“Well, I'm happy you've enjoyed yourself. I'll leave you two to your dessert," Kojiro easily shifted the man's attention to the dining table. “Please, let me know if you need anything else," he said while staring directly at Kaoru.

“Thank you, Nanjo-san, “Hayate eagerly sat down for the treat.

“Have you ever had panna cotta before, Yamamura-san?" Kaoru asked as he scooped a bit of the gelatinous cream.

“I have not. This surely looks delectable!”

“Well let's not dawdle, we wouldn't want this to get warm would we?”

“No indeed. Let's dig in, sensei.”

--

“You got this, Papaya!”

“Keep it up, Hawk! You're almost there!”

The air was thick with the salty taste of sweat, the cloying smoke of nicotine, and the burning tinge of rust. Leaves from the surrounding woods rustled off their branches, raining down on unsuspecting persons, giving them a very brief respite of cool nighttime air. Lane lights flickered and the swarming moths, nats, and other insects bzzzzed around the warmth of the yellow bulbs.

Not for the first time, and not even for the hundredth time, the mountain space had become a congregation of painted, flashy, dressed up, dripped out bodies. Longboards, streetboards, and cruisers filled nearly every hand, knocking against one another as their owners whooped and raved.

And everyone in attendance wouldn't have it any other way.

“Bzzzt!”

“Fuck yeah, Papaya!”

“No way; Hawk lost!?”

“I can't believe it!”

“Believe it, baby!”

A bit of a ways away from the megatron, along the jagged rocks of the mountain's sides, the top skaters of S watched languidly as the current beef came to its end. They had been there for a while now, and, having somewhat had their full of the ramps and bowls for the night, rested while the lower ranked skaters had their fun.

“Joe!" A blonde haired woman chirped excitedly as she ran up and grabbed a hold of one of the man's arms, resting her chin on his shoulder as she asked, “Joe, are you gonna skate tonight?”

“Yeah!" Another fan grinned as she took a hold of his other bicep. “Please, Joe, you haven't skated a beef since last week!”

These two women were a normal sight to see in the Muscle-Bound God of Skateboarding's arms. They were prominent members of the man's fan group, The Sunflowers, bearing his signature tattoo along their neck and right arm respectively. One was undoubtedly a skater, her orange sneakers dirty, soles caked with dirt, laces stained brown, and the lip bent, while other wore classy white heels with an embroidered sunflower on the sides.

“Sorry, ladies." The Six-Pack Skater smirked, wrapping a hand around both of their waists to pull them close. They sighed dreamily, pressing their breasts against him as he continued, “Cherry-sama has been so scared about his beef with Adam Saturday, I've been keeping him company so he doesn't chicken out.”

The women giggled, while, beside him, the AI Skater scoffed, crossing his arms. “Scared?”

Joe winked at the man, “It's okay cinnamon stick boy. Everybody here already knows you're as skinny as a twig, so it's no surprise that your scared Adam could throw you around with one arm.”

Cherry Blossom glared. “Throw me around? You wish. It's unlikely that he could even lift me.”

To be honest, it wasn't. Both of the skaters had a very distinct memory of their adolescence, of when their former friend picked up the pink haired man- albeit with both hands- and carried him in his arms all the way to the underpass where they frequented after the AI Skater's ankle had swollen up from a particularly nasty bail.

“Cherry-sama isn't afraid of Adam!" another voice chimed in.

“Yeah! There's no way he's gonna lose!" shouted one more.

Not too far away from the main group rested both Cherry Blossom's fan group, The Yozakuras, and the rest of The Sunflowers. Like the men they cheered and fawned over, the two groups had their own rivalry. It was somewhat for show; it wouldn't make much sense for two rival groups to be buddy buddy with one another while their star attractions were snarling in each other's faces, and their revelry often caused the S Gallery to stir, igniting beefs between lower ranked skaters who wanted to be up at the top with the three greats.

“You know, Cherry, it's fine to admit that Adam could lift you like a newborn baby.”

“You know, Joe, it's fine to admit that your brain is smaller than a fly's.”

The two went at each other, this particular row more for the pageantry than one of their genuine tiffs. Their fans chimed in every so often with their own color commentary, turning a few heads from the screens to the habitual verbal face off between the infamous AI and Six-Pack Skater.

“I'm telling you it's not possible. He can't lift me.”

“Nah, it's definitely possible. Let's ask your robot girlfriend. What do you think, Carla?" Joe looked down to the purple and black board.

The skateboard's LEDs flashed. “While Master weighs the same amount of pounds as Snow, who Adam threw around with ease, Master also has more experience in skating with Adam, therefore there is a 69% chance that Adam would not even be able to lay a hand on Master, let alone pick him up.”

“Carla, don't humor him," Cherry chided.

“My apologies, Master,“ Carla went dark.

“You should listen to your machine, Cherry. It only wants to keep you safe.”

“Carla is not a machine!”

Sitting on a small boulder just a couple feet away, Shadow watched as the two older men got louder and closer with one another, having abandoned their boards at their feet while fire sparked in their eyes.

“So, how much longer do you think they're gonna go at it?" he murmured to Miya.

“Until Cherry leaves for the night," Miya muttered back.

“You weigh as much as a bag of feathers!”

“And you weigh as much as a bag of rocks!”

“Grasshopper!”

“Imbecile!”

Rolling his eyes at their antics, Shadow looked back to the current beef. Tabby was losing horribly to the Red Helens, their tornado carousel technique having disoriented the other to the point of vomiting on their board in the middle of the race, slipping and falling flat on their face, and losing a lot of headway right in the beginning of the match. He didn't really feel sorry for them, seeing as not only did Tabby owe him money from their own beef, but they'd been antagonizing the Helens for a while now. They were getting their just desserts.

“So, still no Reki and Langa tonight?“ Looking up, Shadow watched as Joe waved away his fans and walked towards him and Miya, his routine argument with Cherry Blossom already over.

“No," Miya frowned from his spot crouched on the ground as he set down his switch. “Langa was busy, and Reki just said no,“ he grunted as he pulled out his phone to show the men.

“I tried calling him and he didn't pick up," Miya gave Joe a concerned look. “Do you know what's wrong with him?”

“I can't say I do," Joe shook his head before sighing, “I tried talking to him last week, but I haven't seen or heard from him since.”

“Langa's been really depressed lately too. He hasn't skated once since your beef," the thirteen year old replied.

“I haven't talked to Reki since before the tournament," Cherry sighed as he strode over. “Neither he nor Langa have ridden by my studio either. Troublesome children.”

“I'm sure they'll work it out," Joe gave Miya a reassuring smile, leaning back on the rocks, “All we have to do is be there when they need us.”

Cherry looked at Miya's phone, squinting, “As much as I would love to continue this conversation, it's about time I head out,“ only for his fans to moan in disappointment.

“Cherry-sama, please don't go!”

“Yeah, stay a little longer, please.”

“You never stay all night, Cherry-sama. At least run a beef before you leave!”

“Sorry, but no." The pink-haired ninja ran a hand through his ponytail to untangle a knot. “Goodnight," he said to his companions before strolling off.

Joe watched as the lithe man walked off, his board tightly grasped in one hand while he tapped away at his phone with the other. He stepped through a hole in the fencing and slipped into the woods. It wasn't long before he was disappearing into the foliage; not even the stark white of his hakama was able to be seen.

“Aww.” One of the AI Skater's fangirls stomped her foot. “I wish Cherry-sama wouldn't leave so early! He always goes around this time.”

“I know," another pouted. “It's not fair.”

“He's so mysterious the way he goes into the woods, like prince from a fantasy novel!" One squished her cheeks, a blush dusting her pale cheeks.

“I tried following him once and got lost," a third cried. “I had to message the capmen on the forums to come save me.”

“Oh no! Did you get in trouble?”

“No, but I did get them a carton of cigarettes, some tea, and dango as a thank you.”

“Oh, that's great!”

As The Yozakuras pondered on the destination of their resident heartthob, the Six-Pack Skater couldn't help but smile. When he and Cherry arrived at S that night, they had parked their motorcycles near one of the abandoned security offices they had found hidden amongst the overgrowth and trees in their youth. It was mostly a hideout that the AI Skater snuck away to when he would be hit with a sudden panic and didn't want to lose face in front of the Gallery, but it was also a space for them to have a bit of peace and quiet, even inside their mountain paradise. Even after nine years, it was still a well hidden secret; the only ones to know of its exact location were Cherry, Joe, and Adam, though that didn't mean that their fans didn't try their hardest to find it.

“It's so hard to believe that they used to be the watch dogs of this place," Shadow deadpanned as the men and women continued to wail to one another.

“Watchdogs?" Miya raised a brow at him.

Shadow shrugged. “It's more of a rumor, but I've heard more than a few of the older skaters say that The Yozakuras were the capmen before capmen were actually a thing.”

Miya shoved his switch and his phone is his pockets. “That doesn't make any sense, old man.”

Shadow gritted his teeth. “I'm twenty-four! And it's not like I came up with it, just something I hear every now and again.“ He turned to Joe. “Is it true?”

It was Joe's turn to shrug. “No idea. If it's true you'd have to ask Cherry next time you talk to him. He took charge of S after Adam left, and I was all the way on another continent. By the time I came back, the megatron was up and the capmen were tending to the track.”

“Huh," Miya immediately whipped his phone back out. “Gimme a minute.”

Shadow and Joe watched the teen type away. “I doubt he's gonna respond while he's driving home.”

“Yes he can; he has Carla," Miya shot back.

“True enough.”

After a while of tapping keys and notification bings, all of a sudden, Miya groaned, throwing his head back as he jumped to his feet.

“He's no help," he nearly pouted as he lifted his phone for the two to see.

“No help at all," Shadow shook his head. “I'm gonna go get a drink and a snack, be back.”

Shadow stalked off. Miya huffed as he put his phone away yet again, a small glower forming on his face.

“Meh, it's not that big of a deal," Joe said, patting his back. “Besides, it's not like the capmen are all that interesting.”

“Lies," Miya denied. “You don't think about how mysterious they are?”

“How so?" the Six-Pack Skater rested his hands on his hips,

“Maintaining the tracks is a full time job, so it would be hard for them to have a day job. Adam has to pay them, so that means they do taxes, but what do they put their job down as? If they have families, then what do they tell them they're going to work for?" the boy talked on.

Joe snickered. “Who knows? You can barely see their faces half the time. Maybe the capmen are all secretly androids that Adam paid Cherry to create.”

Miya sighed heavily. “You're no help either.”

Seeing the boy's dejected face, it was pretty obvious to the twenty-six-year-old that Miya wasn't all that beat up about S's mysterious maintenance workers. Instead, as he shoved his hands in his pockets, palming at his phone like he wanted to whip it out again, Joe guessed that his thoughts were focused on the absent redhead of their group.

Well, there was one thing that could cheer him up, if only a little.

“Say, Miya, how about you and I have a beef?" he kicked up his board as a show of challenge.

“You want to lose to a kid in front of everyone again?" Miya immediately mocked.

“Hey!”

--

-X-

As soon as his mother's room went dark and the sound of light snores echoed in the hall, he tip-toed his way out of his room and through the house, stopping to press two fingers to his father's picture, before slipping out into the night. There were still a few lights on within the apartment block, so he dipped and weaved to avoid being seen by the nosy neighbors who would certainly question his mother if they saw him sneaking out. Flies and other chittering insects greeted him as he made it to the street, throwing his board down to get on his way.

At this time of night, the path to Sia La Luce was a mostly quiet one, though it was sometimes disturbed by the screeching tires of motorists on their way home. All of the businesses down that way were either closed or closing, owners and employees readily awaiting the sweet embrace of their beds and pillows after a hard day's work.

On regular nights, he wouldn't be making this trek alone. No, normally, he'd be making ride with-

“Reki," Langa said to himself, his eyes downcast.

Even with the tournament having been put on pause for a week, Reki still hadn't made an appearance at S. He'd taken a longer leave from work, and none of his texts had received even a single reply.

Without his notice, Langa slowed down to a crawl, the force of his kicks not nearly as strong as they could be. It took him a quarter of an hour to reach his destination. The imminent sounds of an argument between the Six-Pack and AI Skater was the first thing Langa heard as he skated around the corner towards the Italian restaurant.

“Tell me again why you needed a soccer mom van for work?”

“I told you that I needed a large space to transfer my canvases and supplies.”

“I feel like you could've just bought a pick-up truck.”

“I will leave you on the side of the road.”

Sitting in the front seats of his panel van with the windows down, Joe and Cherry narrowed their eyes at one another.

“It's just canvases, brushes, and ink; it can't take up this much space. Seriously, this is just like when you got all those LEDs for that Carlacycle of yours.”

“Are you forgetting that I also used my purchases to tune up the rustbucket you call a motorcycle?”

“Hey, slime," Miya chimed in as the door to his right slid open and Langa jumped in to sit beside him, “What took you so long?”

“Sorry," Langa mumbled. “I lost track of time.”

“Lost track of time, aren't you excited?" Shadow called from the back. “We got a downright legendary beef in like an hour.”

Langa pondered Shadow's words for a moment. He once thought racing Adam- experiencing the heart pounding exhilaration that was the King of S- was what he wanted all along. However, the thought of just being at S as it was didn't even cause a flutter in his heart.

“I guess I'm a bit excited," he muttered, looking up at the front seats. “Good luck, Cherry.”

“Thank you," Cherry turned away from Joe. “Reki's still a no show?”

Hearing the other high schooler's name, Langa's heart felt gripped by a hand made of ice.

“I can try texting him again," he replied and swiftly pulled out his phone.

“We won't be able to wait for him, unfortunately," Cherry said as he twisted the keys in the ignition. “If we don't leave now, we'll be late.”

As the group headed down the road, a bit of chatter started between the three adults while Miya flipped up his hood, somewhat immersed in his game, though his eyes flickered to Langa's phone every so often. Langa himself was just as focused on the device, blocking everyone out.

“So, Cherry," Shadow said. “When was the last time you beefed Adam?”

“My last time? Hmm, I think it was almost eight years ago, a little while after the first ever tournament at S. He challenged me to race him down one of the now defunct tracks.”

“Really? You never told me about that." Joe raised a brow at his friend.

“You were at work that night, and he asked me to keep it a secret between us," Cherry replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly for a second.

“There are secret tracks at S?" Shadow questioned.

“There are a lot more tracks that aren't really used anymore," Joe replied. “Some were too dangerous. Others would take a lot more upkeep than the we ones we use now.”

The van came to a stop at one of the traffic lights.

“Huh," the Anti-hero of S leaned forward in his seat. “So, who won?”

“Adam won, but not by much, “Cherry said.

As Cherry talked about his prior loss, Joe looked to the back seat. Usually, the teens were especially nosy when it came to matters prior to their arrival to the mountain, so not hearing them talk once was a major surprise.

Miya was still playing his dungeon crawler, the sprite of a red-haired knight hacking away at a vampire feasting on the heart of an innocent maiden. Langa was still staring at his phone; his eyes were glistening just the slightest bit.

“Hey, Langa, you good?" looking up, the young Canadian's clear blue eyes crossed with Joe's burgundy ones.

“I'm...fine," Langa muttered.

“Reki?" Joe asked knowingly.

“...Yeah," the teen answered, a solemnly slid his phone into his shirt pocket.

“Is he coming tonight?" Miya looked up, pausing his game. “He's pretty much missed the whole tournament.”

“I don't think so," Langa shook his head. “The last time I talked to him about it, he said he didn't care. I thought I saw him when I raced Joe, but I couldn't find him.”

“Hmm, that so?" the Six-Pack Skater pondered. “I talked to Reki before our beef, told him to come by, but I never actually saw him. After Kaoru's beef, how about we ask the capmen at the gates whether they remember seeing him or not?”

“I doubt the capmen would remember a random red headed child," Cherry disagreed. “I'll have Carla scrape the video records tonight and text you all later.”

“Sounds good to me," Shadow shrugged. “Besides, even if he doesn't show up, we can give him the good news later that you knocked Adam off his high horse.”

“Oh, Carla could keep a video and we can show him later," Miya smiled. “Reki might come back if he sees Adam lose.”

“I don't know," Langa looked down at his chest. “I just want to talk to him.”

The rest of the ride to S was filled with minimal chatter and a few quips between Joe and Cherry. Every once in a while, Langa would pull out his phone and look at his screen as if the final message would change on its own.

It didn't take long before they were driving through the gates of paradise. Cherry got out early, throwing the van keys at Joe to hurry to the starting line while they found a place to park. With just five minutes until the beef, the four of them flagged down a capman to race them to the top.

“Langa-kun!" The Matador of Love waved excitedly from his spot at the starting line. “Have you come to cheer me on? Oh, I can feel your yearning for our union even from here!”

Everyone watched as the Matador emitted large flashing hearts of rose gold. He was so utterly focused on the boy before him it was entirely possible that someone could sneak up and steal his case of cigarettes from him, and he wouldn't even notice. Langa himself simply blinked at the man, wholely uninterested in his usual mannerisms and mind preoccupied on something more import.t.

“Don't you worry, my Eve. We'll have our chance to race again very soon! I pro-

“Are you ready or not?" Cherry interrupted, his lips downturned behind his mask. "Or do we all have to wait another week while you stand there and fawn?”

Adam abruptly paused, and then suddenly, all the energeticness he was exuding seemed to fade away.

He turned and gave Cherry a lackadaisical smile. "Oh, I forgot you were here.”

“You!" Clenching his fists, Cherry almost threw Carla to the ground.

“Let's get this over with," Adam said brusquely.

A blaring horn silenced everyone on the mountain. Both skaters leaned forward, eyes focused on the starting line.

Three...Two...One...

“Bzzzt!”

--

“Tell us again, Nanjo-san, what exactly is your relationship with Sakurayashiki-sensei?”

“He's my best friend. We...we grew up together.”

The bright, fluorescent lights were pulling on the ends of his nerves and kicking at the front of his skull. His legs felt like jelly, barely holding him up as he swayed back and forth on his aching feet. Kojiro braced himself against the cold wall of the waiting room; he could very clearly feel the continuous thump thump thumping of his heart against his ribcage.

“And you can confirm that you're his emergency contact?" the officer asked as he jotted down notes in his PDA.

“In his medical records, yeah. In his phone, maybe.”

The heavy cough of a nearby elderly man in a wheelchair made Kojiro jump a bit. He rubbed at his arm, nerves already frazzled beyond belief. He took a wary glace across the room, watching as one of the receptionists inputted information on the newest patient.

The chef had never hated hospitals as much as Kaoru did, but he was willing to come around to his way of thinking just this once.

“And remind us, how did he end up in his condition?" the second officer prodded.

Kojiro's breath almost hitched as the events of just a few hours ago waded through his mind. First astonishment, then pride, then the loss of hope, shock, a moment of pure anger and fear, racing down the track as fast as he could, dust flying into his eyes, gravel cracking under the wheels of his board. Ad- that man- standing over Kaoru as he bled out onto the ground.

He didn't remember much after getting into Shadow's car. Not leaving out of S's gates. Not the high-speed drive down the road. Not reentering the city. Not even making it into the hospital parking lot.

He did remember running in. “Somebody please help me!" he had screamed.

He remembered putting Kaoru down on a stretcher, the entire right half of his face covered in blood. His left leg was twisted, his foot flopping as a nurse tried to rest it in the middle of the bed.

“Oh god," he had said as a sudden body shift had Kaoru spitting blood onto the blue sheets of the gurney.

“Let's get him to imaging!" one of them shouted.

Hee tried following the entourage of health care workers in to the backrooms, but one of the receptionists started pushing against his chest.

“You can't go back there, sir!”

“But...Kaoru...he-he's”

A scream from the back, “Code Blue!”

Code Blue. What the hell did that even mean?

He vaguely remembered the security guard and Hiromi grabbing him by the shoulders.

“He's safe now, Kojiro." The Anti-hero of S held him tight. “He's safe; the doctors will take care of him. Come over here with me. Let's take a breather, okay?”

It was only through Hiromi's coaxings that he was able to answer the triage nurse's questions, as jumbled and stunted as they were. It wasn't too long after they were left to wait that law enforcement showed up.

“We were just on our way back from a costume party," Kojiro replied. “We were walking back to the car when a truck swerved around the corner and hit him.”

“And you didn't think to call 119?" the officer raised a brow, trying to catch him in a lie, while the first added, “The car didn't stop?”

“He was unconscious and bleeding so much. I just...I wanted to get him help alright. Get him to the hospital instead of just sitting there and waiting." His fists clenched and he took in a deep breath. “I wasn't thinking clearly at the time, alright? I just....I needed to get him some help. And no the car didn't stop.”

He didn't know exactly which of the hospital populous called the police. Maybe it was the triage nurse at check-in who recognized Kaoru immediately from his hair and was currently whispering into the landline to someone. Perhaps it was the security guard who saw the blood spread across Kojiro's chest, pants, and hands and assumed he was the cause of Kaoru's state. Maybe it was the father of three who was sitting in the waiting area with his children, his wife's condition currently unknown. It could've been anyone really, but it didn't really matter now did it?

What did matter was that Kaoru was a very well-off and acclaimed artist. He had enough money to pay every single bill of whoever was unfortunate enough to end up there that night, and then buy the hospital just for the hell of it. His name held enough prestige that businesses in the West tapped his talent for signs, cards, and other stationery no matter the shipping cost just to have the bragging right of “I did business with Sakurayashiki Kaoru.”

People like that usually had an array of doctors and healthcare providers at their beck and call. If those people couldn't be reached, then they went to a more affluent facility; one that didn't have chipped tiled floors, dingy white partitions, and fading blue waiting room chairs.

It was more than a little suspicious when someone of Kaoru's social standing ended up in an everyday man's hospital.

“Can you tell us what this car looked like?”

“It was red; I don't remember much else. Sorry, but I wasn't too focused on the car at the time. Maybe it was a Hyundai, maybe it was an Altima. And before you ask, no I didn't get the license plate.”

The officer gave him a suspicious glance, orange eyes sweeping over his tattoo for the longest of seconds, before he sighed, sliding his PDA into his pants pocket.

“We may have some more questions at a later date, Nanjo-san. Please make sure that we are able to reach you." The officer said before walking off, his partner not far behind him.

Kojiro simply waved his phone in their direction, eyeing them both relieved and embittered as he finally moved over to fall down into one of the waiting room chairs. He ran a hand through his wind-wrecked hair, uncaring if chips of dried blood got stuck in between the threads.

“You sure you don't want to wash up, might make you feel a bit better," the sound of Hiromi's boots clacked against the tiled floors.

“I'll wash up when they finally tell me how Kaoru's doing," Kojiro replied. “It's been hours, yet nobody's talked to us yet.”

“That's good in a way." Hiromi sat down beside him. “Means he's still alive and kicking.”

The smell of coffee wafted up Kojiro's nostrils. “I got you something to drink," Hiromi said, pressing the cup into Kojiro's still trembling hands. “Thought they'd never leave.”

“They didn't question you as long as they did me," Kojiro grunted, swirling the cup in his hands, the warmth doing little to calm his nerves.

“I'm not covered in blood. Nor do I have a visible tattoo. And I don't look like I could defeat Mike Tyson and The Rock in a 2 v.1," Hiromi joked as he stretched out.

Kojiro let out a weak chuckle. “No, but you do look like you could take a cinnamon stick boy." Then paused. “At least in appearance. Back in the day, Kaoru would take on eight guys at a time with just a baseball bat.”

“That sounds terrifying," Hiromi shuddered, his mouth gaping at just the thought.

“It was...for the people who pissed him off.”

“I can imagine. They did check the car. I managed to hide our boards under the boot, and they didn't ask too many questions about the blood in the backseat. They were a bit suspicious of the dirt on the tires though.”

“Did they take a sample?”

“No.”

“Then they'll live. Soon as the day starts good, go to a car wash.”

A silence encompassed them then. Kojiro's attention flipping back and forth between the black double doors of the emergency wing and the slowly cooling coffee in his hands. Hiromi sipped at his drink, tapping away at his phone.

“I got a hold of Langa; he took Miya home then went back to his place. Tried getting a hold of Reki, still no answer," Hiromi said after a while.

“That's good," Kojiro nodded. “I'm glad they're both safe. Least Reki didn't have to see tonight.”

“Wish none of them did," Hiromi grimaced. “I was gonna bring Miya with us, but the kid ran off. I didn't want to waste time going after him so I-”

“You don't have to explain it to me," Kojiro patted the other man on the leg. “Thank you, by the way.”

“No problem.”

Kojiro finally took a drink from his lukewarm coffee. The call of “Hashimoto-san” from the receptionist was one of the only little sounds in the waiting area aside from the ever-ticking clock and the barely above a whisper voices from the corner televisions.

“You know, Kaoru started skating a year after I did?" Kojiro started as he set his cup of coffee down near his feet.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. His family...they were the strict sort of people and had pretty much planned Kaoru's entire life out for him, and it goes little to say that skateboarding wasn't a part of it. Between calligraphy and everything else he had going on the only time he got to even look at a board is when we had sleepovers.”

“Wow, would have thought you two started at the same time or something.”

“Yeah, I was so pissed when he learned how to rail grind quicker than I did. Held it over my head for weeks, the dick.”

“Like you probably didn't hold it over him when you learned to Madonna or something.”

Kojiro grinned. “It was actually a Grosman Grab.”

Hiromi was quick to lead Kojiro into a conversation of beginner and freestyle moves, a welcome distraction. While the constant talk of Ghetto Birds, Darkslides, and Rocket Airs could never take Kaoru off the twenty-six year old's mind, it did do the trick in getting his nerves to settle just the littlest bit.

“Wait, a Roastbeef Grab!" Hiromi exclaimed. “Isn't that more your style?”

“Kaoru would try anything back in the day," Kojiro snorted. “You should have seen him when he did a Benihana then went straight into a Daydream Flip. He even had Adam cheer.... “Kojiro grew quiet before he could finish his sentence.

His eyes found the doors once more. They were still, and not a bit of movement could be seen behind the opaque glass.

Kojiro bit his lip. Skateboarding had been such an important part of the duo's lives for almost two decades, and now there was a big possibility that Kaoru may never walk again, let alone skate.

“I'm going to kill him," Kojiro whispered, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. “I'm going to kill that son of a bitch.”

Hiromi squeezed the man's shoulder. “Gonna have to get in line after Cherry's fans," he said. “Some of those girls looked like they wanted blood.”

“They're the ones who are going to have to get in line.”

Adam had had a punch waiting for him for a very long time. Seven years of longing, hope, and anger all wrapped up into a gloved fist. When before it would have been on the shoulder or perhaps in the gut, now Kojiro could only imagine white, red, and gold mask fragments digging into alabaster skin.

Or perhaps, he could use another method? Adam was so very clever, coming up with new techniques on the fly. Maybe Kojiro should take his skateboard and give Adam a secondhand demonstration of just how effective his new move-

“Ahem, excuse me?" a hesitant voice broke through the man's seething thoughts.

Turning, Hiromi and Kojiro took note as a young woman stepped up to them.

“You are Nanjo Kojiro, right?" The woman stepped a bit closer. “Here for Sakurayashiki Kaoru?”

She was a woman of around average height. Her brown locks framed her oval-shaped face, her grey eyes a bit cautious. She was dressed in a white tee, a black and gold Mami Band jacket, blue jeans, and matching sneakers.

Kojiro found himself raising a brow. She'd used their real names, so she couldn't have been from S. And she obviously wasn't a doctor or nurse, dressed like that. Was she an undercover cop? Maybe they sent a pretty face to try and get a confession out of him.

“Uh, yeah," Kojiro did his best to put on his signature smile as he got up from his chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The woman took a deep breath. “I'm Takahashi Kioko, Sakurayashiki-san's babysitter." The woman gave him a small bow. “I was instructed to find you or Nanjo Chiyoko in case of an emergency.”

Kojiro stood shocked still, confusion overcoming his buzzing nerves.

“Um," Hiromi stared at the woman, incredulous. “I'm sorry? Come again?”

“I'm Sakurayashiki-san's babysitter," Kioko repeated, as if it was the most normal sentence one could speak in this situation.

“A...a babysitter?!" Kojiro exclaimed. “Why in the world would he need a babysitter?”

“That's-

“Kioko-oneesan," a sleep-ridden voice grabbed the men's attention, drawing their eyes down from the woman's face to behind her.

Holding tight to her left leg and jacket was a little boy. He wasn't well put together, like his white t-shirt and denim overalls had been shuffled on in a hurry. His shoelaces were still untied, tripping hazard trailing behind his blue power ranger sneakers. His rose colored locks were mushed together like he'd just been woken up from a deep sleep. His scarlet eyes were brimming with tears.

The child stared at Kojiro and Hiromi, his wide eyes as he tugged hard against his caretaker's pants as if he was trying to drag her away. The boy whimpered, his bottom lip wobbling as he asked,

“Where's chichi?”

---

For Kaoru's and Kojiro's nicknames I decided on names that I think would fit the child versions of them. Kaoru = Raki with the characters meaning “comfort” and “rare”, and Kojiro = Kouki meaning “light” and “hope”. The nicknames were given to them by their mothers.

-

haha = mama okaasan = mother chichi = papa otoosan = father sofu = grandpa oneesan = elder sister/big sister obasan = aunt

-

Original Character List (so far, good god just what have I gotten myself into?)

Sakuaryashiki [Redacted]– Kaoru's son Takahashi Kioko – Kaoru's Babysitter Uehara Sayuri – Manager of Sia La Luce Fujimori Teijo – Sous Chef of Sia La Luce Miyamoto Miyoko – Sous Chef of Sia La Luce Kawasaki Jona – Cook at Sia La Luce Tagawa Rioto– Cook at Sia La Luce Oshiro Hirohito – Server at Sia La Luce Kurihara - A client of Kaoru's Hashimoto – Random Hospital Occupant Yamamura Hayate – A client of Kaoru's Kida [Redacted] – Kaoru's master/calligraphy teacher Nanjo Chiyoko - Kojiro's mother

Read the Next Chapter

[formulapisces]

the popcorn is by joe & seph's! I've had another flavour by them and now I want to try them all 😭😭 I picked up some cherry vanilla dr pepper and you know what? I don't know why I did it. every time I have something that isn't the original flavour it is always a total let down. this tastes like a watered down cherry coke, no vanilla :/

I am going to keep worrying though 🫂😭🥺🦇

noooo 😭 in my opinion its either just cherry or just vanilla, you cant really mix them. but going for the original it’s the safest bet, maybe a bit boring sure, but safe.

the popcorn is going on my foods to try list for sure, i feel like you have such good taste, i trust everything you recommended 😅

🥺 but seriously don’t worry :( i’ve had this happen before and i was fine so i can do it again. im sure i’ll be all good by the next gp and i’ll be back to posting all of my usual more fun things hopefully 🫂