#i really am just so truly grateful that this festival exists

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-A09 - Death in Seto

Coordinator: Good grief… I offered my cooperation because I wish to study regional revitalisation, but perhaps that was misguided of me!

Nanaki: …

Coordinator: When walking on the balcony, someone suddenly bumps into me - and upon seeing me fall, he lets out a bizarre scream without apologising…!

Ushio: …You're the one who bumped into me.

Coordinator: It's good that I wasn't injured, however, to be frank… I cannot possibly imagine how children such as this will be able to assist in the management of the Summer Festival!

Momiji: I don't know how to apologise for this. Gannosuke-san, I'm really sorry!

Ushio: An apology's just going to make him more stuck up. It's impossible for someone to be completely faultless in a head-on collision.

Momiji: Shush.

Gannosuke: I migrated to Shodoshima a number of years ago. Though, while I say that, my home is primarily in Tokyo.

I was active as an artist of certain works for many years, but- I've grown sick of the hustle and bustle of the city.

I chose a dwelling in Shodoshima for the times I wish to concentrate on nothing but creative work.

Kiroku: … …

Gannosuke: Living on this island for several years means I know all about it, and it is also why I am uneasy about you all.

It's no easy feat to earn the trust of the islanders!

Treat people with good faith, endeavour to interact sincerely no matter the situation. Isn't that attitude the most important thing!?

Momiji: Uh, yes, it's exactly as you say…! I'm really sorry!

Gannosuke: I'm also a member of the tourism department, but Shodoshima is severely lacking in human resources. And with the Summer Festival one week away…

I don't know what "Dispatched Tourism Ward Mayors" are, but with such light-hearted attitudes, I've no expectation of your help being any good!

Nanaki: You're getting pretty close to false accusations, here.

Momiji: Come on…!

Nanaki: At any rate, doesn't he look like someone? This guy.

Kiroku: …Mm.

Ushio: I get ya. Who is it… I can't remember.

Momiji: Don't talk!

Gannosuke: Truly, kids these days are… deplorable. Even while being scolded, there's a child who hides his face and identity - what can I do but ask what this world's come to!

Ushio: You mean Muuchan?

Muneuji: ?

Ushio: Your helmet.

Muneuji: Ah, pardon me.

Muneuji: I wasn't particularly intending to hide, but rather, the helmet is already one with myself, so I hadn't noticed-

Gannosuke: Oh… OOOOOOOOUUUUGH…!

Momiji: Woah… are you alright!? You suddenly fell over, what is it!?

Gannosuke: What are you feigning ignorance for…! When in the presence of one of God's supreme creations, no mere human in existence could stand up straight…!

Momiji: Supreme…? I mean, I'm also surprised that he turned out to be such a pretty boy.

Gannosuke: I'm not talking about his face… I'm talking about his eyelashes.

Momiji: Huh?

Gannosuke: They're the Eyelashes of God!

Nanaki: …What's this guy on about? Is he okay?

Gannosuke: Kaguya-kun, you said!? The form of your divine eyelashes… flawless! 360 degrees, and perfect when viewed from any angle!

From the way they grow to the shape they form, dainty yet magnificent with no gaps whatsoever! What can I say but that they are an act of God!

Muneuji: I see.

Gannosuke: An outstanding, once in a millennium talent…! Oh, God! I am eternally grateful to you… Amen!

Ushio: This guy's scary.

Momiji: I don't really get it, but I guess they're amazing?

Gannosuke: You see, I am but one of the few eyelash artists in JPN.

Momiji: Th-there sure are many different kinds of artists, huh.

Gannosuke: Captivated by eyelashes, I've continued to style them for many months and years. That I should meet with the Eyelashes of God at this very moment, on Shodoshima - it must be fate.

I would like to take back what I just said. With your eyelashes, you'll surely be able to do the Summer Festival, regional revitalisation - anything at all.

Muneuji: I do not understand your reasoning, but I am happy simply hearing you say that.

Momiji: Thank you very much! What a relief!

Nanaki: I can only feel nervous…

Ushio: Agreed.

Momiji: Let's get straight to the point and establish our goals!

As Dispatched Tourism Ward Mayors, we will be assisting Shodoshima in managing its Summer Festival, since it's short on hands.

Gannosuke-san said so before, but there's one week until the festival.

You'll be graded based on contribution points you earn while helping out, including during the preparatory period, and those scores will determine whether or not you get inaugurated as a Tourism Ward Mayor… that's how it is.

Does anyone have any questions so far?

Kiroku: …Um.

Momiji: Yes, Kiroku-kun.

Kiroku: …Isotake… isn't… here.

Momiji: Huh?

Kiroku: …Since the lecture started… he's always, been… gone.

Momiji: What!?

Momiji: Akuta-kuuun! Heeey! Where'd you gooo!

(His shoes aren't here either… I'm sure he slipped out of the inn in the confusing mayhem of the "first murder".)

He doesn't have his phone, which is an issue. And Gannosuke-san started saying weird things as I was about to leave…

---

Gannosuke: I hear that "eyelash-plucking yokai" come out around these parts.

Momiji: Th-thank you for the sudden information.

I have heard that Shodoshima has many tales relating to yokai. But, why suddenly bring up…

Gannosuke: I'm wondering if Isotake-kun has been spirited away by the eyelash-plucker.

Momiji: It'd be awful if his eyes became filled with garbage! I have to go look for him right away!

---

Momiji: (So I said, but I have no leads… what do I do…)

*car noises*

Momiji: (That's… the sound of Sakujiro-san's car!)

Momiji: Excuse me, Sakujiro-san! Sorry for doing this right as you arrive, but Akuta-kun is-

Ah.

Akuta: Hehe. I got caught.

Sakujiro: I spotted him running towards the movie village. And so I picked him up.

Momiji: I can always count on you, Sakujiro-san! Thank you so much!

(Akuta-kun sure does like movies…)

Gannosuke: Ooh, did you find him? …What matters is that his eyelashes are safe. In that case, I'll stop here.

Momiji: Sorry for the worry… thank you very much! …Akuta-kun, I'll have a word with you later.

Akuta: Aaalright.

Momiji: Guuuys, I found Akuta-kun… huh? What are you eating?

Ushio: Fried somen.

Nanaki: Some welcome food was set out. It's crunchy and delicious. Want some, Chief?

Momiji: No, we're all going out for dinner now, so let's leave the snacks to look forward to later.

Ushio: Huh? All of us? Skulking in together?

Akuta: It's fine it's fine, it sounds fun and I'm starving~

Ushio: I'm not going. I absolutely refuse to be coerced into doing private things like eating as a group. No obligation to.

Nanaki: I'm not going either. Have fun.

Akuta: You're coming, right, Muneuji? Right? Let's eat delicious food until our stomachs are about to burst.

Muneuji: I'll come along.

Momiji: So then, Kiroku-kun-

Kiroku: … …I'm…… also not…

Akuta: Ah~ stop right there! You wanna go, don'tcha? I read your feelings loud and clear, so it's a-ok!

Kiroku: That's not… …

Akuta: Right, it's decided. Let's skulk in and be happy~! Yeah~!

Kiroku: …

Momiji: Alright, let's head out then!

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Masterlist

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 11 - Overseas Training

Izumi: Umm, this is 7th Avenue, so…

Tenma: Is that it?

Muku: Ah, it is!

Misumi: We’ve arrived~!

Kumon: It’s so crowded here!

Kazunari: No matter where you snap a pic, it looks great and makes such a great ref~! Yukki, Kumopi, pose for the camera~!

Yuki: Sure.

Kumon: I love New York! (1)

*Camera clicks*

Kazunari: Here, here, Sumi and gang, you join too~!

Izumi: (Even after a little under 13-hour flight, everyone’s still full of energy. That’s Summer Troupe for you.)

Izumi: (But time really has flown by so fast from the time when we decided to go to the U.S. to now…)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Flashback*

Yuki: Training in the U.S.?

Tenma: I got a call from my dad out of nowhere.

Tenma: There’s a film festival coming up in the U.S., and he suggested that all of Summer Troupe come for a training trip. He said the agency would cover the cost too.

Muku: Huh? The cost too!?

Kazunari: If the cost is covered, then it’ll be a-okay with Frooch-san.

Kumon: I wanna go to the U.S.!

Izumi: But is it really okay for him to do that much?

Tenma: Partially, it’s because he feels bad about not being able to do anything for the company back when we were struggling with the whole Amadate mess.

Tenma: I think we should just be grateful for it.

Tenma: Theater and musicals included, the U.S. isn’t only about entertainment culture.

Tenma: It’s also cutting-edge in design and fashion, so I think there’s a lot we could all learn from it.

Tenma: He said that if we want to win the Fleur Award, the highest theater award in Japan, we should experience some authentic theater as actors.

Yuki: I am pretty interested.

Muku: Issei-san does have a pretty significant presence in the world, so it’s a pretty convincing argument coming from him.

Izumi: Well then… I guess I’ll take your word for it.

Tenma: Yeah. I think it’ll be a good opportunity for us to relearn some stuff, too.

Misumi: Let’s go to the U.S.~!

Kumon: I can’t wait to be on a plane~!

*Flashback end*

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: (We didn’t exactly have the greatest experience with Issei-san during the debut performance, but…)

Izumi: (Now he truly is supporting Tenma-kun’s path as a stage actor. I really am thankful for that.)

Izumi: (I hope they can all return home full of excitement and having absorbed a lot during our short stay.)

Muku: If we move a little further left, we should be able to fit the building in.

Kazunari: C’mon, Director-chan!

Misumi: Take a picture with us~!

Izumi: Ah, sure!

*Camera clicks*

Kumon: I still can’t believe how many people there are~.

Yuki: I mean, it is a tourist attraction, so it’s no wonder everyone’s taking pictures.

Tenma: And with the film festival coming up, there will be even more people than usual.

Kazunari: I’m so hyped for the film festival~. It’s something we never would’ve gotten to go to if we weren’t invited.

Kumon: I wonder if we’ll get to meet some of the world’s biggest stars~.

Tenma: But first we’re seeing this play before any of that.

Muku: Ah, we should start heading towards the theater now.

Izumi: The theater should be around-- Ah, over there.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kumon: That was so impactful~! I feel kinda fluffy like I’m still in the story!

Tenma: I’ve never seen a production like that before, so I was really amazed by the whole thing and overwhelmed by the performance skills of the actors.

Tenma: It really reminds you of the wide range of possibilities that exist within theater.

Kazunari: The lighting and music were supes cool. Everything was so powerful and the impact was insane~! I feel like I’ve got ideas bouncing all around in my brain!

Misumi: It was so much fun~. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, it was filled with so much heart-pounding excitement!

Kumon: Yeah, yeah, it was like an emotional roller coaster…

Kumon: I couldn’t understand the language, but it was still conveyed through all they did~.

Muku: There were so many different types of actors. Not just in age, but in the way they acted too…

Muku: They each seemed to be making the most of their abilities.

Yuki: The costumes were good too. Those are what stage costumes should look like.

Yuki: This place really is authentic, and you can see that the pros are working hard to improve each other and create the best things they can.

Izumi: (Looks like each of them was inspired in their own way. I guess there are just some things that you can only get a feel for when you actually see them in person.)

Izumi: (We’ve hardly been here a day but I’m already happy we came…)

Muku: It’s all in English, but I just had to get a brochure too.

Kumon: Me too! Even though I can’t read any of it~.

Muku: When we get back to Japan, let’s read some of it together with a dictionary.

Kumon: Yeah! Looking at the credits, there are some Japanese-sounding names, though. Like the costume person, Aiko Kataoka--.

Yuki: Ah--.

Muku: Do you know who that is, Yuki-kun?

Yuki: Yeah, they’re famous.

Kumon: Really~?

Yuki: I see, so that’s…

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

• • •

(1) Kumon says this in English.

[cowboyjen68]

Anon Ask

If I may ask, who was your “butch awakening” if there was such a person in your life? Like, a person who inspired you to embrace butchness?

Answer: I think it was probably a combination of women on TV and in the movies, like Jo (straight in real life) from The Facts of LIfe and Tatum O Neal(also straight) in The Bad News Bears, Kristy McNichol (lesbian) in Family and Jodie Foster in Freaky Friday (and just about everything else she was in--lesbian) who let me see that other tomboys existed outside my small world.

In 1995 or so I was attending a festival for the second time with my first girlfriend (a femme) and my friends. I was helping a woman who was a bit older than me and she experiencing some health issues. After carrying her things to a pile she invited me to sit under the shade with her and get a cold drink. She said (and I remember these worlds clearly) "You are just the cutest butch, thank you for helping me".

The only other person to refer to me as butch (that I knew of) was my femme girlfriend and I just assumed it was an affectionate term she was using for me to be sweet and I didn't really think I could be truly butch like the other butches I knew from the festvial and from bars and in my life.

When she said that I was amazed. A stranger clocked me as butch and said so. It was at that moment many dots were connected. Much of the butch experience for me is being recognized as a masculine women. The outside world sees me As a female who is not doing "woman" quite right according to the standards of our culture.

We can't hide our butchness so we either embrace it or fight it, the latter not ending well and often proving impossible. Being butch and seen as such is pretty effortless. We just go outside. LOL

I don't require any outside validation for my butchness because I am solid in who I am but it did take recoginizing that the people around me see me differently due to the way I move, the space I take up, my "energy" for lack of a better term. That woman so many years ago changed my life without even knowing by making me aware that I was not wrong about thinking my experiences were a bit different than woman who were more feminine than me.

It was my friends and my personal interactions with many people, those who liked me and those who didn't, that taught me my masculinity, my butchness does not make me "different from other girls" in a bad way. I get to be a woman and maculine. A butch. And with luck and my personality I am grateful to be sort of a positive ambassador of butches in my local community.

Edited to correct my mistake. It was Tatum O Neal in Bad News Bears

[tenebrius-excellium]

I just saw some THW salt again and it makes me sad. Because, you know, I am very openly wearing my heart on my sleeve when saying that THW means more to me than Httyd2. THW's main problem was Toothless. Everything else was on a scale between ok to great... whereas Httyd2 felt grand in vision, yet cold in execution to me. It had grief missing after Stoick's funeral, and some animation issues. Both movies were brilliant in some ways and severely lacking in others. In the end, it's a matter of preference, I guess. Idk if you're really wanting to talk about a 'failed movie', then please take Tales of Arcadia Rise of the Titans, but not a flawed gem that at least tried to do its predecessors justice. I will list up THW's strengths here now again, everything I truly loved about it. To me, these are the reasons why it was worth watching, and why it's worth existing.

❌ Toothless

❌ Grimmel

❌ Deathgrippers

❌ Light Fury (execution)

❌ No Night Furies

✅ The animation - so warm and festive and glowy and colorful

✅ Everyone's character designs, and I mean it

✅ the plot idea and the heart behind it (execution nahh - not so much. but you know that)

✅ Hiccstrid's relationship - sweet perfection.

✅ Astrid, especially, just by herself. Her beauty, her grace, her speech to Hiccup, her common sense. She keeps him grounded yet still supports his dreams. THIS is what I've come to see.

✅ The scenery. Like, the genius idea of making the Hidden World this giant underwater volcano. They could have used a little more lava to highlight dry places in there and create more light instead of using that weird crystal, but the idea itself, and the main entrance shot of the waterfall, were just fantastic. Also every version of dusk and dawn was so utterly magical. When Toothless found the Light Fury, and the storm around the snowy mountaincaps at the last battle - wow.

✅ John Powell's soundtrack alone - that totally saved the day - was worth the entire movie.

✅ The concept idea of the Light Fury. She grew on me. She's aloof and fell short of establishing herself, but she is a character™. It doesn't mean she has to be my favorite. But she's beautiful, and she is rooted in the dragonesque. Why not.

✅ The scene where Stoick taught Hiccup about love and loss. I personally identified with that memory very strongly.

✅ Hiccup's fall. Just...giant ouch. Maybe that's the entire point,,... that even when Hiccup's (and our) expectations weren't met; even though there were no Night Furies in the film and even though the dream of living in the Hidden World evaporated, and even though he lost Toothless to the affections of a random stranger, ... in the midst of all that forlorn hope and bitter disappointment, Hiccup still immediately chose to die for his best friend in a split second. He cares, and he is so so hurt, and it's so, so, so hard for him to let go... but he still chooses to do it. What a massive decision. What a heart.

✅ When Hiccup tickled Toothless' snout to wake him up. It's kinda sad that this felt like the first real, unscripted, intimate connection between them in the entire movie, but here it finally is. They were chiefing too much before this. There was no time for just the two of them anymore. This, again, being the point of the movie.

✅ Toothless looks out to the sky, then back at Hiccup, then back out there... nuff said. No words required.

✅ Hiccstrid wedding? What an unexpected blessing!??

✅ Hiccstrid has kids?? Toothless is okay??? Their older designs weren't butchered?? I was so afraid they'd be bad but they weren't!

✅ The credits walking us through all three movies again. Oof, that nostalgia. Wow.

I'm so grateful for all three movies. And that includes THW.

[mikeellee]

Oddly enough, many of Shig stans really thought Shig would do this "create a new society for his friends" which is mega bs. Shig wants destruction bc yes, if ask why what he will do next...he wont he able to answer.

Revenge is a motivation that makes sense. And regarding Shig's backstory...if we got some clues about who Dabi is...Hori could have give some clues about the Shimuras.

One thing to remember is how...by the time Izu got his quirk AM thought afo was dead (he killed him but the dr saved him aka Hori took his winning. Makes me wonder if AM knows anything about afo. If he has any loyal minion or smth like that) but trained Izu as if he needs to fight the big bad asap. Yes, AM has a time limit...but why hush Izu?

Actually, even if Afo was really dead...why the hush? Izu getting a quirk means shit bc he is still super at the disadvantage. He stands out like an odd duck. And AM who has power and experience does nothing.

Dadmight only exists by default.

One thing I asked on my server is ...where is the urgency? Am needed Izu to master this quirk asap (he never wierd out why ofa hirts Izu like that "it never hurt me...oh well" ) and for what? Am put afo in Tartarus(odd how he didnt demaded afo to be killed) and Shig wasnt being taken serious...where was the urgency?

I dont think is creepy Izu being a fan (we have examples of creepy fans in mha) but its just...he admire people who dont deserve his admiration. He admires bk bc Hori (eww) bur AM didnt do much for such blond admiration...the man never tried to know Izu (bk tries to kill hin IN FRONT OF AM'S EYES AND AM ASKED NOTHING)

Same for Izu.

I think mha would have been truly great and innovate if Izu, the mc, joined the villain. All heroes treat him so badly and is not that "oh he save my life. I will be grateful" works bc Aizawa was saved by Izu and still goes "lazy boy😒"

Izu is an abused kid.

Remember the Sport Festival when he got the tissue (forget the name) that worths, in the game, 1009 points? All eyes are on him...all creepy eyes are on him.

Was him imaging or that was real?

Considering Hori....I think it was real.

Hi, on my phone @bibibbon we are talking about Shig's backstory and his cunt scenes and while I love it...the backstory adds nothing- also I have to say MVA doesnt feel it belongs to MHA you know?- it's eerie if you think how AM never mentions Nana.

Sure he said he has a master, he said her name to Izu. "She is pretty" (no hate to AM here but like yes she is pretty but Nana was just that?) And never again. He never ever mentions her again or in any way. "NANA SHIMURA THE HERO WHO DID X AND Y"

Its odd...its like she never matter, except she does. Its a paradox.

AM never tells to IZU HIS HEIR more about Nana or her quirk...hell sometimes I think he is ignorant about OFA.

Back to Shig's backstory. Nothing was hinted. Nothing. Nana's son is dead...AM doesnt even go visit his grave or smth...he is non existent in the story.

Shig killing his family by accident........look that was cartoonished stupid (there a expression in my language here but cant translate well) everyone died bc they dont know what to do?

(Does MHA has no safety for kids awakening quirks?)

Not blame the Shimuras or Shig here...I just think the death could have been different? I dont know...him killing the entire family seem pushing.

And Shig never reacts to that. Sure, maybe he blocked it. Ok, I can get behind that...but once he remember afo giving that awful name and the doctor gleefuly sharing HIS FAMILY'S HANDS....Shig doesnt even need to be redeem or be a hero to hate afo.

On that note...please lets talk about the hands(hori has a fetish) why afo did that? @doodlegirl1998 said once it was to traumarize Shig again, which yes he is evil and stupid ......but I think there a limit here. You want your minion to be traumatized and still be able to function...what afo did should have make Shig catatonic.

But Shig is fine...as much a crazy villain can. He even shows restraint on his quirk...and likes quirkless stuffs (only character in canon to react to Izu being quirkless) and has acess to information.

(Yes. Afo has cameras on the bar....but so what? He stares at Shig and does nothing. We have no evidence of him tampering the news for Shig to believe in his lies...it seems afo forget about Shig most of the times)

Shig's hate towards AM makes no sense either. At first I thought he hated him out of loyalty to afo...but even early on Shig knew afo doesnt care for him....

So ....

?????

Shig gain stuffs but he is punished too...severly. he gain an army out of nowhere (yes he fought Redestro but Redestro shouldnt give a fuck about him) and then is put on a tube to gain afo as if....this was the plan all along.

????

And afo takes his body bc....

?????

He wants to be sexy? I jk (not really) but really I dont get why afo did that. Doubt Hori does either.

And now there no afo to control his body...and Shig havent change a bit. Like wow. He is the same shig from day 1. He is more sexier now. Thats it.

[i-am-incontrol]

It's been such a good day, LoveLoud Festival is by far the best music festival that has ever been created and I'm so glad I've gotten to be a part of it since the beginning. This festival means the absolute world to me, there's always so many amazing people there and truly just so much love. I was lucky enough to run into Miles Mckenna really quickly before the end of the night, and it's not a great picture because he was in a hurry but it just made the night even better than it already was 😊

[putschki1969]

2022/10/17 Blog post by Wakana  クリスマスコンサートだよ！〜月下美人も咲きました！〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

It’s a Christmas Concert！〜My Queen of the Night Bloomed Again！〜

Last night, my Queen of the Night bloomed〜＼(^o^)／This is how she looked during the day. Just about to burst into blooming. This time, 3 blossoms came out at the same time✨🌼🌼🌼✨ I'm super happy about that because it's been a long time since my plant has bloomed 🥰Surprisingly, the scent was pretty strong yesterday 😳I wonder why? It felt more overwhelming than usual, the scent spread throughout the entire house😳 I wonder if it's because three buds started blooming at the same time 🤔 But that’s something that has happened before so I am not sure why the scent was this strong...🤔Maybe I just forgot about the strong smell🥺 The mystery deepens... 

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／ 

Maybe it's because I didn't water my baby enough during the hot summer months? 😳Somehow the nutrients might have been successfully preserved in the flowers? I have no idea (´ε｀ ) I will post pictures of the blossoms on Instagram, so please check them out🧚💕 

Well, the other day, we finally got to announce my "Wakana Classics 2022 ~Christmas Special~"!! ️\\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// This is gonna be my third time ending the year with a concert at Kioi Hall🥰✨I am so grateful that I have been able to hold this sort of concert for three years in a row ever since 2020. Back then during, the world had changed completely and it made me almost desperate to share my music with you. However, there were many moments when I despaired at how little I could do, I was confronted with so many of my weaknesses and inadequacies. Those days were filled with a lot of self-reflection and I felt like I was a huge burden to everyone...(TдT)←To be honest, I still feel this way...Even so, everyone came to see and provided warm support, I was truly grateful. It once again made me realise that live concert can only exist with the help of many people coming together. In that way, I feel Kioi Hall is filled with lots of precious memories.

Now this year will be my third time at the venue, my concert will be held on December 25th, Christmas Day! ️🦌🎅✨I'm sorry for picking such a festive date, hopefully I am not interfering too much with your schedule for this once-in-a-year special occasion😂😂I would be more than happy to spend such a wonderful day with you, so please be sure to come!! This time, we are also offering a special ticket 🥰It includes a present 🎁 and some as-of-yet unspecified fun after-live-activitiy. I'm so excited! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡ What should we do!? Would you like to have a gyoza after-party with me?! *laughs* No, I'm sorry, I’m just kidding. We can’t really do that😂😂 But that’s pretty much what I would like to do, I just want to create even more wonderful memories with everyone😍💕 

Last but not least, here are some off-shots from the concert visual shoot 📸Look at me laughing in the second one... 

Until next time~☆(*'▽'*)/ 

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

[gumsnail682]

(Very late Halloween post, Pls pretend its still October lol)

"I'm just gonna write something short," I SAID, "It'll be under 200 words," I SAID, I'm a dirty liar. Anyway sorry, this took so long!

@lily-blackstone

You rested your head on Kaeya's shoulder as you sat in Angle's share together. "What do you think of this year's Halloween special? I think it's absolutely marvelous." Kaeya said before taking another drink of his Pumpkin wine. "You say that every year. But yeah, this year's seems sweeter. I actually like it more than last year." You snatched Kaeya’s mug from him and took a drink. "Hey!" You chuckled at his reaction, "This is your fifth one, slow it down or we won't be able to enjoy the festivities tonight. I don't know about you but spending my Halloween taking care of your drunk ass doesn't sound like my idea of fun." You drank the last of the wine before he could try and snatch it back.

"Speak for yourself, isn't that your third?" Kaeya teased, "Is the local alcoholic really telling me I've had too much?" You teased right back. "Ouch, so cold." Kaeya put his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt by the comment. "Can you flirt somewhere else?" An annoyed Diluc grumbled as he turned away from you, "Oh come now Diluc, we're just having a little fun." "Get out." 

"How do you always manage to get us kicked out whenever Diluc’s managing the tavern?" You sighed as you both wandered the streets. "You say that like it's entirely my fault." You looked out at the setting sun, you knew soon the children of Mondstadt would be roaming the streets and knocking on every door with their lights still on. “ Are you passing out candy this year?” Kaeya asked, “Of course, when have I not? You're free to join me if you want.” Ever since you decided to settle down in the city of freedom you’ve participated in all the holiday traditions. “I think I'll take you up on that. Shall we head back to your place?” The walk back to your house was peacefully silent, by the time you arrived the sun had nearly disappeared. “We better hurry, you wait by the door, I’ll go get the candy.” Kaeya watched you walk deeper into your house, a gentle smile crossing his face. Being with you felt like a dream, hanging out nearly every day, spending some nights together, it almost felt like you were a couple to him.

Kaeya never felt like he would really form a long lasting relationship with anyone, not like he had with you anyway. The first time he laid eyes on you it felt like walking into a dream, your first encounter was magical and the way you both just clicked was like a fairytale. Kaeya couldn't deny his fondness for you and only recently did he allow himself to truly bask in your light. He had fallen for you and he fell hard, how could someone like you possibly exist? 

You came back quickly with a large bowl of candy and a basket filled with small bottles. “What do you have there?” Kaeya asked, eyeing the bottles. “I did a lot of helping out around Dawn winery not long ago and they gave these to me in addition to my reward. I thought it would be nice to hand it out to the adults. You can have one, you hear me? Only one.” You said sternly, “How very kind of you.” Kaeya chuckled, “Aren't I? Now I expect you to actually help and not just lounge around all night.” You joked.

The rest of the night you spent together after the trick-or-treaters had all gone home you lied on your bed together just talking. “Then this wild boar nearly knocked Diluc over! You should've been there, the look on his face was priceless!” You laughed together at the story, “Perhaps I’ll join you next time around. I wouldn't want to miss something like that again.” Eventually, you fell asleep, Kaeya watched you with a fond look on his face. “It’s hard to believe someone like you actually likes hanging out with me. I am so grateful to you, Y/N. Sleep well.” He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead before drifting off to sleep beside you.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 151

This chapter has been one that I have been dying to write for a while. I was worried that @baelpenrose would resist the idea, but he very much thought it was hilarious. As always, his input and riffing on this chapter has very much made it better and better.

However, it also made the chapter longer, lol. But there is just no way to trim it down without losing something that makes it all work, so this week is nearly double my normal length... break everyone’s heart, right? ;)

“I don’t like these numbers,” Parvati grumbled - as much as she was capable of grumbling - as she scrolled through the final counts of approval ratings on her and Hannah’s inaugural Food Festival.

The statistics had been dropped into our inboxes that morning, in the static of about a thousand other notifications now that Derek had finished the stress-test. Also included were the results of the last three invasion-prep drills, which I was in the process of scanning over.

“How bad are they?” I asked, half listening for a number. The drills were trending better, which was a good sign that the moves were effective.

Dismissing her display with a gesture of disgust, she sighed. “Seventy-four percent approval rating.”

I arched a brow and glanced over. “Did you adjust for those who did not attend?”

The glare she sent me wasn’t seen so much as felt. “Of course I did. First thing I ran…”

“Are you filtering by the day the comments came in?”

“I -” Bingo. She huffed. “No! These are intended to be ratings for the entirety of the event!”

I started scrolling through my own statistics. “Chart them out by the date the ratings came in, filtering out everyone who didn’t actually attend.”

A pause. “Oh… Oh! It’s showing ninety-three-point-four now!”

“Et voila,” I murmured. Louder, I clarified, “People like to weigh in early, and those who object in general tend to speak first.”

“I see that… how’s it going over there?” she asked, smoothing her braid over her shoulder as she turned to look at me directly.

“We are improving with every drill, marked upticks since the relocations. Arthur should be here in about - “ I glanced at a clock, “Seven minutes to go over next steps.”

Alistair breezed over to swap my empty bulb of cold coffee for a fresh one of water. “The appointment is in fifteen minutes.”

Parvati beat me to the punch.  “He is also compulsively early, meaning…. Six minutes now.”

He rolled his eyes hard enough that I wanted to giggle. “He doesn’t even have the decency to be fashionably late. Appalling.”

Surely enough, Arthur paged at the entrance - out of some sort of manners I accidentally instilled in him - exactly five minutes prior to our scheduled appointment. As he breezed into my office, he managed a half-assed glare at Alistair for abruptly turning away and focusing on my schedule rather than his usual tendency to get a beverage for any newcomers. “Okay, updated data on drills isn’t what I want it to be.”

I laughed. “You’re joking, right? Your team and Michael’s haven’t gotten past deck four by more than three percent in the last seven exercises.”

“Any percent above zero is unacceptable,” he grumbled. I chalked it up to the indignity of being forced to get his own tea from the console.

Almost as though to spite Arthur, Alistair made a point to set a refreshed water bulb in front of everyone except the professor. “There are guards on the other levels for a reason,” he suggested drily.

“And I would rather those guards be idle, thank you,” Arthur threw back in a near-venomous tone.

“Us guards would rather be prepared for any eventuality, which you may do well to plan for in your petty drills.”

I didn’t even try to intervene. Clearly there was some blatantly disagreement between my  admin and my friend, and I was exhausted from trying to make them cooperate.

“If I’m doing my job, you should be so grateful as to be idle,” Arthur drawled.

Alistair scoffed. “As if being left to rest and get fatter than a Christmas goose is a blessing…”

“You’ll live longer!”

“And get lax in my duties, which I will not stand for!”

“Get fat! Get lazy! LIVE! I don’t care! I’m not going to be lax in my duties to allow you the opportunity of getting practice at fighting.” Standing, Arthur buried both hands in his hair, but it looked less like he was running his fingers through it than pulling on it. “Are we really discussing this when we are training to fight in living body condoms?”

“I need to defend the Archives!”

“And Michael and I need to defend everyone! Us doing our job means you don’t need to do yours.”

My neck snapped back at the vehemence in his tone. This wasn’t their normal sparring… they may have never truly gotten along, but even in the beginning it was never so vicious.

To my further alarm, Alistair took a long stride forward and stared down his nose at Arthur. “We both know that she - “ his hand flung out to point at me “is either the luckiest or unluckiest person in existence. You can’t really believe that, in an actual assault on this ship, that she won’t be in danger. Which will place Tyche, the Archives, Derek Okafor, and Samuel Richardson in equal danger. You aren’t an idiot, you know this.” The hand pointing toward me turned, and time seemed to slow down as he stabbed Arthur in the sternum with it, punctuating each of his next words. “Stop lying to yourself.”

“Poke me again, and the finger comes off.”

“I would dearly love to see you try.”

Hannah and Parvati had jumped to their feet when Alistair approached Arthur, but were now slowly moving around to my position, safely behind my desk. Hannah hissed at me through clenched teeth, “You had to tell them to fight it out.”

“I thought they would use a gym, not the damned office,” I hissed back.

Before she could respond, Alistair spoke again. “You aren’t the only one on the Ark who wants to protect everyone. You need to trust us to do our bloody jobs.”

“The last time I trusted anyone else to protect people, I lost fourteen students,” came the ground out response. “I’m not backing down on this.”

“You will, or I will sedate you and strap you to a medical berth for the next four months.” Alistair stepped back and crossed his arms with finality.

A trickle of nerves ran down my spine as I watched Arthur clench his fists and release them. “You think the solution to everything is to tie it up, I swear.”

“Stop changing the topic. I am deadly serious, Farro.”

Arthur turned away from him, waving him off. “Try something else, you would never just sedate me for months on end.” Before we could stop anything, Alistair leapt forward and put Arthur in a headlock, only to be immediately flipped over the other man’s shoulder and onto the table. “Tch. Sloppy. I know you can do better.”

“I thought you wanted me to get fat and lazy,” Alistair grunted as he sucker-punched Arthur in the stomach and rolled for the other side.  Once on his feet, he eyed Arthur carefully as he circled the table. “You stubborn ass, you know I am right.  You are putting everyone in the lower levels at risk by not running preparedness drills with them, because you don’t want to factor in the fact that one of the offensive teams could fail.”

“We don’t have the luxury of failing, so no. If we do our jobs correctly, everyone who matters will be safe at the other end of the Ark.”

They didn’t seem to be at each other’s throats anymore, but the arguing wasn’t getting anywhere. “Guys - “ I tried.

Both men turned and practically screamed at me with their glares to stop talking.  Oookay. I held up my hands in surrender and decided to let them sort it out their way.

Damned if the console wasn’t on the other side of them, though. I couldn’t even get popcorn and a drink.

Alistair blew a harsh breath through his nose. “If you won’t include the lower decks in your drills, I will start sparring with Jokul.”

“He would kill you,” Arthur barked in the most miserable laugh I’ve ever heard.

“God forbid,” Alistair mocked. “If I were gone, who would make your tea in the morning.”

“The same person who picks up the socks that magically appear all over my quarters every day, obviously. Worthington, I’m serious, he could really hurt you. He has really hurt me. And Charly.”

That last part was dismissed with a wave. “Madam Charles the First put the fear of herself into him.”

“And you haven’t. He could kill you by accident, and he’d never forgive himself.”

“Maybe that wouldn’t be the case if you would let me train more!”

Arthur groaned and ran a hand down his face. “You are an adult, we’ve talked about this. Train all you want, with whoever you want - Charly, Sophia, Tyche… hell, train with Evan or Michael, I don’t care. Just, not Jokul.”

When did they talk about this? I wondered. It had to be during a sparring session or something, because it definitely wasn’t in my office during one of our meetings. A glance at Hannah showed she was watching everything unfold like it was the most riveting show she had ever seen, and Parvati’s squint of consideration wasn’t much better.

“As you said, I’m an adult. Perhaps I should take your advice, and train with Charly - “

“See - “

“- and Jokul. She will make sure I don’t get hurt.”

Arthur flung his hands up in frustration. “You are so stubborn, I swear!” Growling, he paced in a circle. “Fine! Train with Charly and Jokul. IN the bivouac suit, though! And I don’t want to hear a word when you end up confined in a med bay yourself.”

Alistair’s smug grin showed just how much he seemed to care. “At least I would be spared of picking up the trail of dishes that seem to follow you around.”

“For the love of - they are my quarters! Mine! And I don’t want to hear about it when your bloody socks are constantly getting lost behind my sofa!”

Oh. Oh no. Nonononononono.

“My socks can go wherever they fucking want to, when I am constantly cleaning your disgusting whiskers out of the sink!”

“You know what would fix you having to clean whiskers out of the sink? I could just stop shaving altogether. How about...that…” Arthur trailed off and very slowly turned toward the three of us behind my desk with a look of dawning horror.

And I tried. I really, really tried not to laugh.  I could feel my face reddening, my chest aching with the effort of holding it in.  

Hannah’s snort was my undoing. As soon as that tiny noise escaped her, all three of us erupted into hysterical, stomach-cramping, tearful laughter.  I felt stabbing in my arm as Parvati dug her nails in, trying desperately not to fall.  Unfortunately for her, Hannah grabbed me at the same time and all three of us toppled to the floor. The sight of Arthur rolling his eyes and crossing his arms only made me escalate from laughing to shrieking in hysterics and relief.

I couldn’t speak for the other two ladies, but I thought the two men were going to end up killing each other… At no point did I think they took the other option when I told them to either fight it out or….

I gasped for breath, trying to get myself under control. Wobbling to my feet with the help of my trusty desk and a couple yanks to free my shirt from Parvati’s desperate clutching, I pointed between them. “This… how long? Can’t believe… didn’t figure it out.”

“Not everyone is as… public… as you, Conor, and Maverick are,” Arthur snarked at me. “You know, private lives should be private and all that?”

“Must be for you,” I confided in Alistair’s direction, where he had turned his back to our fit.  “He’s never not told me when he was dating someone. Or thinking of dating someone. Or potentially interested in seeing if he was interested in dating someone… Best friend privileges and all that.”  While I waited for Alistair to respond, my mind whirled through all the things I had brushed off before but were very obvious in retrospect.

Glancing at Arthur for a hint yielded nothing but a flat stare that all but declared in flashing lights You Aren’t Stupid.

I tilted my head at that, and kept thinking. There had been genuine animosity on Alistair’s side in the beginning, and not a small amount of needling on Arthur’s.  So I knew it wasn’t something that had always been going on. My mind came to a screeching halt, however, when I remembered something - the day Alistair, Tyche, and I decided that, when I vacated my position on the Council, they would vacate roles as well to leave behind a ‘clean slate’. “Four years, holy shit,” I gasped. “Four years!?”

Finally, Alistair moved. His back was still to us, but his arms went limp by his sides, and his head dropped down toward the floor. “It would be unseemly to have the new Councilor of Education in a relationship with the attache to the Councilor for Resources and Engagement. Or formerly in a relationship, should things not end well.”

“And since he won’t be taking his position until we are on Von,” I put together, “You are okay to serve out the rest of my term, just not Hannah’s or Parvati’s.”

“Correct.”

“Huh. That makes sense,” I admitted before hopping up to sit on my desk, the chair being a lost cause on the other side of two women who were still sniffling and giggling on the floor. “I learned a lot today.”

“Uh huh,” Arthur confirmed drily. “And it had better stay in this office.”

“What?” I managed a pretty convincing confused face before pretending to realize what he meant. “Oh! The relationship thing. Yeah, cool, whatever. That’s not what I was talking about, but you’re good.”

“Dare I even ask what you meant?” Alistair ventured, finally turning around so that he could give me a warning look.

“Uh, isn’t it obvious?” I asked, shaking my head and spreading my hands, palms up. When they both just stared at me, I finally broke and grinned. “Dude. You two are freaking slobs.”

The squeaking noises coming from the vicinity of my feet told me that no further work would be getting done for the rest of the day.

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[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Twitter ー Carla Tsukinami [2020 Compilation]

–> This post includes all tweets posted on the official Rejet Twitter account for Carla Tsukinami (@DialoverCarlaT) in 2020.

Shuu l Reiji l Ayato l Kanato l Laito l Subaru l Ruki l Kou l Yuma l Azusa l Shin l Kino

February 14, 2020 (Valentine’s Day)

> What a bothersome lot. I’ll blow all of you away at once.

> When it comes to these things, it’s quality over quantity.

> One precious thing. Obtaining that is more important, don’t you think?

March 14, 2020 (White Day)

> An uncommon guest has come to visit.

> Guess I shall give these ‘marsh mallow’ things Kanato gifted me to Shin.

–> This took me a while to figure out, but Carla wrote he received 魔種麻呂 from Kanato, which isn’t an existing word in Japanese at all. However, when you look at the individual readings of each character, they are pronounced as ‘ma-shu-ma-ro’ or マッシュマロー, the Japanese word for ‘marshmallow’. I guess Carla does not know what a marshmallow is. xD

> I do not know which magic creature has been put into these things. So until I identify them, it seems wise not to eat them.

–> The ‘ma’ character in Carla’s unique spelling of the word ‘marshmallow’ means ‘magic’ on its own, hence why he thinks they’re made from magic beasts living in the Demon World.

> Oi, you. Come closer.

> I heard that today you are supposed to return the favor of last month’s festivity. Following said tradition, I shall thank you as well.

> You are a woman worthy of becoming the bride of a Founder. However, that is not all. You are also a woman I personally do not wish to lose. I am grateful towards the fate that brought us together. Furthermore, I shall fulfill my own duty as well. I vow to protect you, no matter what awaits us in the future.

April 1, 2020 (April Fools)

> Moon March 🌙 E-shop opened

ll Cured dry ham ll

From today onwards, we shall start selling farm fresh and Founder-approached cured dry ham. We can ensure the delivery of high quality products to your doorstep. Only those capable of grasping its value, should press the purchase button.

April 30, 2020

> Come here. We do not get to enjoy such a peaceful time together very often. I shall dote on you plenty to make up for all the lost time. 

> Tell me. Go ahead and explain to me what lovers usually do when together in their room.

May 28, 2020 (Birthday)

> How puzzling. Why do you seem so happy, when it is my birthday being celebrated? However, it is not a bad thing. It appears I can get a sense of fulfillment from seeing you try so hard for my sake. In that case, scoot over. I want to feel you close to me. I want to confirm that you are most definitely by my side by touching you directly.

June 26, 2020

> I cannot believe you are asking me to play the role of a teacher. It seems like you do not quite comprehend your own position.

> Again? Watch your step carefully. How many times must I repeat myself?

June 27, 2020

> You could have simply gone to bed before me.

July 7, 2020 (Tanabata)

> I wish to come across a new art gallery.

July 22, 2020

> I am surprised you are still conscious.

> I forced my fangs inside your flesh. It would have not have been strange for you to faint from the pain.

> Seems like you have become capable of accepting any and all stimuli. When you give me such a commendable reaction, I cannot help but want to ‘dote’ on you even more.

> This time, I will give you something you are always craving for...Exactly, pleasure.

> I shall love you more profoundly.

July 27, 2020

> Dry cured ham represents despair and sadness?

> Why?

August 31, 2020

> The buzzing of cicadas makes for a rather elegant tune.

> Shin. Prepare a watermelon at once.

October 16, 2020

> On my way to the museum, I ran into a certain young man. He was a *

--> In the original Tweet, his sentence cuts off mid-way as well.

> He was a court painter who specializes in portraits. I had him paint my picture, but ultimately, I did not feel very satisfied with the end result.

> My face is not buried that deep inside my scarf. Why did he have to exaggerate it such an extend? For one, a portrait usually takes several days to finish, yet the painter in question finished it in just mere seconds. One should take their time painting a picture of me.

> It truly is a shame, but it seems like his skill level has decreased over time.

October 22, 2020 (DL x Mayla Classic)

> Oi, you. Why are you spacing out in the hallway?

> Aah, Shin said that…? I see.

> In that case, I might have a clue. Follow me.

> Take a look at those stairs.

> Amongst the Wolf Familiars, there’s one which has a bad habit of leaving all shiny objects he stumbles upon on the staircase like that.

> I assume Shin hid the gift in the underground dungeon, hoping you would find it after being ordered to clean the place. However, it was taken away by the Familiar before that, ruining Shin’s plans.

> He should have simply handed it to you. Shin is still quite immature as well, taking such a roundabout approach and then getting upset.

> Oh well, I suppose it is fine. Either way, you should take it.

> This is our gift. From here on out, you should always keep them on you, so they do not get stolen by the Familiar again.

October 31, 2020 (Halloween)

> Trick or Treat...is truly ridiculous. There is no reason to choose one or the other. I shall get my hands on all things I desire. Well then, go ahead and submit your everything to me.

November 11, 2020

> Today calls for a celebration.

> It is ‘cured ham day’. There is not a single day in the whole year worth celebrating more.

> I suppose I should have Shin prepare a few extra legs.*

-> I was really confused by this tweet at first because when I looked up the word 原木, it translates as ‘timber’. However, apparently it is also used to refer to the whole legs of dried ham which come on a wooden stand. 

December 18, 2020

> Why are you making such a face? ...The cold? I see, I suppose humans already show the first signs of hypothermia at this temperature. I cannot simply stand and watch in silence as you continue to freeze. Well then, let me prepare you a cup of hot tea. Let us get warm together.

December 19, 2020

> Woman. This one. Order this one. I desire this drink, its crimson color is vibrant, yet somewhat reminiscent of the dark as well. However, please do not get the wrong idea. I do not feel attracted to it due to its strong resemblance to blood. Any blood other than yours holds no value. Of course, you are special and irreplaceable to me as a person as well.

December 24, 2020 (Christmas)

> Are you enjoying yourself? No, I am not criticizing you for your behavior. When I see you in high spirits, even I get a pleasant feeling inside. I feel like I can sympathize with humans who get excited about Christmas a little better now.

[magicmanias]

The Wanderer

Episode 2 of Polaris

[per - uh - jee] (n). Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body at which it is nearest to the earth

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Summary: A fugitive out of time + interdimensional space travel + a love story. Always on the run, and while Loki might be able to escape the TVA, he always gravitates towards you. Not even bending the fabric of space and time itself can cut his heartstrings.

Occurs after the events of Endgame. Replaces Loki mini-series timeline.

Warnings: You know it’s gonna be angst. You just know. Come on now.

Word Count: 3.0k

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I have exams coming up, so I’ve been having to study for those a lot. Once exams are over at the end of May, you know I’ll be writing like a maniac. Also, the word count will definitely increase as the chapters go along. It's been a bit short, but right now, we're just building traction! And yes… You will come across a part that is vague and opens up more questions about the reader who I have named Goddess Divine.

<- Previous | Next -> (Coming soon)

“Thank you.” Loki rubs his wrists as the chains fall to the ground. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“You—My husband taught me,” you said. Loki nodded but offered nothing in response. “We need to leave here. I know a way.”

“Hey, hold on.” Loki reached out to grab her wrist, but lowered his hand once he got her attention instead. “We don’t have the Tesseract.”

“There are other ways to leave this planet.”

Loki scoffed. “I don’t think you understand how powerful that thing is.”

You turned fully to face him, craning your neck to meet his eyes. “I know more than you. Trust me. It’s better if you forget about it.”

The children are constantly at the forefront of your thoughts even as you searched for an escape in the caverns under Asgard. Memories of posies in hand and your old, favorite pink dress drew all your attention from the damp halls illuminated by enchanted flame. This place… this time that you’re in was all-too-well ingrained in the core of everything you remembered of your home.

Your calves started to strain and it took you some time until you realized that you’ve been trying to sync your steps with Loki’s, an unconscious effort you would always put in walking alongside your husband. The difference was that his doppleganger didn’t take care to shorten his strides to allow for you to keep up.

“We’ve fallen into a past timeline of yours.” Loki glanced at you over his shoulder. “Those children were you and… your husband.”

“Yes.” You give up on trying to keep up and let him take the lead. “I remember why we were up there. Today was the Perigee.”

Loki was curious. He’d never heard of such a thing. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

You made a confused look on your face, but then immediately understood. “I suppose you don’t observe that in your world.”

“No, I can’t say that we do. Is it a celestial celebration? We only commemorate the coming of the seasons.”

At the end of the hall, you finally arrived at the center of the caverns, a chamber of nine interconnected murals telling the story of creation. You and Loki used to play under these paintings, waiting until Thor would find you at last.

“The Perigee is not of Asgard. It exists on Midgard, the mortal planet, when the moon is at its closest point in orbit to the earth. It happens so often there, but we hold the festival when Asgard, too, is at its closest point with Midgard.”

“That seems a bit arbitrary,” he commented, now gazing at the murals of his father above him. Odin was painted in a beautiful light as he constructed the world. Ymir simply seemed to disappear from the artwork, but the muralist failed to convey that Odin slew the giant and used his body to form the cosmos.

“There is a story behind it, like all great Norse holidays have. It tells the story of Gaea and Máni. A tale of forbidden love. Lofn loves to tell the story for all the children at each festival. She claims that without her, they would never have ended up together,” you laughed, “I remember pulling Loki from his books so we could make it on time.” You giggled at the memory.

“Máni? I haven’t ever heard of him retiring from pulling the moon. And Gaea has been sleeping for eons.”

“Our history is different, perhaps. I do not exist in your Asgard, yes?” You continued to walk, choosing the fourth passage from the left that led to the waterfall beneath the palace.

“No. No, I’m afraid not.” Loki paused in thought as he contemplated your assumption. Surely you must have existed somewhere in his world. “So what was so forbidden of their love?”

“Where I come from, Gaea was truly the first realm to exist, made of the blood and dust from a time even beyond her. In an empty universe, she was lonely, though she was a goddess of life itself. So she collected more dust in the reaches of space and breathed life into Máni. He was born, bright like the stars and light in his heart. He was grateful for life, and in return, he gave her his love… and her children. The mortals. But when they came close to embrace one another, he came too close and scorched the earth, burning her children. Gaea mourned, crying until Midgard flooded with her tears. From the water, the plants regrew and the animals emerged, but still, she missed her children. Máni couldn’t bear to see his love so saddened, so he sacrificed almost all of his power to breathe new life in the mortals. He grew dim and small, no longer so mighty without Gaea’s magic. Now in a realm of eternal darkness, Sol had finally caught up to Máni. She was born with the duty to bring light to the mortals, but Odin also tasked her with the job to separate Gaea and Máni when they became too close. Every day, she shines her light on the earth, but when she goes to rest, Máni returns to see Gaea before Sol wakes up once again to warn Máni. Yet sometimes, Máni can’t help but to come a little bit closer to Gaea—the rising tides his only warning. We call it the Perigee.”

“And what of Lofn? How did she contribute her skills in this forbidden love?”

“Oh yes. Lofn told us that she was the only being to give her consent to their love. The rest of Aesir vehemently rejected the bond. She used to try and match all the children up in the village and she would host all the play weddings. We must have been married by her hundreds of times. She could never resist the idea of the God of Mischief with a maiden Vanir.”

The sound of water crashing down into the abyss grew louder and louder as natural light started to creep into the passage.

“What is your role?”

“My role?”

“Yes, what do you do? What do you reign over?”

“Oh, I’m really no one. I don’t even think the Midgardians are aware of me. My role is quite insignificant compared to the likes of your brother or even the infamous trickster.”

“What is your role, Goddess?” he pushed once more.

“Seidr,” you shrugged, racing your finger along the stone wall.

“I would hardly call that insignificant. The power of prophecy is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I was born with a divine title, but I can’t even perform a healing spell,” you admitted.

“Your husband never taught you?” Loki smirked, the tease hanging loose from his lips.

You frowned. “No, he couldn’t.”

A rumble of footsteps approached and neither you nor Loki hesitated to make a final run towards the end of the tunnel. As you started to gain some speed, you suddenly froze, completely still as a hazy orange light encased you. Loki’s hand glowed green, battling against the force that trapped you, but just as quickly as he tried to free you, he was captured.

The TVA launched you through the exact same process as the first time. Long lines, an infinite number of signatures on documents you didn’t understand, and a maze of doorways. You didn’t see Loki again for a long time. It felt like days, but in a place as distorted as this, you couldn’t keep track of the hours.

Another agent guided you into a holding cell. It looked strange—more like an inn room more than a jail. There was a bed, a tiny washroom, and a square box that showed what looked like a play for children. The characters chattered silently while their simple dialogue was scrawled in the glass. The door opened.

“It appears we’re roommates this time.” Loki strolled into the room and the agent closed the door behind him, the lock clicking in place.

The box flashed and the program changed to the man you had just become acquainted with before your escape. “Well that was fun, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, we will have to keep you here since you didn’t seem to enjoy the more open kind of hospitality we offered you last time. Just until everything is processed. You know how bureaucracy is. I’ll see you in a few.” Mobius winks and the moving picture contraption clicks off with a warm hum.

“Tell me about myself.” You looked up from the book provided by your captors. Loki leaned back in the desk chair with his legs on the table. He fiddled with a glass cup, tossing it in the air and catching it.

You dropped the book in your lap, still open. “I’m sorry?”

“Well you were married to an alternate version of me. He’s lived more life than me. Surely you must have something to tell me that would be of use.” He shrugged, not bothering to drag any more of his attention away from the glass.

You were sure you looked surprised as he followed his answer with, “Am I so different from him? Come on now, he must have been at least half as charming.”

“Oh… He was charming.” You closed the book and placed it on the table next to the bed. The edge of the sheet rubbed between your fingers while you considered what to tell him. “He was my best friend in childhood.”

“Tell me about the children. The younger versions of yourselves on that day. What were you doing?” Loki placed the cup on the desk and crossed one leg over the other.

It was so easy to answer. In all the years, you never forgot that particular celebration. “It was my idea to climb the hill. To pick flowers before we watched the Perigee. Lofn had paired us up for her little wedding ceremony to host in front of the children and I wanted a bouquet… for the morning gift. I didn’t know what they were at the time, but I figured it could be anything.”

“Aren’t morning gifts usually given to the bride? And… in the morning?”

You tossed your head back in calm, tired laughter. “Yes, but that wouldn’t have stopped me anyway. I think I gave them to you after we said ‘I do.’ We were… eight at the time.”

“Goddess Divine…” He kissed her hands. The red skyline fades into purple as the water at the dock darkens below. “Never doubt my love for you. Will you miss me?” said he.

“As much as there are stars in the sky.”

“Always the poet’s tongue,” said he.

“Well, I had some inspiration,” said she.

He looks wearily past the Goddess, but smiles warmly once more. “I’m afraid our time has come to an end, Goddess. I love you.”

“No resurrections this time...” No. It was supposed to happen like this. Thanos. He wasn’t supposed to be here. It’s happening all over again.

“LOKI—”

Warm water tickled your cheeks and then you were enveloped in a pool of water. Your husband’s arms wrapped around your waist as the water climbed the walls of the tub. No, this wasn’t him… It wasn’t him. It wouldn’t ever be him. “Goddess…”

“Let me go! Let me go… I want to go.” You grasp desperately at the edge of the tub, wringing yourself from Loki’s grasp. You fell onto the tile floor of the washroom, your wet clothes heavy on your back.

“Wait, just—” Loki cuts himself short when you stumble into the bathroom doorway and pull the knob to the bedroom.

“Shit—Loki…”

“You need—”

“Don’t tell me what I need! You don’t kn—know.” Your body felt weak. The walls felt like they were closing in on you. No matter how hard you tried, it seemed like you could never get enough air.

“I know being alive is certainly better than suffocating in space.”

“Is it!? I can’t even grieve for him! Be-Be… Be—cause I… Becau—se I ke-keep…” You choked, breaking out into a violent sob. Your legs buckle underneath you, but you managed to catch the ground under your hand. Tears stained the fabric covering your lap as you struggled to breathe in between your bawling, forcing you to hiccup only further fueling your frustration. “Why am I here?”

Loki knelt down and watched as you pulled your knees up to your chest and buried your head in the space between. “Heartbreak is… a sorrow that I am all too familiar with. The feeling of your chest burning and freezing and being crushed all at once. But I didn’t give you a moment to simply… catch your breath after I, admittedly, forced you to escape with me. And I will never understand what it’s like to have to look at the face of your husband every minute of every day, but I do know this…” Loki let out a steady breath. “I will never leave you behind. Ever. Until I am able to fix this mess that I have brought upon you.” Loki lowered himself onto his knees. “That is my vow to you, goddess.”

He placed a hand over yours. It was a small gesture, leaving you wanting more. You tugged on his hand, manually tucking his arm underneath yours. He leaned into your motion, sitting on the floor behind you and pulling you close between his legs. Your eyes pierced him like venom, toxic but more addictive than the sweetest wine. A Goddess Divine.

Loki grew older in recent years, but his eyes had never changed. A sea of chaos and calm. He was there, your husband. Right in front of you, holding you.

“I always liked your eyes,” you murmured. You dragged your finger across the top of his cheek, tracing a line under his eye.

And I, yours.

You slid your finger up and cupped his face in your palm. Your husband. “I love you.”

Your lips swept gently along his; hesitant, yet your hand dragged through his hair, pulling him closer. Loki held still, but made no move to stop you. Your breaths grew harder as you grew more persistent. Even though you knew you would never be able to utter a word about this after, the need for him overcame you. In the sickest of ways, he was your only chance at truly saying goodbye to your husband.

Never doubt my love for you.

Your lips were soft. As irrational as the better part of him knew it was, he couldn’t help but think this felt almost habitual. He knew he should have pushed you away or reminded you of who he was. But when your fingers glided through his hair, Loki lost all sense of what was proper. He leaned into your touch, letting you relax in his lap as you continued to kiss him… eyes clenched shut. Loki wished he could look at your eyes and pretend he was the man you were pretending he was.

“Thank you.”

The agents dragged Loki to a door labeled “INTERROGATION ROOM #603521.”

An agent walked into the room, reviewing several documents attached to a clipboard.. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Laufeyson?” She didn’t bother to look up from the papers as she sat down in the seat on the other side of the table.

“Where is she?”

“I’m afraid your questions will have to be saved for the end of this, Mr. Laufeyson. Please comply.”

Loki lifted his head lazily, shifting his legs wide in the metal chair. A grin curled at his lips. He didn’t know how they were going to escape this hell. Running from an infinitely powerful force existing beyond time. It would never end… Was he ready to drag you through eternal hell with him?

Yes.

He would rot in hell for all he cared, but the TVA was no more than a joke—a circus of clowns playing their parts… and he would find you.

“I’m going to burn this place to the ground.”

“Never teleport me again. This is worse than the Bifrost.” You placed a clenched hand to your forehead and winced. The pounding in your head was ceaseless, though you were too cold to be completely tortured by it. The TVA was left in shambles, subjected to Loki’s wrath after he found you freezing in the depths of space. He hadn’t said a word to you since he discovered you, nearly lifeless. The ice burned your skin and your vision was useless for the time being. You could hear the crackles of flame and stone beneath your feet. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know, but we need to heal these burns before they scar.” Loki carefully lifted your hand, examining your wounds. “Are you in pain?”

“I can’t feel anything. Just cold.” You inched your feet closer to the heat of the fire. It wasn’t as painful as you had expected it to be. Dying in space wasn’t such a bad way to go… You only wished Loki had anything else less painful.

He hummed in response. The burns begin to warm. A peculiar feeling tickles your skin and makes its way down your torso.

“Seidr?”

“My mother taught me. I can teach you.”

“What?” Loki placed more wood on the fire. Perhaps Thor’s boyish interests were good for something…

“You need to learn how to use your powers. A seidr goddess is no goddess without seidr.”

“I told you. I don’t have it. I’ve tried. You’ve tried.” Loki didn’t answer, but footsteps fell away from you.

Loki watched the asteroids floating in the foggy atmosphere. Odin once told him stories of how he acquired all his wisdom. Life itself is knowledge, he would say. War, politics, distant planets. They all have something to offer, but there is a place where wisdom flows like water in the roots of the Tree of Life. “The Allfather once traveled to the roots of Yggdrasil to attain knowledge and guide his reign. Perhaps we can go there.”

[thelightofthingshopedfor]

gotta say I’m particularly pleased with Loki using magic fireworks to show off, because I literally put that in the Steve/Loki fic I wrote for @veliseraptor​ a few years ago, where they sort of grow up together as childhood friends because of handwavey time-travel shenanigans:

Loki shrugs, looking down. After a moment he says, “We Aesir live such long lives that we mark such events differently as we age, or at least that is the common practice. Young children’s birthdays are celebrated every year; later, perhaps the day is marked in small ways but is truly celebrated once each decade, or once per century for adults and those nearing adulthood. I am approaching that age myself, so it is not as though I expect a regular, lavish celebration or anything of that sort. It is only…”

“Thor gets a bigger party?” Steve guesses.

“A feast of some kind, most years,” Loki says, his voice flat. “It is good for our warriors’ morale, you see. When he turned 750, the festivities lasted nearly a fortnight, and he was gifted with Mjolnir, a weapon of great power. So I thought…well.”

“Yesterday was your 750th too,” Steve says (it still feels unreal to him to measure someone’s lifespan with numbers that high, but when he does the math in his head, he’s pretty sure that’s about equivalent to 15, so basically Steve’s age).

Loki looks down again and nods. “In truth, I am not sure anyone remembered this year was anything out of the ordinary.”

Steve and his mom have never had much, but she’s always managed to make Christmas and his birthday special in some small way, taking extra shifts to afford an art book for him or ingredients for a cake. He’s been a little jealous sometimes of the stuff other kids’ parents can afford, but he’s never, ever felt forgotten. In every other way, Loki’s so much richer that Steve can barely comprehend it, but—

“Well,” he says, “I can’t throw you a feast, but I can take you to Coney Island for ice cream or something.”

“Ice cream,” Loki says.

“Yeah, haven’t you—no, of course you haven’t had ice cream, that’s my fault. I don’t really want to spend money on the rides right now, but just walking around is fun, and I can at least do ice cream.”

“I would like that,” Loki admits.

***

“Here we go, this vendor doesn’t charge extra for toppings.”

Loki balks again when Steve pulls out his wallet. “You needn’t, truly.”

“I know,” Steve says. “But it’s your birthday, and I want to.” He buys them both double-scoop cones with chocolate sauce and hands one to Loki as they head down the boardwalk. “Careful, it’ll melt and start dripping if you don’t eat it fast enough. Uh, but don’t eat it too fast or you’ll get a headache. You just lick it.”

Loki smiles sidelong at him, looking faintly amused. “I think I can manage.” He licks at the ice cream once, delicately, and then his eyes widen a little and he returns to it with a lot more enthusiasm.

“I guess you like it,” Steve says, grinning.

“This is good. I wonder if the cooks at home could make something similar.” He catches a drip running down the side of the cone. “How is it made?”

“No idea. I bet we could look it up somewhere, though. I think it’s milk, ice, and sugar, mostly.”

“Mm.” Loki’s almost reached the cone already—maybe Asgardians just don’t get ice cream headaches—and is finally slowing down. “Well, if you can find me a recipe, I will see what can be done.” He neatly sidesteps a child running between them and smiles at Steve in a way that makes his heartbeat pick up. “Thank you, my friend.”

Steve ducks his head. “Glad you like it.” His own ice cream is starting to melt, and taking care of that keeps him occupied for a few minutes. Then Loki hops up to sit on the boardwalk railing, facing the beach and the water. Steve scrambles up next to him a lot less gracefully, but he manages, and for a little while they just watch the boats and beachgoers, with the Wonder Wheel standing sentinel overhead.

“When is your birthday?” Loki asks.

“July 4, actually. Just a couple months away now. There’s always…” His lips twitch. “My mom used to say the fireworks were just for me, like the city was wishing me a happy birthday too.”

“I am afraid this is another custom with which I am unfamiliar.”

“Right, yeah, of course. July 4 is America’s independence day, since back in—well, actually, that’s not important. Everybody celebrates with fireworks, they’re like colorful little explosions, and we don’t have a great view but my mom started taking me up to the roof to see better.” Steve laughs a little. “I think she felt bad after a while for telling me the fireworks were for me, but I’d already figured it out, and honestly I didn’t mind. I’m nobody special, I know the city’s not going to celebrate me, but it’s still nice feeling like everyone’s celebrating with me.”

“Well,” Loki says, “to your assertion that you are ‘nobody special,’ I would be inclined to point out that you are almost certainly the only living human to count a prince of Asgard as a friend. Which…focuses on me rather more than I intended.”

Steve snorts. “That was pretty much luck anyway, right? You could’ve stumbled across anybody.”

“True enough. But I met you instead, and I am glad of it. If either of us has cause to be grateful for that luck, I think it would be me.” He darts a glance toward Steve and then away, studying the shoreline, and Steve is suddenly struck by how beautiful Loki is. He’s noticed before, but not quite like this, with the breeze ruffling Loki’s hair and the sun highlighting those fine, sharp features Steve is always itching to draw. He doesn’t just want to draw Loki now, though; mostly he’s wondering what it would be like to kiss him.

***

The next time Steve sees him, it’s slightly more than two months later and he’s sitting on the roof sketching the skyline when Loki pops into existence next to him. He’s doing a terrible job of trying to hide a self-satisfied grin, so whatever his latest prank was, it must have gone well. Before he can ask, Loki says, “Your birthday is soon, yes?”

“Last week, actually.”

“Damn. I’d hoped to find you on the day itself, but—well, nothing for it now. I wanted…” He reaches into a satchel, hesitates, and pulls out a small wooden box. “I brought you a gift. A small thing, but—I hope you like it.”

Steve sets his sketchbook aside and takes the box, intrigued. The top opens on a hinge; inside, cradled in a nest of straw, is a black crystal ball about the size of Steve’s two fists, with a polished wooden base. When he pulls it out, flecks of color glint across its surface wherever the sun hits it. It’s pretty, but he can’t think why Loki would give him a fancy paperweight, and he’s not sure how to ask without sounding ungrateful.

“Put your hand on the sphere,” Loki says, his voice still full of suppressed excitement, “and think of your fireworks.”

Steve does. A tiny spark of light shoots up from the base of the globe and bursts under his fingers, then another and another, red and blue and gold and green, spiraling downward and fading out before exploding again, and his confusion turns to wonder as he stares at it. It’s like a snow globe but it’s full of little fireworks instead, fireworks that look just like the real thing in silent, miniature form. He turns it in his hand and the lights follow the motion, sinking back to and shooting out from what’s now the bottom, in spirals and spiders and starbursts.

“Fireworks in a jar,” Steve says. “This is incredible.”

Loki grins. “It is, isn’t it? I didn’t make the globe, of course, I bought that, but the enchantment is mine, built from scratch.”

Steve turns the globe again, marveling at the tiny little world in his hands. “I thought you didn’t know what fireworks were?”

“As it happens, they are a very old invention—as Midgard marks time, anyway—so I was able to observe some myself at a celebration of some kind in China, and I replicated those. So…now you have fireworks that really are just for you.”

The globe is slightly warm against his palms, and Steve closes his hands over it. “This is—way better than anything I gave you.”

Loki looks at him with a crooked smile. “I suppose that is a matter of perspective.”

I mean, I guess I was wrong about fireworks not being a thing on Asgard, but still, it’s fun. :)

[pluto-writes]

Osamu Dazai x Reader| Fluff Alphabet

A/N: Happy birthday to everyone’s favorite bandage wasting detective! And! We got the bsd wan manga anime adaptation announced today!! I’m sorry if it’s lacking towards the end its late;;; and I cannot deal.

Reminder: The reader will always be gender neutral so everyone can read (◠‿◠✿) (oh and there’s like one mention of suicide, letter A)

Words: 2,200

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Dazai loves doing anything with you. If you’re by his side he won’t complain -that much- to Kunikida about working. He’ll take you to all types of different places, you guys will go to seasonal festivals, the movies and out to eat. On multiple occasions he’s even tried to get you to commit double suicide with him, and you had to tell him no every time.

“But (Y/N)-chan~ why not~!” He whined.

“Osamu, I am not going to commit double suicide with you, we’re in the middle of WcDonald’s.”

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

He admires everything there is about you. He loves how accepting of him you are and when you found out about his past you understood that he was changing for the better. He thinks that if Odasaku were still alive you two would be great friends. He can’t help but smile at the thought of making his dear friend proud.

He absolutely believes your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world. Especially when he’s the one who made it happen. He’ll be as dramatic as possible whenever he catches you smiling.

“Ah~! Your smile is too bright!! I can feel it piercing into my soul and cleansing it!”

It never fails to make you flustered and he loves it.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

His number one priority is making sure that you’re not only aware of your surroundings but that you know you’ll be safe with him. He always makes sure to carry something that you like with him so that he can use it to help ground you easier, whether that be your favorite candy or smell. His voice is also very calming, and he always manages to find the right words to calm your heart.

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

He honestly didn’t think someone would find him worthy enough to date him, so just being with you in the present is a miracle enough, he doesn’t want to be too greedy, but if you’d allow it he’d like to spend his last seconds with you. He would always joke saying that he wants to see your face before he dies so he could die happily. You’d just laugh and tell him to knock it off, but he truly means it, if he at least is able to see your face before he goes.

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He’s the dominant one in the relationship, he’s always thinking about what the two of you can do and you mostly follow along. Because most of the time his antics are rather fun, and you can definitely expect to do something you’ve never done before with Dazai around.

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

He doesn’t like staying mad at you for long, but he can hold a bit of a grudge at times depending on how deeply the fight impacted him. He’d never get physical with you, if he did he’d hate himself for putting his hands on you.

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He’s so very grateful to have you. He always makes sure that you know how much he loves you and everything you do for him. At first he didn’t think he deserved you, but you made sure to remind him how much you love him. He reminds you on a daily basis how thankful he is for your mere existence.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

*Slaps car roof* This boy right here can fit so many secrets.

Of course he’d have secrets he doesn’t tell you. He doesn’t tell you anything major in case it could put your life at risk as well, Dazai is a wanted man and just being with him makes you a target as well. He doesn’t want to involve you in something due to his past mistakes so he makes sure he doesn’t tell you anything too private.

He will however tell you the stupidest secrets that he swears are very deep and embarrassing to him. He tells you enough that you feel like he’s telling you something important so that you don’t question that you don’t really know him.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Meeting you made him realize how much he’s really changed from his Port Mafia days. Since before he didn’t really feel like he was doing good enough no matter how hard he tried. He would do ‘good’ deeds but didn’t feel any connections with them, but you reassured him that you can tell how hard he’s trying to be better and that he should focus on the progress he’s made rebuilding himself.

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

He tends to get jealous depending who’s talking to you. If it’s someone you both know, he doesn’t get jealous, he has faith in them that they won’t try to pull any funny moves on you. However, the same can’t be said about strangers, he doesn’t have trust in them cause why should he?

When he sees a stranger talking to you, a bunch of alarms goes through his head telling him to get you away from them. He gives into those feelings and comes to your ‘rescue’, you make sure to scold him later since most of the time they’re asking you for help but he doesn’t trust that.

He’d pout and say, “All men are wolves, (Y/N), I don’t want you to get hurt by them.”

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Yes, he’s usually a very good kisser. But you got the jump on him for your first kiss. As he was leaning in to kiss you, he pulled away and was about to tease you so that you’d have to earn it. But what he didn’t expect was for you to kiss him so boldly. When you pulled away he was stunned for a second, but just seeing that moment where he was caught off guard made it worth it, even though it left you a blushing mess afterwards.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

It took him a while to get his feelings to reach you. Not because he didn’t want you, but because when he did proclaim his love for you, you dismissed him with a wave of your hand. You’ve seen him flirt with countless others, so what made you so different?

He was determined to let you know that his feelings for you were real, so he asked the agency members for their opinions on how he should ask you before settling on his decision.

The next time he asked you out, he wasn’t over dramatic, he didn’t have his usual flirty smile he wore, he was just him. He spoke directly from his heart and hoped you’d understand that he wasn’t leading you on and he meant every word. Thankfully, his feelings got to you and you were willing to give him a chance.

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Dazai would love to marry you, he wants to show how deep his love for you goes, and would go to great lengths to express how he feels towards you. He’d recreate the first date the two of you shared and would propose to you there.

Being married to Dazai is never boring. There’s always something exciting going on whenever Dazai is around. One time he made his specialty dish called, ‘peppy hot pot’, you don’t quite remember what happened after eating it but you vowed to never let Dazai cook again. So you left him do the cleaning while you cooked.

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

“You can be my Juliet!! And you can call me your Romeo!! Isn’t that romantic~!” Dazai’s eyes practically shined.

“Didn’t they end up dying in the end?”

“Yes! Their love caused them to go to such great lengths! And that’s what makes it so romantic! Don’t you think?”

“.....sure?”

“Great! By the way, my wonderful Juliet, I have a potion right here-”

“No.”

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

It’s hard for others to tell when Dazai is in love since he’s known to be a flirt. At first it was hard to tell, but after a while others started to notice that he wasn’t flirting with anyone else while he was vying for your attention.

After his confession where he opened his heart up to you, he realized that to get his feelings across he has to be completely sincere. Though there would be times where he’d act overly dramatic to show his love for you, mostly because when he does that it embarrasses you and makes you show the cutest flustered face.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

He’s very open about his relationship with you where he knows it’s safe. He’s cautious while you guys are out since there can be prying eyes, but other than that in the agency he’s free to show his love for you on full display.

He’d kiss you and say it’s for ‘good luck’ or ‘if I don’t kiss you right now I’ll combust’. You’ll laugh and kiss him back anyway.

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

He’s very good at smooth talking, and whenever he does that it instantly calms you down and makes you fall asleep.

It also helps when the two of you get in trouble due to an idea Dazai thought would be good. Like that one time you guys stayed overnight at a mall, or when he climbed into one of the animal cages at the zoo.

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

You can expect Dazai to shower you in love. Everything he does for you he thinks about how happy it’ll make you. He’ll do small things like ordering your favorite food when you’re too tired from the day to cook, or something big like filling up your room with your favorite flowers (if you’re allergic to flowers then he fills it with your favorite candy).

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

He wants only the best for you, and he’ll do his best in having complete faith in your abilities and gives you the extra push you need. He’d offer that he can pull some strings for you, but you deny him saying that you want to earn it on your own accord, which only makes him smile since that’s what he wanted you to say so that you can achieve your goal.

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

He loves doing new things with you, so you can expect him planning something fun and exciting with every date. It’s not because he’s bored with you, but because he wants to give you the most memorable dates, and the only way to do that is to do stuff that people wouldn’t normally do. He knows that the mundane life will take getting used to, but with you by his side makes it all worth it.

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Dazai can read you most of the time, but there are times where you’re unpredictable and he lives for it.

Being empathetic doesn’t come naturally to him, but when it comes to you he would try his best in understanding your situation and would think of the best thing to say to you so that you understand that you’re not alone in whatever you’re going through.

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it worth in comparison to other things in their life?

He values your relationship deeply, and he’d do whatever he can to keep it. However, if the choice ever came between your safety and your relationship, he’d prioritize your safety since as much as he loves you, he wants you to be safe no matter what and doesn’t want you to get hurt due to something out of his control.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

You often help him change his bandages. When you first started dating he was wary about showing you how he looked under them so you never saw what he hid underneath. But when you had asked to help him, your voice was so gentle and comforting he couldn’t refuse you.

Once you saw the scars hidden under them, you didn’t react the way he thought you would. He thought you’d be repulsed by him, but you were too kind to do that, he knew that but the fear was still there, instead you kissed his scars and let him know how beautiful you thought he was, scars and all.

You even told him that his scars are proof he lived and survived, he’d never forget that, so whenever he sees his scar he’d smile fondly at that memory.

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He is very affectionate, he absolutely loves showering you in kisses and having you in his arms, where he knows you’re safe with him.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He’d look back on all the photos he has of the two of you together instead of doing his work. Kunikida will scold him and tell Dazai to do his work, but instead of listening to him, he’ll put his headphones on and listen to recordings with your voice on it.

Just listening to your voice is enough to soothe his aching heart while he waits for your return.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He would hold your life above his own, so he’ll often talk about what he’d do for you, but it was one of those rare days where your answer surprised him.

“(Y/N), I want to let you know that I love you so much, I’d die for you if the time ever came for that.”

“Oh, really? That’s strange since I’d want to live for you.” He blinked back in shock at how quickly you came up with your answer, and how genuine it was. After coming over the initial shock, he’d just smile back at you and give you a soft kiss on your forehead. You’re not sure what to think about his reaction but you can only hope he’ll feel the same way.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Handmaiden🌹6

Warnings: eventual dark elements ~ nonconsensual sex (more tags to be added as fic continues)

This is dark!(king)Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Summary: Princess Madeline has left her homeland to marry a king. On her journey, she has brought her most trusted handmaiden. Little do either of them know how perilous their new home will be.

Note: Okay, yeah, here’s another chapter for y’all. I expect your patience will start to wear thin, hehehe. Thanks for sticking by me, y’all.

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Masterlist

You peeked over your shoulder as the king’s shadow encased you. He stood just on the other side of the cushioned bench as he watched you. You turned back to him and even in the dim, you could see his smirk. He sighed and sat on the bench heavily. He pushed his hair back and dropped his hand to the seat. He patted it. A silent order, but an order nonetheless.

You withheld a sigh of your own and crossed the room. There was little use in trying to push the stone door open on your own. It would take much too long and you had no doubt he’d stop you with just words. Besides, if you ran from him now, he’d catch you sooner or later. This castle was much smaller than that in the capital.

You sat and his hand settled on your thigh. His fingers rubbed you through your skirts as he measured his words.

“I’m waiting for you to ask me about these new duties but you are as silent as a mouse,” He teased. “As ever. Your silence might be useful in future.”

“Just tell me,” You hung your head in resignation.

“As it stands, you must still address me as propriety accords, little mouse.” He hissed.

“Your majesty,” You sat straight. “What are these new duties?”

He snickered and his hand slipped between your legs and he gripped your thigh.

“Your old shall remain but in a limited capacity. See to my wife; wake her, feed her, bathe her, dress her, and see her to my bed or hers when it is appropriate. But I do not see why she should need you on her shoulder when she is at court, hmm?” He shifted closer. “And she agrees. We’ve spoken over these last days and we did come to the conclusion that you both are in need of some… maturity.” 

You bristled and stared at the stone hearth. You said nothing as he turned his hand to cup your sex through your skirt.

“Between your chores, should I call for you, you will come and you will do all I require of you. At night, she will think you in the servants’ chambers but you shall be in mine or one much like this, according to the circumstance.” He spoke as if it was business; the same tone he took in council. 

“Why should I betray the queen?” You asked as you grabbed his wrist.

“Because your insolence will not mean merely your own misery, but hers,” He curled his fingers and you squirmed. “I will see to it and I will make you watch.”

“Your majesty, you can’t--”

“I will only do what you would force me to,” He said. “A servant’s disobedience has its costs.”

He twisted his hand around suddenly and grabbed yours. He tugged it into his lap and pressed it to his breeches. You felt his hardened member and tried to pull away. His grip didn’t waver as his other hand picked at the laces. You looked at him as his eyes clung to you and he smirked.

“You must show me you can be obedient,” He snarled. “Now I haven’t much time before I am due for my next appointment, so you will be quick about it or you will atone for the delay.”

His breeches loosened and he moved your hand up to the slack waist. You struggled with him briefly before he roughly slid your hand down the front of them and held your hand to his cock. Your eyes widened at the girth firmly against your palm. He closed his hands with yours around his length and slowly guided you up and down. His other hand grabbed the back of your head and he drew you close, his lips on your cheek.

“Just like that,” He ordered. “You owe me.”

You shuddered but your hand kept the motion. You couldn’t stop even as he rescinded his hand. You were terrified. Shocked. You’d never held a man in your hand before. Never been so close; so intimate. He held you closer and let out a shaky breath.

“I thought of you the entire journey,” He breathed. “I can’t stop. When I’m with her, inside her, I can only think of you.”

You closed your eyes in disgust, ashamed that he should say such of Madeline. That such words were inspired by you. That as you stroked him you felt that tingle in your core. 

Had you truly asked for this? Had you been so ignorant to have lured this king unknowingly? To have betrayed your own friend?

“Grip it tighter, yes, faster,” He growled. “Faster. Faster…” 

He quaked as your hand moved to his specification. You only wanted it to be over. To be away from him. To be gone before he could know that you felt so wrongly. He urged you on as his arm fell around your waist and he lifted his nose to nuzzle your hair.

He spasmed all at once and you felt the warmth spurt down your hand and between your fingers. It cooled as you continued to stroke him and he cried out as he stopped you. 

“En- enough,” He uttered and flinched. “Whew, oh… that was--” 

You pulled your hand from his breeches and frowned at the stickiness. He raised a brow at the sight and chuckled.

“I should make you clean it up yourself,” He purred. “Another time, perchance. There should be some cloths in the cabinet there. You might fetch some so that we might return to our respective duties with a semblance of… normalcy.”

You rose slowly and stiffly. He smacked your ass as you turned away and approached the tall cabinet hidden in the corner.

“You might think of me as you work,” He cooed. “For I shall surely think of nothing else but you.”

🌹

When you were dismissed, you were to return to Madeline. You were sickened as she embraced you fondly and fluttered about trying to decide what to wear for the feast. The pale pink satin or the vibrant aquamarine silk made little difference; she’d look splendid. You went along with her choice; the pink was more becoming and brought out the undertones in her cheeks. At least, she said so.

You strapped her into the gown and hooked the golden necklace that sparkled with rubies around her neck. She let her hair flow freely and stepped into a pair of canary slippers. The chain around her waist matched that at her throat and she looked every bit the queen as any aged portrait hung in this castle or the next.

You could barely look at her. You felt your palm with your thumb and swore there was still a trace of that repulsive mess there. You shuddered every time you thought of it. You kept busy to hide your discomfort from Madeline, though she seemed ensnared enough with her own.

“Do you expect the king should like it?” She swished her skirts around. 

“How could he not?” You mustered a smile. “You shall be the shining gem in the crown this night.”

“I hope so,” She touched her cheeks and cringed. “Oh, you don’t know how horrid it’s been. The entire time we rode together he lectured me until he could not stand it, thence he took to his saddle and acted as if I did not exist.”

You glanced away and gulped. She paced anxiously as she wrung her hands. 

“And you know those lords and ladies did hear through the walls of our tent.” She continued. “I am certain you must have at the rear… I couldn’t help but cry out. I do not know how to appease him. I do as he wills but he only wants… more”

She blanched as she saw your face, you clung to the window sill to keep your balance.

“Oh, forgive me, I should not be so forward but… I haven’t anyone to tell and it is most torturous to sit and suffocate in such isolation.” She flurried towards you as her skirts loudly stirred around her legs. “You do know I missed you very much… but…” She paused and looked down. “Well, you should expect I might not see you so much as before.”

You sensed she was withholding from the topic and you didn’t betray that you’d already been informed. You nodded as she clutched your hand.

“He says you are too much like a mother to me, too close to a friend,” She lowered her long lashes. “He thinks it unbecoming for me to act so familiar with a servant and so he should seek to separate us… but only a little. You will still see to my wardrobe and my meals.” She shook her head and let go of you reluctantly. “You must sleep in the servants’ quarters however.”

You tried to act surprised but didn’t need to feign your gloom. She hadn’t any idea what these changes truly meant for you. Or even, for her own marriage. 

“Your majesty, do not feel sad for me, I understand why these adjustments are not of your choosing but necessary,” You assured her. “Know that I do not hold them against you and I am grateful to remain in your service, whatever the circumstance.”

“Oh, you love me far more than you should,” She spun around and held her hands to her chest dramatically, “If you only knew how weak I am. How futile a fight I did put up.”

“We cannot worry for it, your majesty,” You said. “You mustn’t let yourself be so forlorn before the feast. You must prove your mettle to the king and you cannot do so with tears in your eyes.”

She raised her head as she turned back to you. She dropped her arms and gave a pathetic smile. “Oh, what shall I ever do when you are not here?”

🌹

You didn’t attend the feast. You were to unpack Madeline’s trunks as you had her first night as queen. You were thankful for it, you never enjoyed the hubbub of those occasions. Your work, however, was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

It was late and the festivities would be winding down. It might be Madeline returning but why should she knock at her own door. You stepped away from the open trunk and neared the door. Another servant, this one wore the faded orange of Lord Parriser’s household, greeted you meekly.

“You are to tend to the queen,” She announced. “The king does bid you assist her back to her chambers as she is… unable to herself.”

You frowned. A stab sunk deep into your chest and you wondered what could have occured. Had the king betrayed his malice before his own court? Had he gone so far as you harm her? 

You dropped the stockings in your hand and flitted past the other servant. She closed the door and followed you but struggled to keep pace.

You ducked through one of the narrow doorways meant for servants near the back of the hall. The king sat at the royal table upon his dais as his eyes burned onto the floor. Madeline was drunkenly doing a jig as she held her skirts aloft to expose her legs to the knee. Her footwork was admirable if not sloppy and she swayed as she closed her eyes and dance out of tune.

Your stomach dropped and you touched your cheeks. Oh, how awful! Her first true feast as queen besides her wedding and she was acting a fool. She’d be known as the jester queen of court and no doubt, face another remonstrance from her husband.

As you edge past the far trestle, Steven’s eyes left his wife and his brows raised as he spotted you. You had a terrible feeling that this wasn’t the queen’s doing. You went to her as the other nobles began to notice her little jaunt and you grabbed her hand gently.

“Your majesty,” You whispered, “You should--”

She took your other hand and pulled you to her. She guided you in the clumsy routine and you struggled against her. She sang your name and twirled you around.

“Stop! Please, your majesty, the king should--” You glanced up at him. “The king shouldn’t be happy if you carry on thus.”

“The king is never happy,” She slurred. “And so let me be!”

“Please, your majesty,” You stopped so harshly she nearly stumbled and you kept her from faltering. “Madeline, your subjects are watching. You would turn them against you in kind.” You caught her attention at last, her cheeks rosy with wine. “I am the only one here who means you well. Let me get you away. To bed.” You kept your voice low. “Aren’t you sleepy, your majesty?”

Through her drunken haze, she seemed to realise her misdeed. She shook as her eyes widened.

“Does the king watch me?” She asked, too frightened to look for herself.

“He does,” You confirmed. “So we should away from his gaze, shouldn’t we?”

“We should, we should,” She grasped your arm and leaned on your heavily. “Please, take me away.”

“As you wish, your majesty,” You whispered as you tugged her away from the crowd. “It won’t be so bad once you sleep. I am certain that so many are in their own cups, they won’t recall even their own antics.”

You guided her along the wall and through the same door you entered. You glanced back as you entered the corridor, the king’s eyes aimed in your direction though you doubted he could see you. He stood and beckoned to Barras. 

Madeline would doze quickly and you would be expected to begin your new duties.

[lovejustforaday]

Album Review - Citrus by Asobi Seksu

Citrus - Asobi Seksu

Main Genres: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Indie Pop

A decent sampling of: Twee Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Noise Pop

In the conversation of greatest shoegaze and dream pop bands of all time, you usually hear a lot of the same names: My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Ride, Slowdive, Beach House, or maybe even Mazzy Star. But one name that doesn’t get mentioned nearly as often as it should is Asobi Seksu.

Asobi Seksu were an American indie rock band consisting of songwriting duo Yuki Chikudate on vocals and keyboards, and James Hanna as lead guitarist, with a rotating rhythm section that changed from LP to LP. Critics never really gave them a fair chance, but to me they are the finest band to lead the wave of “nu-gaze” that took place over the mid-to-late 2000s.

While a lot of new shoegaze bands today are made up of younger millennials and zoomers who are very traditionalist in recreating the sounds of the original scene, the 2000s “nu-gaze” “““revival””” saw a lot of bands who wanted to expand the genre’s scope. “Nu-Gaze” bands usually fell into one of two cluster groups:

Cluster A was made up of bands incorporating prominent electronic elements to expand on the soundscapes of the original scene. Cluster B bands were making riff-heavy alternative rock that blended shoegaze guitar tones and walls of sound with clearer vocals and more distinct melodic structures, building more on the foundations of bands like Ride or Lush than the likes of MBV.

Asobi Seksu’s self-titled debut falls into the latter category, with a college-radio-esque record of mostly no-nonsense shoegaze and indie pop. It’s a pretty great record itself, but it wasn’t exactly career defining, and if it had ended there, I would say they were another above-average shoegaze band that I listen to mostly just cause they happen to make my favourite subgenre of music.

Something truly brilliant came after though. The band decided to embrace the more immersive dream pop + heavy shoegaze hybrid sound that defined most of the greatest bands of the original movement. But beyond that, the band retained their indie pop melodies and developed a vivacious, sanguine, high-energy formula that set them apart from a scene that had always mostly been defined by subtlety, introspection, and bittersweetness. The resulting album was Citrus.

True to its name, Citrus is a viscous smoothie concoction of saccharine and tangy flavours, expressed in the form of Yuki Chikudate’s frolicking vocal melodies and bright keyboard notes mixed with James Hanna’s roaring walls of sound. True to its cover art, the sonic colours of this record consist of vibrant shades of vermilion, tangerine, and daffodil. This LP is the sonic equivalent of the feeling you get from that first refreshing taste of ice cream on a hot summer’s day. A magnificently vivid experience all around.

A lot of shoegaze bands stick to very strict conventional rock instrumentation - drumkit, bass, and lots of guitars. Maybe an added string section on a song here or there for dramatic effect. But on Citrus, I hear not only the addition of Yuki’s keyboard leads, but also organs, xylophones, sleigh bells, and even toy pianos.

Citrus fades into view with “Everything Is On”, a 17 second ambient intro that sounds something like an arcade submerged in a swimming pool. Normally, I’m not particularly drawn to the trend of albums opening with these odd micro-tracks. This one instance really works however, because it contrasts ever so nicely with the bright, jangly opening guitars of “Strawberries“, the album’s proper introduction.

Speaking of, “Strawberries” is the sound of summer in full bloom, with a splendid pseudo-call-and-response riff that bounces like a yo-yo in between several intermissions of crushed shoegaze drone that feel not unlike dunking your head in a bucket of ice water. I love hearing what sounds like a rotary organ buried deep into the mix of those intermissions. The track ends brilliantly with a major tempo and rhythm shift into a rampant breakdown of manic rock instruments and festive celebration.

“Thursday” is the single greatest song of the 2000s “nu-gaze” revival, and indeed one of the very greatest indie rock songs of all time. A brief ghostly prelude foreshadows a blurry four minute burst of love and ecstasy, with one of the most pleasing choruses I’ve ever heard where Yuki offers the kindest words of concern “it seems you’ve lost your way, you’ve let it all fall apart”. This is the feeling of waking up at the end of a depressive episode and crying tears of joy as you gaze up at the sunny sky and realize that you're happy just to be alive. By the end of "Thursday”, I am completely smitten with the very notion of life itself.

The gentle strums of “Strings” open up into a sun-soaked daydream. Like on several other tracks here, Yuki uses English and Japanese interchangeably, allowing the sounds of her syllables to convey the necessary emotional imagery to non-bilingual listeners as she practically skips and hops her way through the song in an impressive display of vocal gymnastics. The wall of sound orchestrated at the end of this track is one of my all time favourites in the history of shoegaze and noise pop, like an enormous heatwave that hits you all at once.

The glorious midpoint and climax of Citrus is the seven and a half minute wonder “Red Sea”, a vision of a world that lies beyond the horizon while surfing the waves of a vast and foamy ocean. This track reaches monumental heights that I find particularly hard to put into words. What I will say is that this is second place to “Thursday” only by a small fraction, and it contains around the three minute mark one of the most captivatingly nostalgic melodies I’ve ever heard.

“Goodbye” is the sole occasion of a mostly straightforward indie pop song on this record, and its one of the sweetest breakup songs you’ll probably ever hear. “Lions and Tigers” is a distant meadow of dream pop that makes me feel like I’m a kid and I’m hugging my friend one last time before they move to another city. “Nefi + Girly” is like a follow-up to “Strawberries”, with another playful lead guitar riff and a dreamy keyboard lead that sounds like its splattering an empty canvas of indie rock with lively paint colours.

“Exotic Animal Parade” slows the record down for a brief melancholy ballad before exploding in a dream like it never even existed. “Mizu Asobi” emerges from the aftermath to finish off the record with one last beam of radiant joy before the festivities end with a bang.

As a footnote, I would like to add that, although they never count towards my final rating of a record, the bonus tracks/b-sides/etc. from the Citrus era are some of the best deep cuts ever released. Likewise, here’s some quick thoughts on those:

The band recorded two covers of two mid-20th century classics during this album cycle, including a twinkling, wistful haze rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “All Through The Day” as well as a giddy, fleeting noise pop cover of The Crystal’s “Then He Kissed Me”. Both are excellent examples of how to expand on their respective originals, reviving vintage pop classics with gorgeous soundscapes. There’s also the stand alone single “Stay Awake”, a sweeping end-of-chapter moment with some of the most excellent indie rock dynamics I’ve ever heard.

Like most people these days, Loveless was my first shoegaze record and my formal introduction to one of indie rock’s most elusive subgenres. It was good enough at the time to make me listen to a few more shoegaze bands, but Citrus was the record that made me fall in love with the genre medium. It was Citrus that allowed me to go back and fully appreciate Loveless as the masterpiece that it is, and later fall in love with other brilliant shoegaze records like Souvlaki and Ceres & Calypso In The Deep Time.

This album was also the unofficial soundtrack to most of my time as an undergrad. It played on my bus rides into the city and during walks around campus downtown on those last few days of exams before the summer. It helped me more than any other record to get through the worst year of mental health in my life. I am endlessly fond of this beautiful work of art, and I am truly grateful for how Asobi Seksu managed to expand my horizons. This will forever be one of my favourite records. Happy 15th anniversary Citrus.

10/10

highlights: “Thursday”, “Red Sea”, “Strawberries”, “Lions and Tigers”, “Strings”, “Goodbye”, “Nefi + Girly”, “Mizu Asobi”, “New Years”, “Everything Is On”, “Exotic Animal Parade”

[jafndaegur]

Sesskag Week 2020 | Day 1: Crime

He-who-annoyed-her

Sesskag

a/n: If you accuse me of writing a wannabe BNA au, then I mean...youre not wrong but way to call me out lol

Kagome took a deep breath when she woke up. The unfamiliar room and the unfamiliar sounds of a city that wasn't her own caused her to pause and bite her lip. Sitting up was a disorienting affair. It felt as though the air hammered against her from every side, and it took every second of her waking to try and just focus on herself and the action of sitting up in bed.

"You're focusing too hard on the wrong things," the low voice from the other side of her door huffed, slightly muffled. "Just breathe. Let everything flow around you."

She growled and grit out, "I'm not in the mood."

There was no reply and she welcomed the silence.

That man on the other side of the door infuriated her. If she could even call him a man for that matter. That male. She groaned and rested her forehead against her palms, wishing she was anywhere else but here.

Still...she wondered how solid his advice was, he who annoyed her. Taking a few stabilizing breaths, she focused on the sounds and shifted pass the sensations—like strokes through water. Gradually and painstakingly slow, the overstimulation eased away. The bombardment that had assaulted her mind, all those irritants that she couldn't quite name, finally petered off. Taking a breath of relief, she slid her legs off the bed and dressed for the day.

Opening her door, the back side of he-who-annoyed-her faced her from across the room. His head was bent down and yet his posture was impeccable as always. The shorts strands of his hair tampered back along the base of his head, stopping just above the nape of his neck—pointed ears displayed quite clearly. The rest of him was hidden away behind an ever-pristine white coat, a red t-shirt, and jeans. He looked so clean cut, Kagome was almost grateful he wasn't wearing a stereotypical PI outfit of trench coat and suit.

"You are in less distress." His tone never wavered and it never reached anything other than a disinterested monotone. 

"Thanks for the advice," she muttered.

"Hn." He shut the book he'd been occupying and returned it to the shelf in front of him. "You'll find no shortage of youki, jaki, and miasma in this city. For as long as you stay here, a natural ability to ignore it is apparently imperative for your daily functions."

Kagome bit her lip and nodded, despite the sharp pang of pride stinging and making her want to snap and tell him she knew exactly how to block out things that weren't her reiki—she knew he was just trying to help. In fact helping was all the man, male demon she corrected herself, had done.

He turned around so that the bright glitter of his gilded eyes, and the stark contrast of crescent moon and magenta stripes on full display. This was Private Investigator Sesshomaru. Current landlord of her loft (which was actually a rooftop janitor's closet in his study) and interestingly enough her savior.

He stared listlessly at his nails. "I've recorded and analyzed the scents at the site where you were found. Based on the olfactory trails that were left behind, you were kidnapped and dragged here by a centipede demon."

"Centipede demon?" Kagome echoed with an owlish blink.

He flicked his gaze up with an unamused expression and didn't repeat himself.

There was a pause as Kagome messed absentmindedly with her bangs. Three days ago she woke up in one of the most dangerous places a girl like her, a miko to be exact, could be. Shikon City. A city with a 100% population of demons or those of direct demon descent. Not knowing where she was or how she was there, she suddenly woke—her body ablaze and overreacting to the completely untamed demonic energy that saturated the metropolis. And in her loss of control that was when he-who-annoyed-her found her, knocked her out, and took her to his home. Because there was one teeny tiny problem about Shikon city, unless you were an official or extremely and brazenly overpowered, the barrier surrounding the town neither let things in or let them out. So obviously the PI had questions. Questions she couldn't answer. 

What's your name?

"Kagome Higurashi."

Occupation?

"I'm a highschool student—although I just applied for my first year at Tokyo university."

You realize demons cannot leave this area, correct?

"W...what do you mean demons? We're in Meguro...aren't we?"

You're human.

"Um. Aren't you?"

"Thanks to your scent being eradicated by your reiki outburst a few days ago, I can neither confirm nor deny that you are actually from outside the barrier," Sesshomaru clenched his hand. "However your little stunt did not vanquish the smells on the surrounding ground and further behind you. Congratulations Ms. Higurashi, you may be able to process out of here in less than a month if what you claim is true."

Ah yes. That was one other thing, and it was the main reason for why she'd so kindly dubbed him the annoyance of her existence. "I told you. I had a wallet on me, and it wasn't there when you found me. Someone must've pinched my wallet, but if you find that, my ID in it would prove that I really am not a demon or from this city!"

"And yet conveniently, said-wallet disappeared before I arrived on the scene of your kidnapping."

"Aren't you a detective? Isn't it your job to find missing things?" She bit out with exasperation.

"You need money to hire me, Ms. Higurashi." He gave her a cruel and fanged smile. "And that was stolen. Apparently. Be grateful I'm scenting without charge as to why you are missing from wherever you came."

Her lip curled up in anger and she stormed away. Sesshomaru made no move to stop her and she was glad. Maybe she'd find her own way out! She didn't need that stupid, smug, stuck-up jerk's help. After all she was a miko, if she could make a barrier then surely she could escape one.

Outside in the open-city was as unnerving as it had been the first day. Different auras of all demonic pedigrees pressed upon her as if they knew she were a human. As if they knew they could disperse the holy energies inside of her. She shivered and didn't like the idea. Trudging along she wrapped her arms around herself and tried to avoid bumping into people along the walkways. The demons here were for the most part humanoid. Sesshomaru told her no one took on their true forms unless it were for festivals or protection. And extreme emotional overload. Her warned her that for every chance that she could blow a circuit, so could a demon. And neither outcome would be pretty.

Something pulsed.

The air, herself, the aura inside her. Sight shooting up, she swung her gaze everywhere, trying to spot what drew in her power. And that's when she saw her. An eerily tall, four armed woman with wiry wavering locks. She was walking away from her, and right then and there Kagome felt a shiver of familiarity. A centipede demon. What were the chances? Honestly in a demon city, what were the chances.

Tucking herself to the crowd and trying to appear small, Kagome followed the woman. There was no proof that the demoness had stolen the wallet—but if it was the same centipede that Sesshomaru had sniffed out, then it was really truly super super possible that the wallet had been stolen by her kidnapper. The only question was, why go through the impossible hassle of dragging Kagome from the human city to a demon one. It shouldn't have even been plausible and yet somehow it happened. But all that was taken was a little tiny wallet that was hardly more than an over-glorified coin purse.

Kagome tailed the centipede demon to a back alley that led into a dumpster area—little more than a small turnabout for garbage trucks to circle around once they've picked up their loads behind the buildings. Crouching against the wall and doing her best to hide, she waited to see what the centipede would do. To her horror, the woman turned towards her direction and slid a long and slimy tongue from parted lips. Between clawed hands she reached into the pockets of her outfit and held Kagome's missing item in the air.

"Oh little human so predictable. Come out, come out, I'm hungry," she sang out.

Hand covering her mouth, Kagome paled. Oh no.

"You need this don't you?" The demoness didn't move, just swung the pink wallet back and forth like a pendulum without a string. "All I had to do was hold onto this and my little meal came back to me without a fight and more importantly without that stupid guard dog. How tantalizing. I like obedience in a girl."

Something struck a nerve. 

Kagome stood up and stomped her way over, holy pink aura unhinged with her anger. "I'm hardly obedient! Least of all to someone like you!"

"Oh but you came to me, didn't you?" The centipede dropped the wallet and lunged—maw outstretched and ready to snatch up her snack.

No time to lose, Kagome ducked to the side, wrapping herself around the woman's leg and sending out a bolt of her aura. Purification rose into the air like the crisp clean stench of bleach. The demoness fell back and screamed as her leg faded away to wisps of incense—her body spasmed in pain as the residual effects of the purifying blast took its toll. Smiling Kagome picked herself up and sauntered over to her wallet. Well that was that.

One moment she was on her own two feet and the next she was elevated upside down, body restrained by tight exoskeletal coils. Kagome screamed and kicked, sending wave after wave of her miko abilities. And yet the hold on her only constricted.

The centipede woman extended her jaw and giggled. "See if you can get through my skin now, little human. Your struggling makes me even more hungry!"

This is it. This is where I die.

A flash of white, an agonizing scream, and then Kagome slammed into the hard cold cement. Her head spun and her limbs protested in agony. But when she looked up, Sesshomaru stood in front of her—protectively, angrily—claws barred and nose in the air. The centipede woman was no longer in her true form. The centipede woman was no longer. She lay in pieces, in shambles, in tatters on the floor melted by acid and torn apart. 

Not a single spot of blood stained the PI's still immaculate jacket.

Sesshomaru turned around with a smug grin that quickly faded while she sat up. His nose flared and his gaze snapped to the abandoned and pink wallet by his foot. He grabbed it and flipped it open, staring at the contents as if they personally offended him. 

The glare he shot her could've burnt a hole through her forehead if she had been paying attention. It took her a moment, but she realized why his nose was acting up. That wallet, that precious little thing that she'd been desperate to find and that he hadn't cared to find, held one thing that spoke on more volumes to he-who-annoyed-her than the words printed on the plastic ID in the pockets. That wallet had been stolen before she woke up her first day in Shikon City, and subsequently before she had burned her own scent in the subconscious attempt to self-purify. 

That meant her pure and unblemished scent, the details of her original home and original whereabouts, all sat there waiting for him to take a sniff and realize.

"Will you help me now?" She staggered to her feet and cradled her side. 

His gaze slid to where her hand rested, and lifted a delicate brow at the sight of blood seeping through her shirt. One of the slabs of the centipede's skin must've sliced the side.

"Only a human," he huffed and pocketed the wallet. He easily slid his arms beneath her legs and scooped her up against him. "Once we patch you up, we'll take you to the police for an official statement. This one will be able to start conducting the investigation from there."

Kagome smiled weakly and poked his chest. "Hey. Did you save me for free too?"

He rolled his eyes and didn't answer, carrying her out of the alleyway.