#i wonder if that's like. a sticking point w martial gods

[heterophobiclanwangji]

i LOVE that Hua Cheng is the tallest mxtx character i can think of besides Jun Wu, who is all of 1 cm taller. i love it in part because i’m fully onboard with the high heels Hua Cheng headcanon, primarily for fashion/aesthetic reasons, but also for petty reasons. in high heels he’s taller than Jun Wu, and everyone shorter than him has to look up that much more just to get on his level. literally the only downside is that Xie Lian is a 5′10″ KING so if they’re standing it’s harder for him to get kisses

[katastroficwriter]

Pregame Kiibo and Kokichi end up getting each other for secret Santa. Bonus points if they get caught under the mistletoe and are kinda shy about it.

Sorry for taking so long. A bunch of stuff happened. But here you go.

“Are you going to your part-time job?”

“Ah, yes! Sorry about this, Iidabashi-kun…”

“…It’s okay,” Kiibo smiled. “You’re saving money for your giftee, right?”

Ouma nodded guiltily. He felt like he’s been neglecting their friendship because of the whole Secret Santa idea that Shirogane proposed. The whole class seemed excited about it, and everyone easily agreed to schedule the gift exchange during the Christmas party. He didn’t want to participate at first–but after seeing whose name he got…he wanted to do it. That’s why he’s working so hard in the first place. “But still…”

Kiibo interrupted his negative thoughts by giving him a reassuring pat on his head. “I can’t blame you for wanting to do your best, you know. I’m sure whoever your recipient is, they’ll cherish the gift you gave them since you put in so much thought on it. Now, you better go or else you’ll be late for your job.”

Ouma’s eyes widened in shock. “C-crap you’re right! I’ll see you tomorrow Iidabashi-kun!” He bid his friend goodbye with a wave before rushing off.

The albino returned the wave even though the raven-haired teen missed it. He heaved out a sigh once his friend was out of sight before entering the game shop nearby.

Ouma had been looking forward to the party. So much so that he marked his calendar and crossed out dates each night. But just as soon as he was standing in front of the karaoke bar, he found it difficult to step inside. The karaoke bar the majority of the class chose to hold the party in was recently built and currently the fanciest karaoke bar he has ever seen in his entire life. He felt incredibly small and out of place–even dawdling in front of the establishment.

The weight of the mint green gift bag in his hand was starting to overwhelm him too even though in reality, it wasn’t that heavy at all.

‘Come on Kokichi. You’ve been waiting for this day. Man up. Take a deep breath and just put your right foot forward,’ he took a deep breath, waiting a few beats before lifting his right foot.

….

He placed it back down and buried his face in his hands. ‘I can’t do it…!’

“Huh? Ouma-kun? Are you feeling ill?” the raven-haired teen lifted his head to find Yonaga looking at him with a worried smile.

“Y-Yonaga-san? Ah, no, I’m okay–”

“You shouldn’t ignore the early signs of sickness, you know!” the platinum blonde girl then moved to grab him by the arm. “Let’s go somewhere warmer so you won’t catch a cold. Staying outside might aggravate your symptoms!”

“A-ah, wait, Yonaga-san–!” Ouma helplessly protested as he was being gradually dragged in the karaoke bar.

“Oooh! It’s so nice and warm here,” Yonaga cheered. “Isn’t that great, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma lifted his scarf to cover his mouth, “Y-yeah.” Now that he’s finally inside the establishment, he felt ten times smaller. No wonder this place is popular. It was so big that it could cater to a large amount of customers even during peak seasons like Christmas.

‘Toujou-san chose this place for everyone’s comfort and convenience, but I feel kind of guilty having her pay for all of this. Even if she did say that it’s her gift to everyone before she leaves for a family vacation.’ He sighed as he idly followed the upbeat shrine maiden before him.

“Our room number is 53, right?” she turned to face him as she walked backwards, hands clasped behind her back.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Yonaga flashed him a bright smile, “Roger that then~!” She did an about-face so she could check the room numbers properly. “Oh! There it is! Hurry, hurry~!” Once again, the raven-haired teen found himself getting tugged along by his classmate once more.

It was probably due to the familiarity, but as soon as Yonaga pushed the door open, his eyes immediately fell on his best friend, Kiibo, who was currently engaged in a conversation with Saihara. They were probably discussing another mystery novel considering how passionately the aspiring novelist was talking. Yonaga had already left his side to join Akamatsu and Harukawa’s conversation.

“Ah, Ouma-kun! You’re finally here!” Shirogane waved a hand. “We’re currently waiting for Momota-kun and Hoshi-kun to return with the maracas and the tambourine. You didn’t miss anything.”

Ouma greeted the bespectacled girl with a short bow, “Hello, Shirogane-san. I’m sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She waved her hand dismissively. “The important thing is you’re here! Now go have a seat.”

“Ouma-kun, I saved you a seat,” his back straightened at the sound of his friend’s voice. God, why is he so tense!? Actually, he already knew the answer to that…But still! He shouldn’t make it obvious. Iidabashi is perceptive–he’d be found out too soon and that would be too embarrassing.

He took a deep breath before turning around and smiled, “Thank you.”

The albino teen scooted next to him as soon as the latter sat down. “It was pretty crowded today, wasn’t it?”

Ouma nodded as he set the gift bag beside him. “Yeah. I should’ve left my house earlier…” His eyes unconsciously wandering towards the white gift box wrapped with a golden ribbon found next to his friend. “Is that your gift?”

Kiibo’s eyes widened a little, before regaining his composure. “Yes. Ah, that’s right. Shirogane-san said that we’ll be exchanging our gifts once everyone has sung at least one song.”

“W-what?” Ouma checked if Saihara was nearby, but found him engaged with a conversation with Akamatsu. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he leaned in close, covering the side of his face to prevent prying eyes from reading his lips. “…Will you be okay?”

Kiibo heaved out a sigh before looking away. “I have no choice in the matter. I have to do it.”

Ouma made a mental note to leave the room once it was the albino’s turn in the limelight.

“What about you? Will you be okay singing in front of a crowd?” Kiibo whispered back.

“I…don’t really know. But I can manage…somehow,” Ouma fiddled with his fingers as he replied. “I mean, you heard me sing before…so maybe if I imagine that you’re the only one around, I’d be comfortable enough.”

Before the albino could respond, Momota had entered the room with a boisterous “We’re back!” with Hoshi silently trailing behind him with the maracas in hand..

“Alright, that means we can get this party started,” Amami chuckled as he picked up a microphone. “So, what’s the singing order? Everyone has to sing at least one song, right?”

“Oh, I prepared some lots while waiting for Momota-kun and Hoshi-kun to come back,” Chabashira waved a cup filled with chopsticks in the air. “I wrote numbers on each stick to help us decide the order!”

“Okay, let’s gather in a circle,” Akamatsu smoothened her coat before moving to the more spacious corner of their room. Everyone else followed suit, forming a tight circle, eyes already scanning which chopstick to pick.

“Since the cup is in your hand, you draw first Chabashira-san, then I pass it to the right,” Shirogane instructed.

“Okay, got it!” the martial artist did as she was told but didn’t dare look at the number on a stick yet. They all waited until everyone managed to draw a chopstick.

“On a count of three, we’ll check our numbers, okay?” Akamatsu took a deep breath before counting down. “One, two, three!”

The results were as follows:

1 - Saihara Shuuichi

2 - Akamatsu Kaede

3 - Shirogane Tsumugi

4 - Amami Rantarou

5 - Momota Kaito

6 - Iruma Miu

7 - Gokuhara Gonta

8 - Harukawa Maki

9 - Chabashira Tenko

10 - Hoshi Ryoma

11 - Ouma Kokichi

12 - Yonaga Angie

13 - Toujou Kirumi

14 - Yumeno Himiko

15 - Shinguuji Korekiyo

16 - Iidabashi Kiibo

Ouma and Kiibo shared a look. Having the albino sing last was probably for the best. But at the same time, it would be one unfortunate way to end their karaoke session.

“Alright let’s get this party started!” Momota pumped a fist in the air. “Get singing, Shuuichi!”

“Don’t rush me,” huffed the ebony haired teen as he inputted his song of choice before grabbing a microphone from the table.

Once he was settled in his spot on the small stage, he pressed play. A confident smirk found its way on his face as soon as he registered the look of recognition on Amami’s face as soon as a rhythmic strumming of an electric guitar blared from the speakers. Saihara started bobbing his head and tapping his foot in tune with the song’s melody before lifting the mic to his lips…

[“We spat out a bunch of careless words, and cried about all memories of old. How about we make today the last one? Waiting for the ready, set go. We held hands, just you and me. That was when I was still in my old brave phase.”] Everyone cheered and clapped when Saihara struck a pose. [“It’s alright if you don’t want to stop now. Life is such a hypocritical thing. Don’t tell me that you just can’t do it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it.”] Saihara started bobbing his head to the music once more, doing a little tap dance as he continued singing. [“I don’t want to hear that it’s too late now.”]

Ouma shrank in his scarf a little as the aspiring novelist sang the chorus with fervor, garnering more of their classmate’s cheers. “I didn’t expect Saihara-kun to be this enthusiastic about karaoke.”

“He isn’t, but he’s been listening to this song a lot lately,” Amami chuckled. “Though he already bought the singer’s album that had this same song.”

“Ohh,” the raven-haired teen nodded his head in understanding. “…This song sounds really catchy.”

“Hahaha, yeah,” the chartreuse haired teen leaned against his seat. “I think it’s the perfect song to start the party. Look at how everyone’s so into it already.”

Ouma noticed the albino slightly bobbing his head and tapping his foot along with the song from the corner of his eye. He huffed a laugh, “I guess so.”

“What song are you planning to sing, by the way?” Amami lifted the song book as he asked.

“Ah…” Ouma scratched his cheek a little and looked down. “W-well, since it’s Christmas, I thought of singing a Christmas song. What about you?”

“Ohh I thought so too. I’m planning to sing Nissy’s “Gift,” since it seemed easy to sing,” Amami then handed him the song book. “You should decide on something soon. It would be your turn before you know it. Iidabashi too.”

“T-true. Thank you for the song book, Amami-kun.”

“No problem.”

Ouma started flipping through the song book, flinching a little when he felt the albino sit closer. “Ah, do you want to pick a song too?”

“I don’t think the results would change no matter what song I select,” Kiibo chuckled. “What song will you be singing?”

“Oh, probably…something in English,” the raven haired teen shyly scratched his cheek. “There’s this American song my mom listens to a lot every Christmas, so I more or less got the lyrics down. Though I’m a little worried that I might mess up the pronunciation…”

Kiibo moved to pat his friend reassuringly, “Don’t mind, don’t mind. We’re here to celebrate and have fun. It’s not a contest to see who can sing the best, so don’t worry. Okay?”

Embarrassed, Ouma hid his face with the song book and nodded.

“What’s the song called, if I may ask? My father tends to listen to foreign songs too,” Kiibo asked as he moved out of his friend’s personal bubble.

“U-Um, it’s “All I Want For Christmas is You”, by Mariah Carey-san. My mom listens to her songs a lot, so…” Ouma replied as he jotted down the song number on a slip of paper. “This karaoke bar is amazing though, it has a song selection for other languages too, not just English.”

“I never really went to karaoke bars before, so I don’t really have a point of reference,” hummed the albino. “Oh, you did tell me that your mom would invite you to join her for karaoke before.”

“Mmhm. But it’s my first time going here. I actually had trouble entering because I got intimidated,” Ouma let out a nervous laugh. “Luckily Yonaga-san arrived when she did, otherwise I don’t think I’ll be able set foot at all.”

“Ah–”

“Sorry for intruding, but may I borrow the song book for a bit?” Chabashira wrung her hands together, worried that she did something wrong.

Ouma shook his head a little, “It’s okay, I already finished choosing a song. Here you go.”

“T-thank you!” the martial artist did a hasty bow before returning to her best friend’s side. Ouma find himself smiling at the sight of Yumeno patting someone taller than her. “Chabashira-san is really doing her best to conquer her fears. I admire her a lot for that.”

“You’re doing your best too, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo smiled. “Everyone is doing what they can to be the best version of themselves everyday.” Both teens flinched from Momota’s sudden and explosive: [“ONE PUUUUUUNCH!!!”]

“W-wh…that…that shocked me,” Ouma sighed, pressing a hand over his heart.

“Y-yeah…” the albino simply nodded. “Though, it’s just like Momota-kun to choose a song like this.”

“Childish, shounen-type songs?” their heads turned to look at their pink-blonde haired classmate, who huffed out a laugh. “Definitely. By the way, has it really been 5 songs already? Sure Momota is singing now, but it doesn’t feel that way doesn’t it? What are the odds that this karaoke bar has time distortion properties?”

“I think that’s a little too extreme for a karaoke bar to have, Iruma-san,” Ouma offered. “But you’re right. Time went by so fast, I didn’t notice that we’re already on the 5th singer.”

“You just gotta buckle up then. If I were you, you better start giving yourself some mental pep-talk,” Iruma paused to stretch her arms. “I want to get this gift exchange over with so I can go help my dad around the shop–”

“Hey! Iruma! You’re up!” Momota yelled through the mic.

Iruma heaved out a sigh before kicking herself off her seat, “No need to yell, dumbass. Now gimme that mic!”

“They’re always so lively,” Kiibo remarked with a smile. “I’m glad I went. Even if there wasn’t a gift exchange involved, I would have been happy just to spend time with everyone.”

Ouma looked down at his lap, a little embarrassed for staring at his friend’s face for too long. “…Me too.”

As soon as his turn was over, Ouma had left the room for some air and a chance to compose himself after singing in front of his classmates for the first time. Without thinking too much about it, he accidentally brought his exchange gift with him outside. He didn’t know why he did that, but it just felt right for some reason. He sighed as he took a seat on the orange leather sofa set in the lobby.

He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, blushing hard as he recalled everyone’s surprised faces and encouraging cheering as he sang the song. “Ahhh…it’s no good. I’m too embarrassed…!” he groaned, hugging the gift bag to his chest for comfort. He released a sigh as he was reminded of the gift’s contents.

“I wonder if…this is enough…?” he murmured. ‘I have so much to thank him for, but this is all I could give him…’

He did two part-time jobs just to earn what he needed for the gift. His mother did offer to pay for the gift in his stead but…this was something he wanted to work for by himself.

‘Everyone is doing what they can to be the best version of themselves everyday.’

Kiibo’s words echoed in his mind, prompting him to smile. He really always knew what to say in order to uplift everyone’s mood. Which is exactly why he wanted to work hard this Christmas.

“Ouma-kun.”

His jolted in his seat before meeting the albino’s gaze. “You finished singing already?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it singing but…yes,” Kiibo coughed awkwardly before offering the shorter teen a hand. “The gift exchange already started, so I went to pick you up.”

“Ahh, I see,” Ouma laughed nervously as he accepted the offered hand and allowed his friend to pull him up to his feet. “Did you manage to give your partner their gift yet?”

“No, not yet. I actually came to get you first,” Kiibo replied as he started walking.

“O-oh…” Ouma looked at the bag in his arms and then at his friend. This was the perfect chance for him to give the gift to its proper recipient. He’d be too self-conscious if he does this inside the room, where everyone could witness him act pathetically. “U-um…Iidabashi-kun, wait.”

The albino tilted his head inquisitively, stopping short from pushing their room’s door open. “Is there something wrong, Ouma-kun? Did you forget something in the lobby?”

Ouma shook his head, his grip on the gift bag tightening as he prepared himself. “T-the truth is…” he thrusted the gift bag in the taller teen’s direction and bowed. “I was the one who drew your name for the exchange! S-so–please accept this gift!”

The raven haired teen didn’t dare look up until the weight of the gift bag left his hands. Purple eyes widened at the sight of Kiibo’s flustered face, which he tried to hide with a gloved hand. He was starting to piece things together, which made the albino’s cheeks grow redder and redder.

“T-thank you, Ouma-kun,” he stammered. “I–I didn’t think that it was for me. I knew that you worked so hard for this, too…I–”

“L-leave that for later, once you’ve seen what’s inside. Um, we better go inside now before everyone starts worrying,” Ouma rubbed the back of his neck lamely, averting his eyes from his friend’s appreciative gaze.

Kiibo caught on to his embarrassment and nodded. “Y-yes, you’re right.” He wrapped his hand

The entire room went silent as soon as they pushed the door open. Before either of the monochrome pair could ask, their classmates scrambled out of their seats and sent the entire room in an uproar.

“YOU’RE UNDER THE MISTLETOE!!!”

As soon as his brain processed the words, both Kiibo and Ouma slowly looked up, freezing upon realizing that yes, there really was a mistletoe hanging above their heads.

“W-when did this get there! I-I didn’t notice this at all!” Ouma stammered.

“Huh? You didn’t notice?” Shirogane gasped. “It’s been there by the time Iruma-san was singing.”

“That’s because you were too busy looking at the floor to see it,” Yumeno wagged her finger as she spoke.

“This won’t do at all, Ouma-kun. Your lack of awareness will get you killed,” Saihara tutted, shaking his head as he did so.

“Anyway, that aside. What’s it gonna be? Smooch or bail?” Iruma slammed her hands against the table. “I hope you didn’t forget that there’s a penalty if you bail.”

“I didn’t hear of a penalty either!” Ouma blanched as his escape route had completely vanished before his very eyes. “When was that decided?”

“I actually wasn’t aware of a penalty either,” Kiibo hummed, trapping his chin in between his fingertips as he tried recalling such an arrangement.

“I also–!” Chabashira raised a hand, which slowly she slowly put down. “…D-don’t remember that there was a penalty…”

Akamatsu clapped her hands once to grab everyone’s attention, “It was during a voice call. I’m sorry, it slipped my mind that some of you were already asleep when the call started, that’s why you didn’t know!”

“So? What’s the penalty?” Hoshi pocketed his hands as he asked.

“It’s nothing too serious. Just that you have to treat the class to food,” Amami replied.

Kiibo took note of the raven-haired teen’s pale complexion and shaking pupils, it practically screamed ‘I don’t know if I brought enough money to treat everyone.’

“Ouma-kun, it should be fine,” he offered a small smile as he shut the door behind them. “I don’t mind doing it.” His eyes never left Ouma, paying no heed to the impressed whistles and the soft gasps of their peers.

It was a little impressive how quick the shorter teen was to change color, from red, to white, to red once more.

“A-are you sure, Iidabashi-kun?!” Ouma looked at his friend in shock. “I-it’s a kiss, you know!”

Kiibo shrugged as he tugged him closer, “Perhaps. But the rules didn’t exactly specify that it had to be on the lips.”

“AH! Iidabashi you cheating prick–!” Iruma yelled. But the pair was no longer paying attention.

Kiibo used his free hand to brush away his dark locks from his face before pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Ouma had instinctively closed his eyes as soon as the albino slowly leaned in to close the gap, releasing a breath once he felt the other’s soft lips on his skin. His cheeks heated up even more as soon as he registered the hoots and cheers of their class.

“That was sly of you, Iidabashi-kun,” Yumeno wiggled her fingers towards his general direction. “I just cast a curse on you. You’ll keep finding yourself under the mistletoe no matter what, from now on. This spell expires as soon as the year changes.”

“Come to my shrine tomorrow to get rid of the curse, Iidabashi-kun!” Yonaga chimed, pressing her hands together as though in prayer.

“Whaaat? Don’t you dare undo my spell like that!” whined the crimson haired teen.

“Anyway, we should continue with the exchange so we can go eat dinner right after,” Harukawa’s voice easily cut through the shorter girl’s whines. “We’d be able to go home sooner too.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Toujou nodded. “Well then, shall we resume?”

While the others got down to business, Kiibo led the dazed Ouma to the direction of their things and sat him down.

“Hey, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo called as he grabbed his white and gold gift box.

“Y-yes?”

“Actually…” Kiibo reached for his friend’s hands before placing the gift atop it. “I drew your name for the exchange as well.”

“HAH?!” Ouma covered his mouth with both hands, embarrassed by his sudden outburst.

The albino bowed a little, trying to hide his red cheeks. “I was shocked too, when you gave me your gift. The chances of picking each other’s names are slim…and yet here we are.” He slowly guided Ouma’s hands back to the latter’s lap. “Go ahead and open it.”

Ouma looked at the box’s golden bow, then at his friend, then back to the box. He took a deep breath and carefully tugged the ribbons’ ends, unraveling the bow back to its original form. The first thing he saw upon lifting the cover was a carefully folded scarf patterned in checkers of black and white. He ran his hand on it, finding out that it was made with a thick material to maximize warmth. “A scarf…”

“I noticed that you’ve been shivering a lot in class even with the heater on, that’s when I saw that your scarves were already thin and worn. That’s why I chose a particularly thick one so it would keep you warm during the winter season,” Kiibo explained. “There’s actually more. Take the scarf out of the box.”

“Huh? Um…okay,” Ouma felt a little awkward for not being able to express his gratitude, but did as he was told. But as soon as he discovered what was hidden under the monochrome scarf, he froze. In bold white and black, the words: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc stared back at his awed face. “T-this is–!”

He lifted the CD case, and discovered that there was another game hidden under it: Super Danganronpa 2: Farewell Despair Academy. He felt himself tear up. Underneath that CD were the other 2 Danganronpa games that he never got to chance to play since he couldn’t afford it. A scarf and all 4 installments of a game he absolutely loved. He feels absolutely blessed right now.

He wiped his tears with a sleeve, far too overwhelmed with emotion. “T-thank you so much, Iidabashi-kun…!” he sobbed. “I–I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry for crying…”

Kiibo gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I knew how much you loved this franchise, so…”

“W-wait,” Ouma hastily wiped his tears before looking him in the eye. “You–you should open your gift too. I wasn’t able to wrap it properly since I only got it yesterday, sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Kiibo flashed him a smile before moving to sit beside him. “Even if it wasn’t wrapped. I already know how hard you worked to buy this gift, and I’m grateful for that.”

When he opened the bag, he was surprised to find books inside it. His curiosity was piqued when he saw the familiar cover of Natsume Souseki’s, “I am a Cat.” The cover of the books were all protected by a plastic cover in order for it to withstand the elements.

“All of the books there are written by Natsume Souseki-sensei. I know you’ve read ‘I am a Cat’ from our school library before, but I figured that maybe you wanted to keep your own copy too,” Ouma averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained.

Kiibo’s immediate reaction was to hug the raven-haired teen. “Thank you…thank you!”

Upon noticing that their classmates were already eyeing them out of curiosity and mild amusement, Ouma patted the albino on the back. “You’re welcome, Iidabashi-kun. U-um…everyone’s watching us.” He gasped when the taller teen gave him a squeeze before pulling away.

“I’m sorry about my behavior, I…” Kiibo hugged the gift bag to his chest. “I will cherish these forever.”

“Mm~mm! It must be fate that they drew each other’s names for the exchange,” Yonaga nodded. “It’s quite perfect too, since they already know what gift would make their partner smile.”

Ouma wrapped his new scarf around his neck and tugged it upwards to hide the lower half of his face, his embarrassment only magnified from the attention he’s getting.

Toujou disrupted the awkward atmosphere with two claps. “Everyone, it’s already 8:25 pm. I already called the front desk and dinner should be served shortly. In the meantime, you may continue singing if you wish to do so.”

“Wow, this place serves dinner too? How high class…” Akamatsu trailed off.

“Aka-chan!”

The blonde pianist jolted in her seat at the sudden address. “Y-yes, Shiro-chan?”

The bespectacled blunette pointed at the second microphone perched on the table, “Pick that up, we’re doing this.”

Akamatsu gasped. “No way. You mean–”

“You. Me. And Suki Desu ga Suki Desu ka, ” Shirogane grinned as she pressed start. Akamatsu hurried out of her seat to join the other girl on stage. The two girls then proceeded to rock out to more Love Live songs while waiting for dinner to arrive.

“You didn’t have to walk me to my house. Your father is…”

“He won’t mind waiting in the car. I wanted to make sure that you actually get in your house,” Kiibo smiled. “How’s the scarf?”

Ouma’s cheeks took on a more rosy color as his face shyly sank into the checkered scarf, “It’s very warm…thank you again for this. And for dropping me home too.” He slowly pushed the door open.

“You’re welcome–ah.”

“Mmh? Is something the matter?” Ouma tilted his head in confusion.

“It seems…Yumeno-san’s curse is the real thing,” Kiibo let out an amused huff as he pointed at the door frame. There it was again, the infamous mistletoe. “Well, we don’t have to conform to the tradition. It’s not like we’ll get penalized either so it’s–”

Chu!

Kiibo’s brain short-circuited at the sensation of the other teen’s lips on his cheek.

Ouma hid behind his door, face now as red as a beet’s as he bid the albino a good night before shutting the door as silently as he could in his current giddy and embarrassed state.

.

…

…..

Rrriiiiing!

Kiibo absentmindedly took his phone out of his pocket and answered the call.

“Kiibo? Is something wrong? You’re taking a while–”

“I’m fine. I’ll…be there in a moment. Yes.” He ended the call before his father could respond.

Fifteen minutes later, Iidabashi had to personally come pick his son up from the Ouma residence when it didn’t seem like he’d be returning to the car any time soon.

[cathcacen]

He Took Her To A Movie

About the time Heulan called Rei with a crying wife in the bedroom, and they realise movies are catalysts for hormonal outbursts.

Or, in Rei’s case, they just remind her of someone she cares about.

It’s far too early in the morning for a social call, so when her phone starts to ring, she snatches it from her bedside table, swipes the surface, and rasps, half-asleep and panicked, “Yeah?”

Heulan sounds both embarrassed and anxious on the other end – she’s never heard him this scared. “Rei, sorry to call you this early.”

“It’s fine.” She sits up and switches on the light, rolling out of bed. “Is everything okay?”

She can’t hear anything in the background, so she assumes the Seracs are at home. Heulan’s voice, however, continues to be cause for concern. “It’s Ora. She, uh… she won’t stop crying.”

“What?”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Heulan sounds like he’s at the end of his tether. “Can you pleased come over? I don’t know what to do.”

“Did you try shoving chocolate at her? That usually helps.” She stifles a yawn, padding out to the kitchen to turn on the coffee machine. It’s still dark out, and the machine makes an almighty mechanical groan as its lights flicker on.

“I did, once she’d calmed down a bit, and that started her up again. Please, Rei? I’ve never seen her this upset.” Heulan’s clearly pleading at this point. “I’ll start the coffee so you don’t need to wait for yours to heat up.”

She groans into the phone. “Fine. I’ll be over in ten.”

Heulan grabs her by the wrist and pulls her in three seconds after she rings their doorbell. By the time she’s finished hanging up her coat, he’s shoved a cup of coffee into her hands. “She’s lying on our bedroom floor. I passed out last night while we were watching Inside Out, and I could’ve sworn everything was okay.”

She frowns as she gulps down her coffee. There was no doubt that the movie in question was a tear-jerker, but it was out of character, even for Ora, to be this affected. “Is she still crying?”

Heulan nudges her towards the stairs, his expression crestfallen and slightly confused. “She was sniffling when I came down to get you. Just talk to her. She’ll listen to you.”

“Usually she listens to you.” She lets out a long sigh, then gives Heulan a brief, comforting squeeze on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Do what you have to. I know you’ve got stuff to prep for work.”

“Thanks, Rei.” Heulan rubs at the back of his head, then trudges off to the kitchen.

He looks so damn defeated. It’s so damn cute.

Ora is bundled up on the rug beside the bed. Heulan has evidently seen to it that she’s comfortable; she’s surrounded by pillows and throws, with almost every available quilt and blanket wrapped about her tiny frame. She’s laying on her side in the foetal position, nose red and eyes still brimming with tears.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” The redhead practically wails. “Heulan called you?”

“You’ve got the world’s best husband.” She studies the redhead for a moment, then takes a step forward, testing the waters. “Can I come closer?”

Ora hiccups, then buries her face into the fluffy, furry pillow Heulan’s shoved directly under her head. “I-I’m not going to shout at you.”

“It’s not the shouting I’m worried about.”

The floorboards creak when she settles down beside the tiny, curled up creature – a little person of tears and panic. She’s seen her share of panic attacks throughout her years in medicine, just as she’s had her own share of them.

In those moments, she wants Sagen. Failing that, she wants her big brother – it doesn’t matter which one.

It occurs to her that something must be different if Ora’s not feeling any better in the presence of her favourite person – the love of her life.

“I don’t know what’s got into me.” Ora starts to sniffle, the tears flowing freely down her widened eyes. “I can’t stop crying - I just keep thinking of that little girl and then I just get so damn sad.”

“Ora, that was a cartoon. And it ended happily.” She lets out a grunt, then lays down on the carpet, leaving some room between the redhead and herself. “Are you stressed?”

“No!” The redhead wails again, her voice shrill. In the kitchen below, the sound of banging pots cease for a moment - she’s no doubt worrying her husband half to death. “Everything’s fine and I couldn’t be happier. B-but I don’t know why I just f-feel so sad.”

She rolls over onto her side, facing her friend. Ora’s got her face scrunched up, hands clutching a sheet right up to her jawline. It would be a really cute imagery if she weren’t sure the woman were on the verge of breaking yet again. “It’s okay,” She reaches out tentatively, and is grateful when Ora doesn’t resist. “Hey, we’re here for you, whatever it is. Just breathe with me right now and we’ll lay here until you’re ready to get up.”

Ora appears to be struggling against crying again - but she’s never been good with resolve. The sobs permeate the air as her face crumples again, and she buries herself deeper into the pile of pillows, her voice coming out muffled as the words tumble forth without pause. “You’re being so nice to me! A-and H-Heulan is so sweet and kind and he made me hot chocolate for breakfast - I couldn’t even thank him properly!” A pause, and then another cry. “I’m such a terrible wife and friend!”

Oh, shit.

She reaches out, tentatively patting Ora’s head. “Would it make you feel better if I pulled out the bad cop routine?”

Ora peers up at her through a crack between some pillows, whatever’s visible of her face bright red and damp. Then comes the reply, a shrill, piercing cry. “N-no!” She covers her eyes again, shoulders trembling with her sobs. “I don’t know!”

“I’m only returning the favour.” She slips a hand under her head, letting out a breath. “You’re a really good friend, Ora.”

“S-stop.” Ora is snivelling now. “Stop being so nice to me - I don’t deserve it.”

“Fine.” She’s starting to get a little exasperated, and wondered if Deiadra would know better what to do in such situations. Then again, she reasons inwardly, Deiadra has experience dealing with actual trauma. As far as she knows, and as far as Ora has told her, there’s absolutely nothing wrong here. “Stop being a baby and get up. You still have to go to work, and your husband’s worried as shit downstairs. Plus I haven’t slept in days, and I’ve got plenty of paperwork to catch up on today, so you damn well better get up so I can get some rest.”

One of the pillows tumble away, revealing the full extent of her friend’s face. Ora is evidently shocked, her complexion stark and her eyes wide. Nothing prepares her for the wail that comes after. “Why are you so mean to me?”

She feels her jaw fall slack. Part of her wants to run back downstairs, where the coffee and sanity reside, but Ora needs her. So she grits her teeth and stays resolutely still, waiting it out.

It’s past dawn by the time the redhead has calmed down enough to form coherent sentences again, and the birds are chirping outside the window. She sits up, wordlessly stroking the redhead’s hair back.

“I’m so sorry, Rei. I don’t know what came over me.” Ora sniffles as she rolls over, her side braid unruly and falling apart. “I feel like an idiot. I’m a mess. Must be PMS.”

A thought occurs to her then, and she can’t help herself from letting out a soft ‘hm’.

Ora looks up, brows furrowed, eyes red-rimmed. “W-what is it?”

“I’ve seen your PMS.” She bites her lip, and feels her heart thump just a little bit stronger. It’s exciting news - especially if her suspicions are confirmed. “I think you should pee on a stick.”

She’s at work hours later when her phone buzzes and she jabs at the screen to find seven messages, all written in uppercase.

I’M PREGNANT???? HEULAN AND I MADE A BABY HELP ME WHAT DO I DO I DON’T KNOW HOW TO MOM???? OH MY GOD I NEED TO TELL MY MOM I’M SO SORRY I CRIED ALL OVER YOU INSIDE OUT WAS REALLY GOOD

She lets out a laugh, leaning back in her swivel chair and placing one hand over her eyes. Three cups of coffee in, she’s still exhausted, but the news warms her heart and she’s happy for her friend.

It’s okay, she types. Movies make me emotional too.

It had been one of those days - a weekend in the Aran Islands spent curled up indoors, away from the pouring rain that had made it impossible for them to visit where they wanted. Sagen had put on a movie about a Chinese martial artist who’d protected his wife in an elevator.

“In the manliest of fashions,” she’d exclaimed.

She’d asked him then if he’d have protected her too, if someone had come after them in an elevator.

Sagen, with his unfailing charm had replied, “I’d be more than happy to beat him up for cutting in.” He’d winked, then. “Considering the sort of things we get up to every time we’re in the elevator together.”

The next time they’d gone into an elevator together - up the Burj to see the Dubai sights, he’d made it a point to keep her safe between the wall and his back, slanting a sidelong smile back at her the entire time.

The movie still makes her laugh - and then it makes her cry.

Ora’s response brings her back to the present. THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING OVER.

She pokes at her screen. Don’t start again.

I WON’T, comes the reply. And then, after: YOU’LL BE AUNT REI, RIGHT?

She lets out a laugh. If that’s what you want. A pause - and then she finishes her next message, and hits send. And if you’re going to watch another sad movie, make sure you’ve got tissues and plenty of chocolate.

[ecwredditretrospective]

I will watch, recap, and review every episode of ECW | ECW Reddit Retrospective | Post #2 | E02

ECW Hardcore TV E02 - April 13th, 1993(04/13/93)

We are greeted by Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful. Wonderful is going to bring in our guest commentator, "The King of the Texas Death match!"...Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert. Ah, classic switcheroo from that jokester Stevie. Gilbert is drinking a bottle of Perrier for some reason.

Sully gives us our REAL guest commentator, Terry Funk. Gilbert and Funk get into it, until Funk grabs Gilbert's Perrier water and dumps it down his shirt and tosses it in his face, which makes a squealing Eddie Gilbert run away. Seems like we've got a feud on our hands, wonder if this will lead to an in-ring feud between Funk and Gilbert. Only time will tell!

Match:  #5 Johnny Hotbody vs. #3 Glen Osbourne

The TV Title tournament continues right here on the famed Sports Channel Philadelphia. There is a fantastic line as Hotbody is announced. "He weighs 300 pounds counting his ego, Johnny Hotbody!" and then Osbourne is announced as "The Madman from the Badlands". God bless these guys, just doing everything they can to get over.

"Hotbody knows what he's doing in this ring, and I think Osbourne does too." Great insight from Terry Funk.

And Wow. As someone who's watching wrestling in 2018, it is tough to watch this wrestling. The most exciting move you see is a vertical suplex. Whoa! I take that back, there's a german suplex from Hotbody! Hotbody has Osbourne in a sleeper hold down on the mat, so Osbourne starts slapping the mat, rallying the crowd behind him! Well, he got about 4 fans to clap along with him.

REF BUMP! REF BUMP! And Hotbody goes downstairs with the Nakamura Special, then following it up with a piledriver. Hotbody's got this in the bag...until Tommy Cairo interferes, leading to Osbourne getting the W, and Osbourne moves on, in the TV Title Tournament.

Match: Tony Stetson & Larry Winters vs. Chris Michaels and The Samoan Warrior

It's my boy! The most average there is, the most average there was, the most average there ever will be, Tony "The Hitman" Stetson! He's back in action with his tag partner Larry Winters. Early on in this match all 3 commentators go off on a tangent about the hot ring girls, so that was a thing.

I just wanna see this Samoan dude, and find out how he's related to the Anoi'i Family. And of course, we get the classic "Samoans have hard head" gimmick. I both love it and hate it at the same time. Winters and Stetson pick up the win with a...cradled leg drop? Winters holds Michaels, with Michaels legs around his waist, then Stetson drops the leg from the top.

Funk's got a post-match interview with the winning team, which gets interrupted by the Manager of our Tag Champs, The Super Destroyers. Honestly, I forget his name, and Funk doesn't seem to want to hear from him because he never sticks the mic in his face, so the only part of the promo I caught was when he called Stetson & Winters Homer and Bart Simpson, which for some reason was insulting enough to provoke an attack from the tag team.

BUT THE SUPER DESTROYERS ARE HERE! Mayhem between the two teams! Which means it's perfect time for a commercial break.

"One of the great athletes in the world today." Well, that's certainly one way to describe The Sandman, Terry. So...Either I'm very confused, or Terry Funk is very confused, and I'm willing to bet that 1993 Terry Funk has a lot more concussion than 2018 Me does.

Terry says that the winner of the tournament still has to beat Sandman in order to win the title. So, either the winner of the tournament gets the TV Title and a shot at the ECW Title, or Funk has had one too many concussions.

Ahhhhh yeahhhh! Here he is! Surfer Sandman makes his way down and it's time to get interviewed by The Funker! Sandman cuts a super whitemeat babyface promo, thanking Terry for all that he's done, and thanking the fans because he wouldn't be Champ without them. This is so weird. Surfer Sandman is blowing my mind. I can't wait to watch his transformation.

Match: The Sandman vs. The Kodiak Bear

The Kodiak Bear looks like bingo hall Luke Harper. Before the bell rings, our 3 lovely commentators go off on another tangent about the Ring Ladies, Funk willing to give the earlier one - Tigra - to Stevie if he can have the new one - Peaches. Things That Wouldn't Fly Today for $400, Alex.

And a moment later, Funk is betrayed by his beloved Peaches as she grabs ahold of Sandman and lays one on him, then eye-fucks the camera.

"Take a look at the Champion. The tan, the charisma, the looks, the moves, he's got it all!" Sully might be crushing on our ECW Champion, Surfer Sandman.

Surfer Sandman has got to have some of the worst ring gear ever. A multi-coloured wetsuit that appears to be VERY tight. No wonder he wrestled the rest of his career in track pants and a t-shirt.

I'm no submission savant, but the move Sandman wins the match with appears to be very similar to the Tazmission. Either way, there it is, The Sandman picks up the win with very little trouble.

Match: #2 Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert vs. #7 J.T. Smith

Commentary team breaks down when Stevie tells Funk to shut up, which he takes VERY personally and makes Stevie take it back, making him drop a few yes sirs and no sirs along the way.

Back to the match! Things go to the outside very quickly, Hot Stuff is all over Smith, including whacking him in the head with the ring bell which is not a DQ somehow. Stevie later accuses J.T. Smith of using some...ILLEGAL TACTICS. Booker would be proud.

Smith goes for an ugly moonsault and gets nothing but mat. Hot Stuff pulls out some brass knucks to take the win and Funk takes exception to that. At this point I'll be shocked if we don't get a Gilbert vs. Funk match some time soon.

Match: "Ironman" Tommy Cairo vs. Super Ninja

We join this one in progress! Why is there another match? No idea. Why are we joining it in progress when this is clearly a taped show? No idea. And yes, of course Super Ninja is a white dude in a ninja costume.

Every punch and kick from Super Ninja is either a "martial arts punch" or a "martial arts kick". You know, now that I think about it, he IS wearing a black belt, so he must be a master of the martial arts. Who am I to doubt Super Ninja?

Match gets thrown out when Hotbody runs in and attacks Cairo. They then brawl to the back to close the show.

Terry Funk is joined once again by owner Tod Gordon to say farewell and preview next week, and again Terry says that the winner of the tournament will face the Champion, so I have no idea what's going on here. So next week we'll have our semi-finals and the finals! And we'll find out what the hell the winner gets. The ECW TV Title? A Title match against The Sandman? Both? I DON'T KNOW!

__________________

Overall I'd say it's a decent show. We've got a few feuds brewing with Funk vs. Gilbert and Hotbody vs. Cairo. I'm actually interesting in seeing who's gonna win the tournament.

Again, I won't have a fixed schedule for these posts, just trying to do them as often as I can. So until next time, adios partners!