#injured ryuu

[thinenotthee]

@asryweek day 4: wounds/letters

very early when i got into asoryuu, i also rewatched tsurune and i was like "ohhh my god, you know who would do the unhinged thing that fujiwara does in season 1? kazuma asougi." so here we are. have this asoryuu redraw of the gayest moment in sports anime history

[loosesodamarble]

About the recent chapter drop...

So chapters 374, 375, and 376 of the Black Clover manga dropped as of the day I've started drafting this post. I have many feelings about this chapter, as several friends can attest. I was going a little a lot feral in a group chat.

Wanna quickly tag @thoughtfullyrainynightmare, @lyranova, and @kalolasfantasyworld for encouraging me to write this little essay. I'll also tag @drmarune as a fellow Faust fan (I know you also love the Yami family so hopefully my thoughts on them are satisfactory).

So let me begin with saying that I'm mainly a Faust girlie. But I will be covering both the Yami and the Fausts to the best of my abilities because the family stories are connected. I cannot give thorough commentary on the chapters if I ignore what's going on with Yami and Ichika.

Okay so! Where to start with my analysis?

I guess the most obvious place to start is with Chapter 374. Title: Demon-God. The "Demon-God" in question is supposed to be Yami. Yami's Dark Magic is seen as ominous and being the attribute of a supreme devil enhances its demonic connotation. Grey, while healing Yami's wounds in chapter 323, noted that Yami's body had become devil-like. Yami is infamously known as the "God of Destruction" in Clover Kingdom. And finally, in chapter 342, Ichika and Yami's father stated that the Yami clan reserves a title for the strongest member of them. The title: Demon-God. (In other words, this chapter could've been titled "Yami Sukehiro" and it wouldn't have changed anything./lh

Looking between when Yami takes the demon soul pill and the fuzzy glimpses of when Ichika took the pill, I'm wondering if the main reason Yami was able to stay sane while under the drug's effects has to do with his current condition. What I mean is... Ichika was just... kinda there. There's not much detail but there didn't seem to be much going on and Ichika and Yami's father just gave Ichika the drug on a whim. There was no outlet for the surge in Ichika's physical prowess. Meanwhile, Yami takes the drug while severely injured but also in the mindset that he has to get up and help fight off Lucius's army. His physical abilities are getting kicked into high gear and he has something to target with those powers. Maybe my reading is weird or wrong. But could it be that the reason no member of the Yami clan was able to stay in control when they took the drug is because they weren't taking it in the right condition. Like, being on death's door probably isn't a prerequisite but maybe no one took the drug with firm grasp on what to do with the excess power. I dunno.

Rewinding a bit... That reunion! FUCKING IMPECCABLE! I love the way Yami at first sees Ichika as a little kid. The way he remembered her last he saw took precedence over reality for a moment (AND HE'S NOT THE ONLY VICTIM OF IT!). I love Ichika's apology; the way she details the truths she learned recently (probably not just from her memories being triggered but I'd assume she had Ryuu clarify everything to her so she could really be thankful to Yami for making sure she'd be alright) then topping it off with the "I'm sorry." As a little sister who has misinterpreted things done by my older siblings, I really felt for Ichika. I can tell that Ichika is in pain, realizing how she wronged Yami by viewing him as a destroyer, but there's also so clearly a relief in knowing that the whole time, he had her best interests at heart. (Okay, my sisters never murdered our whole family clan, but you get the idea.) And Yami doesn't linger on it. He accepts her apology and even points out how he had help making sure Ichika was okay.

The flashback of Yami and Ryuuya parting ways... Ryuu always believed in Yami. Also, I love the panel of Yami with the torii gate and the rising sun behind him. The juxtaposition of the torii gate and rising sun - very Japanese and thus Hino symbols - with Yami being just about to leave Hino is like... Symbols of his homeland seeing him off essentially. MAN! I FELT SOMETHING THERE! Anyways, I know that Yami and Ryuu are looking forward to meeting up again now that they know it's possible.

Now back to when Yami has taken the demon soul pill. Yami is taking on his final form as the Demon-God of Destruction. I love the way Yami's form looks.

The splatter of blood from his wounds is replaced by Dark Magic spreading over his body. The facial markings draw one's attention to Yami's eyes and it makes me think of how on oni masks in noh theater(? I think I have that right), the upper brow and the cheeks are scrunched closer to the eye area to frame the eyes. I'm talking out of my ass here, sorry. His thoughts in the moment too are so juicy! Before, his protection of Ichika meant abandoning her. No more of that though; they're together again and Yami will keep it that way.

I love how his panel shows that Yami has incarnated into a true God of Destruction. But he's not destroying aimlessly. He's in control and he's directing his path of chaos towards Lucius's madness and will tear it apart to save everyone.

Yami and Ichika don't get to have a long heart-to-heart due to the present circumstances but Tabata gave them just long enough to breathe and reconcile. To me, it also keeps in line with the way the Yami family works. Yami Sukehiro is quick to act and react. He bears some heavy burdens in his life but he is not a man who wallows in pity or sorrow. His response to adversity is to take it in stride as best he can and make his way towards the future. He accepts Ichika's apology and the pill to awaken what has always been a part of him: the will to protect. Ichika is shaken from seeing her brother so helpless and pouring her heart out in what little time she had. And Yami did shield her at the end of chapter 374, but in the next chapters, she's locked into a fighting mindset. She says herself that she won't stand by any more; she intends to shoulder the responsibility of this battle and fight alongside her brother as an equal. The Yamis are resilient people who can take so much, and the burdens are made easier now that they can carry them together.

Speaking of together, the combo spell that Yami and Ichika have is called "Black Heavens." It's got layers! The Yami clan are connected to demons and devils through their Dark Magic and thus stand opposite of the heavens thematically speaking. The combo spell also builds off of Ichika's Black Star spell and Yami's Black Hole spell. The way the Dark Magic is the antithesis of a religious heaven, darkness is what makes up most of the spatial heavens is awesome. Also the fact that black holes form when stars die and collapse... Yami is the older (and thus closer to dying) sibling... I just needed to put those thoughts out there while still firmly on the topic of the Yami siblings.

Now onto the next chapters...

Chapters 375 and 376 have to be talked together because just like Nacht and Morgen as twins, and just like the Faust-Yami dramas, the two are connected! 375 is titled Strafe and 376 is Sühne. The English releases of the chapters clarify that the words mean "punishment" and "atonement" respectively (if there is any specific connotations to those words, they're lost on me and I would happily accept any clarifications). (Also note that the words are German; Faust and Germany just go hand-in-hand). I've already made a post about Nacht and how his character centers on the themes of punishment and atonement. To quickly summarize, Nacht's character is about continually punishing himself as his atonement for killing Morgen. (I do also point out how he avoids forgiveness as a way to resolve his guilt, but there isn't a chapter titled "Forgiveness" here, now is there?) So these chapters seem to be Tabata's finale for Nacht (and Morgen). (I do hope that a page of the next chapter does see Nacht and Morgen sharing some final words, because if Acier got to give her kids some kind of goodbye, then Morgen should get a chance to say something to Nacht as well. Please Tabata.)

Moving on from just the chapter titles! What actually happens in the two chapters?

Chapter 375 starts with Nacht getting a good look at Morgen and, like the fandom did chapters ago, clocking the devil that Morgen is in possession of: Lucifugus. The wretched memory of the day Nacht tried to summon Lucifugus is burned into his memory; of course he'd recognize the bastard.

Regarding Nacht's thought that Lucifugus is controlling Morgen's body... We know from Sister Lily's words/behaviors (a bit of Acier too at the very end for her) that the human beings who have been turned into Paladins are still conscious/aware/present as themselves. It's just that Lucius's brainwashing is forcing them to believe a certain way, spout that nonsense about "saving the world," and take the actions they are taking. Put simply: a fragment of their true selves exists within the false persona of the Paladin that Lucius forced on them. However, I'm certain that Nacht knows it is in fact Morgen in control but he's trying to tell himself otherwise.

I mean, looking back at chapter 374, Nacht's immediate reaction to seeing Paladin Morgen is to mentally call him Morgen! It's then here in chapter 375 where Nacht is saying that Morgen isn't in control.

Nacht is distressed. He's face-to-face with Morgen, whom he killed, and using the very same power that Nacht had tried to gain and caused Morgen's demise. It's double the shame and guilt on Nacht's conscious. And so he tells himself that it's Lucifugus, not really Morgen, in control. It's an act of desperation. Nacht is trying to convince himself that it's not Morgen's he's facing as a way to relieve himself of some of the stress/anguish that would come from this battle and defeating his opponent. Because if it's not really Morgen, then Nacht wouldn't have to feel any more guilt/grief about it, would he?

I think it's entirely in-character of Nacht. He's attempting to distance himself from the reality before him, similar to how he distanced his past failings from his own person by projecting his criticisms onto the Black Bulls. It never erased his feelings of self-loathing, but it was what Nacht did so he wouldn't just sit and wallow in misery. He pushed his self-hatred onto others and became the cold, critical vice captain of the Black Bulls to fulfill his mission of spying on Spade Kingdom. And now, instead of projection, he's straight up denying things. In this battle against Paladin Morgen, Nacht is trying to ignore the painful reality in order to spare his feelings and see the fight through.

But Nacht couldn't deny the truth for long.

Lucifugus wouldn't be saying these things to him. Who knows what Lucifugus would say to Nacht, if anything at all. Either way, it's Morgen speaking to Nacht. And it shakes Nacht to his core. Not the mention that what Morgen says would also drive the knife deeper into Nacht's heart. The brothers may not have been close while Morgen was alive, but Morgen still understands Nacht enough to call out his feelings of despair.

The way I'm reading it, Nacht falters in battle because he can no longer lie to himself. He's fighting Morgen. A twisted up version of his beloved younger brother, but it's Morgen nonetheless. In submitting to that reality, his feelings (guilt, sorrow, remorse) overwhelm Nacht and it gives Morgen the chance to gain the upper hand in their fight.

And like with Yami seeing Ichika as her younger self for a moment, Nacht's view of Morgen is from ten years back (you can tell by the fluffy robe having having grey shading while Morgen's Paladin robe is pure white and the details on the collar area). At least for one page, we know that Nacht sees Morgen not as the enemy Paladin, but as the kind and noble Magic Knight he used to be. (The present and Nacht's memories of Morgen overlapping and distracting him earlier on too is something I personally believe in just to make it all the more painful. But that's more headcanon and not analysis.)

Nacht laments how he thought he'd already cried all his tears before. But that can't be the case. Nacht's love for Morgen is an active and present feeling for Nacht. So long as Nacht loves Morgen is something alive in his heart, he will find himself crying over and over again for the loss of Morgen's life. That's the way it seems to be turning out for Nacht. Unless he completely closed his heart off to his affection for Morgen, his tears will never truly dry up. It's small, quick line in the chapter but it speaks so deeply to Nacht's feelings. In contrast to Yami who can take things in stride and move on, Nacht is someone who holds onto his suffering and lets it haunt him to the depths of his soul. Nacht and his thoughts focus on things that are gone and cannot be changed. While he does live in the present and makes things better for the future, Nacht has trapped himself with thoughts of a past that can't be undone. It's part of the tragedy that is Nacht's character.

(Real quick, we're going to put a pin in Morgen saying "Brother, let's start over again. Together!" Right before he attempts to blast the ever loving crap out of Nacht. Mixed messages much?)

I wanna bring back the title of chapter 375: Strafe (Punishment). Back in chapters 285 and 287 (coincidentally before and after Nacht's backstory in chapter 286), Nacht thinks to himself "I don't care if I die." Nacht nearly sacrificed himself three times during the battle. Devaluing his life over and over was Nacht's way of punishing himself for his past. And now Nacht is repeating that behavior as he tells himself that he'll defeat the Lucius clone and Morgen even if it kills him. Nacht showed himself some mercy when he stated his intent to live with the Bulls properly. However, he didnt actually stop seeing himself as an expendable sacrifice; in his eyes, his death is worth more than any life he could life. Which hurts to see as a Nacht fan! This time, though, Nacht isn't endangering himself as punishment but he still receives it. Morgen, the very person Nacht wronged so many years ago, is the one delivering the punishment. Physically and emotionally, Nacht's being destroyed. And, in my eyes, it could be that Nacht is okay with it. He didn't stop hating himself, he just stopped acting on that self-destructive feeling. He's accepting Morgen's attacks because Nacht's pain in the present can't be as bad as the pain Morgen felt as he died.

Thankfully, Yami comes in for the save. And when he gives Nacht another talking to, Yami says this:

Yami knows that Nacht didn't let go of the past. That he's been quietly keeping the pain in his heart. The way Yami validates the idea that Morgen's death is a sin on Nacht's part is fascinating. Looking at the big picture, it was more an unfortunate accident; Nacht did incite it by summoning Lucifugus but Morgen chose to destroy the relic with his own hands. Neither Nacht nor Morgen are to blame, they just took actions in line with who they are and it resulted in Morgen's sacrifice. Whether or not Yami wholeheartedly agrees with Nacht's view is a discussion for another time but here, in the moment, Yami leans into it. Yami speaks to Nacht based on those beliefs. From there, he drill it into Nacht's head that if he's going to hold onto what happened as his sin, then he has to use it as a way to push himself into the right course of action rather than let it stop him dead in his tracks. In chapter 376, Ichika also chimes in to get Nacht on his feet again. Her remark isn't only directed at herself; it resonates with Nacht too. Neither of them can leave Yami to deal with Morgen on his own. They don't have the luxury to stand idle and both of them are people that are above being victims of their pasts. Yami was there to protect them so they have to do the same.

Yami and Ichika's words together deliver a powerful message. “If you are going to carry a sin on your conscious, do something with it.” For Nacht (and anyone really), it's a mistake to acknowledge his faults and leave it at that. It doesn't do any good. To give meaning to his sin and the feelings that come with it, Nacht has to act upon them. He has to do what needs to be done to make up for the sin. That means killing Morgen again, not as a tragic accident but as an act of care and the means to free his spirit. It doesn't erase a thing but it makes things as right as they can be.

Quick break from Nacht and his feelings regarding Morgen to have a talk about Yami and his Morgen related feelings!

Yami has a moment to share words with Morgen. He makes it clear that his ire is directed at Lucius. In Yami's mind, there's no real blame on Morgen for his actions as a Paladin. He understands that Morgen wouldn't want so much death and destruction in the name of a new world. It's all Lucius's manipulations. And this view of Morgen again shows the contrast between Yami and Nacht. Nacht is stuck in the past and is seeing Morgen as his dear brother who he couldn't do anything for. Meanwhile, Yami's thoughts are in the present and he's seeing Morgen not as his friend but as an unfortunate puppet being controlled. Yami does acknowledge Morgen as the enemy but he's drawing a fine line between Paladin Morgen and the Morgen he knew.

Also, Yami's desire to see the memory of Morgen be untainted by his deeds as a Paladin is an interesting contrast to his usual feelings towards being looked down on. He's shrugs off most insults towards him (though he can admit when his feelings do get hurt) and is fine with the Black Bulls being considered the worst squad. But Morgen is different. Yami doesn't want to see Morgen become someone tainted by acts of cruelty, even if they aren't entirely his own choice. It says so much about Yami for him to want to preserve the integrity of Morgen's memory. He treasures his friendship with Morgen so deeply because Morgen was one of the first people to accept Yami and believe he could be a squad captain. Yami won't let anyone have any reason to think unfavorably of Morgen. He who saw the good in all should be seen as good by all. That is Yami's belief. I love it so much.

Back to focusing on Nacht!

We return to Nacht at the start of chapter 376: Sühne (Atonement). This chapter really is all about Nacht's final act of atonement for the sin he'd been punishing himself over for years.

Now before he re-enters the battle, Nacht has a moment of contemplation. The dream he describes is brief but it carries so much meaning. Nacht looks back and wishes he'd joined the Grey Deers as Morgen had always suggested he do. He really had always desired a closeness with Morgen but his fear of doing harm to his brother instead outweighed his love. His regret over not taking Morgen's hand sooner is evident and it again drives home the idea that Nacht's thoughts always return to the past to haunt him. And the line about Nacht and Yami fighting over Morgen's attention shatters my heart further because-!

Morgen probably would've chosen Nacht over Yami if he had the option. As much as Morgen and Yami made a good team, Morgen wanted to share that understanding and synergy with Nacht.

(Also, we are creating another pin for this moment.)

Both of the Fausts were jealous of the bond that Yami had their brother! Morgen and Nacht are more alike than either of the realize and it's yet another tragedy in their lives that they will never know that about each other! I JUST! AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGH! I can't be calm about this, guys! Morgen and Nacht keep reaching into my soul and drawing out more of my love and tears with how their dynamic continues to grow more heartbreaking!

(Deep breaths, Soda! Take deep, slow breaths now...)

Nacht thinks about how Morgen would've smiled at his and Yami's antics. Morgen is always smiling in Nacht's memories (except when he infiltrated the Fausts' devil ritual basement and tried to dissuade Nacht from summoning Lucifugus, but that was a special circumstance). Morgen's smile being so ever-present in Nacht (and Yami's) recollections of him goes to show that he was a beacon of positivity to both of them. Morgen was light, warmth, happiness.

But Nacht always wakes from that dream and he cries each time, mourning the loss of something that never was but could've been. But he refused to have any of that, having pushed Morgen away each time he asked Nacht to join him. Instead Nacht chose the path of devils and Forbidden Magic. He widened the chasm between himself and Morgen. His actions have led him to a world where he caused his brother's death and now will have to see him die again. In short, the first page of chapter 376 is about the ache caused by what Nacht wants in his dreams and what he has to face in reality.

We cut to Yami fighting Morgen for a bit which includes Morgen refuting Yami's statement that Lucius is a bastard. And we also see Morgen saying

(Adding another pin for that. We'll come back, promise. It's just that I want to divulge the very depths of my Morgen thoughts closer to the end [closer to Morgen's end really].)

I've already discussed how Ichika's words with Nacht help him with his mental/emotional breakthrough so I'll skip over that portion of chapter 376.

As I said at the start, the Faust and Yami family stories are connected. They parallel each other. The families are connected to demons or devils (demon soul pills for Yamis and devil binding ritual for Fausts). The elder sibling was seen as an ideal heir (Yami's strength was lauded by his father and Nacht's father said that Nacht "inherited the magic and the spirit" for dealing with devils). Despite not being what their parents wanted, the younger siblings do find an honorable place for themselves in society: Ichika becomes a Ryuzen Seven and Morgen was a Magic Knight. Both families experience a tragedy and the ideal heir from either family withdraws from their younger sibling, but those events happen in different orders between the two. The Yami clan was slaughtered and then Yami left Hino while taking the blame for the incident. In the Faust family, Nacht emotionally pulling away from Morgen and going down the path of devils is what led to the confrontation in the ritual room and everyone's deaths. Nacht and Yami carry the burden of those incidents. Nacht blames and punishes himself for his crime against Morgen. Yami takes the blame for a crime he didn't commit for Ichika's sake.

The families also contrast each other. Before the Yami clan was destroyed, Yami and Ichika were rather close (Yami urged Ichika to follow him when he left the house in that one flashback). But, as said earlier, Nacht and Morgen had grown apart before Morgen's death. Yami and Ichika look remarkably different but their magics are the same. Nacht and Morgen are identical twins but their magic attributes are different (but complementary). Yami protected Ichika in the past and now has a chance to fight alongside her. Nacht hurt Morgen in the past and has to fight against him in the present. The Yami family's resolution brings them closer together and heals them. The Faust family's resolution involves once against being separated and an unending pain for Nacht.

Talk about a well-constructed narrative and characters right there.

Now that I've noted the families' connections, it's time to return my focus to solely the Fausts.

Nacht's words to himself before he re-enters the fray. Again, his thoughts turn to his own death. But here he admits that dying would be the easy way out for him. He looked down on his own life, sought his death, because dying would be an escape from having to carry the guilt for the rest of his life. Then Nacht comes a realization: "Tears don't mark the end of sin." He realizes now that leaving his emotions to stew won't resolve the sin. What Nacht needs to do is to fully atone for what he did and that will give closure for what he's held onto for so long.

Nacht's four devil Unite form isn't as complex as his other forms but it doesn't bother me. It's probably for the better that Tabata didn't try to design something that incorporated elements from all four forms. Equus gets the most representation in the four-way Devil Unite with shields and the minimal armor around his shoulders. Otherwise, Nacht is simply cloaked in shadows and the combined might of his devils (and anti-magic, can't forget the anti-magic). I love the clear view of all the facial markings brought on by the devil unions (especially since the face covering that came with Equus form made it hard to tell where the markings were!). He's lowkey matching Yami and his facial markings. AND THE CROWN OF HORNS! MY GOODNESS! My friends know how much I get worked up over Nacht and his horns. I'm positively feral that Tabata has given me canonical eight-horned Nacht! KJADHGIUAEHTHAEIHT! (Coherent thoughts, Soda!) Also, I can also tell that the combined power has made the horns manifest larger than they usually would on Nacht. Him using all four devils at once is him fully embracing his dark past. Maybe he formed his contracts with Gimodelo and the others in the wrong mindset, but things have changed. He's using an "evil" power that killed Morgen for good, to save Morgen (through death but saving regardless).

Morgen, upon seeing Nacht unleash his full potential says something he said during Nacht's flashbacks of him: that Nacht has the greatest talent for magic. He even says "I knew it" and looks eager/fascinated by what he's seeing. Morgen really does have so much faith in his older brother. It'd be sweeter if the two of them weren't on a collision course for combat.

And what a feast for the eyes the battle is. It turns into chaos, but a beautiful

The combo spell from Nacht empowered Shadow Magic and the Yamis' Dark Magic is Walpurgis Night. It's of course tied to Nacht more than the Yamis, as that event is celebrated the night and day of Nacht and Morgen's birth dates. There is so much more to Nacht and Morgen's connection to that holiday since it's about warding evil spirits and protection of witchcraft. Like, Morgen first protected Nacht from Lucifugus and now Nacht has to protect the world from the evil Morgen is enacting on behalf of Lucius. That's all I can say about that though since that's basically all I know about Walpurgis Night. (Maybe in the future I can read through all of Wikipedia's cited sources and more to actually know the whole deal.)

Morgen puts up quite the fight against three opponents, two of whom have their physical and magical abilities at their peak at the moment. He doesn't know it but these are his final moments.

So let me talk about what I've observed and come to believe about Morgen.

Morgen Faust. A man who was good incarnate. The very picture of a good man. Who loved everyone and was loved by everyone. It was in his nature to help, save, and protect others. But his perfect image hid someone who probably felt very lonely.

Let's bring back those pins we gathered earlier. The first two pins (the starting over and Morgen admitting Yami was a better partner for Nacht) are very easily connected. Morgen's dream had been to be close with Nacht, to stand side-by-side with him. But they weren't close. Then Morgen saw Yami, a stranger from a foreign land, connect to Nacht with incredible ease. It probably hurt Morgen to see that, to see that Nacht found someone else to share his joys with. Morgen didn't hate Yami for being more compatible with Nacht and even befriended Yami himself. Morgen, at least in my personal headcanons, might've seen getting close to Yami as a way of better understanding Nacht. But even though Morgen could get along with someone who was Nacht's friend, he still couldn't directly close the gap between him and his brother. Again and again, Morgen suggested Nacht join the Magic Knights but was always brushed aside. And so Morgen was left feeling frustrated and probably a little lonely too because he couldn't have the one bond he wished for.

In reading the recent chapters and looking back on old chapters regarding him, I wonder if Morgen reached out to and accepted others so easily because of his missing connection with Nacht. As in, being pushed away by Nacht made Morgen want to ensure that no one else felt rejected or left alone. It's not compensating for something he lacked, but rather a reaction of "I was hurt in the one way so I will protect others from that same hurt." I believe Morgen genuinely cared for the people he knew in some capacity though not in the same way he valued Nacht. To apply some specific terminology, Morgen holds storgic love ("Because we have the specific bond of family, I love you") for Nacht and agapic love ("Because you are a human being, I love you") for everyone else. So Morgen loved everyone. And everyone loved him back. Though I doubt the adoration of strangers did anything to soothe the ache Morgen felt over Nacht's absence in his life. Either we've experienced it ourselves or seen it represented in media: Person A has an event and want Person B there to support them; the event comes around and A discovers B isn't there so even if they win or get praise from others, not having B there makes it hard to celebrate. That's what it probably was like for Morgen not having Nacht with him.

In the end, Morgen was unable to close the rift between himself and Nacht. And it was his dying regret. Revived a Paladin, Morgen voices his desire to start over with Nacht, to make right the mistake of not being close to him when he was originally alive.

The lack of a specific bond wasn't the only thing making Morgen lonely. I think Morgen also isolated himself in a way. He put himself under pressure to be strong by himself.

Let's bring back pin three, where Morgen says he'll clear the way for a new world. Looking at that alone, he's kinda just saying that he's following Lucius's orders to fight the Magic Knights for Lucius's victory. But then put this proclamation with what Morgen said back in chapter 368:

And also what he thinks to himself in chapter 376:

He talks about fighting and being the strongest on his own.

I also want to point to how he confronted his family about their work with devils. He came to the underground ritual chamber alone, and not even while wearing his uniform as a Grey Deer on top of that. Forbidden Magic was being practiced and Morgen could've (probably should've) brought along his squad to arrest his family and their followers. But he didn't. He faced his family's sins not as a Magic Knight but merely as Morgen Faust. In Morgen's eyes, it was his family's business and thus his personal responsibility as part of it to stop them.

So we have repeated instances of Morgen voicing thoughts and acting in ways where he sets himself up to be on his own. I can think of several factors for why Morgen might have this mindset. He was the black sheep of his family and overlooked by his parents so he didn't have their support. Nacht kept his distance too. His Light Magic also meant he was looked up to, believed to be strong like the first Wizard King, just for having the attribute he had. All of these together would feed into the belief that Morgen is separate from other, for better or worse. With that belief instilled, Morgen could then tell himself that he has to rely on his own strength, that others can rely on his power alone.

Yes, Morgen seeks partnership from Nacht and works alongside Yami but ultimately tells himself he has to do things by himself. And it's possible that Morgen wanted to be closer to Nacht because he thought that only his brother, his flesh and blood, could be depended on to lessen Morgen's burdens.

Morgen becomes a lot more tragic with all this in mind. He wasn't just a pure soul who died young. He wasn't just a good man lost to sacrifice. He was a lonely person who struggled between his desire for a bond with his brother and his belief that he had to stand alone. Worse yet, he keeps on ending up alone. Other members of the former Grey Deer like Yami and William get their own squads and become more associated with those groups. Morgen by himself as a legacy member of the Grey Deer. Ten years ago and in the present day, Morgen has no one with him in death while Nacht and Yami get to continue living and working as partners.

Like the words that chapter 376 has near it's end says, "The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts." All of Morgen's good, the inspiration he brought and the hope he symbolizes for others, is so bright. But it makes the shadow of sorrow that might exist within Morgen all the more saddening to me.

This is just my own reading of Morgen so take what I've said with a grain of salt but... At least for me, Morgen has gained a whole new depth to his character thanks to these new chapters and how it made things from before clicking into place for me. I don't always like Tabata's handling of the story, but I do love what he's given me for me to draw the conclusions I have.

Well that's Morgen's finale. And now for my last statement on Nacht's part of the chapters.

Quick observation: to me, part of Nacht's horn set up from his four-way Unite, resembles Morgen's own. From Slotos and Plumede, Nacht gets horns that point outward and curse in a way that matches Lucifugus's horns.

You can best compare it here and even with Nacht partially obscured... I can see the similarity.

Moving on, or rather moving back to the line, "the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts." It brings to mind that one quote "for the greater the love the greater the grief" by C.S. Lewis. It captures part of the core to Nacht's character. His love for Morgen was so deep that the grief of losing him transformed him as a person. Morgen's light of hope was so bright and it makes Nacht's shadow of despair dark.

But the true essence of who Nacht is comes from the last words in the chapter, his last words to Morgen.

"Goodbye, Morgen. I will shoulder this pain forever."

Nacht regretted his sin, punished himself for it, and atoned for it through killing Morgen a second time. This is his closure for the past. But even with that, Nacht cannot - will not - is let go of his sin or the pain it's caused him. It's a part of him for the rest of his life. He will find it in himself to live and maybe even find happiness, but the love and happiness he got from having Morgen around will never be replaced or filled in. Morgen is lost forever and so Nacht will mourn forever.

Part of me is sad to know that Nacht has committed himself to such feelings. But a greater part of me understands that it's a part of his character and loves him for it. He holds on, to his emotions or the people he cares for, so fiercely to the point of it hurting him. It's probably not a healthy mindset to have but Nacht's fictional so we can let it slide. I see it as tragic but also admirable.

To me, this is the real end of Nacht's arc. First in Spade, he had to learn that despite his faults, there were people who cared for him enough to save him. And now on Judgment Day, Nacht faces his sin head on and gives it a resolution, thus accepting all he's done and all of himself where he once projected his self-loathing onto others.

I'm left with bittersweet feelings from these chapters. There was beautiful art. I developed a deeper appreciation for characters who aren't my favorite characters. The characters that I do adore above all the rest got a spotlight on them. Morgen and Nacht both showed off incredible feats of power and their story got an ending. All good things. But I've also come to see a much sadder side to Morgen beyond being a black sheep. And Nacht's statement of eternal pain brings me to actual tears just thinking of it. I'm also upset that unlike Acier, Morgen isn't shown giving a goodbye to his family but I can still hope that chapter 377 spares page time for that. But even with these sad notes, I'm happy because I can better appreciate the Fausts with what I've been shown.

I love these chapters and the stories they tell/finish. I can't wait for the physical volume containing the chapters so I can return to them over and over again.

I hope that this post wasn't boring or too repetitive. I hope it made sense. I had to bounce around in the chapters' details and even called back to older chapters to get my points across. I just... had a lot to say. Several times while writing this, I ended up going back to add onto a topic I thought I'd finished (I'm looking at you Yami family and the Walpurgis Night spell).

I didn't have any plans for what I was going to say. I knew I was going to talk about how the Yami and Faust family dynamics closed out and the development of my perception of Morgen. But a lot of things just came to me as I wrote. And I think that worked for the best.

Thank you to whoever was able to power through this massively long post. Or even just read specific parts. Anyone looking at this post at all would mean something to me because while I mostly write this so my head and heart wouldn't explode from keeping it all inside, being heard by another is nice.

Thank you to any readers. Thank you, Tabata for writing Black Clover. Thank you, Yami and Ichika for your shared arc and contributions to this chapter. And thank you, Nacht and Morgen Faust for lighting my soul on fire.

[mncxbe]

what do you think about enemies to lovers with akutagawa x ada fem!reader with a really big sexual tension between them?

Yes. Just yes🫡 that's all I have to say. Hope you like it♡

•☆○

Laced♡

𝑨𝒌𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒘𝒂 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎! 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: smut♡/ one bed trope

Akutagawa didn't know how he ended up like this, sharing a bed with you in a crappy motel room in Shinjuku. He took a deep breath in, feeling the thin particles of dust tickle his nose and sneezed, mentally cursing his overly sensitive body.

From the other side of mattress you mumbled a half-hearted 'Bless you'

"Oh shut up" he hissed, his head snapping in your direction. You were laying on your side close to the edge of the ragged futon, a chiffon robe wrapped loosely around your frame. The neon lights that filtered through the windows illuminated your figure well enough for Akutagawa to make out the little bird drawings that adorned your nightgown.

"Your voice is pissing me off" he added, voice laced with venom as he took in your figure.

"Then stop sneezing and coughing every five minutes. I'm trying to sleep" you replied in a casual tone which only fueled Akutagawa's anger.

God, how he hated you and your composed demeanour; a futile attempt to prove that you were better than him. He vividly recalls your first encounter when his former mentor introduced you to him and the way your eyes scanned his figure with pure amusement. Oh, he resented the way you always looked down on him, thinking that you were superior only because you were working at the Agency.

The fact that you were constantly competing for Dazai's praise only made things worse. Each time the brunette would pair you up for a mission you'd go out of your way to ensure that you did just a tad bit better than him, whether it was stealing the target's phone, a classified file or simply taking extra credit.

And what was worse was that this wasn't even a fair competition: no matter how hard he tried to prove himself to his former mentor, you'd still get all the 'Good job Y/N'. All you had to do was breathe and Dazai would shower you with praise. It was so easy for you and it filled him with burning rage, a fire that grew hotter inside him by the minute; you were utterly insufferable and yet...

Laying beside you in this god forgotten room, Akutagawa couldn't bring himself to hurt you. He knew he could; you were both far away from home and the mission Dazai assigned you was dangerous. If you were to get injured it wouldn't come as a surprise. Plus, your ability was no match to his so he could easily kill you, destroying the source of all his anger and pent up frustration that plagued him day and night.

Still, something was holding him back; a force that he could not explain. He simply scoffed, gritting his teeth.

"I cannot fucking control it. Get your own room if you really can't stand my coughing."

You remained silent and the man cursed under his breath. After a while you rolled on your back and sighed.

"It's too hot in here."

"It's the middle of August, what did you expect?"

"Some air conditioning maybe?" you said in that condescending tone he so resented.

"You're so irritating." he stated, not daring to look at you. He knew that if he did he wouldn't be able to keep up this act and God knows what he'd do.

"Come on Ryuu. I know you don't actually hate me. You're just mad about Dazai liking me better"

Akutagawa's body tensed upon hearing your words. "Don't call me that."

"What, Ryuu? Why not?" you asked innocently.

"Because you know I can't stand it." he lied. He did in fact love the way his name rolled off your lips; it was so soothing but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. "And don't drag Dazai into this."

You let out a low chuckle "But he is part of this. He's actually the reason for all this. For us and-"

"There's no such thing as us" he spat, nails digging deep into the calloused skin of his palms.

He could feel you scoot closer to him, one of your hands gently brushing a strand of charcoal hair from his face.

"Isn't it?"

Your words lingered between the two of you, a heavy, unspoken truth. There was no you but both of you somehow wished there was. Despite all the resentment he bore towards you, Akutagawa knew there was something more to his feelings. He couldn't exactly pin-point what it was tho, but it seemed that you shared the same thought.

"What are we?" you asked eventually, fingertips sliding along his jawline as you moved even closer to him.

Your touch sent goosebumps all over his body, igniting his skin. Yet he didn't push you away. Instead, he turned to his side to face you.

"What do you think we are? We're rivals for fuck's sake" he stated and you would've believed him if it weren't for his arm which wrapped around your waist.

"Are enemies usually so desperate for each other?" you chuckled, cupping his face.

"I'm not desperate" he hummed as he began caressing the side of your body. His fingers traced the outline of your body over your robe, languidly sliding back and forth from your hip up your waist and along your ribs; causing you to shudder.

"You sure are desperate tho" he said, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. His slender fingers hooked under the loosely tied knot of your robe, undoing it.

A light hum escaped your lips when he touched your bare skin.

"Hey Ryuu." you purred, threading your fingers through his hair "Do you think things would've been different if we weren't in different organizations?"

"Not at all. I'd still hate you" he said plainly. Akutagawa was completely entranced by you; his mouth voiced of abhorrence but his hands spoke another language, gently cupping one of your breasts as he kneaded your soft flesh.

He pulled you closer until your lips were mere mere inches apart. "You don't think you could ever like me, do you? It would be so ridiculous."

"Really?" With a mischevious smirk on your lips you took his hand from your breast and guided it between your legs; Akutagawa gasped as his fingers brushed against your wet panties. "I think I like you already."

"You little..." he cursed under his breath as he closed the distance between you, lips finding your own. He kissed you deeply, feverishly and pushed you onto your back, climbing on top of you.

When he eventually broke the kiss he looked down at you, trying to ignore his forming bulge that pressed against your thigh.

You only giggled, tracing your thumb over his lower lip. "How about you put that mouth of yours to good use, hm?" you teased but Akutagawa noted the hint of urgency in your voice.

With a sly smirk on his face he slowly moved lower onto you, tracing feathery kisses along your heated skin until the nestled himself between your thighs. Each touch elicited sweet sounds from you which echoed through his entire being.

Before he hooked his arms over your thighs to keep you close your gazes met for s brief moment and he nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"As you wish, pretty girl"

[koolkitty9]

LET ME FINALLY GIVE MY THOUGHTS ON THIS SCENE RIGHT HERE. Hi I am obsessed with this scene for absolutely no reason. I have MANY THOUGHTS on it and I want to share my analysis on this entire minute scene. It has been almost EIGHT YEARS NOW since it aired (Sorry some of this got formatted weird by Tumblr hhhhh)

Right here, you can see the moment where Yumoto's heart just drops into his stomach and he realizes he MAY actually lose for the first time ever as a Battle Lover (Which would be A VERY INTERESTING THING to see!)

Now why do they show him in the past? It shows that this is a REAL fear of his, losing Gora is such a big deal to him. This MAY have happened before at home but as a child, this scene takes place during the events we saw with the tiny Beppu bros in ep 10. Where he was left alone

Starting off with this, WHERE is this coming from? Well, Sailor Moon S1Ep1, we see Usagi having an attack JUST like this, and it is a defensive attack, which I believe Yumoto's own attack was based on. Wombat MUST have known about this, I believe he NEVER thought it would occur

The others are confused at this new power (Power #5 for Yumoto in s2) meanwhile, the twins are horrified/even MORE angry at him. Aki tells Haru to not falter and Haru tries to shoot Yumoto in the chest to stop/fatally injure him at this point

Atsushi mentions Yumoto has stronger emotions compared to the VEPPer (He shames them btw), we learn in the OVA, Yumoto's powers are loved based, we DO get hints of in ep9 when Yumoto performs his Love Sprinkle attack. En notes that the twins underestimated how strong Yumoto is

To me, this is just a VERY extreme panic attack but since his powers are with love, it is amplified due to his love for Gora. Kinshiro notes that both past and current Yumoto are merging. I HC that Yumoto was always destined to become Scarlet, so this moment has taken him back to the time when he was a child and this has somehow made itself known in the universe. This could be a result from the alien technology (or could just be nothing and Im looking too deep into a single line)

Everyone isn't sure WHAT is going on, Ryuu tells him to get a grip after he learns Yumoto is "Losing himself to fear" and tries to touch him. As we see when Haru tried to hit Yumoto, this power is actively protecting Yumoto while doing damage to anyone who tries to hurt him. I actually find this to be SUPER interesting

It's more interesting when he calms down after the twins realize how strong he is, I believe this is his true anger over the entire situation. By this point Yumoto is sick of it, he has been fighting these two for so long over his own brother. He has almost been killed and now He's ready to do the same to them. When the boys all come running to stop Yumoto, they all have different expressions (Can't see Io's :(( ) The twins though, are horrified as they know if they get hit, THEY ARE DONE FOR! (It's finEEEE)

En's first thought is to grab Yumoto to try to calm him down somewhat by grounding him back to reality

Atsushi (just like a mom as Yumoto says about him) gently grabs Yumoto's face and tries to get him to look at him, while also shielding him from either himself or another attack from the twins. You can actually see him and Io pulling Yumoto closer to them

Ryuu and Wombat don't add much, BUT Ryuu does actually support Yumoto's head when they all fall onto the ground. Which Yumoto's head SHOULD be in Ryuu's lap (In theory).

As for the dark place? Yumoto probably experienced a severe form of tunnel vision along with the influence of his powers. IMO, He was so overwhelmed with the thought of losing his only family forever that he forgot about his found family as well.

adding to how Yumoto is being held, Ryuu seems to have Yumoto's forearms pinned, Io has his arms around Yumoto's chest, and En and Atsushi I CAN'T really see where they're grabbing at but it but it does show you even with their strength it takes all four of them to subdue Yumoto

And uhhh I think that's it really for this scene...for now... Once Yumoto remembers how he's loved by his friends and he's not alone, he transforms into his highest form to date :)))) also these frames of him are pretty lol this scene had a lot of gorgeous frames OKAY BYE!

I WANTED TO ADD MORE PICS BUT RAN OUTTA SPACE

I didnt fit ALL I wanted to talk about but ANOTHER TIME! OKAY BYE FOR REALSIES

[weathertheraine]

So happy to finally make something for this au !!

Most of the cast are spirits - the AU started out with me getting emo about name meanings. It turned out so well and I have so many thoughts, so I’ll put the broad strokes of the plot under the ‘read more’.

Song: ‘The Woods’ by Cosmo Sheldrake

Edit: still frames

The roles:

(Humans)

Asahi: The morning

Nishinoya: The evening

Hinata: The sun

Kageyama: The shadow

Tsukishima: The moon

Yamaguchi: The mountain

Kiyoko: The river

Tanaka: The dragon

-

Daichi: The traveler

Suga: The student

Takeda: The teacher

Ukai: The listener

The plot:

- We open with Daichi, a wandering-knight-type who has been badly injured travelling on a mountain path. At the peak, at night, in the rain, he stumbles upon a long-abandoned shrine

- At sunrise, he wakes, and finds he’s not alone. Asahi tends to his wounds, and gives him some of the little food he has, and sends him on his way. Daichi makes the rest of the journey to the village safely

- In the village, at an inn, he meets Suga and Takeda, who he tells about his journey. To his confusion, they insist that the mountain shrine hasn’t been tended to in decades. The ‘priest’ Daichi remembers does not exist.

- A clue appears when Daichi sees the statue in the centre of the town: two men in a loving embrace. One of them is Asahi.

- Takeda is knowledgable about the spirits and mythology that surround the town - the mountain on one side, and the valley on the other. He tells Daichi the legend associated with the statue. Two spirit lovers, the morning at the evening, the peak and the valley. On the equinox, the pair would meet in the middle of the town, and the city began throwing a festival to honour the event, which is still held to this day.

- Suga, Takeda’s student, returns with Daichi to the shrine to investigate. When they wait for sunrise, Asahi appears again - delighted to have visitors.

- From him, they learn: he is indeed the spirit from the legend. Over decades, as the mountain pass became more dangerous, fewer and fewer travellers visited his shrine. Asahi grew weaker, and was no longer able to protect the travellers - making the journey more dangerous in turn. Now, he is so weak that he can only manifest at sunrise, and has lost his connection with the other sprits on the mountain. He can’t reach out to Nishinoya anymore, and it’s been decades since they were able to meet.

- Suga and Daichi resolve to help Asahi, and to help him find Nishinoya again. To do so, they must find and help the other spirit pairs on the mountain, who are weakened and fading thanks to Asahi’s disappearance.

- Hinata and Kageyama are phasing out into sunlight and shadow respectively, and cannot see each other.

- Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s ages fluctuate with the phases of the moon, but they have been knocked out of sync.

- Ryuu is stuck in dragon form. Kiyoko is trapped behind her waterfall.

- No one can find Nishinoya at all.

- And… we go from there! With the help of Daichi, Suga, Takeda, and Ukai (a man who speaks to spirits without realising and assumes weird teenagers just keep hanging around his workshop), the spirits are brought back together and of course Noya will be found :>

- There are more scenes in my head but that’s the jist of it. If you read this far I love you

[murfeelee]

Ryuu Tsumajiro - The Dark Urge

"My rancid blood whispers to me: kill, kill, and kill again! My ruined body yearns to reap death in this world, and when this foul Urge calls, it possesses my whole being. Injured beyond repair, I know nothing besides this: I must resist this Dark Urge, lest it consume my mind! I must discover what happened to me, and who I was. Before my twitching knife-hand writes a tragedy in blood...."

— Baldur's Gate 3: The Dark Urge intro cinematic

MY THOUGHTS & CC CREDITS

MY THOUGHTS

New year, new game, wenches! <(^0^)>

Y'all.

I'm like 100+ hours into BG3 so far, and still only on Act 2, LOL. I'm sad; my break's over so I'm back in school now--but I still have so much gaming left to do~! 😭😩

I'm doing a Neutral Good playthrough first, just to get my bearings. But my next run will be as the Chaotic Evil Dark Urge, just effing stuff up & killing EVERYONE I don't like, eff diplomacy! 😈

In the mean time, I figured I'd have sim!Ryuu gallivant around SimNation as I test out the BG3 CC I'm converting from BG3. Great news: most of it's done, so I'll be uploading a bunch ASAP for my January upload. So stay tuned!

CC CREDITS

- Eyes (Tifa N46) & hair

- Dragon skin by @taty86

- Almost all poses by @studiok2sims at MTS

- Hand pose by @thebleedingwoodland

- Godrays by @greenplumbboblover at MTS

- Thanks @callahan-point @cavernsofdarkness @dyeawkwardsims @ts3asianccfinds for testing the outfit for me! ❤️

[sickficideas]

never fallen from quite this high || akutagawa & chuuya sickfic

ao3! 2.7k - please refer to the tags and notes in the link for content + warnings! there's quite a bit in this one!

"Akutagawa, do you have a moment?"

Hirotsu doesn't often call him. Even when the Black Lizard have an issue of any kind, Hirotsu can typically resolve it himself. He's a very capable leader, and his many years in the mafia allow Ryuunosuke to put a lot of trust in him.

So he's already on edge about this phone call. Hirotsu would never call him for no reason. He would never call him if it weren't important.

"I do," Ryuunosuke answers. He's in Chuuya's office, high up in the Port Mafia headquarters building, waiting for him to return with some documents. He feels the muscles in his shoulders tense up painfully. He's already sore and in pain after several days of work. "What is it?"

"Gin was badly injured today," Hirotsu starts. He's calm, but his voice is stern.

Ryuunosuke feels dizzy.

Again, this is something Hirotsu would never tell him unless it were serious. Gin is often injured in her line of work, he's aware of that. They're in the same boat, in that regard. But as long as she gets prompt and proper treatment, Ryuunosuke knows he doesn't have to worry. Gin looks after herself, and Hirotsu, Tachihara and Higuchi do as well.

He never has to worry about her. He hates this feeling. He feels as small and pathetic as he did living in the slums.

"A few of our subordinates were responsible for covering for her. Tachihara and I were on opposite ends of the building," Hirotsu explains, and Ryuunosuke leans against the wall. "Her backup is missing, and she was unconscious when I found her. I don't know what happened, but our targets were dangerous and gifted."

"What - what kind of injury, Hirotsu?" he asks, hating just how shaky his voice sounds. It's coming through as anger, he's aware of that, but he would never admit he's terrified. He needs to calm himself down, but he doesn't know how. He didn’t think their targets were going to pose any kind of real threat. He would have gone with them if he was concerned.

"I'm not quite sure. There was a substantial injury to her chest and one on her head. She lost a lot of blood, Akutagawa," Hirotsu tells him. Hirotsu must know that he isn't taking this lightly. He knows it's truly serious. "I'll let you know if I'm given any updates. She’s currently in surgery."

"Thank you," Ryuunosuke murmurs, and soon enough, the line goes dead.

Ryuunosuke realizes can't breathe.

He knows he's having a panic attack, but he's never quite figured out how to stop them, or how to deal with them at all. He doesn't know what to do. This isn't the kind of thing he can just sit back and calm himself down about. Hirotsu didn't say it outright, but the circumstances tell him that this could be life or death. His sister might die. There's nothing to be calm about.

"I told you not to go outside by yourself," Ryuunosuke had chided, several years ago. Gin wouldn’t look him in the eye. She left their shelter in the middle of the night without any of them to back her up, and Ryuunosuke couldn’t understand why. Some of their friends had died doing reckless things like that.

"I can handle myself too," she said quietly, staring at her hands. She's not combative or defensive with her words, she's never been that way. "I want to help us in the same way you do, Ryuu."

She said all of that with a gash in her forearm so deep that bright red blood was still dripping from her arm, pooling in her palm. They had ways to prevent each other from getting hurt like that, and it meant to not go anywhere alone.

He presses a hand to his eyes as his breath shakes.

She's all by herself.

"Akutagawa, I need you to look over this for me. I'm not really…"

Chuuya's voice trails off as he wanders into the office and closes the door behind him, and Ryuunosuke wants nothing more than to leave the room and pretend he was never seen, pretend he was never there, but he knows Chuuya wouldn't rest until he caught him.

"The hell's goin' on with you?" he asks unceremoniously, stopping only a few feet before him.

"Nothing," Ryuunosuke breathes out. barely, trying to somehow gain some composure, but through his mind flashes images of the friends he and Gin grew up with, murdered in cold blood in front of them. He needs to get out, but he can’t move.

He can't lose Gin too. He can't.

He hears the gunshots, the blood, the organ matter spraying from their bullet wounds. He hears the flesh being torn off one of their faces by a rabid dog. He feels the ice-like skin of a friend who died in his sleep from the cold of an unbearable winter, once he wishes he never survived through. All things he'd long forgotten, pushed out of his mind. All things he told himself would never happen to anyone he cared about ever again, and here he is.

The sounds only get louder, muffling everything else. He hears Gin’s sobs after they had found the youngest girl from their group completely mutilated, and Ryuunosuke still sees her. He smells the rotten flesh of the friends they had to wait to bury because of the cold. He hears the incomprehensible muttering of a boy they rescued from being trafficked. Ryuunosuke feels the hands all over him, he hears his own thoughts from back then - whatever they do to me is the price I have to pay to get food for everyone. He hears Gin’s shaky voice asking where he’s been. He thinks he might pass out. The memories on their own are incredibly overwhelming for him, but all at once like this is far too much for him to handle.

He feels himself start to list sideways, but something stops. He doesn't feel anything against him, he doesn't hit anything, but there's a hand on his shoulder gently urging him to sit down, with the help of his gravity ability.

Chuuya's eyes are a piercing shade of blue. Once they're sitting on the floor, it's all Ryuunosuke can look at. Chuuya’s close as he takes his hand back. Ryuunosuke and Gin used to watch the sea in the early mornings, when things were quiet, when they could let their guard down for a few moments - that glittering blue, it's just like that.

"You've gotta tell me what's goin' on. I can't help if I don't know. Don't pass out on me like that," Chuuya tells him with a scoff, but his concern is obvious. Ryuunosuke doesn't want to tell him. He doesn't want to repeat it. He's terrified that saying it out loud will give the universe more reason to make it true, and the panic starts to set in again. If he had any tears left to shed, he's sure his eyes would be flooded with them by now.

What is he supposed to do without his sister?

"Hey. Hey, you're okay," Chuuya tells him, his voice suddenly much softer than before. Ryuunosuke is having trouble breathing, now. He’s quite familiar with the feeling. He tries his best to consciously take normal breaths, but it isn’t working. Someone is screaming in his ear.

Chuuya scoots himself closer to him, the concern and confusion in his eyes only growing. Ryuunosuke brings his knees into his chest and Chuuya lays a hand on one, lowering his head a bit to force some eye contact from Ryuunosuke, but he won’t budge. His stomach churns and twists without much warning and he feels every muscle in his abdomen tense up. He’s so overwhelmed.

"You look like you're about to puke," Chuuya says just before Ryuunosuke brings a hand up to his mouth. He definitely is. Ryuunosuke can barely manage a nod, but Chuuya has already gone with his assumption and stands to fetch the trash bin by his desk, and much to Ryuunosuke’s horror, it’s an effort made too late, because he leans over to the left and chokes up stomach bile without a chance to hold it back, even for a few seconds.

His nausea always sneaks up on him like this, only ever giving him a few seconds to react. All he could manage was that first splatter. He hasn’t eaten a thing today, so he doesn’t have anything left to bring up, even though his stomach is still trying to twist everything out of itself.

It brings him back to reality, for better or for worse. He’s more focused on the fact that he’s just thrown up on the carpet of Chuuya’s office than the horrible memories that were taunting him just moments ago. His face feels hot and his hands are clammy. He wants nothing more than to go curl up and hide somewhere, but there isn’t even room to pretend right here.

He tries to breathe through it. In through his nose and out through his mouth, but all he can manage is a few sputtering coughs and some sharp breaths in. He brings his arms back up to his chest, subconsciously trying to make himself smaller.

“I’m sorry, I - ”

"Don't worry about it. I've seen people puke before. I don't care," Chuuya says, kneeling in front of him, now. Chuuya isn’t the type to lie about things like that, so Ryuunosuke feels a little better about it, but he still feels miserable. His head is swimming in every direction and his stomach hurts, the muscles are pressing up against his stomach and trying to force more out, and he dry heaves into his hand. He wants to lay down. “You’ve gotta breathe, you’re gonna pass out if you keep doing that. Listen to me, alright?”

Chuuya’s hand lands on Akutagawa’s shoulder, and his face is much closer than he expected it to be once he tilts his head up. Chuuya sucks in a breath and holds it for a few seconds, and Ryuunosuke realizes that he’s trying to get him to mirror that. He’s not sure if he can, or if he wants to, but Chuuya isn’t giving him other options.

He struggles the first few times. He’s worried he’s going to throw up again for a few moments there, when his breath shakes and he coughs, but the nausea slowly subsides, the closer he gets to a normal breathing pattern.

“Please don’t leave,” Ryuunosuke had begged her with the little energy he had. It was one of the coldest nights of the year, and Ryuunosuke was so sick he couldn’t move. Gin wanted to go look for food with two of the others in their group, but Ryuunosuke couldn’t bear the thought, in his fevered brain.

“I’m not going anywhere, Ryuu. Don’t worry, okay?”

He’s slowly losing control of his breaths again, and Chuuya reaches forward to squeeze his hand.

“Where are you right now?” Chuuya asks him sternly. Ryuunosuke’s met with those beautiful blue eyes of his again, and he’s pulled out of his memory with Gin.

“Your…your office,” Ryuunosuke manages. He almost forgot, he only remembers because of the vomit on the floor.

“Yeah, that’s right. And what’s today again? I can’t remember,” Chuuya says casually, but Ryuunosuke can still pick apart hints of tension in his voice. He hides it well.

“It’s…December twenty-seventh,” Ryuunosuke mumbles after taking in a deep breath. He shivers when met with the idea that he’ll have to leave the building soon. He really hates the cold.

“Right, right. You got any plans for the New Year?” Chuuya asks him gently. Ryuunosuke shakes his head, he can’t think that far ahead right now. “I’ve got this party I do with my subordinates every year at my place. Lots of drinking, though, I know that’s not really your thing.”

“Not particularly,” Ryuunosuke murmurs. His stomach twists at the thought of alcohol. His voice feels weak and heavy. Chuuya’s grip loosens on his hand and he reaches up to his forehead to lay the back side against it. He frowns, and slides his hand down to his cheek, checking with his palm this time. Ryuunosuke shrinks backward, but Chuuya doesn't care.

"You're warm. Feels like a fever," Chuuya sighs as he pulls his hand back. "How long you been sick for?"

He's always sick, he wants to say, but that's a notion that wouldn't help anyone in this situation. Ryuunosuke doesn't know when he stopped being sick the last time and this time started - he never feels well. But he won't tell Chuuya that. He just shrugs. He’s just glad he can finally breathe again.

"I'm hopin' you just worked yourself up and that's all it is," Chuuya says. "Can you tell me what happened? Did someone hurt you, Akutagawa?"

"My sister’s injured,” Ryuunosuke mumbles, lowering his chin. Chuuya sucks in a breath through his teeth. He must know that Ryuunosuke wouldn’t react like this if it wasn’t serious. He opens his mouth, almost looking like he wants to know what happened, but he stops.

“Do you want to go see her?” Chuuya asks.

“She’s being operated on,” Ryuunosuke says quietly. He needs to trust that they’ll take good care of her.

Chuuya nods. He pauses for a moment, but stands up and offers Ryuunosuke a hand. “You should lay down for a while, then. I have a couch in the other room.”

Ryuunosuke’s first inclination is to refuse that offer. He doesn’t have any right to accept help from Chuuya, not after he’s gone out of his way to help him, not after Ryuunosuke vomited on his floors. He’s embarrassed, but the idea of walking anywhere right now makes him want to pass out.

So Ryuunosuke extends a shaky hand out to Chuuya, and he lifts him from the floor completely effortlessly. Chuuya takes that opportunity to lead him to the adjacent room, not once letting go of his hand.

Ryuunosuke feels his brain spin inside his skull once they walk through the doorway, and he nearly faints as soon as they make it to the couch, but Chuuya doesn’t let it happen. He uses his ability to gently lay him down on the couch, kneeling down with him once his body relaxes. His fingers slide from their grip on Ryuunosuke’s and he lays his hand on Ryuunosuke’s cheek once again with a disapproving sigh, confirming it must in fact be a fever.

Ryuunosuke lays his hand over Chuuya’s, wishing he would keep it there. Chuuya’s hands are usually warm, but right now, they’re just what his fevered skin needs for some relief. A weak, pained groan escapes his throat. He’s lost all of his energy.

“I’ll call Hirotsu and ask him to let me know when she can be seen. Rest 'til then, ‘kay?” Chuuya says gently. "She'll be okay. She's survived this far,"

Ryuunosuke lets his eyes fall shut. He trusts Chuuya. Chuuya wouldn’t lie to him.

…

Two days later, Gin is stable enough to have visitors, and Ryuunosuke’s fever finally breaks.

Ryuunosuke doesn’t remember much past falling asleep on Chuuya’s couch. Chuuya told him he had to bring him to the infirmary at some point because he had become unresponsive, but Ryuunosuke remembers his presence the whole time.

He still has a bit of a temperature, and Chuuya told him to keep the cooling patch on his forehead for a while, but he peels it off before he goes to see Gin. He doesn’t want her to worry about him.

He parts the curtains where the nurses lead him, and the shattered pieces of his heart start to dig and twist into nearby organs. He’s never seen her like this before. She’s surrounded by equipment, lines, and tubing - oxygen, a fluid line, things Ryuunosuke has gotten very familiar with over the years - and things to keep her vitals well monitored. Ryuunosuke hates seeing these things on his sister.

When his eyes finally get the courage to look at her face, the warmth in her smile is enough to release all of the tension in his body. 

"Hi," she says quietly, almost like a squeak. He can tell she hasn’t used her voice in a while.

Ryuunosuke can only let himself cry in front of her.

[daz4i]

please please please share dazai fear analysis 🤲

hehe well i'm not gonna get too in depth (mostly bc my brain isn't at 100% atm) but a short version bc i don't wanna leave you hanging,

i'm basing this on no longer human and yozo, like most of my dazai analysis hehe. in nlh he talks often about how painfully afraid he is of p much everything, because he doesn't understand people, and he doesn't want to get caught if he does anything wrong, too afraid to say no because he doesn't know how the other person will react, etc

i think. if you apply this reading to bsd dazai, a lot of his behavior makes sense, as well as adds depth to him and his more questionable actions

a p obvious example: the whole meursault arc, i think he is genuinely afraid to die, because he knows if he does then fyodor will come out on top and hurt his loved ones, destroy the whole world even. clearly, he is afraid of losing the people dear to him (but that's a very normal reaction lbr lol)

a general example: his constant acting like everything is fine to hide his real emotions - which, during his early mafia days, took form in looking blank and emotionless - can be a fear response of not knowing how other people will react to his true feelings, either due to past trauma where his emotions were dismissed or he got hurt for expressing them, or imo, more likely, due to a lack of understanding other people and not quite knowing what'll tick them off

(which might sound silly, bc he purposely ticks people off and looks to annoy people. but, this is a way to have control over the situation. that if the other person gets mad at him, he clearly knows why, he knows what he did to cause this, so this is like a precautionary measure to make sure he's not caught off guard. his fear isn't quite of their anger, or even getting hurt by their anger, but rather a lack of control or understanding of the situation)

a possibly controversial example: the way he acted with akutagawa during the dark era. i think, if you look at his actions as "basically a kid who is afraid to see this kid he found get hurt in combat, so he tries to make him stronger no matter what, and in the meantime is afraid to get attached in case the other kid does die so he tries to distance himself from him emotionally" it ofc doesn't excuse his actions, but imo, makes them. a bit more understandable, in a way. at least enough to somewhat empathize with him more

[this might be a slight side tangent but i have this hc i firmly believe in, that dazai caused ryuu's lung disease by injuring him somehow (given how he doesn't have it in the beast universe), and one of the reasons he's more gentle with atsushi is because he's afraid to hurt him too. not the main reason, but i do think it may add some depth here]

i do think he eased up after being in the ada for awhile - life became mostly predictable, nothing he couldn't handle - but. things changed, and now he's on edge again (turning you to story's lovely analysis that i keep referencing in a lot of my own dazai analysis bc it's so so good). fyodor coming back into his life certainly didn't help, either

now. since i can't not bring up his relationship with chuuya. i do think he has an easier time trusting chuuya because he knows he can handle himself. he doesn't feel the need to control him - always leaving him a choice in their plans - because he's not afraid of what could happen to him, he knows chuuya will be fine. also, their relationship started in such an awful way he doesn't need to hide his emotions around him :P this is why i think he has an easier time being with chuuya really, he's a momentary break from being in constant fear. this might also be why he's so obnoxious when chuuya's around lmao (idk how much of this is actual analysis rather than "if you read them this way it adds a nice depth" so feel free to take this part with a grain of salt, i will always be the first to admit i'm not the best at reading skk hehe)

and while i didn't finish sb yet he does seem to be. really afraid in a lot of the scenes he's in, from what i read so far askjdfg bc now chuuya is in real danger! in a way he can't predict! this hasn't happened yet! (but i could ofc bc very wrong abt that lol)

(also i gotta say. i think this is what odasaku was for him too - ofc in addition to other things - bc he knows odasaku wouldn't hurt him or react in a bad way even if he did anything outrageous. and that's in part what made his rejection in beast so devastating for him, bc it shakes up one of the only safe things in his life)

i'd say, dazai's fear isn't paralyzing, at least not for more than a second a time. it makes him active, makes him overthink, over-analyze, over-prepare. and at the same time, he does it mostly from behind the scenes, through nudging and subtle encouragements, because he may possibly fear that if he went at it with full force, the people he already got attached to will reject him (bc at his core, i think he doesn't want to be alone, but that's a topic for another time). but more importantly - that he will become like fyodor, or like mori, who see people as disposable if it helps them further their goals

^now this is more of his current self, at least. i'd argue mafia!dazai's fears were different, more of a direct fear from people and how they might hurt him, so it's best for him to go along with what they say. and, a fear of a lack of meaning. he does constantly look for a reason to live, and that may come from a fear that his existence is truly meaningless (and while for most people this fear may express itself as fearing death as well, in dazai's case it's his suicidal tendencies. kind of like proving his fear is real, the way a kid might look at the monster they think is scary to convince themselves it can't hurt them. he will die and prove his existence WAS meaningless, but that idea can't actually hurt him at the end of the day if he chooses it. idk if this analogy makes sense to anyone but me tho lmao sorry)

i. don't know how clear this is. i may have lost the plot there at some point. again let me clarify this is obviously not a "this is how dazai is and any other reading is wrong" but more like "if you apply this reading it changes the context of his characters and explains his behavior and how i personally see him". also a lot of projection 👍 ajsdfghj feel free to see it as just a thought experiment if it doesn't quite fit your perception of him :)!

[sleepy-razor]

Thank You for Worrying

Request!!:  hiiii if recs are still open can u do an akutagawa x reader? some fluff preferably thanks in advance!!

Notes: Of course you can! Hopefully this is up to snuff with what you were looking for, it took a while for me to write due to lack of given direction, but I hope it came out okay in the end!

Warnings: Slight description of injuries! Port Mafia! reader!!

Characters: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, GN!Reader, mentions of Atsushi, Gin, Higuchi, Tachihara, etc.

Life in the Port Mafia was nothing like you’d expected it to be.

Given the details of the work, you sure hadn’t walked in thinking it would be all sunshine and roses, but you certainly hadn’t expected to form some of the closest bonds you’d come across in your entire life.

You were extremely close with the Black Lizard, Tachihara and Gin especially, and you considered Higuchi to be one of your best friends.

You were also considerably close to the weretiger from the Armed Detective Agency, after having many joint missions together to allow you to get to know him better. Now, you take him out to get chazuke on a semi-regular basis.

And then, there’s Ryuunosuke.

You weren’t sure how you got to be so lucky. You had somehow managed to work your way into the heart of the mafioso that didn’t take shit from anybody, who only wished to receive praise from his former mentor, and now you were one of the people that he held the most dear.

The relationship wasn’t easy, not by a long shot.

Ryuu’s self-preservation instincts left something to be desired, as was evident by the number of times he’d come home sporting some new wound that required tending to. 

Which, of course, led you to now. You sat facing him on the couch of his lavish apartment, tongue poking from between your lips as you carefully dabbed rubbing alcohol on a large gash on Akutagawa’s forearm.

“I’m completely fine,” Akutagawa tried to insist, poorly suppressing a wince as you gently pressed your cloth over the wound.

“Uh huh,” you hummed, unimpressed when you lifted your gaze to meet his. “If you’d left this any longer, it could have gotten infected, which is really dangerous for you, if you’d take the time to recall.”

As if you prove your point, Akutagawa turned his head away, lifting his un-injured arm to cough into his elbow, grimacing as he did. “I’d be fine,” he said quietly. “Mori’s a doctor, he’d be able to fix it.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Would he?” you asked bluntly. “Or would he take that as a sign of weakness and do you in right then and there?”

A muscle in Akutagawa’s jaw jumped, but he made no move to argue. You were right, after all. The Port Mafia boss wasn’t exactly known for his kindness. If he thought he found a weak link, he would stop at nothing to snuff it out.

Sighing heavily, you returned the rubbing alcohol to the medical kit and tossed the towel you’d been using on the table. You’ll grab it later, if you remember.

You nuzzle into Akutagawa’s side, closing your eyes as you made yourself comfortable. “As upset as I am with you because you got upset, I’m happy that you made it home alive.”

Akutagawa stiffened at the contact, still unused to physical affection even after six months of dating (though he had definitely improved with reactions between then and now) before he relaxed slightly, bringing an arm to wrap around your waist.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice gravelly and awkward as he spoke. “Aside from Gin, hardly anyone else has cared about my wellbeing before.”

You cracked open an eye to smile at him. “Of course I worry,” you replied easily. “I love you.”

Akutagawa didn’t respond, opting to close his eyes and lean his head against yours.

[yanderu-deredere]

I have a really curious ask: what would the yanderes think/react of s/o who can do parkour? They're really good at it and they love it. It's not like they can't stay still (lies) but they really like the adrenaline that comes with parkour everytime they do it and it's a nice stress-reliever

a/n: this is an interesting ask! i absolutely loved it but idk if all the yanderes would loool also i like the idea of a darling that can parkour just becos like wouldn't that make it so much easier to escape? LOL

would like it a lot! they're the exact same as you actually! they can't sit still either and they enjoy the adrenaline of going around and jumping over things. they'd probably join you if they already know how to parkour or they'd want to learn from you if they don't know how. overall, it would be something they'd like to do with you as a couple thing and as a way to make sure you're not hurting yourself

gavin, ryuu, mel

would be a bit in the middle with it. they'd allow you to continue doing it, of course, because it's something that relieves your stress and something that you enjoy. but they worry a bit that it's dangerous or that you'll end up hurting yourself. so they'd try their best to come with you any time that you want to go parkouring. they won't parkour with you but they just want to watch you and make sure you're staying safe and okay

leonard, ayaka, yeong-bae

would also be in the middle a bit with it but leaning more towards being happy about it. after all, anything that makes you happy also makes them happy. they won't go so far as to follow you around while you're parkouring but they'll make sure you're dressed properly so that it's less likely for you to get injured. might try to learn how to parkour but only to humour you and not to actually parkour with you frequently. plus, the excuse of you getting close to them while teaching them is too tempting to pass up

eun-jeong, ryouta, isamu

parkour? no way! too dangerous! they'd work with you to try and find a different hobby you can take up that's just as energy draining and stress relieving but way less dangerous. can't you take up a sport or something? that would be way better than rolling around on concrete and jumping over high walls. if you kick up a fuss about it, they'll just force you to quit because they're not about to let you get injured. parkour is dangerous!

gawain, emm

low-key doesn't give a shit LOL becos like it's your life and, as long as you're enjoying what you're doing, it doesn't matter to them. if you get injured, that's on you. they'll be there to patch you back up but getting injured is just part of life. now you'll know not to do that in the future. if you do get injured again, well, it's not like they're complaining. they like being able to baby you. in any case, as long as parkour isn't taking you away from them, feel free to do it as much as you like.

liam, fujio, soren, casimir

[merikuro]

Fanfic I wrote where Nanba takes care of an injured Ichiban. Very light and fluffy. Thank me later~

[sharpiedoodleee]

hiiii so. i know im an art blog or whatever but this is something i was possessed to write a little bit ago thats been gathering dust in my drafts for a long while now. ive got a lot of half finished art wips that im not entirely sure im going to go back to so i thought youd enjoy Some kind of content

just dont get used to it, im not a writer :)

SSKK: feelings realisation, ffffluff (?), atsushi's somehow undiagnosed PTSD, (slight) panic attack

I swear it's happier than it sounds

= S I N N E R =

“you’re a mess”

“i am not a mess-“

“ryuu, i can tell you’ve been crying”

that makes him pause, faltering a step before tutting and looking off to the side. damned jinko and his tiger senses.

“before you ask i wasn't on about your- very obvious, by the way, you should work on that- about your breathing. although, it is really concerning-“

“jinko-“

“what? you wheeze on a good day akutagawa and you and i both know it”

ryuunosuke glares.

atsushu sighs, removing his hands from his hips and letting the reactionary tension bleed from his shoulders. this is getting him nowhere. he twirls his aching wrists, clenching and unclenching his hands in that way he knows akutagawa would normally snap at him for had he not be so busy trying to keep himself upright. he sighs again

“just-“ atsushi softens his tone, careful to keep the concern out of his voice “show me. where you’re injured.” at the scathing look akutagawa diegns him with, it seems he wasn't careful enough. atsushi clenches his jaw and breathes in through his nose. he never thought listening to kunikidas breathing excercises would come in handy for him - he likes to think hes a fairly calm person, but getting akutagawa to take care of himself would break even the most patient man.

he rolls his eyes “seriously, i could smell the blood on you before i could see you ,ryuu. im just really hoping its all yours”

ryuunosuke huffs a quiet “you’re such a bitch” that startles a incredulous laugh from atsushi. the tiger watches as the other man groans in defeat and lets himself sink to the floor; bracing against the brick behind him and clutching at his seemingly still bleeding side. if the weretiger is going to be so needlessly invasive he may as well rest, ryuunosuke muses, its not like the jinko hasnt seen him in worse conditions. he cringes away memories of a fleeting confession at sea, bleeding out infront of the detective again probably isnt the appropriate time to talk about it.

atsushi stops, squints, reassessing the mafioso “unless youve broken our promise-“

“alright- i messed up, jinko. is that what you wanted to hear? who knew you were such a fucking sadist-” he growls, annoyed now that the weretiger is still so untrusting of him “but i am not so imprudent as to keep my mistakes from you- seeing as that detective agency has finally taught you how to use that brain of yours” he doesnt bother to keep the bitterness out of his tone, they have both said and done much worse to each other after all. he leans back, ignoring his aching body’s protests and meets the weretigers now raised brow.

ryuunosuke sighs and goes lax against the wall, closing his eyes. fucking jinko…

“i have done a lot of shit in my life, jinko, but never once have i lied to you. i havent broken our promise and i wont. you should know this by now, you fool.”

the weretiger twitches, the name seemingly triggering something as his gaze slides off of ryuunosukes eyes and down to his neck. as the silence drags on the older opens his eyes, furrowing his brow as he takes in the jinkos frozen frame. His pupils are near pinpricks, jittering in the confides of his iris as his body is wracked with tremors. hes alarmingly silent, even as the tears overflow and begin to stream down his cheeks, even as his face contorts unattractively and his breathing speeds up. he wraps his arms around himself and ryuunosuke begrudgingly drags himself to his feet once again.

“…jinko?”

…

no response.

ryuunosuke blinks, the weretiger better not be fucking with him. he takes a tentative step forward, raising his palms placatingly from around his side and coiling rashomon around himself to hopefully keep his innards in, gods willing.

“atsushi…can you hear me?”

as he approaches he realises that atsushis now vacant gaze is still fixed to the wall ryuunosuke was sat against, seemingly caught on a ghost only he can see. hes yet to react to his aproach. doesnt seem to have noticed him move at all, really. and isnt that unusual? for someone who was just bitching about being able to hear every weary breath ryuunosuke took, the weretiger is alarmingly still. too struck by whatever horror his mind has conjured up this time to be aware of his surroundings, ryuunosuke imagines.

how the detective agency are still so seemingly oblivious to the weretigers plight ryuunosuke doesnt know.

but its not like he cares about the jinko.

…right?

shaking his head, the mafioso pushes that train of thought away and braces himself. if the jinko hadnt literally just been questioning his integrity as a partner he wouldve probably felt more guilty for what hes about to do, hes aware its horribly unorthodox. if his sibling knew of this they would surely have his head but its not like he has many options seeing as atsushi is near narcose. it may be brutish and harsh, even cruel to some,

but it works.

ryuunosuke taps the still quivering shoulder of the tiger and is unsuprised when that impassive gaze snaps to him with a mildly concerning crack of the jinkos neck. when that achingly familiar glow halos the alley in blue ryuunosuke sucks in a breathe and drops himself as low as he can to the sticky concrete below. his vision swims from the sudden movement and he can feel rashomon tighten her grip on his still bleeding wound, unsure if it was him who told her to or simply a byproduct of his coats concern.

he laughs deliriously. his coat is concerned but his supposed partner just tried to gut him? what a world he lives in…

gods, he hopes the tiger doesnt fancy a brawl in this tight, urine soaked alley. ryuunosuke is barely clinging to his conscious as it is.

when no second blow befalls his now prone body though, he chances a look up and immediately regrets it.

atsushi is staring at him now, his eyes glassy and overflowing with tears that smear his flushed face and nearly glitter in the dull light of the alley. hes clearly attempting to reaquaint himself with reality, stanced as he is over ryuunosukes unprotected form. his arm is still half raised from attacking him; cheap, flimsy shirt lifting to reveal smooth, tan skin…the mafioso laments over his own sickly figure as his eyes are glued to the rippling muscle hiding under there. a sheen of sweat is dripping down atsushis prominent hip bone that ryuunosuke wants to follow with his tongue. his eyes dragging down the shimmering silver happy trail he can just about see in the dying light of the alley.

…fuck.

ryuunosuke quickly looks back down at the floor, suddenly intent on examining the splatter of bird shit infront of him, lest his eyes rake any lower then they already have.

see, ryuunosukes not a fool. he knows he has…feelings to the tiger. it took a lot of reluctant, midnight rants with Gin to get there but he knows. the part of this thats blindsiding him is the all consuming, almost animalistic wave of desire this prediciment has sent careening through his bloodstream. its really not the time, but ryuunosukes never cared for things like that - you cant when you live a life like his. but that lack of practice at reeling himself in is really starting to kick him in the ass. the blood loss is not helping. rashomon is tacky from seeping up the evidence of his failure and ryuunosuke is just beginning to realise a lot of that moisture should be inside him. any remaining bloodflow is joyfully re-directing itself in a more unsavoury direction and ryuunosuke is increasingly glad hes laid himself flat on the concrete floor. his head is killing him.

throughout this whole process Atsushi is still just staring down at him, blinking rather aggressively as he processes what the fuck just happened.

…ryuunosukes really not sure how he manages to get himself in these situations.

[lunarscaled]

⋇ TEMPEST IN A TEACUP SHINE LIKE SHARK TEETH: ONE PIECE

The young guardian of the isolated Clanging Isles Archipelago in the Calm Belt of the West Blue, they bare a levelheaded and quiet personality before the public that relies on them. The current user of the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: White Dragon, they are charged with both keeping the dangerous Sea Kings at bay and communicating with the massive true white dragon who homes itself inside the dormant dome volcano there. They sometimes must also intercept interlopers who survive the Calm Belt, but it is uncommon.

Name: Lyric Gravellese

Devil Fruit: Uo Uo no Mi Model "Shiroi Ryuu", Mythical Zoan-type

Titles: The White Dragon Vessel, Hatchling, Dragon Child

Abilities: Ice Manipulation, Dragon shape (full and hybrid forms), Superhuman ability ( strength, speed, durability, etc. ), Dragon speak

Location: Clanging Isles, Calm Belt, West Sea

expanded bio + history

The Clanging Isles Archipelago and its people have existed as far back as the beginning of the Age of the Sea Circle, but the islands themselves likely were developing volcanic hotbeds long before that. It's unknown who were the first foolish settlers in somewhere as desolate as the Calm Belt, but some 600 centuries later, when the volcanic activity had begun to settle and life began to rise from one final ashen-covered landscape, everyone can remember the arrival of The Great White Dragon. The dragon bled vast quantities of rich, red blood from open wounds on its body; it is said where its blood spilled on the rock and soot is where the first icicle trees began to grow, and the volcano is where the dragon began to make its home. But the islands had long been ravaged by merciless Sea Kings and their offspring, unable to do anything but shelter themselves and pray, and when the beasts came once again to slam their tails against the sandbars and shake the seabed the people simply hid and prayed. Disturbed from its injured rest, the giant dragon rose and climbed from the volcano. Standing on the edge, it leapt from the top of the volcano and took flight before diving claws-first into the sea kings; the water, filled with blood, turned purple and red amidst the thrashing and screeching. After some time, the dragon rose from the water, the throat of the sea king in its jaws, its beating wings stirring ocean currents. It's sharp teeth tore through the tender flesh and left a gaping hole where the gills should be, and the sea serpent's body collapsed into the water to decay. Since then, few sea kings have dared to enter the archipelago. Those who have tried have quickly been dispatched by the White Dragon, refusing to tolerate intrusion on its newly established territory. And the people, worried they had traded one terror for another, brought it tribute and worship. Dressed themselves in patterns of its likeness and asked it for strength. Told stories of its arrival for generations and hoped it would continue to protect and spare them.

Lyric is the 27th "White Dragon Vessel" of the Clanging Isles, a title and strength granted to them by the Devil Fruit which grows only in the grove of the Great White Dragon's volcano at the end of the archipelago, which can only be acquired by a single individual in a festival rite after the last vessel has passed.

The people of the isles believe the fruit to be a test of will and worth from the dragon itself; only those brave enough to stand on the same ground as the dragon itself and enter its lair can search for it. Many may go---few will return, swallowed by the very dragon they worship and seek from, but among those who do return will be the one fated to be the island's protector. Or so the legend is told.

In truth, Lyric is no destined protector. So cut-off from the outside world, the isles must live simple lives. They are easy victims of weather, famine, medical ailments that need more complex medicine to cure. While they make the most of their surroundings, illness can spread quickly and take many victims. Lyric's mother and brother were two such ones, suddenly so gravely ill in what seemed like a week's time.

Thinking the fruit may grant them some unknown knowledge or strength that could save their family, Lyric fearlessly ( no, not fearlessly. terrified, trembling---desperately ) boarded the boat which sailed to the largest island, alongside a dozen of Clanging Isle's greatest warriors.

Perhaps it was their small size in the dark. Perhaps it was because they hid every chance they could with hands over their mouth. Perhaps it was strictly luck, toying with them. But Lyric, young as they were, was the first to find the fruit: a single one in a grove all the same glistening blue-green, sea glass shade. Their hands trembled when they ate it, when the dragon noticed them thieving from its orchard, when it opened its wide maw and snarled and roared at them.

They made it home, but the celebration fell on poor days. Lyric's mother and brother did not recover; their father, convinced their status was worthless because it could not save his wife and child, disowned them. Even other people of the isles held mixed feelings towards their new status for many reasons: age, luck, personal greed, superstition. When Lyric was sent back to the island of the dragon garbed in the robes of the vessel, with boats of offerings: pillaged gold, the purest undyed fabrics woven by hand which gleamed like crystal, some hoped they would be rejected.

They, too, hoped they would be rejected.

They were not.

Lyric has spent the last decade honing their skills under the cruel, merciless tutelage of the dragon said to be the source of their power. They have faced near-death countless times from training alone, told to become stronger or die, and each day they live with the pressures of their position and people's expectations. Recently, Lyric has begun taking to their dragon shape to fly beyond the borders of the archipelago in search of other islands and people to trade with for the benefit of their people. However, because they cannot swim and not every island is inhabited, they have had little luck without a proper vessel to act as an intermediary.

NOTES:

Lyric's dragon shape is actually a blue and white wyvern, possessing only 2 legs and wings with opposable claws attached. The Great Dragon is a long-bodied, western-style dragon with 4 limbs, but all of the Devil Fruit users have been slight variations of the image and never an exact copy.

The island the Great White Dragon resides on is completely covered in snow and ice as a result of his presence, and the surrounding waters have grown cold. As a result, new breeds of fish and crops have begun to develop in the last few centuries, but it was a barren area for a time.

The orchard inside the volcano is for a unique fruit called Icicle Fruits, which can be used to create a rare, rich dye for fabrics and special jams. In the past, it seems other Dragon Vessels used to sell these goods to other nations, but that changed when the World Government took over.

Apparently Clanging Isles has traded with Zou once or twice in the past few centuries, but due to the roaming nature of Zunesha it's impossible to establish regular contact or trade relations.

Lyric has only recently achieved a dragon form large enough to leave the island and carry goods, as they're smaller than average---slightly less than the size of a frigate's hull.

Despite their size, their power should not be underestimated, as they regularly hunt Sea Kings for food and resources for the island.

Lyric can understand the intentions and will of the Great Dragon as part of their devil fruit powers, but it does not extend to any other creatures. This is related to their purpose as an intermediary between the dragon and the people.

for reference (mostly mine), the Japanese spelling for Lyric's Devil Fruit is: Uo Uo no Mi Moderu "Shiroi Ryuu" / ウオウオの実 モデル "白い龍"

Lyric wears jade earrings but I forgot to add them. They match the jade gems on their anklet.

[askthedespairkids]

What all happened on Day 6, idk if it’s because it took so long or if a lot of stuff actually happened but it feels like you covered a lot

//Let's Sum it all up very very briefly!

-Sayaka confessed to Toko (Didn't go well, Toko ran away thinking it was a cruel prank)

-Leon confessed to Mikan (They are now dating!)

-Ryuu left Kokichi in charge of the 2nd Base for the day whilst Ryuu and Kobo attended the wedding

-Mondo reluctantly agrees to fight on the front lines, despite it meaning he would be leaving the injured Taka back at HQ while he fought

-Michael Hyde seems to have made his own secret plans for the fight, but didn't disclose with Ibuki

-Junpei and Kobo finally openly discuss their dislike of each other and find a reason to be civil with each other

-Naomi and Karma get married!!

-Kobo and Ryuu get engaged

-Maemi reconciles with Yuuki and Sly

[steflionheart]

Original Story / Oneshot

Original Characters: Hana, Ryuu, Davey, Rhody

Wordcount: 3.197

tags and trigger warnings: mafia; gangs and clans; injured mc; blood and injuries; graphic depiction of heavy injuries; mentions of abuse and physical harm against female character; strong language; out of context; oneshot

this is a oneshot about my OC's, a scene I had in mind for who knows how long and finally managed to write it out!

here's some short background info for context:

Hana and Davey are in the same mafia clan; Davey is the son and successor of the current boss and Hana his assigned bodyguard as well as an undercover FBI agent (she's trying to take down Davey's clan)

Hana and Davey kinda have a fwb thing going but not really, let's just say it's complicated

Ryuu is the boss' right-hand man of the rivaling clan but Davey decided to collaborate with him, having a higher motive in mind

Ryuu is fed up with how things are going in general for longer already and finds interest in Davey, so he decides to go with Davey's idea

Hana and Ryuu can't stand each other in the current timeline

She was desperate.

For once in a very long time, Hana was truly desperate.

She’d never thought these assholes would manage to corner her and especially not to actually beat her up. But here she was; battered, blood dripping down her right temple, and with a dislocated shoulder as she was running through narrow and abandoned streets. And all that with mentioned assholes still hot on her heels.

She’d managed to make an escape by feigning to cry her heart out and begging for mercy, which only caused the thugs to laugh but it was enough of a distraction for her to slip away.

Hana was panting hard, the wheezing sound of her lungs with every breath she took signalizing her that she wouldn’t make it much longer and needed help.

Asap.

Or the guys would finally get what they wanted.

Which was her head on a silver platter.

Their words, not her thoughts.

Usually, three or four guys wouldn’t pose much of a problem for Hana. Everyone knew that she was tough and strong, her fighting skills being the talk of the town, and causing many to pay her respect or to keep their distance. But these guys were really out for blood.

Literally.

They’ve made it clear that she wasn’t just any random victim but a specifically chosen target and therefore must’ve planned this attack meticulously beforehand. Seeing that they still hadn’t given up on her, she knew she couldn’t escape them alone, especially not in her current condition.

There was only one person she could think of that could help her in this situation, without thinking much or asking too many questions. Thankfully, she wasn’t far from the club where she and said person were regulars, and considering that it was a Friday night, she was sure he would be there.

With her mind set on Davey, Hana gritted her teeth as she sped up and hauled ass. She suppressed a groan while tightening the grip on her left arm to keep it from moving much. The pain was almost unbearable but she simply kept going.

“Oh, sweetheart! You don’t need to run, we will get you anyway now that you’re unable to go against us,” one of her pursuers called in a singsong and the realization of how close they actually were, sent a fresh wave of adrenaline surging through her veins. It spurred her on and she ran even faster, ignoring the threat that was hunting her down.

Taking the next turn, the bright and flashy lights of the club greeted her and for the first time in a very long time, the overwhelming urge to cry overcame Hana. But this was not the right situation for it, nor did she have the time for it, so she simply kept going.

Hana’s steps echoed through the empty street as she closed the distance between her and the safety-promising door of the club. For a brief moment, she wondered why the bouncer was missing. But she had more important problems at hand right now, so she pushed the thought away just as fast.

The moment she reached out with her right hand and closed it around the cool metal handle, a voice boomed behind her. “Don’t even try to hide! We’ll catch you anywhere and then you’re done for, oh mighty Lioness.”

Hana didn’t look back.

His raspy voice uttering those threats, accompanied by the stupid nickname people on the streets had given her, sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. The finality of his words left no room for speculation.

She didn’t need to see his face to know that he meant it.

Hana opened the door, the muffled sound of the music becoming clearer the moment she stepped inside the hallway that led directly to the main room. She didn’t waste any time, making her way through the scattered crowd, and eyes scanning the area for Davey’s familiar green-brown and light blue gaze.

The longer she searched, the more noticeable the ache in her left shoulder became, considering that the adrenaline was slowly seeping out of her blood system again. But Hana once again braced herself against the excruciating pain as she made a beeline for the bar. She hoped to find Davey there.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, she noticed that her pursuers had just entered the club and were now trying to make out her position among all the people. She ducked slightly, grimacing as another flash of pain shot through her.

She searched the bar area for him, double-checked, even triple-checked her surroundings— but Davey was nowhere to be found. Assuming he was in the back, in one of the VIP rooms for work matters, she decided to ask the bartender. Leaning heavily against the counter and snapping her fingers, she tried to get his attention.

It took a few tries but eventually, the familiar guy, Rhody, turned around and gasped as his gaze fell on her.

“Hana… What happened to you? Do you need help?”

Hana took a deep breath.

“Where’s Davey?” was all she asked, voice hoarse from exertion.

Rhody was still taken aback, yet soon enough he seemed to understand that the situation was urgent.

“Uh… I-I haven’t seen him yet tonight, I don’t think he’s here…” he answered truthfully.

Hana tipped her head back and closed her eyes in search of patience.

How much bad luck can one person have, especially when in need of help?

Obviously, a whole lot of it, taking into account what happened next.

“You look pretty rough, pipsqueak. Someone finally managed to beat you up?” a deep and way too familiar voice rasped right beside Hana’s left ear.

Out of all the people she wanted to see or ask for help right now— he was surely the very last.

Seems like her luck had definitely failed her tonight.

She looked back down, forest green eyes zeroing in on dark gray ones. Hana tried putting on her best deadpan look but the ache in her shoulder was too overwhelming and she felt close to fainting.

Ryuu, the man sitting right next to her and who had just asked the most unnecessary question regarding her situation, simply stared blankly at her.

Considering that he was, first and foremost, the right-hand man of their enemy gang, she couldn’t simply trust him. But on the other hand, Davey did, and Hana trusted Davey and his judgment. So she could at least try to tell him what was happening and maybe hope for his help. But Hana also knew that they both didn’t like each other much, so her chances were close to none.

She decided it was needless to even ask.

“I was looking for— ugh…” Hana almost choked on her words as a wave of pain washed over her. “...for Davey. Do you happen to know where he is, dimwit?”

No matter the situation she was in, she simply couldn’t just take his snarky nickname for her without at least returning the favor.

Raising an eyebrow at her, Ryuu answered after a few moments of silence. “He’s not here tonight, said something about his dad calling him over on short notice for a business appointment. He also said he didn’t reach ya and to tell ya exactly that if I saw you.”

Ryuu gave Hana a disapproving side glance before adding. “So, mission accomplished, I’d say.”

Looking back at her pursuers, Hana’s heart skipped a beat and she once again ducked her head so that they wouldn’t notice her. She tapped the bartender Rhody’s hand and asked him if he could let her out the backdoor. He nodded and beckoned her to follow him to one of the doors that led to the backrooms.

Before she could actually take a step, a big hand wrapped around her left arm. The moment Ryuu tried to pull her back, Hana cried out loud but immediately covered her mouth to not attract any attention.

Tears involuntarily streamed down her face as she glared back at Ryuu, who instantly let go of her again, gaze horror-stricken.

The black-haired man was taken aback, wide eyes staring at her but soon after a terrifying expression spread on his face. His eyes turned dark, almost black as he narrowed his gaze.

His deep voice was eerily calm as he asked. “Who did this to you?”

Hana didn’t know what to say or how to react, the menacing aura radiating off of his body sending shivers through her body and setting off her fight or flight senses. Her mind was literally screaming at her to act fast and bring as much distance between her and the predator sitting before her.

She knew she could never last against him, even if she tried.

Not in her top condition and especially not in her current condition.

But despite her senses being on high alert, she soon realized that his anger wasn’t directed at her.

Ryuu had always been the quiet type, only speaking up when really needed or to utter last warnings before he acted. But she’d only seen him once in a similar state like tonight. It wasn’t a pleasant sight and she remembered being glad about the fact that she wasn’t his opponent at that moment.

Hana still faltered, her tongue feeling heavy and refusing to work. She opened her mouth a few times, hope lingering somewhere at the back of her mind but reality soon enough caught up with her again.

She knew he would never help her. He’d rather make fun of her, Hana was pretty sure of that. With this in mind, she took a deep breath, her head hung low as she wiped away some of the tears.

“You don’t need to feign interest, yanno? I’ll just disappear from here and tend to my wounds at home myself. I’m just really not in need of any teasing from you tonight, Ryuu,” Hana said, calling him by his actual name for maybe the third time since they’d gotten to know each other.

Hana lifted her head and glanced at him, the same relentless expression still lingering on his face, hardening his features, and she could see his jaw working. A movement right behind him caught her attention and her eyes grew wide with horror.

Besides being the right-hand man of the enemy clan’s boss, Ryuu had a lot of tactically enriching skills, which also included a sharp sense of perception. So, of course, Hana’s reaction to seeing the thugs that had brought her into this situation didn’t go unnoticed.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Ryuu turning around and eyeing the men wading through the crowd, still in search of their target. Ryuu then turned back to her and his gaze seemed even darker, determination settling on his features.

“It was them, right?” he asked, not even waiting for her to answer. Instead, he turned to Rhody and gave him instructions, voice low and grim. “Bring her to one of the backrooms.”

Rhody simply nodded and glanced over to Hana.

She was still taken aback at the turn of events until Ryuu once again looked at her and said. “I’ll take care of this matter. You go and rest in the backroom until I come to get you. Understood?”

Hana was caught between feeling relief and anger; relief because someone, even if it was Ryuu, was actually willing to help her and anger because it was Ryuu and she didn’t like him bossing her around.

But she was also very well aware of the fact that her options were limited and Ryuu was the only one at hand and offering his help.

Hana nodded and gave him a thankful gaze.

Without another word, he turned around, making his way towards her pursuers with his footmen following quietly. Hana didn’t need to see it to know that none of the thugs would make it out on their own two feet tonight, so she turned around as Rhody gently squeezed her right shoulder, insinuating her to follow him.

A few minutes passed, in which Rhody brought her water and a soft towel so that she could clean herself up, at least from the worst. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting inside the wide room, nicely done up with expensive-looking furniture and specially set up for business meetings— or whatever other things people did in here. Considering that she had almost emptied the small bottle of water, it must’ve been some time and after another few minutes, the door eventually opened with a soft click.

Her head snapped up, eyes immediately finding Ryuu’s as he stared back at her. He didn’t have a single scratch on him, though his clothes looked a bit ruffled. Hana got up from the couch but a flash of pain immediately shot through the left half of her body and she involuntarily collapsed on the couch again.

In the blink of an eye, Ryuu was beside her and held her, more gently than she would’ve expected from this brute of a man. He didn’t say a word, nor did he do anything else. They just sat there for a few moments while Hana tried to calm down again, her breathing still heavy from the lingering ache in her left shoulder.

After another minute, Ryuu shifted slightly beside her and leaned back to take a look at Hana. He grunted quietly.

“Dislocated shoulder?” he asked.

Hana nodded weakly. She’d clearly reached her limits tonight.

“Want me to set it?”

The fear of it was almost overwhelming and Hana faltered for a brief moment, even whining quietly as she pondered her options and stared at him with panic in her eyes.

“It’ll hurt like a bitch but only for a moment,” Ryuu stated, matter-of-factly. “But it’ll be easier for ya after.”

And Hana knew he was right. She knew that she would need a few tries to set her arm herself and that it would only hurt a lot more.

But could she really trust him?

Again; he was the right-hand man of the enemy clan and therefore her natural enemy in the first place. But considering that Davey, the son and successor of the clan she was a member of, her best friend and the one she was assigned to guard and protect, had bonded with Ryuu and trusted him— she probably had no other choice.

Still very much reluctant but willing to sacrifice her principles, she eventually nodded and hummed in agreement.

Ryuu acknowledged her trust, eyes turning a notch softer and Hana would’ve probably missed it if she hadn’t been studying his face for any signs of malice right at that moment. But there were none and so she tried to empty her mind and brace herself for the worst as Ryuu put his hands in place.

With one hand pressing gently against the front of her left shoulder joint and the other holding onto her forearm, Ryuu took a deep breath. He inhaled loudly through his nose and Hana thought it was to signalize her that he would act on the exhale. She steeled her nerves and closed her eyes, waiting for the moment he’d exhale through his mouth— but things took an unexpected turn.

Instead, the moment he held his breath, Ryuu pushed hard against Hana’s shoulder, and with a muffled sound the joint popped into place. Right after, Ryuu released the breath he’d been holding in.

A jolt of excruciating pain shot through her arm and Hana couldn’t help but cry out in agony. Adrenaline flooded her system and her fight or flight senses once again came alive that night.

She jumped up from the couch and took a few steps back, a fresh wave of tears running down her face and staining her already bloodied shirt even more. Ryuu also got up and tried his best to not startle her even more.

“It’s okay. You did it, okay?” he said, voice deep and calm. “It’s over now, you can relax.”

And for whatever reason, his words actually helped and slowly soothed her panic. She tried to calm down fully but the pain and events from earlier had taken a heavy toll on her. She lowered her head as a heart-shattering sob ripped through the wide room.

Hana had seldom cried in her life.

Crying was a display of weakness, so being raised on the streets and as a mafia clan member, showing weakness was equal to offering yourself to the enemy without resistance. But at that moment, she simply wasn’t in the condition to keep her defense up anymore.

Hana was so out of it that she didn’t even notice the door opening and Davey barging in. Without hesitating, he walked over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her usually sturdy body. But tonight, Hana felt as fragile as a twig.

Any more pressure on her body and mind and they would snap just as easily.

She could hear both men talking but didn’t understand a single word. The soothing sound of Davey’s familiar voice reverberated through every fiber of her body and she slowly but surely came down again until her sobs stopped and tears dried.

It wasn’t until Davey leaned back a bit that Hana came back to her senses and noticed Ryuu staring at her with a mix of concern and curiosity in his dark gray eyes.

She’d always been fascinated by them.

“You okay there, shorty?” he rasped and Hana’s mind was way too foggy for her to recognize that he’d called her an endearing nickname this time instead of a snarky one. She just nodded once, burying her face in Davey’s broad chest again.

Davey chuckled quietly and answered in her stead.

“I think she’s ready to go home for now. Thanks once again for taking care of her,” Davey said. Hana couldn’t see his face but she was sure Davey was giving Ryuu one of his trademark adorable smiles. “I actually didn’t think you’d protect her, considering that you two literally hate each other.”

Davey laughed and Hana dared to take a peek at Ryuu who was slightly irritated, turning his face away from her and Davey.

“It wasn’t because of her. These guys were just annoying me on my night out at the club. You know I hate when I get interrupted by dimwits like them. They were asking for it.”

Another fit of laughter shook Davey’s body and Hana grinned to herself at the odd situation. After a few moments, Davey calmed down again.

“Well, then! Thanks for… keeping the peace of your night out and accidentally protecting my bodyguard in the process.” Davey smiled gently. “She’s very important to me, you know?”

Ryuu grunted, still very much grumpy about Davey implying that he had only protected Hana but soon enough they said their goodbyes to each other and Davey brought Hana home.

Davey took care of Hana’s wounds after they took a hot and calming bath together. Before she could dwell on what exactly everything that had happened tonight could mean for their future, she fell soundly asleep in Davey’s king-size bed.

[michimiart-blog]

Hello! Again with the Danganronpa trend, now this time... OCs!

These students are from the Reserve Course Department, and even though I am aware that it is technically a normal-like high school with high tuition fees, I decided to add some extra and it has a special classroom for students who can't pay. It has jobs that are for monetary gain, but it has a student applicance limit of 30 students.

The Classroom is called 'Specialized Classroom for Financial Reward', or for short Class 255.

Oh, by the way, the following students are family members of other Ultimates (graduates and current students).

First off, meet Zaruko Murasame, he is Sôshun Murasame's younger brother. He may look way younger than he is but is really strong and smart regardless of his appearance.

Remembering that Canon!Akane Owari's FTE, she said that she has a lot of siblings and even if she knows and takes care for a couple of them, she doesn't remember ALL of them, so Ryuu is one of her siblings who was accidentally forgotten by her but he managed to survive and get a new place with his hard work. He joined the Reserve Course to get extra money.

Taro is Kiriko Nishizawa's younger brother, he is pretty withdrawn, not social except with his sister. That changed when he was sent to the Reserve Course by his family, he became a little more social with others in there.

Suzu Nakamura is Great Gozu's niece, since it is unknown Great Gozu's real last name, I decided to give them the Nakamura last name. She is also a fighter like her uncle but not a high recognized wrestler like him, she did want to try and win her own money and not depend from her family, hence why she joined the Reserve Course special classroom.

Taeko is Suzuko Kashiki's older twin sister. She has a moderate OCD due to an accident with her twin during their preteens; she is extremely clean, hates the mess and she is strong for her size due to moving a lot of heaving things when cleaning. She joined the Reserve Course because her sister wanted her close, and she is the one who gets more reward in cleaning jobs.

Ryoko is Tomohiko Gôryoku's fraternal twin sister, she and her brother were trained by the mafia, so they both are quite muscular for the extensive work. Only Tomohiko managed to gain an Ultimate level talent with his knownledge, but Ryoko still accompanied him to Hope's Peak, only in the Reserve Course, class 255.

It is weird to say this but, Saeko and Sôsuke Ichino are actually niece-uncle. Sôsuke was the extremely last unexpected child that the Ichino marriage had just about the same time that their middle daughter had Saeko. Saeko is a fashionista, she is attentive about new trends and she made her own clothes; she went to the Reserve Course because she can sell her creations or help people to fix their clothes.

The Super High School Level Assault Team shown in Hope Arc of Danganronpa Anime have characters without names but with talents, so I thought about this character Noriko Matsui being the younger sister of the SHSL Street Performer and by the way, I gave him a name too: Dairoku Matsui. Anyways, Noriko learned and worked as a personal nurse for her brother since he got injured a lot of times during his preteens and teen age due to his work as a street performer.

Kaori is Aiko Umesawa's cousin, she is a walking disaster when it comes to handmade things like clothing, artcraft, painting and anything related to it; she is good at cooking but never ask her to decorate a cake. Her main job qualities on the Class 255 are organizing stuff, disassembling mechanical stuff and cleaning.

Asukasei Hino and Rei Hino are cousin on a one-sided war, Rei is an unrecognized prodigy in sports, meanwhile Asukasei is a recognized prodigy in executive financial section (an accountant), this difference doesn't stop Asukasei from feeling below his cousin, mostly due to being weaker in physical stuff. Rei doesn't care about Asukasei fighting him, he often considers the fight as a child-like behavior, even when both are teens and soon-to-be adults.

And there are more but image limits.

Anyways! The Class 255 is Nagito's classroom because yeah, he is the SHSL All-field Professor who teaches on the Reserve Course. And he adores them.

Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chungsoft and Kodaka

Zaruko, Noriko, Taeko, Ryoko, Rei, Saeko, Kaori, Suzu and Taro belong to me @michimi-maidenvelekblog / @michimiart-blog

Alternate Universe Multitalent!Komaeda Nagito by me as well