#is it the side that Soma knew? or the one full of hate?

[deathfavor]

Anonymous said: Seiroku, you were prepared for Soma to die since you met him, weren't you? Why are you surprised he died?

" . . . "

Yes. But no. When Seiroku had first met Soma, it had been with the intent to stain the ground and rivers red with blood. He would gather all the valuable pieces of information to report back, and then carnage would ensue. It had been as simple of a plan as that. He had chocked on rage and hatred to play his part, all while plotting a grand massacre. He hadn't just prepared for the idea of Soma dying. He'd been it's originator. It had been his idea to spy on the Dates. Many of the other clans were easier to throw into chaos or sow seeds of discord into ; the Date had been the greatest threat of them all. They had numbers, strength, and discipline that others lacked.

And then he'd forgotten. Bit by bit, his original plot had faded like ink left too long in the sun until there was nothing left of it. Nothing of it remained in Seiroku's heart. And as time passed, he'd selfishly indulged in the idea that he could have this life. He liked the idea that he could stay by Soma's side and the Date. The longer he stayed the more he could forget the hatred that used his body and his name; the more the real him that could have been was let free to flourish.

The more time passed, the more Seiroku hoped for the Date's success. He never forgot his hatred for other bushi. But to them alone, he hoped for their success. Despite how the thought felt like betraying himself after so many years lost in the waters of rage, he had hoped.

The more time passed, the more he considered his own death. ( Because that is what would have to happen, and he would let it. )

Soma's death was not an option. It was delusional hope. Seiroku tilts his chin up slightly, jaw clenched as he forces his tears to not fall. It was pure, delusional hope that they could ever have a happy ending. He knew better ; but he had yearned for it so desperately that he'd indulged in the fairytale. He wanted to believe there was a way for the Date to stay safe, for Soma to stay safe. But the Obsidian Eight's success would mean their demise ; their success would mean Seiroku's demise.

He knew one of their death's would come. But be prepared for it? No. Seiroku hadn't been prepared for that in a long time. Because it wasn't supposed to happen.

" Why? " Seiroku lifts his eyebrows. " Because his strength is legendary, plus he had the benefit of a black heart without risk of insanity since he's so new. He's stronger than any of the other new people we've had in a long time. " Lies. It's all a bunch of lies. Seiroku couldn't care less about the legends and stories of Soma's strength. He knew it but that wasn't the reason. That wasn't the reason at all. Why was he surprised? Because Soma was never supposed to die. Because that was the man he loved. That was reason enough to believe he'd never die. Seiroku didn't want him to die. Maybe that's what doomed Soma more than anything else. The world loved to take and break everything that Seiroku cared about, to crush any chance Seiroku could have at being anything more than a beast of hatred. Soma wasn't supposed to die. He was. He told Soma where to stab him. It was supposed to be him that died.

But the answer he gave was Black dog like, wasn't it? It was something he would have said before meeting Soma, right? Right? Why wasn't he sure anymore? How could months replace decades of hatred? Who......was he? Who was Seiroku Inukawa anymore? It'd been easier. When he killed his past self full of optimism and taken a new name. Seiroku Inukawa was a monster. But now Soma had known him as Seiroku too. Now he wasn't sure who he was, monster or loved.

" I mean, who would expect a red bushi like him to - " die. It's a single word, and Seiroku can't say it. He knows it. But he can't say it. He swallows and looked away. " Most of the obsidian eight go mad, though battle is the next most common. " Facts, he needs facts to stop his pain for bleeding everywhere. " So of course it was a surprise. Especially given who he was against. Guess we should've killed that general sooner. " He says, but the words are flat and his heart isn't in it.

[darkarfs]

my favorite WWE matches of 1997

Though I officially started watching wrestling in 1995 (my family famously first bought SummerSlam that year, which would be my first wrestling show ever, because it was $25.00. 1995 was a bad year for wrestling), I became a regular watcher of both WWE and WCW Raw and Nitro, and was able to buy my own PPVs, around summer of 1996, when Hogan turned. The first show I bought with my own money was In Your House: Buried Alive, though I kept up with weekly TV. And, for better or worse, I've been a fan ever since.

1997 was a REAL rollercoaster year for wrestling. The NWO was becoming a bloated mess in no time at all, Bret Hart was riding high, while he and Shawn Michaels publicly hated one another, a young Rocky Maivia was slowly transforming into the most charismatic wrestler of maybe all time, a young Steve Austin has broken his neck and can only work 5 minute matches but is somehow the most OVER wrestler in the company, and by the end of the year, the Screwjob happens, Bret's in WCW, Shawn's on handfuls of SOMAs (yet main-eventing). In a lot of ways, I'm grateful, because I side-stepped all of Hogan's WWF and WCW run. But it was a tornado of a year for a business always on precarious footing, as it ever has been.

And it gave us some CRACKING matches! - The 1997 Royal Rumble I love me a Rumble, and it's REALLY hard (but not impossible) to find a bad one (1993, 1995, 1999). And I personally love one with a storyline that runs throughout, and in this case, it's the ultimate heeling of Stone Cold Steve Austin. He visibly dominates the match until he hears Bret Hart's music, and then goes into panic mode. And it furthers the characterization of Bret's hand-spun narrative as being rightfully pissed that he's being taken advantage of by the roster, screwed by the company, and booed by the fans. Fun bonus: this is also the only Rumble appearance of lucha legend Mil Mascaras, who was so full of old-school carny spirit he famously refused to let anyone else eliminate him, so he eliminated himself, pissed Vince off, and was not spoken of again on WWE TV until the 2012 Hall of Fame ceremony, where he was inducted by his huge prick nephew, Alberto del Rio. - Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13 This match is considered legendary, and for good reason. The greatest technical wrestler in the company vs. the best brawler, months of build, the world's most iconic (and off-the-cuff) blade-job (so much so that the visual of Austin bleeding in the Sharpshooter going "DAAAHHHH!" became the cover for his first VHS) and the wrestling world's most exquisite double-turn. It's fun, it's thrilling, it feels at once timeless and modern. Fun fact: there's a fun version of this match you can watch with just Austin doing commentary over it, and it's entertaining as hell. A true classic, and one of the greatest 'Mania matches of all time. - Ken Shamrock vs. Vader, No Holds Barred match, In Your House: a Cold Day In Hell Vader, famously, while a big teddy bear and a for-all-accounts lovely guy outside of the ring, had a reputation of being a bit "snug" with other wrestlers. Meaning he hit a little too hard, had little self-control, and took liberties with people, especially rookies and younger guys. It's supposedly why Shawn Michaels didn't want to work a world title program with him from summer to fall of 1996, because he was "too rough." But what never occurred to Vader is that trying that with a guy who's had 2 matches but has almost 5 years of MMA experience might not be the smartest or most prudent idea. Shamrock gives Vader as much as Vader gives him in this match, and there are moments where you can tell the guys are going into business for themselves. There's a moment where Shamrock is clubbing Vader with punches, and you can hear Vader, as he's turtling up and putting his arms up to block, yell "SLOW DOWN!" and then he rolls out of the ring to catch a breather. Vader, by the end of this match, is bleeding through his mask, a product of a broken nose, which is why I assume he gives Shamrock the stiffest short-arm clothesline I've ever seen. It's brutal, it's stupid, it weaves in and out of the script SO many times like a drunk man trying to stand up straight on a canoe, and I'm fascinated by each and every instance. - Owen Hart vs. the British Bulldog, European Championship Tournament Finals, Monday Night Raw, March 3rd Somehow, a workrate classic is stuck on a rinky-dink episode of Raw from Berlin, Germany. Smith and Hart blended some of their acquired WWE-style of work with classic junior heavyweight wrestling, complete with intricate reversals and fast-paced offense that was unlike either man's designed ethos of the time. Hart's shift toward his underhanded instincts as the match wore on provided enough story to balance the beautiful grappling from two men with impressive resumes. You can feel that these two knew one another, grew up together, and most importantly, wrestled together. An honest-to-God sleeper hit, but everyone who knows this match calls it a classic. - Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, King of the Ring It's a concept that would be beaten into the ground in short order: Tag Team Champions that hate each other's guts. John Cena, seriously, has only been tag champions with people he's feuding with. That's

not even a joke. Austin and Michaels won the belts out of mutual dislike for the Hart Foundation, and then were programmed together for a wild match at the King of the Ring, one without a winner. Early on, the two actually pieced together a tremendous wrestling match full of nifty counters (prior to Austin changing his style after August for obvious reasons), before it degenerated into chaos after both men assaulted referees in the heat of the moment. Granted, neither man could really lose this one, so the screwy finish did serve its purpose. Until that point, it's a different type of incredible Austin match. You're never so happy to see a double-DQ finish. - Owen Hart & the British Bulldog vs. Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin, Monday Night Raw, May 26th And now we have a match set! The previous 4 participants in a brilliant and brutal tag team match. The Tag Team championship switch marked Austin's first piece of recognized gold in WWE, in a match on free television no less. That's not to insult the match any, as it was a pay-per-view quality fracas that barely slowed down. It is a mere 14 minutes long WITH entrances, but it moves at a clip, and everyone has their working boots on. It was a harbinger of days to come for this new period in WWE's history, and the crowd ate it up.

- Taka Michinoku vs. the Great Sasuke, In Your House: Canadian Stampede What happened here? Just when you think WCW had the cruiserweights cornered, WWE pulls this shit...and then kind of ignores it for a few months. But not before importing two of Michinoku Pro's finest to have a TakeOver-length exhibition. At first, the crowd in Calgary wasn't sure what to make of the undersized performers, but it wouldn't take long to win them over. From Michinoku's hands-free springboard dive to Sasuke's beautiful Thunder Fire Powerbomb, the expansive crowd was positively hooked on the daredevils with each passing minute. Although Sasuke wouldn't be long for the company, and Michinoku's run as Light Heavyweight Champion faded as 1998 wore on, the display at Canadian Stampede was a wondrous experience. This wouldn't have looked out of place in a Chikara King of Trios tournament. - The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Brian Pillman, the British Bulldog) vs. Team Austin (Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Legion of Doom, Ken Shamrock and Goldust), In Your House: Canadian Stampede I would have put this match on the list for the entrances and the finish alone. The crowd is at fever static for the entire match, seriously at the level of Punk/Cena at MITB 2011. And even though the Harts are the heels, they're in Calgary, and they get rock-star level ovations for merely existing. Everyone plays it mad and delighted, and you can tell they're all having a ball. Especially Pillman, who is just magically unhinged, a template for a young Dean Ambrose during their feud with the Wyatt Family. It is a magical, unreal main event, one of the best B-ppv main events maybe of all time. Well...other than MAYBE... - Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker, Hell in a Cell, In Your House: Badd Blood The very first Hell in a Cell match may very well double as the greatest of its kind. What stands out to me (other than how the match ends) is just how GREAT Michaels' selling is. When he's running away, he's constantly looking around for an exit, like a scared rat. When he finally gets caught and struck, he sells almost to the level he did for Hogan at SummerSlam 2005. But while he was doing that to make Hogan's offense look stupid, he's doing it here to make Taker's offense and anger look legit, and it somehow WORKS. But as fabulous as the match and the psychology is, it somehow takes a backseat to the debut of the Undertaker's monstrous little brother Kane, finally confronting his older brother in perhaps the greatest character debut in WWE history. - Mankind vs. Kane, Survivor Series I dunno what it is about this match that does it for me. Mankind's emotional lead-up to the match, where he's sad that Uncle Paul (Bearer) left him. Maybe the fact that Kane sells like Michael Myers, not so much that he's in pain, but as if he's never been hit in the face with a steel chair, a DDT or a piledriver. Maybe it's because Mick takes more horrific bumps than he needs to to make sure Kane looks like a legit monster. Maybe it's the broken Virtua Boy lighting. But it's genuinely unlike any other Mankind, Kane or ANY match I've seen before or since. It's a perfect somehow sympathetic serial killer vs. bigger, scarier serial killer that feels nothing story in a wrestling match. I didn't even know you could DO that.

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

meat!

well that seems like a fairly conclusive response (only one person voted for just candy). you did this to yourselves

Title: soma

Summary: What’s that thing people say about ignorance?

Notes:

This takes into account and is somewhat of a followon to the stuff established in these three remixes of melliferous, so if you’re confused, i am SO sorry. it’s not that much better from this end of things, trust me.

less of an epilogue, more of an addition or maybe a series of vignettes in the melliferous multiverse. because apparently that’s a thing now. this is dubiously canon. take it as you will.

Warnings: for the usual melliferous content – bugs and drugs, death, unreality, body horror, cannibalism. And also corpse desecration, and dismemberment! If any of these even vaguely seem like they might upset you, please turn back now.

For I was hungry, and I ate you. I was thirsty, and I drank you. [sic] – Matthew 25:35

*

i.

“You know what’s bugging me?” Thomas says, millions of cycles into all of this, and two swiftly-downed shot glasses into the last of Lady Seph’s newest round of stock.

“Haha, bugs.” Patton lowers his glass of starfire briefly to give a weak fingergun in Thomas’s direction. “Because – you know, everything’s bugs down here for some reason?”

Logan is halfway to drunk and halfway to dead already. It’s just one of those lifetimes. The fact that’s he’s mostly dust and barely able to hold up his glass does not, however, stop him from theorizing, “You know, it really is entirely possible that they aren’t actually insects, and their carapacian forms are a result of some form of convergent evolution.”

“Stop trying to apply logic to them,” Roman moans. He makes a face and raises a sleeve to his mouth to try to scrub the taste of honey off of his tongue. It lingers strangely, sweetly. “Haven’t you ever heard of willing suspension of disbelief? We’re not meant to understand this.”

Remus is dissolving. But cheerfully. “Yeah, it’s more fun this way!”

“For a certain definition of fun, sure,” is Virgil’s muttered take.

“Or maybe the evolution path was divergent in form. A potential split somewhere along the line, dividing from beings of a celestial persuasion into what we find ourselves as today into insectoid and humanoid, both created in their image...”

“It does appear that God has an inordinate fondness for beetles,” says Janus. “Holistically, that is.”

Thomas frowns. “...Guys, are we having oblique yet resonant Socratic dialogue again?”

“When are we not? Someone check for cameras, I’d hate for this one to go up online, unedited,” Janus replies, somewhat sardonically, and raises his own glass. “Refill, if you would.”

A flurry of flowers, a fluttering of wings, and good old Auntie Seph is back again with another bottle of gods-knows-what. “Y’all ain’t sticking around for long this time, huh?”

“A few more minutes, maybe,” Virgil confirms as she passes by and swishes back into the darkness of the bar to continue her evening rounds. “I think I’m really going off steak at this point, honestly.”

“What were you saying, Thomas?” Roman asks, trying to sit up straighter. “Something bugging you? Something you can’t quite, um – ”

“Bee-lieve?” Patton supplies.

“Sure. Uh. The steak,” Thomas says. “I had some this time, you know? It was...” He struggles for words.

“Delicious,” Virgil says with a grimace.

“Remarkably well-seasoned for something drenched in honey and not much else,” Roman comments, who had also partaken in the steak this time around for some unknown, unknowable reason.

“Human!” Remus crows, teeth flashing white in the dimness of the lowly-lit bar. “Soylent Green is people! Or did I make that joke already...?”

“We all knew it was human flesh, Remus,” Logan sighs, listing even further sideways. “It’s not as if there are any cows down here to harvest the steak from, let alone any other animals. And if you examine the entomology and feeding habits of the American vulture bee – ”

“The humans around here don’t look very, um. Meaty,” Thomas says. “Just saying. It’s – they’re – ”

“Hollow? They would be,” Janus points out. “In case you haven’t noticed, the bees are sucking them dry. They’re all essentially husks.”

“So where does she get the steak from?” Thomas asks again, and nobody has an answer for them, most likely because they’re all far too busy shrivelling away into the darkness.

“Oh, never mind,” Patton yawns. “We’re dead anyway. What does it matter?”

“...Good point. I’ll work it out next time.” Thomas studies the bar with bleary eyes. The faded photographs and portraits on the walls, the legions of shades drinking in their usual solemn silence. “So where do you go when you die if you’re already in hell?”

“Hell 2,” Remus suggests, slumping against the bar, “This Time With More Capitalism.”

“Not too loud, you’ll give my wife ideas,” Seph tells them from across the bar, and raises her glass to them. A farewell toast. “And don’t you think too hard about the steak thing. You’ll only end up hurting yourself.”

And then it’s dust to dust, and the wheel begins to turn again.  

*

ii.

The party’s in full swing when Virgil says to Thomas, quite frankly, “I hate parties.”

The lights are bright above them. The air is fresh with the birth of spring, and the music is loud and ringing through the air like a hailing chorus fit for the arrival of a queen.

Thomas clears his throat after a moment. “Okay, not that I don’t appreciate the commentary... but, uh, Virge-?”

“I’m here because you’re anxious,” Virgil supplies, folding his arms and resting his head on top of them. “Parties, man. Just stay home and browse Netflix for the millionth time, why don’t you?”

“It’s good for me to get out, and also, I’m pretty sure you don’t need to be here for me to be anxious. It happens anyway. That wasn’t what I was going to ask.” He rests his hand on a nearby tree and watches Logan and Patton attempting to reconcile their two extremely different ideas of ‘dancing’, on the fly, on the dance floor. “...Why are you sitting on my shoulders?”

“I like being tall,” replies Virgil.

“Hm,” says Thomas. “Okay, fair enough.”

Janus is over in the far corner chatting with the grinning man; the one with the hat and the constantly-in-motion wings and the laugh like the rattling of a lock clicking open. They’re talking about car chases and unlikely escapes and flights into the night, they’re comparing false identities and secrets they’ve never told anyone else; they’re lying wildly to each other.

On top of a table of cakes and sweetmeats piled high to the heavens, Remus perches and engages in deep, fascinated conversation with a lady whose crystal-cut eyes shine in the bright sunlight. They speak of rot, of rebirth, of blazing heat and screaming cold.  Her wings are familiar. Nothing else about her is. That’s another story, though, one to be told later.

“Well, this is new,” says Seph, sauntering over. A crooked flower crown rests in her hair with all the colors of spring, and the wine glass her long spindly fingers are curled securely around seems to be filled with actual proper honest-to-god wine. Her eyes are bright, her coat is long, her wings are radiant. “Now, what brings a scattered disaster of a man like you to a party like this?”

Thomas blinks. Virgil’s arms, looped loosely around the top of his head, tighten. “I’m... sorry, do I know you?”

“In a roundabout sort of way, maybe,” she replies, and swirls the wine before slurping it up with that long, long tongue of hers. “Lady of the spring, at your service. You here by invite, or-?”

“Hey, I can’t actually remember how we got here,” Virgil mutters into Thomas’s hair.

Thomas hovers, suddenly extremely worried. “Should I. Like. Leave?”

“Not a worry. The blooming of spring is a party for everyone,” she says wisely, and then grins wide and sharp and tosses her empty glass to one side, where it shatters into crystal shards and light. “‘Specially me. Even if I’m late. ‘Specially if I’m late. Have you tried the food? It’s to die for, and for once ya don’t even have to die to eat it!”

“...Is this a fairy ring?” Virgil says suspiciously, peering down at her from his perch on Thomas’shoulders. “You legally have to tell us if it’s a fairy ring, otherwise it’s entrapment.”

Seph laughs. “Naw. Different story, that. Don’t worry too much about the details, just have fun – it ain’t gonna last for very long.” She adjusts the flowers adorning her head, tucking chrysanthemum blooms back to stop them falling over her eyes, and extends a hand in Thomas’s direction. Her long fingers wiggle; an invitation. “Here, come on and dance, kiddo, while we’ve still got the time.”

Virgil sighs and complains but gets down from Thomas’s shoulders with a catlike tumble that leaves him crouched on the ground, and he claps Thomas on the shoulder before going to join Remus.

Seph isn’t any threat. Not here, not to them. She’s a friend, in a roundabout sort of way.

“All right,” says Thomas. “So, let’s dance.”

The music blares, rising with brass and percussion and strings struck with purpose and energy both. Out onto the dance floor with them, and into the fray. Seph dances like she drinks – careless and wild; sloppy but purposeful. She whirls them around, cackling in time with the music-from-nowhere, kicking up her heels in the dirt. She’s a different person entirely, up here, full of light and laughter and a kind of rusted-and-rough love for everything around her.

Thomas lets her lead and lets her swing and swirl him around in mad spirals, wild and free as a honeybee in a summertime frame of mind. They laugh and yell and stomp and he thinks he might have started to sing along at some point, although there’s no earthly way he should know the words.

“But what about the steak?” Thomas asks as she pulls away and he stumbles back, dizzy and high on the thrill of life.

“What about the steak?” she replies, and there’s another glass of wine in her hand already. “Don’t you know what they say about ignorance? See you when winter comes around, sugar. Let’s hope we get it right this time, hey?”

*

iii.

Virgil sits and goes at it with a fork-and-knife, breaking the steak up into bite-sized chunks. It’s tough and he has to saw a bit to cut through. Juices bubble and spill across his plate, honey pooling in concentric little patterns. The centre of it is red-rare; just like he likes. He spears a chunk with his fork, and holds it to his lips.

He doesn’t take a bite.

He says, “I don’t get why we have to do this.”

Remus says, “Sure you do, it’s what we do every time. I say ‘funny how it doesn’t feel like much of a choice at all’, and you say – ”

“This is some sort of cycle, isn’t it? Some kind of loop.”

“Uh, no?” Remus puts down his steak. (He doesn’t bother using the knife. His hands are sticky with honey and meat-juice. Although the honey is a kind of meat-juice too, if you think about it.) “You’ve never said that before. Usually it’s something sardonic to hide the fact that’s you’re extremely freaked out.”

“Remus,” says Virgil thoughtfully, still staring at his fork.

“Mm?”

“How often are you aware of the fact that we’re stuck in some kind of horrible time loop cycle?”

“Oh, only when it’s funny,” says Remus, and tears off a long, thick strip of meat from his meal with his back teeth.

“Right,” says Virgil. “Right, okay.” He pauses. “So, have we figured out where the steak comes from yet, or..?”

“Shh,” says Remus, sloppily raising a filthy-sweet finger to Virgil’s lips. “Don’t spoil the moment, Great Skittish Bake-Off. I never get invited over for family dinner, this is a novelty.”

“Gosh, I wonder why,” Virgil mutters, but shuts up and eats his damned steak like a good little cog in the machine.

*

iv.

“Okay, here’s another question,” Thomas says, tossing a stone into the Styx. It doesn’t make a sound, mainly because an infinite number maggots don’t tend to have much surface tension to break. “When you all went and decided ‘right, time to go get Thomas back from being extremely dead’...”

“Mm?” says Janus, sorting through their makeshift tacklebox with an absent look on his face.

“...Do you want to explain why your first thought was let's go to hell?”

Patton acquires an extremely shifty look on his face, and doesn’t reply. Instead, he casts his fishing line high and wide, and nods approvingly as the hook and lure and end of the line disappear into the seething mass of maggots.

“What are you even fishing for,” Virgil complains, trying to smudge excess honey off his clothes. “More maggots? It’s not like there’s any fish in that whole mess.”

“You don’t know that,” insists Patton, stubbornly optimistic. “There might be fish.”

“Dead fish, maybe,” Logan says dryly.

“Guys, no, seriously. What specifically did I do to make you think I was in hell. I mean, you weren’t wrong, but I – I really desperately need to know your reasoning, come on, don’t just – ”

Remus lies on his stomach several distance away. He’s also fishing, but he’s doing it with his bare hands. Which doesn’t seem very safe or sanitary, but stopping him would probably be more trouble than it’s worth. “Maybe he’s fishing for the steak,” he suggests.

“That’s even more unlikely than the fish,” Roman replies, snorting.

“Eh. ‘Bout as likely as anything that goes on down here.” Remus makes a wild swipe into the river and comes up with a bloody fistful of maggots. “Just saying. Maybe that’s how she gets her hands on the meat. She dredges through the river and pulls out the people that fell in and fries them all up for dinner, sweet and hot.”

“If the maggots don’t get to them first,” Virgil points out.

Remus holds up his hand obligingly, letting everyone see that his fistful of maggots are currently going absolutely to town on the meat of his hand. Bone is gleaming through the raw-hamburger mess of red and more red.

“I thought maggots only went for dead flesh,” Patton hums, and jolts as his fishing rod jerks and bends, straining against some pressure on the other end of the rod.

“Patton,” says Thomas glumly, having resigned himself to the fact that nobody at all is planning to answer his extremely pertinent and important question, “I have to break this to you, I really do, but we are all extremely dead.”

“Oh, yeah,” Patton says, reeling in his catch. “Ha! I keep forgetting about that, would you believe it? Now, I wonder what I caught...”

The catch is maggots. It’s all maggots, down there. Some are much livelier than others, but still maggots. Not that any of that’s going to stop Patton, though. What’s that thing people tend to say about hope?

*

v.

Back straight, hands clasped, chair pulled up tight as it can go to the lip of the kitchen table. His leg jitters on the underside of the table, his nervousness invisible in the darkness.

“I just want to see,” Thomas says.

Missus Hades hums lowly to herself, before raising her cigarette up and away, letting the smoke peel off towards the dark ceiling tiles. The lights buzz, or maybe that’s the bees. “You really won’t like what you find, you know.”

“Let me guess,” says Virgil, pressed up tight in the corner like he’s trying to melt into Thomas’s side. “We never do.”

“Don’t know about that,” she says. “Far as I’m aware, you’ve never asked. I just know you’re really not going to like it.”

The smoke doesn’t smell scratchy and musty in the way that Thomas expects cigarette-smoke to smell. It’s like a bonfire. Maybe a bit floral. A hint of nostalgia to it.

“We’ve been doing this for so long,” Logan says. The lighting in here does weird things to his glasses, makes them all honey-red-shiny and alien. He doesn’t come in here often, never has. “If it doesn’t impact us, surely there’s no harm in telling us. And if it does, we really would like to know.”

Missus Hades leans sideways, bends down to skritch-scratch one of her larger-than-average pets behind its ears, or where its ears would be. They seem to enjoy it, at the very least. Her smile is sideways and strange and barely genuine. “Now what’s that they say about curiosity, again?”

“There’s no cats down here,” Roman points out. “Just bees.”

“An unholy amount of bees,” Janus mutters, shifting back into the shadows. He never seems to like Hades’s house. Not that any of them do, but – well.

“Fine,” says Hades, and stubs out her cigarette, crushing it under the heel of one shining chitinous hand. “Now, follow me, and don’t you go and say I didn’t warn you.”

You’d think that the layout of Missus Hades’s house would be simple, looking at it from the outside. But two hallways down and two stairways up and three right turns (and not necessarily in that order, either) and none of them could even begin to recall how to get to where they’re going.

It’s in the middle of a hallway like any other, in fact. Just another room in a house far too vast for one person to live in alone. Looks like she and her wife haven’t quite fixed things up properly, not this time around, but oh well. There’s always time and there’s always next time.

The door is locked and the door is solid metal. Not a lot of metal down here, come to think of it, not in the buildings. It’s just for the garden gates and the deadbolts, and anything made to keep people out.

Hades fishes for keys in the deep thick pockets of her long skirts. Thomas watches, and so do everyone else. They’re all here, which is nice – it doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s better when they’re all together.

“All right,” says Hades, and the door unlocks with a click. She pushes it open, flicks on the lights, and steps back.

It’s clean; almost obsessively tidy. The knives are sharp and shiny, the equipment not new but definitely well-maintained. The butcher knows what she’s doing. It would almost be pristine if it weren’t for the bloodied countertop and the source of the meat, which is –

Thomas takes an instinctive step back.

There is a pile of him on the ground, in various states of decay and dismemberment.

He recognizes the shirts, even. Lots of flowers. He’s always liked the flower shirts. His gaze travels sideways, to the countertop where a new steak is being prepared.

Oh. All right.

Okay.

“I really don’t know what I expected,” Thomas says.

Hades shrugs; the shifting of a mountain. Her face is impassive, although she seems to be watching him closely. “Neither do I, if I’m completely honest.”

Virgil says, “I’m going to go throw up now,” and does. He at least goes to do it outside, which is kind of him. The smells’ awful enough in here as it is.  

“I’ve heard of eating your heart out, but...” Patton trails off, and winces, going pale. “...Nevermind. I’m going to go join Virgil.”

“Well, hey,” says Remus. “It kind of makes sense. You are what you eat, you know?”

“Remus,” says Logan flatly. “Please shut up.”

“You don’t like me much, do you?” Thomas asks.

Hades tilts her head; her version of a startled blink. She sounds genuinely confused when she asks, “What makes you say that?”

“You are repeatedly carving up Thomas’s lifeless remains to serve to variations on his personality as a last meal,” Logan summarizes, rather succinctly – his steady voice a neat counterpoint to the whiteness of his knuckles and the faint trembling of his lips. “Are you telling me that is how you treat people you hold any sort of affection for?”

“You were hungry,” comes the reply. “I never forced you to eat, only served you the meal. Why for the love of all things above and below would that mean I hold any sort of animosity towards you? I don’t not like you, Thomas Sanders. And trust me, if I disliked you, you’d know about it.”

Logan stares at her for a long, long moment, and then turns on his heel and walks out of the room as fast as he can.

After a moment, Roman follows, not even saying a word.

Janus takes Thomas’s arm, and steers him out of the butchery. “Next time, let’s pick something other than the steak to fixate on, hm?” he says, voice entirely too calm.

“Hm, I’ll drink to that,” Thomas agrees, letting himself be steered. “And drink. And drink. And keep on drinking. Hey, let’s go to Seph’s right now; I feel like developing a major alcohol dependency for the sake of my own mental health. Who’s with me?”

They pretty much all are, not that it matters. This time around is going to be over soon enough, just like the others, and it really is completely up to chance whether any of them will remember this, or will remember it in time, or will even care.

Hades, alone in the butcher’s room, picks up a clean knife. She weighs it from side to side, thoughtful. She doesn’t exactly understand all the fuss – meat is meat, after all, no matter where it comes from. She doesn’t regret sharing the information, only that her wife may be upset by the fallout.

She’s wearing her nice clothes, and she never likes staining the gold and white – it’s absolute hell to get out, and she of all people knows that’s not an exaggeration – so she replaces the knife and casts one last glance around the room before turning and stepping out with the shift shift shift of moving fabric and the gentle clik-clak of boots on marble floor.

The light clicks off.

The smell of meat lingers.

*

[l0chn3ss]

l0chn3ss update

I feel like the last time I ever really active on tumblr was in the year 2016, so i want to address my absence between 2017-2020. Part of it is because I feel like I owe it to my friends and mutuals who I just basically left on read and another part is because I’ve always treated this blog as a personal blog that documents my life and my growth. I put off writing this for a long time but now that I have a huge paper due, now is definitely the time.

You are welcome to skip but I will address a few hard hitting questions I feel should be answered, especially since I feel like I departed like an anti-hero of a bad tv show.

Where I am currently: I am in grad school to obtain a master’s in library and information science. I have a full time job at different middle school libraries, though I work from home now. I also tutor kids on the side to pay for my tuition because I basically make minimum wage. Quarantine messed with my head at first, but now I’m feeling much better and I’m trying to reconnect with friends and close a lot of loose ends.

TLDR: I took an extended break because tumblr mobile sucks and my laptop needed serious repairs. I made a huge migration away from social media in 2018. I prioritized my education and in-person connections, which fell to shit because of my fandom involvement in the past. I did not like the direction of the main fandom I participated in and knew that many of the people I once respected did not respect me in return/ Us versus them mentality. I recognized that I treated my life on tumblr too seriously and took petty drama personally. I am sporadically on tumblr now because I genuinely enjoy the social connection and because I still like running fandom events.

Yes, you can reblog this. I’d love for this narrative to be heard.

Long version: To preface this, this post is being written to give myself closure and because I really am procrastinating on my final big paper of this semester. I’ll be tackling on the points in the tldr in a longer narrative that will appear to be in an expository fashion, which I recognize will be a source of contention, but my intentions are to throw it onto the table so that I can be freed. I can let it go and move on. I’m no longer a 20 years old who cared too much of what other people think and will think; I think differing perspectives are important and I want to give myself a chance to say my piece. That and I recognize that I lost the audience that I once had, so I doubt this will be an issue at all. It’s been 4 or what ever years, let’s just not.

Back in 2015-2016 there was a huge back and forth between three groups of people in the SE fandom. The reason why I’m not listing out the name is because I don’t want this to show up in the tags. I’d say that the three groups could be seen as quite literally the soma shippers (mostly white, demi sexual girls), lgbt centric bloggers (very kid or star oriented, very fed up with soma), and the people who were deemed as alright to soma shippers (c r ona, ste inm arie, jac k im centric people). There was a constant (and understandable) tension between the first two groups while the third was like the weird cousin that everyone in the social circles liked because they sprinkled in soma for the masses. Don’t argue with me on this-- this was literally how the fandom was in 2015 and you know it.

The main issue was that one group felt that they were being inclusive towards identities and sexualities while the other felt that they were not. I remember that one of the arguments was that soma WAS an LGBT ship because people headcanonned the members to be demisexual. However, the other side of the argument was that it wasn’t good representation of a gay pairing. Now that we can look back at this 5 years later, I have two things to say: 1, I now very much understand why the argument broke out because of how heated the topic is, and I do believe that I lean more towards the “other side” now that I’m not wearing rose tinted glasses, but 2, I need to make it clear that demi people are lgbt, but a headcanon is not fact and ship diversity was the main question at hand, not the ship itself. This argument lasted for weeks, destroyed my friendships, and no matter what I felt I did in the moment (which was to mend the fandom), it was taken as an insult.

(Side note: Somethings that I remember was being in someone’s DM’s to encourage them to participate in the large fandom events more, but once they twisted my intentions and rallied their friends, I became their enemy. I also became the mods’ enemy but then again, when was I not? I was made fun of for saying “queergender,” a term that is now currently being widely used, quite openly by someone I wanted desperately to be friends with. I was outwardly mocked by popular users who only apologized behind closed doors but didn’t bother to clear things up with their followers. Adults who were in their 30s quite literally attacked a 19 year old. It was in that moment that I realized I would never become friends with either side, and not because I didn’t want to.)

I bring this up because as I begun to stop writing soma fics, I also begun to see and understand why people moved away from it. It wasn’t the ship itself, it was the culture surrounding it. However, on tumblr we have the ability to connect intensely with the content we produce. Therefore, the ship itself began to be connected with the shippers and their attitudes towards outside pairings-- that attitude being tied into elitism.

I say this with every ounce of love I can because I once had the exact same mannerism. When you become so tied into one pairing to the point where other ships appear to threaten the existence of it and you react negatively towards it, you become rancid. The popular tag “everything is soma” takes a very dark turn. Even if readers consume another pairing’s work, they will be obliged to say “I ship soma more BUT that was cute.” They will read an entirely different topic and wonder why soma wasn’t inserted into it in the background. They will reject pairings that separate the two as if breaking them up is sin and an insult.

The only reason why I stopped writing my soma fics in 2016 was because I saw a real need to fill in the gaps of other pairings. I took what people were saying to heart and I wanted to change my ways and my perceptions. I saw the animosity of the ship culture and rejected it. I wanted to use what little influence I had to make the fandom just a bit more accepting. In 2016, I don’t think the fandom was ready for it. In 2017, they still weren’t ready for it. In 2020, I see hope, but I wonder sometimes if it’s masqueraded pity because of previous treatment.

In the middle of it all, I went from being the soma angst master to becoming the weird person everyone once knew. I was the friend that people excluded from group chats and I just “wasn’t the same.” Cliques grew extremely large in power in 2017 and exclusion hurt like a bitch.

The straw that broke the camel’s back and completely shut me down was in 2017 when I was graduating as a bachelor. There was a fandom event that I decided to go all in to. For context, there used to be a huge debate on how many times a person should enter in an event, but in my mind, the more exposure the better. My graduation and the event took place at the exact same time, which was cool, but what hurt me was what happened after.

I was lucky enough to be accepted into field school (when you travel to do outdoor excavating) for my major. I’m an anthropologist-- it was an honor. I didn’t plan in advance for it, and if anything, I thought that I would be committed completely to the events and my 5 or what ever entries at the time. I’ve always prided myself in communicating with others, so I made sure to let my partners in the event know what was going on. I was so excited to be going on my first ever excavation and no one at the time said anything otherwise, in fact, they all seemed incredibly supportive. 

What I didn’t know was that I would be called out by name in the event feedback response by one person who felt that I didn’t take the event seriously enough and that I should’ve prioritized my time accordingly. Two of the mods let me know because it referred to me directly, though the name of the submitter was not included. It was not only a slap in the face, but a dumbfound moment that reminded me that wow, fandom content really is someone’s life out there. My enforced silence because of lack of internet in the woods actually upset someone and made them believe that I wronged them, because I put my real life ambitions first before a fandom event.

It was then when I woke up and I remember very clearly thinking to myself: I don’t want to be like them. I don’t want to treat my fandom life seriously. I want to participate in fandom for fun, not out of duty. I don’t want to prioritize this life because in the end, if I am hated for putting my work and education first, then I don’t want it.

(For context, I suspect that it was the same person who made a 200 note call out on me during the fandom tension. I respected this person immensely, but I also treated them like the flawed person I believe everyone is. I’m sure because of this, I’m pretty much trash in their eyes, which is totally fine. They have really cute cats so they can’t be all too bad. Don’t look into it too deeply.)

Once my month long field school was up, I was already used to not being on the internet or any of my social media accounts. I didn’t play my mobile games for a month. I didn’t read the news for a month. It was like going cold turkey on the internet, which reshaped my habits entirely. The only time that I had online within that time span was during the weekend, but I spent my time working on my projects and catching up with friends instead of being on apps.

I was also completely fed up with tumblr’s mobile app at the time, so one by one, I deleted my apps. Good bye to tumblr, snapchat, what little I used of instagram, twitter, everything. The only thing I kept was facebook, which was because it is the main platform that I use to message my boyfriend. That meant that any friends I retained from the fandom (who I still contact now) were also friends who had the chance to add me on facebook.

This was the cause of my 2 or 3 year hiatus on tumblr, and therefore the fandom. I occasionally checked back every 6 months to do a few fandom events, but I have several unopened messages and notifications that I haven’t been able to get to. I open my instagram for a few days once a year, and I only go onto twitter if my friends tell me (through facebook) that they dm’d me a post there.

When I left my online persona behind, I quickly strengthened my in person connections. New drama that erupted every other day became replaced with starbucks and boba runs. Reality TV shows replaced fanfiction. Text messages replaced the tumblr activity feed (which still doesn’t work on mobile BTW). I study at cafes unironically with friends instead of typing alone in my room. Overall, it opened my world considerably.

I still like making fun of myself and I try not to take myself seriously. I still make self depreciative memes to send to friends but then double up with kermit heart pics. I’m still a plot bunny, I still write my fics, I still watch my anime, I still play video games, I still sleep at 4am, I still take my depression medication, I still love potatoes, I still use my voice for people who can’t find theirs yet. But I think I’m in a much healthier mindset now, even if I still make stupid shifty posts calling out bad behavior.

Nowadays, I’m working on my Master’s degree in secret. My parents don’t know about it because my mom doesn’t like that I want to go out and do unladylike things like getting an education. I tutor kiddos and I’m really good with younger children, but I’m not going to do anything with kids because I just don’t want to. Instead, I want to work at an archive or a museum to bring my library interests and my anthropology background together. If I had my dream job, I would be a marine archaeologist; however I love my boyfriend of 8 years whom you probably all remember and I really came to terms with my grandeur dreams. I’m extremely happy with living in a small town with loved ones now, and I don’t need to move somewhere far away from my parents to be content. It’s a huge realization.

From 2018 to 2020 I got into actual drama in person while I was job hunting. Adult people suck and honestly it’s kind of embarrassing how ill equipped some people are. Even so, I currently work in middle schools as a media assistant. One of those realms is the library, and honestly it’s like fulfilling a prophecy. As much as I love the social aspect, public schools are an absolute train wreck.

I’m going to wrap this up now. This post is meant to help me close the past and move forward because the fandom culture feels different now. Things from several years ago don’t need to resurface. I want to enjoy my life fully, and fandom life is one of those aspects that I truly did enjoy. I’m going to keep using my voice and act like a fool, but I’m also not going to be losing sleep because of this. People are going to talk about you no matter what, whether positively or negatively, and it’s important to not take it personally.

Idk, go enjoy yourselves. Do things for yourself. It’s more fun that way.

[fiction-in-my-blood]

Switching Sides: Part 2 (HLITF)

Aaaannndddd once again I would LOVE to thank my girl @theshove for being my editor in chief and making my writing reach a HIGHER level I could never reach without your help. Thank you so much for making sense of my poorly grammar-ed sentences haha. 

Also, if anyone possibly wants to get on a tag list I’d be happy to make one 

👉👈

If you wanna catch up, Part 1 is right here! Happy reading :)

Premise: Growing up in a life of crime in a Japanese mafia, Atsuko Motomori has seen enough injustice to last her a lifetime. To try and give back to the universe her family has taken so much from, she dreams of being a detective from a young age. Her twin, sharing her disgust for her father and many uncles, just wants an ordinary life away from the crime, paing and suffering. Instead, she wants to be in the spotlight with the soft notes she makes with her cello. In their escape of 2015, on their coming of age birthday, they must split ways, never to be together ever again. If one was found, they didn’t want the other dragged down with them. Atsuko, having changed her name and appearance as best she can without a scalpel, sets off to start her life of car chases and arrests.

Four years in a seemingly dead-end police station in the middle of nowhere, being passed over time after time for promotion, Atsuko finally gets a shot at her dream, having been sent to an academy for the best candidates in the country by her boss who had always kept an eye out for her. After discovering her boss may have made her bite off more than she could chew, Atsuko must become the slave of a dominating instructor!? Who so just happens to be the captain of the most famous police unit in Japan? Not to mention a total knockout! Will Atsuko finally achieve her dream? Or will her new instructor put her through the wringer?

Warnings: Language, reference to sexual activity/forceful nature.

~~~~~~

‘A servant? Did he confuse that with a full-time aid?’ I tried to reason with his wording of my job title. As the room was lit by the setting sun and filters out into the corridor, I stood there in silence, thinking about what I'd just gotten myself into.

"Motomori, who will you partner with?" Ishigami closed the book of names and held it under his arm, keeping a close eye on how I was reacting. Letting my eyes meet each one of the detectives' before me, I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves. 

"Instructor Kaga, please," I announced. Although he seemed the most stern out of all the men, I took that as a sign of someone worn away by his experience. Which only meant there was more to learn from him. Right?

The announcement of my choice of instructor led Shinonome to laugh at my bravado. "Now that's something. Choosing Hyogo is pretty fitting for our little overachiever." The youngest instructor couldn't help but sound amused as the man I had chosen showed a concerned expression. As he looked me up and down, I stood with more confidence than I really had. 

After the Captain's silent review of me, Ishigami progressed through the other pairings. I glanced at Kaga and saw him taking a phone call. "Yeah... I'll take care of it." With his back turned to me, I only heard a minuscule amount of the conversation. 

"Kaga, you'll be going after this person." When the other Captain tried to hand over a folder, which I was sure had the case we should be working on inside, Kaga continued his conversation while pointing in my direction. He told Ishigami to give me the folder holding the information we'd need for the undercover assignment. 

"These are documents for the instructor." Ishigami frowned, obviously tired of Kaga's dismissiveness. Kaga begrudgingly took the folder before thrusting it into my chest. 

"Read it." He demanded and then finished his phone call. 

"I'm sure you understand, but-" Ishigami was cut off by Kaga crossing his arms. 

"I understand perfectly well." His mood seemed to worsen as the two talked. They continued to bicker as the rest of the instructors watched. I'm sure it was difficult to butt in on the Captains' discussions. 

"Squad leaders should get along..." Shinonome frowned as we watched, me not knowing what else to do except just stand there. 

"These two will go as far as a fistfight." Instructor Soma's comment made me worry that all the expensive equipment in this room would be damaged if someone didn't intervene soon enough. When Soma directed a question to Goto to see if he agreed, the messy-haired man just stood there in silence. 

"I can hear all of you." Kaga scowled as he took a cigarette out of his suit pocket. I knew smoking wasn't allowed in the building, having seen the signs next to most of the doorways, however I decided it best not to make him aware. ‘I mean, he has worked here longer than me.’

‘He is the freaking instructor, Atsuko.’ The voice in my head made me want to metaphorically face-palm. It was clear just by the way the instructor stood he didn’t care much for rules or regulations. 

"Don't get in my way." As he walked towards the door, Kaga made what sounded like a threat to me. 

"Didn't even think about it." I forced a smile, knowing full well he would likely trample over me if I took even a step out of line. If I was going to learn from this man, I would have to watch what he did instead of asking questions. 

"What're you standing around for? Come." Turning back to where I had been standing, I woke myself up from the pit of despair I had thrown myself into. 

‘What did you think was going to happen?’ I quickly followed as he gestured me over with a jerk of his head. 

~~~~~~

Sitting in the Captain's car, I couldn't help but feel anxious with the silence that thickened the air. According to the file given to us by Ishigami, we had to infiltrate a beach bar... But we were heading in the opposite direction from the sea. We were driving downtown. 

"Umm, sir, the file says the destination is-" Kaga, once again, cutting somebody off mid sentence. 

"Shut up," he spat, taking me aback with how rude he was. 

‘I guess that ‘scum’ comment wasn't too out of character for him, then’ I thought, stricken into silence but sighing on the inside. I turned to gaze out the window, praying that I could get through the day without being caught out for being inferior to what my file suggested. 

~~~~~~

When we stopped, I found myself inside a love hotel. My heart raced with worry, recognising the name as a brand my father ran when I was still living at home. He was a gang leader. With a strong mafia at that. He had his dirty little fingers in every industry that had some form of shady business going on. It's what made me hate him so much. The things he did, the things he made me watch, it's what made me want to become a detective. I wanted to pay the universe back for all the bad stuff he had done, and maybe one day find the evidence to arrest him. God knows, the police he had under his claws and henchmen doing his dirty work had delayed that for long enough. 

We made our way to the room booked for us, or, more aptly, for Kaga. Meanwhile, I tried to hide my face from the receptionist as discreetly as I could, not wanting them to somehow recognise me. Even though I did my makeup differently from when I was younger, had dyed my hair black from its original brown, dressed differently and even held myself differently, there wasn't much else I could do to change my appearance without making it trackable. I couldn't get surgery because then I would be in the government system; I know, somehow, they'd be able to track me, even if the profile I had now was completely different. 

"Hey, um... What're we doing here?"  I asked as I closed the door behind me, the eeriness of the red room making my eyes dart around for any hidden cameras or listening devices. I remembered my father telling me about all the politicians he had on tape and all the people he’d bribed with that information.

"I'm pretty sure I said shut up." Kaga spat, also inspecting the room. I frowned at his rudeness and flipped the switch that turned on the electricity for the room. All the lights went out, causing Kaga to spin around and glare at me in the darkness.

"Don't you know what your position is? Don't interfere." His frown deepened as he stormed back to where I was standing. He was obviously offended I had turned off the lights. 

"Love hotels are famous for secret cameras. They're turned on when the electricity switch is flipped. I thought you wouldn't want to risk getting caught." I smiled up to him with a spiteful thought hidden behind it. ‘This guy…’

Probably annoyed with how much sense my statement made, Kaga turned back to the centre of the room. ‘Is he really that easily annoyed?’ I chuckled to myself, not wanting to be reprimanded for intentionally frustrating my instructor.

The two of us were now alone in a dark room with nothing but a bed and mirrors on the ceiling. Not to mention a love hotel. I was painfully aware of what the room represented and everything that had ever happened in it due to the stillness in the air with the air-con off. Memories of what my father encouraged my sister and I to do in our youth flashed back, causing me to shake them out of my head. 

"Why're you so nervous?" Sitting on the large bed, Kaga raised his brow at me while I stood awkwardly away from him. I could see a concerned look on the Captain's face as he brought me back to earth. I could tell he wasn't concerned about my feelings, but rather about how naive and stupid I must seem. I didn't want to walk any further into the establishment than I had to, so I stuck my ground. 

"N-No reason." I grew shy, knowing I had no connection to my past life on my file and not wanting him to have a clue to think I would. 

"Oh?" A mischievous grin grew on my instructor's face and my senses heightened. With that, Kaga grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me down onto the bed aggressively. Even though he was only holding my wrist, I struggled to move. My heart began to race in fear of what he was trying to do. Growing up with the most erratic people as guardians, I didn't want to guess what his plan was. 

"This morning was totally screwed up, thanks to you." He frowned down at me, that same demeaning look conveyed on his surprisingly handsome face. You would never guess his personality was as cruel as he was if it wasn't for the eternal crease between his brows. Feeling the anxiousness of an expected punishment, my breath gets caught in my throat. 

"How do you plan on making it up to me?" His grin returned as he held my wrists harder than necessary. Despite the smirk, his eyes were cold and expressionless. There was no way I was going to allow what he was insinuating to happen, so I pushed against his hands with all my might while somehow snaking my foot high enough to push on his stomach. 

However, before I could attempt to catapult him off, he covered my mouth with his hand. I looked at him like he was crazy, but because I hadn’t done much training lately, I couldn’t push him off me.

"Don't talk." He hissed, rising up from being inches away from my face. Then, I saw him pull something from my ear. It was an earpiece, making me wonder when he was able to put it there, not to mention without my knowing it was there. "This will make for a huge amount of evidence." He explained to himself. My mind, already in disarray, went into a confusion like no other. "It was worth the effort of getting it on." He looked at me suggestively as I sat up with unsure thoughts. 

‘So... He didn't lead me here for something worse?’ My brows furrowed as I thought back to the moments leading up to this, embarrassed and angry that I thought it would come to that. It was concerning to see his demeanour change from what I just saw to the victorious look on his face. He looked down at me, still sitting on the bed with a dejected expression, seemingly noticing my staring. 

"What're you just sitting there for?" He laughed at my appearance, my apprehension rising due to how laid back he was. Maybe it was because of where I was, but I was more sensitive to the casual restriction he just put me in. I looked away, not wanting to say something I'd regret. 

Then, I felt him leaning over me and I quickly turned my gaze back to him. I panicked. His face was nearer than I expected it to be as he jerked forward. I jumped back, the memories of intimidation tactics used on me before resurfacing from my past. 

"Did you really think I was being serious earlier?" He almost laughed at the notion. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have any problems with women." He inched closer again and it took everything in my being to not smack that pretty face of his. If I assaulted a detective, I would be expelled from the academy and likely arrested. Not to mention the scene it would cause being dragged out of here. "I'm not so desperate that I'd go after some inexperienced brat." He smirked before getting up from the bed, talking to me like I was the idiot. 

"What did you bring me here for..." Having had the time to understand that I would be safe and de-escalate my anger, I quickly regathered myself and straightened my back. "...If not for my training?" Looking at his suited back, I started to think back to why I was actually here. 

"I've got more important things to do than that useless nonsense." He explained spitefully. 

‘Then why become an instructor?’ I scowled to myself, knowing full well this man had no intention of teaching anyone anything. 

"Well, thanks to you so boldly choosing me, I pulled off some undercover work." He turned with another victorious smile. I was frozen silent, not knowing what would come out of this intimidating man's mouth next. Then, he pulled out his cellphone. 

"It's me. Yeah... the bug was a success. I've got enough evidence, so I'm withdrawing. You keep on going, sneak in and stay on the guy's tail." When he ended the call with his subordinate, the Captain quickly headed for the door. I was still frozen, trying to calm my racing heart from the panic I was in before.

"What're you doing?" Kaga turned back to me. "Staying?" My gaze darted up at the horrifying idea. 

"If you are, go search the room next door. Make sure you come back here." At the mere notion of real detective work,. Before I could say a thing, the frowning returned. 

"Too bad. You're not ready." The curt response was a deep cut to my confidence. Searching a room for anything fishy was probably one of the only things I came to the academy being able to do. But, before I could speak my piece, Kaga turned and left. 

~~~~~~

By that night, the long, rigorous day had completely worn me out; I'm sure my classmates also fared the same. I arrived at the dorms the academy made us stay in and threw myself onto my couch. ‘Could Kaga's mission possibly be for an investigation on my father?’ I thought back to where the excursion took place and the idea made my heart flutter. For years I had wished and prayed for retribution for all the wrong-doings my father and his goons had accomplished. The thought of his vicious crimes being aired out like dirty laundry brought a smile to my weary face. 

Getting off the comfortable couch, I retrieved a box from under my bed. It was small and light; there wasn't much in it. I opened it to find loads of old photographs. Some of them were heartwarming: my twin sister and I playing around or hugging each other. 

But, I’d only put them in there to hide what I was really storing: Pictures of crime scenes my father had left out in our living room or secluded garden. I once caught him in the act; that photo was in there too. I had an old tie with blood on it. A passport with a different identity than I had registered into the academy with. My mother's ring was knocking around in there somewhere. 

I hardly knew my mother. There are no pictures of us together and no one talked about her after she left us. The ‘family’. She couldn't take what my father and his ‘brothers’ did any longer and ran away, leaving her two daughters behind. I'm pretty sure she's dead now. Otherwise my father would have found her at some point. 

I came to realise that soon before my 18th birthday that my father didn't really care about us; he just wanted a lineage. So, I somehow convinced my sister to run with me. I assured her that I had a plan that would get us the lives we wanted for a little while. I had trained to go on the run; my father taught me all the techniques the cops used to track fugitives. That, along with a little help from a friend from my youth judo club, was all I needed to get us new identities and places to live. It wasn't easy at first, having to split from the person you had literally been with since birth. But, it was the only way to ensure one of us would be safe if the other was caught. 

It was also difficult to work up a good enough resume to get myself into the police force. The name Atsuko Motomori had never existed before four years ago. It was risky to lie about the qualifications I had when, in my past life, I never gained any. I was homeschooled to ensure I wouldn't be coaxed away by true, lawful policemen investigating my father or my ‘uncles’.

Looking through these memories and reliving my awful excuse for a childhood, I happily remembered why I was condemning myself to this place and people like Captain Kaga. I wanted to make sure my sister and I would be safe. And the only way I could do that was by locking them all up for the rest of their lives.

As I mulled over the bloody scenes within the box, I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, not used to company, and knocked the box off my lap. 

"Crap!" I whispered to myself, trying to clear everything away as quickly as possible. 

"Who is it?" I called out after collecting most of the contents, having double-checked the area for any compromising pictures. 

"Atsuko~! I come with food!" The cheery voice of my only female ally chimsed from the other side of the door. 

"Naruko, what're you doing here?" I questioned while opening the door. The food she was trying to bribe me with was a pack of potato chips and a soda from the vending machines downstairs. 

"I'm pooped, so I thought you might be even more worse off." The bubbly attitude helped her push herself into my dorm room. 

"You're not wrong there." Happy to have some form of womanly friendship after so many years of trying to keep to myself, I lazily followed her to the couch. 

"So how was it with the Satan reincarnate?" She giggled to herself, lowering her voice at the insulting part of her question. Maybe she feared he would hear her. I wouldn't be surprised if they had us under surveillance to see what we did after hours. Or if the Captain had supersonic, selective hearing. 

"It was... an experience." Trying to keep up my half of the deal I made with my instructor, I put on a tired smile. Kaga promised to pass me if I didn't tell anyone he had bunked the undercover training. 

"You want a drink? I think I've got some tea somewhere." Quickly attempting to change the subject, I wandered off to the small kitchenette in the corner of my room. 

As I prepared the beverages, Naruko spoke up out of nowhere. 

"Oh, Atsuko, what's this?" She called out and my blood ran cold. ‘Did I miss a picture? Was it something possibly incriminating?’ Wild thoughts circulated my brain at the possibility of getting caught. Having gory images of dead men stored away in my room wouldn't be easily explained. 

Hesitantly, I turned with a questioning smile, just waiting for her to let out some form of horror or disgust. Instead, though, I found her looking at an old polaroid photo with a loving smile. 

"You didn't tell me you had a sister!" She asked and I cocked my head, glancing at the image she waved at me. It was of my sister and I, building sandcastles on a beach when we were kids. My heart stopped as I remembered the scene.

That picture was of the day before my mother left. She had somehow convinced my father to let her take us out- which was a strange occurrence. Even if my father wasn't overbearing, which he definitely was, she didn't like going out much. It was summer and hot, and we would only annoy him, being locked in the house. I'm pretty sure I remembered at least three bodyguards surrounding our section of the sand, though.

I smiled at the painful memory, a happy one buried underneath so much hurt, and looked at the brown-haired girl with two short pigtails, dressed in a pink bathing suit. I don't think I've had a smile that big on my face in a long time. 

"Well, I, uh..." Not knowing how to respond, I just made noises. 

"She must be so proud of you for making it into this academy." She laughed and the statement only hurt me. 

"She's not really in my life anymore." I smiled sadly sitting next to her so I could look at the picture more in-depth. I could see a sliver of a man in a suit to the left of the picture's edge, closest to where I was, and something was slightly poking out of his waistband. To Naruko, it probably looked like a shadow of a tree or something less sinister than what it was, but it was likely one of the bodyguards with a gun hidden away. 

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Atsuko." Naruko sounded so sad to hear I wasn't in contact with my sister anymore. We did look really happy in that picture. 

"Nah, it's alright. That's just how life goes." I took the picture from her and looked at it for a bit longer, concentrating more on my sister's face, even though it was an exact replica of mine, before slipping it through the crack between the lid of the box and the box itself. I didn't want my new friend catching a glimpse of anything in there.

"You sound so wise," Naruko giggled, maybe trying to help me feel happier again and lighten the mood.

"You make me sound like an old man," I laughed, jokingly hitting her arm like I was offended. 

"You shouldn't say such wistful things then." She laughed back as I headed back to the kettle to pour us some tea. 

We chatted for a little longer, mainly about what her training had consisted of, before Naruko went back to her room. Once she was gone, I sighed, glad that the picture she had found underneath my coffee table wasn't anything more frightening. Sliding the small box back under my bed, I began getting ready for a good night's rest. 

~~~~~~

Waking up the next day was... rough. Staying up later, thanks to Naruko, and the subconscious worry I’d because of what happened at the love hotel, I’d probably only got a few hours of sleep. 

‘Right, I have to get today right, at least’, I told myself, throwing my legs over the side of my bed. Ishigami already had it in for me because of the train situation - I'm sure all of the special instructors did - but I wasn't going to let that stop me from doing my best. ‘For us.’ Thinking back to the picture that had been found on my floor, I used that as encouragement to continue my life as though nothing had happened.

~~~~~~

In my first class, I could see Naruko already sitting down. She commented on how she hadn't seen me in the cafeteria for breakfast. "I wonder whose fault that is?" I playfully blamed her for making me wake up late. As we continued to chat mindlessly, I couldn’t help but think back to the limited facilities the academy had for women. ‘Well, at least the food and living quarters are good.’ 

"The real lectures are finally going to start today." Likely having it easier than I had yesterday, Naruko had a fire of ambition in her eyes. Luckily, our first class was in the classroom and not martial arts training, otherwise her passion might hurt someone. Our lectures consisted of a wide range of expert topics ranging from using tracking equipment to how to de-escalate a situation to undercover work. 

As we discussed what we would be studying here, the memory of how I was handled yesterday manifested on my wrists. I rubbed them, trying to get rid of the feeling of Kaga's hands. 

"Something wrong?" Noticing my anxiousness, Naruko peered into my face. As I told her “I’m fine”, she remembered how we never talked about my experiences yesterday. 

"I'm pretty sure I passed. If not, I don't think I'd still be here." I laughed off the subject, knowing how strict the instructors seemed to my friend. 

"Did you hear? Students who failed were severely punished." An uneasy expression laid itself on Naruko's face and I also started to feel sympathy for those that weren't as lucky as us. As we wondered about what the punishments were, Naruko got that grin she’d had during the ceremony yesterday. 

"I wonder what kind of punishment I would have gotten." The excited aura she was giving off only made a chill run down my back thinking about how much worse the Captain could be.

Intruding on my thoughts, the instructor delivering our lecture walked in and started the lesson. When it was over, I rushed to change into the attire I would need for our next bout of training on the grounds.

~~~~~~

As Naruko and I arrived on the pitch, everyone was lined up in front of Instructor Soma. He frowned at us, stating how late we were. "Sorry about that, Instructor. We took too long in the shower room." Maybe too casual with the man because of his usual laid back aura, we both bowed deeply. 

"Yes, there's no women's locker room, is there?" A small smile finally returned to his face as we rose again. "It's the first time, so I'll go easy on you. But, I won't go easy on you next time." Even though he looked kind, anyone could tell he didn't give any leeway. 

"There won't be a next time, sir," I replied rather confidently and the instructor almost seemed amused.

Naruko and I went to line up in the very back. The girl who couldn't seem to keep her feelings to herself whispered to me about how nice he seemed and how good looking he was. Thinking back to how Kaga treated me, I couldn't help but quietly agree. ‘There would definitely be no such leniency with him.’ I thought about all the awful punishments or torture methods the Captain could know as we continued our training.

Soma had us perform a fitness exam. We hadn't had a break since the class started when he called out my name to be tested. I stretched the pain out of my legs quickly, not wanting to cramp up. 

"Woah, Atsuko! You have a scary look in your eye!" Naruko, as tired out as I was, laughed nervously. You might say I was competitive. I would say I was trying to prove my worth to the classes of men who didn't think I belonged here. 

"Just tryna keep my head in the game." I jumped on my toes as the instructor called out my name again. "Coming!" 

Jogging over to him, I noticed that even the guys were looking visibly tired due to our endless training. I, on the other hand, although exhausted, had trained like this since I could walk. I was used to being able to hide the physical pain in order to not get shouted at for being weak. 

~~~~~~

For our last lecture of the day, feeling like I had been brought through the wringer, we all filtered into the Monitor Room. Maybe too nervous yesterday to get a good look at the room, I overheard my classmates gossiping about the surveillance equipment surrounding us. Not only were there cameras of the school grounds, but some screens showed destinations all over the country. 

"Don't you think just using this room would make for an easy investigation?" Overhearing one student comment, I couldn't help but agree. Knowing how much the pictures under my bed were worth, who knows how vital a video of a crime would be to an investigation. You just needed to be able to prove they weren't doctored. 

As the instructor lectured, I noticed Naruko resting on my shoulder. "Come on, Naruko. Just a bit longer." I shook her while keeping an eye out for anyone that might rat her out. 

"You can talk. You're a machine, Atsuko," she whined under her breath.

Suddenly, before I could laugh at her comment, another voice spoke up behind us. 

"Sasaki, go to the medical office if you're drowsy." Instructor Shinonome piped up and we both jumped to attention, having not felt anyone around us. Even though the man was grinning, there was something evil behind that childish face of his. 

"Ah! S-Sorry! I'm okay!" Naruko instantly woke up at the prospect of getting punished. 

"If anyone else wants to sleep, you can tell me. They put you through it on the first day, so I expect you're all tired." Shinonome's offer almost sounded like a chance to get us expelled. Or, it did to me anyway. Everyone else looked relieved at the kind sentiment. 

"Okay, that's all for today's class then. Great work everyone." A cheerful smile returned to his face as I eyed him suspiciously. The man I saw in the shower room on my first day was hidden under that friendly persona he had on. 

"Oh, right. Can those who I call stay after class for a moment?" And there it was! The not so innocent catch to his kind offer. Those who would be called were definitely being thrown to the wolves in order to save the rest of us.

As Shinonome began to read out the list, he directed his gaze to the monitor. He called out a few names before looking directly at me. "Lastly, Atsuko Motomori." His face had no note of malicious intent, however, I couldn't help but not trust it. As I gasped to myself, he dismissed our classmates. 

"Atsuko, what did you do?" Naruko whispered as our free classmates shuffled out around us. 

"I-I don't think I did anything?" I panicked, thinking back over the day, trying to find anything that could warrant me being reprimanded. Looking over to those also called, I could see they were just as nervous. Why were we the one's held back? 

‘Maybe... Kaga's mission was discovered?’ I couldn't help but wonder if we’d been caught as Naruko left me sitting where I was. 

"Don't be so nervous. I'm not going to get angry." The happy smile on Shinonome's face helped calm the others in the room. Even I was somewhat relieved by his words. "How were they? The lectures?" Directing his question at me, Shinonome looked over. 

"Educational! It's wonderful how good the facilities are." Trying to get on his good side, I didn't want to let myself look withered as I kept my voice light. 

"Well, the class seemed sleepy. Sasaki looked like she was nearly asleep." The comment didn't sit right with me, this being an elite academy and all.

"Well, as you said, they put us through it," I laughed, trying not to put Naruko in any deep water. 

"So, are you going to fall asleep on us as well? I'd have to punish you then." Shinonome cast me a look that probably didn't seem like anything to the other men in the room. But, to me, it seemed as untrustworthy as the rest of him. 

"Don't count on it." Not wanting to divulge my past of intense training, I just showed a soft smile. To be honest, I wouldn't mind a nap right now, but I wasn't going to admit that. The thought of any kind of punishment, which would likely be some form of harassment from him, had me on edge. 

"Too bad. I wonder if any students who I can have fun with will turn up soon?" His mischievous appearance reminded me of the look Kaga gave me yesterday and my eyes darted away. Even though Shinonome seemed actually happy and there was no emotion in Kaga's eyes, the concept of teasing made me uneasy. 

‘It's scary how he can talk like that and still smile.’ I thought about how his words didn't match the expression as the doors of the Monitor Room opened again. 

Throwing my gaze to the door, I watched Ishigami, Goto and Soma make their way inside. "You're all immediately going to be assigned as student aides to the instructors." Ishigami didn't miss a beat as all attention landed on him. 

"Simply put, you'll help the instructors file documents, prepare lectures and such," Soma added, helping the confused students out. I was shocked. I hadn't done anything special to get me a close position to any of the instructors, let alone have to deal with their grunt work. "Since we must continue our normal duties as Public Safety officers while we teach, we won't always have the time." With that comment, I finally understood why Kaga would agree to become an instructor- so he wouldn't have to do any of the work if he had a capable enough aide. I pitied the person that would have to undertake that role. 

"This is good experience, so although it will be difficult, we ask that you try." The encouraging words from Soma were much more trustworthy to me than Shinonome's slightly eerie ones. 

"Each instructor will get a full-time aide. Following the instructors will be an important role." Goto, as blunt as he had been at the introduction ceremony, crossed his arms as he stared down at all of us. Somehow, the silence that followed was more anxiety invoking than anything Shinonome could say. Soma was right, though. Being so close to an instructor all the time would be a perfect learning opportunity. 

"We will now announce the aides," Ishigami announced, retrieving his clipboard once again. "Instructor Kaga's aide will be Atsuko Motomori." The Captain was as stoic as ever as he read out the list. I, on the other hand, couldn't be more shocked. ‘Kaga seemed so annoyed by even my mere presence yesterday, why would he want me as an aide? He already thinks I'm a screw up because of the train incident.’ 

"What?" Ishigami glared at me as he heard my wordless gasp. 

"Nothing, sir. Sorry." I bowed my head in embarrassment of drawing attention to myself as I pondered over the events in the love hotel that could get me the chance to become an aide. ‘Is it because I chose him yesterday?’ I panicked, thinking back to the misplaced bravery I’d had when picking an instructor.

"Isn't this a good thing? You're one of the few to come back with him safely." Ayumu smirked at my worrisome state. ‘The only reason I was safe is because he didn't actually train me. There was no chance to get in harm's way. Except for the possible fallout of someone recognising me.’ 

"Shinonome, refrain from talking." Ishigami quickly progressed through the list of aides. Once he finished, he turned to me once again. He explained that Kaga was on an investigation mission and that I should go see him when he gets back. I hesitantly agreed, glad to have the time to prepare myself while he was out working. Unlike our permanent instructors, the guys from Public Safety weren't always around, which is probably why they need the help. 

As we were dismissed, I tried to remind myself what a good learning opportunity this could be.

~~~~~~

When the time came to see Instructor Kaga, as Shinonome had told me back in the Monitor Room, I headed to their staff room.

"Excuse me." I knocked on the door before opening it to find an office-like space. Kaga was sitting at one of the many chairs at the large table in the centre of the room. I stood in front of him in order to introduce myself. 

"I'm Motomori. Starting today I will be serving as your full-time aide." Straight-backed and trying to not look uncomfortable under his discerning gaze, I explained why I dared talk to him. 

"Oh?" His brows frowned, once again judging me for all I was worth. 

"I just came to let you know Instru-." However, before I could blame Ishigami for sending me here, I was interrupted.

"A full time aide?" He even seemed to ponder the idea before flat out rejecting me. "Useless, I have no need for an aide, so go." His blunt response threw me off a little. To be honest, I was surprised he didn't unenthusiastically jump at the idea for someone else to do his work. Losing the optimistic view of this assignment, I tried to explain that it had already been decided. 

"Don't need it." He quickly interrupted me again before turning his back on me. "Tell Ishigami for me," was the final thing he said before expelling my presence from the room.

~~~~~~

‘That was rougher than I thought it was going to be,’ I thought as I stood in the hallway, looking at the door signed 'Staff Room'. ‘But, I can't afford to back down here.’ More afraid of what Ishigami would say than what Kaga could do, I raised my fist to knock on the door. 

After hearing no reply, I began to get desperate. "Instructor, please!" I call out, not wanting to go back to Ishigami empty-handed.

"Shut up." The door flew open and there's Kaga, glaring down at me. The sudden action made me jump out of my skin in the silent corridor. "Let me spell this out for you since you don't seem to get it." The oncoming lecture was apparent when I felt like he was going to start insulting me for being so persistent. 

"I have no need for some useless piece." 

I won't lie, that statement struck home. The whole 'chessboard' way of thinking about people lower than you was exactly how my father treated us. I once confronted him about my mother's disappearance and all he could say was "she didn't know how to play the game. She's useless to us if she doesn't want to compete." That wording was something I never understood. How were you supposed to lead anyone if you didn't think anyone less than you was capable enough? 

As I thought about Kaga's statement, I tried to ignore the relation to the man who raised me. "If you give me a chance, I'm sure it'll get Ishigami off your back. He'll only complain to you if I go back to him now." I tried to reason with the side of him that hated his Captain counterpart and a wave of irritation flashed through his face. "I can do anything! I can file for you. I'll even do chores. Please!" I begged, hoping I was getting through to him. Maybe the idea of a maid would make him reflect on the idea. Then, he finally looked at me without that concerned expression. 

"Anything, you say?" He looked me up and down as I agreed, not thinking about the consequences of those words. Then, he narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth. 

"You can be my servant." The growing smirk on his face made me a little uneasy. It was that same grin of victory he’d showed when he’d collected the evidence from the love hotel. 

"Excuse me?" Was all I could utter out to ensure I’d heard him right. 

"You can be my full-time servant. How many times do I have to say it?" The disconcerting frown returned as his eyebrows creased together again. 

[chibimyumi]

Dear @lunitamoon​​,

First of all, I am sorry it took so long to get to you, but thank you very much for your sweet compliments! The day you sent the ask was great, and so is today. I hope your life is good to you too.

But now without further ado, your question.

Uchikawa Reo

I think Reo is a very good actor. My first opinion of him when I saw him in Noah’s Ark Circus 2016 was that he has a lot of talent. Some of these talents were not polished yet, (his singing being one example, but given his young age I couldn’t possibly blame him), while other talents were already polished to a sparkling gem. When people talk about Reo, it is usually “cuteee, so tiny!!!” or compliments of the like. His looks make people shove his remarkableness as an actor under these irrelevant external qualities. That is a shame, so please allow me to highlight a few things that are remarkable about this boy.

Character interpretation and understanding

I think Reo understood the character of O!Ciel very well and he was able to deliver many of the nuances even his first time in the role. When hastily interpreted, O!Ciel’s character runs the risk of being taken for nothing but cranky, sulky and haughty. Reo however, even at the age of 12 managed to see that these three obvious traits have a much deeper root: ‘doneness’. O!Ciel is done with his butler’s sauciness, done with people around him imposing their opinions on him, done with the world. Uchikawa Reo managed to capture this fatigue quite well.

In the scene where Soma is altogether a bit too clingy, I think many would think O!Ciel would push the prince away or slap him away. Reo however, did not. He was trying to pull away Soma’s hands, but he never showed antagonism. Just doneness. Regardless of whether O!Ciel does or doesn’t see Soma as his ‘big brother figure’ and ‘friend’, he does care about him. Even when Reo-bocchan said: “I’m exhausted because of you,” there was no callousness in his voice; just irritation.

Reo managed to find a beautiful middle ground between ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ for O!Ciel, and that is exactly what I believe our Trash Baby Lord is. That is a lot more nuance in character study than I could possibly expect from most actors, let alone a 12 year old one.

Another example of Reo’s great understanding of his role is in the scene where he questions his butler whether he would be able to bring them to Baron Kelvin’s manor within an hour. Here he raised an eyebrow as he spoke. This raised eyebrow is very significant.

In the post ‘That Butler, Punchable‘, I discussed in detail how Sebastyun is constantly being very snarky at his master, presumably so because he did not consider the boy worthy of his full respect. In the scene of this example however, O!Ciel has earned the demon’s full respect, and he knows it.

Raising an eyebrow, O!Ciel shows that he has reestablished dominance as master, and that intellectually he is on the same playing field as the demon. He knows what he is doing, and unsurprisingly, the question asked was thusly phrased as a rhetorical one. Hence I did not translate this line as: “can you?” but instead as “you can, right?” Through this nuance, Reo-bocchan shows a great level of confidence and his grasp over the case.

Something else remarkable about 12-year-old Reo is his body-language. In the showdown between him and Baron Kelvin, Reo knew very well how to deliver his actions and the tension of the scene to even the people in the furthest back of the theatre. He takes his time to carry out every movement with meaningful decisiveness. One powerful kick. Re-assume stance. Walk behind his victim. Trap him under his foot. Point the gun at him. Had Reo just kicked Kelvin and stood on him in one consecutive movement, then the impact would have been broken.

I am not sure whether this was intentional, but before Reo pointed the gun at Kelvin, the hand that held the weapon was relaxed, which meant it would not attract attention away from his footwork. Only when the footwork was finished did Reo reveal his gun again from underneath his cape, effectively re-shifting attention back to the weapon when that should be the central focus again.  In theatre where audiences don’t view the production through edited and selected footage, it is vital that actors know where they should draw attention to, and reversely, where not to. Reo did well.

Reo’s natural flair for comedy is also noteworthy. O!Ciel’s character’s funniness is mostly his insane cuteness and inability to can at times; not because he has funny remarks to make. Trying too hard to be funny is a big theatre/movie sin, but Reo is luckily no sinner

As demonstrated above, Reo has an excellent understanding of his role and is careful in maintaining it even when the musical calls for comedy. Reo employed a very advanced technique of achieving comedy; namely discrepant solemness. He does not loosen up or start monkeying around; instead he maintains his usual up-tightness while tricking Aberline into saying his own name wrong. The brilliancy in this scene was not just Reo’s ability to employ this advanced comedy technique, but also that the nature of this skit was perfectly in character for this insidious, manipulative brat.

In Tango on the Campania Reo filled most of the ‘space for growth’ he still had in the previous musical. Even though Reo’s body language on stage was already great in Noah’s Ark Circus, he did have the tendency to stand idle when the scene’s focus was not on him. In the latest musical however, Reo would not forget to also act when he was in the background.

His singing also largely improved, and was able to prolong his notes as well as transitioning between the notes. He still had trouble hitting the highest of notes, but his voice would no longer die off mid-way in its ascending.

Fukuzaki Nayuta

I think Nayuta is a great actor too, and personally a seemingly very underrated gem. In the first run of the Lycoris that Blazes the Earth (2014) Nayuta was admittedly not the best actor ever seen in theatre history. However, he did up the game for Ciel actors even at the time. Acting style is more preference-bound, but undeniably Nayuta’s singing was more solid than any past Ciel performer before him. Despite him having outclassed past Ciels’ singing, Nayuta received a lot of hate from fans, most amounting to: “I can’t watch this, he is too ugly.” (Yes, very constructive, very legit. Ughum. The Kurofandom never fails to remind me how so many are here just for the pretttiiiiiiessss >_>)

In 2015, Nayuta’s voice was actively dropping, sending him in a constant swing between up-and-down. I don’t have experience with a dropping voice, but I heard from everyone who did that it is incredibly hard to control your voice in speaking, let alone singing. And yet, though his voice was rough at all times, Nayuta did manage to hit all the tones. I find that very impressive. I think technique-wise, Nayuta is the strongest singer among all Ciel stage-actors so far. I haven’t heard his singing after his voice-change was complete, but I can imagine him having become a very good singer now. His capacity for control over his voice is superb, after all.

Nayuta’s acting is very subtle but convincing. When Nayuta-bocchan was in his cage, he even added some little movements of the hand that would not be in people’s usual expectations given the situation. To me, this little quirk seemed to convey how despite already having hit rock bottom, the last straw had only fallen just now. This boy is not just scared and desperate, he is murderously angry and resolute.

Nayuta’s subtle and yet convincing body-language can be seen throughout the musical. To demonstrate what I mean by ‘convincing’, I wish to point at Tango on the Campania. Compare Nayuta’s shaking to the headbanging of the stand-in for O!Ciel... Nope. (This actress is not a child, so I can be harsher.)

Again, Nayuta’s acting is subtle, but it does mean it is easily missed, especially in a live theatre. (’Overacting’ is obviously a thing (see demonstration 1 above ⇈), but to the people who initially criticised Furukawa for “moving around too much”, that’s the theatre medium for you. Theatre was not made to be recorded and viewed in close proximity. Moving any less will basically be invisible in a theatre (see my analysis of Tamaki’s performance as Snake).)

Enough side-tracked, back to Nayuta. In the scene where Nayuta-bocchan just woke up, he performed the panic dying down slowly expertly. We can tell that the shaking and heavy breathing really got the better of him, but that the boy was actively trying not to show his butler.  This was probably not visible live, but we have footage of it, so let us savour the panic-dying-down for what it is.

Though I might go as far as to say Nayuta might be better suited as a film-actor than theatre-actor, what was not missed on live audiences was this iconic scene below ⇊ when it finally dawned in O!Ciel that he had been chasing the wrong tail all along.

The atmosphere he created was incredibly tense, and we could practically hear the gears grinding and suddenly coming to a shocking halt. Bravo. It is ultimately for this scene that I think Nayuta would make a phenomenal stage-actor with just a BIT more stage-oriented instructions from the director.

Another scene that also conveyed the tension excellently was when O!Ciel was putting up with the Viscount. Nayuta knew better than put on an insulting high-pitched voice in parody of “a girl’s voice”, instead he minded the intonation of speaking and subtler mannerisms girls are socialised to perform.

When the Viscount really got way too close, Sasaki’s acting was incredibly flamboyant and loud, and yet it never threatened to overshadow Nayuta’s performance. Nayuta knows very well how to keep people’s attention on him even when he doesn’t have lines to say. When the Viscount turned Nayuta-bocchan around, the boy’s facial expression spoke voluuuumes.

Sakamoto, Nishii and Tanaka

I don’t have footage of them, and I am not going to get them legally or illegally, so I will include no visual examples of them in this post.

I don’t want to be harsh on children, they all did their best I believe, but do allow me to say that I am not very enthusiastic about their performances.

Sakamoto’s performance of Ciel was not very memorable, but I think it mostly has something to do with his part in the script just not being memorable at all. To sum up; Ciel in ‘Friendship’ received some guests from Japan, played chess, and stared wide shifty-eyed until the case solved itself. Sakamoto’s singing was decent, though. I wish they capitalised more on that.

Nishii... I think many people were initially especially enthusiastic about him because he did not “look like Vincent Phantomhive”. He did his best, I could tell he had fun in the performance, but whatever acting-talent he might have, the musical never gave him any chance to shine. That musical gave his character ZERO nuance. Nishii’s singing was very unpolished, and in the mere 3 weeks of audition time, there was also no time to get it polished. But then again, the same goes for the singing of most of that cast.

Tanaka... I could tell he did his best, but perhaps he was doing his best not to f*ck up a bit too hard. The songs in this musical were rather challenging, and Tanaka always seemed very tense as he was trying to chase the notes. It was like he was desperately clinging to his spot within a safety-zone, which ultimately meant he didn’t explore any potentials outside the range of monotony. When it comes to acting, it also seemed like cranky outbursts were the only emotion he dared touch upon.

So that was that! Thanks for reading!

[female-wilbursoot-alter]

Yall are gonna hate me for this but I am writing a novel for Soul Eater called Fallen Angel Arc. It is very angst. It has 2 different ways to start. Here is the first chapter with and without Soul. HAPPY SOMA WEEK!

Both start the same but slowly become different so try not to skip anything or you'll miss a few details.

FallenAngelArc with Soul

Maka was the only one left standing out of the three teams that confronted Asura. She was alone and now partnerless. Her partner Soul was unconscious on the ground behind her, he had taken a direct blast for her and now she was about to do the same for him. She protected him from another blast using her body, collapsing onto the ground from the sheer impact and force of the kishin's blast.

Asura chuckled to himself, "What a weak and pathetic human." As he would turn to leave, he stopped and glanced back at the now standing yet slumped over figure. "Still standing? How interesting. Maybe that wasn't enough pain for you." His scarves would shoot out to her, ready to strike her down only to be stopped by something and rebounded back.

What?"

He lashes out again only for his attack to be met by the same result, "What did you do?" Asura squints and lunges for her, his hand grabbing her neck and pinning her to the ground. "Gotcha." He would sneer as his grip around her throat tightened and he looked into her eyes, in that moment, her body erupts into scythe blades. "Heh, I see now. Too bad for you, I don't fear pain. But to fight while asleep, that's not fair." His free hand reaches for the girl's side, clenching it tightly until he could feel bones cracking and organs being damaged under his grasp. "Time to wake up~."

The response that followed was like music to his ears, the agonizing scream of pain that came from the girl beneath him, the blades shattering as her consciousness came back. He laughed and raised her body off the ground and into the air as he locked eyes with the mortally injured meister in his grasp. "Any last words?"

She choked up blood and glared at him with a smirk. "Did you know my blood is black?"

The wound in her side had already clotted to stop her from bleeding out and the blood that was coming from her was indeed black. Asura's eyes widen in confusion at her response. "You ... Are really going to use my own madness against me? How amusing. I might let you live for such a humorous idea. You could come in handy later."

He laughed as he smashed her body into the ground, her black blood pooling around the cracked crater that it left, a black blooded spike rises from the ground and impales him. "It'll take a lot more than that but the gesture was clever. Now go back to sleep. I don't have time to play around with you."

With one final slam, she goes limp. Completely knocked out and now damaged mortally worse than she was before. He drops her body back into the pool of her own blood below. "Seek me out when you become stronger. You're a waste of energy to me at this point. I look forward to ending you next time. For now, I'll let you all get a taste for my madness, hahahaha!"

With that, he disappears, leaving the defeated Meisters and Weapons lying on the battlefield outside of the now mobile Death City. Everyone in the Death Room realized their defeat at the Kishin and the barrier took off and the madness in the very air became stronger. They had failed.

The others were quick to come through to their senses just as help arrived to bring them back to the Academy to be treated, all except for Maka. She was in critical condition and wouldn't wake up. Soul would limp his way over to her and desperately try to wake her. A futile attempt as she remained still and silent. Her body was limp and pale, caked in her own blood and still bleeding from her injuries, no doubt, she had a concussion as well, blood streaming down her face and neck from the wounds around her skull. He was furious. He would make the Kishin pay for what he did to Maka.

The medics approached to get her to safety and treat her.

FallenAngelArc without Soul

Maka was the only one left standing out of the three teams that confronted Asura. She was alone and now partnerless. Her partner Soul was unconscious on the ground behind her, he had taken a direct blast for her and now she was about to do the same for him. She protected him from another blast using her body, collapsing onto the ground from the sheer impact and force of the kishin's blast.

Asura chuckled to himself, "What a weak and pathetic human." As he would turn to leave, he stopped and glanced back at the now standing yet slumped over figure. "Still standing? How interesting. Maybe that wasn't enough pain for you." His scarves would shoot out to her, ready to strike her down only to be stopped by something and rebounded back.

What?"

He lashes out again only for his attack to be met by the same result, "What did you do?" Asura squints as she charges him and attacks him with several scythe blades, quick and fearless. He dodges a few but gets hit by an unexpected slash to his chest from her foot. He growls and lunges for her, his hand grabbing her neck and pinning her to the ground. "Gotcha." He would sneer as his grip around her throat tightened and he looked into her eyes, in that moment, her body erupts into scythe blades. "Heh, I see now. Too bad for you, I don't fear pain. But to fight while asleep, now that's not fair." His free hand reaches for the girl's side, clenching it tightly until he could feel bones cracking and organs being damaged under his grasp. "Time to wake up~."

The response that followed was like music to his ears, the agonizing scream of pain that came from the girl beneath him, the blades shattering as her consciousness came back. He laughed and raised her body off the ground and into the air as he locked eyes with the mortally injured meister in his grasp. "Any last words?"

She choked up blood and glared at him with a smirk. "Did you know my blood is black?"

The wound in her side had already clotted to stop her from bleeding out and the blood that was coming from her was indeed black. Asura's eyes widen in confusion at her response. "You ... Are really going to use my own madness against me? How amusing. I might let you live for such a humorous idea. You could come in handy later. Now let’s see how much pain you can take."

He laughed as he smashed her body into the ground multiple times, her black blood pooling around the cracked crater that it left. Soon a black blooded spike rises from the ground and impales him. He halts and looks down at it with a sneer. "It'll take a lot more than that but the gesture was clever. Now go back to sleep. I don't have time to play around with you."

With one final slam, she goes limp. Completely knocked out and now damaged mortally worse than she was before. He drops her body back into the pool of her own blood below. "Seek me out when you become stronger. You're a waste of energy to me at this point. I look forward to ending you next time.”

“You… won’t win that easily…” A voice stops him from leaving, turning around, he spots Soul who has pushed himself to get back up and fight. “Maka and I promised we’d take you down. And I’m not one to go back on my word.”

Asura laughs. “Awe, how noble and FOOLISH!” He pinned the weakened scythe to the ground next to his dying partner. He struggles, his blades cutting into the Kishin but he knew he was at his limit. “What do you have to say now, kid?” He said as he started crushing his throat.”

“M-Maka…. Forgive me…. Plan B…. I’ll see you…. On the other side…. I… love you.” He chokes out and closes his eyes as the light from Asura’s beam charges and blasts him full force at close range. His life force slowly fades as he weakly takes Maka’s hand, his body fading away and his soul retreating into her limp hand before disappearing into her. Seeking refuge in her own soul. This would sustain his soul for at least a month if she woke back up.

“That was a pathetic show, now I’ll take my leave.” The Kishin looks out over the fallen party with a smirk. “For now, I'll let you all get a taste for my madness, hahahaha!”

With that, he disappears, leaving the defeated Meisters and Weapons lying on the battlefield outside of the now mobile Death City. Everyone in the Death Room realized their defeat at the hands of the Kishin as the barrier took off and the madness in the very air became stronger. They had failed.

The others were quick to come through to their senses just as help arrived an hour later to bring them back to the Academy to be treated, all except for Maka. She was in critical condition and wouldn't wake up. Soul was nowhere to been seen. He would be noted as deceased. The medics made their way over to her and desperately try to wake her. A futile attempt as she remained still and silent. Her body was limp and pale, caked in her own blood and still bleeding from her injuries, no doubt, she had a concussion as well. Blood streaming down her face and neck from the wounds around her skull. They lift her onto a stretcher much like they did to the others and rush them all quickly to the med wing in the school to treat them.

[snorlaxlovesme]

Loathe You/ Love You

The 38747 times Maka and Soul hated each other and the 0 times they actually meant it.

I’m trying to imagine explaining to a-month-ago me that it would take a literal quarantine to get me to start writing regularly again. tbh I think past!me would have believed it

there’s no plot to this or anything. it’s only the beginning of what I assume to be 3 weeks worth of drabble-dumping. so here’s some domestic SoMa. lightly edited. cheers.

---

She always burnt her toast. Always.

“Pleaaaase, Soul?”

“I’m not making you the literal easiest thing to make in the world! It’s BREAD and HEAT, Maka!”

She laid her face down on the counter and groaned loudly. “But you make it better!”

He hated her. How was it fair that everyone considered his meister to be one of the smartest and most capable people at the Academy when she sucked at the simplest tasks? He couldn’t even make fun of her in public for it because no one would believe him if he tried. She was Maka fucking Albarn. She was the top student in her class. She was a member of Spartoi. She helped save the world on the moon. She was pretending to cry into her arms because he wouldn’t make breakfast for her.

Soul rolled his eyes so hard it physically hurt. “Fine, I’m gonna show you. One. More. Time.”

Maka beamed. He hated her.

“First you turn the dial setting to three…”

---

“Stopppp!” Maka squealed, squeezing her eyes shut and slapping at Soul blindly. “I just took a showerrrr!!”

She could feel Soul’s fingers carding through her hair, still goopy from the gel on them. “It’s a good look for you! You’re not even giving it a chance!”

Maka kept her eyes closed, refusing to look at the awful things he must have been doing to her hair. “You’re gonna make it all crunchy like yours!”

“Yeah, but you’ll finally look cool!”

Their bathroom was too small for her to have many places to run without falling into the bathtub. She felt around the counter for her hairbrush but Soul was too smart for her. He’d hidden all her potential weapons before he started his hair product assault. Maka was tutoring NOT students in less than an hour and she needed to get READY, dammit.

She peaked one of her eyes open, but he spun her dramatically with a cackle before she could catch more than a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

Was it worth him to punch him in the gut? She felt him begin to slick her hair UPWARDS and decided it was.

Her punch was more of a dramatic poke, right in the center of his tummy, but it had the intended effect of slowing down his attack and turning his demented cackling into uncontrollable giggles.

“Stop—Maka stop, no that’s not fair—I GIVE UP I’M SORRY—” he cried, hardly containing his breathless laughter.

Maka harrumphed in victory and turned around to see her reflection. She caught Soul Eater’s look of fear above her head before he ripped open the door and ran.

Maka levelled her gaze with her reflection. She allowed herself three serene heartbeats. Then she tore after him.

She HATED him.

---

Soul lay very still on the couch.

“You’re not gonna touch my butt, are you?”

The blush on her face was worth it. She scowled at him. “Could you be serious for one second?”

“What, pray tell, about this situation is serious?”

“I wanna know if I can do it!”

“Look, we’ve already gone over that you’re very strong. I never argued with you about it! I don’t see what this is proving.”

Maka puffed her cheeks out in determination.  Soul sighed in resignation.

“I want. To know. If I. Can. Do. It.”

“Fine!” Soul waved his arms flippantly. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Stop moving, then! You said you’d be dead weight.”

Maka squatted in front of him on the couch, steely gaze fixated on him in determination as she slipped her arms beneath his bent knees and behind his shoulders. Soul closed his eyes and shot his tongue out of the side of his mouth to look the part.

“Stop trying to make me laugh,” she said with a grunt. “That’s not even how dead people look and you know it.”

“I could stab myself if you wanna make it look more realisTIC—” Soul’s voice shot up an octave when he felt himself rise from the couch. Holy shit. She was really doing it!

He dropped his “dead” act and opened his eyes so he could see Maka’s red face. He pretended he wasn’t seriously impressed and idly reminded her to breathe as he felt himself levitate another few inches from the furniture. She puffed a hot breath into his face that he ignored because he was rising higher and higher, her grip on his shoulder turning into straight-up claw marks.

When Maka finally rose to her full height with her weapon cradled in her arms they were both cheering.

Soul almost forgot how annoying she was, right until she unceremoniously dropped him back on the couch and collapsed dramatically on top of him before he could complete his second bounce. Then he remembered how much he hated her.

---

“I feel violated! No, worse, I feel used.”

“Come on, Soul, you know I didn’t mean it like that!”

“How else could you have meant it?! You literally called me ‘useful’!”

“Poor choice of words?���

Soul was many things! He was a great partner, a skilled pianist, an incredible artist, the best toast maker Maka knew, etc. There were many wonderful qualities about him that she adored, and she told him on a daily basis, as was custom of friends and partners. So why not praise him on this other, handy talent he had? Maka was pretty sure anyone else would think it very sweet of her to acknowledge his abilities like that.

“Nope, I’m not transforming for you. AGAIN. If you want your phone back so bad you shouldn’t have dropped it in the first place.”

“You sound remarkably like my dad when you speak sometimes, you know that?”

Well now she definitely misspoke. If Soul was huffy before, now he looked straight up maniacal. He left the kitchen in a fit of rage while Maka stared forlornly at the space between the stove and the fridge, too slim and far back for her arm to fit through, but maybe not too small for someone else.

“Fine!” she called, letting her voice echo from the kitchen to the living room. “I thought that maybe my KIND and GENEROUS partner would want to help out his meister, but I guess he’s too busy.”

Silence.

Maka glared over her shoulder once before calling out idly. “Only HANDSOME and SWEET weapons are thoughtful enough to help out their meisters in their times of need!”

“Not working! You’re still a jerk!”

Maka didn’t want to have to do this. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

“I guess I could ask HARVAR.” She heard Soul rustle. “I know he’d be COOL ENOUGH to come help me get my phone. In fact, he might be the COOLEST—”

Maka almost had to duck from how fast Soul was flying towards her, turning end over end in his scythe form. She snatched him from mid-air with a smile.

“You’re so predictable,” she said, smirking.

“Shut up,” Soul grumbled.

She turned him over and stuck him in the crevice, shuffling her phone towards her with his handle until it was close enough for her reach down and retrieve. Soul was already transformed before she stood back up.

Maka wrapped her arms around him in a snuggly hug she knew he did not appreciate. “You’re the best, you know that?”

“Best?”

“Coolest,” she corrected.

Soul finally smiled. Maka tightened her grip and lifted him a few inches off the floor, just to remind him she could.

“Haaaaaate you,” he said as he kicked his dangling feet out for purchase on their kitchen floor.

“Love you, too!”

[osakaso5]

DUSK TiLL DAWN Event Story

19.15-21.00

Chapter Index

19.15

Io: Huff, huff..!

Bang bang

Io: Damn, there's no end to them!

Bang bang

Rictor: ....! Io, watch out..!

Bang bang

Somas: Io!

Io: Somas..! I'm glad you're safe!

Io: I tried to contact you so many times!

Somas: Sorry, looks like I dropped my phone while running...

Somas: Ah, but I'm fine, since I got rescued by these people! And I've got a handgun!

Io: A handgun... I see, so it's the same gun you went nuts with during training.

Mick: Is this the friend you were talking about?

Somas: Yes! This is Io!

Nagistopher: And the other one?

Rictor: My name is Rictor!

Mick: ......! Wait, that white coat...

Rictor: Ah, I'm a researcher for World Reflective Unit.

Io: You have to be an elite to be affiliated with W.R.U!

Rictor: Huh? Do I?

Mick: Cap..!

Nagistopher: Yes...

Nagistopher: Rictor, where is the vaccine?

Rictor: Huh..?

Rictor: Vaccine..?

Rictor: W-who are you people!?

Rictor: I don't talk to strangers!

Mick: Huh?

Io: Sorry about him. It seems like he's been told not to talk to people he doesn't know.

Mick: How sheltered do you have to be?

Nagistopher: My name is Nagistopher. I'm the captain of the special forces unit I.DOL.

Nagistopher: This is Mick. He's in my squad.

Nagistopher: And these two are civilians.

Yamarson: ...I'm Yamarson. These guys saved me from being attacked.

Somas: I'm...

Rictor: You're Somas, right!?

Somas: Huh?

Rictor: Io told me he had a strange friend!

Io: Hey..! Don't say anything that might cause misunderstandings!

Rictor: Ah... I-I'm sorry..!

Somas: Ahaha, it's fine! Io says that about me all the time.

Nagistopher: Rictor, we're no longer strangers to you, so if you could please answer.

Rictor: Ah... Right. Thank you.

Rictor: U-um... Since you're looking for the vaccine...

Rictor: Does that mean that this was caused by the virus..?

Nagistopher: "The" virus?

Rictor: The D-X Virus...

Nagistopher: ........ I see...

Rictor: W-what?

Mick: So you know about the D-X Virus...

Rictor: Huh? No, you're the ones who said you were looking for the vaccine to this D-X Virus...

Mick: Cap never specified which vaccine we were looking for.

Rictor: Ah..!

Nagistopher: We have intel that it's in this hospital. Where can we find it?

Rictor: I-I don't know!

Rictor: I'm just an intern... So I won't be able to help you..!

Mick: Ugh. ...Rictor, right? Look, we don't wanna get violent with you.

Rictor: W-wait, please! It's highly classified information!

Mick: Highly classified, eh...

Mick: Then why does an intern like you know about something that's supposedly all classified?

Rictor: W-well... I was raised in the lab...

Yamarson: Hey! There's a vaccine? If we find it, can we stop this epidemic..!?

Mick: Yeah. Or so we've heard.

Mick: The city's already in ruins, and the infection's spreading.

Mick: We need this vaccine to control the situation.

Nagistopher: Rictor, tell us what you know.

Rictor: But...

Io: Rictor...

Rictor: .......

Rictor: The vaccine... Is not here...

Yamarson: ......! Then where is it!?

Somas: Yamarson! Please, calm down..!

Yamarson: ........ My bad.

Rictor: The W.R.U lab... It's in there.

Rictor: It's being held in a very secure place, even within the lab.

Mick: ...Got it. So it's in the lab?

Nagistopher: Handsome reporting. Sugar, can you hear us?

Nagistopher: The vaccine is in a W.R.U laboratory.

Bzzt

Voice from Transceiver: <I hear ya. I just sent you the coordinates.>

Bzzt

Nagistopher: Coordinates confirmed.

Rictor: U-um! Wait! It's not on the surface level!

Mick: Huh? What do you mean?

Rictor: There's another lab underground. It's in there...

Somas: There's a laboratory under the streets of this city!? Cool..!!!

Nagistopher: Sugar. Get us a map of the underground.

Bzzt

Voice from Transceiver: <Just a sec. Underground, underground.>

Voice from Transceiver: <Cap, I'm not finding any info for an underground lab.>

Voice from Transceiver: <Hmm, but there's an area that's weirdly blurry.>

Voice from Transceiver: <Almost like someone's been messing with the data...>

Bzzt

Nagistopher: Understood.

Nagistopher: Rictor, you'll have to guide us there.

Rictor: Huh!? Me?

Nagistopher: Only you know where we're headed.

Rictor: ...Alright.

Rictor: It's this way.

- - - -

Uooorgh

Yamarson: Hey, the exit..!

Somas: Oh my gosh..! So many Gathered!

Somas: It's just like a movie, Io!

Io: What are you saying!? This is real life!

Mick: We're at a disadvantage... What do we do, Cap?

Nagistopher: Mick, prepare a grenade.

Bzzt

Voice from Transceiver: <A grenade can't take down them all.>

Voice from Transceiver: <Get everyone to cover, I got this.>

Wrrrrr

Mick: Sugar? Wait, don't tell me..!

Nagistopher: Get down!

Io, Yamarson, Somas, & Rictor: .......!

Voice from Transceiver: <Safety off, and... Alright, here I come!!!>

20.00

Uooorgh

Ratatatatata!!!

Wrrrrrrrrr

???: Ta-dah! The cavalry's here!

Mick: Don't you "ta-dah" me. Were you trying to kill us!?

???: Nah! I figured you and Cap would be fine.

???: You're alive, aintcha?

Mick: We've got civilians here!

Io, Yamarson, Somas, & Rictor: Uuh...

Io: What happened..?

???: They look fine to me.

Mick: Why you...

Mick: Ah! And why would you jump down like that!? What about the chopper?

???: The Pudding models are self-flying, so no worries.

???: It'll come if I call!

Mick: If you call...

Mick: Ugh... You don't even like being on land!

???: Yeah. I hate it, but I hate things I can't analyze even more.

???: So I'm gonna see it with my own eyes!

???: Don't sweat it! I had a pudding drink up there, so I'm full of energy!

???: Look. Hmph! Hmph, hmph!

Mick: Sigh...

Mick: It's nice that some soft drinks are all we need to get you into high gear...

Somas: Um... This is..?

Mick: Right, sorry for getting you guys involved.

Mick: This is Tamathony. He's with us.

Mick: He can be pretty weird, but he's smart and a good fighter.

Tamathony: You didn't need to tell 'em that I'm weird.

Somas: I'm Somas. That's my friend, Io. It's nice to meet you!

Tamathony: Yup.

Tamathony: Then I'm guessing the four-eyes is Yamarson, and you're Rictor.

Yamarson: Huh..?

Tamathony: I heard you guys on the radio.

Nagistopher: We should be on our way. ...I'll miss my anime otherwise.

Mick: Ugh... Cap, now's not the time to worry about that...

Nagistopher: Rictor, show us the way.

Rictor: Very well.

Rictor: We must get to the lab through the subway.

Io: The subway?

Rictor: There's a hidden passage on the side of the tracks that leads there.

Somas: A hidden passage to a secret research facility underground..! How exciting!

Io: Somas, how many times do I need to remind you that this isn't a movie?

Somas: Yeah, I know, but my body can't help itching...

Io: Sigh...

Yamarson: In any case, let's hurry. If we stay here, more of them will come for us.

Rictor: Right. I just hope the lab is safe...

Yamarson: ........! Haah...

Somas: Yamarson, are you alright? You look pale...

Yamarson: It's nothing. I'm just a little tired.

Rictor: ...Yamarson..?

Yamarson: What?

Rictor: I was just wondering... Have we met somewhere before?

Yamarson: ...I don't know you.

Rictor: I see...

Io: Are you really alright? You do look a bit sick...

Tamathony: Hey, we're not gonna wait on you.

Tamathony: Oh I know, you should give him that stuff that makes your eyes go all weird, Mick!

Mick: Don't describe it like that. It's just a health drink!

Mick: Here, this isn't much but it should help a little.

Yamarson: ...Thanks.

Io: Are you alright..?

Yamarson: ...Yeah, that helped.

Tamathony: Let's get a move on.

20.30

Tamathony: The subway's right at the end of this road!

Io: Aagh..! There are monsters behind us..!

Mick: Don't look back!

Mick: Just keep running!

- - - -

Yamarson: Haah, haah...

Somas: Those monsters really are fast.

Io: Huh?

Somas: It's great that they're so zombie-like!

Io: How are you enjoying this!?

Uooorgh

Yamarson: Hey, we're surrounded..! What do we do!?

Mick: Yeah, hold on! I'm gonna use my secret weapon!

Mick: Cover your ears..!

Crackle

Uooorgh

Mick: Alright!

Nagistopher: Mick, there's more over here.

Mick: Gotcha, Cap!

Mick: Crap, I slipped..!

....!

Somas: Wow! So cool..!

Rictor: I-incredible... They got all the Gathered...

Mick: That's Cap for ya!

Nagistopher: Mick, that was the seventh time so far.

Mick: Ugh, have I been doing it that much..?

Yamarson: Whoa, what's that!? A siren head!?

Uoorgh

Io: They just keep coming..! Just how many are there!?

Io: Somas, look out for that monster!

Somas: Whoa..!

Yamarson: Shit, we were so close to the subway, and now I've got to fight these things off with a knife..! 

21.00

Io: Haah, haah... We made it to the subway somehow.

Mick: It's awfully quiet here...

Io: It feels so eerie without people...

Somas: There's a weird fog here, and lots of dead rats.

Yamarson: Sigh... Is the entrance really here?

Rictor: I'm sorry. This is the closest and safest route.

Rictor: We're near a hidden passage that not even most people at the lab knew about.

Io: How do you know about the passage? You said you were an intern.

Rictor: ...The doctors told me.

Rictor: Since I was born in the lab, I rarely went outside. They told me to use it in case anything happened...

Rictor: The doctors were always kind to me, so I wouldn't get lonely.

Mick: If you were born in the lab, does that mean those doctors were your parents?

Rictor: No, they're just doctors. I don't know my parents...

Rictor: Whoa!

Rictor: Ow ow ow.

Io: A-are you alright?

Rictor: Ah, yes... It's so dark that I can't see properly...

Io: I think it's more because of that mask...

Rictor: Huh?

Io: Come on, stand up.

Io: You should take off that mask.

Somas: Huh!? He's going to take it off, even though it looks so cool and strong?

Mick: Io's right. A decreased field of view is life threatening in here! If you don't wanna turn into one of those monsters, take it off.

Rictor: ........

Rictor: But... Is the air here safe, I wonder?

Mick: The air?

Rictor: It's so filthy here...

Io: It seems like he's been told to keep the mask on when he goes outside...

Tamathony: Seriously? Does this mean we're in trouble, since we don't have masks?

Mick: No. ...Geez, how did they train you?

Mick: Rictor, you'll be fine. If it was dangerous here, the rest of us would already be dead.

Rictor: R-right... Very well.

Rictor: Phew... That was suffocating.

Mick: Wait, you're just a kid! Are you really a researcher?

Rictor: How rude! I'm a grown adult..!

Tamathony: I woudn't wanna hear that from Mick, either.

Mick: Huh? What was that?

Tamathony: Nothin'.

Tamathony: Ah... Hey, should we get going?

Uoorgh

Rictor: Aaagh!

Yamarson: Wait, how many of them are there..!?

Tamathony: A lot. It's like rush hour.

[deathfavor]

@yeonban​​​​ said: “  do you want me to stay with you?  ” soma inquires, and his voice lacks its regular harshness. he doesn't prod further, though - merely offering seiroku what the other has offered him plenty of times before: the lending of an ear, the distraction of his voice or simply the quiet of his companionship.

comfort starters

   The right path is to reject the offer made to him.. No is the answer Seiroku should give to Soma. The black dog wasn’t here to make friends and open up and get close to people. This was all just a ruse. Nothing more than a well crafted plan to get information and observe the enemy from within. That’s all that this was supposed to be. This can only end in disaster, there is no other ending that Seiroku can see. No is the only answer that he should even be able to imagine giving. He shouldn’t even be considering that there is any other option.

   Seiroku stares up at Soma at the offer before his gaze falls, veil and hair waving in the gentle breeze as he hides his face for a moment. Logically he knows that he should say no. He is here for a mission after all. Saying anything other than no risks letting something slip in the cracks of his armor. This is just a long mission that demanded lots of attention.

   But...but there’s a part of him wants to say otherwise. The others in the obsidian eight would not offer. He knew this too well. Most of them were lone wolves or obsessed with Shiro. Some he manages to hang out with, but it’s more because they only have each other, not because the other’s CARE or want to form bonds. There’s a selfish greed that wants to take this moment just for himself. When had someone last offered? When would someone offer again? He won’t always have this. One day those eyes with be full of hate. But right now, right now there’s someone who actually is interested in him. Someone who wants to be around him by their own choice.

   This wasn’t his purpose. This wasn’t how he was supposed to be. He wasn’t supposed to feel anything other than hate or pride. He shouldn’t entertain this. He should be disgusted with himself for considering it. What the hell was wrong with him? Any moment he half anticipates the collar strangling him - but it doesn’t. It simply sits, cold against his skin.

  Who was really the fool? At the end of the day, Seiroku was just a man.

   “  Yes.  “  Seiroku speaks softly, though he doesn’t dare look at Soma when the answer leaves his lips in the quiet air. That was the wrong answer. but it has already been spoken and his path has been chosen. There is no changing that course. Seiroku selfishly seizes the moment while he can have it. He wants the company, he wants this warmth that aches and he knows full well that this is a knife he is damning himself to. He wants the chance for something sweet instead of just bitterness.

   His eyes close and he slowly leans his head against Soma’s side. It’s fine. He doesn’t have to share anything. “ Can you just...talk? Tell me about your day. Or a story. I’ll even take the most boring thing you’ve ever memorized.  “  Seiroku offers a weak chuckle as he makes the request. It’s an indication the doctor doesn’t want to talk about what weighs on him, but he wants. He wants, even knowing later this will hurt him more than never having this opportunity.

[fragmentedshards]

The Final Curtain, Chapter Seventeen

Disclosing Not His Lover

-

The night of the party arrived more swiftly than they expected. With the addition of the servants, their party had grown considerably. It was decided that Bryony would stay at the manor and help Tanaka care for Ephraim, and since Snake had no interest in attending a fancy ball, he took on the task of looking after the ballerina. The others would all go as one; Ciel, Elizabeth, Prince Soma, Lau, Ran Mao, Sebastian, Paula, Agni, Bardroy, Mei Rin, Finny, Matilda, and to Matilda’s great surprise and joy, Undertaker himself.

“You’ll really attend?” she exclaimed happily when he ventured to the manor to tell her the news.

“Of course dearie,” he chuckled. “I might not be one to frequent these parties myself, but as your husband and escort, I ought to go and keep watch, oughtn’t I?”

Matilda rushed to embrace the mortician gleefully, then looked up at him through his bangs. “What about Grell, is she coming?”

Undertaker stroked Matilda’s hair, which she had taken to wearing tied back these days rather than letting her curls explode like she ordinarily did. “I think William stuck her with some paperwork. Besides,” he added dolefully. “I don’t think she enjoys these as much anymore, partly because she remembers Madam Red, and partly because she can’t wear dresses the way she wants to.”

“I’ve been working on something that may help her!” the maid grinned, cupping her husband’s face. He smiled down at her, full of admiration. “Tell her to just hold on!”

~

Paula helped Lady Elizabeth into her favorite crimson dress, adding a white mask with tiny red roses around the eyes. “Oh, Paula, don’t forget,” the young lady reminded her maid, who smiled coyly at her before reaching for Lady Elizabeth’s secret weapon to hide it in the back of her dress.

“I’m so happy to see you finally putting all that training to use,” Paula gushed as she tied all of Lady Elizabeth’s many fastenings. “It’s been torturous to watch you pushed aside all this time, milady, simply torturous.”

Elizabeth smiled at her faithful Paula, trying to shake away her nervousness.

Meanwhile in another room, Ciel glowered at his reflection as Sebastian dressed him. Viscount Druitt’s party was not so much a costume ball as it was a masquerade ball, so instead of wearing a full costume the earl merely donned fine evening clothing with a black lace mask over the top half of his face.

“Frankly, it’s a relief to have this off from time to time,” he said as he undid the string of his eyepatch. “I may as well leave it off when I’m at home, now that everyone knows. At any rate, this mask covers my eyes well enough so nobody can tell.”

Sebastian, having finished dressing the earl, bowed and headed downstairs to don his red mask and cloak. Before reaching his room, he spotted Mei Rin sitting on her bed and puzzling over her eyeglasses. Tentatively, he knocked on the door. “Is everything alright?”

Mei Rin glanced up momentarily at the knock, then returned to what she was doing. “I’m torn,” she admitted. “These were a gift from the young master. They helped me hide my ability. But... they created lots of problems, didn’t they?”

Sebastian, to his own surprise, smiled fondly as he remembered Mei Rin’s numerous housekeeping blunders. “We did offer to get your prescription changed, more than once,” he reminded her.

She gave a soft laugh, but not out of humor. Then, without warning, she broke the glass out of the lenses, sending shards scattering onto the floor. Sebastian’s jaw fell open, unsure what to do until he saw the blood on the maid’s fingers, which she seemed not to have noticed herself. Stepping into the room, he brought the water basin from the dresser to the bed and gently placed her hands in it, taking care to delicately search for any pieces of glass that may have stuck in her fingers.

“Mei Rin, honestly,” he chided as he worked. “Why do you always break things?”

Rather than be insulted, Mei Rin laughed. “At least this time it was on purpose,” she replied, getting a laugh from the butler. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this. Sebastian was never this careful with anyone but the young master, and yet here he was checking her fingers for glass and wiping away blood with his handkerchief. She hadn’t even seen where he had produced the bandages from, but next thing she knew the cuts on her fingers were wrapped up and the butler was staring at her, exasperated but satisfied.

Just then Bardroy rounded the corner, snapping them back to life. “Oi, Mei Rin, are you-” Seeming to notice Sebastian for the first time, he turned red and backed away silently.

“There,” Sebastian sighed, placing Mei Rin’s hands back in her lap. “Those should hold nicely, and I doubt they will be visible through evening gloves. I’ll leave you to get ready now.” As he was leaving, glass crunching beneath his shoes, he turned and added, “You could always use the eyeglass frames for your mask, if you chose. Though, I think we have all become quite accustomed to seeing you with them, so it wouldn’t be much of a mask.”

~

When the group arrived to the party, the moon was already high in the velvet sky, and lively music pervaded Viscount Druitt’s home.

Lau guided Ran Mao through the sea of people, saying to her “I suspect this will be even more interesting than the last costume ball we attended. What do you think, Ran Mao?”

Instead of answering his question, Ran Mao muttered, “This is not a costume ball.”

The Viscount was easily spotted among his guests, wearing a garish mask of all colors, with feathers and other adornments all over it. Elizabeth grasped Soma’s hand and nodded her head in the direction of the Viscount, whispering a hasty summary of her plan to him.

“I’ll strike up a conversation with him about something unassuming, such as clothing,” she whispered as the two danced awkwardly. “With any luck, he will ask me to dance, and then I can get closer to him, allowing me to investigate further.”

The prince nodded, spinning her with more grace than she expected as the music stopped. Viscount Druitt had noticed them and was walking towards them from the far side of the ballroom. “What do I do?” Soma whispered back, pretending to kiss her cheek.

“Find someone else to dance with, or better yet, you and Agni create a diversion with traditional Bengali dancing!” Elizabeth whispered just as the Viscount reached them.

“You both dance most intriguingly, young ones,” he smiled down at them, placing his hands together. “Watching you was fascinating.”

Elizabeth curtsied, nudging Prince Soma to bow. “Thank you very much, my lord,” she said, making her voice as sickly-sweet as she could manage. “I’m so flattered that you noticed. And this party is, naturally, as wonderful as your other ones.”

“Oh?” the Viscount tilted his head slightly to the side. “Have you been to my previous balls? I cannot discern your face through your mask, my dear.”

“Certainly you don’t expect me to remove this mask without a dance first, my lord?” Elizabeth ran a finger over the edge of her mask and smiled coyly.

The Viscount smirked. “Sir,” he addressed Prince Soma. “Might I borrow this young lady for the next dance?”

“Be my guest, Viscount Druitt,” the prince bowed again, smiling as he turned to leave. He glanced back at Elizabeth, who winked at him through her mask.

Ciel scoffed. “A silly ball with people I hate and where Lizzy is dancing with a creepy man who I want to kill. Somehow this seems familiar.” he rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm. He was glaring at Elizabeth and the Viscount when he felt Sebastian’s hand on his shoulder.

“Young Master,” he whispered. “Your... er, well, demon shadow... it grows and billows when you become enraged,” he explained. “I need to teach you how to control it.” Sebastian sighed when Ciel just continued to stare at him. “Sir, do not worry. Lady Elizabeth is in no danger. She is surrounded by friends, family, demons, reapers, and whatever Matilda is. She will be perfectly safe at all times.”

The earl scoffed again and looked back at Elizabeth flirting with the Viscount. A moment later his eyes widened and he turned back to his butler. “Wait. You said whatever Matilda is. So you also get the feeling she is inhuman?”

“Yes sir,” the butler confirmed. “I cannot tell what she is... and I assume neither can you. But, she is here to help us, whatever she is. We will find out one day, young master. After all, you and I have all the time in the world now, even until the final curtain falls on this world.”

Ciel stared at the throng of dancing people. “They’ll all be dead one day,” he said, watching as Agni and Prince Soma clapped their hands and commanded everybody’s attention for their performance. “I’ve always known this, but it feels different knowing they will all die and you and I will live on. Well, and I suppose Undertaker and Matilda will live on, also.” he turned to Sebastian. “What do you think happens to shinigami when the world ends?”

“My theory would be that nothing happens to them, my lord, and that they continue with their work as before.” Seeing the earl’s confused expression, Sebastian smiled and raised one eyebrow. “Young Master, surely you aren’t so arrogant as to believe that there is only one world?”

The earl wanted to ask more, but he noticed Prince Soma’s very pointed looks at him and the head tilt towards Elizabeth and the viscount. Lizzy had one hand behind her back and one hand holding her fan in front of her mouth, looking coquettishly at Viscount Druitt. When he bowed to her and offered her his hand, she took it, giggling, and let him lead her outside into the gardens. Before walking out the door, she shot a look to Ciel and Soma that clearly meant Now.

Ciel and Sebastian looked at each other. “This is an order; make sure everyone is in place in the gardens for the next phase of the plan. Within the next few minutes, Viscount Druitt should be right where we want him.”

Sebastian smirked. Finally. He bowed with his hand over his heart. “Yes, my lord.”

~

Elizabeth had her hands full trying to keep the Viscount on the hook while avoiding his touch as much as she could. She flirtatiously waved her fan. “My lord, are you absolutely certain this is appropriate?” she giggled. “We mustn’t forget ourselves.”

“No danger in that, my little cardinal,” Viscount Druitt smiled down at her, and something in his smirk made Elizabeth squirm. “My my, you remind me so much of a lovely little robin I once knew. But there is no need to dwell on past loves tonight. For this night, though my mansion is full of people, we are all alone in this paradise. We are in Eden together, my cardinal, free to explore as Adam and Eve.”

They walked together during his pompous speech until they reached the fountain in the center of the garden. It was a strangely simple fountain for such a grand garden, with four herrings spraying water into a pool. As soon as they neared it, Elizabeth snickered to herself. “We’re not as alone as you think,” she said with a short laugh.

Suddenly she reached to her back and drew a sword which Paula had neatly hidden, pointing the tip directly under the viscount’s chin. “It’s time for your true reckoning, Aleistor Chamber!” Elizabeth declared, unmoved by the fear in Viscount Druitt’s face. Seemingly out of nowhere, Agni, Sebastian, Ran Mao, Matilda, and Mei Rin emerged like spirits from the bushes, wrapping long ropes around the viscount’s body and securing him tightly to the fountain. From all around, the rest of the party appeared from the hedges; Undertaker, Bard, Finny, Prince Soma, Lau, Paula, and Ciel. Elizabeth approached Viscount Druitt and traced the point of her sword over his jugular. Smirking, she removed her mask and tossed it into the fountain at his feet.

[kitalphahart]

Yoshitane looked across the soon-to-be battlefield, at the ragtag group of deserters from several armies. The army, as it was, far exceeded the size of his army. Reinforcements were on their way, but chances were good that the men he had been able to gather on short notice and he would be slaughtered, dead before sunfall. His only consolation was that his regiment was entirely mounted, while most of the other army was on foot. He hated to fight on horseback, it seemed dishonorable to fight mounted against many on foot. He mentally wrestled between the feeling of dishonor and the necessity to use every advantage possible. At least the female fighters were back home, readying for possible evacuation of the non-fighters. Good as the girls were, they were even fewer than the men he had on hand, and he was certain the twins in particular had never been in an open battle. They seemed to be more pranksters than fighters as it was. Their shenanigans were fun and all, but not useful in battle. "Morning, bee boy." "Kana, I told you two to stay home." Yoshi grated. Their voices were similar, but after long exposure to the two, he knew who was who just by their voice. "That's nice." Yoshi turned to see the girl perched atop his horse. "Do you ever listen to the samurai in charge?" Kana cackled, and he, as well as several nearby men, jumped. That hadn't been her usual cackle of fun, that was a nasty one. "You aren't my commander." "Where's Hana?" "Out." Kana suddenly rose, standing on the horse. "There she goes." Turning back, he still faced Kana long enough to see that her braid had the long spiked strap in it. Looking at the opposing army, he saw movement, and men turning, only to start wildly flailing, as if they couldn't see rather suddenly. The flailing, Yoshi saw, had a rough pattern, that of a five-petaled flower. There was a brief flicker of movement, and Hana was sending them men flailing again. "What is she doing?" "Blinding them. Her needles are attached to wires, so she can recoil and throw them again in rapid succession. As you can see, they're quite effective." "She's blinding them before battle?! Where is your honor?" "Stop being an uptight samurai and win the battle." Kana's voice was flat, but still somehow condescending. Yoshi blinked, shocked. He always forgot, the two weren't female samurai at all. They were not bound by the same honor code as him. They were ninja, and they were said to have no honor code, or honor, at all. He sighed in defeat, closing his eyes. He felt the headache of dealing with the twins for too much coming on. "I will not take responsibility for what you two cause." "Course not. You aren't our commander, remember? There's just too many for us to humiliate out of banditry, so even your odds a bit and we can stay home." "I don't like it." "You don't have to, commander bumblebee." Lightly, Kana jumped off his horse and landed next to him. "Your reinforcements will be hitting them from the side shortly before the sun reaches its peak. Zane really doesn't want to lose his rival." "Shigezane is leading the reinforcements?! We didn't ask the Date to help yet!" Kana grinned at Yoshi, the grin full of mischief. "That's right, you didn't. You only sent for the rest of the Soma troops. Zane was already planning to visit you and intercepted a squad with a few of his own." "If they're so close, why are you two even here?" "Even four squads more isn't much of a difference to them, and besides, it's still early morning. They're waiting for a cue, and by the time the sun's wholly over the treeline, they plan to be fully engaged, if not victorious. If they win, those four will be slaughtered." Yoshi stared at Kana. How did she know so much? Ninja magic? He turned back to face the opposing army in time to see something an eye-smarting shade of yellow waft into the air. "What even-?" He cut himself off as he saw Kana run forward. That painful yellow, then, was a signal from her twin. No doubt Kana's short blades, as well as her braid, would do plenty of damage. "Much as I hate to say it," Yoshi muttered to himself, "I really hope you girls can take down a good part of that army, honor code or none."

[therosettewolf]

Stretch (HLITF)

Here's a little something I wrote for Her Love In the Force,  because it's one of my favorite voltage games and it deserves more love.  My humor is a little hit or miss but hopefully, someone finds it funny.  (But honestly, I’d be ecstatic if anyone would just read it all)

Rated M for mature language,  and adult themes. Not a smut,  although I think it would make a pretty good segway for one. Maybe in the future? I apologize for grammar and any errors pertaining to it. I love commas, so there's that too.

Just a short story, in which the mc (You) from Her Love In the Force, relentlessly teases her instructors.  

                                                           “So how did it go?”

As you leaned bonelessly against the doorframe of the instructor’s room, barely managing to remain upright in your ridiculously high heels,  you hoped with every fiber of your being that Kaga would be the one to answer that question.  

Because one,  you most certainly did not want to recount your mishap of accidentally flashing the criminal’s your panties, because that definitely happened and it had been downright embarrassing. Even if it did somehow result in their arrest …

And two, you were certain that if Kaga explained the situation himself, he would definitely be too lazy to do so in full detail. Which was perfect, because there was a plenty of it that you did not want to recall.

“She wouldn't know seduction if it got up and bit her on the ass!”

See, this was exactly what you meant. Swift. Succinct. With an absolute zero amount of context.

“I wasn't aware seduction could do that sir, and I think I did quite alright,” You took a rickety step into the room, doing everything you possibly could to maintain decency in the mini dress you were wearing, as you sent your instructor a sidelong glance.

“Don't get smart with me servant!“ Kaga spat as he seated himself at his desk, shoving a few documents to the side so he could prop his feet on top of it. Ishigami, who was seated just a few feet away from him, scowled at his lax posture. And Kaga upon seeing the vexation that surfaced on the bespectacled man’s face merely smirked in response,  turning to Ayumu who was furiously typing away at his computer. “Somehow despite all odds, those dimwitted miscreants still managed to fall for this,” He gestured lazily in your direction, “Sorry excuse of a honey trap.”

It was a tenacious battle to not roll your eyes. 

“Ah,  is that so?” Ayumu smirked, eyes alight in utter bemusement as he soaked up your troubled expression. “I wonder why.”   

You bristled at his words. You may not have been the most tactful thing when it came to missions requiring you to use a bit of seduction. But you sure as hell did a great job of it today.

 Okay... maybe not so great... It wasn’t like you had meant to flash the perps your underwear it just happened, and for some reason or another, they just happened to find it very seductive. You thought it was perhaps wise to keep that minor detail to yourself,  so instead of answering outright, you let out a dry rather tremulous laugh. “Aha, I wonder too.”

You didn’t, and you hoped no one else did.

“Well, it somehow worked out in the end, so well done___.” Soma offered you what you surmised may have been words of encouragement, but you weren’t really sure how to take them. Either way, they offered you some way to end the discussion so you were grateful.

“Uh, thanks, sir.” You managed through your embarrassment. A familiar feeling of heat burgeoning across your cheeks, as you tugged restlessly at the bottom of your dress––wanting to ensure it didn’t ride up over your thighs again––as it was prone to do. You really wanted nothing more than to change, finish up your reports, and curl up in bed with your ugly cat. But for some unspoken reason, instructor Kaga had yet to dismiss you.

“___ is actually quite the skilled seductress if you think about it. “ Kurosawa,  who you had no recollection of ever entering the room remarked thoughtfully. Stepping beside you and cupping his chin like he had just discovered something profound. His movements reminded you of something right out of a detective cartoon: over exaggerated, corny, and comical and you had to fight the smile curling at your lip.

“This isn't the first time you’ve successfully seduced someone,  ___.” He whispered lowly into your ear, and you shivered. Not because you found him doing so unpleasant, but because you hadn’t realized just how close he was to you.  So close in fact, that you could smell his spicy cologne and the slightly metallic scent of whatever he used to process his photos. You didn’t hate it.

“What do you mean Kuro?” You whispered back, thoughtlessly placing a hand on one of his well-muscled arms. You didn’t expect him to freeze up the way he did, a slightly stunned expression on his face before he quickly replaced it with one of his usual cheery grins. He hadn’t expected you to move closer to him on your own volition, and with a barely discernable flush to his cheeks, he replied. “Well you see, you’ve already seduced everyone he––”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence, promptly cut off by a dry erase marker hitting him square between his eyes.

“Kurosawa any closer, and that would be considered sexual harassment.” Goto admonished, scowling at the ebullient photographer from across the room.

“Well, he’s not wrong.” Soma chuckled, emptying a bottle of water onto one of the many precious cacti that adorned his side of the desk.

“Speak for yourself.” Kaga groaned, “The only thing good about her is that soft body.”

You frowned. How very not sweet of him. If you weren’t itching to leave earlier, you sure were now. You weren’t sure you liked the direction this conversation was moving in.

“Aw, that’s not true Hyogo. She also has a great personality.” Kurosawa trilled, rubbing the marker shaped indentation now visible on his forehead.

“Well, she does look quite lovely in that dress. Fills it out in all the right places. Don’t you think so too Hideki?” Soma smiled wryly, eyes that matched the ash color of his hair boring into your own with tangible perceptiveness. You transiently wondered what even compelled him to ask your stringent instructor such a thing, but understood completely when you saw the amused expression on his face. He wanted to see your reaction. He was like Ayumu in that aspect, both just loved to see you sputter like a blithering idiot.

The assholes.

“Don’t you all have more important things to do.” The heretofore silent instructor finally spoke, cutting the air between you with the sharpness of knife as he looked up from the mountain of papers on his desk. He looked surly and annoyed and you felt bad that you were even the reason he was being disrupted.

“Sorry Instructor Ishi–”

“Of course he thinks you look good ___. Ishigami may be a cyborg, but the man isn’t blind.” Kurosawa assured, slinging an arm over your shoulder, and nearly knocking you off your unstable feet.  You girded yourself for the lecture you and everyone else was surely about to receive. Ruminating the amount of pudding it would take to pacify the bespectacled man. But the moments that followed were filled with unexpected silence, and when you finally looked up you saw it.  A faint reddening hue that burgeoned across each of his ears.

Ishigami was embarrassed, and you were gobsmacked to see it.

“Well aren't we a popular one?” Ayumu’s lips curled into a cynical grin,  the technicolor light of his laptop screen reflecting off his glasses. You could see indecipherable coding in them, as shrewd topaz eyes soaked up your discombobulated expression. “Seems like the little red dress I provided is a hit.” He sounded almost proud of himself, as his gaze took a meandering plummet down your scantily clad physique.

You narrowed your eyes at him through thick mascara-coated lashes “Do not get me started on this abomination of a dress, Ayumu.”

After all, it was the very reason your mission had ended in such embarrassment. The dress was so damn short and tight, you couldn’t even bend down without flashing your undergarments. Not only that, but the bustier top held by two measly little strings exposed way too much cleavage––more than you were frankly willing to show. In all honesty, you wanted to take the damned thing off since the moment you put it on. 

“May I be dismissed, sir?” You twisted away from Ayumu to direct that question at Kaga.

“I still need those reports.” He replied,  not even bothering to look up as he said that. You wondered what he was doing behind the large stacks of paper that covered him from this angle––because you knew it was for sure not the reports he was currently asking you to do.

“Okay. Well, I'll write them, as soon I change.”

“I need them now.”

Oh,  he was so full of shit…  wasn't he the one always turning in reports late?  Now, all of a sudden he wanted to be punctual with them?  Tired, drained,  and not at all in the mood to be acquiescent, you fired back. “Oh, you need them now? If you don’t mind me asking sir, why the sudden rush?  “

“Because four-eyes over here asked for them.”

Ishigami scoffed in response, narrowing his eyes at the ballsy lieutenant and you rolled yours, wanting nothing more than to lug the nearest pen at his head. How such an attractive man could be such monumental pain in your ass was beside you.

“Fucking fine! I'll do them. “ You hissed acerbically,  kicking off your heels and throwing them in one of the unoccupied corners of the room.  

Kaga leveled a glare at you, his handsome face tense with disapproval as the other instructors looked on in shock. “What was that aide? “

“Alliteration.” You spat, pulling up a chair and earning yourself a few bemused chuckles from Kurosawa,  Soma,  and even Ishigami.  Kaga harrumphed, but let you get away with your little slip of malediction,  as you squeezed yourself tightly between him and Ayumu,  just to make an extra nuisance of yourself.

With a sigh, you turned to the paper placed in front of you, snatching a pin from one of the jars on the desk, and began summarizing the events that occurred earlier that day. You were just about finished with your second report when your pen slid out of your hand, rolling off the scarred wood of the desk, and underneath a nearby filing cabinet.

“Shit!” You cursed under your breath, reaching out to snatch another pen from the jar...when a sudden idea hit you. You were still feeling a little vindictive from the instructors earlier teasing, and as a juvenile, as it sounded the idea of revenge was far too good to pass up. So you extricated yourself from the chair, making sure to be as boisterous as possible as you scampered past the other instructors and stopped in front of the filing cabinet you had watched your pen roll under.

Making a big show of doing so, you dropped down to your knees, raising your hips off the ground, forcing your backside high the air, as you plastered your face to the floor and reached into the darkness for your pen.

“What are you doing __?” Goto was the first to inquire, concern bleeding into his voice, and shock etching itself in his attractive features as he got a lovely view of your backside. He had to clear his throat before speaking again, “Are you okay?”

His sudden spark of concern had captured the attention of all the other instructors, whose eyes swiftly locked on to your prone form.

“I’m fine.” You barely managed to stop the smile that threatened to curl your lips, as you reached under the cabinet, and purposely shoved the pen away from you. “Just trying to grab my pen.”

The curiosity on Kaga’s face quickly turned into one of annoyance as he leaned over the table to glare at you. “ Just, grab a new one.” He hissed, but his words didn’t quite carry the usual amount of acerbity that they normally did, and that was probably because he quite liked the view you were providing him.

“I can’t.” You hissed back, groaning with the effort of trying to reach for something that wasn’t there. “You see, it’s my favorite pen.”

“Ah, and what does this pen look like?” Ayumu ever the most clever smiled, pale strands of hair falling into his face, as he rested a cheek against a clenched fist, and stared you down.

You stilled, heart battering itself against your ribcage at the prospect of already being caught, but you kept moving–– hoping against all odds you were able to fool his dexterous eyes. “Silver, with an intricate floral design on the cap, it has blue ink.”

“Funny, I don’t recall seeing a pen like that in here,” Soma remarked pensively.

“Well, I’ll show it to you once I get it.” You answered, letting out a frustrated little moan. “I almost got it that time.”

The whole atmosphere of the room changed at that moment, various sets of colored eyes glued to your form. Every movement you made had your dress riding up along your thighs, and you could hear a collective gasp each time it did so. It didn’t take long for your little black thong to be on full display–– all sets of eyes but your own widening into saucers. As they got an up close and personal view of your nice round ass. The late exercising you did at night was clearly paying off.

“Uh, how about I buy you a new one.” Kurosawa suddenly shouted, cheeks scarlet, and voice cracking as he marched over to where you were standing. You knew not to let your guard down, however, for as much as Kurosawa loved to feign ineptitude. You were well aware that he was just as clever as Ayumu, if not more so, and you did not want to chance him seeing through your guise.

“No that’s okay, this one is special to me. My grandmother got it for me as a present for when I got into this academy.” You spoke softly as if recanting some kind of lachrymose tale. You tried to ham it up a bit by reaching even further underneath the cabinet, wiggling your hips whilst doing so.

You heard a few groans with that one.

“I’ll get it for you.” Ishigami offered, getting up so fast he jostled his desk, but you were quick if not reluctant to turn him down.

“I wouldn’t want to bother you.” You murmured with quasi-reticence, offering him a small grateful smile in return. You almost felt bad when you saw him rear back, like some sort of frightened animal, face awash with a ruddy tint. You had never seen the man so undone, and the guilt of it all had you wondering if you should put a stop to your antics. But then you remembered just how often you ended up being the brunt of the instructors jokes, and you weren’t sure you were ready to throw in the towel just yet. So instead you fortified your resolve, settling yourself upright on your knees, and turning towards your fair-haired instructor.

“Ayumu.”

“What?” He tried not to make eye contact with you, a brooding blush dusting his cheeks, and a mulish set to his jaw.

You couldn’t help the feline-like grin that you felt stretching across your face, “Can I borrow your flashlight?”

“S-sure.”

Wow, this was different. You were surprised to see him so... docile. He handed you the flashlight from his belt, and you went right back to doing what you were doing before. Teasing them relentlessly by reaching for a pen, that you were never going to be able to reach. It was against the far end of the wall now-–physically impossible for anyone to get. But they didn’t need to know that.

“Hey little bird,” The chief greeted, having chosen that very moment to walk in.  “Have you seen  the documents for the last––” He meandered, words slowing, “Kidnapping case?”

The softness in which his last words were dropped made you wonder if chief Namba had stopped breathing at that moment, his favorite oral fixation lost on the carpet beside your hand. You picked the cigarette up quickly, not wanting the flame to catch on anything, before handing it to your flabbergasted chief. “It's in the second to last drawer on your left chief. Green filing cabinet. “You smiled amiably, dusting off your clothes and walking back over to the equally stunned instructors. You were starting to think it was a pretty good time to stop this charade.

“May I be excused Instructor Kaga?” You asked one last time, gaze flickering across the room to quickly soak in the damage you had just dealt.

You noticed that the monstrous stack of papers, that had once been neatly stacked on the desk next to Kaga was now haphazardly strewn across his lap. And as you turned towards the other instructor, hoping to get a feel of the varying emotions that flitted across their faces, you had to force yourself not to laugh. Not one of them maintained eye contact with you, and each had their legs crossed in a very uncomfortable looking way.

it was absolutely everything you could have hoped for.

“Yeah,” Kaga sighed after a tense moment of silence, “Get the hell out of here____” He spat your last name out like some kind of curse, exhaustion bleeding into his handsome feature as he warded you off with a hand.

You didn’t need him to tell you twice, you lunged for your heels in the corner of the room, and bolted out the door.

“You do realize she didn’t finish the reports?” Ayumu barely managed a tired snicker at the expense of his friend.

“Shit, ” Kaga hissed, but the word lacked the ire that usually accompanied it.

“That little bird has a very nice ass,” Namba mumbled thoughtfully, taking a long slow drag from his cigarette, but although his words weren't directed to anyone but himself. There was a hum of agreement as each instructor leaned back in their chair, exhausted. 

You were definitely in for some form of punishment later.

@fantasygamer @itachan20

Stretch part 2:

Kaga 

[sparda3g]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 261 Review

We have finally reached to this point; the end of the road. Erina has already amazed the top 2 Elite 10 members, but they’re not the one to judge, so it does not count. Erina’s dish is finally served in this 2-part judgment process (I think). This chapter is the first to present Erina and her true form of specialty; unleashing her special perk. Having said to be part 1, it’s no doubt we are slowly savoring a magnificent taste of victory.

It’s no secret that Erina stole the battle singlehandedly; arguably the entire arc. She has been on a tremendous momentum and the ride won’t end until she can get the last laugh over azami. The last chapter was so satisfying for her character to evolve, pairing love increased tenfold, and her killing spree keeps on going. This chapter is where she will finally get to claim her rights to live as a sole person and mark the end of her father’s reign.

The tension deepens from the very first page with many characters including the audience, preparing to be amazed by Erina’s specialty. You would think it’s the protagonist that is on stage, about to blow them away, but it’s Erina. Wait, I think I contradicted myself…The moment of truth keeps on building up and Erina never look so alive and confidence with that second page.

Tsukuda is likely aware of the hype because it was purposely stalled further with Azami getting his last words while acting like a father in a rare occasion before meeting his ultimate defeat. It’s all the merrier to hate the guy, trying to ruin the hype. It was strange to see him talking like a caring father, as if he decided to be concern of her. He points out how she was breathing heavily after improvising for 10 minutes. The problem is he’s more concern on the presentation.

Somehow, he deviates from his concern on her health towards the representation of a chef. According to him, if they improvise or try to cook something unusual, it would force them to work so hard; much difficult than what’s already established. He’s not wrong about that, but it’s not as inventive, hence lack of enthusiasm. Because of that, he finds her dish unacceptable. It comes off like a cheap excuse and act like sore loser; however, it actually does play a role and key to his character.

This is like a cooking series’ version of “any last word” moment. Think of a scene of when a character about to do something that will change forever, the other character would plead to do otherwise. Case in point, Azami tried to convince Erina that her dish shall not be served due to health and such; but Erina, the Queen she is, has decided. She will serve and thus, breaking all chains from Azami completely. I have been surprised plenty of times from the last chapter, and yet this one surprised me as well.

The special insert is none other than Furi-freaking-kake!

I forgot to mention in my last review. The part I like about the callback that this series does is how it is done in an appropriate timing that isn’t just nostalgia, but it serves a significant purpose. It’s hilarious that Erina used peanut butter and squid for her dish; however, it’s fascinating how it connects to the main theme of creativity. It was always portrayed as the worst dish imaginable, but Erina made it work. If it can be delicious, then nothing is impossible. It is this series’ version of “anyone can cook.”

In this chapter, it’s the furikake that amazes the judges with its transformation. The detail of how it slowly melts really made it look so good. Saeki went out of his way to zoom in a piece of meat with the cube on top slowly dissolving. There has to be a restaurant for me to try; it’s drool worthy. Decora more or less described my reaction just by looking at it. Finally, the tasting process commences and Azami activates Erina’s trap card. He look awed judging by his eyes. You have done that to yourself.

Surprise, surprise, Decora and Anne got foodgasm, now with tentacle…well, you know what (serious note: is there a better word than that?) Actually, instead of tentacle that wraps around the two judges, it’s the egg sauce or juice that engulfed them. Saeki really spent a lot of time in his early days as Toshi huh. If stripping isn’t the endgame, this could be it. The description of the taste favors towards to creativity because they are awestruck beyond anything. Never would they have imagined that there could be something more than what’s already considered “perfect.”

I do like the full picture of the foodgasm (not the wrapping) where they are once living in a good life with what they already have. Everything changes when Erina attacks. Her specialty is so blessing that the servants of God have arrive to carry them to the heaven heights. It’s a funny, charming, and delighting way to describe the taste in the nutshell. How adorable those little Erinas are; it reminds me of chapter 3 with Soma. Now it brings me to this point: Erina’s specialty.

The thing about her specialty is quite terrifying. She is like jack of all trades and now, she can master of all. Actually, it’s more like polishing or harmonizing for a unique balance. The reason why it’s amazing is because her choices of recipe are what they are considered as: low-class. If she can convert it and make it at least redeemable like with peanut butter and squid, she can make anything delicious like 5-star class; perhaps even more. It’s why the resemblance to Soma’s little servants happened here; it’s the same, only in its master form, at least in her own way.

Her specialty goes against everything Azami believes in. I don’t know if Azami was aware of her specialty to be this, but if so, it would make a lot of sense for his action to be painful that ultimately manipulated her. She has a gift that can influence anyone to cook the way they see fit. It’s like what she believed in: cooking is fun. She pretty much was his enemy from the get-go. If he can enslave her, he can twist it to his favor by converting her God Tongue into “there can only be one way” morale.

Erina completes her development against Azami. The days of his control over her are long gone. This is her farewell. She was the bird in the cage; now flying away towards freedom. She calls it “True Gourmet Flying Away from the Academy: Delinquent Daughter Style.” Looks like Yukihara rub even got to her in naming as well. How they won’t be together will be a war crime of the century.

It’s about time to see Azami losing his cool after everything. He finally reached to the tipping point; no longer put an evil smile to hide his actual feeling. Actually, I do recall him bit his finger after confronting with Alice, humiliated no less. He has bad luck against female Nakiri I suppose. In all seriousness, he does have a flashback that brings the light to why he said those words about “concern” before.

The flashback lasts a page and 1/3 but it’s enough to give you an idea where he established the problem he sought fit to eliminate. Before Jouichirou lost his love with cooking, he was experimenting different recipes with the dish that he won gold prize with. Azami didn’t understand why he tried to change something that is already perfected, but he told him that it fascinated him to see other possibilities such as flavors. It was his belief that Azami believed what got him “damaged.”

Azami was portraying like a killer from a case from Phoenix Wright the video game; nearly about to break and show his true color to everyone. It is filled with angry words that continuously deny anything else but his. It’s no wonder his character acted unusual when Erina was breathing hard. He believed Jouichirou gave up his passion because he tried too hard to find other means and because of testing many recipes, he burnt out. Worn out Erina probably resembles him in his view. That would explain his reaction towards his farewell; like he knew why he left Tootsuki.

It’s not the same with Tsukasa because his problem was to find the upmost perfection, even when he was getting great reception. Tsukasa could be manipulated to find only one path to cooking; that’s why Azami wanted him on his side. The irony is that even if everyone follows the way of one path, they will eventually be burnt out from little to no joy. Probably even at a quicker rate than what he could imagine because reality is it won’t work at all. There’s no escaping from fallout or a perfect solution.

The ending is…interesting. Well, more like the first impression because apparently the series took a dark turn with a bomb explosion. It perplexed the hell out of me that Erina became a complete antagonist. Soma was crying but later raged over her betrayal and said the line, “You traitor!” Okay, none of that happened, but the explosion did and that alone was still strange. Erina must have Plan B to secure her win.

Azami has a shock look in his face; again, another moment of slowly coming to his defeat. Judging by the yelling, it appears that his “blessing” has begun its effect to the audience. I don’t know if it will be a domino effect as in everyone will slowly get stripped away or the shock factor is how his blessing can spread out in far distance. The former is expected by fans, but I wouldn’t mind the latter one as well. Not sure about the explosion part but this is a cooking manga.

I just love how it ends with Erina about to make Azami her pawn. He has been the ruler for far too long; what goes around comes around. Erina can cook an amazing dish that can beyond any expectation. Azami asked for a death flag by announcing his technique to everyone; she would get her point across even stronger. If she can make a Nakiri or in this case her father to cause bursting, making everyone stripped, she can cook a dish with the snap of her finger.

*snaps*

…just like that…

It’s the first part of the thrilling conclusion. It may not end up as a 2-part judgment process, but it is certainly the beginning of the end of Azami’s ambitious plan. The artwork is nice, even with the foodgasm scene. Erina continued to be the most impressive person on Earth with her delighting determination and blissful touch to the dish that is already mouthwatering. It was sublime to see her development coming this far and now, she is about to rule the world. Grant us that win!

[ewig-schatten-und-licht]

SomAgni Valentine Day 7

Who could have known that one mere night walk can turn upside down the life of the prince and his beloved servant?

As if he had known – though he, of course, hadn’t – Agni told his master that maybe they should wait with the walk until the sunrise when the streets will be already lit up with the sun. “Hey, what’s the fun then, Agni?” Soma put his hands on his hips. “Don’t you want to enjoy starlight? Don’t be silly, we’re going right now!”

“As Your Highness wishes,” Agni had to say. After all, he has no reason to worry. He’ll shelter his prince from everything that will stand on their way.

They were walking slowly and thoughtfully down the narrow streets of night-covered Calcutta. “See, Agni,” said Soma in awe, gazing into the starlit sky, “how beautiful there is! And you didn’t want to go!” “My mistake, prince Soma,” said Agni, smiling. “I forgive the mistake, but I won’t forgive you if we didn’t climb onto this high roof!” Soma pointed at the top of the huge building. “I have to say something to you. The thing what can only be said on the highest point of the city, under the moon and stars. Come!”

Wondering what the thing it can be, Agni took a short bow and approached the prince to pick him up and help him to climb, but – in that instant – they were suddenly surrounded. The men, dark silhouettes of which were half-consumed by darkness, watched them like they were something to eat.

It became clear only later, that they were assassins who were very well paid for killing the prince and – literally everyone beside him. Since they had known that there would be an incredibly mighty servant by the prince’s side, there was a big number of them. Attacking Agni simultaneously, they – of course – couldn’t defeat him. But they could distract him – and eventually he almost missed the moment when one of the assassins managed to punch the prince and knock him unconscious.

That man was doomed from that very second. He had bleeded the entire ground beneath their feet – and this was the fatal mistake from Agni. Having been distracted, he missed a few dangerous strikes – and fell onto the ground. The assassins immediately surrounded him, and he thought, desperately, that now he might not have the time or strength, or…

But, having been impressed by Agni’s incredible strength, they suggested him a deal. They’ll set the prince free – but Agni should join them. And – of course prince mustn’t see him anymore.

At this point he had lost his faith in himself to such an extent that he just agreed.

The next morning Soma woke up in his bedroom, safe and warm, but all alone.

And Agni took his first step onto the criminal road. Again.

But this time he had one thing that warmed his heart – his beloved was alive and well. That was the thing worth of millions Agnis.

***

Four years passed.

Dark and gloomy four years. Lonely and sorrowful, tense and unbearable.

Agni was learning to kill people again. Though, mostly the famous and mighty men he had to get rid of, were so disgusting as persons that they were hardly humans, but this didn’t make a slight relief for Agni.

Soma was living his royal life, but from now it’s full of sorrow and guilt. The only thing that keeps him alive – the investigation of Agni’s “murder”, because that very second he was told about his beloved friend’s fate, he had vowed to avenge him. A year after the tragedy Soma got married. He hates his wife, and this feeling is mutual – because both accuses each other of the fact that their two kids were stillborn. “Why every person I love should be dead?!” Soma cries in the moments of utter despair.

No happiness anymore. No shining sun and beautiful blossoming flowers anymore.

And how ridiculous! that night he was just about to say…

“Your Highness!” a servant dashed into prince’s bedroom. “We’ve captured them!”

Soma lost his breath. Them. He knew oh so well what does this mean. This happened. Finally. The prince couldn’t gather himself even to inhale – the thought, plain but so vital, repeated in his mind over and over again. Agni’s murderers are caught. Caught. Caught, Caught. His lungs filled with fresh air and heart – with fresh hatred.

“Do you wish to take a look at them before they’ll be executed?”

No way. They aren’t worth a single glance of his princely eyes.

“Hang them.” A second passed. “Right now.”

His fists clenched tightly and body started shivering as if he had a high fever.

“Any delay – and I’ll hang you instead.”

The servant nodded hastily and run off that instant. And Soma – he just let out an enraged sigh, then paled profusely and took an abrupt step towards the wall. They’ve found them. I’ve found them. His blood seemed to freeze inside of his veins, and only the blurred outline of the empty lonesome room what he had shared long ago with his one and only. I’ll kill them, he thought with loathe. I’ll kill them.

His poor mind, having gotten a long-awaited information, and his poor desperate heart, having experience the frenetic thirst for a vengeance, lost their capability to maintain him on his feet. He fainted, with the only words printed on his lips – though it never left them.

“Agni…”

***

“When you bastards will finally start?!” Soma yelled from his balcony on the second floor of the palace. “Or have you been corrupted by these scum?!” Even having felt his father’s heavy hand on his shoulder, he didn’t stop his passionate insulting. “Then I’ll burn you alive if their head won’t be annihilated this very moment!!!” He got a slap from the father but remained confident and furious, not a drop of regret in his eyes that went to a flame from of a pure gold. “You will NEVER dare touch a human with one of your filthy finger!”

Even so rude and ruthless, these words were the sweetest music for Agni’s ears. To hear his prince’s melodious voice once again was the better blessing for him, and tears of a pure happiness were running down his cheeks.

Even though he was the first one to rise onto the scaffold.

Almost déjà vu.

Since when he became the head of the assassins’ band after the death of the previous one, he had managed to save a few lives, after all. Just took the victims on himself – and did nothing, inventing the ways to deceive the customer. Though, of course, it didn’t make his life slightly easier.

Lowering his head, he tried to stay unrecognized to his beloved. Though Soma certainly would have recognized even the tiniest lock of his hair.

“WAIT!!!” thundered beneath the vain square. The desperate, filled with rage voice made everyone shudder. Automatically, lead just by worrying of the prince’s state of health, Agni raised his head in fear.

Their glances met in an instant.

This second, having looked into the prince’s tear-filled widened eyes, endless hope sparkling in them, Agni froze as if glued to the ground – not able to do anything but stare at his wonderful master. Soma, not wanting to waste a single second, climbed onto the bannister, jumped off his balcony and run towards his precious person.

One long glance, full of hope and love – and they both are sobbing in each other’s arms.

“Agni…” the prince cried, shivering with the whole body. “It is… it is really you…”

“I am here, my treasure…” the servant answered, stroking his master’s hair, “I am here, my gold.”

“Why…” hiding his face in Agni’s chest, Soma exhaled. “Why do you always make the wrong decisions?!..”

Agni jerked away, having been frightened by only thought that the prince has all the right to reject him now. But all his fears disappeared when Soma dashed forward and hugged him again, now even tighter.

“Hush, hush…” desperately whispered Soma, strengthening his embraces and paying no attention to the crowd’s amazement and noise. “They won’t hurt you anymore, darling, they won’t stole you, won’t make you do what you don’t want to…” his fingers were stroking Agni’s back – hastily, not even tenderly but impatiently and greedily, as if he was scared that someone will take Agni away from him again. He was, though.

“You…” that was the thing that was so hard to believe in – after those years of abandonment and this huge fatal lie which Agni had offended Soma with. “You are… forgiving me?”

Soma lifted his head. His eyes, filled with tears, were shining with an infinite happiness.

“How can I even think about such senseless things, when I finally feel my life burning inside of me?”

Senseless.

This only word made Agni shiver with his whole body from a sudden realization.

Grabbing his prince in tight, passionate embraces, he gave him a long sensual kiss, all his love and affection in it. He didn’t care about his so-called colleagues anymore, or about the crowd drown in intense silence, or about the honorable princess shrieking out loud while seeing his husband with another man. All of this was senseless, always. There was only Soma who had sense. Him and his response, soft and sweet. And they couldn’t get enough of each other, having been endlessly craving for each other during these empty years without the source of life in their desperately loving hearts.

The very next day the culprits were dead, the princess – free and Soma and Agni – on the board of ship towards another country.

All the senseless things were left behind forever.

[xxhanabifireworksxx]

Top 10 Anime Couples

Tagged by @rays-of-fire-and-ice​ Thank you once again! 😘 I’ve never done this one before! Alright let’s start! This one might prove to be more difficult as I’m somewhat particular about ships. Honorable mentions: Renruki, Ichihime, (Bleach) Rivetra, Levihan,(Attack on Titan) Sanami, (One Piece) Gajevy, Nalu, Jerza (Fairy Tail), Edwin (FMA), Izuocha (BNHA)

10.Todomomo

I’ll admit I’m really new to this ship and I need to catch up with BNHA but they seem cute together. That one moment where Momo opens her uniform to use her quirk and Todoroki quickly looks away bad boy having pervy thoughts made me laugh.

9.Zorobin

There’s a bunch of moments that make me catch my breath with these two. I love how their relationship begins as the whole, “ What’s she plotting?” deal with Zorro being highly suspicious of her to “ You got carried away and said too much” when Kuma had stated to Zorro that she “had to die.” She didn’t by the way. Lots of good moments like this where he comes to her aid and she also comes to his. 

8.SoMa

A very cute ship. Also another pair where each party saves the other on numerous occasions. I’m a sucker though for the whole protective-guy-makes -sure-the-girl-doesn’t-get- hurt sort of thing.

That forehead tap we get asdfjkl; 

It still makes me mad to this day-why?! I for sure thought that they were going to kiss! 

7.Naruhina

This one ship is probably the oldest ship I have on this list. Naruhina I’ve followed for a longtime because Naruto was the first legit anime (I don’t know if you want to count Pokemon but at that time I didn’t really ship anything) that I watched and read. It was just a classic to me with the shy girl crushing on the loud and somewhat obnoxious boy. Polar opposites from each other. For years I followed Naruto always getting excited when they’d have a moment together. I never expected Naruto to end the way it did though so I throughly pleased when I found out they had been married with two kids! 

6. Gutsca 

One of the most romantic pairings I’ve ever come across. Very lovely to see this ship blossom into what it has become. Basically tsundere guy meets tsundere girl who basically dislike each other mainly Casca hating on Guts for having Griffith favor him instead.

 Not until they sit down and talk to each other heart to heart about their history do they start to fall in love. That moment where Casca lets herself fall off the side of the cliff and Guts going tumbling after her is where I fell for this pair. 

5.Royai

Another one of the older ships on this list. Royai has been with me for a longtime. I feel like watching Full Metal Alchemist was almost sort of a rite of passage for me into the anime community so it goes way back. 

The moment that Riza screams at Lust, “ You bitch!” when she learns Roy is probably dead is something that sticks with me and gives me chills. However when Roy made it back alive I cheered and it was then I realized I shipped them. Plus Riza has saved Roy’s ass on more then one occasion haha

4. Rinshi

Oh my god this ship is so pure. Shiemi starts off not trusting Rin because she realizes that he’s part demon. His attraction to her at first is extremely obvious to me. He blushes almost every time he talks to her or when she’s asking a favor or something of him. 

However on the other hand, she starts out thinking that she is not even worthy to be his friend but that all changes quickly. Opposite personalities as well here. Poor Rin thinking that she “friend zoned him” I think it’s much more then that though. 

3.Yatori

SO many moments with these two get me, ugh. I can’t get enough of mom/dad Hiyori/Yato with their fluff ball son Yukine 💖 haha The moment that Yato showed up for the FIRST time was when Hiyori was saying that there wasn’t anyone that she liked in her life as a s/o. From there on out I was hooked.

Their story is so good and even though Yato is a total goofball most of the time he is protective of her. Also when she regained her memory and he’s leaning over her concerned the way she cupped his face in her hand left me in tears. 

2.Gruvia

Gruvia has been with me for a bit. When I first watched Gray fight her I thought, “Well she’s clearly obsessed with him even though she’s trying to defeat him. I don’t know how this one is going to turn out.” So I kept on watching. In the end, when he caught her hand as she was falling it made me catch my breath. He did care about what happened to her even though he didn’t really let onto the fact during their fight.

Now with the end of Fairy Tail, I can see the culmination of their relationship. Gray’s attitude of brushing off her affections has nearly disappeared and he would clearly do anything for her even if it meant dying -and Juvia the same- as we saw in the recent manga chapters. These two genuinely care for each other.

1.Hitsuhina

*sigh* What did I do to deserve Hitsuhina? Honestly... This is my OTP and OTPs but perhaps one of the most underrated in Bleach. I knew from the moment that Toshiro was fighting against Gin how angry he had been that Momo had been turned against him. 

The words he spoke took the breath right out of me:

“You made her grip her sword so hard that her hands bled!” and

“I told you I would kill you if you made her bleed!” 

These words where spoken by a boy who truly cared for her and would protect her no matter the cost. I fell deep unlike I ever had for a ship before and ever since. After that I couldn’t see enough interactions between them. It never was enough. I fangirled every time they made it onto the screen. But of course, I can’t forget the angst. It may sound strange to say this, but the suffering they went through made me care more for both of them to the point where I just couldn’t tolerate it to see something bad happen to them. 

The moment where Toshiro stabbed her fucking hurt. The sorrow and pain I saw in his eyes at this tragic mistake shook me to my core. This reinforced to me just how special she was to him. 

To be honest, I could go on and on about these two but everything I would type would just never be enough to explain how special they’ve become to me.

I tag @johnnysjoestar @hitsougaya @yakitorii @salzrand