#japanese task force

[zimt-deathnote]

WIAUDHWKDJEJ I really love your art style so much omg. How would you draw the Kira task force members?

OOF that was more challenging than I thought... not entirely happy with them but here they are! :'D

----- My other socials Commission Info Let's have some Ko-Fi! 🍵

[matsuxide]

I love how the Japanese Task Force group syncs up sometimes :D

Matsuda is usually the one who syncs up with someone 😭 He is so adorable omg 𖹭𖹭𖹭

(I'm more charmed by it than surprised, especially considering they work together from morning till late at night..)

There's no way I can pass by your headcanons without a comment😭𖹭, @infinitelycynical

People who ignored your tags are literally cruel. 😭 I really do appreciate your tags!! <3

I think Matsuda really loves these shows A LOT, considering that even Ryuk points out that Matsuda is always watching TV (in the anime :D cuz I don't recall if he said the same in the manga)

This headcanon is so real. I bet they argue a lot when choosing a movie for the evening ☠️

[smallsinger5901]

Matsuda’s bigger than everyone else because he’s my special little guy, next question

[froggos-are-superior]

Doing this poll again but with a longer time limit for bigger sample size

[the-library-of-forgotten-endings]

i'm gonna be so real all of lights plans would have fallen apart if the authors had bothered to make their female characters complex and have an IQ above room temperature

[captainhysunstuff]

The closed captions for the dub on Netflix describes Light as “huffing” when he’s cornered:

Ain’t that just the cutest damn thing?

[lonestarbattleship]

Japanese Battleship Musashi (武蔵, Musashi Province) under heavy attack during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea. Musashi is being attacked by Task Force 38 aircraft.

Date: October 24, 1944

Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-281765, 80-G-281766

Colorized by Irootoko Jr: link

[dzthenerd490]

File: The Ring

SCP#: ALK

Code Name: The VHS Curse

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: The sole copy of SCP-ALK in Foundation custody is stored in the storage area of Site-AA. SCP-ALK is regularly used in testing such as psychological and metaphysical experiments or simply to get rid of rebellious Class D personnel. Under no circumstances are any Foundation staff allowed to watch SCP-ALK, any Foundation staff that do so are to be regulated to D Class regardless of their previous classification and rank, there are no exceptions. 

SCP-ALK instances in the wild are to be found and contained by Mobile Task Force Hermes-11 “Home Movies”. Thanks to their specialized helmets they'll be able to easily identify SCP-ALK instances among regular VHS. They are to expand their search to Japan and America as for some reason several copies of both films have been made in both countries. They are also to use the scanners on their helmets to identify those affected and have them terminated at once while utilizing Protocol "The Unknown Killer".

Description: SCP-ALK is a Cognito hazardous VHS tape that once someone views the entirety of the tape they will be cursed by SCP-ALK-1. SCP-ALK-1 is the spirit within the tape, once someone has viewed the entirety of the tape SCP-ALK-1 will contact them through any phone to tell them "Seven days". It should be noted that even if the cursed victim ignores the call the curse is still placed on them regardless. In fact, testing has shown that the moment the video stops the cursed individual dies precisely 168 hours afterwards. Once the seven days are up, SCP-ALK-1 will appear on the nearest television screen and either wait for the cursed individual to view it to kill them or crawl out of the screen and enter our world to kill them regardless of where they are or how far they run away. 

In the meantime, SCP-ALK-1 will appear to the cursed individual in nightmares often mess with them while they are awake, sometimes leading to nosebleeds. When a cursed individual takes a picture or has video recorded of them their face will always appear warped and distorted. There will even come a time where SCP-ALK-1 will appear to them before the seven days are up and grab them leaving a marking on the arm. This mark normally appears when they have three to four days left. Testing has also shown that animals around cursed individuals tend to be filled with fear and insanity when around them for too long even if unprovoked. 

It should be noted that non-cursed individuals can also suffer insanity if they are close to the cursed individuals for too long. This insanity can be accelerated or heightened if said individual is around the cursed individuals when their seven days are up. How this is works or why it happens is unknown. On the rare occasion an uncursed individual witnesses the death of a cursed individual they start to see things in television and drawings that supposedly can't be seen by normal people. They even have the ability to tell how many days a cursed individual has with a single touch. So far, the Foundation is in custody of three of such individuals and have then contained in Foundation owned psychiatric wards. The purpose for doing so is to see the long-term effects if any and to determine if there might be benefits to having been affected by SCP-ALK like this. 

SCP-ALK was discovered in 1998 in rumors of a VHS tape containing a curse that kills you in seven days after watching it started circulating in [data expunged], [data expunged], of Japan. Mobile Task Force Poseidon-3 "Otaku Heart" quickly started an investigation and found several unmarked tapes located in [data expunged]. All the tapes were recovered and sent to the nearest Foundation base where testing with D Class was conducted to see which tape truly was SCP-ALK. Out of sheer luck, SCP-ALK was found right away and testing immediately began to see its full effects. 

Side Note: It has been hypothesized that there are several ways to prevent the one from dying by the hands of SCP-ALK-1, including having the cursed individual make a copy of SCP-ALK and have someone watch said copy. However, the ethics Committee has banned testing for something like this as making a copy of SCP-ALK is in violation of Protocol "Shot Foot".

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files

[historyofguns]

The Battle of Cape Gloucester, narrated by Capt. Dale Dye, USMC (Ret), was a pivotal yet grueling conflict during World War II, marked by relentless tropical monsoons, treacherous jungle terrain, and a determined Japanese enemy. Factors such as severe weather, challenging geographic conditions, and the intricacies of MacArthur's military strategy complicated the 1st Marine Division's mission to secure a critical Japanese airstrip. Despite initial setbacks involving inadequate support from Army Parachute Infantry and challenges with artillery effectiveness in adverse weather, the arrival of M4 Sherman tanks and effective tactical adjustments, including intelligence reports from a captured Japanese soldier, facilitated the Marines' eventual capture of Cape Gloucester. The battle was a tough learning environment for the Marines, emphasizing the necessity of tanks, engineers, and adaptable strategies in jungle warfare. While the operation's strategic value was debated, it provided vital combat experience and operational insights that benefited future Pacific campaigns. The operation resulted in significant Marine casualties, underscoring the challenges posed by both the enemy and the environment.

[nic0-r0bs]

I want an OP podcast dismantling DN inaccuracies one by one.

Also, why on Earth would you send CAUCASIAN agents for an UNDERCOVER operation?!? In JAPAN?!?!?!

L’s choice to have 12 FBI agents follow the suspects doesn’t make any sense.

Apart from Raye, who has a Japanese mother (even though that doesn’t automatically mean he knows the country if he has lived all his life in the US), we have to take for granted that the others know Tokyo very well, because if not, it is ridiculous to put some americans who don’t know the city to tail people.

If you want to do it correctly, you have to be familiar with how the city is structured, and apparently from when L asks the help of those agents to when they arrive is like 4 days. They don’t even have time to learn all the roads of that particular place. How can you possibly think they know how to hide in sight or appear as people who are there for other reasons

Agents from any japanese agency that wasn’t the NPA would’ve been a better choice, in my opinion. They are used to the Japanese environment and they look like regular japanese citizens, but it’s not just that.

To become an FBI agent, you have to be at least 23. Raye Penber was 29 when he died. Let’s assume most of the agents were around that age. It’s improbable that all of them were that well accustomed to Tokyo. One of them was even of norwegian descent, if we look at their surnames. But, yeah, we can pretend all of them had ties to Japan in one way or another, knew the language and the place. That’s not the only argument I have.

The FBI is a domestic law enforcement. FBI agents don’t often work outside of the US, since they have no jurisdiction there. When they are sent overseas, usually it’s as advisors for an agency at its same level. And there are like 250 special agents stationated abroad (and that would makes me wonder, why not use those in Japan? but okay). But if they want to make an arrest, they have to ask for the approval of the host country. They cannot just act how they please.

Same goes for the CIA, who doesn’t have any type of arrest power anywhere. They are an intelligence gathering agency. That’s it.

Imagine if Light’s power was different and had to use his hands. At least, a person who has jurisdiction in that country could’ve arrested him on the spot, without causing problems to the FBI, the US or L for conducting this top secret operation.

I think the PSIA would’ve been a better choice. They have no arrest power, but since it’s directly connected to the Ministry of Justice, I believe they could grant it for this specific operation. Also if L ties with it weren’t good, the FBI could ask it in his name, since they work together sometimes.

It’s a lot of time and resources to ship 12 FBI agents from the US to Japan and make sure they do not raise any suspicion at the airport, and to get them in such a dangerous situation, when they don’t even know how Kira operates, and can’t be fully sure they know how to navigate that situation. Familiar or not, if you haven’t lived in the suspects' region of Tokyo for a while, you aren’t fully up to date with everything that has changed.

Why do all this stuff when you can have 12 local agents with no ties to the Kanto NPA bureau? Just to waste the FBI’s resources? Because that would be hilarious. But seriously, I don’t think the Ministry of Justice/PSIA would’ve said no to this type of request.

[foone]

AAA games? Pfft. Indie games? Double pfft.

I only play games from the alternate history where Hillary Clinton was elected in 2008 and banned all video games. You can only imagine how weird their underground gaming scene is. People like to call unlicensed games "bootlegs" but they've got actual bootlegged games! I've played games about helping your grandmother in hospice care realize she's a lesbian by reading Sappho to her, at 2am in a speakeasy in Baltimore. The cops raided it the next night, hundreds of Gamers were arrested. They posted pictures all over Friendster of the Baltimore PD destroying the arcades with axes.

I nearly got busted once because I was imaging old disks from a 386 and someone tipped off the gaming cops that there was a copy of Commander Keen in there. I had to prove that I didn't know it, I was imaging the disks blind and then indexing them later, and I would of course turn over any contraband to the proper authorities.

I was already on a watch list because I'd been known to have some gamedev-related activities pre-ban. They can't arrest me for making games back in 2007 when it was still legal, but they do want to keep an eye on me since I have the skills to break the law.

Anyway that universe's bootlegs are mainly PC games. Can't really have console games if there hasn't been a console release since the Wii/PS3/360 era. At one point Nintendo threatened to release the Wii SDK so game devs in the US could make unlicensed games, but that didn't happen as there were quickly no functional Wiis left in the US, except for very rare holdouts that never move. PC games are easy to distribute samizdat and hide on a USB stick or CD-R labeled "nickelback".

Japan's games industry is still going, so the later Nintendo and Sony consoles still exist, but Microsoft got out of the business of course. They sold the franchise to Sega who were hoping to release the 360 successor (the Xbox One in our universe) as the Sega Phoenix but it never materialized, either through their own financial incompetence or because of pressure from the US. There's a lot of international treaties that the US has pushed "and this aid only goes through if you ban games" clauses into. That would have been an official UN resolution if the USSR hadn't vetoed it. For once, thank God for the security council, eh?

I mainly get my gaming news through Japanese gaming sites (through a set of VPNs, since they're blocked at the border firewall), and some tor onion site run by a weird guy in Minnesota who is obsessed with documenting all the underground US games.

There's a lot being worked on, but it's always a tricky trade off. Too much attention and the police might be able to track down the creators, and it's basically impossible to fund underground games, as the VISA/PayPal etc funds get seized immediately. There's a whole task force for that.

Anyway one of the weirdest differences between our two time lines is that they've gone back and edited out gaming from a bunch of movies. Those that they can, of course. War games was just banned because they couldn't remove the tic tac toe ending. The Net just removed the scene at the beginning where she's playing Wolfenstein 3D, by recording some new screen footage and a new voice over. She's fixing a spreadsheet in the new edition.

(Yes, I've seen The Net from this alternate timeline. On Laserdisc, of course. I'm just that kind of person!)

They even edited Star Wars. You know that scene where R2-D2 is playing holochess with Chewie? They edited it to be a board game instead of holograms, because that made it too "video gamey".

Technically it's not illegal to show gaming in a movie, but it needs to be an 18+ film and you have to show the deleterious effects of gaming and/or the gamesters coming to a bad end.

This has affected films less than you'd think, to be honest. They were never great about showing video games even before they banned them.

Anyway, go have fun playing your AAA games with hundred-million-dollar budgets. I only play indie games made by people under a constant threat of arrest for their art.

[enhani-ki]

PART-TIMERS!NI-KI X READER ʚɞ

warnings: very suggestive content, pervert reader, etc.

read part two here!

the first day working at the convenience store were terrifying. you were new, fumbling with the register, unsure of where anything was, and feeling incredibly out of place. you almost quit, but then you met him.

ni-ki.

he was leaning casually against the counter, effortlessly looking cool as he was stocking a shelf nearby. his hoodie hung loosely over his frame and the sleeves pushed up enough to reveal his forearms. you barely managed to stutter out a greeting when he turned his attention to you, his lips turning into a slight smile.

"need help with something?" he asked with his low and smooth voice.

that simple question changed everything.

over the weeks, you found yourself looking forward to every shift with him. you discovered he'd been working there for a while. long enough to know the ins and outs of the store. ni-ki moved with confidence, joked with customers, and somehow made hard tasks look effortlessly easy. and at first, you tried to keep your distance, but soon you were already looking for excuses just to talk to him.

you're holding a snack with unfamiliar Japanese writing, you approached ni-ki hesitantly. "um, ni-ki? how do you read this?"

he looked at you with a spark of amusement in his eyes as he took the package from your hands. "this? it says karē pan. curry bread."

"oh." you nodded, pretending to be deeply interested. in reality, you barely even registered his words because you were too distracted by the way his fingers brushed against yours when he handed the snack back.

"you like Japanese snacks?" he asked, leaning against the counter.

you nodded again, lies coming easily. "yeah, and i've been meaning to try more of them."

ni-ki chuckled softly.

from that day on, he started asking you to take your breaks with him. you would sit together in the cramped room, sharing quiet conversations and occasional snacks.

and at night lying in bed, your thoughts were completely consumed by him. ni-ki's face, his voice, the way his shirt clung when he removed his hoodie, revealing glimpses of his skin.

your hand drifted beneath the covers, your breath catching as you imagined how his body would feel under your hands, picturing him pinning you against the shelves in the room, his hoodie forgotten on the floor as his lips brushed against your neck...

you gasped, back arching as your fantasies left you trembling, ni-ki's name escaping your lips like a prayer, filling the quiet of your room.

you became obsessed.

and when it was over, you buried your face in your pillow, feeling both shame and the relentless ache of wanting him.

the next day at work, you did your best to act normal. you greeted him as usual and forced a casual smile as if you weren't touching yourself last night because of him.

every move ni-ki made immediately caught your attention. you bit your lip, gripping the edge of the counter for support.

"are you okay?" ni-ki's voice startled you.

you looked up to find him staring, one brow raised in curiosity. his hoodie hung over his shoulder, exposing his collarbone. your heartbeat quickened.

"yeah, i'm good." you muttered, hoping he wouldn't notice the heat rising to your cheeks.

ni-ki patted your head. "don't work too hard, okay?"

you managed a weak nod and offered a small smile. inside, you were silently begging for mercy... from him and the overwhelming desire threatening to consume you whole.

later, ni-ki noticed you examining a snack tag. he wiped his hands on his apron and walked closer. "that..." he tilted his head, squinting. "'umeboshi.' it's pickled plum."

"pickled plum?" you repeated, pretending to be curious again, though your eyes were fixed on the faint line of his jaw and the way his lips moved when he spoke.

"yeah. it's sour. you've never tried it?"

you shook your head no.

"you should." he said, flashing you a small smile. "but don't blame me if you didn't liked it."

during your break, you joined him in the small room. ni-ki was already there, leaning back in his chair with his one leg propped up. hoodie clinging loosely to his frame again but the hem were lifted slightly, revealing a bit of his waist. you tried to look away, but he's so close it's impossible.

ni-ki moved, pulling his hoodie over his head and the motion raised his shirt further, exposing more of his abs making your fingers twitch with urge. you quickly turned to your drink, biting your lip hard.

"you're quiet today." he said, glancing at you.

you chuckled nervously. "am I?"

"you should rest more." he nodded, running a hand through his messy hair. "i can make you relax." ni-ki smirked.

"oh?" you laughed, nervously gripping your cup tightly. "and how?"

your thoughts were anything but calm. anything niki says to you seemed to hold a double meaning.

ni-ki raised an eyebrow at your awkwardness. "what's with you today?" he teased.

"nothing! so... what is it?"

he chuckled softly but studied you for a moment longer than usual. ni-ki shook his head, taking it back. "nah, i think it's too early to mess with you."

you wanted him to say it.

you squinted your eyes in annoyance. "what are you even saying?" you asked while shaking your head.

ni-ki laughed again at your reaction.

that night, the two of you walked home together, and when you stopped to say goodbye, ni-ki bent slightly to meet your eyes. "you better stop staring at me all the time, or i'll assume something's up with you."

"i-i wasn't sta- staring at you!" you stuttered, cheeks flushing bright red.

ni-ki turned and walked away, chuckling softly. "yeah, you weren't."

you closed the door and hurried to your room, you hugged the pillow and covered your face to let out a muffled scream.

and just as you thought you had survived the day, you received a text.

nishimura riki: let me know if you need help with anything… you know, with anything.

your heart pounded and before you could reply, another message popped up.

nishimura riki: or if you want to talk. or… whatever.

the ellipsis felt deliberate, your mind wandering into dangerous territory as you clenched your phone tightly, trying to make sense of his texts, literally torn between panic and excitement.

you: what does that even mean?

you hit send before you could overthink it. ni-ki's reply came quickly.

nishimura riki: whatever you want it to mean.

you took a deep breath as you stared at the screen. teasing is one thing, but this felt different. more intentional.

nishimura riki: see you tomorrow. sleep well.

and then, another message followed:

nishimura riki: "don't think too hard about it

but of course, that's all you could do. think too hard about it.

read part two HERE<3

マスターリストm.list

[matsuxide]

Japanese Task Force be like:

(Mogi, Aizawa, Matsuda, Ide)

Ummm it feels empty but idk what to add here sooo..

It's not like I like to brag I have no one else to share with my perfect results BUT LOOK AT THAT

I feel like Light fr

(I'm glad I finished school. I don’t want to be the perfect student and then end up killing ± 250 thousand ppl)

*template:

[deathnotewiki]

January 28, 2004: Misa Amane’s modeling career begins in the March issue of Eighteen.

January 28, 2010:

Light Yagami and the Japanese task force come face to face with Near and the SPK at the Yellow Box warehouse on Daikoku wharf.

Near takes off the L mask.

Teru Mikami writes the names of the SPK and task force members into the (fake) Death Note.

Light Yagami admits he is Kira.

Touta Matsuda shoots Light Yagami.

Light Yagami is killed by the power of Ryuk’s Death Note.

Near burns both Death Notes.

Ryuk returns to the Shinigami realm.

January 28, 2011: As the Third L, Near discusses new cases with Aizawa and the others.

[manias-wordcount]

Wonder (L)

Kinktober 2023 Day Seventeen: Cockwarming

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

You wonder…you wonder if they know. 

With every deep breath you take, you feel it. You know. With every slight shift, you feel it. You know. With every movement he makes- whether it’s his hand playing with the hem of your skirt as you sit snuggly on his lap or him splaying his hand flat against your stomach in an almost possessive way- you feel it. You know. And L of course does too. 

Yet here Matsuda is- standing right next to the two of you while he clicks away at a monitor and pulls up different files and video feeds from the evidence pile.

As if L’s cock wasn’t buried in your warm, wet pussy right now. 

“...but if you look at the camera feed here, you’ll see that the cultists were congregating around-”

  You can hear Matsuda talking. You can see his face lit up by the blue light of the screen, and his excitement grows as he talks about what he was able to deduce from the video footage. But all you can hear is just…just words. Same with Police Chief’s Yagami whispers to his team members. You’d like to think that they’re speaking about how weird it is that L only chooses to sit properly when you’re around. Or how they’re worried about your involvement with the Kira case since you’re a more public figure than L is. You’d like to think that. You’d like to. But…

“Hmmm, that is interesting Matsuda. Looks like you were useful after all.”

All you can focus on is him.

His deep hum right by your ear. The tickle of his breath as he breathes in and breathes out right beside you. And to top it off- the soft way he rolls and jerks his hips into you. Forcing you to shift around. Forcing you to adjust your position. Forcing you to feel it. And to not forget it. Not forget that out of all of the men in the room, there’s one who is completely unashamed to claim you as his own just for the sake of it. Just for his pleasure. 

It makes your face warm up even more just thinking about it. What would the rest of the Japanese Task Force say? What would they do? Hell, what would Light Yagami say? You know L admires him. Sees him as a friend even. But you have enough sense to know what you’re doing right now isn’t going to fly over so easily just because he’s the great and powerful L. Eight wonder of the world. That being said, you probably won’t catch the same amount of flack as he will considering how everyone knows how much he likes to rope you into his stupid ideas and incredulous behavior.

Still, it gets you wondering about things. About just how things would go if someone were to find out that you’re in this room not to help with the case but to be some wet, messy  whore  for the world’s greatest detective while he’s busy at work. In a room full of people. In a room full of strangers. Who have shown you nothing but kindness and bravery and respect since you’ve met them. 

It makes you wonder. And it makes you swallow nervously. Breathe heavily. Adjust your clothes ever so slightly. But worst of all? It makes you squeeze around it. Around him. Just like a wet, messy whore would. In a way that only brings little jolts- little moments of pleasure from all that happening beneath your skirt. It’s too risky to go any further. But you wonder if L knows that. You wonder if L even cares about that. You wonder. You wonder…

In fact, it makes you start to wonder so much and so hard that you don’t even realize the faces that you’re pulling. The flustered expressions that are hidden from everyone based on the way you’re facing. Everyone- except for Matsuda who manages to catch a glimpse of your expression in the reflection of one of the monitors. And before you can even blink- he’s turning around to face you and asking you a question.

“Are you okay? Did you see something?” He says- or at least, that’s what it seems like he said to you. You feel so guilty right now, you can barely listen to a word he says. It’s like an awful feeling is stirring up inside of you as you look into poor, sweet Mastuda’s face and take in his concern. But something is blocking that awful feeling from you having to open your mouth. It’s the same awful feeling that keeps you rooted to L’s lap and very, very quiet while he takes care of business. The same awful feeling that tells you to do the dirtiest of things like opening your legs a little wider or arching your back a little bit more. “Ryuzaki, is something wron-”

So you get the same amount of pleasure from him as he gets from you.

“Everything is fine, ” L answers for you, not even bothering to look back at Matsuda as he addresses him. Instead, you can feel L’s gaze on the side of your face. When you turn your head a little more in his direction, you’re met with the same passive expression on his face as always. But you know different. You know more than anyone else could get from him with one little glance. “Sometimes she gets a little worked up when she’s at work with me. But it’s fine .”

Worked up is an understatement right now. Because right now, your inner walls are fluttering around him. Right now, you’re growing a little too bold and reckless and you’re leaning into the subtle way he’s rolling you back onto his throbbing hard cock. And right now? You can’t even find it in yourself to care just how high L is bunching up the front of your skirt. 

“She can take it. Right?” 

Or the fact that Matsuda just drew a sharp breath at just a fraction of the sight of your parted thighs hiding the very thing that plugged your insides up all nice and full. 

Because right now? You’re only thinking about the thick, creamy white ring you’re probably leaving around his cock- a mess that he might just make you clean up with your tongue later if he gets you alone for long enough. You’re only thinking about when was the last chance he got up and properly  fucked you. And when that next chance will be. Oh, how you wonder. 

“Right…Ryuzaki~ ”

Oh, how you wonder. 

[lvmimis]

cw: canon-typical violence. reader is female and not japanese. mention of an arranged marriage.

On a day like today, where no amount of electrolyte-dense water can fix the headache pounding in Shin’s temples, braving the heart of Tokyo’s city center might as well be a Herculean task.

This could be overstimulating for anyone in his predicament of course, but with Shin’s added gift of telepathy, it might as well be hell. The background noise of thoughts meshed from throngs of people are particularly loud today, and he concentrates on silencing them further. This helps briefly - the commotion turns into a slight hum as if he’s turned on noise canceling headphones, and he’s about to turn on his actual earbuds to drown out chatter until he passes by a cafe…

… and picks up abruptly on one of the loudest thoughts he’s ever heard in his entire life.

This is sooooooo fucking annoying, I can’t believe I have to do this.

The complaint is so loud and clear, he almost wonders if someone is yelling directly at him, like a missive from the heavens itself. And the sound keeps going, a flurry of words of annoyance and defeat. He doesn’t understand what the voice is talking about, and turning around quickly, he sees no one looking in his direction, and the people that walk past him paying no mind to him seem engrossed enough in their conversations that they could not possibly have been the source of the whining. 

To his right, there’s a rather upscale French-style cafe with outside seating, and patrons are seated in singles, doubles and triples. When he undulls his senses, there are a million conversations again that come back flooding into his stream of consciousness - a bunch of girls who are both agreeing that the third one in the group is dreadfully annoying, one man worrying about the eventual bill based on his date’s wanton ordering, and a waitress who is counting down the shift by the seconds even though it’s only half past noon.

Shin doesn’t realize he’s standing still, staring directly at another human being, until he makes eye contact with the source of the thought.

You.

Shit, did I say that out loud?

You’re wide-eyed, and looking straight at him, as if you’re reading his thoughts instead of him reading yours. A young woman, who looks about his age or slightly younger, but dressed somewhat formally for the occasion, in what looks like a skirt suit, tailored. Expensive earrings, and the type of hairstyle fits the word ‘elegant’ but not elderly. Non-Japanese, he thinks, then berates himself for making an assumption about your background. A face that doesn’t match the hostility of your thoughts, he thinks, pretty he’d go so far as to say. 

Then he realizes he’s also staring and almost raises his hands to reassure you that he didn’t hear you before remembering that such a move is even more incriminating. Embarrassed, he makes a 180 quickly, raising his hood over his head and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Close one, he thinks to himself, but then your voice comes directly to him again.

Oh man, I must have looked so hostile that I worried him, he hears you think again, but then you go so far as to apologize to him in your head, muttering something about having to try to find the bright side of things. 

Shin has to admit he’s curious. Who are you? Who are you waiting for? There isn’t a chance you’re clairvoyant as well, is there?

Slipping just slightly out of view, he stays close to the wall. He has to admit that he considers that this might be a creepy misuse of his powers, but it’s rare, and when you’re thinking that loudly, he can’t exactly force you out of his mind, can he?

I just have to smile and nod. Just a few minutes of smiling and nodding and maybe I’ll say one or two things that will make it clear that I’m not worth marrying and then I can go back to my life. 

So, it’s a date, Shin concludes. None of his business, although he’s surprised people still consider arranged marriages these days. He wonders briefly if perhaps you are a bit more of a high profile person despite how… unrefined your internal monologue is, then takes another step to continue towards his destination, but your internal voice starts up again.

But if their family is only sending a mediator, why should I be here in the flesh all alone? How can Uncle not realize this is stupid? Unsafe even?

Shin has to agree with this himself. If not just nervous that he was staring directly at you like some kind of psycho, you seemed a bit distressed in general. The same curiosity that keeps him in close proximity, eavesdropping like a nosy neighbor despite the fact that he should probably return to the store soon, keeps him wondering more.

Where do you come from? What’s your name?

I want to go home so bad…

This last thought of yours is laden with less complaint but more sorrow, enough that he actually feels it start to form, a heavy sinking feeling, in the pit of his stomach. 

This is not good.

Shin finally decides that he has to leave before he ends up getting involved in unexpected trouble, and that’s when he senses it.

A second, much more cruel voice.

—

Everything seems to happen in a blur for you. One minute, you’re looking down at your phone, trying to decide if leaving after fifteen minutes of a no-show is permissible even when it has to do with supposed marriage prospects, and brainstorming ways to dissipate your poor uncle and guardian’s anger, the next you’ve been practically tackled out of your seat by a stranger in a hoodie, who hovers on top of view, while onlookers scream. 

“Keep your head down!”

Bullets are louder in real life than in the movies, it seems, you think, dazed. Glass around you shatters, blood splatters, and bodies hit the ground. You’re not sure where the shots are coming from, just that they seem to be hitting everyone and everything in that godforsaken cafe but you, and you’re being carried off, somewhere, you’re not sure.

It’s the same man who gave you a weird look earlier, the one who’d been privy to your natural resting bitch face, who seems to be running at full speed now, you in tow, tucked in his arms. In what direction, you don’t know, just that he’s saved you. 

He’s fast on your feet, and you’re secure against him, but your head spins.

What’s going on? You think; your lips open but your brain is too unfocused to remember how to move them.

“I’ll explain later!”

You can’t see his face as he speaks, but the young man’s voice is loud enough to show concern yet calm enough that somehow, implicitly, you trust him.

You haven’t even said anything yet, but you nod and the sheer rush of adrenaline, combined with jet lag from many hours not yet recovered from your flight, have you drift out of consciousness.

...

You wake up hours later in what seems to be the back of a convenience store. You don't know it yet, but it will be the safest place you'll ever know.