#kaoru-centric

[kame56u]

blush meter

neck kisses

unreasonable captain

vacation and scars

fever

smile?

tougen anki doodle dump 4 (masukao comics)

[kyaruun]

i feel like (putting rei aside) undead is surprisingly underrated? at least from what i've seen in the english speaking fandom. i know i literally do Not shut up about knights but i assure you i used to be just like that with undead

[mothwingwritings]

Sanctuary

F!Reader X Kaoru Hanayama

Hello my little ghost, goblins, ghoulies, and all around babes! By some miracle I was actually able to churn out a lil Halloween fic feat. Vampire Hanayama for you guys to sink your teeth into ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) this hallow's eve. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you all enjoy! Have a FANGtastic and funky Halloween tomorrow, my little morsels~!

(And yes, I realize I am posting two blood-centric fics in a row, I promise I don't have a thing for this heh heh heh)

WARNINGS!: Death, gore, blood, a horny and possessive vampire lord, an elderly couple having the worst day of their lives and terrible things happen to them, mentions of kidnapping and imprisonment/being held against your will.

There was a convenience store at the foot of the hill, the last stop right before you start heading into the mountains.

It didn’t have a name, the weather worn, paint chipped sign simply reading ‘GOODS AND SUPPLIES’. The building was so small it didn’t have a dedicated parking lot, and it had a touch of dilapidation that made the rare passerby wonder if it was even still in business.

But the old building’s lights always shined so bright through its foggy windows, drawing any would be customers to the warm luminosity. Though scant, the shelves were always stocked, and the older couple that had ran the place for the last 50 years always gave you a pleasant and warm greeting when you walked through its creaking door.

Though you were sure you must look like a strung out, malnourished, vagabond they never batted an eye at your appearance. They also never questioned why you came around on a somewhat consistent basis, even though all that surrounded you was endless forest and towering mountains, the nearest town miles and miles away. This shop survived solely by being the only accessible place for campers to grab necessities before starting their trek into true wilderness. Places like this didn’t have regulars, at least not until you started coming around.

Maybe they felt sorry for you, thinking you were some poor homeless girl that had holed up in the mountains somewhere just trying to get by. Each time you entered their establishment you wondered if they were concerned you may pilfer from their limited shelves. Not that you could blame them if they did, by all accounts you appeared sketchy. Donned in ratty hoodies, your shifty eyes and general downtrodden persona would have had anyone keeping an eye on you. However, your appearance never alarmed them. If anything they seemed genuinely pleased to see you, their eyes lighting up in recognition whenever they saw you meandering down their aisles.

If they were troubled by your presentation, ever sickened by the bruises that dotted your body or appalled by the shoddily hidden bite marks that trailed your neck, they never spoke of it. You wished you could tell them how thankful you were for that. The reminders on your body were bad enough to deal with on your own, someone else nit picking you about them would be too cruel of a reminder of just how futile your situation was.

This little Podunk store had become your lifeline, your only beacon of normalcy since Kaoru Hanayama had claimed you.  You couldn’t slip away to it often, having to rely on the security of the sun’s rays to protect you from the great vampire lord, but when you could escape his estate you always ended up finding your way here.  Often times you didn’t even have money, coming and going with no purchases made.  Yet still you were welcome here, and you readily sought solace within its fluorescently lit walls, a reminder to yourself that you weren’t the last human alive on this god forsaken planet. It had become your sanctuary.

… Up until today.

You knew something was off the moment you stepped through the front door. The lights were all on, the glow of the welcome sign beckoning you with a brightness that cut through the shade of the setting sun. When you pushed open the door the same familiar chime announced your arrival, and the same old TV in the corner was playing whatever sport happened to be in season (right now it was baseball, and judging by the cheering, a player had just done something good). As usual, the radio was playing outdated pop songs softly over the speaker system, a bit of static barely noticeable as it blended with the jaunty tune.

For the most part, the store looked as it normally did. There wasn’t anything alarming about the old metal shelves holding new merchandise, and the coolers filled with varying beverages lining the back wall all hummed along as they typically did. The aisles were tidy, the floors clean, the racks orderly.  If any other customer had stopped by to shop, they would be thoroughly convinced it was business as usual.

But you were the only regular they had, and you were savvier on how they ran their business. Someone was always at the counter, but today the position sat eerily vacant. Even when they had to step away for a moment, one of the two would call out a greeting as soon as you stepped through the door. Your arrival was always announced, but today no cheery voice welcomed you, there was no warm smile cast your way as you made your way inside.

The absence filled you with unease, a cold dread seeping into your bones.      

Tentatively, you stepped closer to the counter, part of you wanting to call out to see if you get a response. Maybe you had caught them unawares-you did show up at a much later time than you typically did. Perhaps at this time of the day they are busy in back taking inventory or getting ready to restock. Was it really so strange that a small store like this didn’t have staff front and center at all times? It was just the two of them, after all. You can’t expect them to be stationed front and center 24/7.

But you couldn’t shake the feeling nestled deep in your gut that something was very, very wrong. The closer you inched toward the checkout counter, the more unsettled you felt. After a few steps in, a foreign noise came to your ear, growing clearer with every step. At first it was barely audible, a small and drawn out wheezing that sounded in weird intervals. It came from around the corner, near the back where the store room was located. You wondered if maybe the heating system was about to bite it, or an old cooler may be on its last leg.

However, a dying refrigerator didn’t explain the sudden wet sputter that rang out from just beyond your view, followed by a low, agonized groan.

Instinct took over. Propelling your body into action as you leapt across the counter, your legs taking out various snacks and energy supplements as you vaulted yourself towards the backroom. What if the owners had fallen, or something fell on them and they were trapped? Concern surged through you for the elderly couple. Surely there was a good chance if an accident occurred they wouldn’t have the means to pull themselves out of it. If they were in a compromising situation, who knows how long they had been stuck like that, who knows what position they may be in.

Nothing could prepare you for the sight that assaulted you as you rounded the corner.

Red was the first thing your eyes caught. It covered the floor, splattered the walls, coating the world around you. Its source was the kindly old woman whose warm smile you were greatly missing just moments ago. Her gentle, pleasant face was void of happiness for the first time since you met her, instead twisted into a look of abject horror and excruciating pain. She had a pallor that damn near made her look like a corpse, and you supposed that wasn’t too surprising judging from the amount of blood that was gushing from her neck, trailing in angry streaks down her body as it dripped down to the floor, adding to the mass puddle of human gore where her husbands decimated corpse was discarded.

You stifled a gasp, your hands flying to your mouth to muffle any cries or vomit that threatened to spill. Your body shook violently, a mix of disgust, fear, and anguish urging you to flee the scene, leave and never come back. Abandon your sanctuary, save yourself. They were beyond saving. They were beyond hope.

But you remained frozen in place, incapacitated by not only the shock of the situation, but also by the presence of the man that perpetrated it.

The woman hung limply from his mouth, much like how a dog dangles a toy when it’s trying to coax you into playing. His jaw latched to her small throat in a death grip, white fangs peeking through his snarled lips as his eyes caught yours. The only thing supporting the woman’s body was his bite, the ferocity with which he clamped down, the bob of his Adams apple as he greedily gulped down her essence, was quickly and efficiently stealing her life away. With her final burst of strength, her glazed over eyes looked your way. She raised a shaky hand towards you, one final rasp sputtering from her torn throat. Was it a cry for help, or a plea for you to run? Maybe she was cursing you for leading her to this fate. Whatever it was you would never know, as one final bone shattering chomp broke the woman’s neck, effectively ending her life.

Hanayama looked so out of place here in your secret spot, standing center stage as if he belonged here and wasn’t a blight on the ounce of freedom you had left. The whole scene was so surreal you felt as if you were trapped in a nightmare, your mind struggled to accept the horrors laid out plainly before you.

His imposing form nearly took up the entire store room, his height making his head graze the ceiling. Looking akin to a caged bear he was panting, his eyes wild as he released his grip letting the woman’s body fall limply to the floor, joining her husband. He was high from his meal, though you couldn’t imagine it being much of a thrilling hunt. The excitement surely stemmed from you catching him in the act. If you knew Hanayama at all, you knew the look of sheer dread plastered across your face was sure to send excitement coursing through him.

He was dressed to the nines in his tailored designer suit, shiny Italian leather shoes clicking away on the scuffed tiles of the floor as he started to approach you, each step adding a splatter of blood to his previously immaculate ensemble. His feral look had waned as he approached, giving him a more composed air. You imagined this is how he must have looked when he entered the building, his stony face littered with scars, inhumanly red eyes boring holes at the cashier, a dramatic shadow cast across his face from his swanky brimmed hat. He would have definitely caught the older couple off guard with how out of place he looked. Such a strange gentleman wandering into their quaint shop must have entranced them. These good-natured and trusting hosts were probably intrigued with his outlandish presence, interested in his story and what brought him so deep into the woods.

They would have never guessed what he truly was until it was too late. You just hoped that it had been quick for the husband, and that the woman’s suffering was not lengthy.

“So this is where you have been slinking off to.” His voice was smooth as he languidly wiped the blood from his lips, smearing the brilliant red across the once pristine white sleeve of his suit. You shuddered as he addressed you, and he instantly picked up on the quiver, though it was only momentary. He knew you like the back of his hand, all your quirks and fears, it was foolish to think he wouldn’t be able to ascertain that you were sneaking off when he explicitly ordered you not to leave the mansion’s grounds.

“I try and avoid the elderly. Past a certain age and the blood loses much of its flavor and vitality.” His eyes bore into yours, a cold smile tugged at his lips, “But these two were surprisingly delectable, even past their prime. Maybe it was their fondness for you that made them so delicious?”

“I didn’t…” the words died in your throat, burning as you choked them out. You cast your gaze towards the dead couple, the shop keepers glazed over eyes soullessly staring at you. They were still wet with tears.

“You didn’t think,” Kaoru seethed, taking another step forward, crowding your personal space. The coppery smell of blood was radiating from him in such intense waves that you could taste the tang of it on your tongue.  “You made a decision, one that I warned you against time and time again, and now you must face the consequences of that decision.”

He grabbed your chin in a tight pinch, the blood on his hands still warm as it smudged your skin. Stepping aside slightly, his hand guided your head, forcing your attention back on the couple. His steady grip kept your head in place as he spoke in your ear.

“You caused this, (name). If you had listened to me and done as you were told, their untimely death would have been avoidable. You only have yourself to blame. May the weight of their deaths hinder you from making anymore foolish decisions in the future, little one.”

He sighed heavily, releasing your chin, “I took a huge gamble coming out here at this time of day. Even with the sun low in the sky it still poses a threat to my kind. I compromised my safety to bring you home.” His gaze softened, his hand relinquishing its hold on your chin in favor of dragging his cold knuckles softly against the back of your cheek.

“It’s good I came when I did. If I had taken even a moment longer, it was sure to cause issues. Before I entered the store I heard them discussing you, talking about their concern for you. It seems they misunderstood your living situation, seeing you as some form of victim, believing that you had some manner of backwater husband that was abusing you.”

He spat the words with disdain, casting a brief disgusted glance towards the corpses on the floor. “They were trying to formulate plans to ‘save’ you, even mentioning they wanted to bring the police into it. Ridiculous.”

A sob erupted past your lips at the revelation, tears blurring your vision as they began to torrent down your cheeks. Hanayama lowered his voice, placing his hands on either side of your shoulders as he pivoted your focus to him, holding you in place. “This is why you must stay inside, my love. They don’t understand us. Most humans have small, closed minds. They don’t have the capability to understand the nature of our love. They only seek to tear us apart, hell bent on placing an end to something beautiful.”

He scooped you up before your legs could give way, nestling you against his chest in a restraining hold. He pressed a rough kiss to the crown of your head as he stepped through the door, beginning the long trek back to the cold, dank halls of the mansion.

“It has been a trying day, and you need rest,” Darkness had overtaken the sky, the chill of the nights air stinging your wet cheeks. The brilliance of the full moon was your only guiding light as it shone down upon the two of you, making Hanayama’s pale flesh appear to glow.

“But the night is young, my love, and you have a lot of making up to do for the transgressions you have made against me this day,” There was a huskiness to his voice, the words were meant as a threat, but the underlying hint of lust made their true meaning crystal clear. “You are mine (Name), and I will enjoy taking my time engraving that reminder into your soul for as long as it takes, until you finally realize your place.”

[tam-o-shunter]

Thomas the Tank Engine android AU which takes place in the far future, when humanity has spread across the cosmos and sentient androids coexist with them.

The trains are robots who were designed to pilot supersonic space trains across a network of interplanetary and interstellar railways, by temporarily uploading their consciousnesses into them. The Famous Eight reside in New Sodor, a highly advanced settlement within Proxima Centauri’s solar system.

What started as a fun sci-fi AU eventually evolved into an Edward-centric romantic drama because watching old school TTTE fuelled my late Victorian aesthetic itch, which in turn prompted me to rewatch all of Emma: a Victorian Romance. I’m still getting into the swing of digital painting, so this is about as good an homage to Kaoru Mori which I can pay.

Edward is the only trainbot with flight-capable wings, and they play an important symbolic role in this story. He used to have a pair of seagull-coloured wings before the events of Old Iron led to them getting replaced with dragonfly-shaped ones.

Expect an Edward-James-Gordon love-triangle

[cafeleningrad]

unsorted thoughts about Juri and Miki: On innocence an accountability

If Akio, Anthy, and Utena are the thesis of all duelists and their respective princess-figures, then each other character represents a primariy theme (although also overlapping with other struggles). > If Miki represents an inability to move from an idealized past, Juri represents an iniability to imagine change and future.

Miki and Juri are friends because they do sense something good in the other they can bring out when together. But they also are, like every other duelist, too caught up in their own matters to care about anyone outside of the student council... who the others are, what they feel.

Shiori and Kozue are basically caught up the inte same struggle. Both need their duelist to define themselves in not so healthy ways. Their duelist refuses to take resposibility in their existencial longing and connection to the person outside the student council circle. > Miki wishes for family bliss yet is incapable of reognizing anyone outside his ideals. (Hence why he's friends with perfectionist Juri.) So he's unwilling in creating it himself. > Juri is not unreasonably afraid of homophobia and it's social repercussions so she feels lonely and isolated. Yet she can't fathom that anyone else might feel as deeply, as passionately as her. Anyone else is just bubbly happy, none can touch her in her ivory tower of detachment. Hence why Juri's outbursts are so phyiscally violent the moment Anthy or Utena do strike her nerve in either reminding her that she has attachment to other people, or fundamentally disagree in her deepseated beliefs. This leads Juri to dismiss Shiori's feelings of inferiority and abandonement, even her heartfelt apology. In fact Juri doesn't attest any genuine feelings to Shhiori at all, since the Shiori in her locket is an entirely different person. > Funny how Miki is currently treated by fandom as raging "nice guy misogynist". (Well I get it into the current dating-problem-video-for-guys to manosphere pipeline ers in which teenage boys get lured into. But only to a point since this is still a story created 1990s Japan, and personal associations can mislead during analysis) Meanwhile Shiori is then treated as the agitator of the "toxic yuri dynamic". It's total blame game in centrically symmetry on the trajectory of Juri-Shiori-Miki-Kozue. Meanwhile Kozue and Juri get a "blame free" card in current popular fandom trend. Chill and nuance, please. These are all teenagers trying to grow up in an environment that incentivizes and rewards the most cruel, selfish choices.

Personally, Kozue and Miki are my rosetta stone to Akio's and Anthy's relationship. The desires and logical trappings of the Kaoru twins reflect the one's binding Anthy and Akio. > Anthy takes on the hate of the world for Akio. In the microcosm of Ohtori all the blame for a guy's misfortune gets attributed to girls. Obviously Anthy is the one getting bullied and slapped when Saionji isolates himself from the shock that a girl beat him twice. But we also see it when Ruka breaks up with Shiori how rumors quickly switch from: "Why might they break up so suddenly? Ruka was a bit rude, wasn't he?" to "Shiori probably did something to desreve it!" Basically it's all about how society never fathoms to blame a man yet redirects anger and scorn for misdeed on women. Akio refuses to grow up, refusing to realize that he could have never possibly survived the task of Dios, he rather lets Anthy endure the blame while trying to recreate a time that never was. >Where Akio refuses to grow up, Anthy gets adultified. > This repeats in Miki and Kozue although with way less intentionality by the actors. > The theme of idealized past is prominently explored in Miki's and Kozue's relationship. Miki wants to get his sunlit garden back although it never was that impressive (as Utena realizes with a certain disllusionment), nor as harmonic (as Kozue notices), and Miki lets the garden overgrow in the present. But Miki isn't a child anymore. All his excellence academically, musically, working on his fencing skills, good behavior, timed discipline are to set him up for a propsperous carrer. And yet he speaks of no aspirations that such skills and efforts could earn him. He's entering his teenage years where he will need to make decisions for the future. However he barely has an idea what he wants - hence it takes two episodes to convince him to duel, and even then Miki has a hard time forumlating his thoughts what his objective for the future is supposed to be. "Shining thing" is such a nebulous term. > Miki refuses to grow up. What is an inextricable part of his childhood is the concept of innocence. Doing nothing out of malice, bad things just happen to you. Miki certianly doesn't like to be bossed around by adults yet can't challenge his father who left the Kaoru family on his own accord for his affair in their telphone call. Miki still upholds his well-behaved demeanous and can't direct his anger at his father. Miki's already trapped into conformity to adults where the usual protocol demands respect for them, especially for men. So in his mind his father's affair takes the shape of Anthy as only the ideal woman would explain as to why a father would leave his family.

Here's the thing: Kozue is attached to Miki for her self perception as Miki needs her for his selfperception. This represents itself in this bird's nest motive as both try to preserve the symbolic sanctity of home and family care. Understandable as their parents are divorcing which takes an emotional toll on them. > Miki greatly fails Kozue in not being interested in who she is. Kozue herself suffers under a complex in which everything Miki does is to be praised whereas she feels she can't play the piano as good as him. She feels like she could never live up to him so negative attention is the only form of conenction she cosndiers effective. >Which is very much Shiori's strategy of negative attention and taunting keeping a desired person in one's life by proxy. > Kozue is never afforded protection. She's dragged onto the piano stage in spite of her crying and protest, her goign out with different boys is seen as promiscuous character trait, or met with scorn rather than worrying anyone. Her experience makes her belief that "growing up" is equal to "loss of innocence", or in her words "getting yourself dirty". > Kozue also maintains Miki's image of innocence and brilliance. When we see Kozue's duel episode we witness her protecting Miki from a predatory music teacher. Kozue does get Miki's attention by dating around. She does so very intetionally as she confesses to Mikage. Acting like she doesn't care yet her eyes are constantly surveilling her brother. Her duel speech is entirely about how brilliant Miki is, how her duel skills are Miki's. > Kozue can only contrast the image of her self when contrasted to Miki. > Kozue also falls into the trappings of believing in the preservation of innocence for men as her reason to duel is her lossing her grip on Miki as he begins to get interested in Anthy. Instead of blaming Miki's desinterest in Kozue in first palce. > Meaning Kozue's self perception is one in which she is inferior since Miki is the brilliant child, not her with clumsy Piano play, wild attitude where Miki is polite and well-behaved. An out of love for him she will also be the "bad twin", and keep any threats challenging Miki's current state away. > A lot of readings how Miki and Kozue basically just split in gendered experience are apt. Moreso as the gendered socialisation of Miki being praised and sheltered whereas Kozue is pushed into discomfort early on is a massively different socilisation from teh get go. In any case their twin identity is one in which they themselves see each other as halves of one instead of autonomous people. > Them breaking apart in an argument is a good change actually. In their last duel Kozue wanted Miki to grow up with her until she realized how immature Miki was. And Miki realized that he did not want to share his world view with Kozue, and he rather grows up on his own terms. Granted, he could decide that for himself but he definitely won't use Kozue for that undertaking anymore.

Obviously, no matter what existencial crisis the male duelists go through, their existencial struggle will not add up in the intimate violation the female characters will likely face in the future. However, Miki is not a mosnter masquerading with doe-eyes. He's a 13 year old boy, next to Tsuwabuki one of the youngest cast members, who needed a two part episode and highly seductive hooking before he got baited into dueling. And in the end he gives up dueling, he lets go of Kozue, is inspired by Utena to make his own path and girs back to his piano playing without inhibitions. Like everyone else, he's struggling with values in an environment, makes the wrong choices, needs to learn, and is incentivised and rewarded for selfish, uncaring actions.

>He's on a dangerous path but his warning sign is Ruka with his dark blue colour coding. > Miki's theme is the refusal of responsibility, and preserving one's self-conception of innocence as refusal to grow up. Miki's colour code is light blue. > Ruka's colour code is dark blue. He returns at Ohtori on his last living days, trying to liberate Juri from her fixation of Shiori. Juri's fixation on Shiori isn't positive for Juri for many (self-made) reasons although Ruka locates the problem in Juri's sexuality. The tragedy lies in him understanding his friend better than anyone but instead of helping her through her depression, he tries to converse her in order for him becoming her love interest. Even more upsetting is him considering himself burdened by this painful task, doing a saints work, he must hurt Juri but it is for his the greater cause. In Ruka we see how the self repception of innocence mutates into lack of self-reflection, lack of accountability, immunity of guilt and misdeed. Thre is always someone else to blame. (Preferably women.)

Overall I have the impression that the duelist's refusal to take responsibility for the loved one's around them set Kozue and Shiori down a negative developement. > Where Shiori and Kozue both started slighted too attached yet getting balanced back to affection of their prince figure - if not capable of resolving their issues by simply getting listened to - these two girls have delved deeply into their worst impulses in order to re-connect to their duelists. > Like every action in SKU can be traced back to the desire to be loved and appreciated in their personhood. Beware, Ohtori lures one into loosing oneself on the path and becoming a persona. > Juri and Miki both caused this by them stewing in their own misery until they matured into detaching themselves from the object of their fixation.

Innocence as concept itself gets challanged as, mostly demonstrated by Utena's intial lack of unterstanding for Anthy, and Miki's lack of self reflection demonstrate how innocence might start as lack of information adn experience but continues as a mode of enacting in one's own wilfulness without accountability. At some point people need to mature by recognizing how cruel the concept of "innocence" can become. > Ironically, Juri's assumption of Shiori as "innocent" is an inaccurate one. However very fitting to Utena who does hold power over Anthy without acknoledging it. Ironically, Juri is innocently cruel as she too posesses power over Shiori without acknowledging it. Meanwhile Shiori beat herself up for dating their common friend. Shiori's very aware about having made a mistake.

[outofgreysmind]

Mainly Kaoru-centric Sk8 sketch dump, including the initial sketch for the finished matchablossom piece I shared. I feel like he'd 100% be the type of extra to own a Rich Widow Robe. These aren't all super great but they were fun nonetheless!

[fervidgrey]

Heavy In Your Arms

Disclaimers

Notes: This fic is Togame Jo-centric, not a huge fan of Choji so fans beware- Choji stays crazy, there will be original characters sprinkled in as needed, MC is on the thicker side (i've left this open to interpretation) Jo is nearly 200lbs he can handle some thicc thighs.

Fic wide TW: Aged Up Characters, No Characters Below 18,  No Use of Y/N, Reader’s Body is MOSTLY Open to Interpretation- but leans thicc, Unhealthy Coping Skills, People Pleaser- Reader Has Some Spine, Established Family Dynamics, Unhealthy Relationship, Praise Kink, Light BDSM, Exhibition, Dead Dove: Read Warnings!, Graphic Depictions of Gang Violence,  Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Drug Use, Threats of Vilolence, Graphic Depictions of Torture, Xenophobia, Mentions of Drugs, Graphic Depictions of Drug Use, AU- Cannon Divergence.

Please do not read if this would harm you in any way, your mental health comes first!

Book: Heavy in Your Arms

Chapter: 6, And he took me to the river

Chapter TW: There will be smut that includes: popping of the cherry(no blood), fingers, exhibitionism, genital snacking, major man handling, spanking, unprotected sex, creampies. I think that is it…anyways ye have been warned!

Word Count: 20,000~ (A really cute beta did some betaing but, we still die like men.)

It was 7AM which wasn’t particularly interesting but it was 2 hours before you needed to log on to your online class. That was just enough time to grab food, do a chore or two, and have Kaoru come over so you could call Kotoha. Your bottom lip sat between your teeth as you stared at the text messages from Kotoha. All of them tugging so hard on your heart, the guilt making it difficult to not cry. 

“Hey, did something happen? Hiragi is freaking out!”

“What is going on, Hiragi is talking about Shishitoren, are you okay?”

“Call me as soon as you can!”

“Just let me know you are safe!”

“Please tell me you are safe!”

“I am going to come over and check on you! Hiragi gave me your aunt's address.” 

“I am here, are you home?”

“Please call me.” 

“We are friends no matter what, ok?”

“I’m here for you if you need anything.” 

All her texts were left unanswered. You stare at your phone, your heart heavy as you reread through Kotoha's increasingly worried messages. The guilt gnaws at you, knowing how concerned she must have been- it was. Your fingers hover over the keyboard, desperate to reassure her that you're okay, but Togame's instructions echo in your mind.

With a frustrated sigh, you set your phone aside and get out of bed. It was too early to call Kaoru, so the best bet was to work on food and some chores. As you go through your morning routine, your thoughts keep drifting back to Kotoha and Toma. The memory of Toma's hurt expression in the tunnel keeps a dull throb in your chest, and a small headache in your temples. 

With a quick temple rub you walk toward the kitchen. Your aunt is already in the kitchen, but only the smell of fresh brewed tea. For a moment you think about making pancakes but the thought brings a new wave of sorrow. Coffee never let you down before, and today was no different. 

"Good morning," you say, forcing a dull smile to your face. Your aunt turns, eyeing you critically.

"You're up early. Couldn't sleep?" She replies. For a moment you want to yell, ask her to comfort you in this moment but like all the other times in life, you go silent, pushing your thoughts down.

You shrug, trying to keep your voice relaxed. "Just woke up early, I guess." You pull out the supplies needed to make yourself a cup of coffee, avoiding your aunt's searching gaze. With a small sigh you flip the kettle’s boil button then proceed to stare at nothing.

"Mm-hmm," she hums, clearly unconvinced but turns on her heels, trotting back to her favorite chair and TV. You watch as she flips through different channels, settling on the local news station rambling about the weather and uv index for the day. Your mind starts to disconnect from the body, sending you far from your aunt's little house- you’re staring at a meadow with a small cottage wanting to go in and not come out. A small beep brings you back to kitchen water fully boiled and ready for a pour over coffee.

Fresh coffee in hand you slowly walk back to your room. Mind still weighed down by everything. You take a moment to look over your room, it was a lot messier than you remembered. Small things like a book pulled out of place when you hadn’t recalled touching it in some time. You place your coffee on your desk before turning back to your room. No way you were going to have Kaoru over without picking up.

First you picked up your closet, shifting clothes around a bit, fitting the stuff from your shopping bags into the clothes. You quirk an eyebrow at the suitcases at the bottom of the closet, they looked shifted, like you had rolled them forward somehow. With an annoyed sigh you pushed them back further, letting your longer clothing fall forward. Clearly in your haze of boy, and family trouble to let your room fall apart. 

Turning back to your bed you fix it up, making sure to fluff your pillows. You frowned, your cat plushie Mimao was not in the corner of your bed near the wall- as he always was. Your head tilts in confusion, for a moment you pondered if your aunt was coming into your room while you were out. You shifted all the blankets, removed the pillows but didn’t see him. 

You shift to your knees to get a look under your bed. You frown, he was there which was a relief but how he got there made no sense. With a huff you got down on your belly and stretched to reach him. Upon standing back up you look over the plush wondering if you were dealing with an Arrietty situation. Since you didn’t have an explanation you chalk it up to throwing him off in your sleep and then kicking him under your bed in the morning without noticing- somehow. With a small smile you place Mimao in the middle of your freshly made bed before seeking out your coffee.

A chime from your phone catches your attention. You got a text from Kaoru: “Togame said you needed something?” A frown forms, while it was true, it was starting to worry you how often Togame was going to send Kauro over, would he visit less? You grumble unintelligible words while walking to the front door. Grabbing a pair of slip on outdoor shoes, you shimmy then on outside the entryway, readying your next text.

“Yeah you can come over now” you text back as your shoes click into place. The walk from the Orion was only a few minutes and you wanted to make sure Kauro took off his jacket before coming inside, your auntie figuring out you were dating a yakuza was the last thing you needed. 

While musing on that thought you heard a ping. Looking at your phone made you confused, there was no new message. Looking around you realized it had to come from somewhere else. Ever curious you open the gate to your courtyard entrance, peering out you see the familiar Kauro leaning against the courtyard wall.

“What are you doing here already?” you ask, Kaoru looked up from his phone, giving you a small smile.

"Good morning. I was already in the area, so I figured I'd wait nearby in case you needed anything." You blink, surprised by his presence- and slightly put off. "Oh. Um, thanks. I was actually just texting you to come over."

Kaoru nods, straightening up. "Togame-sama mentioned you might want to make a call this morning. I'm here to supervise, as requested." His tone didn’t sound sarcastic but it felt agitating regardless. 

You bite your lip, trying not to let your frustration show. The idea of needing supervision for a simple phone call still irks you, but you know arguing won't change anything at this point.

"Right," you say, forcing a smile. "Well, come in then. But, um, could you maybe take off your jacket first? I don't want my aunt asking questions."

Kaoru slows his movement, clearly not interested in removing his jacket. You frown for a moment, thinking it was going to become a fight. But he nods and slips the jersey from his shoulders then rolls it up and sets it gently on a bench in your courtyard.

You lead Kaoru inside, quietly closing the front door behind you. Your aunt calls out from the living room, "Who's here?" How was she even able to notice people from that far away?

"Just a new friend, Auntie!" you reply, hoping she won't press further. “He is going to help with my studies in my room for a bit." Your aunt hums in acknowledgment, and you breathe a small sigh of relief as you guide Kaoru to your bedroom. Once inside, you close the door and turn to face him.

"So, how does this work exactly?" you ask, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. "Do you need to listen in on the call or...?"

Kaoru shakes his head. "I just need to be present. I won't listen in unless necessary. But I will need to report the general content of the conversation to Togame-san."

You nod, trying to quell the raging urge to be sick in your stomach. You motion to your desk from him to sit down. Kaoru sits at your desk, his posture seemed relaxed but somehow stone-like. You settle onto your bed with a huff, phone in hand, your nerves making your fingers tremble slightly as you pull up Kotoha's contact information. This was what you wanted, to speak with Kotoha, but this felt awful. 

"Okay," you say softly, more to yourself than to Kaoru. "Here goes...everything" You hit the call button, your heart pounding as the phone rings. On the third ring, Kotoha picks up.

"Hello?" Her voice is cautious, uncertain.

"Kotoha," you breathe, relief washing over you at the sound of her voice. "It's me." you felt stupid saying that but struggled to find something normal to say. 

"Oh my god," Kotoha exclaims, her voice a mix of relief and concern. "Are you okay? What happened? We've all been so worried!" You swallow hard, very aware of Kaoru's presence in the room. "I'm fine, just a bit shaken up.” you admit. 

“Why what happened?! Did you get hurt!?” She nearly shouted into your ear. For a moment you wondered how much your cousin had told everyone. How much did any of them say? You didn’t think you could find the energy to talk about the moment in the tunnel, even to Kotoha. 

“No, I didn’t get hurt-” You pause, guilt filling you. “I just wasn’t ready for everyone to find out about Togame- like that anyways.” 

There's a pause on the other end of the line. When Kotoha speaks again, her voice is softer, filled with hesitation. "Toma told us what happened. About Togame being in Shishitoren. Is it true?"

You close your eyes, taking a deep breath. "Yes, it's true. I... I didn't know at first. By the time I found out, things were already..." you trail off, unsure how to explain.

"Okay." Kotoha says quietly. "And now? Are you okay? Are you safe?"

You glance at Kaoru, who is studiously looking away, giving you the illusion of privacy. "I'm safe," you assure her. "Togame, he... he's just worried about me.” it was a poor offering, but it was all you had to give her. 

Kotoha is quiet for another moment- rustling making it sound like she switched ears she was using. When she spoke again, her tone sounded vexed. "Worried about you? What do you mean?"

You chew on your upper lip, trying to figure out how to explain without saying too much. "It's complicated. With everything that happened, he's just being cautious. Making sure I'm protected."

"Protected from what?" Kotoha asks, her tone sharpening. "From us? Your friends and family?"

You wince at the hurt in her voice. "No, it's not like that. It's just... there are things I don't fully understand yet. About Shishitoren and Bofurin. Togame says-" You trail off completely as your eyes connect with Kauro who is gripping the side of your desk a bit tightly

"What does he say?" Kotoha echoes back, now with a touch of mockery in the undertone of her question. But you don’t get time to respond, she explodes- her words sounding choked. "This all sounds insane, you know that right? Hiragi said you have a guard now, like a prisoner!" a small sniff nearly sent you to tears. 

With a racing heart you formed your words carefully. You wanted to  defend Togame and acknowledge Kotoha's valid concerns. "It's not like that," you slowly insist, though your voice lacks conviction. "I promise." another weak offering to your rightfully upset friend. 

"Will you promise to tell me if you need help?" Kotoha presses. "Just say anything, say scarf, and I’ll make Bofurin storm their shitty hideout. Promise me, please!" She begged. 

You close your eyes, feeling overwhelmed. "Okay." You glance at Kaoru again, who is now texting on his phone, making goosebumps form along your spine. "You know, we need to go shopping again soon." You say randomly, trying to break the tension forming on both sides of your phone.

Kotoha is quiet for a moment. When she speaks again, her voice is soft, almost pleading. "We're worried about you. Hiragi is devastated. He thinks he's lost you.”

You feel tears pricking at your eyes at the mention of Toma. "I know," you say softly. "I never meant to hurt him. Or any of you. I just..." you trail off, unsure how to explain the complicated tangle of emotions you're feeling.

"You just what?" Kotoha prompts gently.

You take a shaky breath. "I care about Togame. I know it's complicated and messy, but I do. And I made a choice." Even as you say the words, you feel a twinge of doubt. Did you really choose, or did you just let yourself get swept away?

The silence makes you look at your phone to double check she didn’t hang up. When she does speak again, her voice is careful and measured- like her brother. "I understand that you care about him. But are you sure this is what you want? All of this... control and isolation?"

You bite your lip not able to speak right away, no it wasn’t, but being with him felt so good. Everything made sense when you were with him, nothing felt out of control when he held you.

"I don't know," you admit quietly. "It all happened so fast. But Togame, he makes me feel..." You trail off, struggling to find the right words.

"Feel what?" Kotoha asks clearly trying to understand you.

"Safe," you whisper. "Wanted. Like I matter." Even as you say the words, you feel a twinge of guilt. Didn't your friends and family make you feel that way too? 

Kotoha sighs softly. "You matter. To all of us. We want to make sure you're okay."

You nod, even though she can't see you. "I know. And I appreciate that. I really do. It's just different." You pause, glancing at Kaoru who is still texting. "Listen, I should probably go. But can we talk again soon?"

"Of course, please text me back, and just say scarf if something goes wrong, okay?”

“Okay, I will.” You promise, meaning it fully. 

You end the call with Kotoha, a mix of emotions swirling inside you. Relief at finally speaking to your friend, guilt over the worry you've caused, and a lingering unease about your entire situation.

Kaoru clears his throat softly, reminding you of his presence. "Everything okay?" he asks, his tone neutral.

You shake your head no, but force a smile. "Not really, but it was nice to talk to her." You wanted a hug from Kotoha, to feel like you didn’t just push a friend away.

Kaoru studies your face for a moment before speaking. "I need to report back to Togame-san about the call. Is there anything specific you want me to tell him?" The look on his face made you relax, it wasn’t a full offer to be on your side, but something told you he was.

You hesitate, unsure how much to ask. "Just... that we talked. That I reassured her I'm safe." You pause thinking over your options. "And maybe... that I'd like to see her in person soon. And my cousin, he wants to see me soon. "

Kaoru nods, his expression softening slightly. "I'll pass that along to Togame-san." He stands up, smoothing out his shirt. "Is there anything else you need before I go?"

You shake your head, feeling drained from the emotional phone call. "No, thank you Kaoru."

As he turns to leave, a thought occurs to you. "Actually, wait," you call out. Kaoru pauses, looking back at you expectantly.

"Could you... could you ask Togame when I'll see him next?" You hate how needy you sound, but you can't help the longing that is welling up inside you. 

Kaoru's expression is unreadable as he stares for several seconds. "You don’t need to ask, just call him, or go to Orion. If he is busy you’ll just be asked to wait." 

You stare at Kaoru, surprised by his response. "Wait, I can just... go to Orion? Whenever?" The idea seemed almost too simple. How could you just walk into a yakuza building? Weren’t there rules about visitors? What if you stumbled into something you weren’t supposed to see? Every American  mafia movie told you walking into a gang’s den was certain death. 

Kaoru nods, his expression starting to show confusion. "Of course. You're Togame-sama's..." he paused, seemingly searching for the right word. "Partner. You have access to the building." The word 'partner' makes your brain freeze. Is that what he called you around others? Partner? 

"Oh," you say softly. "I didn't realize." There was a lot you hadn’t realized, like people seeing you two as a couple, or if you were even a couple yet. The thought lingered in your mind, what were you supposed to say? So far you had told friends, and family you belonged to him but you didn’t even know what he thought outside that, no wonder they were concerned.

Kaoru's expression softens slightly. "Togame-san values you highly. He wouldn't restrict your access to him." He pauses, then adds, "Though it's best to let me know if you're planning to go, so I can escort you."

You nod, taking in everything he said. Part of you is relieved to know you can see Togame whenever you like. You glance at your clock for a moment noticing you had class in an hour. Your lips purse as you think about how to proceed. You wanted to see him today if he wasn’t busy.

“Well, I have class soon, then I would like to go to the Orion. Would you care to stay, or leave for an hour and a half?”

Kaoru considers your question for a moment before responding. "I can wait outside if you prefer. Or I can return in an hour and a half to escort you to Orion Stars. Which would you prefer?"

You falter, wondering if you was asking too much. Having Kaoru wait outside feels a bit callous, but you're also eager to see Togame as soon as possible after your class. You settle on asking him to stay, and seeing if he was okay waiting inside. 

"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind waiting?" you ask hesitantly. "That way we can leave right after my class ends."

Kaoru nods, his expression neutral. "Of course. I'll wait in the courtyard." He moves towards the door, then pauses.

You shake your head. "No, Kaoru, you can wait here if you like. It’s no trouble."

Kaoru hesitates for a moment, then nods. "If you're sure it won't be a disturbance."

You shake your head, forcing a small smile. "Not at all. Make yourself comfortable." You gesture to the desk chair. "I'll just be on my laptop with headphones, so you won't bother me." 

As Kaoru settles into the chair, you set up your laptop for class. An awkward silence falls over the room as you wait for your class to start. You can feel Kaoru's presence acutely, a constant reminder of how much your life has changed in such a short time.

As your professor's voice drones on through your headphones, you find it increasingly difficult to focus on the lecture. Your mind keeps drifting to Togame, to the conflicting emotions swirling inside you. Part of you aches to see him, to feel his strong arms around you, reassuring you that everything will be okay. But another part can't shake the doubt planted by Kotoha's concerned words.

You glance over at Kaoru, who sits quietly at your desk, absorbed in something on his phone. His presence is both comforting and unsettling - you take a moment to think about being his friend- would he ever defend you like Kotoha did? You wonder what he thinks of all this, if he sees you as just another obligation in his job or if he even understands the turmoil you're going through- or cares. 

You're jolted from your thoughts by a question from your professor posed about philosophy. Scrambling to focus, you realize you've missed a significant portion of the lecture. With a frustrated sigh, you try to tune back in, but your mind keeps drifting again. You were thankful in these moments it was all recorded so you could go back and rewatch while doing the assessments and readings.

After the class finally ends, you close your laptop with a deep sigh. The work assigned was small and you could get that done easily before Friday. As you close your laptop, Kaoru looks up from his phone. "All finished?" he asks politely.

You nod, stretching your arms above your head. "Yeah, finally. Thanks for waiting."

Kaoru stands, smoothing out his shirt. "Of course. Ready to head to Orion Stars now?"

Nervousness flutters in your stomach at the thought of seeing Togame. "Yes, I think so," you reply, grabbing your phone and a light jacket.

As you and Kaoru make your way out of the house, your aunt calls out from the living room. "Going out?"

You hesitate for a moment before replying. "Just going to meet up with Togame for a bit, Auntie." 

“Will you be out late?” Your aunt appears in the hallway, her eyes narrowed.

You hesitate, unsure how to answer. "I'm not sure, Auntie. I’ll keep you informed."

Your aunt's eyes flick to Kaoru, who stands quietly beside you. Her expression is firm as she says, "Alright." looking you both over. 

The unease builds in you over her sudden attention of Kaoru, maybe going to so often was making her feel nervous. "I will, Auntie. See you later."

As you and Kaoru step outside, you let out a long breath- already tired. He grabs his jacket, holding it under his arm until you are both out of sight from the house. The walk to Orion Stars is quiet, your mind racing with thoughts of seeing Togame again. 

When you arrive at the imposing building, Kaoru leads you inside with a nod to the security who simply stare at the both of you. Upon entering Orion Stars, the atmosphere shifts immediately. The bustling lobby falls silent as heads turn to watch you and Kaoru pass. You can feel the weight of their stares, a mix of curiosity and wariness. It's clear that word has spread about who you are and your connection to Togame. You shift closer to Kauro, bumping into him awkwardly.

"You okay?" Kaoru asks quietly, his tone neutral but not unkind.

"Yeah, just not used to all the attention." you struggle to say, still oddly pushing against his side. You felt so exposed without Togame near, suddenly the idea of Kaoru being around wasn’t so bad. Gently he takes your elbow from the bottom, pulling you along.

Kaoru guides you to the elevator, his hand still gently supporting your elbow. As the doors close, shutting out the curious stares, you let out a shaky breath. The elevator looks brand new, gilded in gold and decorative wood carvings.

"It'll get easier," Kaoru says softly. "They'll get used to seeing you around."

You nod, not entirely convinced. As the elevator ascends, your nervousness grows. What if Togame is too busy to see you? What if he's annoyed that you came unannounced? The elevator dings, and Kaoru leads you down a hallway you’ve never seen. This level looks completely different. Everything is brand new, shiny, and expensive looking.

“This level is for the higher ups, and their guests.” He offers upon your shocked expression. You follow Kaoru down the polished hallway, your eyes wide as you take in the luxurious surroundings. The walls are adorned with tasteful artwork, and intricate carpeting making you aware of your shoes still being on. It's a stark contrast to the more run down and utilitarian areas of the building you've seen before.

As you approach a massive set of ornate double doors, Kaoru pauses. "Togame-sama's lounge," he explains, knocking softly. Your heart races as you wait for a response. After a moment, Togame's voice calls out  "Enter."

Kaoru opens the doors, gesturing for you to go in first. You take a deep breath and step inside. The first thing that strikes you as you enter the room is how spacious it is. The lounge is elegantly furnished, with plush leather sofas, a sleek bar area, and floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city. Your eyes scan the room, finally landing on Togame.

He's seated in a wide chair, his posture relaxed but commanding. As he looks up from his phone and sees you, a smile spreads across his face. "Perfect timing." he says, his voice warm as his phone closes with a snap. You feel a rush of relief at his welcoming tone. "I hope I'm not interrupting." you say softly, suddenly feeling shy.

Togame stands, moving towards you in a few quick strides. "Not at all. Glad you're here." He turns to Kaoru, who still stands in the doorway. "You can go.” he motioned a hand to Kaoru before looking back at you.

Kaoru nods and quietly exits, closing the door behind him. You're left alone with Togame, your heart still beating wildly as he fully closes the gap. His green eyes roam over you, like he hadn’t fully memorized you yet. 

"I've missed you," Togame says softly, reaching out to cup your cheek. His touch sends a shiver through you, and you lean into his hand instinctively.

"I missed you too," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. "I hope it's okay that I came here."

Togame's thumb brushes over your bottom lip as he smiles down at you. "You're always welcome here." He gestures with one hand to the full room, washing some of your nervousness away. But there's still an undercurrent of tension, questions and concerns swirling in your mind. You lean into his touch, craving the comfort and security it provides. You take a deep breath, gathering your courage.

"Togame," you start hesitantly. "Can we talk? About... everything?" 

His expression shifts slightly, becoming more guarded. But he nods, leading you over to one of the plush sofas. As you sit down, he keeps hold of your hand, his thumb tracing small circles on your skin.

"Go ahead." he asks, his tone leveled with professionalism.

You take a deep breath, trying to gather your thoughts. There's so much you want to say, so many questions you need answered, but you're not sure where to start.

"I'm still confused." you finally admit, your voice soft. "Everything has happened so fast, and I feel like I'm caught in the middle of something I don't fully understand."

A look of understanding passes over his features, while his thumb continues its gentle path on your hand, a soothing gesture that both comforts and distracts you.

"What specifically are you confused about?" he asks, his tone patient.

You bite your lip, considering everything. "All of it, I guess. The situation with Bofurin, the restrictions, the guard... I know you say it's for my protection, but it feels.." you trail off, unsure how to express the conflicting emotions swirling inside you. Togame's jaw tightens slightly at the mention of Bofurin, but he remains silent, waiting for you to continue.

“It feels like I am a pawn.” you manage to say, not able to fully admit out-loud or even to yourself that you felt used, controlled, and lost. His shoulders square back at your words, his grip on your hand tightening almost imperceptibly. He's quiet for a long moment, seemingly considering his response- or pushing down emotions. In these moments it felt like he was unreadable making it clear that everything he displays emotion-wise is calculated with precision- good and bad. 

"You're not a pawn," he vehemently announces  "You're far more than that. To me, and to others." he finished speaking but you can tell there was more just by the look in his eyes. You frown, not entirely reassured by his words. 

"But that's just it. I feel like I'm being treated as something valuable, not someone. The restrictions, the guard... it feels like I'm being controlled."

Togame sighs, running his free hand through his hair. "I understand why it might feel that way," he says carefully. "But try to understand the position we're in. Your connection to both Shishitoren and Bofurin makes you a target."

“Why am I a target? I don’t have money. I’m no one.”

Togame's expression shifts, becoming more serious. "You're not 'no one'," he says firmly, pulling your chin to him. “You are mine.” He stares hard enough to make you squirm. Feeling your sudden discomfort he lets up, gently letting your chin go. "You're connected to both Shishitoren and Bofurin now, and everyone knows it. That makes you valuable to dangerous people. We both have enemies."

You frown, still not fully understanding. "But I don't know anything about either group's operations. I'm just... me."

Togame sighs, his thumb still tracing circles on your hand. "It's not about what you know. It's about what others think you might know, or what they could use you for." He pauses, his gaze intense as he looks at you. "You're my weakness now. And Bofurin's- because of Hiragi. That makes you a target for anyone who wants to get to either of us."

The idea sends a chill through you. "Is that... likely to happen?"

Togame shakes his head. "Not if we're careful. Which is why precautions are necessary." He states, leaning back. You nod slowly, processing this information correctly for the first time.

"I didn't realize," you say softly. "But still, it feels so... extreme. Not being able to see my friends or family without permission..."

Togame's jaw tightens slightly. "It's temporary." he corrected, though his tone lacked enough conviction to sooth you. "Until things settle down. Your interactions need to be limited with Bofurin members, just for now."

You frown, feeling a flare of frustration. "I can't just cut them out of my life like this, it hurts them."

"I'm not asking you to cut them out," Togame says, his voice full of impatience. "For now, Kaoru will be with you for visits, and I’ll need to know when you call them.”

You feel a wave of frustration rise up inside you at Togame's words. "But why?" you press, pulling your hand away from his. "I understand needing protection when I'm out, but monitoring my calls? Supervising visits with my own family? It feels excessive."

Togame becomes tense, his inexperience with insubordination now showing. "Because information is power in our world," he says laced with annoyance. "And right now, any information about you, about us, about Shishitoren, could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

You shake your head, feeling tears of frustration prick at your eyes. "But I wouldn't tell them anything sensitive! I don't even know anything sensitive!"

"It's not just about what you might tell them intentionally," Togame explains, his patience clearly wearing thin. "It's about what they might glean from casual conversation, from your behavior, from your proxy to other people.”

You stand up abruptly, unable to contain your frustration any longer. "So I'm just supposed to live in a bubble? Cut off from everyone I care about except you?"

Togame's eyes flash dangerously as he rises to his feet as well. "That's not what I'm saying," he says, his voice still controlled. "But you need to understand the gravity of the situation."

"I'm trying to!" you exclaim, your voice rising. "But I feel like I'm losing myself, like I'm just becoming an extension of you and Shishitoren."

Togame's jaw clenches tight, and his hands balling into fists at his sides. For a moment, you see a flicker of the dangerous man you know he can be, your body freezing in response, the air suddenly different in the room.

"You're not losing yourself." he says calmly though it's betrayed by his posture. "This is who you’ve always been. A princess surrounded by beasts." His words startled you. Your lips part, for a moment all you can think about is kissing him but push those feelings down- you needed to say everything on your mind. 

"But that's just it Togame," you say softly, "I don't know if this is who I want to be. Everything's happened so fast, and I feel like I'm drowning."

Togame's shifts slightly, he looks tired suddenly, but there's still an edge of frustration in his voice. "I understand this is a lot. But you made a choice when you came with me that day. You chose this life - chose me." You feel a wave of emotions wash over you at Togame's words. He's right - you did choose this, and him. But the reality of what that choice means is only now sinking in.

"I know," you say softly, your voice wavering. "And I don't regret that. But I didn't fully understand what I was choosing. All of this..." you gesture vaguely, "It's overwhelming."

Togame's face drops the frustrated edges, as he moves towards you pulling you against his body. "I know it is." he says, his voice and posture back to normal- drawing you closer.

You lean into Togame's embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. His strong arms wrap around you, providing a sense of security that both comforts and confuses you. You're torn between the desire to lose yourself in his touch and the nagging doubts that won't leave your mind.

"I'm just so confused," you mumble against his chest. "Everything's changed so fast. I don't know who I am anymore."

Togame's hand comes up to stroke your hair gently. "You're still you." he says softly. "Just evolving, adapting to a new reality."

You pull back slightly to look up at him. "But what if I don't want this? What if it's too much?"

Togame's eyes search your face, his expression unreadable. "Is that how you feel? That this is too much?" His words make your body shake. This was the moment where he gave you a way out. Anything beyond this point had to be accepted for what it was. A choice. Your choice. 

Your lips parted as you stared up at him, your brain organizing thoughts, ideas, dreams, and fears faster than you could understand. His question hangs in the air between you, heavy with implications.

"I'm scared of losing myself in this world." you continue, your voice barely above a whisper. "Of becoming someone I don't recognize. But I'm also scared of losing you."

Togame's grip on your waist tightens slightly. "Won't lose me," he says calmly but his lips make a thin line. "Not unless you choose to walk away." This time your body stiffens. You know that was the inevitable truth but it stung like hell to hear. 

For a moment Togame disappears in front of you, it's you standing there coming to terms with what was about to come out of your mouth. The words sat on your tongue, you mind warning you this was it- there was no going back, no more whining, and no more crying. 

“Okay,” you start body struggling against the moment “I’m yours.”

Togame's eyes darken with intensity as he studies your face. "Say it again," he commands softly,his grip on your waist tightens further, almost to the point of discomfort.

You take a shaky breath, feeling the weight of your words. "I'm yours, Togame," you repeat, your voice stronger this time. "Completely."

A slow smile spreads across Togame's face, his eyes glittering with satisfaction. "There’s my girl." he murmurs, one hand coming up to cup your cheek. "That's what I wanted to hear."

His lips crash down on yours in a searing kiss, passionate and all consuming. You melt into him, all your doubts and fears fading away in the face of his overwhelming presence. His tongue demands entrance, which you eagerly grant, losing yourself in the taste and feel of him. His lips travel to your neck, teeth brushing against your skin. 

Togame's eyes are clouded with desire as he looks down at you, his thumb tracing your lower lip. "Say it again." he practically moans into your ear, making your knees weak. 

"Yours," you breathe, your body trembling with need. "I'm yours, Togame."

A low sound rumbles in his chest as he pulls you completely flush against him. You can feel the hard planes of his body, the evidence of his arousal pressing against you. His lips trail along your jaw to your ear, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine.

"Understand what that means?" he murmurs, his teeth grazing your earlobe. "Being mine?"

You swallow hard, your heart racing. "I hope so." you shiver against him, body aching to be touched more. It was all he needed to hear. His teeth find a tender spot, nearly healed before clamping down tight. A gasp leaves you as his teeth sink into your neck, sending jolts of pleasure through your body. Another sharp gasp escapes you, your fingers cling to his shoulders as his hands roughly roam over your curves.

"It means," he growls against your skin, "that you belong to me. Body and soul." His fingers tangle in your hair, tugging your head back to expose more of your throat. "It means you trust me to take care of you, to protect you." His lips trail down to your collarbone. "To give you what you need."

You tremble at his words, desire making every word seem like a love letter, the most devoted poetry. "Yes," you breathe. "I trust you, Togame.” you whimper out, overwhelmed by the intensity of his touch and the weight of your decision. There's no going back now - you've given yourself to him completely- and accepted it.

He pulls back slightly to look into your eyes, his gaze intense. "Good girl," he smiles. "Now, let me show you what it means to be mine."

Togame's hands slide down to grip your thighs, and in one fluid motion, he lifts you up. Instinctively, a yelp leaves your throat and you wrap your legs around his waist as he carries you across the room. Your back hits the wall, and Togame presses against you, pinning you in place around his hips.

His lips crash down on yours again in a consuming kiss that steals your breath away. You moan into his mouth, your fingers tangling in his hair as you pull him closer.

His hands press and squeeze all the flesh they can reach, leaving trails of heat in their wake. He breaks the kiss, his lips dragging along your jaw to your ear. "Tell me what you want." he demands, getting a soft moan in response- clearly enjoying how flustered you appeared. 

"You," you gasp out as his hips roll against you, your body pushing against the wall automatically, seeking him out. 

“Swear it.” He latches on your neck again, sucking your blood to the surface.

"I swear." you gasp again, overcome by the sensations flooding your body. "I want you, Togame. Only you." The words felt so easy now, so honest. For a split second you ponder the idea that lust might be clouding your judgement but it was pushed to a dark corner in your mind. 

A low growl rumbles in Togame's chest at your words. His teeth graze your neck as he speaks, his voice rough with desire. "Good girl. No more doubts, no more hesitation."

His hands slide under your shirt, calloused fingers tracing patterns on your bare skin. You shiver at his touch, arching into him. "Please." you whimper, not entirely sure what you're begging for.

Togame pulls back slightly, his eyes green drinking you in. In one swift motion, he pushes your shirt and bra up around your neck. You gasp at the sudden exposure, but any protest dies on your lips as Togame's mouth descends on your chest. You stare in awe as he pulls one of your nipples between his teeth, both hands holding your ass firm against the wall. He bites down hard, sending pain and pleasure through your body. You buck against him, struggling for agency. 

Togame groans against your skin, tightening his grip on your ass to hold you still. "Don't move unless I tell you to," he commands, squeezing your ass extra hard. You whimper but force yourself to stay still, even as his mouth and teeth continue their assault on your sensitive flesh. The mix of pleasure and pain is overwhelming, and you can feel yourself getting wetter by the second.

"Togame, please," you beg, no longer caring about pride or dignity. You just want him inside you, to claim every part of you as his own. Annoyingly his only response is a deep chuckle before he drops you to the ground. He extends to his full height for a moment, long enough to pull your top over your head and toss it to the floor. Wordless he kneels down on one leg, slowly sliding your skirt down your legs, panties going with it. For a brief moment you want to struggle, being completely naked while in your shoes was a very bizarre feeling. Togame's eyes rake over you hungrily, his gaze like a brand on your flushed skin.

"So beautiful," he whispers hoarsely “but I think it's time you learn a lesson. Learn to listen.” His other knee drops down leaving him in a full kneeling position right between your legs.

“Put your hands on the wall.” he breathes into your dripping pussy, not touching you. Your hands instantly find the wall, palms pressed flat against them. The warmth from his breathe alone makes you moan. 

“Don’t take them off.”

You nod, your breath catching in your throat as you watch Togame shift closer. His eyes are clouded with desire as he looks up at you, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Remember," he says, his voice low and commanding, "Hands on the wall. No matter what."

You swallow hard and nod again, pressing your palms firmly against the cool surface behind you. Your entire body trembles with anticipation as Togame's hands slide up your thighs, spreading them wider.

Without warning, his tongue flicks out against your clit, sending a jolt of pleasure through your body. You gasp, your hips jerking involuntarily towards his mouth. Togame pulls back slightly, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"Stay still," he warns, his breath hot against your sensitive flesh. "Or I'll stop."

You whimper but force yourself to remain motionless as Togame's mouth returns to your dripping heat. His tongue explores you slowly, teasingly, never quite giving you the pressure you crave. Your fingers flex against the wall, itching to tangle them in his hair and pull him closer. One of his hands roams up your legs side before grabbing a hand full of your ass, squeezing hard making you gasp, your hips jerking involuntarily.

"I said don't move," he scolds. His hand comes down hard on your inner thigh, the sharp sting making you yelp. Small tears form in your eyes, but the sudden sting from his slap was quickly overwhelmed by the desire to feel him dine on your body again. “I’m sorry” you rasp out, struggling to not move closer to his mouth. He hums back in response to your apology. 

“Let’s try this again.” Togame grins before diving back to his work. His mouth returns to your aching core, his tongue circling your clit with maddening slowness. You bite your lip hard, struggling to keep your hips from bucking against his face. The pleasure builds quickly inside you, a coiling tension that threatens to snap at any moment.

The room fills with your struggling pants, your chest falling up and down as the rest of your body begins to shake from the strain. His tongue continued to pull you along, daring you to move, promising a punishment for misbehavior. Your orgasm is hurling towards you, and judging by his smirk Togame was well aware of this fact- making it even harder to not move. 

“Togame, I can’t-” Your voice catches in your throat as he slides two fingers into your sensitive body. Your head hits the wall as a strangled moan erupts from your throat only to be cut off by his hand closing around your neck firmly. He quickly shifts to his full height before planting a firm kiss against your trembling lips, the taste of you still lingering on his mouth. 

“So bad at listening,” He teases then pulls you along by the throat, his fingers slipping out of your body. He backs up until his shoulders bump into the large glass windows. He stares at you for a long moment, thinking something over- smile growing wide as an idea sets in.

—POV Change - Togame’s POV—

What a fantastic fucking day so far. Togame stares down at his girl, she said so herself, drinking her in. Her proclamation has fueled a side of him that had been hidden deep. It is far beyond possessiveness - he’s enthralled with her.

He had offered her the opportunity to leave just to silence the crying, but it had been a dangerous gamble. The moment the words left his mouth he had already planned out how to dismantle Bofurin out of sheer spite. By the time she had reached the tunnel, he would have tore everything down, brick by brick. Not that he would ever voice such thoughts, but they were present all the same. It was his true self- the one that wouldn’t be denied, the one that kept Shishitoren functioning. It was the side of him that Hiragi likely was worried about, and Togame had to admit- with good reason. 

But she hadn’t left, no- she opened herself up to him completely, and he was happy to devour every inch. She was so radiant when bending for him, every inch of her preening in his hands. Her original tone had been one of resistance, which had worn his patience thin, but it was worth every second to see her like this- flushed, begging, willing, and devoted.

He is pleasantly surprised to see hair between her legs. In the past, some of his partners had been self-conscious and always shaved or waxed, which he found disappointing. Her natural state and inexperience added a delightful twist, making the pleasure of going down on her all the more enjoyable. The look on her face as she realizes what he’s doing, kneeling, is something that could fuel his cock for ages. Her skin is so pleasant under his fingers, as if every part of her was made just for him, perfect in every way.

“Put your hands against the window, and this time- behave.” He pulls her along, making them switch places on the glass of the large windows, but he has her facing the skyline, chest pressed tight against the glass. Her body shakes under his grip, clearly enjoying his fingers squeezing her lovely neck. He is surprised that she enjoys being handled so roughly but each time he has seen her arousal; her eyes dilating, lips parting, her thighs pressing together- she wasn’t subtle about her desire- and he fucking loves it.

She gasps when both of his hands shift, one now holding the back of her neck, and the other on the top of her ass, pressing her into the glass with more force. He gazes out the window, taking a moment to enjoy the scenery. He removes the hand from her neck and taps on the glass to the left of her head.

“You know, if you look that way- you can see Furin High.” It is a low blow, but she needs some reminders on who he is. She shutters against him, a whimper falling from her beautiful lips.

“Let’s show them you are mine.” His tongue runs along the back of her neck on the word mine, making her shake.

Her doll eyes widen as his meaning sinks in. "Togame, we can't-" she begs, but he cuts her off with a firm tug at the base of her skull. His lips hover just out of reach of her lips, denying an intimate connection- this is punishment after all.

"We can." he corrects. "I want everyone to know.” he finalizes before pressing his fully clothed body against her flushed skin. She lets a loud gasp upon making full body contact with the cold window and his body. He watches the goosebump travel along her skin, tracing them as they raise. He smiles while he plays with her skin, completely aware the window is tinted but what would be the fun in sharing. Her breath begins fogging the window as Togame presses her firmly against it. He thinks about drawing a heart in the fog but quickly forgets about the idea as she whines. 

"Please," she whimpers, for a moment he is unsure if she is begging him to stop or continue. He tests the entrance of her soft pussy, ghosting his fingers over her lips. He is pleased to find his fingers are immediately wet as her body trembles.

Togame's low chuckle sends vibrations through her body. "Shh," he soothes, his lips grazing her ear. "You're doing so well for me."

His hands continue to map her skin. He notes every blemish, scar, the dimples he wondered if she even knew about on her backside, every small detail memorized. She lets out a loud gasp as he cups her breasts, kneading them firmly before pinching each nipple.

"That's it," he moans out, grinding his hard cock against the bottom of her ass. "Show me how much you want this." he demands but she only responds with moans and an arched back. For a moment he thinks about slapping her ass, extra hard, he wants her to speak- but he holds off on hard punishments. While he was 99% certain her pussy would drip from that interaction, the 1% made him pause. He needs to know how much pain she enjoyed before taking it that far.

“A moan is not an answer.” He warns, plunging two fingers into her pussy without warning. Her head flies back, nearly smacking him in the face but her hands stay in place so he forgives the sudden headbutt attempt. Her mouth opens wide, struggling to speak without moaning. His fingers curl inside her, searching for her g-spot. When he finds the area textured differently he applies excessive pressure on the spot. He watches in delight as her body clamps around him, her mouth falling open again- struggling to take in air. 

"I want... I want you inside me." She finally spits out after another firm press against her g-spot. Togame's free hand slides up her body to grip her throat, applying just enough pressure to make her breath hitch.

“Is that so?” He inquires playfully. Her pussy clenches around his fingers in response, a moan escaping her lips. He desperately wanted to fuck her against the window, then watch come drip down her back and ass, but he didn’t have a condom on hand. He considered the risks, but in the end decided against fucking without protection. He was not ready to even have the conversation about using the word girlfriend much less her getting pregnant.

"Then beg for it," Togame demanded, his fingers still digging deep inside her. "Convince me you deserve my cock."

She whimpers, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. Her skin was flushed red everywhere his hands had touched, her desires on full display. But it wasn’t enough, he wanted to hear her speak. He wanted her to remind herself over and over again that she wanted this, wanted him. It was reasonable to be scared of his world, smart even, but he wouldn’t suffer the argument from before every time she got scared.

"Please," she whispered, ass pressing out against his hand. "I need you inside me, Togame-sama." The honorific made him pause for a second, his brain resetting at the sudden use. He liked the way it sounded on her lips, though he had never heard it used in this context before. His fingers curl up with a firm press against her g-spot, which got him a loud cry from her swollen lips. "Louder," he commands. "I want to hear how desperate you are for me."

"Please, fuck me!" tears build in her water line as she cries out, abandoning all pretense of dignity. "I'll do anything, just please, I need to feel you..."

Togame lets out a soft moan. "So beautiful," he says absentmindedly, placing a kiss on the back of her shoulder. His free hand adjusts his clothing, his cock straining against his boxers. He can tell by the way she stiffened she was completely ready for him to take her. But he inhales deeply, lungs fully expanding, pulling on his own reigns to avoid any bad choices. Instead of his cock, he pushed 3 of his fingers into her swollen pussy. She bucked against him, clearly overwhelmed with the feeling of being stretched that far.

“Not yet,” he pushes in hard, shifting her entire body against the glass with his hand alone. She gasps, stutters, her body struggling against the glass. It looked like her body was fighting to adjust and complain at the same time- it was a lovely sight. “Why?” was all she managed to choke out, moaning at the end of her question.

“No condom with me.” He offered before pulling nearly all the way out and thrusting back in, making sure to graze her sensitive nerves. Sweat began to form on the back of her neck which he gladly laps up. His fingers work her hard, thrusting against her soft insides without mercy. In this moment he struggled, he wanted her to feel only pleasure but the sight of her body struggling to accommodate him was intoxicating. Her fingers curled against the glass searching for some kind of grip which he couldn’t tolerate.

“Keep your hands flat.” He reminded her with an extra hard thrust. She let out a choked moan that nearly made him come in his pants. He would do anything to hear that sound again. With an experimental shift he moved a hand from her hip to the front of her body. He was a bit hunched over but it was worth the back ache. Once he found her clit he pushed his fingers in again, with the same force as before. Her scream was deliciously loud. Togame smiles at her head falling back against his shoulder, her arms stretching out to accommodate her back arching- she looked divine. Her palms stayed against the glass somehow, to his dismay, so he couldn’t punish her this time. Her moans were becoming closer together, chest bobbing up and down in a tantalizing way, he would give a lot to have two more sets of hands at this moment. 

“So close already?” He teases, continuing the ruthless pace. She struggled to respond, all that came out of her mouth was English and Japanese babbling. He honestly found it super cute, even if the English threw him off a beat.

“You sound amazing.” He praises before kissing the skin on her shoulders again. In between each thrust he bites down on her skin, leaving a trail of bright red teeth imprints on her back, neck, and shoulders. He wanted every part of her marked, drenched in reminders of him.

"It feels so good," she pants out. "Please don't stop." she begs pushing her hips down for more friction. His eyes snap shut for a minute soaking in the sound of her voice. How he wishes to bury his cock inside her, to hear these sounds while feeling her around him- he wouldn’t get caught without a condom ever again.

He slowed each stroke down slightly but made sure to press harder. He watches with great intrigue as her body presses down each time he thrusts up even though her heels lifted off the ground. He wasn’t entirely sure she was aware how much she liked pain. His thoughts get pushed away by a particularly hard clamp around his fingers, she was so close. His lips spread wide with a huge smirk. He wonders if she could keep her palms flat as she comes undone around his fingers. Devilishly, he rubs his thumb against her clit hard. "Come for me.” he groans into her ear.

That was all it took. Her body snaps against him, palms flying off the widow and she sought out something to grip. She finds the back of his head with one hand and the other squeezes his bicep as she screams out. Her pants were closer to coughs than moans as she struggled through his continued pumping. He bit his lip, the pressure of her full body weight on him was making him dizzy with pleasure. She had always worked so hard to not fully lean on him and now she was letting him take it all without protest. If he could keep her trapped in this position for hours he could finally die a happy man. 

However he couldn’t ignore his growing desire any longer. As her shaking slows down, he extracts his fingers from her pussy, grateful they were completely soaked with her juices. He licks all three fingers clean in front of her face which was still resting on his shoulder. He moans quietly as the last finger leaves his mouth with a pop. The look on her face was amazing. Her pupils were blown wide, lips parted with shallow breathing, throat bobbing from quick swallows.

"Can I suck on your cock?" She whispers out sounding shy, nearly breaking his brain. As if it was even possible for him to say no to such an offer. He nods, unable to speak for a moment. She adjusts her stance so she is no longer resting against him, much to his dismay.

“Do you want to sit on the couch?” She offers. It looked like she was blushing to him, but it was hard to tell, her skin was still flushed from her orgasm. He smiles then pulls her back into him. One hand cups the back of her neck while the other holds her waist so she couldn’t escape his kiss. He wanted to drink her in, savor the moment of her warm body against him- even if he was clothed and she wasn't. For a second he wonders about keeping her trapped in here, naked, waiting for him with a wet pussy. The mental image was incredible but he internally scowled at himself, she wasn’t an object or pet- he knew that. Right?

Slowly his feet carry them backwards toward the couch until his calves hit the plush fabric. He tips backwards so they both fall at the same time. A groan leaves his throat as she lands on top of him. She fumbles to hold her body off of him- which earns her a frown. How he hated that habit of hers. With a quick twist of her wrist directed by his hand, she topples onto him with a squeak.

“Lean on me.” he says, his voice is laced with playfulness but rings out a demand. She nods still unsure, but allows her body to sink down against him even if she was in an awkward position. “Good. Now, where were we?” he muses, tapping a finger to his chin.

She blushes deeply before bringing a hand to his clothed cock. “Here I think-” she trails off, her fingers tracing the bulge in his pants. His hands came up to grip the couch cushions behind them, her touch alone was nearly enough to make him explode. His jaw tightens as her fingers work the band of his jeans, seeking help. He grunts, popping open his button and zipper with practiced ease. With a quick hip-lift both his boxers, and pants were around his ankles. 

He pauses as she stares at his cock, looking shocked. She bites her lips as her brows furrow. It was a look he had seen before so it didn’t worry him as she remains still- working out if he would fit. His bottom lip achs as he clamps down on it, holding in a laugh as she slowly moves towards him- still looking shocked, even a bit worried. 

Togmae watches as she hesitantly lowers her head, her warm breath ghosting over his aching cock. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and he can't help the low groan escape at the sight. She glances up at him through her lashes, seeking reassurance.

"Go on," he encourages, voice rough with desire. "Show me what that pretty mouth can do."

She nods, determination flashing in her eyes as she wraps her fingers around the base of his throbbing length. Her touch is tentative at first, exploring, and he fights the urge to buck his hips into her face. He wants to savor this, to commit everything she does to memory. It was clear she didn’t have personal experience but understood enough to not ask him questions. 

When her lips finally close around the tip of his cock, his fingers fist into balls to avoid thrusting hard into her mouth. The wet heat enveloping him is exquisite, and he watches through hazy eyes as she slowly takes more of him in. He wonders if she would let him take a picture of the scene but didn’t want to spoil her first time with such a filthy request, next time though- he’d ask. 

"Perfect," he offers up knowing she loves praise, she preens against his hand that stretches out to touch her hair. Her pace shifts as she sucks harder, not that he minded but coming fast was not his plan.

"Take your time." he murmurs, fingers gently stroking her scalp. "I want to watch you explore."

She nods, mouth still around his cock, her eyes watching his movements. Her touch is light, almost reverent as she strokes him from the base of his cock to her lips. After a few strokes she comes up for air, wiping away drool from her chin. A bead of precum forms on the head and she leans in, licking it away with a tentative swipe of her tongue.

Togame hisses through his teeth, hips jerking involuntarily. "Fuck," he grunts, grip tightening in her hair causing her to whine.

Encouraged by his reaction, she grows bolder. Her lips part, taking just the head into her mouth. She sucks gently, tongue swirling around the sensitive tip. Togame's head falls back against the couch, and a low moan rolls around his chest.

"So good." he praises with another low moan. She hums in response, the vibrations sending sparks of pleasure through him. Slowly, she takes more of him in, hollowing her cheeks as she sucks. Her inexperience becomes more apparent as her teeth scrape against the sides of his cock, but couldn’t care less- she was amazing.

Togame forces his eyes to stay open, not wanting to miss a moment of her efforts. Her lips are stretched wide around his cock, cheeks flushed, eyes closed in concentration - the coil inside him nearly snaps as she moans around him. He grits his teeth, fighting for control.

"Look at me," he commands softly. When she meets his gaze, eyes hazy with lust, he nearly loses it. "Fuck, you're beautiful like this."

She moans around him again, pushing him closer to the edge. Her head bobs deeply, taking him deep inside her mouth, his tip hitting the back of her throat. He was genuinely impressed when she didn’t gag. Wanting to test her, his hips begin to move on their own accord, shallow thrusts meet her willing mouth.

"That's it, just like that." he moans, guiding her movements with the hand in her hair. "Such a good girl for me."

Her eyes flutter closed again as she focuses on pleasing him. One hand working what she can't fit in her mouth while the other grips his thigh for balance. Togame can feel the pressure hit its limit, his release imminent.

"I'm close." he warns, giving her a chance to pull away. But she only redoubles her efforts, sucking harder, and faster. With a strangled groan, Togame comes hard, spilling down her throat. She swallows as much as she can, though some escapes- dribbling down her chin. He watches through half-lidded eyes as she continues to work his length, swallowing from time to time. He was overcome with emotions, mainly lust, at the sight of her radiance. She was glowing with pride after achieving her first victory, though she would find out real soon- wars are more than one victory.

She pulls off him with a wet pop, stroking his slick cock with her hand while talking. "That was really hot." she says, sounding breathless.

Togame's chest heaves as he comes down from his high, gazing at her with unfocused eyes. A lazy smirk spreads across his face as he reaches out to wipe a stray drop of cum from her chin with his thumb.

"Mmmhmm” he starts “You're a natural," the praise is small but her pupils go wide regardless. He brings his thumb to her lips, watching intently as she takes it into her mouth, sucking it clean. A low groan escapes him at the sight. She would be his ruin, he was absolutely sure of it now. 

"Come here," he orders, pulling her up onto his lap. She straddles him, her bare breasts pressed against his clothed chest. His hands roam her body, because he would never get enough. He captures her lips in a searing kiss, tasting himself on her tongue. His cock twitches, bumping into the edge of her warm pussy. He groans into the kiss, his mind running circles on why fucking raw was good or bad.

When they break apart, both panting, he rests his forehead against hers. "You're mine now," he murmurs, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Do you understand?"

She nods, her chest rising and falling fast, her body clearly affected by his possessive words. "Yes." she whispers.

"Say it again," he demands, his own skin now flushed.

"I'm yours." she repeats, louder this time. Her eyes lock with his, filled with a mix of desire and yearning. A predatory grin spreads across his face. "Good girl," he praises, one hand sliding up her back. He grips the back of her neck, a gesture he was partially fond of using on her. 

"Never forget it." He pulls her in for another kiss, this one slower, deeper. His other hand plays with her lower back before pressing in, making her arch into him. She whimpers against his lips as his other fingers find her still-sensitive clit, still deliciously wet for him. A quiet moan barely reaches his ear as her eyes flutter closed for a moment. Maybe she would give him a recording of her moaning. The thought made his dick twitch. 

"On a side note," Togame murmurs against her skin as he begins to work her up again. "You took your hands off the glass- without permission." She pulls back, staring at him confused,he watches as she replays getting finger fucked in her mind, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ shape upon realizing he was right.

“But, since you did such a good job, I’ll make you an offer.” He pauses watching her tense up, her thighs squeezing together. “Either we stop for now and go get food, or you bend over on my lap, and we find out how much pain you like- then go get food.”

Her eyes widen at the proposition, a nervousness look flickering across her face. He is well aware she liked pain, but had a sinking suspicion she didn’t know the limits- which meant he didn't. His hunger grows in more ways than one as he slides his fingers along her pussy, waiting for a response. 

"I..." she starts, voice barely above a whisper. "I want to stay here with you." What a wonderful girl he had, always so eager to please- to learn. 

Togame's lips curl into a satisfied smirk. "Good choice," he hums, his free hand sliding up to cup her right cheek. "Now, over my lap."

She hesitates for just a moment before complying, positioning herself across his thighs. Her breath catches as his palm runs over the curve of her ass, alternating between gentle caresses and firm squeezes.

"Remember," he says, voice low and commanding, "Tell me to stop if something is too much. Also I expect you to count each one. Understood?"

She nods, then quickly adds, "Yes Togame, I understand." his hand pauses for a moment then pulls back fast. 

The first strike catches her off guard, a sharp crack echoing through the room. The look on her face shows she was more surprised than in pain. "O-one," she manages to stutter out, sounding embarrassed.

Togame hums approvingly, rubbing the reddening skin. "Good girl. Let's see how many you can take."

The next few come in quick succession, alternating cheeks. She counts obediently, her voice growing breathier with each impact. By the tenth strike, she's squirming in his lap, body torn between pressing into the pain and shying away from it.

"You're doing so well," Togame praises, pausing to admire his handiwork. Her ass is a beautiful shade of pink, and warm to the touch. He can feel her wetness against his thigh and hand, evidence of her arousal. "Do you want more?"

"Please." she whimpers, pushing her hips back in invitation.

Togame chuckles darkly. "So greedy." His hand comes down harder this time, pulling a cry from her lips. "Don't forget to count."

"Eleven!" she gasps out, fingers clawing into the couch cushions.

He continues, each strike carefully measured. He watches her reactions closely, noting how she tenses and relaxes, the pitch of her cries, the way her thighs tremble. By the time they reach twenty, she's a writhing mess in his lap, panting, drooling, and moaning with each impact.

"Last one," Togame announces, his own voice rough with desire. "Let’s make it count."

The final strike is the hardest yet, right at the curve where her ass meets her thighs. She cries out, back arching beautifully. "Twenty-one!" her voice wobbles, a sniff punctuating the end of her sentence. Togame immediately gathers her into his arms, peppering her face with gentle kisses as she comes undone with soft moaning sobs. 

"Shh, you did so well," Togame murmurs, stroking her hair as she trembles against him. Her skin is flushed and hot to the touch, a fine sheen of sweat glistening in the dim light. He can feel her heart racing, her breaths coming in short gasps.

"How do you feel?" he asks, voice low and soothing. His hands run gentle circles over her back, careful to avoid her tender backside.

She takes a shaky breath before responding. "I feel amazing," she admits, a hint of wonder in her voice. "I didn't know it could be like that."

Togame chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "There's so much to show you." he promises. His cock throbbing at the thought of all things she might like, still aching for her despite his earlier release. She shifts in his lap, gasping as the movement sends a jolt of pain through her sensitive flesh. 

"Togame," she whimpers, grinding against him instinctively. "Please, I need..."

"What do you need?" he questions, one hand sliding between her thighs to find her dripping wet pussy. "Tell me."

"You," she moans, rocking against his fingers. "I need you inside me. Please."

Togame groans, torn between his burning desire and practicality. "We still don't have protection," he reminds her, though his resolve is weakening by the second. She looks up at him, eyes wide and pleading. "I'm on birth control," she confesses. "Please, Togame. I want to feel all of you."

That's all it takes for his control to snap. In one fluid motion, he lifts her body up with ease and positions her over his throbbing cock. "Are you sure?" he asks, giving her one last chance to back out.

"Yes," she breathes, sinking down onto him with a low moan. Togame's head falls back, overwhelmed by the sensation of her tight heat enveloping him. His mind goes  white, completely overrun by the feeling of her body on his, and her warm pussy taking him in so easily, so willingly. 

"Fuck," he grunts, hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise. "You feel incredible." She moans wildly, but stills her body- adjusting to the stretch of him inside her. He didn’t move but his fingers wouldn’t stop flexing, digging into her flesh. It had felt like hours, but slowly, she began to move, rising up slowly before sinking back down. Togame didn’t want her to burn out so he moved his hands to the bottom of her tender ass, guiding her movements with slight pressure, helping to set a steady rhythm for the both of them. 

"That's it," he encourages, voice completely strained. "Take what you need."

Her pace quickens suddenly, driven by her own desperate need for release. Togame meets her thrust for thrust, the sound of skin on skin filling the room. He watches in awe as she loses herself in the sensation, head thrown back, lips shouting in ecstasy.

"You're so beautiful like this," he murmurs, one hand coming up to cup her breast. He rolls her nipple between his fingers, drawing a sharp gasp from her.

"Togame," she moans, her movements becoming more erratic as she chases her release. "I'm so close."

"Come for me," Togame demands, his hips snapping up to meet hers. "Let me feel you fall apart." Her body tenses, inner walls clenching around him as she cries out his name in a long repeating string. The sight of her coming undone pushes Togame over the edge as well, and he follows her with a deep groan, spilling inside her. There is a moment of panic about getting  her pregnant as he feels his come leaking out of her, and down his cock. But she breaks his thoughts apart as she moans again, still slowly thrusting down, riding her orgasm as long as possible. She was so much trouble for him. 

They stay interlocked for a moment, both panting heavily as they come down from their high. Togame's hands roam her body, soothing the tremors that still run through her. He couldn't help pressing soft kisses to her collarbone, her neck, her jaw.

"You're amazing," he murmurs against her skin. "Absolutely perfect." He laps up a patch of her skin, enjoying the taste of her exertion. 

She hums contentedly, nuzzling into his neck, completely spent. "That was...incredible" she breathes, still a bit dazed.

Togame chuckles, weaving his fingers into her hair. "Your skin is such a lovely color when you come," he comments, a wicked glint in his eye. "Wonder if I could keep you that shade for a full day."

She shivers at his words, displaying her nervousness but nevertheless red flashing across her cheeks giving him the impression she liked the idea. "I’d like you to try sometime." she admits shyly.

They stay tangled together for a while longer, exchanging lazy kisses and gentle caresses. Eventually, Togame shifts, carefully lifting her off his lap. She winces letting out a low moan as he pulls out of her body, his cock still fairly hard. 

“How are you still hard?” She balks, distress taking over her features. He pauses for a second, looking down at his cock. It was certainly still firm but not in the way she thought- his stamina kept him hard, but he wasn’t on the verge of exploding anymore. “We would be here all day if the goal was to make me soft when you're naked.” He laughs at the funny face she makes in return, clearly confused and slightly horrified. 

"Let's get you cleaned up," he offers, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Then we'll go get food. You must be starving by now."

She nods, allowing him to help her to her feet. As they make their way to the bathroom, Togame can't help but feel a surge of possessiveness. She's his now, completely and utterly. While he was not one to care about women being virgins this felt a bit different. He was ecstatic to know no one else had ever made her full body blush like that, her lips had never begged anyone else like that. He groans inwardly- becoming fully hard again. 

They step into the luxurious bathroom attached to the lounge, which she marvels at for a few moments. Togame guides her to the large glass shower. He turns on the water, adjusting the temperature to a soothing warmth. As steam begins to fill the room, he extends a hand to help her step into the spray, following close behind. She hisses softly as the warm spray hits her tender skin.

"Too hot?" he asks quickly, feeling the water again with his hands to check if he messed up the temperature.

She shakes her head. "No, it's perfect. Just...sensitive." Togame smirks, running his hands over her slick skin. "I bet." He reaches for a bottle of body wash, pouring some into his palm before beginning to lather her body. His touch is gentle yet thorough, paying special attention to her sore areas.

As he works, he can't help but admire the marks he's left on her - the light bruises forming on her hips, the redness of her ass, the love bites scattered across her neck and back. Each one is a reminder of their passion, of her submission to him.

"Turn around," he instructs gently. She complies without protest, allowing him access to her front. His fingers work out the tension in her muscles, drawing soft moans from her lips. His touch is reverent, almost worshipful as he tends to her.

"You're so responsive," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I love how your body reacts to my touch." Slowly, he continues his ministrations, cleaning away the evidence of their lovemaking. His fingers ghost over her still-sensitive folds, drawing a shaky moan from her lips. He fights the urge to take her again right there, reminding himself that she needs time to recover.

They finish washing up, Togame taking care to be gentle with her oversensitive body. He is first out, helping her step over the lip of the shower and into a fluffy towel, he can't help but marvel at how natural this feels - as if she's always belonged here with him. He quickly wraps a towel around himself before squeezing excess water from his hair.

"Let's get you dressed," he says, leading her back to the bedroom. "We need to get some food in you soon." He thought back the moment he fed her dessert, how cute she looked with lips parted, waiting for him to feed her. He thinks over when they will go back to that restaurant, knowing they had a new dessert for her to try. 

She nods, following him back to where her clothes had been discarded. “I’ll put my underwear in my purse,” He pauses, looking at her in confusion. “They are soaked…it will be cold to put them back on.” She offers up, he completely forgot about that, his own underwear filled with precum. He makes a mental note to start stashing a change of clothes in places they might have fun. The lounge was only meant for hanging out and lacked anything personal of his.

"Good thinking," Togame nods approvingly. He watches as she gathers her damp undergarments, admiring the way she moves with a slight wince. A possessive thrill runs through him, knowing he's the cause of her delicious discomfort.

As she bends to retrieve her clothes, Togame steps behind her, running a hand down her spine. "Are you sure you want to put them back on?" he asks, voice low and teasing. "I quite like you like this."

She shivers at his touch, turning to face him with a shy smile. "As tempting as that sounds, I don't think I'm ready to face the world naked just yet." Togame chuckles, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Fair enough."

Her cheeks flush at his words as she slips her clothes back on. Togame helps her smooth her shirt, his hands lingering on her hips. "Beautiful." he murmurs, eyes raking over her form. She lets out a low laugh while pushing him away. “You are too much.” she laughs out. He smiles wide, but doesn’t speak his thoughts. She had no fucking idea how much he really was, but she would learn.

After they both finish dressing, Togame watches how she winces slightly with each movement. A touch of guilt washed over him. It was becoming more clear that she did not know her limits, even if she liked it, he didn’t want her in constant pain. Not to mention if they ran into Hiragi, he would likely be forced into a deathmatch no matter how willing she was. 

"Are you alright?" he asks, concern evident in his voice. She quickly nods, offering him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, just a little sore. It's a good kind of sore. I like it." she adds, blushing deeply.

Togame's lips curl into a satisfied smirk. "Glad to hear it." He pulls her close, nuzzling into her neck. "but let's slow down on the pain."

She melts into his embrace, inhaling his scent. "Only a little." she murmurs. He takes a moment to breathe her in, enjoying what a lovely- kinky creature she was. Even now her thighs were pressing together, knees tilted in like she was distracted- he badly wanted to get back on his knees and eat her out again. 

He reluctantly pulls away. "Come on," he says, tiling her chin up with one finger. "Let's get you fed. Can't have you fainting on me." as if on queue her stomach growls making him stifle a laugh as she rambles about only having coffee for breakfast and lunch. 

Togame chuckles at her rambling, finding her embarrassment endearing. "Well, we can't have that. Let's get you a proper meal." He takes her hand, leading her towards the door. As they exit the lounge, he notices her slightly unsteady gait, and slows his pace to match hers.

They make their way through the winding corridors of the Shishitoren complex, slowly reaching the exit. Togame nods curtly to the few higher ranked members as they pass, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. He can feel the curious glances, the raised eyebrows, but he pays them no mind. Let them look, let them wonder. She's his now, and he wants everyone to know it. She shrinks under the attention, pressing closer to his side which he found himself enjoying immensely.

As they approach the entrance, Togame pauses. "Any preferences for food?" he asks, fishing his car keys from his pocket.

She bites her lip, considering. "Maybe something light? I'm not sure I could handle anything too heavy right now."

Togame nods, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "I know just the place." Only a few paces outside the door is the same black car Kaoru tried to get her in before. He opens the passenger door for her, helping her inside slowly before rounding to the driver's side.

As they pull out onto the street, Togame rests his hand on her thigh, fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin. He can feel the slight tremor in her muscles with each stroke, a cheeky reminder of how sensitive she was. His cock twitches at the memory, and he has to force himself to focus on the road.

"So," he begins, voice casual, "Tell me what type of birth control you are on." He glances at her, gauging her reaction. "Because I am not interested in having children right now."

She shifts in her seat, obviously surprised by the sudden question. "Oh, um, it's an IUD. It's supposed to be over 99% effective."

Togame hums approvingly. "Good to know." His hand squeezes her thigh gently. “Just needed to make sure.” he finishes.

"Yeah, I understand. I also don’t want children right now.” She mirrors back, but she pauses a sly smile spreading across her lips. “Although, I really like the feeling of you coming inside me." Her voice drops to a whisper, as if sharing a secret.

Togame's grip on the steering wheel tightens, his imagination running wild with the implications of her words. "Well," he says, voice cracking slightly “there is plenty more where that came from." He nearly pulled over to ask for a blow job but quickly pushed it down upon hearing her stomach growl again.

She presses buttons on the radio console until her phone connects to the car's bluetooth. While he normally drove it in silence he was intrigued by what kind of music she listened too. As she scrolled through her music library, Togame watched her from the corner of his eye, debating what genre she would pick. A soft melody filled the car as she selected a song, the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar accompanied by a woman's soulful voice.

"I didn't peg you for the indie type," Togame comments, pleasantly surprised.

She smiles proudly. "There's a lot you don't know about me yet."

"I look forward to learning," he replies, his hand squeezing her thigh again.

The rolls on for approximately 15 minutes, the city slipping by as the music provides a soothing backdrop. Togame found himself tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the rhythm. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relaxed- it almost made him feel nervous. Things were never this easy, or relaxing.

The car rolls to a slow stop in front of an unassuming restaurant, Togame turns to her. "This place has the best udon in the city. Should be light but still filling." Her eyes lit up at the word udon. "That sounds perfect." He pulls into a spot on the side street kept empty for him. 

He helps her out of the car, noticing how she winces slightly as she stands. He chastised himself internally, perhaps she enjoyed everything, but he needed to set harder limits unless she was going to be resting in his bed all day.

She looked up at him with big eyes and a pouty lip. "I'm fine, really!”

Togame chuckles, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walk towards the restaurant’s plain white door. "Okay, just let me know if it gets to be too much." he says while pushing the door open then letting her in first. 

Togame's eyes landed on Naoki, the owner. The two of them had a good bond. Naoki had reached out to Togame about his son - who had been lost in the world of drugs, and KEEL. With some carefully placed punches, warnings, and some cash for rehab- Naoki had gotten his son back and Togame received a lifetime supply of udon. It had been too good an offer to let slip by.

"Togame-sama, welcome! Your usual table?" Naoki's voice boomed over the other patrons.

"Yes, thank you." Togame replied with a nod, a genuine smile on his face.

They were led to a secluded booth in the back, away from prying eyes. Togame helps her slide into the booth before taking the chair opposite her. He couldn't help but notice how she fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position. She finally settles once his knees flush up against hers under the small table.

"So," he began, once she looked comfortable, "tell me more about yourself. What do you like to do when you're not getting into trouble?"

She laughs, the sound light and musical to his ears. "Well, I'm actually quite boring most of the time. I like to read, watch movies, and back home I would grow plants! I miss my plants."

As she spoke, Togame found himself captivated. He leans forward, drinking in every word, every gesture. He wanted to know everything about her, to unravel the mystery that she now presented. Their pace had been a bit off, full of passion before they knew  anything about each other, but he was happy to make up for it. 

Their conversation continued easily after they ordered their food. Togame was honestly surprised at how effortless it felt to listen to her talk for this long. Normally he got bored quickly when girls talked about their interests, especially about hair care but he found himself making note of the fact she couldn’t get her favorites in Japan. That was something he could easily help with, there wasn’t much money couldn’t find in Japan. 

When their steaming bowls of udon arrive, Togame watches with amusement as she inhales the aroma, her eyes closing in bliss.

"This smells amazing," she sighed.

"Wait until you taste it," Togame smirked, picking up his chopsticks.

Immediately upon taking her first bite her eyes go wide with delight. "Oh my god, this is incredible," she moans, the sound sending a jolt of heat through Togame's body. He watches, entranced, as she savors each mouthful.

"I told you," he says smugly, digging into his own bowl to avoid getting hard again. They eat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds are their appreciative hums and the soft clink of chopsticks against bowls.

Halfway through the meal, Togame notices her shifting uncomfortably again. Without a word, he stands and slides into the booth beside her, pulling her legs close to him, hand rubbing her lower thigh. He tracing x’s and o’s into her leg, trying to stimulate her leg skin to distract her from her sore bottom. 

"Better?" he asks softly. She nods, leaning into him more as she continues to eat. The closeness is intoxicating, how was he supposed to control himself all the time? A small part of him hopes the need to touch her constantly will slowly fade so he didn’t feel or act love drunk all the time. 

Once their meal is finished Togame leans back, relaxing into the moment- his hand still drawing on her skin. Was this domestic life? Just enjoying a meal with someone he cares about, no ulterior motives, no business to discuss. Something in his gut twists uncomfortably, a warning to not get complacent. Domestic life was not meant for the likes of him, no matter how much he wanted to give it to her. 

"Thank you for this," she says quietly, setting down her chopsticks. "Not just the food, but... everything."

Togame turns to her, cupping her cheek gently. "Don't need to thank me." he murmurs, leaning in to brush his lips against hers. It's a chaste kiss, soft and sweet, but it leaves him wanting more.

As he pulls away, he notices Naoki approaching their table. "Was everything to your liking, Togame-sama?" the owner asks, his eyes flickering curiously to the woman in Togame's arms. While he knew their position was far too intimate for the public he was positive Naoki of all people would not say anything.  

"As always, Naoki-san," Togame replies with a nod. "Your udon is unparalleled."

Naoki beams with pride before turning his attention to Togame's obsession. "And you, miss? Did you enjoy your meal?"

She smiles warmly. "It was absolutely delicious. I've never had udon this good before."

Naoki's smile widens. "Ah, music to an old man's ears! Please, you must come again. Any friend of Togame-sama is always welcome here."

Naoki bustles away leaving a new question in the air, Togame can't help but feel uneasy. Friend doesn't begin to cover what she is to him now, but they hadn’t fully discussed what to call each other. He takes a sip of his tea, giving himself a moment to think.

“Are we dating?” She asks before he could get the chance to swallow. His body stilled, muscles struggling to relax enough to set his tea down. 

“Yes.” Not his most graceful admission but it seems to make her smile regardless. “So, I am your girlfriend?” She asks with a huge smile, never letting him rest. His stomach coils tight with dread. It wasn’t like he didn’t want that, he just never had a girlfriend before. He had spent his early years being a loner, then quickly joined Shishitoren in adulthood- full relationships seemed too complicated for his life. 

His fingers flexed, easing up on the cup. “Yes. You are my girlfriend.” He says with no enthusiasm to be heard. 

“Are you okay with that?” She shifted a bit, mind and body pulling away from him. He stared at her for a moment, struggling to find the right words. Of course he was, it just scared him a bit. 

“Yes,” he pauses, setting the cup down with a sigh. “It's just new for me.” Her eyes go wide at his admission. "Oh, I didn't realize... Is this your first serious relationship?" Togame nods, feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"My life hasn't exactly been conducive to long-term commitments," he says, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "But with you... I want to try."

She reaches out, intertwining her fingers with his. "I'm honored," she says softly. "And a little nervous, to be honest. I don't have much experience either."

Togame squeezes her hand back. "We'll figure it out." he assures her, bringing her hand to his lips for a soft kiss. The gesture feels both foreign and natural at the same time, his gut still twisting slightly. 

A comfortable silence falls between them as they process this new development in their relationship. Togame finds himself both thrilled and terrified by the prospect of being someone's boyfriend. It's a role he never imagined himself in, yet with her, it feels right.

"So," she says after a moment, a playful glint in her eye. "Does this mean I get to call you 'honey' or "‘babe’ in public?"

Togame chuckles, shaking his head. "Don't push your luck," he warns teasingly. "I still have a reputation to maintain."

She laughs, the sound warming him from the inside out. "Fair enough, Togame-sama," she says, emphasizing the honorific with a wink.

The table gets cleared by the helpful Naoki, while Togame helps her to her feet. He takes a moment to pull her close and place a small kiss on her lips. She pulls back, lashes fluttering in surprise at his public display. 

"Where to now?" she asks gently, the real question “Can we stay together a bit longer?” Clear as day for him.

Togame considers for a moment. Part of him wants to take her back to his place, to spend the rest of the night exploring every inch of her body. But he also knows she needs rest, time to recover from their earlier activities, and the mental jumps they took today. 

"How about a city drive?" he suggests. She enthusiastically nods back. "That sounds perfect." He leads her back to the car, holding her hand as she settles back into the passenger seat. He enters his side just as her fingers hover over the radio, waiting to snag the bluetooth again- which makes him chuckle.

He pulls out onto the street while taking her hand, intertwining their fingers. The gentle melody from her playlist fills the car once again, creating a soothing atmosphere. The city lights blur past them as they drive, neither feeling the need to break the comfortable silence.

Togame steals glances at her profile, admiring the way the passing streetlights illuminate her features. She looks relaxed, and content. A small smile playing at her lips as she hums along to the music. He feels a warmth spreading through his chest, a feeling he's not ready to name yet.

They drive for a while, winding through the city streets. Togame takes them past some of his favorite spots - a hidden park with a stunning view of the skyline, a small bridge over a canal that's particularly beautiful at night. He points out each location, sharing little snippets of how he found them.

A brightly lit amusement park pulls into view making her eyes light up. "Oh, I love ferris wheels!" she says wistfully.

"We'll have to go soon, before its cold." he says, squeezing her hand gently. "I bet the view from the top is amazing."

She turns to him, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Really? You'd go on a ferris wheel with me?"

He nods, surprised by how much he wants to make her happy. "Of course. Though I might need some convincing to try any of the other rides."

She laughs with her whole chest, making him smile as well. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from the scary roller coasters." she teases. He was absolutely in trouble. 

As they continue their drive, Togame finds himself opening up more, sharing stories from his past that he's never told anyone before. She listens intently, asking questions and offering her own experiences in return. It's a level of intimacy he's not used to, but he finds himself craving more.

"So, tell me more about your family," Togame asks, genuinely curious about her background.

She hesitates for a moment before responding. "Well, my parents are married. Mom is from Japan and Dad is from America. I’m closest with my dad but my mom always means well. We're not super close, and she worries a lot."

Togame nods, understanding the complexities of family dynamics all too well. "And what does she think about you being in Makochi?"

A nervous laugh escapes her lips. "It was sorta her idea. My aunt needed help due to her failing health, and I guess Toma is always busy. She made a joke about me staying in Japan since I didn’t want to take all 12 classes she wanted- like she would have." She sighed out, the pressure from her family showing upon her shoulders. “She has always been like that…family, duty, studies. It's a lot.”

Togame raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. "Better to have a family that cares, than ones who never call."

“True, my dad texts me a lot! Auntie already told him I have a new friend.”

Togame raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. "A friend, huh? Is that what I am?"

She blushes, playfully swatting his arm. "You know what I mean. I couldn't exactly tell her I was shacking up with a yakuza boss."

The word 'shacking up' sends a thrill through Togame. He likes the idea of her living with him, being there when he comes home, waking up to her every morning. He did have an apartment, but he never used it. At some point he was in his office so much it became annoying to walk all the way home just to get an emergency call to head back. Eventually he just caved and had a room furnished for him amongst everyone else.

"Fair enough," he concedes. "Though I hope you'll introduce me someday."

"You'd want to meet my parents?" The disbelief in her voice nearly insulted him. He was a yazuka leader, not some uncivil cunt that would fuck her and leave. 

Togame shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant even though her comment had irked him a touch. "Eventually, yes. If this is going to be serious, I want to do things right."

She's quiet for a moment, processing his words. When she speaks again, her voice is soft, almost reverent. "I'd like that." she looks back over at him with a nervous glance.

“About Toma…am I allowed to see him soon?” She asks softly, almost like she expected him to blow up on the matter. 

“I already told him he could visit you at your aunts house whenever he likes.” He offers up casually. Togame was under the impression that Hiragi would have already stopped by, or at least let her know when he would. It was silly, but he found it amusing they fought so hard to get her back but couldn’t be bothered to visit. 

“What do you mean?” she turns her body to fully look at him. 

“Just as I said. The agreement was set in place so he could visit whenever he likes. No one will bother him if he is visiting you.”

She stares at Togame, processing his words. "Wait, so... you're not keeping me from seeing Toma?" Her voice is a mixture of relief and something softer. He wonders if she realized it was Hiragi's choice not to visit. 

Togame's brow furrows slightly. "Of course not. I may be possessive, but I won't be cruel to you. He's your family." He glances at her, noting the surprise on her face. "Did you think I would forbid him from seeing you?"

She shifts in her seat, looking crestfallen. " I wasn't sure. Given everything that's happened, I thought maybe..."

Togame sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I’m sure he just needs time. He and I have history, I am sure he is just shocked." he pauses, realizing Hiragi’s distance isn't really about him. It was likely about her, walking away without a word. “If Hiragi is half the man I think he is, he’ll visit soon.” Togame was positive Hiragi would come around, whether it was to fight him or reconnect with her- it would happen one way or another. 

She's quiet for a moment, processing this information. When she speaks again, her voice is filled with emotion. "Yeah, I am sure you’re right."

He nods, reaching over to take her hand again. "Usually am." he says with a cheeky grin. She levels him with a look only a woman can give before letting out a small laugh and shaking her head. 

As they continue driving, the city lights blurring past them, she leans her head against the window, lost in thought. Togame can almost see the gears turning in her mind as she processes everything. 

"Can I ask you something?" she says suddenly, turning to face him.

"Of course," Togame replies, curious about what's on her mind now.

She takes a deep breath before continuing. "What exactly does being your girlfriend mean? In terms of...well, everything. Your work, your life, us?" Togame is quiet for a moment, considering her questions slowly. It's something he's been thinking about too- but hasn't fully worked.

"It means you're mine," he says matter of factly. "But it also means I'm yours. I'll protect you, provide for you, be there for you. But I also expect loyalty and discretion." He pauses, choosing his next words carefully. "My work is dangerous, and there will be things I can't tell you. Can you accept that?"

She nods slowly. "Yes. As long as you're honest with me about what you can be." He nods, not having much more to offer in the conversation. 

“One more question.” She says after a long pause. “What do you do? How do you make money?” The question didn’t really bother him, but he is curious as to why she wants to know.

“First, tell me why you want to know? You won't be involved.” He watches closely, waiting for her answer. “Well, it was explained to me that Bofurin are just unofficial law enforcement- not yakuza…” she pauses as Togame’s chest tightens with a sly smile, a laugh threatening to burst from his face. 

“Is that so?” He barks out a laugh, unable to hold it in any longer. Of course they would tell her they were rent-a-cops. That was so far from the truth it bordered on fantasy rather than a lie. He desperately wanted to ask who told her something that ridiculous, but he already had a hunch. 

“Yes, and I might have to defend myself- defend you since they aren’t yakuza I guess.” She offers her explanation which only led to him frowning. He didn’t need someone to defend his actions- he made them with intention. 

“Bullshit. They are the same, that I promise you. Bofurin may keep themselves free of nasty labels but I assure you- there is nothing different about them.” He laughs again, unable to keep it down. How much he loathed Bofurin talking shit on his organization when they were in the mud with him. While he didn’t wish to be defended, he was more than happy to set some records straight. 

“Not to mention the generous amounts of money they accept from me to move products through their territory.” He took a long breath, settling down from his laughter. “And to answer your question, Shishitoren makes most of its money selling drugs, and other contraband.” He was focused on the road but saw her shoulders stiffen nonetheless. 

“Oh. Drugs.” she looks down at her lap. “That is kind of awful.” she finally admits, and he is in full agreement. 

“It is. No need to defend it.” He casually states, unbothered by something so obvious to him. 

“Wait, what?” The look on her face was priceless but he didn’t laugh this time. She needed to understand something very simple about him. He was good at his job, but that didn’t mean he thought his job was good. 

“Don’t defend me, or what I do. It's not necessary. You need only accept it.” She stares at him, clearly taken aback by his blunt admission. "I don't know what to say," she finally manages.

Togame keeps his eyes on the road, his expression neutral. "You don't need to say anything. I'm not asking for your approval."

A heavy silence falls between them. Togame can feel the tension radiating from her, but he found it kind of cute the way she tried to work through everything. He waits patiently, giving her the space to fully come to terms with his words. 

"I certainly don’t like it, but I accept it." she says with confidence, and he fully believes her. 

Togame nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That's all I ask."

She takes a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "Can I ask, do you ever wish things were different? That you could do something else?"

Togame considers her question with a slight frown. It's not something he often allows himself to think about. "Sometimes," he admits after a long pause. "But this is the life I've chosen, for better or worse. I'm good at what I do, and I take care of my people. That has to be enough."

She nods slowly, absorbing his words. "I understand, but it's certainly more complicated than I thought. "

"Life often is." Togame agrees, reaching over to take her hand. He's relieved when she doesn't pull away. Togame feels a weight lift from his shoulders. He's never been this open with anyone before, never allowed someone to see the complexities of his world. It felt nice to have her know and choose to embrace him still. 

"Thank you," she says softly, squeezing his hand. "For trusting me enough to share."

Togame brings her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "Thanks for not running away."

She laughs softly, some of the tension dissipating. "Well, I am in a moving car. Running isn't really an option right now."

Togame chuckles, grateful for her attempt at humor. "Fair point. I'll have to remember that strategy for future difficult conversations."

As they approach her aunt's neighborhood, Togame feels a pang of reluctance. He's not ready for this night to end, not ready to let her go just yet. But he knows she needs time to process everything, to come to terms with the reality of his world.

"We're almost back to your home." he says softly, giving her hand another squeeze. The atmosphere in the car shifts. It's not tense, exactly, but there's a new heaviness to the air. Togame knows they've crossed a threshold in their relationship, one that can't be undone.

There's a moment of hesitation before she responds. "Actually, could I stay with you tonight? I don't want this to end yet." 

Togame's heart skips a beat at her request. He hadn't expected her to want to stay, but the idea of having her in his bed all night is incredibly appealing. Togame can't help the smile that spreads across his face at her request. 

"Of course, I’d like that." he says, trying to keep his voice neutral despite the surge of excitement he feels. “Do you need to inform your aunt?” He asks quickly after confirming he’d like her to stay, recalling she was always running errands for her aunt. 

"Oh, right," she says, fumbling for her phone. "I should let her know I won't be home tonight."

As she types out a quick message to her aunt, Togame changes course, heading towards his private apartment instead of Orion Stars. He rarely uses it, preferring to stay at the Shishitoren complex most nights, but tonight he wants privacy. Just the two of them, away from prying eyes and the pressures of his world.

"All set," she says, putting her phone away. "I told her I was staying with a friend." Togame nods, a smirk playing on his lips. "Another friend huh?"

She blushes, playfully swatting his arm. "Well, I couldn't exactly tell her I was spending the night with my yakuza boyfriend, now could I?" The word 'boyfriend' sends a charge through his entire spine- goosebumps forming on his arm. It's still new, still strange to hear, but he finds he likes it more than he expected. 

His apartment building comes into view, and a gasp makes him look over at her for a second- her face bright red. He looks back at the apartment a bit confused. It's a modern high-rise but nothing special. He parks in his private spot and leads her to the elevator, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"This is where you live?" she asks, awe evident in her voice as they step into the elevator.

Togame shrugs, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "I don't spend much time here, to be honest." The elevator opens directly into his penthouse apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a decent view of the Makochi skyline. The space is minimally furnished, all clean lines and muted colors. If he were completely honest it was now embarrassing to realize there is nothing personal in his apartment either. 

"Make yourself at home," Togame says, shrugging off his jacket. "Would you like something to drink?" She nods, still taking in the surroundings. "Water would be great, thanks." she responds while touching a statue in the living room- he had no idea where it came from. 

As Togame moves to the kitchen, he watches her out of the corner of his eye. She's exploring the space, running her fingers over the unused furniture, peering out at the city lights below. He's struck by how right she looks here, in his private space- maybe he could move her in. It would be safer than her room being in a one story house, her room facing the street. 

He returns with two glasses of water, handing one to her. "So," he says, taking a sip from his own glass. "What shall we do with the rest of our evening?"

She takes a long drink, her eyes never leaving his. When she sets down the glass, there's a glint in her eye that sends heat coursing through his body.

"I have a few ideas," she says, stepping closer to him. Her hands come to rest on his chest, and Togame feels his breath catch in his throat.

"Is that so?" he mumbles, setting his own glass aside to wrap his arms around her waist. "Care to share?"

Instead of answering, she rises up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. Togame responds immediately, deepening the kiss as he pulls her flush against him. His hands roam her body, reacquainting themselves after a long day. She moans softly into his mouth, her fingers tangling in his hair.

He breaks the kiss, trailing his lips along her jaw to her ear. "Are you sure?" he murmurs, nipping gently at her earlobe. "You're still sore from earlier."he reminds her, no way he was letting pretend otherwise. 

She nods, her breath coming in short gasps. "I'm sure. I want you, Togame." That's all the encouragement he needs. In one swift motion, he lifts her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carries her to the bedroom. He lays her gently on the bed, taking a moment to drink in the sight of her sprawled across his sheets.

"You're beautiful." he says, his voice low and reverent. He begins to undress her slowly, savoring each inch of skin as it's revealed. She watches him with glassy eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly with anticipation.

Once all her skin was laying bare before him, Togame strips off his own clothes, never taking his eyes off her. He joins her on the bed, hovering over her, his lips just inches from hers.

"Tell me what you want." he requests, his hand trailing down her side.

She arches into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed. "I want you to fuck me." she demands-which he fucking loves. Togame groans, capturing her lips in a tongue filled kiss. His hand continues its path along her skin, finding her already wet and ready for him. He works her slowly, building her pleasure with practiced strokes. Her moans were something akin to music, affecting him so strongly he almost didn’t want to stop fingering her. 

When she's writhing beneath him, begging for more, Togame finally removes his fingers from her dripping pussy. He grabs a pillow then gingerly lifts her still pink ass off the bed, shoving the pillow below her for a better angle. She moans wantonly as he rubs his cock against her clit. Her hips buck up, urging him on and that is all he needs. Togame guides himself into her body, nice and slow. They both gasp at the sensation, the feeling of her consuming his thoughts. He sets a steady rhythm, each thrust deep and purposeful. 

As they move together, Togame is struck by the intensity of his feelings for her. It's more than just physical attraction or his possessiveness. There's a warmth in his chest, a tenderness he's never experienced during sex- it was too much to handle while he was inside her. 

He pushes the thoughts aside, focusing instead on bringing her pleasure. His fingers find her clit, circling it in time with his thrusts. She cries out, her nails digging into his back as she approaches her peak quickly.

"Come for me," Togame growls, feeling his own release building just as rapidly. "Let go. I've got you." With a final and incredibly loud cry, she shatters around him, her body clenching and trembling. The sight and feel of her orgasm push Togame over the edge, and he follows her with a deep groan. For the second time today, his come spills inside her body, making them both moan. He takes a few more lazy pumps while she whines about loving his come inside her. He blinks hard trying to block out her rambling so he didn’t get hard again, which was very difficult due to her pussy clenching around his cock, milking him for everything he had.  She whines as he pulls out, opening her arms to him. 

Togame collapses into her embrace, also pulling her close as they both catch their breath. He presses soft kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, unable to get enough of her. They lie tangled together, skin slick with sweat and come, hearts beating in tandem.

She nuzzles into his chest, her breathing starting to even out. "I could get used to this," she murmurs sleepily.

Togame tightens his arms around her, suddenly overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings. "Me too," he admits softly, the words barely audible. He takes a moment to shift her body, enough to grab the pillow and toss it to the floor. 

Her breathing deepens after a few minutes, signaling she drifted off to sleep. He pulls the covers over them both, tucking her securely against his side. For a while Togame finds himself wide awake staring at her peaceful face. It takes him about an hour to settle but eventually, exhaustion begins to set in. As sleep starts to claim him, he's struck by a sudden realization. For the first time in his life, he's not alone in his bed and he never wants to be again.

"Stay with me." he murmurs, his voice thick with sleep even though he knew she couldn’t hear him. With one last look at her face he falls into a dreamless sleep- eager to see her in the morning. 

Kotoha POV - Earlier that Day

Kotoha stares blankly at her phone, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. She can’t understand how this happened. Just yesterday she was shopping and having crepes with her friend, and now she is wondering if her friend is even safe enough to talk.

Kotoha's fingers hover over the phone, desperately wanting to call or text back despite her saying she was completely fine. How could she be fine? Togame Jo is controlling her every move. There was no way she could be fine, right? 

“Is she alright?” Sakura says slowly, noting Kotoha’s tears. She bites her lip, shaking her head in defeat.

“I don’t know, she said there was no reason to worry. But why does it not feel like that?” She asks no one in particular. Several of the Bofurin men move to the counter to offer support. 

“Hajime said Hiragi could visit anytime, and that she can come here as well- even if there were some conditions.” Suo offers, she could tell it was a weak attempt but it still helped.

Kotoha sighs, wiping away her tears. "I know, but it still feels wrong. She should be able to see her friends whenever she wants, not have to get permission."

Suo nods sympathetically. "I understand. It's a difficult situation."

“I think you did a good job with the scarf code word!” Nirei offers up making Kotoha smile. It was silly, and felt sorta weird in the moment but she was glad her friend at least had some way to ask for help. 

"Maybe we could invite her over for tea soon?" Suo suggests gently. "That way we can see for ourselves how she's doing."

Kotoha nods slowly. "That's a good idea. I'll text her and see if she's free sometime this week."

As she types out the message, Kotoha couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her gut. She wants to believe her friend was truly okay, but something felt off. The call had seemed forced, like she was trying too hard to convince everyone that everything was fine.

"Do you think..." Kotoha hesitates, not wanting to voice her darkest fears. "Do you think Togame could be forcing her to say these things?" The room fell silent at her words. It was the question they'd all been afraid to ask.

"I don't know," Sakura says finally. "But if he is, we'll figure it out. We won't abandon her."

Kotoha nods back in response, feeling a small spark of determination. Whatever was really going on, they would get to the bottom of it. Her friend wasn't alone, Kotoha would make sure of it. 

"Maybe we should talk to Hiragi," Nirei suggests. "He might want to visit her soon."

"Good idea," Kotoha agrees. "I'll give him a call later today." Slowly the others drifted back to their own conversations, while Kotoha stared down at her phone again. 

"We'll figure this out," she whispers to herself. "Just hang in there. We're here for you, whether you know it or not." it was a promise, and everyone knew Kotoha Tachibana kept her promises. 

With a deep breath, Kotoha pockets her phone and turns her attention back to work. But her mind keeps drifting to her friend, hoping desperately that she truly was safe and happy in her new situation. Only time would tell if her fears were justified or not.

[pumpkinmetaphor]

@ninanation asked for three more for the WIP game so in we go! "Brooklyn" is a twin centric drabble offshoot of the New York Fashion Week trip in Ch. 3 of Okay, Cupid! A lot of the drabble offshoots I write are Hikaru POV, as is this one. It's more of a series of little happenings over the course of the trip that I was inspired to write listening to Maisie Peters's "Brooklyn" (which is about her twin sister!)

Snippet time (this is actually nearly done though, I don't know why I haven't scrubbed it up and posted it yet)

"some benign travesty" is uh. Well, in a way it's an experiment in how far I can push my assertion that whatever's wrong with the twins is weirder than incest. Like, incest would be an easier explanation but it's something else.

Basically it's Kaoru making Hikaru let him give him shitty talk therapy/exposure therapy while dressed as the maid that traumatised them. Because he has a theory it will triple as a way to talk through all of Hikaru's trauma with the maid, their mother, and Kaoru himself.

I'm proably never going to finish it. What do I even do with it? How does one end that?

...anyway! "coda (or a sort of requiem for the prologue of your life)" is my KyoKao one shot from 2022 that I have yet to finish. I WILL finish it, because I really do like it. It plays somewhat with the idea of Kaoru as a narrator in Ouran of a story that isn't his, and Kyoya as someone who doesn't believe that his story has started yet. It's high school era, blossoming crushes and overcoming the general tribulations of canon so...lot of Kaoru angst in the middle. Lot of Cinderella references too.

(oh it will.)

[idiaswifeey]

So not a TWST-centric post like usual, but I need help (again)...

How do you tell the difference between Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin from OHSHC? Some special feature(s) that separate them other than their hair because I know they change it in that one episode.

[ao3feed-matchablossom]

A perfect Confession

by NEOPAE2Q Miya is deeply in love with Takashi, and that's something everyone knows. Although they have not openly confirmed it, it is possible that they themselves are aware of the emotional attraction they feel towards each other.   Deep down, Miya wants Takashi to take the first step toward a deeper relationship, or at least something that indicates that what they have is reciprocal.   About Kojiro and Kaoru helping Miya with his obsessive crush. Words: 9023, Chapters: 1/4, Language: English Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Chinen Miya, Takashi (SK8 the Infinity), Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom Relationships: Chinen Miya/Takashi, Chinen Miya & Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Chinen Miya & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom Additional Tags: Fluff, Married Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Chinen Miya-Centric, Mentioned Kyan Reki, Mentioned Hasegawa Langa, Mentioned Higa Hiromi | Shadow, Pls Miya is so in love, Takashi too source https://archiveofourown.org/works/61018753

[ensemblestarscafe]

EVERYONE > Epiphany <

Gender neutral reader TW/CW: I actually have no idea Order type: Vanilla Latte

Word count: 1636 Written by: Yeul Proofread: n/a Writer’s note: been a few days over the 1 year anniversary so cafe manager here will give yall something to eat, also kinda Knights centric and some very obvious favouritism with Anzu

1 year of a fever dream.

��All of them were fake.

“...ke up! (Y/n), you hear me?”

You wonder. You never wanted to wake up. Not face the harsh reality that was provided by mother nature.

Rustling on your bed you squint open your tired eyes.

A square room. A bed. A working table, and finally, your older sister.

“...Yes I do, (S/n).”

“Alright. Good. We need to leave now, the cafe needs to be opened you know?”

Right. The cafe. The small quaint cafe that you and your sister owned.

The small cafe that seemed to have gained so much popularity that people would start to find the little shop somewhere within the small dark yet warm streets.

Getting up from your bed, you change your clothes and brush your teeth, bringing your bag as you lock the door to your house.

“Thinking of which, should we move the cafe somewhere else? Customers have been coming in a lot lately, and there’s not enough space.”

You muse, and your sister nods in agreement. 

“Yeah, but staying where we started 10 years ago by our parents bring the nostalgia, no?” she replies.

That was true. You were a wee little kid back then, unknowing of the new ‘world’ that would be given once you were 18.

Memories. Nice to know that we still remember.

Opening the cafe doors, the warmth of the orange lights turn on.

9:00 AM and your first customer walks in.

Familiar tousled orange hair, bright blue eyes… along with a dark black haired boy with sharp deep blue eyes.

“I’d like a Vanilla Latte, a Macchiato, an espresso shot, a hot chocolate, along with 2 croffles and 2 bagels please.”

That was one familiar voice.

Pressing the buttons on the cashier screen, you nod as you recheck the order.

“Alright, may I have your name?”

“Hidaka Hokuto.”

“Would you like your order to be taken out?”

The boy nods in replacement of a vocal reply.

“That will be 2800 yen.”

Taking out his wallet, he brings a 2000 yen note along with one 500 yen coin with three 100 yen coins.

Nodding, you press the onscreen keyboard, writing the dark haired boy’s name down.

“Your order will be ready soon, thank you for ordering!”

Taking the order out, you call your sister as she gets the food ready while you brew the drinks.

Hidaka Hokuto…

Hidaka… Hokuto?

You realise quite quickly that the ‘fantasy’ you dreamed of was actually real– and you definitely know these people. Very well in fact. You had ‘interacted’ with these two and you knew the orange haired’s name. Akehoshi Subaru. But if you said that out loud, they’d definitely find you odd, right?

A few minutes later, the food was done as well as the drinks.

Placing them at the small space to take the drinks, the dark haired boy walks up, taking the cups while the oranged haired boy takes the food.

The latter smiles as he shouts a short but warm, “Thank you!” as they both leave, the small bell chime jingling to produce a calm rhythm.

Many more people come in as they come and go– some similar, such as Aoba Tsumugi, Mikejima Madara, Oukawa Kohaku, Hasumi Keito, Shino Hajime, Hakaze Kaoru– where he tried flirting with you, keyword, tried– Aoi Hinata and Aoi Yuta, Kagehira Mika, Kazehaya Tatsumi, and the group of Ran Nagisa, Tomoe Hiyori, Saegusa Ibara and Sazanami Jun– which was basically about 90% of the people you had interacted with in your fantasy.

Others stayed at tables to talk and study. A few hours later, 14:50, a dark navy haired boy walks in as he stares at the menu. Then he checks his phone, and then he orders.

“May I have one hot Chocolate, one Vanilla Latte, one Mocha and one iced Americano?”

“Of course, that will be 1450 yen.”

He smiles as he brings out a debit card. You take it as you slide it over the card machine.

“Would you like it to go or in the cafe?”

“To go please.”

“Thank you for ordering! May I have your name?”

“Fushimi Yuzuru.”

Typing rapidly on the monitor, you nod as he walks to the small waiting place.

Thats another that I know… Fine, was it? I wonder if they’re idols here or just normal people, but judging from others’ reactions they all just seem to be one big group of friends…

Brewing the last of the order, you put them in the small cardboard boxes as you bring them where Yuzuru stands.

“Thank you very much.”

He smiles and leaves, the glass door chiming along with the small twittering of the birds outside.

Wonder who’s coming next…

A girl with milk chocolate hair and aquamarine blue eyes enter the cafe with care, as she walks towards the cashier.

“Hello, I’d like to have three hot Chocolates, one cappuccino, one Vanilla Latte, and one hot Americano please.”

“Alright, that will be 2100 yen. Would you like it to go or in the cafe?”

“To go please, heres the cash.”

Smiling, you take the cash as you put them in the box.

“May I have your name?”

“Anzu.”

“Thank you for ordering. Your order will be ready in a few!”

She smiles in appreciation as she settles on a small booth.

Your sister comes in as she brews the drinks while you greet another customer– a group.

The red haired walks up as he talks with his friends, then turns to you to order.

“Hello! May I have one hot Chocolate, one Vanilla Latte, one iced Americano, two Cappuccinos, two cupcakes and two croffles?”

“Of course. That will be 3350 yen. To go or in the cafe?”

“In the cafe please.”

He takes out a credit card as you take it and slide it over the card machine, the receipt being printed out slowly.

Taking the receipt and the card, you hand it over to the boy.

“May I have your name?”

“Suou Tsukasa.”

Typing it in, you nod as you smile.

“Your order will be ready in a while. Thank you for ordering!”

The group smiles as they walk over to a booth.

Meanwhile, Anzu’s order was done, and was set down at the counter.

Calling out her name but with no reply, to check up, only to find her dozing off at the wall.

…Should I wake her up…? But she’s so peaceful now…

Deciding on what to do, she wakes up, deep aquamarine like eyes blinking rapidly as she stares at your figure.

…She’s really pret– Woah (Y/n), focus on the job!

“...Oh, you’re awake– your order is ready!”

You hand her the drinks as she bows in reply, leaving the cafe in a tousled hurry.

And about 20 minutes later, all of the orders are done for the group of five– which you recognise as Suou Tsukasa, Tsukinaga Leo– happily drawing on the small cafe napkin– Sena Izumi, Sakuma Ritsu– dozing off– and Narukami Arashi, talking to her friends.

Setting the tray down, you walk over to the outer side of the counter as you bring the tray to the booth.

“Ah, thank you so much!”

You smile as you take the tray, setting it on the counter as you head back into the staff room.

Checking your phone, it shows as 20:25, which was 35 minutes close to closing time.

Your sister looks at your figure as she laughs in amusement, tone arch.

“Some of the customers seem very alike to your descriptions of people in your dreams, (Y/n).”

“They are them… their names are the same, its just their jobs that seem to be not… the same?”

She looks confused, but you understand. You’re confused too.

“Oh right, since it’s close to closing, we need to clean for tomorrow…”

Your sister mumbles.

Taking the broom, you and your sister head out to find Anzu outside of the cafe, soaked in rain.

Dropping your broom to your older sister, you open the door as you usher her in, bringing a soft dry towel. The five at the booth waves at her as she waves back.

While Anzu dries herself, you head to the booth where you find them starting to leave, putting the extra napkins as a pile.

“Thank you for visiting the cafe! However, it’s raining outside, so it’s best to stay in until it goes away.”

They smile as they nod, resuming to talking again as you take the cups and tissues back to the counter.

Leaving them for your sister to take care of, you check up on Anzu, seeing her in a better condition.

“You alright?”

“Yeah… thanks for letting me in…”

“(Y/n)”

“Mm… thanks, (Y/n)...”

Anzu nods in appreciation as she stares at you.

“I… I think I know you…?”

Anzu speaks.

Making a slightly surprised squeak, your head turns as you look at her.

“Me?”

She nods. Also confused, she stares more intensely, as she analyses your face.

“Yeah. I think I do, I’ve seen you in my dreams… it doesn’t make sense, but it does…”

Thats the same predicament I’m having today…

“Quite the same if I say so myself, 90% of my customers were people I’m familiar with in my dreams…”

You gesture over to the five.

Anzu nods as she looks over, her eyes widening as she looks back at you.

“They’re my friends, and they texted me a few minutes ago that they thought they recognised you…” she continues, “Quite odd, right?”

“Odd but nice to know I’m not the only one.” You chuckle.

The street lights seem to flicker in glee when you two approach the five.

Conversing, you feel as if you stand in a moment of epiphany that you weren’t the only one.

[misshallery]

recent enstars fic dump

in the same vein as my fe post, i had a bit of an enstars phase in the past few months and have been writing about it a lot, so here's a humble summary of what i've been up to for ur perusal :) <3

"sweet silent thought" jun centric, i think this is maybe the fic i'm happiest with ever. it's a hiyojun thing primarily but it's mainly about him struggling in reimei and having a lot of hopeless doomed crushes. you know, normal coming of age stuff.

"kintsugi" this is just my "i love nazuna" fic. it's a bunch of scenes strung together that show his growth and healing and friendships with other characters.

"petals" little izuleo drabble where they're living together and very close and domestic but don't really know what to do with their feelings yet. or rather, how to express them. there's a flower metaphor.

special reikao section because i'm kinda obsessed with them atm and im not showing any sign of slowing down

"i bleed too" this one is super rei focused. it's a bunch of hcs i have about his childhood and illness stitched together, and conveys that being vulnerable with kaoru might help him heal from those things.

"not like before" obligatory internalised homophobia fic, you know how it is. also kanata mischief cameo.

"refreshing breeze" ritsu is in this pretty heavily. it's set in the present but it's about him finding out rei wrote very syrupy love poems about kaoru when he was studying abroad in his second year LOL

"fair winds and stormy weather" the most long ass thing i have ever written. it all happens in rei's head, and it's about them travelling postgrad and having realisations about each other (that they're in love, duh).

[noxiatoxia]

im sure you've talked about this before, but how would you rewrite the carriage allegory

so i didn't answer this asap because 1) i think you sent it while i was in the hospital i am unsure and 2) i needed time to think on it

so firstly, obviously, the important thing is to identify WHY the carriage allegory fails in the current state it does, and what it was trying to accomplish in the first place.

This can be explained pretty simply. The carriage allegory aims to explore Kaoru's deeper fears (as lifted from the manga) while also imparting an impending sense of doom to the audience for the lead up to the finale. To this end, it achieves both these things from an outset perspective-- episode 21, despite how much psychic damage it gives me bc duhhh the carriage, is a genuinely good episode. The only real issue I have with it is the fact Kaoru's sudden character fears (specifically being wrapped up in a cinderella allegory) comes out of nowhere and feels very very abrupt, especially more so bc it seems to become a core trait of his henceforth, so the pacing is a little whack, but besides that, it is a genuinely clever episode with clever imagery and metaphors. The issues arise towards the latter half, that being the allegory isn't resolved.

I've talked about this before, but here is the reiteration: basically, the plot relevance - that being to give the audience a sense of suspense about the host club's future - is fulfilled and solved. But Kaoru's personal issues about letting go and his anxiety, THOSE are not resolved.

The reason this happens is because they attempted to take a pre-existing arc - that being Kaoru's depression from the manga, let's just call it for simplicity - and combine it with a plot device for the audience because the two easily can be intertwined. The issue with this is not inherently in the fact they did this, but in the fact that they cared only about solving the aforementioned plot device and not the character arc aspect of it, leaving that open-ended - and not in a good way.

Compare this to the arc with Kyoya's father or Tamaki's mother. These are both character-centric plot threads that are expounded upon little by little as the show goes on, and in the final 2 episodes, they are tackled head-on. NEITHER are fully "solved", but they are given a reasonable open-ended resolution. We do not know what will happen next - will Tamaki ever see his mother again? Will Kyoya truly grow to be his own person? We do not know, but we are given the answer of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Tamaki CHOSE to stay with the host club over seeing his mother again. Kyoya CHOSE to defy his father. These give HINTS to where their intentions and hearts lie, and so while the answer is up in the air, their arcs were acknowledged and reasonably addressed.

Kaoru? We don't get that. There is no scene in the anime that parallels Kaoru and Hikaru's heart-to-heart from the manga. There is subtle imagery (the carriage crashing in a pumpkin patch = the spell has worn off, but everything turns out alright in the end anyways) but this is more in reference to the PLOT-centric side of the allegory (the host club falling apart), and not Kaoru's character. Kaoru himself never gets a scene to acknowledge his issues, and I use "acknowledge" because some people are under the impression I'm mad it was never outright stated Hikaru won't leave Kaoru or smth like that. That is not the case. As said, like with Tamaki and Kyoya, i am MORE than fine with things being left up in the air for interpretation. But there is a very big difference between left up for interpretation and just neglecting to follow through on something. Kaoru's arc falls in the second category because, again, unlike Tamaki and Kyoya, it is never mentioned or acknowledged beyond a brief moment in episode 23 that only reinforces his fears and does nothing to signify any possibility for a conclusion.

How this could be fixed, in specifics, could go many ways. They could adapt the manga scene of Hikaru and Kaoru's conversation, although this imo would feel out of place in the pacing of the final few episodes, and for this to work, they would pretty much need to cut out Kasanoda from the series (which, as much as I love the guy, I think they probably should have ignored his whole character and used the 2 episodes about him to dedicate to Mori & Kaoru respectively)

So assuming we can't just get a straight up adaptation, my next best suggestion would probably be an added scene in episode 23. You could do the end of the last episode, but I feel like putting the spotlight on Kaoru at the end of the series would be awkward when clearly it should be on Haruhi/Tamaki. So episode 23 is the best choice. And it could easily work; Tamaki comes close to realizing his feelings for Haruhi in that episode, and as we know Hikaru has weird cringe misfit issues, so maybe it could cause him to have a mini bitch fit. Through some dialogue, directly or indirectly, it could be revealed Kaoru's fears of drifting apart from Hikaru. Hikaru could then reassure Kaoru that they'll always be close. Boom. Solved. You can even have Kaoru still hint at his anxiety of the host club breaking up, which would then get resolved in the final episode. That's the best way I can think, anyways.

basically all im saying is that they should hire me to go back in time and fix the ouran script.

[seishun-emergency]

tagged by @clockworkspider ! thank you for the tag :3

Rules: Share the first line of ten of your most recent fanfics and then tag ten people. Don't have ten? Not to worry, just share what you have.

owahh i have. no idea what this’ll end up being like…

1. Koga talks. A lot. (standing in the aftermath, chapter 5 - adosoukoga)

2. “And so, the princess was saved from her tower by the knight when he slayed the dragon. Then they got married and lived happily ever after, the end!” (fairy tales and oaths of love - lesbian maoritsu)

3. Tetora isn’t late. (gamer girl, lover boy - tetohina)

4. [A view of one of the Starmaker Production offices. The camera blurs, then focuses on the figure of Tenshouin Eichi, sitting at what is recognizable as the desk in his private office.] (the world’s number one cutie - tori character study)

5. “So, Ritsu-chan?” (method acting, chapter one - ritsuhokke)

6. “Amagi, you’re leaving practice early?” (honey, honey - rinniki)

7. “Mido-chan!” (all i want for christmas - hajimidosora)

8. In every heroic journey, there is a moment of rest. (dear fellow traveller - five eccentrics fantasy/dnd au)

9. It’s a day like any other, when Rei approaches him. (the neon signs, unplugged (they fade) - bad timeline au, kaoru-centric)

10. Ibara thinks that the only appropriate way to describe the swirl of emotions running through him as Hiyori herds the rest of Eden through backstage and into a company car is baffled. (a place for us - polyeden)

what i learned from this is that i really like starting fics with dialogue and in medias res. good for me?

tagging ummm . @vampacidic @posebean @windypuddle @birthday-of-music !

[otakusmart]

Top 10 Anime Like Oshi no Ko (My Star) to Watch in 2023

The world of anime continues to captivate fans around the globe with its diverse range of storytelling and captivating characters. "Oshi no Ko," a popular anime series that aired in recent years, has garnered significant attention for its unique premise and compelling narrative. If you enjoyed "Oshi no Ko" and are looking for similar anime experiences, this article presents a hand-picked selection of the top 10 anime to watch in 2023 that share similar themes and qualities. From intense character-driven dramas to heartwarming tales of growth and friendship, this list covers a variety of anime like Oshi no Ko or better known as My Star.

Top 10 anime like Oshi no Ko (My Star)

Shirobako https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DUqUGFYx48&ab_channel=ShoutStudios "Shirobako" delves into the behind-the-scenes world of anime production, exploring the trials and tribulations a group of friends faces as they strive to make their dreams of creating anime a reality. With its realistic portrayal of the industry and endearing characters, this anime offers a cute glimpse into the world of animation. Bakuman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0Z23fZRbw&ab_channel=vizmedia "Bakuman" follows the journey of two aspiring manga artists as they navigate the competitive publishing world. With its blend of drama, romance, and comedy, this series showcases the challenges faced by artists and the determination required to succeed in their chosen fields. Sakura Quest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVq-r9HimDI&ab_channel=KloposAnimus In "Sakura Quest," a young woman named Yoshino finds herself unexpectedly working as a tourism ambassador in a rural town. This slice-of-life anime explores personal growth, community, and the importance of finding purpose in unexpected places. Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7plEDcWy0Oc&ab_channel=HanabeeEntertainment Set in the 1960s, "Sakamichi no Apollon" follows the story of Kaoru, a reserved student, and Sentarou, a talented drummer. Their shared love for jazz music forms a bond that transcends societal barriers, and the anime beautifully portrays their friendship against a backdrop of youthful passion. Chihayafuru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8U-E8hldHk&ab_channel=Sentai "Chihayafuru" is a sports anime centered around the traditional Japanese card game karuta. The series follows Chihaya as she aspires to become the Queen of Karuta while exploring themes of friendship, determination, and personal growth. Hibike! Euphonium" (Sound! Euphonium) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxowSlinlb0&ab_channel=AlltheAnime This music-centric anime focuses on the Kitauji High School concert band striving for excellence and overcoming internal conflicts. With meticulous attention to detail, "Hibike! Euphonium" provides a heartfelt and realistic portrayal of the dedication and passion required to pursue musical excellence. Sora yori mo Tooi Basho (A Place Further than the Universe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAYL5VNAJq0&ab_channel=AnimaxAsia Four high school girls embark on a journey to Antarctica in "Sora yori mo Tooi Basho." This coming-of-age tale explores friendship, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams. With its breathtaking visuals and emotional storytelling, this anime resonates deeply with its audience. 3-gatsu no Lion (March Comes in Like a Lion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL5nnx4vd7k&ab_channel=AniplexUSA "3-gatsu no Lion" delves into the life of Rei Kiriyama, a young professional shogi player struggling with loneliness and depression. The anime showcases Rei's journey as he confronts his demons, finds solace in unexpected friendships, and discovers the true meaning of family. Hanasaku Iroha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYvnsxzbepU&ab_channel=NISAmerica "Hanasaku Iroha" follows Ohana Matsumae as she starts working at her estranged grandmother's traditional Japanese inn. This slice-of-life anime delves into Ohana's personal growth as she learns about responsibility, relationships, and embracing change. Barakamon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmN_3kr4wo&ab_channel=AlltheAnime "Barakamon" revolves around the life of a calligrapher named Seishuu Handa, who is exiled to a remote island after an artistic mishap. Through his interactions with the eccentric locals, Seishuu learns valuable life lessons and again discovers his artistic voice.

Conclusion

If you enjoyed the charm, depth, and unique storytelling of "Oshi no Ko," this list of top 10 anime like Oshi no Ko provides a diverse range of options. Whether you are interested in anime production, character-driven dramas, or heartwarming tales of growth and friendship, these anime series will surely capture your attention and leave a lasting impact. Immerse yourself in these anime titles' captivating narratives and vibrant characters, and let them transport you to new and exciting worlds in 2023. Read the full article

[4cplconsultancy2005]

7 QUALITY CONTROL TOOLS FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

“As much as 95 per cent of all quality-related problems in the factory can be solved with seven fundamental quantitative tools.”

-Kaoru Ishikawa, The inventor of Fishbone Diagram

In today’s customer-centric market, quality is an integral factor in the growth and sustainability of any business. Businesses go the extra mile to provide the best and excellent customer experience to ensure customer satisfaction. Hence, efficient quality management which has the highest impact on customer experience is one of the most essential features for any business.

Introduced by Kaoru Ishikawa, the seven basic tools of quality also known as 7QC tools are very effective in quality management and quality assurance process. So, businesses who want to ensure competitive and excellent quality of their products and services can utilize the proven 7QC tools for structuring a strategic plan for quality improvement.

LIST OF 7 QC TOOLS

Cause and Effect Diagram

Cause and Effect Diagram also known as Fishbone Diagram helps in identifying the potential causes of an effect or a problem. In addition to sorting ideas in respective categories, it also helps in understanding the areas of opportunity through effective brainstorming. Fishbone training empowers you to identify the potential cause in the problem.

Control Chart

Control charts are used to study how the processes have changed over a period of time. Further, by comparing current data to historical control limits, one could lead to the conclusion about whether the process variation is consistent as in under control or unpredictable as in out of the control due to being affected by special causes of variation.

Pareto Chart

Pareto Chart is based on the 80/20 rule where it shows the significant factors that have the highest impact on the identified problem.

Check Sheet

Check sheet is a structured process which helps to collect and analyzing data. It is an effective tool that can be for a variety of purposes.

Histogram

Histogram is commonly used a graph that shows the data and its frequency of distribution to help users identify each different value in a set of data occurs.

Scatter Diagram

Scatter diagram shows the relationship between two important factors i.e. pairs of numerical data, one variable on each axis to demonstrate the relationship.

Stratification

Stratification also known as a flow chart or run chart is a technique that separates the data gathered from a variety of sources so that patterns can be seen i.e., the path an entity has taken through a defined process.

Utilizing the 7 QC tools in six sigma or quality management process helps in taking a systematic approach to identify and understand the risk, assess the risk, control fluctuation of product quality and accordingly provide solutions to avoid future defects.

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE 7 QC TOOLS?

7 QC tools can be carried out during the quality management, quality improvement process, six sigma implementation processes or even the regular PDCA cycle for the quality purpose for enhanced quality management.

In the first phase of measuring and identifying, Fishbone Diagram also known as cause and effect diagram, Pareto Chart and Control Chart can be utilized. In the next phases of assessment and analysis, Scatter Diagram, Histogram and Checklist can be carried out. The Control Chart can be utilized consistent quality improvement.

BENEFITS OF 7 QC TOOLS

The 7 QC tools are structured and fundamental instruments that help businesses improve their management and production process for achieving enhanced product quality.

From assessing and examining the production process, identification of key challenges and problems to controlling the fluctuation present in the product quality and providing solutions for prevention of defects in future, the easy to understand and implement, 7 QC tools are very effective. Some of the major business benefits of 7 QC tools are listed below.

Provides a more structured path for problem-solving and quality improvement

Easy to understand as well as implement yet extremely effective

A scientific and logical approach for problem-solving

Follows the 80/20 rule i.e. gain 80% result with 20% efforts

Improve the quality of product and services

Helps in identifying and analyzing problems during the process

Fishbone training aides in root cause analysis and problem-solving

Encourages team spirit and fosters a healthy culture

Identifies roots cause and solve it permanently

Enhance customer experience and customer satisfaction

Based on the data-driven process and customer-centric approach, 7 QC tools implementation is one of the most effective processes that too in the shortest amount of time.

4C team of certified professionals has provided 80+ implementation of 7 QC Tools and 120+ 7 QC Tools Training. By solving 200+ quality problems, 4C has empowered clients to reduce the 80% cost of poor quality.  To accelerate your quality management process and reduce your cost of poor quality, contact our experts now.