#kimono influenced

[feralchaton]

[alyssa-ai]

Watching the city bustle in the evening, and letting yourself be hypnotized by the ballet of car headlights circulating in the streets. I think it's time to go to sleep, and open the dream box 🦄

[lemonsknees]

Dutch painter George Hendrik Breitner's "Girl in a White Kimono" (1894)

Geesje Kwak, a 16-year-old housemaid, draped in a Japanese kimono.

if you're interested in purchasing products depicting this work please click here

[tavina-writes]

In the Confucianism Book of Conduct 礼记, it talked about 3 kinds of ‘revenges’

《礼记》《曲礼上》“父之仇弗与共戴天,兄弟之仇不反兵,交游之仇不同国。”

Killing of father cannot be in existence under the sky, meaning, must take revenge for the killing of one’s father.

I was reading about chinise culture and read that. So, in mdzs, jl was supposed to kill his father's murder, based on chinise philosophy? That's why he stabbed wwx? I am curious ( and if it is like that, his forgiveness is even more important to me, at least)

Also, if it's not too much, what's your opinion about one of the last jc's scene, where jc raises his hand and then doesn't hit jl? I've read a ton of meta (breaking the circle of abuse... When we know he has never hit jl!). The scene confuses me and I was wondering if maybe I lack cultural contest.

Nonny, I'm not entirely certain where the emotional disconnect is on JL stabbing WWX except for I guess protagonist goggles. Like this isn't even a matter of philosophy, Chinese characters and people are not a giant black hole of "well they're too different for us to understand using human emotions!" nor are Chinese characters and people a monolith of "philosophy" and "cultural practices" that cannot be parsed outside of the in group.

Basically I guess what I'm asking here is "if someone tragically orphaned a child at age (1) month and that child is now a 13 year old who had a sword would you understand why this child stabbed the person who orphaned them, yes or no." I doubt Jin Ling was quoting philosophy about how he had to get revenge for his dad at that moment and more just? having an understandable human reaction? We can argue until 2300 about if it was the "correct" and "moral" reaction or not, but imo it was....an emotional reaction...much like how lots of characters in American media have human and emotional reactions.

(Also the revenge genre is not a uh, wholly Chinese concept, as far as I know lots of cultures round the world including the French which produced The Count of Monte Cristo also have stories about how you should take revenge against those who have wronged you. See Inigo Montoya's "you killed my father, prepare to die" from The Princess Bride as well.)

Lots of other people have written about JC's last scene in much more detail and much more eloquently than I will be able to manage here after grad school has started to fry my brain, if there isn't a consensus there, it just means that lots of people interpret that scene in a variety of different ways! pick the one you like best! Lit analysis is not a one size fits all correct answer generator.

[deartrap]

"liking the 1920s is a white woman thing" who made the jazz from the jazz era. quickly!

the white woman vibes come from the mlp content and the 1920s theming. it's not anything that you specifically did, but i hope you understand why those two things can very easily give off white woman vibes.

huh.

[whereishermes]

Italian Master: De Nittis Exhibition

For the first time Palazzo Reale celebrates the talent of Giuseppe De Nittis in a monographic exhibition featuring around 90 paintings, both oils and pastels, coming from the main public and private collections. Painter of Modern Life: De Nittis Palazzo Reale – From February 24th to June 30th, 2024 For the first time Palazzo Reale celebrates the talent of Giuseppe De Nittis in a monographic…

[lovedaruma]

their spot ♥︎

sukuna x princess! reader

ー in which you and sukuna meet when he unintentionally saves you and you continue to meet him everyday in the same spot.

fem! reader, heian era, grumpy x sunshine, reader is innocent and playful, fluff + short smut

"Your Highness! Please don't go too far!" you hear your personal maid shout from the distance as you continue to run, laughing and waving her goodbye.

Any other princess wouldn't be allowed to go into the wilderness on her own, but as for Y/N, her family could not care less if she went missing the next morning.

You have already wandered through so many paths, yet there was still more to explore. You take a new route and stumble on an open area, seeing a hill in the distance and couldn't help but gawk at the beautiful area.

You cheerfully run towards the hill, taking a few breaths once you reached the top. From this height, you could see the beautiful view of the ocean, together with the breathtaking sunset. "Oh my..."

The sun continued to set as you watched from underneath the tree, sitting in a comfortable position. The comforting sounds of nature soon make you drift of to sleep.

A growl from the distance awakes you from your slumber. You jolt awake to see that the moon was already up in the sky. "Gosh, how many hours have passed?"

The sound of your voice summons another growl and you start to get nervous. You turn around and look down at the hill and see a big wolf that was twice your size, bright red eyes trying to scare you. However, you were too distracted at the sight of the furry animal.

"Oh my, It's a wolfy! Come boy, come!" you wave your hand, beckoning the wolf to come closer. It hesitates but slowly starts to approach you. "Here boy... I'm nice, I swear!"

The wolf is now in front of you sniffing your leg, you bring your hand to his neck and started scratching. "Aren't you a cutie~ I'm gonna name you-"

Your words were cut off as you watch the wolf get sliced in half, the blood splattering on your kimono.

"Tch."

A voice was heard from behind the wolf, you see a handsome man with four arms and eyes, marks which seemed like tattoos all over his body.

"Hey~ Why did you kill the wolfy?" you whined.

"Shut up, Human. What are you doing here?"

". . ."

He furrows his brows and growls, "Answer."

"But you said shut up." you smile playfully, clearly teasing him.

"You... Do you know who you're talking to?" He slowly approaches you.

He was trying to intimidate you with this slow steps but was shocked to see you stand up and walk over to him instead.

"Well, No! You haven't introduced yourself yet. I'm Y/N. What's your name?" you reach out your hand as you introduce yourself.

". . ."

". . ."

You watch as his four eyes stare at you, trying to figure you out. You smile up at him and put your hand down.

"Well you don't have to tell me if you don't want to! I still would like to know why you killed the cute wolf though..." you pout as you look over at the furry body in pieces.

"You foolish woman. That wolf was going to make you its dinner." he glares at you, "And this area here is mine. I slaughter everything and everyone that trespasses."

He raises one of his hands to kill you in one swoop, but stops as you perk up and grab one of his hands in joy.

"Oh, so you saved me?! Thank you, kind stranger." you give his hand a small squeeze to show your appreciation.

He stares at both of your hands together for a few seconds before he smacks your hand away, "Tch, How dare you touch me."

You pout as you rub your wrist, "Oh, my apologies . It was bad manners of me to grab you without asking. I'll do that next time!"

"Hah, next time?" He chuckled pure evil, "There will be no next time. Don't think you're coming out of here alive, human."

"That can't be, I have to repay you! You saved me, after all... Even though I don't have much influence, I'm still a princess!"

"Princess? Stop lying woman. The only child I know of royalty here is a prince."

"Yeah~ That's my brother!" you smile, unbothered that people weren't aware that there was a princess in the first place. "And I have a name, you know."

A few seconds of silence pass, him just staring at you. He scoffs and turns to walk away. "Leave."

You were about to retort back but realized how far in the night it is so you stand up and call out to him, "Hey~ I'll be back here tomorrow okay?"

You laugh as you see him turn his head to scowl at you.

The next day soon arrives and you're back at the same spot on the beautiful hill. You sit down under a tree and bask in the view.

The silence was interrupted by a familiar voice. "You have a death wish, huh?"

"Hey there! Come, sit!" you giggle and pat the spot next to him.

"Tch, this is where I usually sit, woman." He scoffs as he sits down, not showing he was curious at the human interacting with him.

"So... I heard a few guards talking about a certain king of the curses...." you side-eye him, smiling playfully. "Hehe, what even is your name?"

"Ryomen Sukuna. Remember the name of the one who's gonna kill you." He smirks.

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" you tilt your head.

"I'll have my fun with you for now. You're quite the peculiar human."

"Oh, tell me in advance when you're gonna kill me then, Sukuna!"

"You..." he glares, "Do you not value your life?"

"Meh, not really... No one would miss me anyway." I frown, but a smile quickly replaces it, "So I've decided to just live to the fullest. If I die today, at least I had fun yesterday~"

Sukuna stays silent as he watches you cheerfully talk about death with his brows furrowed. You hum a tune while enjoying the comfortable silence for a few minutes and then turn to look at him.

Your lips part when you continue to stare at him, his features complimenting his handsome face. Sukuna, for some reason, found it hard not to look back at your stare. After a while, he turned his head to look back into your eyes.

You flinch as his eyes look into yours. Your cheeks tint at his intimidating state and you give him a shy smile.

"So... um... what's... your favorite color...?"

Silence fills the air at the random question, and your cheeks tint even more. You let out a small laugh at your own embarrassment.

Sukuna takes a peek at the warm flush of your cheeks and lets out a huff, "Red."

You whip your head to him and flash a bright smile, "That really suits you! Mine is white hehe~"

". . ."

"So... what do you like to ea-"

"Shut up."

You zip your lips shut and sit more comfortably next to him. The silence was so oddly comforting that you drifted off to sleep. Your head slowly leaning to to direction Sukuna was sitting.

His shoulder was too high for your small figure, so your head rested on the side of his arm. Sukuna looked down, careful not to move his arm. "Tch, unbelievable."

Although he looked annoyed, he didn't move his arm for the rest of his time there.

You wake up and your eyes slowly open. The sun in the horizon has just set and the moon is starting to peak into the sky. Your head lifts up from an... arm?

"Wha..." you let out a yawn.

You hear a scoff, "Why did you sleep for so long?"

"S-Sukuna?!"

You put the pieces together and realize that Sukuna let you sleep on his arm until you woke up. The thought of that making your cheeks warm.

"Sukuna... that's so sweet of you!" you show a downturned smile to express how grateful you were.

He scowls at you and in a blink, he disappears.

"He didn't even let me say bye..."

You arrive at the same spot under the tree on the hill. Surprisingly, you see Sukuna already there.

"You're here!~"

He opens two eyes to see your figure running towards him. He sighs and shuts his eyes again, slowly getting used to his human's presence.

You stop right in front of him, admiring his face once more, being less embarrassed now that his eyes were shut. Soon, you give into your temptation.

"Sukuna..."

He opens an eye.

"Can I touch you now? I asked first this time!" you clasp your hands and interwine your fingers to say please.

He scoffs and shuts the eye. You frown letting out a small 'Hmp' of sulk.

"I didn't say no."

You gasp in excitement and reach out your hands to his face. Your fingertips gently touch his face. You didn't notice the subtle flinch Sukuna did.

Your fingers trace the marks on his face. He exhales from his nose, the air hitting your skin making you feel warm inside. You slowly lift your thumbs to caress the area next to his bottom eyes, the rest of your fingers at the back of his ear. You couldn't help but hum a small 'woah~' in admiration.

"Your eyes are beautiful." Flustered at your own words, your cheeks tint in embarrassment.

His eyes open, both of you staring into each other. He glares at you and whips his head to the side, your hands still on his face. "How absurd."

"It's true..." You let out a chuckle and kneel down next to him. This time, you trace the marks on his arms.

What you didn't notice earlier was how Sukuna's cheeks warmed up at your compliment, with the same grumpy face. He shook his head and sighed, focusing on the feeling of your skin on his.

The rest of the day you just held onto his hand tracing lines and giving light massages while bringing up small conversation topics. He gave small answers, but you were overjoyed at your interactions.

Two weeks have gone by since then. As the days continued, Sukuna began to warm up more to you, talking to you in longer sentences and not telling you to shut up anymore. You were currently on your way to meet him again. Meanwhile, Sukuna was starting to realize his feelings for you.

"Princess Y/N, Please! Finish your food before you go!" The maid sighs as she watches you run away. She looks over at the unfinished plate, wondering what in the wilderness is so interesting to her highness.

As she takes a closer look in the plate, she gasps. "Oh my heavens! T-This is... The Princess is allergic to this!"

Without a care in the world, you skip towards Sukuna's spot, excited to meet your king of the curses.

"I'm here!"

Insted of sitting in his usual spot, he was standing near the cliff, looking at the horizon.

"Sukuna! you admiring the view?"

He doesn't reply and you look at his back, confused. The dark clouds in the sky let out a thunder.

"How dare you."

"W-What?"

He turns around and scowls, "How dare you make me feel- Ugh."

"Huh?" you say confused, raindrops start dropping on both of you.

In a flash, he disappears from where he was standing and was now in front of you. His hand swiftly attacks for your neck but he quickly stops and is an inch away from your skin.

You flinch, but don't move. you give him a chuckle.

"Sukuna... I told you in advance to tell me first before you kill me." you laugh.

He growls in frustration and puts his hands down. "Ugh..."

"But... As strange as it may seem, the time I spent with you was the happiest I've ever been. Thank you for showing me kindness, even in your own way. Farewell, Sukuna. I will never forget you!"

You stand on your tip toes and met your lips with his. It was just a gentle peck, but it sent shivers down her spine.

"Idiot."

As you pull away, content, you couldn't bring yourself to look him in the eyes. 'I wonder what face he's making right now', the thought making you smile. You grab the same hands that tried to attack you earlier and wrapped them around your neck.

"Huh?" you look up at him confused, only to be more confused as you analyzed his face.

'He looks... troubled? I'm not so sure'

He pulls his hands away from your neck and sighs. He grabs you arms and rests his head on the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent. "What kind of sick curse is this..."

". . . Sukuna?"

Although he wasn't exactly hugging you, you wrap your arms around him and hug back. The rain hitting the both of you as you warm up in each other's arms.

". . . I'm confused, are you still killing me or not?"

". . . Pft."

You gawk as you hear Sukuna let out a chuckle. Seeing his lips turn up was a better view than the horizon behind them.

You look up at him and smile, "Hehe, you still haven't answered m-"

The moment was interrupted when you cough out blood. A sudden burning sensation you feel in your chest. You let go of him to hold your chest in pain, your body slouching as you groan.

"D-Damn...I-I shouldn't have-ugh... ate those."

"Y/N?!"

The sound of his name flow out of his voice made your heart flutter but the pain overpowers that.

"Agh-" You drop to the floor, "Don't w-worry, these are just allergies."

He gets on his knees and uses his reverse cursed technique to heal you from your suffering. The pain was too much for you to handle though, and you pass out in his arms.

You jolt awake in your room, looking around confused.

"Sukuna?"

You call out for him but nothing happens. His scent still lingering in the room so you're sure he tucked you back into bed.

You smile as your heart flutters, going back to sleep.

"Y-Your Highness! Are you sure you're okay?" your maid stutters as she hands you your breakfast the next morning.

"Yes yes~ Don't worry about lil' old me!"

You quickly finish your breakfast, wanting to see him as soon as possible. You quickly run and you arrive at the spot in no time and you see him there.

You don't even call out to him, you just run towards his sitting figure, bend over, and wrap your arms around his neck.

He jolts in surprise but immediately calms down as he takes a whiff of your hair.

"Sukuna, you saved me twice already. Thank you for yesterday." you smile, embarrassed to make eye contact with him.

He places a hand on your back to push your body into his. Now, you're straddling his lap and you stay in position.

You fidget your hands, "Ugh~ It's kinda awkward now after I did a whole farewell speech yesterday..." you whine as you recall the events yesterday.

"Yeah, you're farewell kiss too."

You blush and groan into his shoulder, clenching your fists in his robe in embarrassment.

"Hah, is the princess embarrassed? Look at me."

As if it was a spell, you comply immediately and shyly pull away to look at him.

He grabs your chin and pulls your face closer.

"You have to take responsibility for what you did yesterday." He smirks.

"R-Responsibility?!" you squeak.

"Don't think I'll be satisfied with a mere kiss, Princess."

He smashes his lips onto yours. Unlike the sweet and short peck, this was hot and passionate. His upper arms land on your waist and slides the up and down the side of your body.

You feel his tongue enter your mouth and you shift your hips to adjust your position, making you grind on his crotch. The friction making you both groan in pleasure, all of his blood rushing to the length under his robe.

"S-Sukuna." you couldn't help but whine his name in the middle of your tongues dancing. Hearing his name turns him on even more, and his hands go from your hips to sliding inside your kimono to grab hold of your breasts.

You let out a moan at his touch on your bare chest. His bottom arms sliding up your kimono underneath you, his hands traveling up to grope both cheeks of your ass. Wanting to touch him, your hands go down to his chest, sliding inside his robe to touch explore your hands around his bare chest and abs. Your touch making Sukuna groan and start grinding his hips underneath yours, you moan in his lips and grind on him as well.

His hands slide off your kimono, leaving you in your undergarments. The cool air hitting your skin, but you couldn't feel it from the heat of the intimate moment. His bottom hands start to tug on your panties and he whispers into your lips.

"You think you can handle me, Princess?"

You moan in confirmation, sliding off the top part of his robe and continuing to grind on him. He hisses in pleasure and rips off your panties and throw them to the side.

"Ah!" you squeak in embarrassment, pulling away and looking down at yourself, but what caught your eye is the visible bulge twitching underneath the fabric of his robe. You curiously grope it, causing a moan to slip off his mouth, and snatches your hand away.

"Later."

He grabs both of your wrists and pushes you to the clean grass. He looks up and down your naked body and smirks, feeling another twitch from his cock. His eyes landed on your pussy, already soaking wet.

His eyes darkens and he grins, ready to devour you. He brings a hand to your folds and run his fingers along the wetness dripping down your thighs. "How can you be this wet already?" he chuckles and inserts a finger inside, his other hands playing with your breasts.

The sensation making you moan in pleasure, the back of your hand covering your mouth in embarrassment. The moans continue when he starts thrusting the finger in a moderate motion. After a few seconds of adjusting, he shoves another finger in.

The sounds of his fingers fucking your wet pussy fill the air. He feels your walls clench and sees your body start to arch. He sees the way you were making a mess already just with his fingers. Your moans get whinier and he loses it.

He grunts and shoves the robe of his body and your eyes widen. You stare at his two cocks twitching in the air, gulping at its huge size. "S-Sukuna..."

"You want to stop?" you whine and shook your head immediately, "That's what I thought. Now come here, princess."

Not giving you enough time to process, he picks you up and puts him in the stradling position you were earlier in, the tip of his cock goes in and he thrusts inside.

"Ngh- Ah~ S-Sukuna." He grunts in reply, feeling your pussy clench in his hard cock.

"Fuck, princess."

The pleasure was nothing you ever felt before. You look down and see his other cock twitching against your stomach. You reach your hand to grab his length which causes his head to roll back in pleasure and let out a deep moan.

You pump his cock, while adjusting to the other cock that was already inside you. "Prince- Agh, Shit." Your hand going faster and faster, the sounds of his groans making your walls clench, making him groan even louder.

He grabs your hand to stop you. "I can't hold it anymore. I'm gonna destroy this tight little pussy, yeah?"

He grabs your hips and starts bouncing you up and down, his cock thrusting inside of you without mercy.

"Ah... Suku- Agh~" You were drowning in pleasure, eyes rolling back as you listen to the sounds of your wetness and both of your skins slapping against each other.

He was thrusting into you mercilessly, your mewls just making his climax come closer. He feels your walls clench uncontrollably and he moans your name.

"Y/N. Fuck- I'm going crazy" he huffs, acting like an animal in heat.

He pushes you back into the soft grass into a new position, bringing your knees to your chest, his cock thrusting into you sloppily. A visible bump in your belly when he thrusts inside. Two hands behind your knees. One hand rubbing your clit. One hand pumping his other cock.

"Agh~ T-There... Sukuna-"

He hits a certain spot causing your body to twitch and making your eyes water up from the pleasure.

Sukuna pounds faster into your pussy, his precum smeared along your soaked walls. You were letting him use your body and it felt so good.

You feel something building up inside of you, and you whine. "Ah- wait! Sukuna~ I- I-" you whine in pleasure as your body arches, your juices spilling into his cock.

"That's right, princess. Let it out." he coos into your ear. "My turn."

You gasp for air as he thrusts again into your sensitive pussy, making your mewl echo into the air. Your juices increase the sound of the wetness as he slaps his skin into yours, the mix of your arousals filling the air.

"Fuck- I should fill you up, huh? Breed my precious princess?"

"Agh- P-Please!~ I-"

He moans as he shoots his load into you and fill up your pussy, having both of your juices mixed up. His other cock also shooting cum onto your stomach. Your body twitches at the feeling of his seed inside you, grabbing both of his arms for support. He sighs in pleasure and pulls out, watching as the juices ooze out of your aching pussy.

"You did so good, Princess." is the last thing you hear before you pass out.

You flutter your eyes open to see a room that wasn't yours. Sukuna lying down next to you in bed. You look down on your clothed body to see you were cleaned up and well taken care of after.

"Sukuna..." you mutter, eyes still droopy "I can't move my legs~"

"Heh, you're gonna get used to it."

"Hm?" You tilt your head.

"You're mine now. This is the consequence of your actions, right? You can't escape now." He smirks as he picks you up and puts you on top of him.

You stare at him in shock then laugh, "Now why would I dare leave my king, he'll get lonely without me~"

You plant a sweet kiss on his lips and pull away to see a smile on his face. His smile making you feel warm inside as your cheeks tint. You giggle and snuggle into his arms and you enjoy each other's warm, and will continue to enjoy each other's presence in the future.

[sexhaver]

What's wrong with that "culture isn't mean to be shared" post? It seems pretty sound in theory and in practice.

it is literally fascism. i am not being hyperbolic. "cultures should never intermingle" is one of the foundational pillars of fascist ideology. and before you interpret this post as "wow this white person is calling POC Nazis for Standing Up Against Cultural Appropriation", please remember that 1. the vast majority of cultural exchange takes the form of influences on food, music, loanwords, etc. and not "white girl wearing a headdress to Coachella" and 2. most of the classic examples of Cultural Appropriation that got bandied about on this site back in the day (and subsequently laid the bedrock for a good chunk of this site's understanding of cultural appropriation discourse) literally just. aren't. the two worst ones i can remember off the top of my head were "American museum puts on an exhibit where visitors can try on a kimono" and "Indian charity group applies henna to terminal cancer patients to make them feel prettier and some of these terminal cancer patients were white".

i can understand why you might think "white people should never take cultural inspiration from minorities or foreigners" (because lbr this discourse is always about white people) is a progressive idea but please. reread that sentence until you realize how bad it sounds.

[yonch]

it's been 15 years and you can see better than ever

(design notes under the cut) (there are spoilers)

ok this got really long. here you go

sif:

ditched the cloak. it was collecting dust in their closet until recently, but they realized they don't need to cling to their grief so much anymore. someone else will need it more soon.

ditched the eyepatch. the prosthetic eye is a labor of love designed by isa, as is literally everything else they're wearing.

they cut their bangs finally and started braiding their hair back so it wouldn't obscure their vision as much anymore.

they like darker/tighter clothing and prefer function over form but unfortunately their gay ass boyfriend keeps treating them like a dress up doll so they're stuck wearing waistcoats and a fancy cloak. (they don't mind. it's designed to look like loop.) they keep flowers in their many pockets to give to people.

they're a woodworker in their free time. they don't usually talk about being any sort of savior so he just becomes sif the guy who's really good at carving birthday presents for people and also tags along with isa to charity parties and fundraisers

41 year old 5'1" they/he absolutely zero intention of Changing. bonded to isabeau. they adopted a kid who leo or i might post about some other time i think. her name is estelle.

isa: i'm not taking credit for the design that's by my friend @fembard /@leoweooo. i'll include his design notes

isa dresses mostly for comfort, he doesn't like wearing stuff that might get stained or ruined when he's dyeing clothes or chasing stelle around in the mud or something, all his fashion sense goes into his handiwork

he Changed a few more times over the 15yrs, eventually settled. picked up she/her pronouns again on the side but was never really able to ditch the name isabeau and he kinda ran out of names anyways...

kept the long hair, kept a few inches in height, very happy to fulfill the role of male (space) wife

can't ditch the kimono jacket it's the piece de resistance. odile influence and Wisening Of Age means its made with a little more knowledge of ka buan technique but still very clearly an Isa Design. the fabric is imported silk sif!!!!!!

39 year old Tall with a capital T he/she "i swear i'm not a weeaboo i'm just really into ka buan fashion" vaugardian indie clothing designer in your area help support this man in his attempts to use his family members as living advertisements for his brand

mira: with design input from @jastertown thank you my friend

i took a lot of inspiration for the sparkly, sheer fabric on her dress from euphrasie. she's not head housemaiden yet because she doesn't feel like she's ready but everybody knows it'll be her

speaking of inspiration. she's been taking a lot of fashion cues from a certain lady in dormont that she thought was kind of scary, but it turns out she's very nice? they're besties now.

she got rid of the earrings for a little bit but then she realized she just liked how they look on her. so now they go ding ding! it's for her and nobody else, and that's how she likes it.

moved her ornaments to her skirt because they ding ding more often there. her necklace also jingles with merriment.

38 year old she/her advanced cisgender+ legend who's realizing that people are trying to get her to be the pope but all she really wants to do is write yaoibait fiction that looks like it came straight off of ao3

odile:

my glorious hag. she started shrinking about 3 years ago. all those years of bending over books has finally caught up to her. her hips are fuuuuuucked. but she has a sick cane that sif carved for her so everything's okay

she was already pretty comfortable and settled in her sense of style when she was nearing 50 so i don't think she would change much. darker clothing maybe. ditched the high-waisted pants for some looser slacks.

she's started writing a familytale of her own. the only person she's told about it is bonbon, who caught her up way past their bedtime, and scribbled all over one of the pages. she'll pass it on to sif when the time's right, after she's written down everything she can remember about their family.

64 year old she/her wasian researcher recovering from hernia surgery who's getting really into things like "political activism" and "body craft law reformation in ka bue" and "making sure people aren't sourcing their hrt from back alleys"

bonnie:

prefers to go by boniface these days. it's cooler. more mature. please stop calling me bonbon that's a nickname from when i was 10 guys c'mon guys ugh fine frin you can still call me bonbon but not around my girlfriends ok (nobody calls them boniface except for odile)

speaking of which they have 3 butch lesbian girlfriends. this got established as a joke but i think they have it in them. they're still young!!!!!!! they should be at the club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

they traveled for a while with everybody but eventually settled down back in bambouche to start a little family owned restaurant with nille featuring dishes from all over the globe. people travel from all over to get a taste of boniface's good eats... bambouche is bustling. (they have a few recipes that are sourced from the country. they meet people every once in a while who find something achingly familiar about it, and they usually direct those people to jouvente to get in contact with frin.)

26 year old they/them "i dont know how tall i am but i'm taller than za" chef cooker whose restaurant keeps lighting on fire because this time i swear nille i can figure out how to do cooking craft i swear i wont explode the kitchen this time please i promise

loop:

ok. this is where lozy gets to just talk about what he thinks happens post game. i think they stick around for way longer than they really should and follow the crew around on their travels (mostly invisibly) because they're sooo fucking scared of change they're sooo scared and they're so scared of their wish fucking up beyond belief. they're kind of incapable of aging or dying in this body and theyre like permanently 26 which is what spurs them to finally move on.

i think they go back to their timeline eventually after making a Brand New Wish to "go back to their real family." alas the universe leads and we can only follow. and it turns out loop has actually made a real family in stardust's world also. this is my justification for why they can pop in between sasasap and isat worlds without much repercussion. i think they're always permanently loop shaped in isat but i imagine they can probably go back to their original body in their home timeline... might design that later. who knows. i'm fucked like that

i just think they deserve a chance for their own happy ending you know. isat's a game about how it's never too late to communicate and how you shouldn't punish yourself forever and ever. and i think theyve punished themself enough you know.

ok tank you for reading if you read this far. it's really big and long so i would understand if you didn't. but i hope you liked it. thoughts appreciated. here's a little something for the people who read all the way through.

[backjustforberena]

The way this outfit is so "Dragonkeepers" leaning is everything.

She was in a Valyrian-inspired aesthetic before we even strictly-speaking knew what that was. We have the angular lines of the jacket, sharp shoulders, we have the kimono-like neckline!

It's obviously not as blatant as the S2 costumes, where we really lean into the silhouette that's sort of established by the robes that Rhaenyra and Daemon wear at their wedding but no one else wears a neckline like Rhaenys has on her blouse. No one else has a garment like she does with that jacket.

And the pattern has scales. So it's rich, it's got Westerosi influence as well, it's by no means a robe at all, but it clearly leans more towards the silhouette that visually speaks of a Valyrian heritage and specifically to do with dragons.

And just as a bonus, we got the triangular shape around her neck and the sharp shoulders in the first dress we see her in, after the Great Council.

Rhaenys's costumes are so contextualised. Colour, shape, length, whatever. It's contextual. Whether she's twinning with her husband, leaning into her Targaryen roots, repping a house or her own independence, or a mixture, it's there.

[mihii-i]

a demon couldn’t love, only deceive.

Pairings: mizu x fem!reader

CW: nsfw, female reader, afab reader, mildly angsty because yes, misogynistic society, mizu initially referred to as a male, blood, mild violence, fingering, praise, crying, a sprinkle of cunnilingus but not really, sentle gex yay, tit sucking, kind of vanilla tbh but lowkey poetic so, girls kissing oh no, mmm bottom mizu rubs hands tg like an evil fly, mizu being her own biggest hater, i <3 mizu guys I love my gf i feel like my husband went to war while i wait for 2026, not proofread.

A/N: now playing — under the influence by chris brown. omg I’ve been waiting to write more bottom mizu because holy shit also she’s canonically a bottom?? Like I get my girl gives off bde but pleaseeee Someone needs to make my sweetheart feel good don’t hog all the pleasure for yourselves. @fairexy78 🕯️

Screeching of Mizu’s katana abruptly skipping along the large rock in deep scrapes shot through your eardrums as a piercing wail, humming in tune with the whistles of cool winter air bristling across the horizon blanketed in thick sheets of snow. The sudden drag of steel pressed against the sharp stone snapped you out of the mindless daze that occupied your head in the midst of going along with the motions of trailing behind the samurai, your eyes gravitating to align with his own through the hood of his kasa shrouding his face.

“(Name). Get comfortable, we’re going to rest here for the day.” Mizu asserted, glancing over at you without questioning the meek nod you had delivered him.

—

All you could recall as you trailed behind him for endless hours was the repeat of his first meeting with you over and over, broken on repeat like the faulty string of a shamisen bellowing in an endless ring. Every detail remained crystal clear among the events playing out within your thoughts to sear into your irises, pupils dilating with each flash of a detail as minute as the crunch of a singular footstep planted behind Mizu’s from when you had first begun to tail him in the midst of her quest.

The shivers thundering along your frame, stiff from the harsh cold of winter as you stumbled over the unmovable skip in your swift steps with your body tumbling forward to sink into the snow, was something that would never stray away from you as long as you lived. Lingering on the fear stirred in your chest as you could only stare up at the crooks circled around you, clicks of the foreign guns squeezed in their hand over the trigger with their sadistic smiles burning into your skull like the last thing you’d ever see.

It was in the blink of an eye when you caught the splatter of blood tainting the pale white in trickling drops, seeping down to lap at your ankles as you instinctively shrank away. You noticed a man through the blur of your vision, practically strangling the crooks that circled around you, the dry ocean blue of his cloak spreading slightly to give way to his elbows curled against a crook’s chest to squeeze at the fabric draped over their chest. Merely to impale them clean across without answer as scarlet drops specked along the beautiful waves patterned along his blade.

Your eyes raked along his tall stature carefully, from the baggy ends of his harem pants trailing to the dark blue kimono tight against his chest—too short and tight to be considered one even. It simply looked like he took a child’s kimono as a makeshift article of clothing that wouldn’t get in his way. However, you were barely able to retain the sudden gasp that was about to peep out of you as your gaze landed onto the beastly azure of his irises. A half blooded child. You were sure that’s what he was.

Repeated strings of “stop following me.” Or “you will not find what you seek at my side.” Kept smoothing out like a path to heaven leading you on, her dismissal of your presence being met with your fascination with the devil man enticing you further into tracing his path. His disgusted expression staring daggers into you over his shoulder hadn’t pushed you away in the slightest, instead drawing you deeper into the thrashing sea of his plight he so desperately pleaded to mask.

Eventually, the swordsmen couldn’t help but soften in the presence of the beautiful woman following his every move, her enthusiasm and bright energy burning as a lantern of hope that rendered his ice cold heart into a tender mush with every action of yours barely quirking up a smile along his frown. A rare gleam of joy that sparked up within Mizu at your bounding smile drawn over his shoulder in curiosity, head turning away from the warmth of your touch to avoid himself from falling too deep in the comfort you enveloped him in.

His nights were now filled with the newfound content sense bestowed upon him in the wake of you caring for him, finding solace in the fact alone that you didn’t care for his little actions being ruthless or cruel. Simply an aspect of what was needed to survive in the grueling inequality elevated into the confines of society within an isolated Japan. Your little gestures of compassion were enough to make the stern swordsman shift tender in the gentle grasp of your palm tracing along his.

You didn’t see him as a monster. Something he had never heard, even the most intimate, who had even remotely come close to loving him through his half blooded taboo.

Could it be he was falling for you?

He shouldn’t bother. Your kindness was likely out of fear. It was clear someone as filthy as him couldn’t be loved.

Yet, the premise of his earlier beliefs warped into a puddle of worthless irrelevance, previous judgements crumpled into a purely nonexistent state as he felt your lips collide with his suddenly, hand resting on his shoulder as your kiss froze over time itself in that moment. Mizu of course, couldn’t help but kiss you back—albeit a bit hesitantly, lips hugging against your own tenderly in a heated embrace locking the plush muscle together as his hand craned over to thread through your scalp almost desperately in a gesture to pull you in deeper.

Despite your bond carving a deep mark into every bone in his body, Mizu was of course hesitant, if not more guilty as to have been shrouding you in the lies piling up atop your unwary bliss. The curse of his inhibitions gnawing away at him—or rather, her. Regarding the lie of leading you into believing you had fell for a man when in reality, she had been born as a woman in the unfortunate circumstances this world had in fact cursed upon her. Navigating under the guise of a man for the sake of her safety.

Not only had you seen past her demonizing appearance, the shame of her birth and origin evident in her eyes meaning nothing to you, despite being an outcast all over the country. But you had treated her as she had always wanted to be treated, cradling her in a sort of cushion of love that reached for her hand in the depths of hatred she had drowned in all her life.

And how had she repaid you? By allowing someone as benevolent as yourself fall into the deceit of her wretched lies, just as an onryō would cast destruction upon anything in its path.

—

The sound of Mizu clearing his throat caught your attention momentarily, chin tilting up to size him up as he stood upright from the rock. He gently nudged his sword off to the side to lay flat against the small slivers of snow still scattered around the thawed clearing to which you two had set a fire, making sure it was aligned well before stepping away to a tunneling pit of shadows gated between the lines of bleak trees.

You cocked your head to the side in confusion, seeking for the samurai to elaborate on his sudden relocation elsewhere. Mizu sighed, clarifying as to not worry you too much.

“I..need to bathe. There’s a nearby lake past the trees, and it’s not too far off. Call my name if you’re in danger.”

“Ah, alright Mizu. Just be careful alright?”

He swiftly nodded, sliding out the orange glasses from the inner lapel of his kimono as he neatly folded the two pieces over the other in a high click, before gently positioning it on top of the rock so it wouldn’t fall. Noticing your eyes fixed on him, Mizu huffed out as he fought back the urge to roll his eyes, since he knew full well you only looked at him like that when he was forgetting something.

“Ugh, what is it?”

“You’re forgetting something, my sweet samurai.”

Mizu fought back the groan threatening to push past his lips, yet suppressing the smile that clashed against it as well in his overriding internal conflict between annoyance and adoration. How could he possibly deny the woman he loved a gesture of affection? He leaned down, pecking his lips against your temple in a quick, chaste kiss as he stood back up, pursing his lips at your satisfied expression.

“Happy?”

“Very much so, enjoy your bath. But don’t be out for too long. Heard that you’ll wrinkle up if you do.”

As Mizu headed off, you were left alone with your thoughts once more in the gentle pit of silence, nothing but nature’s whistles humming along the sunset brightening the distant snow leaving you at peace with your own mind as a sanctuary in Mizu’s absence. Of course, the first question that had came to your mind was one that would be widely questioned had anyone known of your relationship with him. Why hadn’t he made a move in you or engaged in any intimate acts upon you professing your love to the samurai?

You knew that a man was only so strong, that he couldn’t fight back his urges for so long especially in the presence of a woman whom he loved. So Mizu’s abstinence came as quite the surprise. Was he embarrassed? Inexperienced? Or perhaps he simply had no interest in sex. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it. By now, many would have made love when mentioning the prospect of a kiss alone, so his behavior was fairly strange to you.

Yet you couldn’t judge him for it, you did love him after all. But part of you did desire that level of intimacy with him, even if it wasn’t sex, seeing him bare or holding him with no clothing separating your bodies interrwining would be nice at the very least.

You adored every part of the seemingly ruthless man you had grown attached to, his low voice softening every time he spoke to you, his thin, yet well built frame wrapped around yours when you slept. And of course you wouldn’t dare leave out the part anyone else would’ve deemed impure, even Mizu himself.

The violent maelstrom of crashing tides that eased to a calm shore upon softening, a beautiful storm of bright blue that stabbed into the cruel world with hatred, yet protected you in their touch as their own personal home.

His eyes were the most beautiful part of him, despite the hatred that arose at the hands of his impurity evident on sight.

What you presumed to be several minutes passed in slow accordance with the breeze batting your cheek, worry bubbling up within you, thoughts cluttered in an unending rush of potential scenarios that could’ve unfortunately doomed your lover during his time alone, as he had been gone for quite some time. Well over how long it would usually take to bathe.

Taking a deep breath to push back your initial fear of what you might see, you rose up to your feet in moments, slowly treading through the pathway between the array of thick branches of wood as every crunch of your footsteps rang out in a noise that seemed to slow down with each step forward. You peeked into the area, hearing the swishing streams of the waterfall spilling into the lake in a hushed white noise that calmed you.

Unable to see Mizu anywhere in your swift search, the overwrought panic took over your instincts in the heat of a moment in which you thought you would slam into the face of danger, darting in as you skidded to a halt as the sharp point of a long branch barely poked inches away from your jugular.

Quickly, that panic made way for a series of perplexed emotions overtaking you in seconds, questioning if you were hallucinating at the sight of a nude woman before you, glistening in drops of water dribbling down her body as her chest heaved up and down, likely equally as panicked as you. Not only that, her face resembled that of Mizu’s in an eerily similar fashion, everything down to the thick eyebrows crowning her blue irises matching the man you were with.

It didn’t take you long to notice. At all. Your lover was a woman under the impression of a man, tucking away her identity from the world in fear of ending up dead or worse. Especially with her goals being made easier, even with the factor of her mixed heritage under a more masculine demeanor. Oddly enough, you could empathize with her on a level of what she had been put through. Of course, you were a woman yourself, so you knew what it was like in this patriarchal society.

Mizu only froze up in shame, her breaths shallow in anxious fear as she backed away from you. She had never wanted you to see her like this, she didn’t want you to see even more of her shame, what she had hidden from you for so long. Her lies that could have done away with your relationship by now, as you had been wallowing in the falsehood that was your relationship. A demon couldn’t love, only deceive. That’s what she had been taught about herself, that’s all she knew.

“I’m..sorry..” was all she could muster the courage to choke out, her bottom lip dragging between her teeth to hide away her cracking voice to keep up the emotionless front.

However you didn’t find yourself straying away from the attraction toward Mizu…the strange sensations built up only growing stronger in a desire to hem her in yout grasp. Was it because you understood the struggles of being a woman? Or rather you truly were able to line your eyes along the beauty of her sharp features in a more feminine sense instead.

Whatever it was, you truly didn’t mind. In fact, you felt yourself far more infatuated with your lover than before, chest locking up at the sight of her enchanting form alone, as she was ethereal—out of the question for someone as beautiful as her to be in this world.

You were unable to tear your eyes away from Mizu in the fostered tension of her heavy breaths, quivering with the ache of unshed tears. Her body slowly shrinking back from you if you had done so much as lift a finger closer to her, the life practically draining from her face right before your eyes.

Shallow exhales racked the palpable silence hanging in the darkening sky, the gentle pale glow of the moon caressing her face making Mizu seem all the more unreal to you, like the spirit of a woman described in legends in a trance of captivating beauty. The way gleams of moonlight accentuated her features in a light shine brightening slivers of her thin, muscular body, capturing her as an almost ethereal being who didn’t belong on land, but rather in a sort of heaven that encompassed her beauty.

To put it simply, you were more enthralled by the fact that she was a woman instead of a man, drawn in further by not only her appearance, but the acknowledgment of her struggles as a searing wound in the vile society the two of you resided in. Perhaps everyone saw such a woman as a demon, for they couldn’t fathom her gorgeous features, that clearly proved too much for mortal eyes to behold.

Before Mizu could even open her mouth to justify her actions, scrambling together to apologize for her lies in the presence of her demonic nature that she had the misfortune of existing in—you quickly shoved your index finger against her darkened lips, soaked from the wash of the waterfall continuing to cascade down into the lake in quick rushes. Your eyelids lowered to take in her complexion as you leaned in nose to nose with her, the droplets of water brushing over you like a gift from her body to yours, while Mizu’s expression remained stunned with the way you held yourself up to her willingly. Not disgusted, nor disappointed by her lie, yet rather further reeled into the temptation of love itself.

“Mizu..”

“(Name)..?”

Your breath against her remained as cool as the harsh winds of winter, yet tranquil enough to ease her into relaxing herself under your touch. Carefully trailing your fingers up her arms in little skips along her wet skin, you somehow eased the swordsman into your touch as her body loosened into your arms like the sap of a tree. Melting into your touch in a deep lean with your skin to her nearing that of a sedative, which she could fall asleep safely to.

Every moment you spent drawing the patterns of your hands over her arms like a painting she never wanted to wash off, you silently flickered your gaze over to her lips, eyes flitting to meet hers in the warmth of cerulean softened in the comfort of your touch on her body. Lips drawing closer and closer each time, a surge of elation sparked through you once Mizu leaned in, in time with your own lips. Signaling to you in silence that you are in fact what she wanted, internally grateful in an overwhelming spill of emotions filled within her at the fact that you could accept her for who she is.

The sensation of her your lips hugged to hers ignited the heat of trust linking her heart with another, the desire to remain close to you flaring up once more, as that feeling had been left untouched for so long in the frozen over ridges of her affection and trusted, gated away for so long in a thick barrier of ice. Which now, your love had thawed away, allowing you—no, giving a piece of herself to you to which she could finally be vulnerable.

The waterfall spread to the land skirted around it was frozen over entirely, everything down to the earth covered in snow on the side icy to the touch. Yet despite the often avoided conditions the two of you had found yourself in, the warmth of your bodies fit together was strangely enough to keep you not only hot, yet alive. Flaring with the flames of passion roaring within you as it wasn’t long before you hovered above your lover flat against a slanted, smooth rock buried within the snow, Mizu’s back flush to the cold stone.

“Fuck..”

Her blue eyes buried themselves into your brain from the way she looked up at you, heavy lidded and lips parted in short breaths as you withdrew yourself from the kiss. The look in her eyes alone, that same deep storm in her eyes would for sure be a sight you would commit to memory, grasp dug into your nape as her stoic demeanor was long gone from your touch roaming along her skin, squeezing at her bare hips to which she hummed through her sealed lips.

For certain, this was the woman whom you loved. It would take an army of soldiers to pry you out of her arms and rip you to shreds if it meant being away from her. The sight of her sprawled out bare for you—exposed to your touch, practically waiting for your hands caress her all over affectionately in a plea to the gods that there truly was someone that loved her in this world. Your breath hitched at her foot nudging up against the back of your knee, her eyes still beholding that same glint that made her seem utterly intoxicated from the way you ran your hands over her.

“Can I? Please, Mizu?” You pleaded, hands resting on the inside of her thighs to gentle roll apart the minimal fat on her bones to expose her cunt glistening between her legs.

Her eyes fixed on you intently with each move you had made along her body, surprised at your touches carefully brushing every part of her body as if it was a sacred temple you served to worship. Handling even your kisses along her stomach with the utmost care, occasionally looking up at her for an affirmation of sorts. Catching her breath hitched in her throat from the unfamiliar sensation of this extent of adoration, Mizu quickly rested a hand on the back of your head, delivering you a nod of affirmation to your delight.

Sweet fans of air grazed along her heat as your eyes remained focused on the dampened folds of her cunt spread for you, tracing your middle finger up her slit as a trial as Mizu lulled her head back along the cool flat of the rock in compliance, surrendering over the most intimate parts of herself a promise while she bit back the noises crawling up her throat upon feeling your finger slip past her folds into the moistened velvet caging your fingers.

She was soaked, likely from the buildup of her arousal alongside the aftermath of her bath from earlier. As if her washing herself off was futile by now, the anticipation nervously pooling within her coated her body in a thin layer of sweat with each experimental touch of yours, sheathing your finger into her pussy with caution as you glanced up at Mizu’s face, twisted in pleasure for any signs of discomfort.

Although it wasn’t the first time she had done this, the way you continued to check on her through the overwhelming bliss of your digit curling into her spongy walls sure felt like it was. Mizu only struggled to contain the gasps that fell from her swollen lips as she felt the unexpected drag of your tongue pressed against the velvet of her clit as she writhed beneath you, close-mouthed low moans buzzing against her throat as you latched onto the bundle of nerves between her thighs with each curl of your fingers.

Her cunt left you drunk at her mercy as you lapped away hungrily at the taste seeping onto your tongue, accompanying the gradual increase in volume of her moans while her hips bucked up driving you further into the depths of a haze that caught even Mizu in the whirlwind of your touch. Your fingers continued to stutter their movements in the flurry of your onslaught against her pussy, the taste of her slick smeared across your lips growing far too intoxicating for you to multitask in the blur of you own arousal, Mizu’s gasps pitched to outright lewd moans as you eased your ring finger past her folds as well.

The samurai squirmed in the overwhelming sensations coursing through every vein in her body, her fibers tinged with the feel of your fingers lodged inside her as her walls clamped around your digits like a vice keeping you inside her. Her sharp breaths squeaked out of her alongside the endless stream of whimpers that fell from her lips, quivering against your thrusts as your lips pressed up her torso in a trail of fire. Nose tickling along her let down hair, you smiled as you took the time to brush any strands off her body, lips wrapping around any skin you could land your mouth on across her.

Mizu’s eyes rolled to the back of her head in the strangled chorus of her moans, squeezing them shut as her throat began to run dry from the pressure you exerted onto her chest, free hand palming her right breast while your lips wrapped around the other. Her heart rapidly thumped against her chest in heavy beats as both your fingers sheathing in an out of her, as well as your added stimulation to her chest drove her insane. She had never once been able to bask in the comfort of anyone loving her this much, willing to hang on for dear life even if it was the last thing they did.

Both of you were so deeply coiled up within one another, entwined to the point where seperating you both would be out of the question, the raw passion of the moment embedding a deep crest of each other, worn on both of your hearts with pride. Echos of what you invoked within each other, the enticing fervor of a love so deep it could span across the realm of the god, sever any blade that tried to cut through it whether it was a well trained samurai or the shogun himself.

“You’re so beautiful..do you know that?” You murmured against her tit, tenderly sinking your fingers back in to barely graze along the cavern of her g-spot.

Mizu’s nails dug deep crescents into your bare shoulders, her whines now knowing no end as they drawled out of her like an infinite melody, her hips rolling against your hips quicker to keep up with the pace you set when you pushed them into her while gradually speeding up. Her moans caught up in her throat as small slips of tears streamed down her cheeks, her words coming out as messy sobs that cracked with your thrusts stuffing her full.

“Fuck, I- ah-! (Name)..I love- haah-! Love you so much..” she sobbed, not bothering to speak any more besides those words as her moans did enough in expressing it all.

You smacked your lips away from her glistening breast as your feverish lips pressed to her cheek in assurance, knowing that she was vocal during sex as you could see now, yet not one to talk to convey her feelings. Your lips continued to work along her exposed throat, feeling her whimpers and whines vibrate against your lips with each kiss you planted to her neck.

“I love you too..”

Almost in the blink of an eye, it wasn’t long before her hips jerked in the burn of your fingers stretching her open, stuttering against you inside her. The steady pace of your fingers slowly subsided to a stop as her juices spilled to decorate your fingers, heavy drawn out breaths ringing in your ears as Mizu clung to you for dear life upon reaching her climax.

Wordlessly, she dragged you on top of her as she held you tight to her chest, the same guarded embrace which she always fell asleep to you with as her eyes grew heavy from the exhaustion of your intense experience.

You gently brushed her hair out of her face at the sight of the feared samurai laying below you, open and willing to welcome you into her arms as a rare sight. About to nearly fall asleep in your arms, you recalled how greatful you were to have her in your life, embracing her with all your heart. Whatever she wanted, whatever you wanted in your life amidst the darkness and ache stabbed into this world, the thick aftermath lingering in the air proved that all you needed was each other.

Truly, you believed that the gods were in your favor, as Mizu was a blessing you couldn’t forsake.

A/N: OKAY I WAS SUPPOSED TO POST YESTERDAY BUT IT GOT LATE AND I FELL ASLEEO BEFORE I COULD WRITE THE SECOND HALF HOLY SHIT anywayyyy I like how this one turned out yippee

@fairexy78 eat now dinner’s ready

Yippee I might post again later today or double post Saturday and Sunday if I’m up to it because I planned to post this yesterday and another fic today omg

[japonski]

The Bankara Movement (蛮カラ)

Bankara high schoolers. 1929, Kumamoto.

Bankara youth stride through a gate in the early post-war era. 1949, Takushoku University.

In the late 1800s, during the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), Japan was all about modernizing, and one of the ways the government pushed this was through Western-style clothing. Men’s fashion changed first—shaved heads and topknots gave way to European-style cropped hair. By the mid-1880s, 90% of Tokyo men were rocking a fake-European “randomly cropped” look (散切り頭). Geta (wooden clogs) were swapped for regular shoes and even sneakers, while suits, hats, and ties replaced the old hakama and haori.

For Japan’s high society, wearing Western clothes became the new way of showing they were part of the Civilization and Enlightenment movement (bunmei kaika, 文明開化). The rich and powerful wanted to create a clean, modern look for Japan. By 1898, this whole push for Western fashion became known as the haikara (“high collar”) movement.

But not everyone was into it. The bankara movement grew as a response to all this Western influence. Bankara (蛮カラ) means “barbaric,” and those who followed this style rejected the fancy, foreign clothes, going for a more rugged, traditional vibe. It was especially popular with students and intellectuals who didn’t want to give up Japan’s roots.

The Tonbi Coat

At the same time, the tonbi coat showed how Japan was mixing in Western elements but making them their own. Originally based on the Inverness coat from Scotland, the tonbi was modified to fit the kimono with wide armholes and a cape. Over time, it became so tied to Japanese style that no one even thought of it as a Western thing anymore, to the point that Bankara students liked to wear the tonbi coat over their uniforms as symbol of subversion.

So, while the government was pushing for Western fashion, the bankara movement resisted, and the tonbi coat shows how Japan took some foreign ideas and turned them into something uniquely their own.

Sources: 1,2,3.

[pocketseizure]

Designer's Note: When we were designing Ganondorf, our most important goal was to inspire anyone playing the game with an innate impression that "he must be defeated."

Ganondorf’s smile in the moment he takes Sonia's Secret Stone is meant to fill the player with a sense of despair at confronting someone who can't be reasoned with. This scene emphasizes that the ultimate goal of the game is to "Destroy Ganondorf."

While it’s necessary for Ganondorf to have the dignified appearance of a desert king, we put great care and attention into small details to convey the impression that he’s a sly and cunning person who won’t hesitate to employ underhanded means in service to his goals. The most difficult aspect of his design was his eyes. Even the most subtle of adjustments would weaken Ganondorf’s impression as a sharp and powerful character, and we made countless revisions.

Because we wanted to draw Ganondorf as a skilled but solitary warrior who stands alone in battle, we adopted the samurai-style outfit of a loose kimono worn open at the chest without formal hakama trousers. We also referenced various pieces of Buddhist art transmitted to Japan along the Silk Road in order to mix aesthetic influences from desert tribes into his Japanese clothing.

This design gave us a lot of trouble, but we’ll be satisfied if the player has a sense of this Ganondorf being his own unique character distinct from previous appearances in the series.

[asidian]

DBDA Meta Commentary Roundup

Okay, I'm getting tired of scrolling back to find my own posts, so it's time for a roundup post for my DBDA meta commentary.

Meta Commentary:

Why you should watch Dead Boy Detectives

Charles is a people pleaser

A very large snake as a reference to hell

The same lantern

Edwin knows the Misery Wraiths a bit too well

Why Charles is upset by more than just jealousy re: Monty

The white kimono

How Crystal and Charles' character arcs intersect to make an absolute trash fire

You can talk to me about anything

Edwin's hidden kindness as Charles dies

Edwin's hangups re: emotion and how it ties into his time in hell

The silliest Clue edition

The Cat King's design changes when he starts a new life

Counting cats

Where is the Doll House

Edwin and Charles acting like they've known each other forever in tiny details

Esther has the cops in her pocket

The lantern scenes as an extension of the theme "The good you do comes back around"

Why Charles opens up to Crystal so quickly

Payneland endgame nods through leitmotifs in the soundtrack

Charles is super sensitive to criticism, even when it's not intended

The Season 2 in my heart

The hidden nod to history in the WWI ghost's makeup

Why Charles' death is so much worse than it seems

The brilliance of the first ten minutes

The ship of all time

The incredible women of Dead Boy Detectives

Edwin's bowtie

Crystal and Charles as mirrors and projections

Bi disaster Charles Rowland

Edwin can knit

Chekhov's snake-slaying sword

Murder night movie time

Why Charles was more of a hero than he knew

What the doll placement says about Edwin's many deaths

Charles smiles for other people

The absolute fridge horror of That One Gate in hell

The only good thing generative AI has ever done

The wood-burning stove as part of Charles' cold trauma

Charles is so very brave for walking into hell

Charles' bad decision face

Edwin complimenting Crystal as a kindness to Charles

Charles' something-is-going-to-be-difficult tell Charles Rowland appreciation hours

Crystal's two character arcs

Niko's fear of death and her own mortality

Mick is great

How Edwin speaks of hell as character growth A reminder of home The secret in Jenny and Maxine's wine label

Set Design:

Charles' room

The London office

The boys' detective license and its source

Tragic Mick's shop

Niko's room

Cameos:

The boys' early relationship and how they've influenced each other

What the boys do together in their downtime as leisure activities

A brief in-character skit of an ordinary day at the office

Tidbits about the characters that didn't make it into the show

Input in developing Edwin as a character and suggested changes Imagining a Valentine's ep and Charles' thoughts on the holiday

Imagining a Valentine's ep and Edwin's thought on The Holiday

Color Symbolism:

Red

Blue

Pink

Green

Green (alt)

Purple

Orange

Brown

Black

White

[otomehoneyybearr]

Ruby's Lucky Bag

A Ruby-Style New Years: Sweet First Training!

Heads up: Lots of confectionary and Matcha-making terminology, but Professor Chevalier comes to save the day!

It was the New Year, and I found myself in Ruby, a country where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Kagari: “Happy New Year. I’m glad you all came.”

Kagari: “Now, draw your swords.”

Yves & Licht “What!?” “……”

Keith: “Emma, stand back.”

Emma: “O-okay—Wah!?”

Chevalier: “Finish this quickly.”

(He picked me with one arm to distance us from Prince Kagari and the others, but shouldn't Prince Chevalier be joining the fight too!?)

Licht: "Chevalier, that’s easy for you to say."

Kagari: “If you fight with all you’ve got, you might stand a chance."

Licht: “He’s moving faster than before. Yves, don’t get any closer, it’s dangerous.”

Yves: "Ugh, it's heavy… my hands are going numb…"

Keith: “It’s 3 against 1, and he’s even holding back, yet we’re the ones struggling…"

Yves: “Wouldn’t a one-on-one with Prince Chevalier have been better?”

Licht: “If it were just the two of them, then the castle would collapse, and starting the year with an international incident would cause Sariel to collapse from the opverwork.”

Emma: “W-Why are we doing this the moment we arrive…?”

Kagari: “This is a common New Year’s greeting in Kogyoku.”

Emma: “This is a greeting!?!”

(The reason I came here was because Prince Kagari sent me an invitation to the first training of the year...)

(Could it be that the first training starts off with this New Year’s greeting?)

(But why was I invited? I can barely handle a kitchen knife, let alone a sword!)

(What if they tell me that I’m next and I get thoroughly beaten up...?!)

Chevalier: “That won’t happen.”

Emma: “Huh...?”

Kagari: “Did you take me seriously, Princess? That's a good expression.”

Yves: “Then why did you suddenly attack us?”

Kagari: “Don’t you also feel the urge to fight when a strong opponent appears before you?”

Yves: “That’s way too broad of an assumption… Most people don’t feel that way.”

Licht: "I get that feeling. I want to fight strong opponents too."

Yves: “What?”

Keith: “I kind of get it too… Maybe because of Kagari’s influence."

Yves: “Wait, am I in the minority here!?”

Kagari: "It was brief, but I enjoyed sparring with you all to start the New Year."

Kagari: "I hope you will join in next time, Chevalier."

Chevalier: “I wasn’t aware that keeping guests waiting was Ruby’s custom.”

Kagari: “You’re as cold as ever, despite that pretty face.”

Kagari: “Come in. An enjoyable training awaits.”

(What kind of training will it be?)

Kagari: “First, however—you’ll need to change, Princess.”

Emma: “Huh? Change…?”

.....

Yves, Licht, & Keith:

“…....”

Chevalier & Kagari: “......” “Gold Star”

Emma: “Um… I-I’ll go change back!”

Yves, Licht, & Keith: “No!” “Why?” “That’s…”

Emma: "But everyone looked so taken aback except for Prince Kagari."

Yves: "Of course we'd be shocked if you showed up in a kimono!"

Keith: “Yeah. Emma, you looked so beautiful in the kimono that we were at a loss for words. Your hair is done up so elegantly—you look adorable.”

Keith: “Right, Licht?”

Licht: “You’re supposed to ask that to Yves at times like this… But, I do think it suits you.”

Licht: “Right, Chevalier?”

Chevalier: “Don’t involve me in this.”

Licht: “Clavis told me to make sure your occasionally included in conversations,

Licht: "Or else my room will be filled with traps. Help me out.”

Chevalier: "How utterly ridiculous."

Emma: “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t that I didn’t look good… Thank you.”

(I never expected to be whisked away to another room by the servants and stripped of my clothes, only to then be dressed in a kimono…)

(But I’ve always wanted to try wearing a kimono, so I’m happy!)

Emma: “Whoa…!”

Yves: "Careful, are you okay?"

Emma: “Yeah. Thanks for stopping my fall, Yves.”

Yves: “It’s understandable since it's your first time in a kimono. Just don’t walk like you would in a skirt."

Yves: “And be careful not to mess up the outfit!”

Emma: “Got it. But…”

Yves: “W-what?”

Emma: “Why aren’t you looking at me?”

Yves: “Wh—, I-it’s not like your kimono looks so cute that I can’t handle looking at you up close, okay!?”

Kagari: “…? But he just admitted to it.”

Licht: "Don’t mind him. He’s always like this."

Kagari: “I see. What an amusing brother you have.”

Keith: "Kagari, since Emma changed into a kimono, does that mean the first training is actually a tea ceremony?”

Emma & Yves: “Tea ceremony?”

Kagari: “Correct. In Ruby, the first tea ceremony of the year is called the first kettle or the first training.”

Licht: "I see... That’s confusing."

(Licht’s expression—he was probably expecting sword training...)

Kagari: "Since this is everyone's first time aside from Keith, I don’t want to make it too formal. Just join in and enjoy yourself."

(So, it’s not a physical training session after all.)

Emma & Yves: "…That’s a relief."

....

Kagari: "…"

(Wow, this tea gathering is completely different from Rhodolite's.)

(What Prince Kagari is about to prepare... or rather, whisk, is matcha, right?)

(I remember the owner making it for me a long time ago.)

(What’s that cloth Prince Kagari just picked up?)

Chevalier: "That’s a fukusa. It’s used during the tea ceremony to purify the utensils and handle the kettle lid."

Licht: "The way he’s folded into triangles and long strips makes it look like a magic trick."

Emma: "Oh, so that stick-like thing he’s holding now is..."

Chevalier: "A chashaku. It’s used to scoop matcha from the natsume."

Emma: "Natsume...?"

Chevalier: "It’s the black cylindrical container."

Emma: "I see. And the item next to it...?"

Chevalier: "That’s a chasen, used for whisking the matcha."

Emma, Yves, & Licht:  "Ohhh…"

Keith: "It’s amazing how naturally you turned Prince Chevalier into a guide."

(Prince Kagari’s precise and elegant movements during the tea preparation are so refined—it’s mesmerizing...)

Servant: "Pardon me... Please, enjoy."

Emma: "Thank you."

(How cute... It’s shaped like a cherry blossom. This type of sweet is called nerikiri, isn’t it?)

Kagari: "Go ahead and eat, Princess."

Emma: "Alright then... Thank you."

(It’s so pretty, it almost feels wrong to ruin it, but...)

(Mmm, it’s moist and smooth with a gentle sweetness... So delicious.)

Yves: "Hehe, look at that smile. You always look so happy when you eat something delicious."

Keith: "I get that. I can’t help but watch too... Wait."

Keith: "Being stared at by a big guy like me must make it hard to eat comfortably. Once again, I’m totally ruining the mood."

Licht: "You’re making it even harder to eat."

Emma: "Oh, um, please don’t worry about me. Let’s all enjoy these together! They’re really delicious!"

Kagari: "Chevalier, you drink first."

Chevalier: "……"

Kagari: "…No reaction, huh? How boring."

(What does he mean by that? ….Hmm?)

(The matcha Prince Kagari prepared looks a much darker green than the one the owner made for me before.)

(And there’s less of it. Maybe it’s a different type of tea leaf.)

Chevalier: "Hold out your hands."

Emma: "…! O-okay."

(He handed me the bowl of tea. So this matcha is meant to be shared? This is my first time trying it.)

(Here goes…)

Emma: "......?!?!"

(I-It’s so bitter! This is completely different from any matcha I’ve ever had.)

(Ugh... Haa... Somehow, I managed to drink it. I didn’t know matcha could be this bitter.)

Kagari: "Princess, you’re making quite the face."

Licht: "Look who’s talking."

Keith: "You look like someone who’s just succeeded in their prank…"

(So Prince Kagari’s comment earlier must have meant he was hoping for Prince Chevalier to react to the bitterness.)

Emma: "Alright, Yves, you’ve got this!"

Yves: "…? I’m not sure what you mean, but alright."

Yves: "Guh…!?!!"

Yves: "…Alright, Licht, your turn."

Licht: "Is it really that unusual a taste?"

Licht: "………"

Licht: "...Keith, you seem like you’d be used to this stuff."

Keith: "Licht, you're not thinking I’m some kind of herb enthusiast to roam around at night chewing on random plants, right?”

Licht: "I’d actually like to know how you reached that conclusion in the first place."

Licht: "I just thought you’d be used to it since Jade has been close with Ruby for a long time."

Keith: "Oh, that’s what you meant. Yeah, I’ve had thick matcha before."

Kagari: "Keith’s reaction was predictable. You two, however, had great reactions, just like the Princess."

Kagari: "It was worth preparing the finest matcha."

Licht: "You’ve got a wicked personality."

Kagari: "This is nothing compared to Clavis’s pranks."

Yves & Licht "That’s true." "Agreed."

Kagari: "Don’t worry. There’s another round coming up. This one will be usucha—a lighter tea, easier to drink."

Servant: "Excuse me."

Yves: "Oh, are we getting more sweets too?"

Kagari: "Of course. Sweets always come before matcha."

Licht: "They just melted away in my mouth."

Yves: "They’re called rakugan. I’ll make some for you when we’re back in Rhodolite."

(Ah, the servants are back... This time, each of us gets our own cup of matcha.)

Emma: "Oh!"

Licht: "What’s wrong?"

Emma: "There’s a rabbit drawn on my matcha!"

Yves: "I have a cat on mine. What about you, Licht?"

Licht: "A wolf. Keith’s looks like a deer?"

Keith: "Yeah. So then, Prince Chevalier’s is..."

(A tiger! The stern expression even resembles him a little.)

Keith: "Is this drawing made with matcha?"

Kagari: "Correct."

Emma: "It’s so cute, I almost don’t want to ruin it."

Kagari: "I’ll let the person who drew it know you said that."

Kagari: "Now, drink up. Tea loses its flavor as it cools."

Emma: "Alright, thank you."

Emma: "Mmm… It’s delicious! And not bitter at all."

Yves: "That’s true. It's probably because the sweetness from the snacks lingers in our mouths."

Licht: "So that’s why those snacks were so sweet."

Kagari: "Traditionally, we don’t do this, but I wanted to show some hospitality since you went out of your way to visit Ruby."

Keith: "K-Kagari... To think you could offer such wonderful hospitality…"

Licht: "How bad was it before…?"

Yves: "It must’ve been something worthy of his title as Demon."

(When we first arrived, we were met with a rather ominous greeting that made me nervous. But now, I feel so warm and at peace, both in body and mind.)

(I’m so glad I came to Ruby with everyone.)

(Starting the new year, spending such calm and serene time in a foreign land, it feels like this year is going to be a good one.)

(Now that I think about it...)

Emma: "Um, Prince Kagari, may I ask you something?"

Emma: "Why did you invite us to this first training?"

Kagari: "Just on a whim."

Kagari: "...Though if I had to give a reason, it’s because the water used in today’s tea is wakamizu."

Emma: "Wakamizu?"

Chevalier: "It refers to the water drawn for the first time on New Year’s Day."

Chevalier: "In Ruby, tea prepared with wakamizu is believed to be good for the body, ward off all illnesses, and dispel misfortune for the year."

Kagari: "You're well-informed. That’s exactly right."

(So the reason Prince Kagari invited us to the first training was...)

Kagari: "Saying goodbye right after getting to know someone is dull and boring."

Kagari: "Consider this my New Year’s gift to you—a hidden charm of sorts."

Kagari: "I wonder what kind of year this will be for all of us. Exciting, isn’t it?"

Achroite | Tanzanite

▼・ᴥ・▼

[pseudowho]

Infiltration, Chapter Two: Pillow Talk

Nanami Kento and the reader must pretend to be married to infiltrate a deadly Curse-user cult and take it down from the inside.

A slow-burn fic with fluff/comfort, angst, smut and heroics from our favourite salaryman.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

You and Kento looked the picture of marital bliss as you were led down the hallways of the temple for your joint interview. Your hand felt so small and soft in his; he opened every door for you, and you rewarded him with twinkling smiles that, although part of the act, had him feeling weak at the knees.

Kento's pat to your bottom as you stepped into the waiting room had you giggling, and your guide, an elderly woman in a kimono, rolled her eyes fondly at the young couple before her; there will be children running around here in no time, she thought, none-the-wiser to your schemes.

With the door closing behind her, you turned to Kento and slapped at his chest as he chuckled, pretending to defend himself-- "Was the bum pat too much?" he mused as you scoffed at him. Having far too much fun together, you giggled like teenagers before you met his eyes, fully serious now.

"Remember- my technique only works on Curses, not humans," you reminded Kento in low tones. You knew you'd never be accepted into the cult if they believed you to be capable of influencing the thoughts or choices of their members. Kento nodded, stern now as he gripped your shoulders and gazed down at you.

"And I'm in charge here," he whispered, hushed and insistent, "you're just my quiet wife, not a threat at all." This wasn't what you had agreed, and you opened your mouth to argue, but Kento silenced you with a look. "Please. You're safer if you're overlooked. And we both know you're the brains of this," he insisted as you scoffed again, "so let's make it easier for you to harvest information. Let's have you totally ignored." Narrowing your eyes at him, you knew he was right, though your stomach churned at Kento wanting to make himself the target if your cover was blown.

Kento adjusted his tie, running his fingers through his hair, making your breath hitch in your chest. He continued, convicted but disapproving, "This cult is likely a sexist, misogynist cesspit like the rest of them, anyway. Bold women frighten them," he spat.

"Kento, I don't think I've ever been meek my whole life," you smiled wryly at him. Kento's lips quirked, sardonic and approving.

"I know. It's one of my favourite things about you."

When the door opened to two older men, both roughly in their sixties, your blush and Kento's closeness brought to mind a young couple caught necking in a cupboard, and the two men shared a knowing glance. Kento turned his back to you, bowing deeply to the men, and you offered hushed bows and greetings behind him, ostensibly already the meek Mrs.Tsuda.

"Please come through, Mr and Mrs Tsuda," the more cheerful of the two men offered. He was tall, soft and approachable, with white hair and an old zippered cardigan. The second merely glowered at Kento and you, his dark hair peppered with grey, looking stiff and pressed in a crisp black suit. Kento took your hand firmly and you squeaked as he pulled you through short corridors to the interview room, which was...an old dojo, you noted, opening onto a lush and trimmed traditional Japanese garden.

Kneeling on ceremony, you remained silent as you sat to the side of and just behind Kento. His physique now radiated no warmth towards you, and you sat to attention, appearing brittle and ready to ask "how high?" if Kento commanded you to "jump". You felt a pang of success in your gut when the two men appraised you and Kento, approving of your apparent dominant-subservient marital dynamics.

"Well now...might I start by saying what a delight it is that such an eager young couple has shown interest in becoming a part of our community," began the kindly man, "and how eager we are to find out more about you both."

Pausing for a moment for tea to be brought in, the man continued, "Allow me to introduce us both. My name is Ono Shinzu, and my younger brother here is Ono Tatsu. But in the community, we are generally known as The Fathers, if you please." Father Tatsu's eyes remained narrowed, his mouth set in a grim line, paying you no significant attention, but boring holes into Kento's face. Kento was totally unfazed, not an easy man to intimidate.

"We have of course read your files and applications with great interest, and, I'm sure you don't mind, have run some thorough preliminary background checks on you both," Father Shinzu leaned across to you and Kento conspiratorially, "which you'll be pleased to know found nothing...undesirable." Kento hummed his approval, leaning across to Father Shinzu.

"Absolutely, Father. All of my skeletons are very well buried," Kento whispered to him, equally conspiratorial. Father Shinzu, tickled, clapped his dry old hands together and laughed.

"Splendid my boy, we're delighted, we really are. Now as I'm sure you're both aware, our Community is most interested in expanding the Jujutsu Sorcerer population far beyond its current level. The current Sorcerer influence on the...direction our great country is taking is disappointingly minimal. The average man and woman in the population needs far more...guidance, shall we say, on the path ahead. We should be delighted to see our Community's leaders and children across positions of public influence all across this fine country. Don't you agree?" You and Kento both agreed enthusiastically, to the approval of the Fathers.

Soon, enough small-talk had passed that the Fathers seemed wholly convinced of your dedication to their cause. Father Tatsu spoke up abruptly, cutting across his brother.

"To the matter of your cursed-techniques. We shall start with the lady, I suppose," Father Tatsu toned, a light sneer evident in his voice. You squeaked, looking to Kento for permission to speak. He nodded once, briskly, nervous for you.

"Oh, well I erm..." you stuttered, the perfect mild wife, "I'm not really much of a fighter I suppose. I have a way of influencing the decisions a Curse will make." You laughed, reedy and tinkling, "You know, they always scared me so much, really I just convince them to leave me well alone!" You laughed again, demure as the Fathers offered you polite smiles, nodding approvingly.

Nailed it, thought Kento, wishing he could show you how impressed he was. The attention shifted quickly to him.

"But you, Mr.Tsuda. By your own words, you're something of a...powerhouse, if you will," Father Tatsu pressed, eyes narrowed again. Kento nodded, puffing his chest out, seeming so arrogant, so unlike himself.

"Grade 1 Sorcerer level, if we're going by those demeaning standards," Kento huffed.  Kento explained his ratio technique to the Fathers, sparing no detail. Father Tatsu's eyes glimmered, greedy and fascinated.

Father Shinzu spoke up, "Whilst I would be delighted to observe this technique today, yours does sound rather destructive, Mr.Tsuda, and I'm quite fond of my little dojo. But, we have had several lovely young couples join our cause this month, so we've organised a little...dinner and spar for tomorrow night for you to all showcase your talents. I assume yourself and your wife would like to attend?"

The penny dropped. We're in, you and Kento both thought, the room suddenly all bows, paperwork and handshakes.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

"That was vile," you sulked, rummaging through your suitcase as Kento chuckled at you, looking through the cupboards in your new home. Your little marital house within the complex was surprisingly spacious, wood-pannelled and screen-doored, tidy and unassuming. It did, however, have its own onsen, enclosed behind high walls outside your living area. You pictured Kento, bare-chested and wet, toned arms and long-fingered hands beckoning you to the water like a Siren.

Blushing furiously, you slapped your own cheeks. Kento peered round a corner at the sound, frowning at you. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes, absolutely!" you fumbled, "it's just, they've uh...they've been through my suitcase, I think." Kento gulped down the lump in his throat as he saw you shift cute lacey bras and underwear around your suitcase, trying to reorganise it. He coughed, grumbling to himself.

"Yes, well...no illicit materials allowed here I suppose," as he backed around the corner again, once again pondering his chances of getting through this mission alive with his dignity intact.

Foiling his plan to hide his flushed cheeks, you ducked round the corner to him, eyebrows wiggling wickedly, "Does that mean we'll have to make our own fun?"

Kento nearly choked on his own spit, but Uno reverse'd you instead, "Well, help me put the futon together, my love, and we shall see." The smile slipped off your face, to Kento's amusement.

"Futon? Singular?"

Kento began constructing your bed, back to you and trying his best to just keep it together, man. He was too busy lost in the thought of you, stretched out like a goddess, in some of those delicious underwear sets, bare legs tangling with his in the warmth of the futon as he rolled you onto him, clamping your legs around his hips as he--

And you stood behind Kento, fluffing pillows, as you imagined Kento, hot and desperate and moaning your name, as your mouth worked around him under the covers, wondering how he tastes, his hips bucking against your mouth as he--

The futon was constructed, Kento paying vast attention to detail in his internal turmoil, pillows fluffed to full attention by you as you tortured yourself with impure thoughts.

"Obviously, I'll sleep on the sofa," Kento offered, always a gentleman.

"No way. You need the sleep more than me,  especially when this comes down to a fight." Kento scoffed something about years of poor sleep and managing just fine, thank you, and the two of you found yourself bickering lightly, no venom, but as if you really were--

"Some old married couple!" you snapped at Kento, and he gazed at you fondly, his fingers holding his own chin and barely concealing his soft smile. You flushed, hitting him with a pillow, "So you can stop looking at me like that!"

Kento sighed, heading to the bathroom and coming back with his toothbrush, "Enough," he said with such finality that you couldn't offer any further complaint, "we're professionals, we are friends, and we happen to need to sleep beside each other for a little while. I'm certain we're both adult enough that this need not be a problem."

You felt mortified, certain that Kento's ability to remain cool about this was evidence of his unreciprocated feelings, and you almost felt tears of embarrassment prickle in your eyes before containing yourself again.

Wordlessly, you both got ready for bed; you slipped under the covers quickly, Kento only seeing the briefest glimpse of satin shorts against your plush thighs. Kento pulled at the neckline of the t-shirt he never normally wore for bed, usually bare-chested, and wondering if his pyjamas did anything to hide his partial erection. Both rolling away, your backs to each other, the room dark and still aside from the faint buzz of insects in your garden, you and Kento were woefully unaware that your torture was completely mutual.

+-+-+-+-+-+--+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Kento woke in the night, taking a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. Eyes adjusting to the night, he heard soft whimpers and frantic shuffling against the sheets in the dark. Reaching out, Kento softly spoke your name. His fingertips reached your face and flinched back- wet, he thought, cupping your cheek with his hand, she's crying.

You were, like every night, lost in the nightmare of your last mission, doomed to watch your friend die again and again. Kento gulped, desperate to help you, but afraid to make you uncomfortable. As you called out for help in your sleep, Kento couldn't help himself as he slid his arms around you, sitting up and sliding you gently against his chest.

You jolted awake, arms held close to you by his, so warm and secure, that you cried harder. Kento said nothing, rocking and shushing you like a child as you gripped his t-shirt and sobbed your heart out. You poured out your fears to Kento, weakened and vulnerable.

"We've made a mistake coming here," you sobbed, clinging onto him now, "I can't lose you like I lost her, it would kill me, and you're so bloody chivalrous, I know you'll go out of your way to keep me safe."

"As I damn well should," Kento urged, voice tight and determined. You shook your head against his chest, your ear tickling as he grumbled at you. He held both sides of your face now, pulling it gently into a strip of moonlight glowing in through the windows. He stared into you, your eyes sparkling with tears, nose pink and lips puffy, and gulped as he stopped himself pulling you in for a kiss there and then. With your tear-stained cheeks squashed between Kento's broad palms, you felt like a child, and avoided his gaze.

Hands occupied, Kento gently bopped his nose against yours, forcing you to look at him.

"You're going to be fine. I'm going to be fine. We'll be out of here and going for our usual coffee date in no time. Trust me."

You nodded, sniffles abating as he dropped a kiss to your forehead. Both shuffling back to your sides of the bed, you lay quietly in the dark, blushing furiously.

Kento tortured himself internally, wondering if you had noticed when he accidentally referred to your trips out for coffee while working as dates.

You had.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Waking up the next morning, sunlight streaming through the screen doors, you sighed and moved to roll over. You found yourself totally restrained by thick forearms, and your internal temperature instantly shot up by what felt like a hundred degrees.

Kento slept, soft hair mussed by sleep and breath tickling your ears. And, it seemed, he was a cuddler.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Chapter 3: Deadly Games, link HERE!