#kiryu is not real and he can not hurt you. it’s okay

[designernishiki]

bro kiryu is a terrible parent. he may be happiest when he's surrounded by the kids at the orphanage but what kind of genuine happiness has he given THEM? the dude provides them no stability and haruka is the one that actually looked after them the whole time while he runs off to fix up the tojo again and again. it's better that he stays away from them. even kiryu finally sees that. it's why he chose to do what he did at the end of 6. i hope he continues to leave them the hell alone.

park mirei is that you????

I really don’t think it’s that simple. I don’t think he’s a bad parent and I don’t think he’s a perfectly good one either. I think some of the things that make him a “bad” parent are actually his fault, while other things haven’t been, and are instead more of an inevitable product of the shady world him and haruka both were born into.

TLDR: it’s literally factually incorrect to say he didn’t/barely raised his kids and instead just left haruka to do it (most of 2007-2011 he was fully present and solely devoted to raising them, no other job, no other intentions), and he absolutely has done a lot for them and their happiness. however, he’s made some bad choices as well and has his fair share of flaws as a parent. most importantly, his past does tend to find him in one way or another regardless of what he does, which is not something that’s easy to solve. taking himself out of the picture hurts the kids tremendously, while staying in the picture potentially endangers/hinders the kids. I can’t say what the “right” thing to do would be, because it’s not black and white. all I can say for sure is that he did have an important and positive impact on their childhoods, and they care about him just as much as he cares about them.

(more in depth version below)

the idea that he hasn’t done anything for his kids and didn’t actually raise them is something I wholeheartedly disagree with and is just factually untrue. before he starts getting threatened and manipulated by various groups/people to get him to leave, for several years (most of 2007-2011) he was a caring parent who devoted all of his time and effort to raising those kids and it shows from how much they love and miss him when he’s gone, and in the personal problems he helps each of them with whenever he can in y3. On top of love in general, he provides them with stability, a sense of family and home, and helps some of the more traumatized kids regain the ability to trust and overcome survivor’s guilt. he’s responsible for the years of those kids’ lives they would almost undoubtedly all consider the best of their childhoods. “what kind of happiness has he given them?” a whole damn lot, frankly.

kiryu never goes back to deal with shit in the tojo clan fully voluntarily. it’s basically always because something is threatening the orphanage and the kids’ wellbeing, or because there are people he cares about in the clan, which makes for a lot of potential issues but– considering he’s not heartless and can’t just turn off the bonds he has with certain people– can’t be avoided, considering the closest people he had to family were yakuza/yakuza-adjacent, and cutting all of them (that he has left) off completely isn’t as easy as you make it seem. when daigo– who’s like a son to him in his own right– gets shot and very nearly dies in y3, no shit he’s gonna be concerned. and he’s deeply conflicted at first on what to do (or not do) about it. it’s really really really not as black and white as him being a good person or a bad person for being dragged back into clan ordeals– much of the time it’s not his fault at all. by all accounts he feels guilty and horrible for his past endangering the kids, and it’s a HUGE recurring theme/conflict that contributes heavily to his distancing in y5, and further distancing in y6.

HOWEVER. he has absolutely made some iffy choices and I’d never say he’s a perfect parent. for one, I definitely think haruka was allowed to be more parentified than she should’ve been– he needed the extra help, considering one adult raising that many kids isn’t easy, but he should’ve gotten that help via employing another adult (I was hoping mikiyo from y3 would do this, but he doesn’t get mentioned after y3 for whatever reason sadly), not relying on her for more responsibility than a kid should have.

moreover, despite her parentification, there’s several times where he makes huge decisions for haruka (and the kids in general to some extent) without her input / against her wishes, and recklessly puts himself in grave danger despite having kids who rely on him to take into consideration. it absolutely baffled me at the beginning of y6 to see that there wasn’t any real adult put in kiryu’s place while he was in prison, and that it’d just been the older kids seemingly who acted as caretakers for the household. that was a horrible oversight and I think he should’ve known better– yeah, he didn’t have much time to find someone to fill the role, but he was in contact with haruka and he could’ve had her get help from one of kiryu’s friends to find someone. there were definitely options and I’m not gonna make any excuses there. he’s not infallible, no doubt.

Shit gets really complicated when it comes to him leaving the way he does a number of times. He does it in the hopes that it protects the kids from his past that keeps springing up and endangering their futures, but the issue with this is that BECAUSE he did, in fact, lovingly raise these kids for the most fundamental years of their lives and become their father figure, ripping himself out of their lives can’t be good for them– especially considering they’re orphans who have already had parents ripped from their lives and undoubtedly have abandonment issues as it is. this is terribly complicated and doesn’t have a black or white answer at all– leaving them has the huge emotional repercussions I just mentioned, and staying potentially endangers them and their futures. there is no easy way to slice it, and even the best parent on earth would be torn if put in that scenario.

personally I can’t help but hope he gets to reunite with his family, as I know they’d want that as much as he would; but it’s for the best at this point that they don’t have to fully rely on him and him alone. kiryu needs other adults to lean on in his life, and so do the kids. I think the kids are capable of this– of building new bonds and broader support systems– but kiryu has got a ways to go.

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

Started the game and.... ÖAKZJFLALXKSNN. The devs woke up and chose immediate emotional violence. Played up until the part we met The Baby™

I think I'm gonna play on Hard difficulty for the first time. Might get my ass kicked, but I've done okay on Normal all the other games.

Just plot stuff, gonna make a separate post for QOL, UI and random side content stuff!

Literally said "OH NO, OH NO" out loud when I saw this title screen. I can tell this game is gonna obliterate me emotionally.

That light in his eyes? That smile? The soft tone of voice? THAT'S PURE AND UNCONDITONAL LOVE. HE'S SO FULL OF LOVE!!! I LOVE HIM 😭❤️

*remembers this is a yakuza game* Oh dear. Oh lord. Oh shit. PLEASE NO!! LET HIM HAVE THIS PLEASE!! 😭 COME ON RGG PLEASE DON'T... 😭😭

Haruto is.... it's truly one of the names of all time. Not gonna comment on that any more.

Saejima going back in the slammer is kinda becoming a series staple. Y'know, like... The Tojo clan is in peril, Date appears in a helicopter, there's an awful vehicle-related chase sequence and now there's also Saejima getting locked up. Classics.

I.... KEJDKQJSKWK THIS MAN DRIVES ME INSANE. It's always about "taking responsibility", making sacrifices for others so he doesn't "ruin things" or blaming himself for things that have been out of his control.

It makes me so sad that he loathes himself so much for choices he made when he was young. Even though, back in his full-time yakuza days, he was still a pretty damn decent person and he was always trying to stick to the right path.

He's so kind, considerate and loving and I HATE that he doesn't see it. He's always thinking "I could have", "I should have", "I can't"... the anger he has towards himself is. It sure is something. Does he have his flaws? Yes. Is he a saint? No. But he's not even remotely as bad as he thinks.

THREE YEARS??? For those crimes?? RIDICULOUS. Holy shit.

*sarcastic tone of voice* OH JEEZ. I WONDER WHERE SHE COULD HAVE ADOPTED THIS KIND OF SELF-SACRIFICING, SELF-BLAMING ATTITUDE FROM!!

*deadpan stare at Kiryu*

Okay okay, that was a very hyperbolic statement. Let's not be unfair. This kind of attitude can just be a thing that's a part of someone's personality.

But... I refuse to deny the fact that Kiryu has been Haruka's main parental figure from a very young age. She's grown up witnessing and living through the consequences of Kiryu's self-sacrificial tendencies (fresh example: the talk at the beach in Y5 before he leaves Morning Glory).

Kids tend to internalize attitudes, coping mechanisms and behaviors from their parents, especially when they're so close. Haruka thinks Kiryu is a very good person, she admires him. Of course she'd unconsciously wanna be like him in some regard.

Now, this can also just be a thing that very empathic and selfless people would do (and Haruka is both), but... I don't know. This is basically exactly the thing Kiryu did in Y5.

I'm making sounds that resemble sounds that a wounded animal would make. He looked so at peace and so HAPPY for just that single moment. His home is here. This is where he feels he can belong. Be himself. I'm. Ough.

SIGH he's not gonna be back, is he. He's currently in Hiroshima. God damnit. Why must these games hurt me so- NO. WHY MUST THESE GAMES HURT HIM SO. I'm in agony. Just... let him be a silly-print-shirt-wearing dad. Please. RGG. I am ON MY KNEES. I will give you all my earthly possessions.

Kiryu: I'm just here to find Haruka, let's not get involved in this mess...

Also Kiryu:

Okay, to be fair, it was something he had to do to get a clue on Haruka, but 😭😭 come on!!

Also... can't believe Akiyama is the one being targeted by the LA Gangs (AKA the triads) now... Chat, this is so sad. Can we hit one like for Akiyamer.

But for real: I'm actually kinda shook that things are THIS bad. Yeah, Tojo is always in a crisis of some sort. But... their very position as the top dogs in Kamuro not being shaken up? That's a big YIKES moment.

Majima AND Daigo are in prison?? Jeez, is there anyone competent even left in the clan? This whole group is gonna implode. It's gonna be a dumpsterfire.

Also. I WANNA SEE MAJIMA AND DAIGO WITH PRISON BUZZCUTS. PLEASE. DAIGO ESPECIALLY. PRETTY PLEASE😭��🏻

MORE YEARS IN THE JOINT MADE YOU A FUCKING GRANDPA

I swear on my entire bloodline that I'm not capping here; I was planning on making a "HARUKA TEEN PREGNANCY ARC" prediction in my previous post, but decided not to. Apollo... for god's sake.

Okay, I do have... OPINIONS.

-I will NOT fully believe this is Haruka's biological child until the young woman herself or a DNA test confirms it.

-I currently think she might have picked up the baby somewhere and took him in. If I HAD to guess.... MAYBE during the Little Asia fire? I'm not even sure if she was in Kamurocho back then, but... there could have been many casualties, including someone(s) who had a baby.

-If this IS her baby... I'm gonna quote Kiryu here; WHO IS THE DAD??

-Haruka naming her son Haruto is kinda funny to me. Kinda like an Erica naming her child Eric. Very small difference. If that's what she likes for him, that's good! I just can't imagine naming my own child like that. Then again, I wanna check if the kanji are the same.

-I don't wanna spoil myself by accident by googling him, but... Haruto seems to be around... 5-12 months old here?? At least younger than 2 years old since he didn't really seem to use any words yet.

>So Haruka would have been, uhhh.... like 17-18(??) while giving birth, if my guesses on both their ages match up. It's not unheard of - not at all - but that's QUITE young. Especially if the dad wasn't/isn't around to help. Idk how to feel about that. I need more info.

For now, I'm going with the theory that this is not her biological child. For my own peace of mind.

[mind-me-n0t]

Like a Dragon: Yakuza - Episode 2

It doesn't hurt like I thought it would?

I don't know whether it was my own effort to temper expectations or the flurry of sucker punches in episode 1, but I'm now comfortable with enjoying this show on its own merits and not just hone in on every single deviation from the games. I rather enjoyed episode 2, as a matter of fact.

I still don't dig the story structure with the parallel time lines and I don't think they will move away from it until the every end, which sucks.

But all in all, I got a good feeling about it now. Or at least a better feeling. More detail and spoilers below.

The episode starts out answering one of my questions from the last epiode: How old are these people? In 1986 they were... 10-ish? I don't know children. But that fits with Kiryu being around 20 years in 1995, give or take. Quite a few years to shave off a character, especially since the series is middle-age-men-punch-each-other-simulator, but you can't have everything, I guess.

A lot of episode 1 felt like a "fuck you" to Yakuza fans - or at least to me personally - with how much fundamental stuff being changed to dramatically. Now in episode 2, I feel like the show is extending an olive branch. That, or maybe I'm just developing Stockholm syndrome. Kiryu is in his suit, hanging out with Date who's helping him find his footing again 10 years later. What I liked about the leaving prison scene in episode 1 is built upon here. And Kiryu making silly comment with that straight face of his, where you can't tell if he's joking or oblivious to what he is saying.

So Haruka's mom is in cahoots with a group of Satanists who runs around killing yakuza? Alrighty then? It is nice that Yumi and Mizuki Aiko are separate people, that plot line wasn't exactly the best part about Yakuza 1. I guess it's also nice that the women are given some agency, although it's never been a real must-have for me. The feminist within me leaves as soon as I find myself in Kamurocho. I'm just here for the crime boys, okay?

And then it's back to 1995. Let's do the time warp agaaaaaaain!

A good chunk of this episode is dedicated to the four of them - Kiryu Nishiki, Yumi and Miho - starting their new lives indebted to Doujima. Getting their living space set up, getting an aniki to mentor them and the girls getting started on hostessing. I kind of understand why they have lightened Kiryu's character so much, since his normal lone wolf shtick would fit rather poorly with this situation. And despite circumstances being pretty iffy, they are having a great time together. Perfect for a downfall later on... We all love found families around here.

And then enter THE EMPTY FUCKING LOT! Alongside American Tachibana and his sister with a pendant worth a million yen or whatever! I don't necessarily mind that the show is just playing the greatest hits of the series, but I fear that it's going to mash ALL of the games' plot lines together (I'm looking at you, Taiga-san. Better check them bullets before you go on your kamikaze mission!).

See, this is where the time jumping gets muddling again! Are we after the seal in 1995 or the Omi's 10 billion yen in 2005? We kind of know that someone finds the seal since Kiryu gets to stare at the Millennium Tower at the start of this episode. Probably Nishiki, since he's up in the ranks in the Tojo now. Can't we just have one mystery at the time, please. Especially since what is happening in mystery #2 spoils what happens in mystery #1.

But a lot can be forgiven because I am a sucker for what I already know and here comes Majima and his kyoudai!

(Did they change Saejima's family name to Taiga since it is a little silly to have them be the "-jimas"? Or is he just getting addressed informally? Rude!)

I wish their entrance had been a little more bombastic, but I guess Majima needs to have his breakdown somewhere in the time skip in order for the fun to get proper started. It's all good, my boys are finally getting to know each other.

And while I'm still riding on that high, who else enters the scene but the sunshine of my life. And now we have Kiryu in babysitter mode as he is destined to be! I love it... please don't drop the ball on this, episode 3!

[twilightmalachite]

Christmas Live - Dot to Dot 3

Author: Akira

Characters: Hinata, Tetora

Translation Team: Mika Enstars & 310mc

EN Proofer: ryuseipuka

"But don’t say things like “this twin” or “that twin”—I don’t really mind, but Yuuta-kun does."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Dojo

Hinata: ‘Scuse me~!

Ossu! ♪ This is Aoi Hinata, the reliable older brother of 2wink! You here, Kiryu-senpai~?

Umm, it’s about the outfit I asked you for! I thought maybe it’d be done about now, so I stopped by to pick it up!

You’re probably busy though, aren’t you, Kiryu-senpai~?

Theeen I’ll just call off my request for the outfit, so you don’t have to worry about… Oh?

Tetora: … …

Hinata: Hey, it’s Tetsu-kun! Hey-o~, what’re you up to?

Strange, only Tetsu-kun’s around? Is Kiryu-senpai not here? Hello~?

Tetora: … …

Hinata: Hi-yah~! ☆ [1]

Tetora: Owah~!? What’re you doing all’a sudden!? Are you an assassin out to get me!?

Hinata: Ahaha, no one’s tryna kill you, Tetsu-kun! Wow, what an amazing reaction time!

Even while meditating in a zen state, you were able to notice my jumping kick and dodge immediately, huh…♪

Impressive as always, Karate Club! It was just a test, Tetsu-kun, so don’t get mad, ‘kay~? Y’know, a little prank! ♪

Yup, here’s your certificate! From here on, you may call yourself lǎoshī, okay?

Tetora: Sorry, I’m findin’ it difficult to respond to a flurry of words thrown at me… You’re real energetic in this cold weather, aren’tcha, Aoi-kun…

Ermm, you’re the twin that’s Hinata-kun, right?

Hinata: Mhm. But don’t say things like “this twin” or “that twin”—I don’t really mind, but Yuuta-kun does.

I don’t blame you, though! Even I spot myself in the mirror and exclaim, “Yuuta-kun!” from time to time!

Hmm… Maybe I should wear a name tag with “Hinata” written on it to make it easier to tell us apart?

Tetora: More importantly, didja have somethin’ to do at the dojo? As you can see, the Karate Club’s got the day off from club activities today, so~?

Hinata: Well as I can see, it looks like you’re practicing meditating or something, Tetsu-kun! Doesn’t that count as practice—or perhaps, training?

Why zen meditation, actually? I guess there’s a big sign in the back with “self-control!” on it, but what exactly is the training for?

I don’t really get it, but it looks fun, so, I’m in! ♪

Tetora: Ooh… Wow, amazin’ as always. I mean, you need a flexible body for zen meditation…

But you got yourself into the right posture just fine. Meanwhile, my body’s so stiff that I almost felt like my bones were gonna crack.

I forced my body into this meditation position, so now I can’t get outta it on my own… I’d love some help unfolding my legs if that’s alright with ya…[2]

Although, I feel bad for making a guest do work…

Hinata: Okay~! ♪ Whoa, you’re seriously stiffened up! It’s like you locked your own joints up… You did it so clumsily that it’s practically a skill in itself!

Tetora: Owowow! Please be a li’l more gentle on me!

Hinata: Bear with it, okay~, you’ll hurt your muscles if you move! Alright, there we go! ♪

Tetora: Ahh, whew… You really saved me there, ossu. I’ll be absolutely sure to repay the favor—You have Nagumo Tetora’s word on it!

Hinata: Right. So, is Kiryu-senpai here? I need him for something real quick, so~…

Tetora: Ahh, Taisho’s been making outfits for a bunch’a units that’ve sent in a request.[3] He’s real close to finishing ‘em all up, so he’s confining himself to his home in order to try and stay focused.

I wanna help him out too, but I’d just get in his way when it comes to that stuff~… I’ve got the free time now ‘cuz I don’t have any idol work either, so I settled with doin’ some self-training.

I seem to have no self-restraint, or more like, I immediately act on the first decision I make… I wanna get a better handle of that part of myself, so that’s why I was doin’ zen meditation.

The “self-control!” hanging scroll is meant to embody my resolve~♪

Hinata: I see… I thought maybe you were suppressing somethin’ strange down…

My brother’s like that too, but you’ll reach a breaking point if you don’t get it out of your system in time, you know?

Tetora: Well, it’s just in my nature to do this. If I don’t learn to keep control of myself through zen meditation and stuff, I’ll just end up causing trouble by running ‘round without any thought, and that doesn’t help anyone~

I’ve had enough of bein’ that “klutzy kid” to everyone.

[ ☆ ]

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I wasn’t able to convey it clearly in English, but Hinata is mimicking Bruce Lee’s signature cry here, so it’s likely he’s doing a Bruce Lee jumping kick as well.

One of the zen meditation postures require you to sit in lotus position, as shown in Tetora’s CG.

Taisho (Taishou, 大将) is how Tetora calls Kuro. It means “chief”, “boss”, “general”.

[jewwyfeesh]

Sakura & Rose - Endeavours of the Heart 4

Writer: Mitsuki

Characters: Hasumi Keito, Kiryu Kuro, Kagehira Mika

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Kuro: Kagehira said it’s a gift from Sakuma to him. Do ya wanna try? It’s really delicious.

Season: Spring

Location: Dojo

Kuro: Sigh~

Keito: Is something the matter, Kiryu? It’s rare to see you sighing in despair like that.

Not to mention, you’ve been in a daze since just now. What happened?

Kuro: Err… how do I put this… there’s somethin’ I’m to help with, but they’re still undecided ‘bout it, so my head kinda hurts ‘cause of that.

Keito: Eh? Are you able to tell me more about this? I might be able to lend a hand.

Kuro: The situation’s like this. Earlier on, I bumped into Kagehira on the roof, and then…

Keito: So that’s how it is. Though, wanting to sew an outfit for Itsuki’s Mademoiselle, it really is a task that has some degree of difficulty to it.

Kuro: That’s true. I had thought of makin’ it in accordance with Valkyrie’s style and what Itsuki likes, but somehow, it felt like it was lackin’ somethin’.

Keito: Hm… let me think. Could it be lacking some sort of new, creative twist?

Moreover, I feel that if you were to make it in Valkyrie’s style, it would be extremely difficult to surpass Itsuki, for he is someone familiar with making clothes of that particular style.

If you want to demonstrate awareness and sense of design, then I think it’ll be good to consider a different style.

Kuro: A different style? Lemme think… what are the styles Itsuki likes?

Keito: What about adding a little Japanese flair?

Kuro: Eh? Japanese-style?

Keito: That’s because we Akatsuki also use this particular style as our foundation. If you choose to go with it, you’ll be in your element. Who knows, it might impress Itsuki as well.

It should be easier for you to succeed if you were to create within your field of expertise.

Kuro: Oh! So that’s how it is. As expected of Hasumi. Valkyrie’s more of a Western-style, and us Japanese. If one were to make clothin’ that’s of middle ground between the Japanese and Western styles, it’ll be pretty unique.

If Kagehira decides ta make somethin’ for Mademoiselle, I’ll be sure to suggest this ta him. Thank you, Hasumi.

Keito: There’s no need for thanks. Though, what were you eating while you were in a daze earlier on? Are you really feeling alright?

Kuro: Ah, this is the treat[1] that Kagehira gave me just now. I was so distracted thinkin’ about stuff that I ate it subconsciously… hadn’t expected it to taste so frickin’ good, though.

Kagehira said it was Sakuma’s[2] gift to him. Do ya wanna try? It’s really delicious.

Keito: Please spare me, I won’t be able to stomach that.

During Archery Club club activities earlier on, Suou was nursing a headache for this very reason. He would look at the dessert in his hand, saying things like “Ah, what am I going to do about this, how should I deal with this, I really can’t eat any more!”

Even though I really do want to help, looking at the dessert’s[1] appearance… there’s no way I can eat that…

Kuro: Ya shouldn’t pay too much attention to its exterior. It’s real delicious.

Keito: Ah, please give me a moment, I think there’s someone trying to contact me.

Hello? Ah, it’s you, Isara.

Mhm, I understand. Okay, I’ll make my way over now.

Something happened over at the Student Council, so I’ll be making my way over there first. Do your best, Kiryu.

[Approximately ten minutes later]

Mika: Uh, Kiryu-senpai, I’m here ta look for ya!

Kuro: Please have a seat. How did it go? Did Itsuki agree to ya?

Mika: Mhm, when I returned to ta Handicrafts Club room, Oshi-san was holdin’ his head while shoutin’ real loudly, “non! That’s got no creativity! My fingers have stiffened!”

And then, I asked, “O-oshi-san, I wanna make an outfit for Mado-nee, but I don’t know if it’s okay…��

Oshi-san said, “whatever you wanna do, go ahead and do it, just don’t disturb me anymore!”

To be honest I’m ain’t sure if Oshi-san even heard what I said.

Kuro: Haha, this means he agreed. Then, let us start.

What did’ya come up with about the clothin’s style?

Mika: I hadn’t thought of anythin’ for now. Does Kiryu-senpai have any ideas?

Kuro: Earlier on, I had a li’l discussion with Hasumi, and we thought that usin’ the middle ground of Japanese and Western styles ain’t a bad idea. What do you think?

Mika: The… the middle ground of Japanese and Western? I ain’t quite understandin’ what yer talkin’ about, could ya explain it again, please?

Kuro: To put it simply, this style’s all about combinin’ Japanese-style and Western-style.

Mika: Although it’s a li’l hard to imagine that, it does sound real interestin’.

Kuro: Let’s go with this style, then.

Mm, I still have some materials we can use as reference.

Let’s create somethin’ that’ll surprise Itsuki!

Light refreshments, pastries, snacks, desserts… all of them can be used interchangeably here (head in hands). It's another of Ritsu's creations, let's leave it as that www

Again… No appellation available www… Kuro used 朔间 (Sakuma) to refer to Ritsu, so (wipes hands) Sakuma it is. For reference, Ritsu's full name is 朔间 凛月, and Rei's 朔间 零.

[snuggetfish]

Okay but imagine Majimas spouse being fed up with all that yakuza shit since it’s affecting majima negatively, so s/o suggests that they should fake their death and move to another country and live their best life?

Hmmm I think this would pose quite the dilemma for Majima, depending on which time in his life it happens.

In the years leading up to 2006, when he’s still making a name for himself in the yakuza, constantly under the looming shadow of his boss and mentally in a bad place... well, I think that’s actually the time he’s most likely to consider it. He’s living day by day powered only by inertia, obediently playing the pawn in Shimano’s “long game” of one day seizing power in the Tojo. But when will that day come? And will it even change things for Majima? He’ll still be a leashed dog...

But while I believe he'd fantasise about faking his death and escaping from it all, at this point there’s still too much guilt, mainly around Saejima. Majima worked his ass off to get back into the clan and powered through all the shit thrown his way in the hopes of one day facing Saejima with a strong family by his side... if he gave up now, his name would be struck from the record and he’d have to live with the disappointment of not fulfilling the goal he and his kyodai set when they were young: getting to the top.

It hurts like hell, to have to choose between your beloved and your life’s work that you’re more or less chained to... so maybe his partner should leave it as a suggestion, not an ultimatum. Because they’re not going to like Majima’s answer otherwise.

For sure there’s a bit of sunk cost fallacy at play here as well. The more years pass, the more Majima’s likely to think “I can’t leave now.” Still, around Y2 he  becomes disillusioned with Tojo leadership and even though his family grows bigger day by day, he starts to realize he doesn’t have to officially be yakuza to offer them a “home”. 

It would still take a while to convince him at this point, but with Shimano gone, Kiryu-chan settling down with his own quiet life and Daigo not yet in the picture, Majima finally starts taking the idea seriously.  In Nishida he’s got a dependable successor for the position of Majima Construction’s CEO and I’m certain he’s already got a will of sorts, with instructions on how to incorporate all the boys who still want to be yakuza into an eventual Saejima family. When... if it happens. There will always be some guilt, knowing that although he’s “died”, he still hasn’t properly atoned for his Ueno hit absence, but he keeps it at the back of his mind. One day he’ll return and get what’s coming to him, for sure...

Finally, if we’re talking about Majima from Y4 and beyond, Saejima becomes a much more real obstacle standing in the way of a “clean” escape. On the one hand, he of course doesn’t want to let go of his brother now that he’s back, but on the other hand he also gets exposed to Saejima philosophy: it’s never too late to start over. Faking his death and disappearing can be his way of “retiring” from yakuza life to begin a new chapter... but, you bet Majima would beg the big tiger to come with. Well, maybe beg is a strong word. He’d mope around trying to come up with arguments and scenarios where they could still work together even under new identities, but Saejima would be having none of that. He’s got a few more years in prison to get through first...

If Majima does decide to make this step, he’s gonna have to first come to terms with the fact that 25 years have turned both kyodais into very different people, whose life paths are maybe inevitably set to diverge... And it’ll be hard.

So I touched on a lot of stuff here but in short I guess the answer is: it’s a hell of a difficult decision. There will always be business left unfinished, people left behind... as impulsive as Majima normally is, this is a situation that he’s gonna have to spend a lot of time contemplating. 

And his partner? He’s touched by their concern and even surprised at the lengths they’re willing to go through for his sake, throwing away the life they’ve built for themselves for the promise of a happier one by his side. For sure he’s daydreamed about it too - lying in their garden, fanned by the gentle breeze and the smell of orange trees, watching their kids grow up happy and healthy, in a place far, far away from any yakuza dealings...

It’s worth thinking also about where Majima would like to go. Tropical places aren’t really his thing, the sun doesn’t play well with his pale complexion and especially not with his pride and joy: his tattoo. Although speaking of that, he’s both looking forward to people not judging him harshly for his ink any more and also a little miffed that they wouldn’t appreciate its symbolism as much either... 

Still, he’d probably move somewhere where the climate is as temperate as Japan’s, maybe to a smaller city that still retains a bit of the cosmopolitan feel he’s used to, but is a lot calmer than Kamurocho. 

What about a fully rural life? I think it might get a little too boring for Majima... but listen on one of my Discord servers people once discussed the likelihood he grew up on a farm, given he talks about horse riding with the Y0 hostesses as if he’s actually done it... 👀 So... maaaaybe he could get accustomed to it again, once he enters his twilight years.

Oof this ended up longer than expected, but I guess I had a lot to say! Hope this gives some food for thought! It definitely did for me 💙

[cryingcow]

Kiryu & Oda - Is Tachibana Real Estate a Good Company? [RGGO]

Starting April, RGG Online has looped back to Y0 events and cards. This 2-part scratchcard mini-event features Oda “April Fools” Jun and Kiryu “asks way too many questions” Kazuma, two real estate agents who may or may not be doing real estate stuff while they pose like runway models and eat delicious ramen together :D

Some of you may be wondering why I seem to randomly insert them screenshots in the text. Usually other than showing new characters, I put them in when there’s a change in the facial expression / tone. It’s harder to tell with these Dragon Engine avatars, but they do still make :0 or :) faces (like when Oda says Kiryu’s being cute lol)

.

PROLOGUE

.

|

One day in 1988. In Kamurocho, various speculations revolve around “The Empty Lot”. Meanwhile, Kiryu, who decided to join hands with Tachibana Real Estate, meets up with Oda to discuss the future . . .

|

Kiryu: “So? What should I do from here on out?”

Oda: “Your fingerprints were lifted from the corpse in the Empty Lot. The police are spinning it in various ways. So I think you should wait until the president gives instructions.”

Kiryu: “All right. But before I cooperate, there’s something I need to know. Does your company, Tachibana Real Estate, do anything other than landgrabbing?”

Oda: “Why do you care about that?”

Kiryu: “It’s not a big deal. But I still don’t know you very well.”

Oda: “It’s as if you don’t believe in us.”

Kiryu: “Whatever you’re doing, I don’t mind.”

Oda: “Hm. Then follow me.”

Kiryu: “?”

Oda: “I’ll show you what you want. The other work we do besides landgrabbing.”

----

Oda: “We’ve arrived.”

Kiryu: “. . . Isn’t this Hideya? This is a long-established ramen shop in Champion District.”

Oda: “You’re well informed. As expected of a yakuza of the Dojima Family with roots in Kamurocho.”

Kiryu: “‘Former’ yakuza.”

Oda: “How rude of me.”

Kiryu: “So? What’s wrong with Hideya?”

Oda: “Take a look inside.”

Kiryu: “. . . What’s this?”

Oda: “As you can see, Hideya’s been in a slump these days.”

Kiryu: “What happened? Did the taste quality drop while I wasn’t there?”

Oda: “Why don’t you check for yourself? I’ll treat you, so try eating it.”

Kiryu: “I’m not owing you a debt of gratitude for the treat.”

Oda: “Heh. That’s cute.”

----

Oda: “Sorry for the disturbance.”

Shop Manager: “Welcome! Ah, Oda-san. And also Kiryu-san.”

Kiryu: “Long time no see, shop manager.”

Oda: “Shop manager, some ramen. Is that all right with you?”

Kiryu: “Yeah.”

Shop Manager: “On it!”

Oda: “It’s not a pretty shop, but it’s a shop that stood the test of time, isn’t it?”

Kiryu: “The shop’s appearance doesn’t matter as long as you can have something to eat.”

Oda: “Hm. Is that so.”

Shop Manager: “Yes, the ramen you waited for!”

Oda: “Shall we eat now?”

Kiryu: “. . . Yeah.”

Kiryu: “. . . !!”

Oda: “How is it? Did the taste quality go down?”

Kiryu: “No . . . it’s good. It’s been a while since I ate it, but it tastes the same as before.”

Oda: “Right? As far as I know, Hideya’s ramen is so delicious that it’s worth three 3 fingers in Kamurocho.”

Kiryu: “But then why aren’t there many customers?”

Shop Manager: “Ahaha, you sure can say it frankly.”

Kiryu: “Ah . . . , no . . .”

Shop Manager: “It’s okay. Because it’s true.”

Kiryu: “. . . I’m sorry.”

Oda: “So shop manager, is it true you want to close the shop and sell the land here?”

Shop Manager: “With only these many customers coming in . . . The cost of the ingredients wasted everyday is not a trivial matter . . .”

Oda: “Is that really okay?”

Shop Manager: “Certainly it’s painful that the smiles of the customers who ate our ramen can’t be seen anymore.  . . . the time has come, I’m sure.”

Kiryu: “. . .”

Oda: “I understand . . . If you want to sell the land, please contact us. We will purchase it at a higher price than other companies.”

Shop Manager: “. . . Yeah. When that time comes, I will consult you.”

----

Kiryu: “Did we really go just to find out if you could buy Hideya’s land?”

Oda: “Who knows, Kiryu-kun. now listen up.”

Kiryu: “. . .”

Oda: “How about we start at the top? Did you know that the reason why customers don’t come to Hideya is not because of the taste?”

Kiryu: “Yeah. If it tastes like that, more customers should be coming in. There has to be other reasons why the customers don’t come.”

Oda: “Spot on.”

Kiryu: “What on earth is it? What is the real reason why Hideya doesn’t have customers?”

Oda: “Hideya has been receiving harassment. The Tojo Clan subsidiary, Moriguchi Family, wants to get their hands on the shop’s land.”

Kiryu: “What did you say?”

Oda: “To strengthen their claim, they have bad guys hanging out in front of the store . . . because of these guys, the regulars steer clear of Hideya. Still, the manager of Hideya manages to keep the shop open. Until that ramen shop, which is across the street . . .”

Kiryu: “Across the street? Is that the shop with a long line?”

Oda: “It’s a recently opened shop. That shop has been robbing Hideya of customers.”

Kiryu: “Is it really delicious?”

Oda: “Not at all. You can see at first glance that it’s of lesser quality. It’s not a taste that can compete with Hideya.”

Kiryu: “Then why do they get so many customers?”

Oda: “The ramen there is 100 yen per bowl.”

Kiryu: “100 yen?! Can they make it at such price?”

Oda: “That shop has no intention of making a profit from ramen.”

Kiryu: “. . . No way, is that ramen shop . . . ?”

Oda: “Yeah. No matter how much harassment they do, they won’t evict Hideya— so it’s a ramen shop run by the Moriguchi Family, started just to rob Hideya of customers. Attacking a small shop while backed up with abundant funds . . . it’s a dirty trick. But if you ask, they’ll just say the customers are satisfied with their low price. It’s a corporate effort. What they’re doing isn’t illegal or anything.”

Kiryu: “Cheaters.”

Oda: “I agree with you.”

Kiryu: “But is Tachibana Real Estate also aiming for that land? After all, you guys have the same goal.”

Oda: “Would you prefer being with those guys?”

Kiryu: “Is it any different?”

Oda: “Hasn’t it been mentioned before? It’s our president’s policy. Protecting the land of the Champion District.”

Kiryu: “I see . . . so how are you going to protect Hideya’s land?”

Oda: “First of all, we will hold a scratch event. Of course I’ll shoulder the full cost.”

Kiryu: “Scratch event?”

Oda: “Distribute scratchcard tickets to customers who order ramen. It’s an event where you might get a wonderful prize if you win. Customers will be enticed by the expensive prizes, and once they taste Hideya’s ramen, they’ll become regulars. If the regulars spread the word around, the customers will surely return to Hideya. That’s the aim.”

Kiryu: “I see. But I don’t understand.”

Oda: “Hm?”

Kiryu: “No matter Tachibana’s policy, does Tachibana Real Estate do things that aren’t profitable? Would it be profitable for the company to protect a crushed ramen shop?”

Oda: “The president says that blocking the interest of competitors is one of the good management strategies.”

Kiryu: “I don’t know how difficult that is, but okay. But there’s one more thing I don’t understand.”

Oda: “What?”

Kiryu: “You, Oda. Are you cooperating this time because you were told to by Tachibana?”

Oda: “Of course. I’m an employee of Tachibana Real Estate, aren’t I? That person’s words are absolute.”

Kiryu: “Then what about your true intentions? After all, you also want to grab Hideya’s land, right?”

Oda: “Well, if you shut down Hideya and turn it into a sex shop, you can expect quite the profit every month. But it’s a bit of a problem for me to not be able to eat Hideya’s ramen. After all, I’m a regular at that shop. I won’t be able to eat there twice a week and relax.”

Kiryu: “. . . Heh. That kind of reason is something I can trust. So when will you start the event?”

Oda: “Tomorrow. We should do it as soon as possible.”

Kiryu: “Got it. What should I do?”

Oda: “Take the scratchcard tickets from the office to Hideya. I’ll inform the shop manager about the campaign.”

----

Kiryu: “Shop manager. I brought the scratchcard tickets from Tachibana Real Estate office.”

Shop Manager: “Sorry, Kiryu-san. To do this for this place . . .”

Kiryu: “Don’t worry about it. Because I like this place too.”

Shop Manager: “. . .”

Kiryu: “What’s wrong? Your face looks gloomy.”

Shop Manager: “It’s my first time holding an event, I don’t know if it will work . . .”

Kiryu: “The event will just be a chance to get to know Hideya’s ramen. It’s like a bonus.”

Shop Manager: “. . . Yeah. I know that . . .”

Kiryu: “Have confidence. I’m sure everyone will accept Hideya’s ramen.”

Shop Manager: “. . . Understood. I’ll do my best!”

Kiryu: “Then I can take my leave?”

Shop Manager: “Yeah, leave it to me tomorrow!”

{The door closes behind Kiryu as he leaves.}

Shop Manager: “Alright, preparations are done. Do I have a little rest before tomorrow?”

{The door opens again.}

Moriguchi: “Oh, sorry for the disturbance.”

Shop Manager: “Y-You, Moriguchi-san?!”

Moriguchi: “Hideya-san, what kind of event are you doing? If it’s something to do with these scratchcards, you might as well give up, it’ll end all the same.”

Shop Manager: “I-It doesn’t matter to you.”

Moriguchi: “I want us to have a great relationship. It’s about time you rethink getting along with us.  . . . Oh, do it.”

Yakuza: “Yes sir!”

{The sound of furniture breaking is heard as the yakuza swings around his sledgehammer.}

Shop Manager: “Wh-What are you doing?! St-Stop it!”

Moriguchi: “Joining hands with Tachibana Real Estate . . . it’s natural to feel hurt when you make light of yakuza.”

Shop Manager: “U-Uugh . . .”

Yakuza: “Boss, what do we do with these?”

Moriguchi: “Ah? Scratchcard tickets . . . It won’t be needed for a shop that will be shut down soon. Would you like to use it for a sideshow entertainment? It’ll make for a good prize.”

Shop Manager: “I-If you take that, the event will . . . !”

Moriguchi: “Shut up, fool!”

{Moriguchi punches the shop manager, causing him to collapse.}

Shop Manager: “Guh!”

Moriguchi: “To really go through all that unnecessary effort . . . Alright, let’s go.”

Yakuza: “Yes sir.”

{The door closes as the two yakuza leave.}

Shop Manager: “Damn it . . . damn it . . . !”

----

|Next morning.|

Kiryu: (It’s about time for the shop manager to be preparing to open. Maybe I can help with something.)

Kiryu: “Hm . . . ? Th-This is?!”

Oda: “Kiryu, you arrived!”

Kiryu: “What on earth happened? Hideya has been messed up.”

Oda: “It’s the Moriguchi Family. It seems they broke into Hideya last night. The shop has been messed up, and the shop’s earnings and scratchcard tickets have been taken away.”

Kiryu: “What did you say?! What about the shop manager?”

Oda: “Being treated at the hospital right now. It’s not a major injury since he only received a few hits. However, his heart is hurt . . .”

Kiryu: “. . .”

Oda: “For now, let’s clean up the shop. It may be time for business, but the event is . . .”

Kiryu: “. . . The event can be held as long as the scratchcards come back.”

Oda: “Where are you going? The Moriguchi Family?”

Kiryu: “Yeah. I know the location of the Moriguchi Family.”

Oda: “I’ll go too. This time even I’m pissed off.”

----

Oda: “Hello.”

Moriguchi: “If I’m not mistaken, ain’t you the fellows from Tachibana Real Estate? What’s this about?”

Kiryu: “We came to get the scratchcards back.”

Moriguchi: “Haw, you mean these scratchcards? Even though the shop is about to be crushed, you still have the insolence to think about events . . . But without these crucial tickets, the event won’t unfold, ain’t that right?”

Kiryu: “Return the tickets quietly. That way, I won’t have to do much to you.”

Moriguchi: “How are you two going to deal with this many people? It makes me laugh! I’m beating the fear of the yakuza into your body!”

Kiryu: “It’s easy to boast. Bring it on.”

Moriguchi: “Fine! Oi, you guys! Don’t hesitate! Do in this impertinent fool!”

.

-END-

.

EPILOGUE

.

Moriguchi: “Wh-What are these guys. Mo-Monsters?!”

Oda: “Isn’t calling us monsters a bit much?”

Moriguchi: “Eh? So-Sorry . . . !”

Kiryu: “Oi.”

Moriguchi: “Ye-Yes?”

Kiryu: “You’re not meddling with Hideya again, are you?”

Oda: “You understand exactly what will happen if you start, right?”

Moriguchi: “O-Of course! I-I will never do it again!”

----

Customer A: “Ramen and one drink.”

Shop Manager: “Yes!”

Customer B: “A large serving of Chashu Ramen!”

Shop Manager: “Yes! Please wait a moment!”

{The door opens.}

Kiryu: “Shop manager, is your body okay?”

Shop Manager: “Yeah, Kiryu-san! Thanks to you I’m full of life!”

Kiryu: “Hm, I see. The event seems to be going well.”

Shop Manager: “When was the last time the shop has been this busy? I really thank you!”

Kiryu: “That’s great. But now things are just getting started. After all, the reputation of Hideya’s ramen will echo throughout Kamurocho. You’ll be really busy starting tomorrow.”

Shop Manager: “Yeah. That’s what I desire!”

----

Oda: “Yo. How was it? How’s the shop manager?”

Kiryu: “Working happily. He gives his best regards.”

Oda: “That’s good.”

Kiryu: “Apparently you’re not the money-grubbers you seem to be.”

Oda: “Ha? What’s that? This matter is also business. Helping out Hideya will reduce the power of rival organizations. It would be profitable for Tachibana Real Estate in the long run.”

Kiryu: “. . . Heh. I see.”

Oda: “What’s that. Anyway, the job is done. Let’s eat. But it’s not my treat.”

Kiryu: “Yeah, I’ll go with you.”

.

-END-

Masterlist

[kulemiwrites]

10 Nen Visual Companion TEASER #1

10-Nen: Before, During & After is a 3-part series that follows yours and Kiryu Kazuma's tumultuous relationship throughout the years. The following is a VISUAL AND WRITTEN teaser for the BEFORE saga.

Teaser #2 w/video and audio is available here

Although you were both silently staring at the tv, it was clear that neither of you were actually watching. Millions of words were swirling around your minds, words that would likely never be spoken; not because they shouldn’t be said aloud but because you were both far too selfish to deal with the pain that would come from speaking them.

The longer you ignored the truth: that your paths were much too far apart to converge (especially with talks of him staring at his own yakuza family); the longer you could enjoy the warmth and peace that came from snuggling up to one another in this cheap hotel.

You snuck a glance at the digital clock, it was almost check-out time. Time to say goodbye, until next time…. Unless, of course, he’d gone and gotten himself killed before there could be a next time.

Oh, how easy things would have been if you just got used to the old song and dance.

A tightness filled your chest and you nuzzled your face into his while he alternated between taking puffs of his cigarette and tracing circles on your back.

“Kazuma…” your voice trembled, damning yourself for what you were about to say.

“Hm?”

With his head tilted downward to give you his attention, his soft lips were slightly ghosting against your forehead.

You sighed heavily, taking far too long to just spit it out but still, he didn't rush you.

“I’ll be leaving Tokyo again on Monday.” you let out in a whoosh.

He was slow to, but he shut off the tv using the remote as he gathered his thoughts. The arm that had been wrapped around you tensed and the rest of his body followed. This time, it was his turn to take far too long to speak and of course, you didn’t rush him.

“Are you really?” he asked, trying his best to not let you hear his frustration but to no avail. “You just got back…”

You attempted to lift your head from his chest but his forearm pinned you there; you knew that he didn’t want you seeing his face at that moment and as much as it hurt you to know that you hurt him, you understood.

You nodded, “I know… I’m sorry.”

He let out a long shaky breath before finally lifting you from his chest so that he could place his cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand.

“It’s okay…” he said in a voice that sounded like he was trying to convince himself that it truly was. “We can make the most of it with the little time we have.”

You pretended that you couldn’t practically feel the emphasis on the word ‘little’, “I agree.”

“For starters, tonight,” he began, bringing his hands to cup either side of your face as he admired your eyes. “Since our dinner on Tuesday is clearly out of the question, I want the night-- the whole, entire night with you. Uninterrupted.”

“But, Kazuma, you know that I have to visit my parents before I leave.” you frowned, tears welling in the corners of your eyes.

The tips of his thumbs blotted the tears the moment they fell, refusing to let them stain your pretty cheeks. If he was only going to have this night, until God knows when, he was not going to let it go to waste with tears. No, you could cry when you were out of his care. For now, he needed you to defer your sadness for his own sake because all he wanted was nothing but to fill you up with the words he couldn’t say.

“I understand that and I’ll make sure you get to the station first thing in the morning.” he said.

“Really?”

“You have my word.” he whispered.

“I’m holding you to that.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” he said, a small smile spread across his lips. It was mostly real.

“Fine,” you sighed, watching as he slowly brought his face closer to yours. “I’ll do it.”

“Funny,” he whispered just before your lips connected. “I don’t remember implying there was an option here?”

He was only half-joking. His kiss was as sensual as it was vicious. It wasn’t often that he demanded anything of you and when he did he was mostly justified in his actions. Before today, it had been two months since he last saw you. The dinner on Tuesday was a courtesy and here you were telling him that those plans were canceled.

No way was he going to settle for a mere few hours until your schedules could align again.

When your lips parted, he pressed a small kiss at the tip of your nose. “I’m going to run downstairs and extend our stay until morning. By the time I get back, I’d like for you to have an idea on how we’re going to make up for Tuesday.”

10-Nen is a Kiryu x fem!Reader fic. In writing, the physical characteristics of the reader are mostly vague for the purposes of self-insertion. However, in the visual trailer, the 'mc' model is a petite Japanese woman. For the most part, I try and avoid direct face shots of the model but, of course with some angles, it can't be helped. If you'd like to avoid that for relatability reasons or otherwise, do not look under the cut.

Thank you!

Teaser #2 w/video and audio is available here

n/s/f/w under the cut.

[ivushk]

HELLO. MAY I PLEASE HEAR MORE OF YOUR VAMPIRE AU…. 👉👈

OH MY GOD I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Okay, SO. BUCKLE THE FUCKLE UP 'CUZ here's what I've got so far:

Nishiki and Kiryu are still orphans at Sunflower. They come from a tiny village just a few kilometres west from the orphanage. It's a very close and closed-off community. The boys' parents died in a fire when they were very little (which is a common theme for the kids at Sunflower and isn't that a crazy coincidence? *smiles mysteriously*), however the Nishikiyama family house wasn't as badly damaged as Kiryu's so it's just sitting there, waiting for its former residents to reclaim ownership as soon as they're able to (I imagine Kazama would help them with that).

In the next years it becomes a home for Nishiki, Yuko and Kiryu (and Yumi, too, though she feels like a visitor for the most part) in everything but name. It's their hangout spot, their "base of operations", their not-so-secret meeting place. When Yuko's health deteriorates so much that she can't stay at Sunflower anymore, the siblings actually properly move in to make arranging the doctor's visits easier.

It's Nishiki's 17th birthday and all three of them are celebrating and playing games and eating cake and having a good time at the edge of the woods not far from the Nishikiyama residence. They're young and loud and stupid (and ignoring the fact that several people went missing over the course of the last few months) and if Nishiki's heart beats a little too hard in his chest when Kiryu gives him his gift - a beautiful, heavy silver pendant on a slightly-worn leather cord - he doesn't think about it too much (and if he notices that Kiryu stares at him just a bit longer than usual without saying a single word but his gaze is so, so, SO fond-- he doesn't think about it either). (he leaves these kinds of thoughts for restless nights because thinking about his best friend in that way during the day... it hurts. the hurt is good sometimes but it's overwhelming).

They're drunk on the cheap beer they've smuggled from Gen-san's fridge and high on happiness. Unaware that the very same night it would all go crashing down.

At some point they all quiet down and go a little further into the woods than they normally would but no one pays any mind to that. And when suddenly their trio turns into a duo with the sudden absence of the birthday boy himself no one immediately starts panicking. He's been gone for ten minutes, twenty, half an hour. Kiryu tells Yuko to go back to the village, to gather everyone, make them start a search party or something while he keeps looking for her brother (the only things he'll find are the pendant he's gifted to Nishiki with the leather cord torn and the broken shards of his own hope). They never find him.

A year goes by and they hold a funeral for Nishikiyama Akira. Even though there's no body for them to bury. Yuko doesn't cry (she doesn't believe he's really dead). Neither does Kiryu (he used all of his tears up that night, the guilt choking him, and the night after that, and the night after that, and the night-). Yumi does, however. And the nice old lady who gave both Nishiki and Kiryu money for helping her do chores around the house. And the man who gave Nishikiyama a part-time job at his shop (to put at least something towards the cost of his sister's treatment, he felt so indebted to Kazama, and that debt weighed down on him). And a few of the girls and boys from Sunflower too.

Another two years pass. Kiryu moves away to the big city at the behest of Kazama. "It's important for you to continue your education," he says. ("It's important for you to move on," he keeps these words to himself). Kiryu really tries his best. Even makes a few friends (although he's still on the fence about whether he can actually call Oda his friend). It goes as well as it could have considering his circumstances. They say that time heals but Kazuma Kiryu never finds out if there's any truth to those words because he recieves a very short letter - an invitation, actually. To another funeral. But this time it's Yuko they're burying. This time they actually have a body to bury.

Tachibana offers his condolences. Oda offers him a ride to the village and back. Kiryu accepts both.

He can't help but compare this funeral to the last one he's been to. There are fewer people. Fewer tears, too. More flowers. It's quieter and feels something like closure (in truth, it's anything but). Yuko also left behind a will (more like a bunch of wishes since it wasn't an official document but the community decided to honour them anyway). Almost all of her possessions went to the kids from Sunflower, except for the Nishikiyama family house (which on paper actually belonged to Shintaro Kazama) which she left to Kiryu. He can't quite believe it when he hears it and feels his heart break under the onslaught of childhood memories. Still, he goes there later that evening. He finds that little has changed in the time he spent away from the house, from the village, from... all of this, really. There are the same pictures on the walls collecting only slightly less dust. The same books on the shelves and under the broken legs of the old pieces of furniture. The same medicine bottles and equipment in the bedroom, though doubled in quantity. Kiryu's not as devastated as he thought he'd be when he walks around what he used to call his home.

He goes through all the rooms, taking notes of every single thing he finds and every single thing he doesn't. He probably misses a bunch of things (he's not as good at that sort of thing, Nishiki's always had a much better eye for details). Once back outside, he looks for the secret stash they made back when they were teenagers. It's like going through a time capsule. There's a pack of cigarettes he and Nishiki once stole from the teacher's bag, copybooks filled with ugly doodles, dreams for the future and dried flowers and leaves, caps from soda bottles, rocks they thought looked cool, photos and birthday cards damaged by time and weather... the pendant Kiryu gave to Nishiki the last time they saw each other. And a small notebook Kiryu's never seen before. A diary of sorts, a recounting of their days together and their days apart. The handwriting is unmistakingly Yuko's.

It fills him with nostalgia, tears welling up in his eyes, unshed. His heart sinks when he finally reaches the pages where Yuko recounts the last few weeks before she-

She writes about her brother, which is understandable. What's less understandable is the fact that she speaks of him as though he was there, with her. Physically present. Kiryu could chalk it up to the girl being delusional in her dying moments but it doesn't feel right to do so. It's stupid, it's absolutely impossible, he's confused, he's hopeful, why would Yuko hide her notebook there?

The last page. A message. For Kiryu. "Please, Kazuma-kun, help my brother".

Against his better judgement, Kiryu decides to spend the night in the house. Sleep doesn't come to him but that's fine. He sits in the living room, trying to make sense of everything. He sits there until it's way past midnight, until the distant barking of the dogs quiets down, until the rustling of leaves stops, until the very air around him grows still and silent and somehow charged with strange energy. And then he hears it. Three uncertain taps against the window. Kiryu turns his head. It's him.

"Kiryu... Let me in. Please."

He does, without thinking. (He could never very well say no to Nishiki. Even if it got them both in trouble. Even if he's not real.)

The quiet is deafening. It really is him. His best friend (whom he thought dead). His kyoudai. Before Nishiki could say anything, Kiryu wraps him in a tight hug. The only heartbeat between them is Kiryu's own, thundering against his ribs. Nishikiyama doesn't let the hug last, putting some distance between them. He looks guilty, tired; looks at Kiryu with sadness, with longing and something else that he can't quite decipher yet (and it makes him scared but why?). Nishiki also looks older than Kiryu remembers. Not a 17-year-old boy anymore, no. About the same age that Kiryu is now.

Has his gaze always been so sharp? Have his fangs always been this pronounced?

They talk until their throats are hoarse. Until Nishiki pulls out a bottle with some liquid that smells strongly of iron and drinks from it and in that moment Kiryu believes everything his friend has told him. It's crazy, but he does.

Nishiki was abducted that night. Taken from them. By vampires. They hurt him. Forced him to fight other humans (just like him then) for his survival. They fed on him.

It went on and on and on... Days turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into years. Only thoughts of Yuko, and Kiryu, and Yumi kept him going. He wanted to see them again. He hoped he would. That hope was crushed when Nishikiyama met his match in the arena. No, not his match. Someone far stronger. He lost and was tossed out to die. But another vampire saved him. It was a woman, whose face he saw often among the spectators of his fights. She stood out from the crowd, since she never cheered for any of the humans. Never put any bets. Only looked at all that madness with quiet horror. "Reina" she said her name was.

She gave Nishiki blood. Her own blood, and the blood of the vampires that were much stronger and more powerful than her (but not wiser), and human blood.

He turned and it was even worse than the years of anguish he had experienced. The pain and constant thirst almost drove him mad until he was taught to deal with them.

Nishiki was given a second chance. He escaped. And ever since that moment he's been trying his damndest to help other victims of those monsters. Both, the poor imprisoned souls and the villagers who might have shared his fate otherwise.

THAT CONCLUDES MY MAD RAMBLINGS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT THAT WELL

also i don't remember the last time i wrote this much in one sitting and i'm tireeeeeed. i'm not cut out to be a writer and it shows nghghghhhhhh

but! but! but! i have a couple thoughts on where the story goes:

kiryu decides to stay in the village and help nishiki

they uncover the vampires evil plans and recruit a few other characters to fight on the side of JUSTICE (i.e. kazama, who up to that point has been kind of in cahoots with the vamps - hence trying to atone by means of creating the Sunflower orphanage; kashiwagi; yumi; reina; tachibana and oda; majima, and yeah he was actually the one that defeatead nishiki and unknowingly caused him to become a vampire, also majima himself turns into a vampire later in the story thanks to a certain mad simp nishitani)

yuko comes back as a vampire

at some point the scene from my fanart happens; something along the lines of kiryu and nishiki being found by the evil vamps and being attacked. then of course nishiki saves kiryu (who's still baffled that this shit is happening to them and vampires are REAL) and tells him to run which he doesn't but it works out fine in the end

the scene of nishiki drinking kiryu's blood is a MUST because i. love. that. shit. (it's also extremely horny dfjvhsdkfhiasdfhisd)

nishiki's personality is somewhere in between his ykz0 and ykz k*wami self (like, he's much colder now but he still cares about others and does things not just for the sake of his own ambition)

idk about the end but immortal boyfriends? sounds nice?

[zevzevarainai]

Kiryu and Majima teaching Haruka self-defense? (Whether they get distracted and fight each other or not up to you)

i did do this a little bit here, but it is very spoilery if you havent played all of kiryu’s mainline games and it was just majima teaching her so let’s do it again

--

She pulled her hair back out of her face in a high ponytail, then attempted to shake out her nerves. “Okay. I’m ready. Start attacking me.”

Kiryu laughed softly, which went unheard over Majima’s protests. “This ain’t the construction site where we taught ya to run away. This is beatin’ the shit outta people! ‘M not just gonna start attacking you.”

Haruka’s shoulders slumped. “What… do I do first, then?”

Kiryu moved through the sand to be behind her, fixing her stance. “The most important thing to remember is a person’s vulnerable spots,” he told her. Kiryu moved her arms to point at Majima. “Eyes.” He moved them with each body part. “Nose. Throat. Groin.”

“The boingloings,” Majima grinned. 

Kiryu only sighed. 

Majima took her from Kiryu and spun her around. “Don’t bother with the chest.” He moved Haruka’s arms to hit him. “Yer daddy’s got pecs of steel, but it’s not gonna work on most others either. Now tell me the weak spots again.”

“Eyes, nose, throat, boingloings,” Haruka repeated dutifully. 

Majima laughed and kissed her temple while Kiryu’s eyes were rolling into the back of his head. “Good job, scamp,” Majima said affectionately. “Ya gotta remember that, alright?”

Haruka was going to move to Sotenbori with Majima in a matter of days so she could take dance and voice lessons. Majima had promised Kiryu that he’d teach her how to fight to ease not just Kiryu’s mind, but Majima’s as well. Deciding it would be a good bonding activity, Majima insisted Kiryu help him with a first lesson on Okinawa’s shore. 

Majima stepped back. “Show me a stable stance, Haruka-chan.”

She steeled herself, attempting to look tough.

“Your arms are too close to you,” commented Kiryu. “Plant your feet on the ground.”

Haruka fixed her stance. 

Majima took the same stance next to her. “How can ya get the boingloings like this, scamp?”

“Uh, kick?”

“Yeah!” he praised. “Kick ‘em in the boingloings!”

“Majima no nii-san, please stop saying ‘boingloings,’” Kiryu groaned. 

“Kick ‘em in the dingleberries!”

“God. Go back to the first one. What is wrong with you.” 

Majima kicked the air fiercely, then looked to Haruka. She mirrored him. 

“More force,” said Kiryu. Haruka did, then stumbled back, falling onto the sand.

“Sorry,” she giggled.

“It’s okay,” Kiryu smiled, extending his hand. “If they are too close to you, use your knee, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically, brushing sand off her pants. 

“Ooh! Another one!” Majima tugged on Kiryu. He pointed to his palm. Flexing his wrist, he pretended to jab Kiryu underneath his chin. He did it once more, this time aiming at Kiryu’s nostrils. 

Haruka rolled her wrists, then mimicked Majima’s pose, jabbing her hand upward.

“Good. Use Kiryu-chan as a test dummy.”

She lightly tapped his chin.

“You’ll do that harder if you are in danger, right?” said Kiryu. 

“I don’t want to hurt you!”

“I’d like to see you try,” commented Majima. “It’d be funny.” 

“If you do it hard, they should stumble back,” Kiryu continued. 

“What if they grab me?” Haruka said apprehensively. 

Kiryu looked to Majima and nodded. “Who are you comfortable with touching you?” asked Majima.

“Either of you.”

“Nii-san, you grab her,” Kiryu ordered. Majima hesitated, but hugged her stomach from behind. Haruka quickly squeezed his arms as if it were a real hug. Kiryu got close in front of her. “You want to focus on getting yourself low. You’re going to bend forward to stretch his arms out first. It’s harder to pick you up that way.”

Haruka nodded, doing as she was told. 

“Now you’d hit his face as hard as you can with your elbows. As many times as it takes for you to get free.”

“Like this?” She slowly turned and aligned her elbows to his jaw.

“Like that. You want to try to turn out of his grip.”

“Hit me, little lady; I can take it!” Majima encouraged. 

“No! I don’t want to hurt you either!” Haruka protested. 

“It’s part of your trainin’,” he insisted. “Hit me!”

“You can hit him,” shrugged Kiryu. “Just a little.”

She exhaled, then hit Majima square in the jaw twice, then turned out of his grip. 

“Good job, scamp!” He screeched gleefully. He picked her up by the waist, spinning her around as she squealed. “We’ll get ya to beat the shit outta me in no time!” 

“Majima-san,” snapped Kiryu. Both Haruka and Majima flinched. “Can you take this a little more seriously?! This is her safety we are dealing with!”

Majima placed her back down on the sand. “Kiryu-chan, I’m just trying to… to make it less scary.”

“It is scary,” he continued. “There’s no dancing around that. She’s going to be in Sotenbori and she is not going to be with you all the time. Yakuza are pigs, and if they know Haruka is connected to me…” 

“Hey,” Majima coaxed, rushing over to him. He placed his hands on Kiryu’s arms. “I’m sorry, Kiryu-chan. I know it’s daunting. You wanna back out? She can stay here. With you.”

He shook his head. “That’s not fair to her.” 

“You know she’s tough. You raised her. She’s smart, too.”

“I know you’ll protect her,” Kiryu murmured. “I just… worry. This is the first time she will be away from me in a long time.”

“I get it. You’ll still see her and get to talk to her. That’s what this is all about. Her not going with those teenage idol cash cows and gettin’ to be your daughter.” 

Haruka bounced to their sides. “Yeah, Uncle Kaz. You’ll hear from me and I’ll visit all the time with Uncle Goro.” 

“You’ll remember everything Majima teaches you, right?” said Kiryu.

She nodded. 

“You have to. I trust him with your life.”

Majima blinked. He’s said it before, but it still shocked him every time. Wrapping his arms around him, he squeezed Kiryu tight. After a moment he pulled Haruka in, hugging both of them at once. 

“I’ll be okay, Uncle Kaz,” Haruka assured. 

“I know,” he mumbled. “I’m just going to miss you so much. Both of you.”

“Syrupy Kiryu-chan,” Majima purred into his shirt. 

[centerofreality]

What if kiyru and majima found their male S/O playing yakuza 0 and they were absolutely loving it.(Shhhhh ignore the lack of logic and reason) P.S I love your headcannons.

Ohh, this is a good idea! And thank you so much! ♡ I hope you like it! This might be more angsty than you requested so I’m sorry about that!

(This headcanon is set right after the events of Yakuza Kiwami)

Kiryu and Majima seeing Male S/O play Yakuza 0 HCs

Kiryu: 

Like Majima, Kiryu is also incredibly confused, but he wouldn’t think about it for a long time. Strange things kept happening to him, he wouldn’t be surprised about a strange game...Okay, maybe a little.

He would stare at the controller. That looks so... complex... What do you mean it’s touch-screen?? He knows about the NES and the Playstation but he doesn’t know anything about... this. Not like, he’s played any virtual games in his childhood. He only played tag and other physical activities back at Sunflower.

Seeing the parts of Majima before he became a Mad Dog made Kiryu respect him a lot more. Majima was strange but a good man and Kiryu knew that.

“Who knew that Majima-san was close with Makoto-san..”

When Oda and Tachibana showed up, It made him remember how much he’s been helped by them and how it could have been better had the situation’s been different. It should be time that he visits their graves again.

“I’ll forever be grateful for what they did. I wouldn’t have been alive now without them.”

Sign him up for some Karaoke! You do all the work because he’s not really good at games. He can sing and cheer if you want?

You asked him to play one time and you didn’t think teaching someone how to play was so stressful.

*You two proceed to spend hours trying to learn*

But seeing Kiryu succeed in completing Bakamitai for the first time could be your biggest achievement yet. It was all worth it.

“I...I did it!” He’ll stare at the screen with wide eyes.

“You did!!” You’ll beam as you give him a high-five which he accepted.

Kiryu mainly plays the Fishing, Karaoke, and the Disco minigames and watches you fight. How the tables turn. Kiryu couldn’t play as well as he fights in real life.

“I caught a Great White!! Yes!!!” You’ll cheer as you smirk at Kiryu who looked disgruntled. “Why don’t you try?”

You’ll only be surprised when he caught an Oarfish larger than yours.

“It seems I win.”

“No fair!”

You two would also spend time playing the two-player mode in the Disco Minigame! You’ll only laugh because Kiryu quietly curses underneath his breath when he misses.

As he watches you do the Five Billionaires Quests, he wondered what could have happened if he experienced it as well, seeing all the money pile in easily.

Seeing all the other sidequests he was meant to be in, he wasn’t sure if he should be happy or not. He could remember some but not all.

All the other songs but Judgement have scores. Kiryu says it’s because Nishiki would beat his ass for not having a high score but you know better.

Whenever Nishiki pops up, Kiryu gets quiet but gives a small smile when he sees the interactions of Ingame him and Ingame Nishiki. Those were good times that he could never forget.

If you do the Pocket Circuit Quests, Kiryu takes his opportunity as the expert. He knows all the parts you would need for each race. He might actually ask to play it himself, it wouldn’t be the same but the thrill’s still there nonetheless.

“Y/N... Can you open the game?”

“Huh? Why?”

“...Well, I was wondering if I can play Pocket Circuit..”

His love for Pocket Circuit never diminishes. He ain’t Kamurocho’s Fastest for nothing.

Haruka also occasionally joins in with playing, grinning when she sees the familiar white suit and a red shirt that Kiryu wears during Adventure Mode. She’d also be the one to play the Cabaret Club minigames, giving her own comments when she watches or plays with the both of you. It gives her joy that she could have bonding time with her Uncle Kaz and Uncle Y/N.

“I wasn’t born at that time, right, Uncle Kaz, Uncle Y/N?”

Kiryu nodded, “Mhm. I can’t believe it’s been that long.”

Majima:

Majima would be so confused. How does this game that you found somewhere to have the events that happened 17 years ago? But he doesn’t think about it much, thinking of different possibilities as he watches you play. The more you progress, the more he gave up and gave commentary.

“Shit hurts my head, you know.”

However, when Lee, Nishitani, and Makoto were mentioned, now he was suspicious. How did this game know about those people? He has to reassure himself that what was done was done and it was just a game, so you tell him that he doesn’t have to watch you play.

“I know that these people are important to you. I can stop playing the game if you want?” You look at Majima who shakes his head after thinking deeply.

“Nah. It’s fine. If you’re the only one that has that game then I don’t mind you seeing it. It’s just the other people I’m worried about.”

Eventually, he moves on after seeing that you’re the only owner of the unknown game and even tells you about the events.

In order to lighten his mood, you’ll talk to him about his previous appearance.

“I wonder what you’ll look like with long hair but with the same clothes now. I should rent a tuxedo too.” You’ll grin at him as he rolls his eyes.

“I’ll look so hot that you won’t be able to keep your eyes off me. You gotta take the safety measures first.”

When you’re in Kiryu’s story, he’d look so excited, wanting to see what the man had in store.

“Beat him up, beat him up!!” He shouts as Ingame Kiryu fights with Kuze.

“Majima, he can’t hear you.”

He would absolutely enjoy all the heat moves, he’d tell you to fight enemies 24/7.

He’d also cackle at the sidequests. He’d poke fun at both Kiryu and his own sidequests.

“Kiryu-chan gets into all sorts of shit, doesn’t he?”

Majima would talk about the game with you almost every time the both of you are together in private.

“It’s kinda weird though. It’s like a weird, psychic game.” “Do you think that another version of me would exist somewhere?” He would ask.

Seeing Tachibana and Makoto’s story made Majima feel like shit. He’ll actually offer to play the following fight scenes despite not knowing how to really play it. He thinks he could have done better.

“Even if it’s already over with, I still feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

“I’m sure Makoto’s brother would be grateful.” You’ll tell him with a gentle smile and he’ll look at you and slowly smile back.

“I hope so.”

Majima’s moved on but he still hopes that Makoto’s safe. It was the least he could do.

If you get too tired, Majima will offer to play for you. He’ll make sure you sleep well before he stares at the headset and the controller.

“Now..How do I play this thing?”

Majima would be so into playing the Cabaret Club Minigame. He’d play it more than you. And he’d be so happy seeing the faces of the familiar girls he’s worked with before he left. He’ll openly admit to you that he misses them.

He would look like a kid sneaking off to hide something from their parents as he stares at you, holding your controller, with the intention of ranking his ladies to the max level.

“What is that you’re holding?”

“...A knife.”

You’ll gape as you see that in Adventure Mode, Majima can be styled.

“Look! It’s your new look!” You’ll point and indeed, Ingame Majima had the Mad Dog outfit.

Majima’s eyes would narrow in suspicion, “Wait, don’t tell me there’s a game about-”

“About what?” 

“Nothing. Nevermind.”

Majima would spend so much time buying so many items that you wouldn’t even need. Mainly weapons that he can beat people up with.

“Majima, how did we just lose a billion yen?”

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

Please now I am desperate for a Baba breakdown from you. Favorite part of him? Least favorite? What would you change? What do you think is unchangeable? *pleading face*

Oh, I see I’ve sparked an interest ^^; Of course I’ll talk about the best little whore in all of Japan, Baba Shigeki xp 

I joke, but like... have you seen Y5? He’s not leaving much up to interpretation, tbh : | And I love that! Baba is a really fantastic and well-executed RGG character and it’s a shame so much of fandom is sleeping on him. (I know mostly it’s that it takes people awhile to get to Y5 ^^; )

Baba occupies a really important space in the Yakuza universe, the assassin. He’s an important reminder that not Everyone in this universe is a moralistic do-gooder. People like Majima and Kiryu are in fact in the minority. Most of the yakuza are thugs, people ready and willing to hurt others and even kill. And we’ve had assassins before in Kazama and Sera, but they’re mostly out of our hand. We don’t know them too well personally. and that makes sense, they’re the previous generation, their values and choices are reflective of a different time. Our time is largely shaped by Kiryu, he is the yakuza messiah. But just because he’s king god of the criminal underworld doesn’t mean that the underworld isn’t still... y’know, dark and harsh. Especially since Kiryu renounced his throne. 

And Baba is the stark reminder of that. I had been waiting for a long time for us to come into contact with a yakuza member who didn’t fall in line when we finally got to Baba. Because, as we all like to point out, Kiryu’s version of this job is pretty rose-colored and naive. HE might be able to only fight bad people and to use his power to help others, but so few of us are in that position. Kiryu is king god, there are no challenges for him, there’s nothing stopping him, literally. So he CAN just do whatever he wants, up to and including being a good person. Most of us aren’t that lucky, just look at Majima. But even Majima, after a time, gets to be a good person and amasses enough power that he can be nice without it being a death threat. But they’re gods, legends. Your average yakuza member is some punk kid who grew up to being a punk adult who has a shitty boss to answer to and dues to pay. Sometimes there isn’t a convenient bad person to pick on. Sometimes, to save your own neck, you gotta take money from people smaller than you. Sometimes you gotta intimidate and scare people. Sometimes you gotta do unpleasant things to please the boss, to make ends meet, to hold up your end. Not all of us have the luxury of making moral choices. 

And Baba is in a worse position than most. Baba isn’t big and tough. He doesn’t have the physical might to be a brawler, so he can’t be some street thug. His options in life likely weren’t great. Probably an orphan, probably had no one to look after him. So he grew teeth fast and figured out quick that ain’t nobody gonna take care of him, he was gonna have to take care of himself. With a body and face like his, he could easily enter sex work of some kind but that job is punishing for a whole other list of reasons. And Baba’s no dummy, he’s canny, he’s strategic. No, he’s smart enough to use his body to dupe others. He knows people trust his angel face. And there’s more money and more security to be had in a job of violence than selling himself to the highest bidder and forever being at someone else’s beck and call. My bet is Baba’s plan was to make enough money as an assassin that he could retire and live out his life in peace where no one would bother him. And his training as n assassin would keep people off his back. Baba decided a long time ago it is MUCH better to be feared than loved. Can’t rely on love, can’t trust it. But fear, people listen to fear. 

So I LOVE that we finally get the perspective of someone who didn’t get any breaks in life, who wasn’t blessed with divine strength, or lucked into a special position. Baba had to struggle for everything and it made him sharp and it made him paranoid. He doesn’t like killing people, it’s not fun, but he’s so scared of what will become of himself, he can’t bear to stop. He can’t afford to make moral choices. He has to survive, above all things, he has to survive. So another assignment in a prison? Sure, why not. Get close to a guy he has to take out later? Sure, he’s done it before. He’s a great spy, a great flirt. And it makes him feel better to sneer over people too stupid to see through him. They get what they deserve if they believe his honeyed lies. He doesn’t have to mourn his actions if they deserved it. Wash his hands, move on to the next mark. 

Saejima should have been no different. And for awhile, it’s easy. Saejima’s a big dumb hunk of meat. All Baba has to do is bat his pretty eyes and look like he needs help. Piece of cake. But Saejima... is different. Oh, he’s duped, sure enough, he’s gentle and sympathetic and protective, all the things Baba needs, but... One of the reasons Baba hated his past marks so much and felt no remorse killing them, is they all wanted something from him. Every last one of them thought they could get something from him, usually his body, but sometimes not. Every one of them was a selfish piece of shit who would have used him just as surely as Baba is using them right back. But Saejima... Saejima doesn’t want anything. He doesn’t try anything. Even when Baba flirts, even when Baba offers, Saejima acts like he doesn’t understand. The fuck??? It starts to anger Baba, the way Saejima just looks at him blankly and shrugs off invitations. Who does this guy think he is, think he’s better than him? Baba will make him understand, make him want him. Still Saejima is stunned and still he seems to only respond because Baba is asking him to, not because deep down Saejima was trying to use him to. 

Baba can’t... he can’t accept that. That can’t be real. If Saejima really was just helping him because... because he likes him or something, because he’s nice... no, that’s wrong. No one’s good and no one’s nice. Everyone’s out for themselves. No one goes out of their way for each other. Because if they did... then why did no one ever help Baba before? He wraps himself in sureness that Saejima’s just stupid and his selfish instincts are really in there, they’re just slow to appear. He’s just like all the others, he’d kick Baba to the curb the same as anyone else and then... Baba doesn’t have to feel bad about killing him. Then Baba can pull the trigger and all of this will be done. 

He’s sure, without a doubt in his mind, when he feels his hands slip off Saejima on that snowmobile and he’s sent flying, his last conscious thought is that he’ll die here. He’s almost happy. Because then he’d be right. Saejima will have left him and he’d be right. And, maybe just a little, he’s happy that he won’t have to kill Saejima either. Maybe this is best. 

It is the shock of his life when Baba wakes up. He wakes up and he’s warm and indoors and there’s a fire going and weak broth and Saejima hovering over him with a spoon going “You’re awake!" Baba starts crying and Saejima assumes it’s the shock and holds him, actually fucking holds him and... Baba doesn’t think he can do this anymore. How is he supposed to kill the one person who’s ever been nice to him? How is he supposed to look Saejima in the eye and shoot him? Oh god, Saejima should have left him there to die, he should have, he should have... why is Saejima so fucking stupid, why doesn’t Saejima suspect? 

The next couple of weeks are some of the worst Baba’s ever spent. Saejima’s nicer than ever, cuddly and affectionate and warm, and Baba feels sick with guilt. See, this is why he only kills stupid people. This is why he only killed people who deserved it. He can’t... bear this. Pointing the gun at Saejima is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. But he has to, his whole life has been about this, his life above anyone else’s. If he can’t kill Saejima then... what was it all for? What had it all been about? He’s crying. He’s actually fucking crying like a little bitch and he can’t stop. It’s weak, it’s pathetic, but he just wants Saejima to take the gun out of his hand, to tell him it’s going to be okay, to take him home. Saejima screams at him and Baba falls apart. Saejima swoops in on him, holds him close, takes the gun and tells him it’s all going to be okay. It won’t... in the back of his mind, Baba knows even if he fails here, he still has half a job to do. But the fact that... everything out in the open, true colors showing, Saejima is still hugging him and refusing to let go... Baba sinks into that for a minute and believes that maybe there is something else he could do with his life. 

Oh... I have feelings about Baba Shigeki ^^; I love him to death I wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing I want is for Saejima to take Baba home and bring him into the Tojo and then we’re all a weird dysfunctional family together ^^; That’s my dream. Friends and family for Baba X3

[majimemegoro]

ohh I read your tags on that one nishiki meme post,, I felt like I was hit over the head with a bicycle broo

AUTHOR is that you??? Hello!

Waait you wrote Fugue? And all the other ones??

Also you hhh you run at least one meme blog on both jojo and yakuza??? Dude I don’t know how to tell you this but you’re literally everywhere. I appreciate you!

I might just review the Nishida one soon, although I just unlocked the construction thing in kiwami 2,, and that’s pretty much where he appears.

Anyway this would be embarrassing if I were wrong but I’m pretty much 90 percent sure according to the tags on the “made-up character” post;

I wanted to say hello to you at LEAST, most of the Nishiki simp posts were made by you and I can relate. (Although I probably shouldn’t follow you because spoilers, huh?)

In other news, I’m drawing a comic about why Tonight -restart from this night- is singable all the way to Yakuza 6 (apparently?) and Judgement’s only in 0. No WAY a place focused on karaoke would only have seven songs or so!

I think that the characters only sing songs that they want to sing, meaning that Judgement could very well be there. (Confirmed by inviting Majima, where he sings songs that aren’t on the list)

What would happen if Kiryu were to sing it again? Would he be able to?? (Would he hear Nishiki’s voice even though he’s not there like in 0?) By the radio station substory it’s confirmed that Judgement is Kiryu’s favorite song so it wouldn’t make any sense unless,,

“As always, Judgement’s my song!”

maybe he can’t bring himself to sing Judgement because yknow—

Maybe it wasn’t only—

Again, I can’t get Y1 Japanese Kiryu’s heartbroken voice out of my head and that’s part of the reason why the comic’s gonna be like three/four pages instead of three panels.

Will I finish it this week? No. Will I finish this month? Probably not. Last one page comic I did took three years but I wasn’t that motivated to do it.

ANOTHER THING (and I hope I’m not bothering you, guess all my comments are ultra long sorry) you ever notice that Kiryu avoids most fights except the heat action tutorial in Yakuza 0?

Yeah so that was because one of the drunkards hurt Nishiki a little bit. NO FOR REAL look at that scene it’s really quick, but the younger drunk pushes the older into his kyodai.

(Also probably why he threw a punch at Awano despite his rank;;)

Okay I’m gonna go now before this gets any longer buh bye

AND I APPRECIATE YOU !!! I’ve still been thinking about your comment, and I’m glad we found each other here!

As for following me, I try to be careful about tagging “yakuza spoilers” and also sometimes specifically per game. But if you want to avoid spoilers entirely you should def avoid “yakuza spoilers”. But also i will not harbor any hard feelings if you unfollow until youre fully caught up :)

I agree on the karaoke songs being the songs a character would choose to sing. And as for why kiryu won’t sing judgment after y0, I think you’re likely also correct that it’s because he won’t sing without -

it’s a duet, how could he sing it without -

ANYWAY! happy to find you and PLEASE PLEASE show me your comic whenever you are ready!! it sounds delightful and I’d love to see it

[butterflyinthewell]

I’m going to tell you the story of why I love Godzilla.

When I say not to make fun of an autistic person’s special interests, I say it from a place of deep understanding and pain. For me, an autistic SpIn is like being in love, or (for the aro folks out there), it’s like being with your best friend ever and it just feels so comfortable and good.

Sooooo in January my dad mentions wanting to watch KOTM with me. Any excuse to watch KOTM is good, so of course I jumped on it. We watched Godzilla KOTM. It’s the movie I spent all of 2019 talking about from January to May. I got it for Christmas 2019 because mom knew I was going to want it as soon as the first roar hit the screen in the theater. (I took her to see it as a Mother’s Day gift, she liked it too.)

Lemme tell y’all something: when I was a young kid, my dad got me into Godzilla. Starting when I was around 5, he told me the stories of the movies he’d seen (the whole Showa era and Godzilla 1985). So I knew about Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Minya, MechaGodzilla, Gigan, Hedorah, Megalon, etc long before I ever saw them.

My dad said “these are important characters.”

Then he started renting the movies when he felt I was old enough to not be scared by them (age 7 in 1987) and pointed out who was who.

And my first ‘real meeting’ with Godzilla was the same as the people in 1954, when he popped his head over that hill and roared that haunting sound I never forgot, and I was hooked forever.

I loved it. I loved all of it. Dad warned me about the ending of the ‘54 movie, so I wasn’t surprised by it, but I still cried! He got me over it by showing the the rest of them, as if to go “see, he’s okay!” Then dad warned me that Godzilla was ‘the bad guy’ again in Godzilla 1985, but didn’t tell me how it ended. I was reaaaaally upset when he fell into that volcano. I probably cried about it for three days. That scream still hits something in my soul.

My favorite childhood Godzilla movie is Godzilla’s Revenge. It’s the first Godzilla movie I ever owned. I loved Ichiro’s dreams of making friends with Minya, outsmarting his kidnappers and standing up to his bullies. I even tried to pick up Monster Island using a little portable am/fm radio I had as a kid. It didn’t work, all I got was static, but I sure tried! 😋

I wanted to be an island lady like Saeko from Son of Godzilla who could call monsters for help. I wanted to be a cyborg like Katsura, except I would use MechaGodzilla to make friends with Godzilla instead of trying to hurt him.

Anyway...

Dad’s interest in Godzilla stuff kinda dropped away as the 90s hit and my autistic traits began to make me deviate more and more noticeably from my peers. I had seen all the Showa era movies, so he stopped telling stories because there weren’t any more to tell.

My love for Godzilla carried on into the Heisei era and beyond. Dad acted like I should “leave that crap behind” when I kept buying movies and talking about them to him. He didn’t want to watch them with me or look at pictures in the Godzilla Compendium I picked up.

I didn’t stop my enthusiasm for Godzilla, I just stopped sharing it with dad. I kept at it through high school. I sobbed over Godzilla vs Destroyah because I thought that was the end of the franchise, and I can’t even mention what happened to Godzilla in that movie. If you’ve seen it, you know.

In the year 1998 the rumblings for the ‘98 movie started around New Years, so of course I made noise about going to see it. Because GODZILLA, y’all!

Well, dad surprised me and took me to see Godzilla ‘98 when it came out. I had been bugging about going to see it and he kept giving me a hard no, then had me convinced we were going to a baseball game that night instead. I did nothing to disguise my boredom or hurt in the car, and it broke when we pulled up to the theater. Okay, he pulled a fast one on me and he said I did an emotional 180 spin, but it was worth it. (I still like that movie, but I don’t call that creature Godzilla. I call him Zilla or GINO instead.)

Literally right after that my dad would get mad if I talked about Godzilla. He griped that I was “so obsessed with that stupid monster” and that I needed to grow up. I was almost 18, and I had, just not the way HE wanted, I guess...

Godzilla 2000 came out. Dad grudgingly took mom and me to see it, and I finally got to live my dream of seeing a legit Toho Godzilla movie in theaters. I was yelling and clapping (as were other people) and just had a huge blast. In the car, he told me to knock it off when I talked excitedly about what I liked in the movie. He slapped down all talk of Godzilla.

I still continued to be a fan. When more Millennium era movies came out, I grabbed them when I saw them on the shelves. I got everything from Godzilla vs Megaguirus to Godzilla: Final Wars in a little Japanese shop my dad found near where he worked at the time. I was in my early 20s then. I also got some figurines from that store: a Heisei era Mothra, a Heisei era King Ghidorah and a Millenium era (Final Wars) Godzilla. Dad rolled his eyes when I walked out with them in my arms.

And so began his weird pattern of indulging my interest, but getting upset at me if I talked about it. I was discovering the online fandom at this point, so I had another outlet, but still, it used to be our thing, and his behavior really stung.

I only discovered there were more movies in the Millenium era becuse I happened across GMK on HBO and realized I didn’t recognize that Godzilla suit or the setting.

Then I missed the ending because of a very badly timed phone call. But I was like “omg more Godzilla movies...hey dad, can we go to that shop?” (And then I was like a dragon with treasure when I came home....)

I grabbed the two Kiryu movies first because a certain fanfic author in the fandom had written some Mechagodzilla fanfics where Kiryu (Kiryuu in her stories) was sentient and sexy af. The idea of the original Godzilla being brought back as a robot was amazing and that author basically took the idea and ran it to another level. She’s the reason I headcanon the 54 Gojira as Heisei Godzilla’s dad.

ANYWAY, I got all caught up on the Godzilla movies and blew up to a boiling fan girl froth when the 2014 movie got advertised.

I took mom to see that becuse dad’s Parkinson’s had advanced so far that he couldn’t go out much anymore. Mom likes Godzilla movies and sci-fi in general. While she’s not as into it as me, she enjoys them for the entertainment. We both liked G2014, so I got it for Christmas.

We watched it with dad as a family, he said it was okay.

Through 2016 and 2017 I was rattling on about Shin Godzilla. Got that as a late 37th birthday gift because it came out on dvd a few days after my actual birthday. I watched it for the first time with dad, and he complained the whole time and kind of ruined the experience for me, which pissed me off. HE was the one who wanted to watch it with me, now I wish I watched it alone instead.

2019 came, KOTM happened. So that brings me to sitting down to watch it with dad. I was excited see his reaction to the monsters he introduced me to in childhood realized with modern cgi effects and all. I love seeing things that remind me of happy times in my childhood, and I thought those memories were fond for him, too. So I watched, waiting for him to recognize Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah.

He said nothing when they came onscreen. I got engrossed in the movie and sort of forgot about it, but when it was over I bounced up and asked, “Wasn’t it cool to see the guys you told me stories about when I was 5?”

I thought back while I waited for him to answer. I thought back on the stories, the fun and the movies.

I thought back on how my love for this character has grown, and how in KOTM it was physically realized in that painful moment when Ishiro Serizawa looks up at Godzilla with such reverence and lays his hand on his snout. I feel like that was Dougherty telling all the fans he sees their love for Godzilla and gives them that one singular, intimate audience with the big guy through Serizawa. Because who wouldn’t want to give him a pat on the nose and thank him?

The director of KOTM understands what Godzilla means to the fans. He understands how they feel and what they want. In my mind he gave it in spades.

But my dad...

My dad, the man who taught me enough to get me into Godzilla forever, looked at me in the eyes and said, “I don’t remember any of it. They’re not that important anyway.”

“These are important characters.” Much younger dad said to much younger me.

“They’re not that important anyway.” Older modern day dad said to older modern day me.

I thought my heart had stopped and my soul fled through the floor. This franchise, these characters he brought to me with such enthusiasm, something that grew into a lifelong love, meant nothing to him. It was as if he gave me a diamond and later told me it was worthless glass to him. Godzilla was and still is a huge part of my life and who I am, and dad acted like this “us” thing I thought we bonded over during my childhood didn’t matter to him.

It’s almost like he expected me to take passing interest and then move on, but because I’m autistic and because I relate to Godzilla so much, my interest turned into love and respect for the character, what he represents and the messages he has sent throughout the years.

Part of who I am is shaped, literally, by Godzilla, something that started because my dad told me he existed. And in a sentence my dad took that root from my childhood and ripped it out because he decided it was a worthless weed.

It’s not my love for Godzilla that was ripped out. It’s the love I thought my dad felt for me when he was telling me all those stories and showing me the movies. I’m sharing this because I love Godzilla, because I love what he represents and means to me, and I thought my dad shared it with me for the same reason. This is a very autistic thing...I’m sure autistic readers can feel my love for Godzilla just by reading this.

I thought my dad did, too, once.

But no. There was no love at all like I thought there was, so I was not pouring my love into an ocean that still existed, I was throwing it into a black hole.

Dad didn’t care to remember Rodan, or Mothra, or King Ghidorah. He didn’t care to remember what all that meant to me during my childhood because he doesn’t and never has cared about my feelings.

He doesn’t care about my feelings.

He wants me to shut up about Godzilla.

I will not.

I love Godzilla. I don’t need dad’s approval anymore. I will turn 40 this year (2020) and there is no stopping what began 35 years ago. The plant that grew around the root dad planted is shaped like me now, and like Biollante I will keep blooming because Godzilla was my first love fandom-wise and that admiration and love for him stands on its own.

Dad no longer has a say.

But, my God, my dad has this remarkable ability to tell me something is important when I’m young and then claim it isn’t so many years later. He’s done it for a lot of things, but hearing him say Godzilla isn’t important after instilling his importance into me at a young age just...gutted me...and it gutted me as much as the time he asked me what I did to make kids bully me when I was being bullied as a teen.

I got bullied because I’m autistic. I existed. He said it was my fault for being that way. I was a newly diagnosed teenager when he said that. It was 1995, ironically, the same year Godzilla vs Destroyah came out.

And I was an adult when he ripped at that root of Godzilla he planted in me.

Godzilla was the last part of my childhood that he hadn’t sunk his abuse into, but he finally did in January of 2020. Now there is no part of my life untouched by his emotionally abusive crap.

It shouldn’t hurt like this. I feel ridiculous to be hurt so deeply, but I can’t keep pretending that I’m not hurt by it anymore.

I will get over it. My absolute love and respect for Godzilla is something my dad can never destroy no matter how much he tries to shit talk about it. I’ve let him ruin so many things, but not Godzilla.

Godzilla will never be a trigger for me. He is an anti trigger. On this day of April 19, 2020, I’m realizing he is the protector my dad failed to be.

To all parents of autistic kids, be careful that you don’t belittle the things you said were important when they were young. Don’t introduce something that becomes a special interest, say it’s important and then belittle it when they grow up.

Even if you don’t think it’s important anymore now, even if you think it’s silly now, even if you didn’t know they were autistic at the time and would dive in like that, it may still be important to them.

It may become their safe place. It may become treasure.

Don’t try to destroy that safety. Don’t treat it like trash.

[bloodfcst-a]

“ it’s okay to be confused. nobody has all the answers. ”

MEME: hurt/comfort.

Was ‘ confused ’ really the word to apply in this setting? Perplexed doesn’t describe how she feels. Torn, really, is more accurate. It’s not that she resents all fathers… not even hers, really, not anymore. But there’s always been this aching, the type that longing or substituting didn’t fulfill. An envious, nearly jealous sort of feeling, the an anger that spouts at the possibility of ‘ what if. ’  What if she’d grown up with loving parents? She didn’t need two–one would have been enough. But no, she’d transfigured that emptiness into strength, enough to shield her heart and body enough to ward from any other thing that would dare to hurt her… for nothing could compare to what she felt, with the rejection she’d felt for so many years.

And here is Kiryu, who’s decided to be a better father than the adoptive one he had. It’s logical, it makes sense. To soothe the pain by ensuring you don’t repeat the same mistakes. But she doesn’t have that in her, doesn’t think she holds that much restraint. It’s easier to lash out, let loose, when there’s nothing tethering you to sanity. If she smothers out her own flame, so be it. Maybe then, she’ll find some real peace–none of this temporary, numb it down with knuckle punches and karaoke.

She’s not surprised, that Kiryu would take in this Haruka. He’s not a child, but it’s hard to say that when Yufi can still think of when he was still 19 and full of rage, blistering out with every successful pickup for the Dojima Family. That was the beginning, wasn’t it? And even after all that happened afterward, even if she knew the events that happened would make him change, he was still the same Kiryu to her.

But this? This is different. Big brother Kiryu? Dad Kiryu? Had they even figured out the logistics? It doesn’t matter, really. Still, Yufi’s glad to have met the scamp. Makes her think again of another ‘ what if. ’ Could Yufi be like her, if only Godo had been more kind, like Kiryu?

Drinking glass is dropped softly onto coaster, and Yufi lets out a little half smile.  ❝ Y’know… Sometimes there’s no answer at all. And I have to learn to be okay with that, too. ❞

[subasekabang]

Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Title: Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Rating: T

Word Count: 7598 total, 3758 this chapter

Characters: Coco, Joshua, Neku, Beat, OMC, OFC

Warnings: Major character death

Summary: Her Magnum Opus nears completion, and as her audience approaches, she hurriedly arranges one final rehearsal.  Elaboration on a pet theory of mine, built out of Final Remix spoilers.

Every day streets are crowded with people

Every night streets are jammed with these noises

Things are so strange, are they real or a dream?

Where am I now, trapped in this city of illusion?

***

Neku surveyed his surroundings.  It didn’t take him long to recognize them.

“This is Cat Street…”

“Yo, finally!” Beat said, running a few steps ahead.  “We can get outta Shibuya from here!  I’m so ready to be done with this crappy Game!”

Neku looked up the street, murmuring, “Unless the way ahead has been rearranged too…”

He tensed a bit as Coco stepped up behind him, the tiny Reaper saying, “No worries fam!  See, the way ahead looks, like, totez clear!  That super tough wall you guys just made it past must’ve been the last challenge!”

Neku’s eyes caught on the café just ahead.  Even in this situation, it still sparked a very complicated emotion in his heart.

“Yo, whatchu waitin’ for,” Beat said, “an engaged invitation?  Le’s go, man!”

Beat took off.  Neku followed at a slower pace, saying, “Hold on!  While we’re here, shouldn’t we ask Mr. H what’s going on?”

The other boy skidded to a halt.  “Huh?  You think the H-Man’s gonna tell us anything?”

“He might.  We have time to spare—it can’t hurt to ask.”

Coco made a face as she walked up next to him.  “Uuuuh, source?  That guy, like, oozes bad vibes.  You should totez just finish the Game!  That’s all that matters, yeah?”

Neku shook his head.  “I still want to know what’s going on.  Out of the people who might actually know, Mr. H is the only one with an address.  We might not get another chance.”

The Reaper rolled her eyes and shrugged.  “I mean, I guess, but like, why risk it?  The finish line is literally right in front of y’all—just cross it and end the Game.  Then if you still wanna talk to Coffee Weirdo, just walk right back in and do it then!  It’ll totez be less stressful once we’re off the clock!”

Beat nodded.  “Yeah, man!  We gotta get this over with either way.  Plus we might get an explanation jus’ for winnin’!  We’ll keep the H-Man as a back-up plan, aight?”

Neku crossed his arms.  “I still feel like this would be less risky.”

“Aw c’mon!” Coco said, skipping down the sidewalk.  “You srsly need to chill, Neku!  Let’s just finish the Game already.  Besidez…while we stand here chatting, the other Players are still fighting Noise and stuff.  Like, uh, Shiki?  Do it for her!”

“Right: Shiki and Rhyme is still out there, Phones!” Beat said.  “We gotta end the Game now!”

With a sigh, Neku grumbled, “…Alright, I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting.  But soon as we’re done, I’m coming back to get answers.”

The three of them ran down Cat Street, with Coco trailing farther and farther behind.  Eventually she came to a stop, and just watched the boys continue with a wide grin on her face.

“Ugh, finally,” she said to herself.  “This pair was WAY more stubborn than the last, 7.8/10 too much effort.”

Neku noticed they had lost her just as he and Beat ran over the city limits.  The next thing he noticed was pain.  Intense, searing pain, like his entire body was on fire.  Judging by the way Beat had toppled over on the ground, the same thing was happening to him.  Neku fell to his knees as the agony worsened.

“What’s…happening…?!”

Coco slowly approached them, taking care to not actually cross the limits.  “This is fine!  All according to keikaku.  Congratz on winning the Reaper’s Game: Expert Mode!  Oh btw, keikaku means plan.”

Beat cried out suddenly.  Black and red flames consumed him, burning brightly for a few seconds before vanishing, leaving not even ashes in their wake.  Neku’s eyes widened in horror.

“What did you do to him?!” Neku demanded.

“Erased him, duh,” Coco said.  “Though technically wasn’t me, actually my baby that did it.”

“What?!”

“He needs loads of food to grow up big and strong.  I’ve tried, like, a gazillion different things, and the Soul of super tough Players like you two is what works the best by far!  ty so much!”

The pain only grew.  Neku screamed, doing all he could to endure it despite knowing he was failing.

Coco put a hand to her ear.  “Mmmm whatcha say?  Couldn’t make that out.”

It wasn’t long before the flames consumed Neku as well, and then he too was gone.  Coco put her hands on her hips and smiled.  The world around her shifted, wavering like a mirage until it all melted into one swirling void of bluish clouds.  Before her spawned a massive creature: a tapir with purple skin and six tusks, yellow tattoo-like protrusions in the shape of flames erupting all across its form.  Its red eyes focused squarely on Coco.

“Yay!  Look at you, you absolute unit!  You’re, like, so strong now you could body anyone!”

Coco threw herself onto the tapir’s trunk, hugging it tightly—the creature gave a guttural rumble in response.  She could sense its power increasing, and giggled happily as she took a step back.  The tapir lowered its head and nudged her gently.

“Okay, okay.”

Reaching up, she scratched the tapir’s trunk.  It tilted its head and squeaked.

“Aw, who’s a good boy?”

Coco hopped up to the top of its head, lying down so she could reach far enough to scratch behind its ear.  The tapir lifted its trunk and trumpeted happily, then floated up and down in place, jostling Coco only the smallest amount.

“Haha, very good, such cute, wow!”

Soon it settled down.  Coco propped up her head with one hand, continuing to slowly pet the tapir with the other, and let out a long sigh.

“Tapez my dude, I’m, like, so glad I have you.  ngl you’re kinda my bff.”

The tapir grunted, swinging its trunk slightly.  Coco swayed along.

“I dunno when it’s going down…but I’mma make sure you get through it.  You’re one of my peeps too now!  So it’s a legit promise!”

Coco extended her pinky.  The tapir inclined its head a little and flexed its claws.

“Oooooh right.  Well, still totez binding lol.”

She pressed her face against the tapir’s skin, letting her eyes close.

“Aaaaaah, we’re almost there, Tapez.  Should just need, like, another few rounds and you’ll be a prime example of the ideal Noise body!  Though tbh if the next pair is as annoying as this one, totez just gonna yeet them straight into your stomach.”

Her phone chimed.  She opened one eye to look at the screen, and then rolled onto her back and groaned loudly, kicking her legs about in frustration.

“Uuuugh for real?  Fine, whatevs.”  She paused to pet the tapir one more time.  “Sorry Tapez, I gotta bounce.  brb and then we’ll go find you some more treats!”

The tapir squeaked a farewell, and then Coco stood up and shut her eyes again.  Focusing her power, she elevated her Vibe and reached out with her mind to feel for the world she wanted to travel to; after so many times, it was easy for her, and in mere seconds she had concrete beneath her feet.  Opening her eyes, Coco looked up at the skyline of Shinjuku and smiled brightly.

I love my city tbh.

***

Feel the people, hear the voices

They are reaching out to catch you

Feel the rhythms, hear the noises

You are beating all the visions

***

Coco moved through the city at a slow pace.  Shinjuku was a travel hub, a place that was purely transient for most: each moment was fleeting, but each brought something new, something different, and that everlasting tumultuous tide of life fascinated Coco in a way nothing ever had before.  Each second was something wholly unique, and she never wanted to miss even one of them.  She spun around on a corner, taking it all in, and just laughed to herself.

“Having fun, Atarashi?”

Her good mood was spoiled instantly.  She grimaced over her shoulder to see Joshua standing there, looking every bit as smug as she remembered him.

“fml what are you even doing here Kiryu?” she asked, turning around and crossing her arms in a huff.  “Can’t you, like, take a hint?”

“Nice to see you too.”  He raised a hand to his chin.  “Hm.  I’m curious: why is it you hold onto your wings even in the RG?”

Gesturing to them, Coco said, “Aesthetic.”

“…And what aesthetic would that be, exactly?”

“fyi I’m headed to a super important meeting rn so unless you’re finally ready to fite me irl then I, like, don’t even want to hear it.”

Joshua chuckled and brushed aside a lock of hair, which only made him seem even more smug and made Coco even angrier.  “Stimulating as that has the potential to be, we’d both be in quite a bit of trouble with the folks upstairs if we were to have a skirmish.”

“Oooooh good point,” she said as she turned away.  “And I bet you’re, like, already in hot water after the way you went off.”

“Nothing to worry about on that front.  I’ve spoken with my Producer and he assures me the matter has been put to bed.  Things in Shibuya will be staying the way they are.”

Coco spun around.  “WTF?!  You two are out of trouble just like that?  I literally have no words!”

“Hm?  Why, I would assume your Producer has been apprised of the details as well.  Has he not passed them along to you yet?”

There was a short delay, and then Coco glanced aside and grumbled, “That must be why he sent me that txt…”

“I take it you’ve been too busy with your side project to stay on top of the paperwork.”

Coco locked eyes with Joshua.  He was still smug, that would never change, but now there was a deadly undercurrent to his words that demanded Coco’s attention.

“tf are you even talking about?” Coco asked.  “You really need to stay in your lane, Kiryu.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Explain.”

“Well for starters, I know you’ve been poking around my city.”

“omg!  Tourism is a crime now?”

“Considering our circumstances I believe it falls more under ‘corporate espionage’.”

“It’s totez hilair to me that you consider the UG a corporation.”

“Setting that aside for the moment, there’s also the fact that you’ve been shirking your duties as Composer to jaunt off to an alarming number of parallel worlds as of late.”

Coco smirked.  “Aw, u just jelly I can travel between worlds without needing to call an Uber to get back.”

Joshua shrugged.  “I admit, it’s a skill I’ve yet to master—even my alternate selves seem to have difficulty with it.  One came to call on me recently, you know.  Said something about a bizarre Noise erasing two former Players in his world.”

Yawning loudly, Coco said, “Kiryu can I, like, get a tl;dr?”

Joshua’s face began to darken, the undercurrent gradually rising towards the surface.  “Well Atarashi, it certainly sounds like you’ve been attacking alternate Shibuyas.  If so, that’s something I believe qualifies as ‘in my lane’.  Wouldn’t you agree?”

Coco cackled.  “Pffft omg are u srs?  I am DECEASED y’all, the guy who just tried to wipe his whole city is acting protective up in this bitch!  lmaoooooo!”

Joshua stared hard at her.  “Coco, do think for a moment: how do you suppose the Higher Plane would react to this news?”

“What, are you, like, planning to tell them?  If you’ve got some proof then hmu.”

Joshua didn’t answer.

“lol that’s what I thought, smdh you better sit down Kiryu.  Even if I were, like, messing with parallel worlds or whatevs, why would the Higher Plane even care?  Angels from this world have no jurisdiction there.  It’s free real estate.”

Slowly, Joshua nodded.  “…Alright.  Perhaps you have a point.  Let’s leave the Higher Plane out of this hypothetical.  The only one you need to be concerned with…is me.”

The air suddenly felt very heavy.  Coco actually needed to remind herself to breathe, but she made sure her reaction wasn’t obvious.

“So, Atarashi.  Explain to me why you’ve been killing Neku in so many parallel worlds.  And, do try your best to make it a very good explanation.”

Coco brought her hands up to her face, twisting slightly away.  “lololol I’m confused.  Mad cuz I beat your record?  Or want to make sure I don’t off this world’s copy of Edge Head before you can tell him he’s worthy of your grace?  Honestly?  I ship it.”

Joshua paused.  “Neku himself isn’t the issue here.  But if you’re making a move into my territory—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, cuz you care, like, SO much about your territory!  I am SHOOK seeing you come in here acting like the authority on protecting your peeps!  I could learn so much about my job from watching you!”

“I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu.  I could have sworn I’ve already told you that a Composer’s job is simply to judge their people, and that it is only the existence and boundaries of their respective UG that require protection.”

Coco covered her mouth.  “omg!  Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?”  She dropped her hands and stuck out her tongue.  “jk obv you’re full of it.”

“I don’t see why I should need to divulge my motivations to you of all people,” Joshua mumbled, “but if you must know…I was under the impression that Shibuya was not worth keeping around.  Now that I’ve seen it still holds potential, I of course have every intention of preserving the seeds that I’ve sown.”

Coco scowled at him, but didn’t speak at first.  Nearly a minute passed before she said, “Then tbh?   I’m not your enemy.”

Joshua’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s, like, only a matter of time before a new kind of Game starts up Kiryu.  Their Game.  And I’m gonna be mad prepared when it does.  If you had literally a single brain cell you’d totez be doing the same thing.”

By the time she was done, Joshua’s eyes had narrowed down to a suspicious glare.  “Surely you’re not referring to the party I’m assuming?”

“Like, who else?”

Joshua stared down his nose at Coco as he considered his next move.  Coco grunted, drew out her phone, and checked her messages.

“My, you truly are impossible to figure out,” Joshua sighed.

Coco gave her best Clearly Fake Smile and replied, “Because you’re an expert at that lol.  I’m nothing compared to your galaxy brain.”

“I think I could do it if not for that absurd…shall we call it a dialect?”

“Uh, this is how people talk now?  Hello?  If you knew anything about people, then like, you’d already know that, but as always you have 0 friends so buh-bye.”

“…Hm.  And, exactly how many friends do you have, Atarashi?”

Coco frowned.

Joshua turned.  “But, alright.  If this is some plan to deal with the Inferno, then I’ll drop the matter for now.  But, one thing I’d like to make clear before I go.”  He took one last glance back at her, eyes full of ice.  “I will not tolerate any interference in this world’s Shibuya.”

He was off without another word.  Coco suppressed the urge to shudder, turning back to her phone and mumbling half-formed syllables as she made herself look busy.  She looked back up to be sure that he was gone, and then sighed and tucked her phone away, gazing over Shinjuku once more as she waited for the tension to leave her body.  It was immediately replaced by joy.

“omg whoops.  Rōjin is totez still waiting orz.”

***

Is it angels?  Is it devils?

Whispering in my ears

Is it emotions?  Is it illusions?

I need to be with you

***

Coco poked her head through the shrine’s gate.  Looking up the path, she could see a bald, tan-skinned man with a stoic face sitting at the building’s entrance, his eyes already locked onto her.  She flinched.

“Uuuuh what’s up gamers?” she blurted as she stumbled forward.  “I know I’m, like, totez late, but I have a tru legit reason for it, get a load of this!”

The man was Seiji Rōjin, owner of the shrine and also Shinjuku’s Producer.  He offered not a single word as Coco hurriedly explained her encounter with Joshua to him.  When she was done, he nodded and closed his eyes; Coco looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, and then took a seat next to him.

“You must leave your Opus be,” he ultimately said.

Coco started.  “Uh, excuse me?  Abandon all my hard work just because that nerd doesn’t want me near his bf?  I think the heck not!”

Rōjin opened his eyes to look at her.

“…Um?  Something else?”

“The Higher Plane demands a Game.”

Coco blinked.  Then she rolled back, digging her fingers into her scalp and shouting, “AAAAAAARGH, srsly?!  I know I haven’t held a Game in, like, forev, but can’t they just let me handle thingz down here?  Please say sike!”

Rōjin said nothing.  As she accepted the reality of the situation, Coco’s heart sank.

“But…Tapez…”  She groaned.  “…Is, like, a teeny bit of faith in me too much to ask?  They know I’ve got mad skillz!  When you taught me how to make Tapez, you said I was one of only, like, three Composers whomst’ve ever been able to control Magnum Opus Noise—they should be totez impressed with me already!”

“The Higher Plane demands more of your position than mere talent,” Rōjin said.  “It demands discipline.”

Coco pulled herself back into a sitting position.  “I am, like, sooo disciplined!  I legit wanted to tear Kiryu’s face off, but I didn’t!”  She got back on her feet as she went on, “Like, sure, this is about Shinjuku, but the whole reason I’m working on Tapez is so he can protect my peeps!  Making sure he’s bad enough to dunk on anyone is literally The Best Thing I can be doing rn!  The Inferno is out there, you know, somewhere, and we dunno when they’re gonna throw hands!  And now I have to take time out of my counterattack schedule to run some basic-ass Game?”

She whirled back to face Rōjin.  He didn’t say anything.  Coco stared at him for a few moments, realizing she was getting a headache.

“…heck.  We don’t really have much of a choice, do we?  If the Higher Plane wants a Game so bad, then like, we gotta pull together a Game.  Tapez will just have to chill for a week I guess.”

Coco put a hand to her head as she trudged past Rōjin for the door.

“Ugh, lemme see, the Conductor obvs needs to show, and we should probably @ all the Officers too.  idk who’s gonna be the GM this week but they—“

The pain in her head suddenly turned sharp.  She paused mid-step.

“…they…”

Her vision blurred, then went dark.  And then she saw Shinjuku again, but it was…different, somehow.  As if viewed through some sort of filter.  She saw the streets, the people, and then a glowing red symbol up in the sky—and then the streets were empty.  Not a single soul was left in Shinjuku.  No, not quite, next she saw one person: a girl who slowly walked forward with a blank look in her eyes.  The girl stared straight ahead, but couldn’t see Coco.  Still, she opened her mouth to speak.

“All that’s left in the world is me.”

Coco gasped as the shrine came back into focus.  At first she was too surprised to make any sense of the event.  But as she breathed, she processed it, and her eyes shot wide as pure dread came over her.

“Uh…a-ah…I…”

Rōjin stood, watching her with furrowed brow.  Coco’s entire body shook as she turned to face him.

“I…I saw it again…!”

She jumped forward and grabbed Rōjin’s shirt.

“It was the same vision!  You remember, right?  From, like, WAY back when I first asked you about Magnum Opus Noise?  I saw it again!  Shinjuku was erased—it was an Inversion!  I-I…”  She looked down as tears started to form in her eyes.  “I haven’t seen anything since that day…why now?  Is…is the Inferno about to attack Shinjuku?  Is that what this means?!  Are we out of time?!”

She felt a hand on her head.  Looking up, she saw Rōjin staring back at her, his face as calm and stoic as ever.  Coco swallowed hard, and then exhaled slowly.

“R-Right…right.”  She managed a chuckle.  “Like, look at me, crying in the club like a little bitch!  Thanks bunchez, Rōjin.”

She stepped away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.  Coco found herself looking up at the sky, as if to verify what she had seen hadn’t actually come true…at least, not yet.  The same skyline greeted her.  But this time, she just couldn’t feel happy about it.  This time, it made her feel resolute.  She turned back to Rōjin.

“Sorry fam.  But I, like, can’t just sit on my ass and play a Game rn.  The Higher Plane might not be convinced, but I just know the Inferno’s on their way to end my whole career, and I’m not about to take that.”

Rōjin paused.  Then, with a single nod, he said, “Mood.”

Coco giggled.  “omg, you’re, like, literally the worst!”

She left the shrine and made her way back up the street, thinking, Dunno how much more time I have to beef up Tapez.  My boi’s totez strong, but I can’t be too careful, and probs don’t have much time for last minute boosts.  I need to, like, think of how else I can improve his chances…

Her feet slowed, and she looked back at the shrine.

…Hm.  I wonder what she would think?

Coco crossed her arms.

I mean, she’s gonna be totez disappointed there’s no Game.  But like, she’s still my Conductor, yeah?  If I can’t trust her to back me up, then who can I trust?

She turned and got moving again.

At the v least I gotta ask.  Whatever it takes…my Shinjuku is going to survive.

***

Every day noises are killing these people

Every night noises are waiting for me but

Don’t run away, we’ve got no time left to fear

Where are you now, still it’s showing me illusions