#makoto is a beautiful soul inside and out but is not my type despite sharing a colour pallet with my husband haha

[confusedpandabear]

For who is a top romantic partner, Makoto would be voted 1st as best boyfriend. The friendly gentleman prince type is a popular pick. Rin would be the 2nd runner up on his looks alone but also his bad boy persona is attractive to many. Haruka would be 3rd as the calm cool silent type who is reserved but also strongly passionate for what he believes in. Rei is 4th for being an eccentric academically gifted intellectual who is also good at sports. Nagisa is 5th cause shotas, while cute, are niche.

I agree with your rankings on the whole, and I think if we were to put a 'who would be the best husband' poll out to the general (Free!) population, this would be the outcome! Makoto reigns supreme when it comes to boyfriend material.

Though, I do think everyone would have their own preferences 😉 I'd personally put Rei a bit higher up (maybe tied with Rin?) because he's a cutie who'd definitely put a lot of effort (research) into a relationship despite being a bit eccentric and awkward at first!

[shadow-scenarios]

Hello~ may I ask for something slightly specific? I wanted to ask about a scenario in which the reader recently obtains the Meta-Nav but instead of the PT finding out first, Goro does. See, the reader and Goro have recently become acquaintances and reader thinks that the Meta-Nav is something related to illegal activity so she goes to consult their detective friend on this mysterious app! Haha, sorry if this is too specific ;-;

Hey there simulationone, this isn’t too specific!! I like creative ideas that change the plot & this has been my favourite request to write so far.

However, I did change the request slightly. I made it so that the Reader awakened to their Persona & gains the MetaNav!! I hope that’s alright with you. If not, feel free to message me again and I can rewrite it.

{ Post Writing Note: Well, I wrote way too much!! Sorry if there’s less Akechi content than you thought, I got hyperfixated on how it would affect the plot. I’d love to write a Part 2 full of angst with this, so feel free to request it!! }

- Nexus.

Dance with Justice | Goro Akechi

Life at Kosei High was predictable. Like a metronome. Constant pressure to be the best & high achievement boundaries, it was a wonder how she was ever accepted without some sort of moonlighting as a prodigy. These stories of mental shutdowns & psychotic breakdowns made the world look grim & everyone seemed desperate to escape it all.

Comfort was found in the Phantom Thieves and how they manipulated hearts. Dancing the line between immoral & illegal, it was a grey area where the who was less significant than the how. Society grasped onto them as miraculous saviours as they solved cases faster than regular forces ever could: Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Medjed. The world was taken by storm, these renegade rogues looking to change the world & it seemed they were no longer an urban legend.

Their downfall was unexpected, to say the least. Okumura was murdered in cold blood, his mental shutdown playing onscreen during an important meeting where he was about to reveal an important factor in solving this buck-wild case. A calling card was found at the residence, the sigil of their misdeeds. Just when the mystery was about to unravel, the threads gave way to a bigger problem: Did the Phantom Thieves cause the very shutdowns everyone was trying to escape?

Swiftly, the media capitalised. Labelling them as criminals, demanding their arrest. Everything shifted so quickly & she was caught up by the egregious claims of both sides. There was one thing for certain: The Phantoms Thieves had killed someone and regardless of their previous deeds, they needed to be brought to justice.

Naturally, the first viable suspect she found was Yusuke Kitagawa.

He was of the eccentric sort, gaining a scholarship through art. Everything the strange man did was usually for the sake of ‘ Finding true beauty! ’, which was slightly melodramatic. Before Madarame’s case, he was fixated on art singularly. Now? He seemed to have other priorities. Whenever someone would discuss the Phantom Thieves in an art lesson, there was a glimmer in his eye & the paintbrush that had been on the canvas stopped in order to listen in.

A victim of Madarame’s plagiarism, which gave a plausible motive. Despite this, nothing was concrete. She thought about her friend, Akechi. Was this how he solved crimes?

Obviously, the next step was to follow Yusuke around. Sneaking around was rather easy, all she had ever been known as by the student populace was ‘ the girl who was friends with Akechi! ’, so standing out was not much of a problem. There was not much abnormal. Despite being somewhat of a social outcast, he had a small circle of friends. Six in total.

Five of them were clearly wearing the Shujin Academy uniform on the day she spotted them. One was tall in stature with fluffy black hair & thick framed glasses. Reserved in nature but he always appeared to have some sort of witty comeback. Soon he became known as Akira.

Another one was a blonde, around the same height. He wore the uniform much like a delinquent alongside a yellow graphic tee. Obnoxiously loud, as it was never difficult to hear what he was saying even from far away. The person closest to him was Ann. She had platinum blonde hair tied back into pigtails & features of an American.

Makoto was next. Clearly more of a calculating type, she wore the uniform immaculately. Wearing her hair in a French-braid styled headband, she had maroon coloured eyes & was around average height. Most of the time, she was commenting on the boy’s behaviour.

Haru Okumura was someone recognisable due to the news about her father’s death, which was saddening. In her uniform, she wore a fluffy pink turtleneck alongside white tights with flower patterns.

Futaba was just as strange as Yusuke. She used a mixture of gamer jargon whenever she spoke and was never seen in a uniform. About middle school age, she carried around a set of headphones everywhere that regularly rested atop her maple coloured hair.

Stuffed inside of Akira’s bag was also a cat that they tried to hide. Key word: Tried. Six of them & a cat.

They frequented a local cafe in Shibuya, LeBlanc. It was a nice location & she had even gone in there once to listen in. Boss was kind, to say the least. He served coffee with a warm smile & the curry combined perfectly enough to encourage a smile out of her.

On a Friday, the cafe was busy. They had gathered at one table & chatted casually. Most of them looked forelorn. Akira eventually gestured for them to take the conversation outside, where they would disturb fewer people.

Following behind them, she paid Boss & followed, attempting to seem casual. They never noticed. Conspicuously trailing into an alleyway, Ryuji pulled out his phone. Listening in was difficult so she opted to pull out her own phone and record. One of them, presumably Akira, simply said “ Mementos. ”.

Mementos. That singular word triggered something & changed everything. As the world began to violently shift in a strange phenomena, hues of vermillion & mauve dotted her vision. It was hypnotic. Eventually, she snapped out of the trance.

Concealed by masks & flashy outfits were the suspicious group she had been following. It was blatantly obvious by their hair colours. However, the animated cat creature was a surprise. It was reminiscent of the cat Akira carried around but even stranger was that it talked. Then it turned into a bus. Which did not seem all that strange.

Inherently familiar with their environment, they sped off down the escalator, leaving her alone with her thoughts. There were so many reds & greys. Thick red veins ran through the sides in mangled forms. The wall behind her was dilapidated & the only way to proceed was the escalator in front of her.

A fatal mistake, really.

Recalling the details of the awakening are fuzzy at best. These lumbering creatures formed entirely out of shadow began to take notice of her unwanted presence. Cornered, desperate and alone. Insurmountable pain; the voice of someone almost familiar; then freedom & rebellion.

With the pact of her Persona, everything was clearer. Life had previously moved in rhetorical patterns, it was now a whimsical dance. Eliminating the so called enemies with a weapon in hand, she eventually found a way back to the surface. The door at the beginning looked to be a way out, so she threw caution to the wind & took the chance.

Fatigue came first in this dingy alleyway. Adrenaline had been fuelling the push to leave alongside her newly granted power and once that was gone, nothing would spare her from raw exhaustion. Checking her phone in the hopes of finding evidence, the video taken was still there, though it cut off as soon as anyone disappeared.

Even without evidence, she knew that this group was doing something illicit. So she texted the one person she trusted with this secret: Goro Akechi. He was a detective, surely he would have answers.

;; I must speak with you in person as soon as possible. It’s regarding the Phantom Thieves, I have some evidence for you. You’re investigating them, correct?

Knowing full well that Akechi lived a busy life, she did not expect a response for a while. After gathering the strength to stand once again, she headed home. It was the most exhausting experience ever, physically & emotionally. A few minutes after returning home, there was a response from Akechi.

I am indeed investigating them. If you have any evidence regarding them, would it not be more convenient for me to receive it via text? ;;

;; Yes, it would be, but I can barely even believe the evidence presented to me. It’s better for you to see it for yourself. Are you attending school tomorrow?

Indeed I am. Pulling away from the public eye has benefits. If you are free during lunch, we can meet on the rooftop and discuss the supposed evidence that you have found. Does that sound like a compromise? ;;

;; Alright. I’ll see you on the rooftop tomorrow.

The next day was filled with trepidation. Everyone seemed to be mulling about & with how slowly the clock was moving, it was if the school was in a state of chronostasis. Although she did not share many classes with Akechi, there had been a moment where she saw a mop of hazelnut brown hair amongst a crowd, so he was likely to be there.

Sitting on the rooftop alone was slightly boring but she understood why he was late. Every time lunch began, Akechi would be surrounded by people who wanted his attention. It must have been rather annoying.

5. 10. 15. Minutes ticked by. During the winter, it was exceptionally cold so not a single soul came up. The chilly winter breeze nipped at her skin & for a moment she wondered if it was Akechi that she had seen. The brown hair easily could have been mistaken—

The creak of the door announced his presence. With a formal apology, he recalled how his teachers were intent on swarming him with catch up work that he would inevitably never complete. Dismissing it all & moving along with the subject, Akechi got straight to the point:

“ What was it you wished to speak to me about? ”, he asked.

“ I believe I have ascertained the identities of the Phantom Thieves, ” was the only reply she gave.

Looking astounded, he shifted his glove via force of habit & looked directly at her.

“ That’s quite the bold claim, ” he returned to a neutral expression as the mask of the Detective Prince slipped back on, “ Do you have any evidence? ”.

Recalling the story to the best of her ability was tedious. From the suspicious behaviour Yusuke had been demonstrating to the video evidence taken from her phone. Throughout the entire story, he maintained a neutral expression so she was never quite sure what to think.

“ Usually, I would disregard such stories as a strange dream or a vision you had & declare your footage as edited. However, I have... also had an encounter in this strange phenomena as well. ”

Everything began to make more sense as it was explained. Akechi rattled off about the cognitive world, Palaces, Personas & even how ‘ stealing someone’s heart ’ was possible. He explained that his plan was to lend the Phantom Thieves a hand in their next assignment & catch them in the very act. Specifically, their leader.

“ That explains a lot. Let me help you. I have a Persona as well & I can fight in that other world. I want to bring the Phantom Thieves to justice. They killed Okumura & many others if they are the ones behind the mental shutdowns. Tampering with the heart of another is wrong... ”

“... Alright. I suppose it will make things easier if it is the two of us. I hope you are a very good actor,” Akechi extended a reluctant hand for her to shake. His gaze was calculated, cold. Much different from his tone of voice. However, she took his hand & shook it.

With that, a contract was signed. Both herself & the detective would bring about the end of the Phantom Thieves.

Word Count: 1.9k

Publish Date: 27.09.20

[thatsadorbsyo]

∞

Woof… okay… here we go.

Landon @ Urien

If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning

“When I first met my lord, I found him pitiable. There was some pit in my stomach, some type of primal disgust at what and who he is. I have never been more wrong in my life, and I thank god every day that I was able to see my error in judgement. There is no one more beautiful than my lord. There is none more stunning. No one on this star could possibly compare. None can follow him. None hold a candle.”

If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME

“That’s a curious thing to think about. I go everywhere with Urien. We live in the same manse. We frequently share a bed. I am often his companion to formal functions. But none of this could be called a proper date. He’s a married man, after all. I am a consort, a companion, but not a date. Never a date. That would be improper.”

If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life

“My god is the only man who holds a greater stock in my soul than Urien does. I trust Urien with every piece of me. My heart, my mind, my body. I am his. Every part of me belongs to him, excepting what our god takes for his own.”

If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply

“I love him. There is no other word for it.”

If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW!

“Anything he wants. Any time he wants. Any way he wants it. I am his–his to use, his to share, his to command, his to pass around, his to hoard, his to covet, his to abuse, his to neglect, his to lavish, his to punish, his to reward. Anything. Everything.”

My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together

“My lord has seen me in every light that it is possible to see another man. I have nothing to hide from him. Nothing at all, not even my bones, my guts, my beating heart.”

If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life

“He is everything to me. He is… he…” Landon’s voice trails off to nothing, a long, pregnant silence. “He will be the death of me. This wanting, this yearning that I dare not name, it will be the death of me. And I will welcome it when it comes, for I truly believe that this is why I was spared. This is why I did not die in the unforgiving Coerthan snow when that dragon opened my body like a tin. Because I… because my death… it is his. It belongs to him, as do I.”

Landon @ Elias/Crane

If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning

“Crane is a man fit to burst with squandered potential, and his looks are not spared in this regard. He could be so much more than he is. He could be so much better than he is. The way he shrouds himself, it’s difficult to truly see him.”

If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two on earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME

“This is laughable. This is a joke. The only place I’m taking Crane is six fulms into the dirt, where an abomination like him belongs.”

If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life

“Do you trust the plague? Do you trust a summer cold? Do you trust the diarrhea that spreads through a barracks with alarming virulence? No? Then why should I trust the Crane?”

If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply

“We are fated. I care about him only in that he meets me, faces me, and accepts his fate.”

If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW!

“Crane deserves to shatter his teeth fellating the haft of my lance. He deserves to dine on the filth that lives between the treads of my boot. He deserves the cleansing touch of fire, burning away the rot that festers inside of him. Crane knows what he deserves, and he knows exactly where to find it.”

My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together

“Crane is so inept that I have little to fear from his presence, as unpleasant as it is.”

If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life

“Have you ever met your archnemesis, the antithesis of your soul, the–what did Miss Okuni call it–the diametric opposite of everything that you are and choose to be? Have you ever met him and found him fundamentally lacking in every regard? Do you know how infuriating that is? How disappointing? My only hope is that he grows into someone worthy of this rivalry. I will not hold my breath.”

Makoto @ Elias/Crane

If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning

“It’s a begrudging kind of… like… you can acknowledge that a guy is attractive while still mostly loathing everything he is and says and does.”

If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME

“Does he even go on dates? Is he capable of that kind of imagination? I’m trying to picture a nerd like that trying to summon the personality necessary to spark romance, and I’m coming up blank.”

If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life

“Maybe before the whole Ink business, I would have said that I trust Elias to have my back in a fight. But now? With everything going on? I don’t know. It’s complicated, isn’t it? I trust him in some ways.”

If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply

“Fuck, man, it’s complicated! It’s so complicated. It would be easy to say that I don’t, but then he goes and does this dumbass shit like beat himself senseless and act all pathetic in a way custom fucking designed to tug at your heartguts. He’s shown me things. Things I didn’t think anyone else could ever understand, much less relate to. That counts for something.”

If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW!

“I don’t do that anymore. I don’t do that so don’t… don’t fuckin’ ask me. Don’t tempt me. There’s a part of me that regrets not making him suck my dick when I had the chance. Like, this really small part of me, yeah? But there’s a much bigger part that’s deeply fucking glad that I kept my promise to my partner about it, and I feel like that’s the important thing. That’s important. That’s the thing to focus on, not what disastrous decisions I almost fuckin’ made.”

My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together

“There are parts of me that this guy understands that I didn’t think I could ever really talk to someone else about. I can’t explain it. It’s something you have to experience… something you have to see for yourself. Elias–Crane, whoever, who the fuck ever–he saw me, and I saw him. Inconvenient as it is, this is a simple fact.”

If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life

“I feel like we owe each other something. I feel like we’re not finished with each  other. He told me that I’ve got some part to play. Some thing that if he can’t do it, I’ll have to do it instead. I still don’t understand it. I don’t know what to make of it. I don’t even know if I want it, but here it is fucking is whether I want it or not.”

Maya @ Elias/Crane

If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning

“He has that… disheveled and wiry thing going for him. It’s a bit messy, a bit fucked up. He was plain before, but he’s only gotten better and better looking recently.”

If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME

“Crane and I are… friends. We’re friends of a sort, a very curious sort, but whatever else may hold true, it remains a platonic friendship. I believe that we could have great fun on an outing, but I don’t hold my breath for the spark of romance.”

If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life

“Crane has made promises to me, promises that I hold sacrosanct. I would not have made the sacrifices that I have–I would not have drank the ink from his own lips–if I didn’t believe with every fiber of my being that he would keep them. Crane would die for me, as he would for any of the Flock. I like to think I would do the same, if necessary.”

If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply

“You cannot share what we have shared–what I have shared with all of the Flock–without caring for one another.”

If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW!

“Our arrangement is deeply, mutually satisfying, and deeply, mutually platonic. It’s nice not to have to be alone. It’s nice not to have to sleep alone. It’s nice to know that your needs will be met, despite the turmoil in your life. I miss him. I cannot say that I need him in that regard, but nevertheless I miss him so much.”

My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together

“Crane has seen me at my very lowest, and not only has he scraped me from the grout on the floor and put me back together, but he did it with such gentle, knowing kindness. There are few that I trust on the same level.”

If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life

“The closest of friends. We are family. That is why I’m here, that is why I chose to be with Crane, why I chose to join the Flock. Lovers will leave you. Colleagues will take jobs elsewhere. Friends will grow distant. Family is forever, and that is no more and no less than exactly what Crane promised me. To be kept. Forever.”

[writtenbyfai]

an analysis

seasons inch past...

and before you know it, you end up stuck in the same place, reminiscing what could have been. Or you may have picked up time’s tricks and adjusted to its pace, knowing you could not have changed anything. Or, perhaps, you have been harbouring resentment towards time because it had stolen something dear to you that it can never return, and your only chance at forgiving it is to let things go. The sand in the hourglass catches the sunlight for a moment. The leaves on the branches of trees burgeon, then yellows, cripples, and at last, they wither and fall to the ground. Always shedding. Always passing by, time, even before we realise it, we’ve already missed so much of it. There are many anime films that smote me about time’s properties. ‘The Girl who Leapt through Time’ gave one such notion that time waits for no one. This film is of a similar essence, yet where ‘The Girl who Leapt through Time’ is light-hearted despite the heavy subject of losing a friend and using time for granted, ‘5 Centimetres per Second’ sharpens into clarity the time-impeded hardships and their aches.

‘5 Centimetres per Second’  is a film that struck me through the heart. Compared to the rest of Makoto Shinkai’s works, such as ‘Your Name’, this film doesn’t try to be exciting and fun. It is a slow – and may I say, at first, tedious – drag through murky waters, exploring ugly truths and torturous period of growing up and learning to let go of something that doesn’t belong to you. It is a beautiful, heart-breaking, chest-squeezing masterpiece. This film by Makoto Shinkai, released in 2007, is about two friends – Akari and Takaki – who are driven apart by time and distance. They have to move due to their parents’ jobs. Although they never give up on contacting each other, through letters and, later, emails, time gnaws on the thread of their relationship, pushing them slowly and steadily apart.

In this essay, I will be dissecting some of the things that grabbed me from the start of this film; specifically the journeys of the protagonist, Takaki, and the two deuteragonists, Akari and Kanae. The film is segmented into three episodes, which is a lovely yet unusual way of delivering a fine story, despite it being merely an hour and three minutes long.

Disclaimer: I do not own this film or any of the gif sets. All rights and credits belong to the rightful owners. 

First, the film opens upon two close childhood friends -- Akari and Takaki -- who chose to ally, at the beginning, against bullies in their school. Their friendship begins with this small, trivial fact that Akari pulls out of the spring sky, “…they say it’s five centimetres per second. The speed of a falling cherry petal. Five centimetres per second.” Soon, they stumble into a small world of their own, and, unsurprisingly, feelings blossom. But fate has other plans for them.

Akari doesn’t go to her dream high school with Takaki, as her parents move away from her childhood town. They still keep in contact, no matter how heartbroken they are. Along the way, Takaki’s parents must also move away, but the place they are going to doesn’t close the distance rifting them. It furthers it. Before the week Takaki has to move, he decides he will travel the distance to see Akari one last time, fearing he won’t be able to, later in time. But the journey there is difficult. Frost clenches the rails. Snow arrests the landscape in a cold, merciless way. The wind buries ice into his bones. Due to the weather, the train encounters a delay. The station they pull up at seems as if it’s in the middle of nowhere. Just snow, stretching on for miles. Just the empty, black sky yawning  an unending abyss, so deep for a second you think you might fall into it and never land. Takaki purchases a drink from a vending machine, but when he gropes for coins in his trousers’ pocket, a letter shifts up, the wind picks up and snatches it away. His face crumples into helplessness, as all his emotions written on that letter flies into the winter night. Lost. And you can feel the lostness digging into your chest.

This is where I stopped watching the first time I’d played it. The film drags on upon the cold, dark atmosphere that it builds throughout this scene, accompanied by Takaki’s sorrowful monologue, as if all the weight of the world is caged in his chest. I suddenly felt frigid, like my veins were encased in ice, and the weight of depressing thoughts took hold of me. It’s beautiful, I think, to be able to capture the viewer in such heart-wrenching feelings, but at that moment, I couldn’t bear it. In ‘Your Name’ and ‘Garden of Words’, the characters had fiery, rebellious or humorous personalities; it wasn’t hard to get immersed in the films. However, in ‘5 Centimetres per Second’, neither of the protagonists nor the deuteragonists had this type of attitude; they were hard, struggling people, and their realness was all too much for me. So, I cut off there. It was a long time until my sister convinced me to watch it again, beginning with the seemingly endless train ride. The second time, I understood his feelings. I saw everything from a slightly different perspective, treating the story distantly, so that the more depressing of my emotions wouldn’t get entangled in it.

The weather is still ruthless. The train is still and silent just like the rest of the world. Blowing hot breaths on his cupped hands to keep warm, Takaki whispers in his mind, pleading Akari not to wait for him. It strangles me how much they obviously care for each other, yet the universe is so intent on setting them apart. Takaki, at last, arrives at the station where he’s supposed to meet Akari. Midnight. There, sitting on the benches of the waiting area, is Akari. They only have a few hours left before dawn. But they ignore time, for now, and talk. They eat the cooled dinner Akari had prepared for his arrival. Then, when the station’s about to close, they walk down a snowy, desolate path. Stop under a frosted cherry tree. And they kiss. They never get the chance to express their feelings.

The morning comes to separate them, and sweetly, as you’d expect, they promise to each other they’ll never forget and will always keep writing to one another. This promise carries on, despite the day after that Takaki moves to a town near the sea.

The episode closes, to start a new chapter of their lives.

Surprisingly, we do not find Akari in the second episode of the film. She is absent on the screen, except for her name that Takaki writes and thinks of. His high school life is uneventful. He makes friends easily, achieves great grades, and aspires to go to university in Tokyo, one day. But the wish, the hope, that he might see Akari again and talk to her, urges him to keep looking forward. It seems to be the only thing that makes him want to walk, and be a good person, because apart from that, he is an empty shell who is tugged and swallowed by the same tide, stuck in a motion that never seems to let him go. He is also that tide. His attachment to Akari and his inability to let her go, traps him in the same place.

Meanwhile, a girl from his class, named Kanae, harbours an inexplicable crush on him. We’re introduced to her as a girl who has a passion for surfing, yet spends the afternoon until late in the evening, just to catch Takaki about to go home on his scooter, so that they could drive home together. At first, I thought it was kind of pitiful and pathetic, her loving someone whom she doesn’t really know and who doesn't share the feelings she’s folded so neatly inside her heart.  But, thankfully, Shinkai knew not to drawl Kanae’s character out as a clingy person, ensnared in fantasies. He shows that Kanae has other interests -- has a life -- other than her obsession of Takaki. Her life is complicated, and just as you would expect a normal high school teenager. When it comes to plans for her future, she is clueless, yet doesn’t bother trying to figure it out. Leaving her paper blank, it incites a small conflict between her, her counsellor, and her older sister who’s been taking care of her for an unspecified but long time. She struggles to find who she is.

One evening, after finding that Takaki had gone home early, and she’s driving home on her scooter, she spots his parked on the side of the road, where the land slopes upwards into a grassy hill. She sees him staring hard at his phone, fingers often typing something down, but every minute or so, they also press the delete button a couple of times. The blue light overlays his face, revealing the disturbing toll his distance with Akari over time. He’s conflicted. His jaw clenches and he snaps his flip phone shut; the darkness swallows his features. The unfocused look in his eyes tells Kanae she may be interrupting in a wrong moment, however, awareness sweeps across his gaze and he shifts it towards Kanae. This brief interaction summarises their relationship; Takaki looking forward to a future that is not waiting for him, staring past Kanae, who suppresses her feelings that she knows will never be requited.

Just when a few days later, Kanae produces courage from the depths of herself and she conquers the waves which had swept her constantly, before. She worries she won’t find this thrill, this rush of bravery anymore after that day, so she decides to relieve the weight of her feelings from her chest. But seeing Takaki more distant, withdrawing deeper into a husk of who he used to be, Kanae decides against it.

For many years, it stays that way.

The most impeding mark this film makes is in the third episode, where Takaki has made it to work in a computing company as an unseen employee, but the missingness Akari has left him years ago had carved his soul out. The sceneries are browner, duller, and we see the tiny flat in which he lives in being cluttered. Messed up. And we glimpse his mentality in those flashing moments of disarray as the animated shots show cans of beer and piles of dirty dishes in the sink and discarded wrappers of junk food. It strikes me how, in the second episode, in spite of Takaki’s distractedness, he was a really decent, kind person. His bedroom, then, was tidy, bed made, and I had a feeling that perhaps such was his way of coping; repetitive cleaning, busying oneself with any distractions that kept him from reaching for his phone. But in this third episode, he is exactly the opposite. We are shown how ruined he is inside-out. After all this time, it passing, he has not moved on one single step forward alongside time. He is still trapped in the pain of his attachment to Akari. His narrative constantly laments over the missing piece in his life, a cavern threatening to swallow him in the dark, and sometimes associates that interstice with Akari’s absence and their unsaid feelings for each other.

One morning, Kanae leaves a voice message. They haven’t seen each other since Takaki left for university in Tokyo, according to her narrative. She says she would like to meet him again someday to get some things off her chest. Takaki kills the message, and then the scene switches to Kanae’s life. Although she is an ordinary office worker behind a cubicle desk, she appears to be pleased with how far she’s come from not knowing what she wanted for her future to being there, living her future. Even as she said in the voice message that she wanted to confess her affections for Takaki, it doesn’t seem as if she still possesses the same feelings at the present. She’s moved on, because she has learnt not to dwell on emotions unreturned or it may poison you as you squander it inside. Her simple happiness and Takaki’s gnawing depression underline the change of these two characters in the course of the last few years of their lives; Kanae used to be uncertain about her life, timid and groping blindly in the dark, most of all unable to move on from her unrequited affections for Takaki, but when we look at her state in the last episode of the film, she has become this fiercely-determined, neat person, content with her life despite all hardships – the complete opposite of Takaki, who in his teenage stage of life had worked hard to succeed and be able to enrol at the university closest to Akari’s whereabouts, now is a walking ghost, void of any spark of will, and he drowns his daily sorrows in alcohol.

The scene shifts, then, to Akari. Even though we haven’t seen her in the majority of the film, she is a crucial character to the movement of the plot and the development of the protagonist. She’s all grown-up, now, just like the others, and we find the glint of an engagement ring on her finger as she bids her parents farewell at the station, about to depart for Tokyo to meet her fiancé and plan the wedding there. The camera pans briefly to a young woman and man embracing each other under the sunlight, in the middle of a bustling station. Fleetingly, we know she is also happy and has moved on.

The several minutes following that, seasons shed their previous skins to start anew. We stop at spring the next year, a sort of reminiscent flashback of little Akari and Takaki chasing each other down a quiet street on their way to school, and that innocuous fact about cherry blossom petals falling as fast as five centimetres per second. The camera keeps switching back and forth between the three lives of the characters, catching glimpses of their daily lives. In a quieter part of the city, where train tracks crisscross and the light spring sun sprays every surface of leaf, petal and gravel, a woman and a man walk across the tracks, going in opposite directions. The woman hesitates upon passing the man, yet she doesn’t stop, her bright umbrella twirling over her dark head. But the man – he jerks for a second. The bells ring, warning pedestrian of the train that is about to pass. Uncertainty grips his arms and feet and head in place, and by the time it doesn’t, he’s brave enough to look back – by the time the woman halts in her step to glance over her shoulder – the train whizzes by.

What is mesmerizing about this last moment before the screen goes black is the beautiful animation. Words are not said – and have hardly been uttered throughout the duration of the film – in this specific scene, but the body language, the expressions depicted on these characters and the figurative image of a train cutting the paths of people who’d once crossed and couldn’t untangle from one another, speak with more depth than any words can. The man’s shoulders relax. He smiles. He doesn’t wait for the train to fade from his sight, so that he could see the woman he has been in love with for the majority of his life. He turns around and walks away; that simple movement signifies he is letting go, moving on, at last.

Furthermore, this beautifully-executed film is a reminder that there are many things in life that will slip through your fingers, no matter how hard you try to clench it within your grasp. It tells a realistic story about letting go and learning to walk in time again, not against time. 

[datheetjoella]

The Sweet Taste of Tangerines

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Chapter: 1/5 Word count: 4,824 Summary: The wide smile that had been painting his face turned a little more subdued as Makoto stared into the vast ocean of Haruka's eyes, though that didn't make it any less genuine. His mouth couldn't keep smiling forever, but his heart definitely could and he knew that as long as he had Haruka by his side, the enormous smile inside his chest would never wilt or fade away. And he didn't need to say anything aloud because could easily read the understanding and reciprocation in that sea of beauty, a tiny smile tugging at Haruka's pink lips as well.

"Haru-chan, I found you," Makoto murmured with remnants of disbelief, making it sound like they had been playing a game of hide-and-seek for these past couple of years and that he had started to lose hope but had never stopped looking.

The most important moments of the development of Makoto and Haruka's relationship tied together by a piece of fruit.

Notes: Happy Gift Exchange everyone! This fic is a gift for @rosieharu​. When I read in your request that you liked soulmate AUs, I knew I had to write one because I love soulmate AUs so much, so I really hope you like this.

I do have to mention that this is a multichaptered fic and this is only the first chapter out of five. Because I want to keep things brief in this post, I elaborated on AO3 why this is a multichapter instead of a one-shot. I really hope you don’t mind it!

Anyway, I really hope you’ll enjoy this fic!

Read at: AO3 - FFn - or here.

Chapter 1: 4 & 5

The sun was shining brightly, hot rays beaming down to illuminate the land, but Makoto was sitting safely in the shadow on the back porch, excitedly swinging his little legs beneath him. Summer vacation had just started and he could barely contain his enthusiasm for all the adventures that were still unknown yet that were undoubtedly going to take place over the course of the next few weeks. Butterflies of anticipation were roaming through his belly because he knew that no matter what they were going to do, it was going to be so much fun. Maybe his parents would take him fishing sometime, or maybe they would even go to an amusement park together with his grandparents. The possibilities were endless and Makoto already couldn’t wait.

“Here, Mako-chan.”

The warm voice of his mother pulled him from his pondering and he looked up at her. She smiled softly at him before she handed him a small bowl filled with slices of tangerine that she just peeled and he eagerly accepted it. “Thanks!” he said with a wide grin and he didn’t waste a second before grabbing one of the pieces and biting into it. The sweet taste immediately spread through his mouth and he closed his eyes in delight as he happily munched on his fruity treat.

Although summer wasn’t exactly the peak season for tangerines, Makoto’s sweet tooth caused for him to have a very particular preference when it came to fruits and vegetables. There weren’t many types that he liked yet, but his parents still wanted him to get his vitamins from as many different sources as possible and if buying off-season tangerines that were a tad more expensive than they were in the winter was the way to accomplish this, then they’d gladly do it. Anything for their little sweetheart.

As with most things, Makoto was far too young to be aware of this and simply enjoyed the warm afternoon with the refreshing piece of fruit. To revel in this moment with her son to the fullest, Mrs. Tachibana sat down beside him and she gently stroked her hand through his hair to get it out of his face a bit.

Silence wrapped around them, the gentle summer breeze sweeping along the rays of sunshine to brush against their toes and the familiar scent of the ocean only added to the overall atmosphere of tranquility. Yet Mrs. Tachibana detected that there wasn’t solely tranquility in the air; a small buzz of jitteriness disturbed the calmness and she couldn’t help but note that it was coming from right beside her. Although it wasn’t odd for Makoto to be energetic and enthusiastic, especially considering his first summer vacation since starting kindergarten had just begun, right then he was emitting a certain kind of restlessness that she had never felt coming from him before.

Makoto himself didn’t seem to be very bothered by it, if he had even acknowledged it at all, which only made her more curious. He didn’t even notice his mother’s eyes on him; he simply lifted another slice to his mouth and sank his teeth in it, chewing thoughtlessly. Watching him closely did pay off, since she was able to catch even the smallest shift in his demeanour and that immediately explained the unusual vibe.

When Makoto was about to put the second half of the piece into his mouth, he halted because he felt strange tingles on the inside of his left wrist. This foreign sensation caught Makoto’s full attention and the tangerine piece in his hand was completely forgotten as he peered at his skin, mouth still hanging open. Slowly, the outline of what looked like a small fish formed on his wrist, making him gasp softly in surprise while simultaneously making his eyebrows knit together in confusion.

Unlike Makoto, his mother was well-aware of what was going on and it took all of her strength to repress her chuckles at his cute face. Deciding to play along, she innocently asked, “Is something wrong, Mako-chan?”

“Mommy, look!” Makoto exclaimed as he held out his arm to show her. “There’s a fish on my arm!”

A gentle smile graced her features as she admired the drawing on her son’s arm. Having known that this day would inevitably come, she had always wondered what the first word or image that appeared on her little boy’s skin would be. Judging by the look of the small black fish, Makoto’s soulmate was assumably around his age, perhaps a tiny bit older. Regardless, it was absolutely adorable and it warmed her heart, already feeling excited on her son’s behalf. “That’s a drawing your soulmate made.”

Green eyes widened in a mix of curiosity, astonishment, and lingering confusion. “My soulmate?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Tachibana affirmed with her unwavering smile, “I’ve told you about soulmates before, remember? We all have a soulmate, someone who will always be there for us; who will love us and support us no matter what.”

“Oh yeah!” Makoto said, a small flame of recognition lighting up in his eyes. “Like you and Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa, right?”

“That’s right,” she replied, unable to suppress a tiny snort of amusement at his sudden interest. Although she knew that children’s minds were like sponges and could rapidly absorb and retain information, it honestly wouldn’t have surprised her if Makoto hadn’t remembered it since it wasn’t like they had ever had a formal talk about it before, just some off-handed mentions whenever the situation called for them. “Anything we draw or write on our skin will automatically appear on their skin as well.”

Upon hearing those words, Makoto averted his gaze to look at the drawing again before he looked back up at his mother. “Why is that?”

Inquisitive as always, but Mrs. Tachibana couldn’t exactly say that she minded it. On the contrary, she would gladly feed his curiosity, though it wasn’t like she had the answers to all of the universe’s countless questions. Still, just because she didn’t, that didn’t mean that she couldn’t try to explain things the way she saw them.

“I don’t really know,” she started truthfully, since the science behind the whole soulmate-aspect of life hadn’t exactly been uncovered just yet. But for things that were yet to be discovered by science, folklore was born to explain the inexplicable. “It’s said that people are made two at a time and that is why soulmates exist. And with our soulmate, our soul is shared, our hearts are connected, and our skin is linked.”

“I see,” Makoto mumbled under his breath and she could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to comprehend what she had told him. When he had processed her words and interpreted them in the most logical way to him, he asked, “So if I fall and hurt my knee, their knee will hurt too?”

That made Mrs. Tachibana laugh lightly. “No, it doesn’t work like that.”

“But our skin is linked, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes,” she muttered, trying to figure out how to appease her son’s curiosity as much as she could without sweeping it under the rug. After all, he did raise a valid point. Unfortunately, not everything that existed and happened automatically made sense per definition, and this subject was no exception. Not wanting to get too far into a topic that was already complicated enough as it was, she reasoned it wasn’t too bad to keep things light for now. So she simply shrugged and said, “But we wouldn’t want our soulmate to be in pain just because we have pain, right?”

“Of course not!” Makoto immediately blurted, not wanting his mother to think that he meant it that way. The fact that there was someone out there, someone who he hadn’t even met yet, who would always be there for him and who loved him no matter what made him feel warm and cherished and special, and he wouldn’t ever want to take their kindness for granted like that. If anything, it made him want to do something back for them. “But if they hurt their knee and sharing it with me made it hurt less for them, then I’d do it!”

The sincerity was vibrant in his eyes and Mrs. Tachibana swore she could feel her heart melting on the spot. “That’s very kind of you, Mako-chan,” she said, her smile softening even further in affection, “but I think your soulmate wouldn’t want you to be in pain for them either. Look, they even drew a fish on their wrist to catch your attention,” she trailed off despite there not really being any correlation between the two, because she saw it as a good opportunity to divert the conversation from the topic of how soulmates worked back to her son’s actual soulmate. “Why don’t you draw something too so they know you saw it?”

That suggestion made Makoto light up, like he had never even considered the possibility of drawing something back and he beamed an agreement. It was at that moment that he remembered the piece of tangerine in his hand and he quickly popped it into his mouth before he jumped up and ran back inside to look for the nearest pen or pencil. The first thing he found was a blue marker from when he was colouring before that he had apparently missed when he had put the others away. Deeming it good enough, he grabbed it before bolting right back outside to where his mother was waiting.

The remaining tangerine wedges were completely forgotten as Makoto sat back down on the porch and uncapped the marker. Staring at the little black fish outline on his wrist, Makoto wondered what he should draw in return. Usually he would have asked his mother for her input, but there was something inside of him that refrained him from doing so now; a quiet voice in the back of his head that urged him to think of something himself. And although his imagination was very vivid and colourful, he now had a little more trouble coming up with ideas of what he could draw and he didn’t know why. It was most likely the unconscious need to give his soulmate a good first impression of him - after all, he wouldn’t want them to think his drawing was silly or stupid - but the whole concept of having a soulmate and being able to communicate with them via his skin was far too exciting to make his insecurities bubble up into the foreground of his mind.

After a few seconds of deep contemplation, Makoto decided that he would draw a little fish too. He wouldn’t want the fish that his soulmate drew to get lonely, so if he drew a fish alongside of it, they could be friends! Two friends swimming together in the ocean of their linked skin. It sounded like a great idea, because Makoto really wanted his soulmate to be his friend too and he couldn’t think of a better way to accomplish it than this.

Mind made up, Makoto put the marker down on his wrist and scribbled on his skin. Now there were two fish on his arm; one black and the other blue, roughly the same size with the exception of the blue fish’s lines being a little thicker. Granted, Makoto’s fish wasn’t as pretty as the one his soulmate drew - his soulmate’s fish looked very nice while drawing had never been his strongest point - and in any other situation, that would have made him feel a bit embarrassed and maybe even a bit inferior. But there wasn’t any time for those emotions to well up because it only took another second for the tingles to return and another fish-outline appeared on the other side of Makoto’s blue fish.

“Mommy, look!” he yelped excitedly, “They drew another fish!”

Before Mrs. Tachibana even had the chance to look, let alone respond, Makoto had already withdrawn his arm in favour of scribbling a fish in return. His eagerness about the whole situation made her smile once more and she reached up her hand to ruffle his brown locks again. She understood the overwhelming surge of emotion very well, since she remembered herself having been just as excited when she first experienced the skin-link between her future husband and herself. Now she only hoped that Makoto’s soulmate would be just as wonderful and kind to him as his father always was to her. Though something inside her gut told her that wouldn’t be an issue in the slightest.

It didn’t take long until his soulmate had drawn another fish in response and soon they were taking turns doodling on their arms, always waiting for the other to finish before they drew another one themselves. In the meanwhile Makoto asked his mother all kinds of questions about his soulmate’s identity. They were mostly rhetorical because he understood that his mother didn’t know who they were yet either, but he felt the need to express and vocalise his wonders and Mrs. Tachibana merrily chatted along with him. She said that whoever they were, they were certainly right-handed too since they were both drawing on their left arms, they were assumably around his age, and they apparently loved to draw fish.

There weren’t many things that Makoto knew about his soulmate, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Although he hadn’t met them yet, he already loved them with all his heart.

As the afternoon progressed, more and more parts of his skin were covered in black and blue ink. Throughout the entire process, not once did his elation waver when he felt the tingles that were quickly growing to be familiar on the next part of his arm and another little fish appeared in their school. After a while, Makoto noticed that they were running out of skin and that concerned him. He didn’t want his soulmate to think that he was ignoring them, so he pondered on what he should do to solve this issue.

It was his turn to draw again and his eyes wandered back to the very first fish that had appeared on the inside of his wrist. Even in the sea of all the other little fish, Makoto knew that this was the first one and simply looking at it spread a funny feeling through his tummy. Although he loved every single one that his soulmate had drawn, this fish was special and he thought it therefore deserved that bit of extra attention and care.

Suddenly, he knew what to do. Drawing had never been his strongest point, but he was much better at colouring. So he put his marker down in the middle of the outline and coloured it in, trying his very best to stay within the lines that his soulmate had put down for him. When he pulled away to observe his work, he saw that he had accidentally skimmed over the lines a bit, but it wasn’t too bad so he was pretty satisfied with it. Now he only hoped that his soulmate would also like it.

He didn’t have to wait long until he felt an eye and a mouth appear on the fish and an enormous smile stretched his own mouth at the sight of it. But before he had the chance to respond, his soulmate did what they hadn’t done before: they didn’t wait for Makoto’s turn, but instead drew a black outline around the blue fish right next to it, the first one that Makoto had drawn. This only made Makoto more ecstatic, knowing that they were on the same page, and he coloured the fish in completely before his soulmate added the facial features on this fish too.

And that was how they continued; his soulmate would draw a black outline wherever it was needed, Makoto coloured it in and then his soulmate would give the fish a kind expression. They easily fell into this rhythm, a comfortable pace they established without any further communication. Like two bodies in perfect harmony. Because of this, Makoto didn’t have a hard time believing that what his mother had told him earlier was true, about his soulmate and he having been created at the same time, because he had never felt this connected to someone before in his life and he hadn’t even met them yet; he hadn’t met them yet, but he felt like he knew and understood them like no other.

There was not a single doubt in his mind. His soulmate and he were meant to be.

When his father came home from work later that day, Makoto didn’t waste a second before he jumped up to greet him at the door. “Daddy, Daddy! Guess what?” he yelled excitedly, immediately babbling on without giving his father a chance to mutter as much as a greeting, “My soulmate drew a fish on their arm so I drew a fish too and then they drew another one and we spent the entire afternoon drawing fish but then there was no skin left to draw on so-”

“Woah, woah!” Mr. Tachibana interrupted with a hearty chuckle. “Slow down a little, Mako-chan,” he said as he put on his slippers and stepped out of the genkan and he lifted his son into his arms. “Let’s go inside so we can sit down and then you can tell me all about your soulmate and the fish.”

Makoto nodded in agreement and wrapped his arms around his father’s neck as he allowed him to carry him inside, grin from ear to ear still plastered on his adorable face. When Mr. Tachibana entered the living room, he quickly greeted his wife with a kiss on her cheek and then he pulled out a chair and sat down, placing Makoto in his lap. Knowing that he couldn’t wait any longer, Mr. Tachibana smiled at him again and asked him what had happened.

The enthusiasm from earlier had lingered and Makoto gave his father a rundown of the entire afternoon with the same kind of fervor that had been buzzing through his body all day. Some parts were told out of order and a little incohesively, but Mr. Tachibana just let him go on without asking for an explanation and just added some commentary whenever it was needed as he admired the handiwork of his son and his soulmate. It wasn’t too hard to put the pieces of the puzzle together himself, and he would ask his wife later to fill in the gaps of Makoto’s story that were too unclear to make his own conclusions on.

“Did you take pictures?” Mr. Tachibana offhandedly asked his wife once she sat down at the table with them.

“Of course I did,” she answered without missing a beat. After all, the first interaction between soulmates was special and it would be a shame if such a memory went lost without documentation or commemoration, especially since Makoto was still so young. “But unfortunately I didn’t get the chance until they were done so I only have pictures of the end result.”

“Oh yeah!” Makoto piped in, “When all the fish were done, they drew a smiley face on their hand, and I thought that was weird since we were only drawing fish with smiles, so I drew a smiley face too, look!” He pointed at the two little faces on the palm of his hand. “And then they didn’t draw anything anymore, so I think that they had to stop and told me with the smiley face.”

“That’s very nice of them; they probably didn’t want you to think they were ignoring you,” his father remarked, running his fingertips over the faces on Makoto’s tiny palm, enticing soft giggles from his lips.

“Daddy, that tickles!”

Always in for a bit of teasing, Mr. Tachibana mumbled, “Oh really? You know what also tickles?” When Makoto looked up at him with large, questioning eyes he said, “This!” and started to tickle him with one hand while holding him with the other to ensure he wouldn’t fall off his lap or hurt himself otherwise.

Almost immediately loud laughter erupted from Makoto’s belly and he frantically tried to swat his father’s hand away from his side. “Daddy, stop!” he pleaded through his squealing giggles, and Mr. Tachibana only continued for a few more seconds until he granted him mercy. He was only in the mood for a bit of teasing after all.

“They probably had to go eat dinner,” Makoto’s mother cut in, directing the attention back to the subject from before the little tickling intermission, “and we do too, so if you both can go wash your hands then dinner will be served in a second!”

The promise of Mrs. Tachibana’s delightful cooking was enough to snap both father and son back to attention and they instantly got up to do as they were told.

But no matter how delicious the food that his mother had prepared was, Makoto found his thoughts continuously drifting off during dinner, completely missing the conversation his parents were trying to engage him in because he was too preoccupied with staring at the ocean on his arm. After a few attempts his parents decided to let him be, though his mother did remind him of the steadily declining temperature of his food if he didn’t finish it soon. They didn’t think much more of it because they perfectly understood Makoto’s fascination and the overwhelming emotion that came along with the first buds of affection for his soulmate sprouting inside his heart. Knowing that these buds would only multiply and blossom throughout the future, they let him process this new experience by himself, the way he needed to.

This was a very special day for Makoto, but it certainly was for them too. Their son, the personification of their love and the fruit of their soulbond, was going to develop a relationship like theirs with a person whose identity was yet to be revealed, yet who was undoubtedly someone who complimented Makoto in every aspect. Even though it was destined to be like that since their creation, it was truly beginning now.

And seeing these early beginnings playing out before them made them reminisce about their own start, from the first interaction to the first meeting when the fully-bloomed flowers inside them first began to grow. Although neither of them had said anything aloud, one look from brown to green confirmed their shared thoughts and matching smiles of adoration for both each other and their little boy naturally stretched their lips.

Their ride on this emotional rollercoaster had reached a place where it was steady, high up in the air with their heads in the clouds as they enjoyed their everyday lives standing side by side, truly together in every sense of the word. But Makoto had just gotten on, he hadn’t even fully left the station yet and the ride ahead of him was completely unknown. Regardless, he was excited, filled with childlike oblivion towards the bumps and sharp turns that might be waiting on him and only saw the clouds in the sky where his parents resided.

Of course, it wasn’t that simple; the relationship with your soulmate wasn’t automatically all sunshine and rainbows just because you were meant to be together. In reality, there were still a lot of hardships that could put strain on even the strongest of bonds and there had to be conscious effort and devotion from all the involved parties in order to coexist lovingly and peacefully, the way that was intended. But once that balance was found and maintained, it was nothing short of absolutely wonderful, a relationship in which both parties brought out the best in each other and in themselves. An inviolable sanctuary built on unconditional love and support, of mutual respect and dedication.

Even though their blindfolds were still on in regards to Makoto’s rollercoaster ride and they couldn’t do anything but wait until they were taken off, as they watched the elated smile that was painted on his face as he studied the artwork on his arm, something told Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana that Makoto and his soulmate were going to be just fine. And they were so excited to be spectators of their son’s journey.

But then the bright, rosy-coloured vision of the future was tainted when they heard a small gasp escape Makoto’s lips and the jubilation he emitted vanished within a second and made place for a concerned, almost pained frown.

“Mako-chan, what’s wrong?” his father asked, unable to keep his voice clear from worry at the sudden shift in his little boy’s demeanour.

“It’s gone!” he said as he held out his arm so his parents could see, completely distraught. “It’s all going away!”

The outline of the little fish on the inside of Makoto’s left wrist that had started it all was gone and the other black lines that adorned his skin were rapidly fading away until nothing but the blue insides remained.

As she saw tears welling up in those lively green eyes, Mrs. Tachibana realised she had forgotten to tell Makoto that unlike on paper, the drawings made on skin weren’t permanent. “It’s alright, Mako-chan,” she tried to console him, “that just means they’re taking a bath right now. This is normal.”

“But I don’t want it to go away,” Makoto protested. The precious fish that his soulmate and he had spent so much time on were special to him, it was the proof of their connection and a sign that somewhere out there, his soulmate existed and was thinking of him. Although he had only known about it for a few hours, the thought if it disappearing again was harrowing and made him feel cold and empty inside.

“I understand that,” his mother murmured as she got up from her seat and walked over to him to comfort him. She lifted him up and took place in his chair so she could hold him against her chest. “But if it never goes away, then you can never draw something new. Wouldn’t it be sad if you couldn’t talk to them like this anymore because your skin was all full?”

“Yeah,” he agreed as he sniffed deeply, trying his best to keep his tears from spilling over, “but still.”

“Just because you can’t see the lines anymore, that doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Mrs. Tachibana tried, putting him down in her lap so she could look him in the eyes. “They’ll always stay with you, right here,” she said as she tapped the tip of her finger against his chest, “in your heart. The fish that you and your soulmate drew will live on forever inside of you.”

“But if you still want to see the lines,” Mr. Tachibana added, “then you can take a picture of it so you can look at it whenever you want.”

“Really?” Makoto questioned, sounding a lot more hopeful yet with some remnants of doubt coating his voice.

“Really,” his mother affirmed, smiling gently at him before lightly kissing his temple as she wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “So how about we finish dinner now and then I’ll show you the pictures of the fish after dinner. And then I’ll make you a bath too just like your soulmate had, and then you can draw something new for them tomorrow, alright?”

Those words seemed to have impact as a small smile appeared on his face again when his soulmate was mentioned, and the smile morphed into a wide grin at the notion of being able to draw something for them again. “Alright!” he echoed, and his mother pressed another kiss against his head before she got up and put him down in the chair again.

Makoto had never finished his dinner as quickly as he did that night.

But when the need for seeing pictures of the ocean on his arm in its original state was satiated and Mrs. Tachibana was giving Makoto a bath, she realised that in her eagerness and excitement on her son’s behalf, she had made a mistake.

As she ran a washcloth over his arm, the blue smudges that covered it weren’t disappearing, they were only growing a little vaguer. Instead of grabbing a pen or marker that was designed for skin-use like his soulmate had done, Makoto had used one of his regular markers and those wouldn’t immediately wash away with just some water and soap. She should have informed him about it, but she had honestly forgotten in the heat of the moment and while Makoto didn’t mind it in the slightest, she still felt guilty. Therefore, she sent a mental apology to Makoto’s soulmate and their family for her stupidity.

Now she only hoped that her error wouldn’t negatively influence anyone’s view on her son.