#managers like ‘sakurai what was that’

[marbleboa]

Out of all the possible options for Sakurai post-Claw I am always absolutely delighted by the comedy in the Smilemart decision. Just like. Imagine you are the manager at this convenience store. Many of your previous hires are older teens or college students just looking to make some money part time. The most severe looking man in a suit walks in for an interview like he took a wrong turn on the way to the corporate office.

He opens his very official looking briefcase retrieve his resume, upon catching a glimpse of the inside you see that was the only thing in there. The resume in question is well laid out design-wise but after a moment you realize there is just a single job listed. When asked he provides a well-spoken response on his focused work ethic and experience in a position of management—however, it’s so vague you still can’t quite figure out what exactly this job was. He apparently never finished middle school. Strange as the whole situation seems to be you give him a shot and even while he never loses that odd intensity of his he quickly ends up being the most hard working employee you’ve ever had.

[otomehonyaku]

Diabolik Lovers Daylight Vol. 7 Ruki ☽ SKiT Dolce・Rejet Shop Tokuten Drama CD ☽ Absurd Lesson ♪

Original title: 理不尽レッスン♪ Voiced by Sakurai Takahiro English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (provided and owned by me)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Please do not reuse or post my translations elsewhere or translate my work into other languages without my permission.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I reached 1000 followers last week, so here’s a special treat: one of Ruki’s Daylight tokuten CDs, plus a translation which you can read below the cut╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ This was yet another short but sweet one with a surprisingly wholesome message. I hope you enjoy!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

00:00 Hey. Have you finally finished getting ready?

[You apologise for taking so long.]

Heh. It’s alright. We still have some time before we have to go to class.

Besides, Kou and the others are still busy preparing.

Have a seat, too. It seems like it’ll take a while longer.

[You sit down.]

I thought I’d prepare tea, so I boiled some water. Would you like some?

[You suggest getting the tea for him.]

No, I’ll pour it for you. I have only just cleaned the kitchen, after all. I would like to have it as tidy as possible before we leave.

[Ruki walks to the counter.]

Come to think of it, they’re being so rowdy that we can hear them all the way from here. Are they bickering again? Kou and Yuma tend to fight over who gets to use the bathroom first, right?

[You confirm his suspicions.]

Hm. So they were, even though that only chips away at the time they actually get to use the bathroom to begin with… 

They never learn, do they?

[Ruki pours the tea.]

Every time we wait for them to get ready, we head out late.

[Ruki brings the tea to you.]

Here’s yours. Be careful not to burn yourself.

We should be able to head out by the time we finish drinking the tea.

[You compliment him on his time management.]

You know I always like to have ample time before going out.

[You tell him that he’s much quicker than you are.]

It’s not as if I’m particularly quick to get ready. The four of you are slow. You always take way too long, even though your routine is the same every day. It’s only school. There is no need for such lengthy preparations.

[You tell Ruki he does much more before class than you do.]

Well, that’s true. I have many things to do, but none of them are major tasks. When you make a habit out of cooking and cleaning, you get the hang of it quickly, and it all goes smoothly before you know it. Even if I actually were to be burdened with more tasks, I would still be done before you guys.

[You ask him why he thinks that.]

It must be because I’m skilled in time management. I plan out all of my tasks for the day in advance. What I am trying to say is: you simply have to calculate the amount of time you need for each of these tasks.

[You tell him you wish you were more like him in that regard.]

Like me, you say?  Well, alright. I will do you a favour and teach you some of the tools of the trade.

[You ask him if that’s alright with him.]

Yes. If you learn to divide your time more effectively, you will have more time to help me out with running the household, right? If we can successfully distribute the household chores, we will both have more free time. I see no disadvantages.

[You tell him you will work hard.]

03:50 That’s the spirit. I wish Kou and the others would follow your example. If you help me out with the chores, I might have some time left to prepare a dessert for you.

[You’re happy about that.]

Heh, you silly girl.  You are much too happy about such trivial things. However, if you are a good student and learn how to manage your time more effectively, I will make whatever you request. Would you like blancmange, panna cotta, or rather pudding?  These are fairly straight-forward desserts, so I could easily make them for you. After all, it’s my job as your master to discipline you. 

[You get flustered.]

You look like your mind is wandering.  I always intend to discipline you thoroughly, but no matter how much time passes, your reaction is always the same. I thought you would have gotten used to it by now, but…

[His remark makes you a little shy.]

You are truly hopeless. Well, all the more reason for me to discipline you. Anyway, we have limited time before we have to go to class, so I should quit the teasing for now. Seeing you so flustered only makes me want to tease you all the more, though.  That’s no good, is it?

[You make a face.]

What, does that displease you? The face you were making earlier told me otherwise. If you want, we could continue this after class. You like it better when I take my sweet time to torment you, right? 

[You keep your mouth shut.]

I will take your silence as a yes.  Well, fine by me. Your face is like an open book, anyway.

06:28 Well, then, it is my duty as your master to teach you what I know. I will explain things in a clear order that will be easy for you to understand, so listen carefully.

[You respond enthusiastically.]

Heh. That’s what I wanted to hear. Let’s start with time management, then. You know most of the things you need to do in a day, right? You must have daily habits and other recurring tasks. You have to fit these tasks together like a puzzle and think about which ones you can carry out at the same time.

[You ask him what he means.]

Right…  For example, I do the dishes while I’m cooking, or I make a side dish(1) while I’m heating up soup. I actively try to perform tasks at the same time whenever possible. What’s important is to not waste time.

[You ask him to elaborate.]

07:07 Well, if you act without using your head, you tend to waste time much more easily. You should make a habit out of acting with intention. If you do that, you will be able to divide your time more effectively in general, not just when getting ready to go out.

[You tell him that Ruki is much better at it than you are.]

It’s not as if I do anything difficult in particular. You can do it too. It just takes practice. First, tell me the things you need to do in a day.

[You tell him.]

Hm. Washing your face and brushing your teeth are things you should do at the sink. It is best to do the various things you need to do in a given place all in succession. Moving from room to room to do something is a good example of wasting time. Are there other things you do near the sink?

[You tell him.]

08:05 I didn’t expect you to have so much to do. So, hair styling and skincare—they each have an order to them too, right? Try to think of whether there are any unnecessary steps in these actions.

[You start listing the steps in your hair care routine, but…]

Wait. You do all that just for your regular hairstyle? I can understand combing your hair, but is applying hair oil and using a hair curler really necessary?

[You nod.]

I see. If you say it’s necessary, then it must be. Looking after your appearance is not a bad thing, after all. But if your hair styling alone consists of so many steps, your skincare routine must have even more.

[You start to tell him, but…]

09:04 No, I’ve heard enough. I understand very well that you need to do many things in order to get ready. Are there any steps in your hair styling and skincare that you could perform at the same time?

[You’re unsure.]

I see.  If that’s the case, then you should try looking to improve elsewhere. But even then…

[You ask him whether something’s wrong.]

No, I’m actually kind of impressed. There is much more to your morning routine than I thought. I knew women always took some time to get ready in the morning, but I did not expect this. As a man, it barely takes any time. To do all of these additional things must take considerable effort. You do all of these steps every day, right?

[You nod.]

I see. That is quite admirable.

[You’re surprised.]

Why are you so surprised?

[You tell him it’s because of his compliment.]

Is it that unusual for me to praise you? As your master, I assumed it was only natural to reward you when you deserve praise, but… It must not have been enough for you. If you wish, I could give you a more obvious reward.

[You get flustered again.]

10:38 Heh. Your cheeks are red.  What did you imagine just now? I figured that it would suffice to pet your head or pamper you from time to time, but to you, that is only a half-hearted reward, isn’t it?

[You deny it.]

Heh. If you shake your head so vigorously, the hairstyle you spent so much time on will go to waste. After all, considering all the time and effort you put into your hair, I should refrain from petting your head, too. I should think of other methods to reward you.

[You’re a little disappointed.]

Heh. No need to be so sad.  I did not say I would never touch you again. I should merely touch you carefully so as to not ruin your hair and makeup.  Besides, we’re only talking about before you get ready, right? When we’re at home, it doesn’t matter how messed up your hair gets…

[Ruki holds you close.]

Next time I reward you, I am sure it will be to your liking. Look forward to it. And from now on, I will factor in the time you need to get ready when we make plans to head out together. Because thanks to you, I fully understand how much effort women put into their appearance.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

1. Honestly I just wrote ‘side dish’ here because I could not decipher for the life of me what word he used instead lol

[sakuhai]

Interview with Yagami Toll and Hisashi Imai (Ongaku to Hito, April 2024)

Translation from Japanese: Pikopiko ( Toll / Imai )

The promise is forever

In this interview, we asked each of the four members about that day, their reasons for continuing to play in the band, their performance at Budokan late last year ( BUCK-TICK Phenomenon ), and what BUCK-TICK will become now that they have lost their vocalist and dear friend and are now down to just four. Some of the members are still confused and have not sorted out their feelings, while others are already looking to the future and making detailed plans for the band. Some are looking at the situation from a bird's eye view, while others are always full of enthusiasm. There is a sense of unevenness, they have not yet found a cohesive unit, and it is impossible not to feel how much of a shock they have experienced. However, even though they always said that “the group would be finished if even one member was missing,” they have something in common: the feeling that they still have things to do as BUCK-TICK, and the feeling that no matter how much the group changes, the man named Atsushi Sakurai will always remain in their music and in their hearts. We are publishing the interviews in the order they were taken. We deliberately did not take a group photo. Despite the many different feelings, I will continue to respect and support the group that underwent its first lineup change in the 36th year since debut and who began to move forward with optimism. BUCK-TICK forever and ever, the five of them. Forever, forever, the five of them. Holding on to the feelings of more than 35 years together, they are taking their first step as a more innovative group.

Yagami Toll

— Today was your first photo shoot in a long time. Yes. But the fact that... [he] was not there was very acutely felt. The atmosphere was not as usual.

— Really...... Who would have thought that this would happen. Yeah...... I think it was the third song of the main part that day. I thought, "Acchan is really messing up today." Then the song ended and I noticed that he was being held by the staff. When we went backstage, he was sitting on a chair. It looked like he was talking to the staff, so I had no idea that his condition was critical. We were told to wait in the dressing room on the second floor because the backstage was cramped. After a while, we found out that he had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

— I see. Then came the order for us to return home. I got home at about nine o'clock in the evening. Around midnight came a message from the manager: "Passed away."

— What did you think when you heard that? I was stunned. At the same time, somewhere in my head, the thought arose: “That’s it.” After all, we all constantly said that if we lost even one member, the band would cease to exist, and if there was no vocalist, and also the person who creates the worldview of the band, then we would not be able to do anything.

- Yeah... I told the staff, "It's over." Then we went to the funeral, and on the way back, we talked about having dinner as a group of four. It's been a long time since we've gotten together like this. And when I looked at Imai, it was written all over his face that he wasn't going to quit the band.

— Did you understand it from his face? There’s nothing surprising about it. After all, we’ve known each other for over 35 years. I asked Imai, “You’re not going to quit, right?” He nodded and said, “Uh-huh.” Yuta and hide also said they didn’t want to end like this. Hearing that, I thought that if all three of us were so determined, then the only thing left to do was continue with the four of us.

— I see. I thought again about how Imai was the leader and mastermind behind BUCK-TICK. Imai gave the band its name. And wasn’t he the one who determined the band’s musical direction in the early days as the main composer? Gradually, Acchan’s expressive power increased, and it became clear what he wanted to do, especially recently, and he used that to shape his worldview. But we can’t do that anymore. Even if the four of us traced his outline, it would be a lie. And if we took on a replacement vocalist who imitated him, that wouldn’t be it either. First of all, the fans wouldn’t accept it. So let Imai formulate what he thinks the four of us can do to make it cool. If the leader says, “Let’s do it this way,” I’ll just follow him.

— But there is no idea what to do and how. So, frankly speaking, I feel terrible anxiety. I never thought that we would continue to work in the group in this form. But the second stage of BUCK-TICK begins............ That's the only way to think. I don't want to think that way, but there is no choice.

- Yeah...... It was a hard test. For everyone. Especially for Yuta...... my little brother, I dare say... He was completely crushed. It seemed like he was the worst of all. He cried all the time. Locked himself in the house, lost weight, couldn't eat anything at all.

— And you, Yagami-san? I feel sad. Doesn’t that go without saying? It’s sad, but that means that those who are abandoned by God are told to do something. You can’t just mope around all the time. Even my career as a drummer began with the death of my older brother. God says, “You guys need to work on yourselves a little more.” ( Transcript: Toll uses the word 修行 (shugyou), which means spiritual practice to achieve enlightenment (the same as “sadhana” in Sanskrit), as well as going on a pilgrimage; in the everyday sense, hard work to improve knowledge and skills) . So even though Achan is gone, we have to show that it’s possible to act like this, we have to do it. And I don’t want to leave with such a feeling of incompleteness. None of us feel like we’ve done enough at all. You know, maybe we would have decided to end the band if we had talked as a group and realized that one of the members was physically unable to continue or had lost interest in music. But [he] suddenly disappeared silently from view, and so I feel abandoned.

— So you got together as a group and decided to continue, but you don't know what exactly you're going to do. Well, there are songs where Imai sings. Now, maybe hide will sing... I mean, hide has become very proactive. The Budokan setlist was based on his ideas. He's probably the one who's changed the most. I'll repeat what Imai said: we can do a lot. We can do everything. The only thing we can't do is replace Acchan.

— However (and this is exactly how it was at Budokan), no matter that there are four of you left and that the uniform has changed, Sakurai-san’s presence will always be felt somewhere. That’s true. After all, there were always five of us. Right now, I feel a frighteningly strong sense of loss. The recent BUCK-TICK Phenomenon concert made me feel a pressure I haven’t felt since BUCK-TICK started. So I was wrong *smile*.

— What do you think about the Budokan concert taking the form of BUCK-TICK Phenomenon? I thought we had to do something. Not for us. For the fans who had lost a place to go and vent their feelings, and were feeling restless.

— Was it difficult to synchronize the vocals and the video and also play along with them? Of course it was difficult, but I would never say that I don’t want to do it if the other members are going to do it. Moreover, during the live, Acchan’s MC was playing. That’s when I broke down. During the introduction of the members, [he] called me: “Drums – Toll Yagami!” That’s when I started crying. I was in pieces during the rehearsal too. That’s why I lost my cool.

— But the fact that LOVE ME resumed after the glitch with the crowd waving their hands was like a symbol of the band starting all over again. It was great. All four of us were talking during the MC and it threw me off. I’m just trying to justify myself *smile*. When Eureka ended, I felt a bit relieved. I thought Acchan was going to MC next and I was frozen, but then there was a click and I was like “Oh shit!” but I couldn’t get it *smile*. The vocals and video were on and it’s not easy to get it right. I was really panicking but the roadie tweaked something with the remote and we managed to get it done.

— How did you feel when you finished? I felt like I had overcome one of the hardest challenges. As I just said, we had to do it. So it was a completely different feeling than usual. It wasn’t the usual “I did it!” It was a feeling of relief.

— Is it possible that the music Imai-san will write in the future will be completely different from what you've done before? Yes, because it's BUCK-TICK. We played in different genres. In " Six/Nine " there was a poetry reading (the song "Loop") , and the critics at that time tore us to pieces!

— You haven’t forgotten that, have you? *smile* The thing is, it was early. But if we do that, it will become a specific feature of BUCK-TICK. I’ve said this many times before, but I’m sure that Acchan, the least of all, would want us to repeat what he expressed. We’ll just do what we think is the coolest thing that the four of us can do. It’s completely fine if it’s instrumental music or if the melodies are completely different. Even if, in the worst case, I have to sing *smile*.

— Like Peter Criss from KISS *smile*. If everyone thinks it's cool, why not? But I doubt it will *smile*.

— So you still think that you have an exciting future ahead of you? Yes. And thanks to the fans! Because they are the reason we have been able to do this for 35 years. And the fact that we are able to perform like this is the destiny of our band. I still wanted to play as a five-piece. I would like to be in the band even if I became even more decrepit. I am the one who should have disappeared first. Don't you dare die before me!..... It's sad to think about it, but the fact that we are trying to continue despite Atsushi Sakurai's death is also the destiny of BUCK-TICK. So..... Let it be. What else can I say?

— Whatever happens, happens. So, the only thing left for us is to become a different group. BUCK-TICK season 2. The members who create the sound, as well as the producer and engineer, are the same people, so the sound quality won’t change much, but since there’s no vocalist, the sound will be completely different no matter what we do. But Acchan will still be there. I’m sure of it. Both I and the other members won’t let Acchan’s shadow disappear.

— Do you think Sakurai-san could do even more as an artist in the future? Of course. I noticed that Acchan’s expressive power was absolutely amazing in recent years, and I was sure that he would become an even better vocalist in the future. He is a person of hard work. He trained his voice and became like this thanks to his hard work. He is not the same person as he was when we debuted, right? But his appearance is a natural gift *smile*.

— You were asked to join because Sakurai-san, who was the drummer, was switching to vocals, so you could clearly see the change in his efforts. Yuta kidnapped me and brought me to Tokyo *smile*. At first, I refused. At that time, I had no idea whether Acchan could sing or not, and I thought he was fooling the band *smile*. It's just that I've never heard of a drummer becoming a vocalist.

- Yeah. With his efforts, he made everyone recognize him and carved out a path for himself into a world where he could express himself. The album " IZORA " is simply amazing! No one could have imagined that the person who sang " SEXUAL×××××! " would create such an album. This is the result of his hard work.

— Exactly. Really, I don’t know anyone who works as hard as him. He decided to live by taking on the role of a vocalist, and that’s how he became like this… I think it was about ten years ago. I started making loops using a sequencer and stuff like that. And that time, I said to Achchan, “Achchan, you were a drummer too. Wouldn’t it be cool if you played a few bars and I made a loop, no?” He immediately shot me down, “I won’t.” And he said, “Ani, I’m not a drummer anymore.” That’s how determined he was to be a vocalist.

— What do you remember now from those 35-plus years that you spent together with Sakurai-san? More precisely, what I remember about him... He was a kind person. During the indie period, we would travel by minibus to Shikoku, and the roadie and Acchan would take turns driving. Despite such an appearance, at his core, he was always a Fujioka guy *smile*.

- It's true. That's why he didn't put on airs. He was considerate of people. That trait in him didn't change. And it couldn't change.

— It’s good that the five of you were together until the very end. But I think he still wanted to continue. After all…… I decided to continue with the four of you because I think Acchan would definitely forbid me from leaving. He would say, “I’ll never forgive you if you quit the group because I’m gone.” Because he had a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone else. He said that at the Budokan, right? That he would be there. I thought so too. Acchan is very responsible, he will definitely come and watch. So as long as BUCK-TICK exists, he won’t die *smile* (transl. note: 成仏する (joubutsu) — to become a Buddha, to die enlightened; also to die without regrets) .

- Yagami-san, you too, please live as long as possible and show us how you play the drums. I'll be fine. I'm the only one in the group who has never been seriously ill *smile*.

Hisashi Imai

— It’s been a hectic four months for the band. Yes. But I would say I’m already looking ahead. And new tunes are coming one after another. I’m pleasantly excited.

— In this interview, we will look back on these four months. First of all, do you remember the day when Sakurai-san became ill? Yes. That day, after the live started...... I think it was the third song. I wondered why he couldn't hit the notes. When the song ended, I noticed that he was being taken backstage. It was a bit strange, so I announced from the stage that we were taking a break. I went back to the dressing room on the second floor, but I felt uneasy, so I went to check on the situation. It became clear that the situation was a bit complicated. He was taken away in an ambulance.

— Live was stopped. Then I went home. I called my manager once, he said, “He’s sleeping now.” Then I got an email, but I didn’t notice it. And when I called again, [the manager] said, “He passed away.” At that moment, I was a little confused. I almost said, “Do something!” but I realized that words were useless. I said, “Got it,” and hung up.

— What was the first thing you thought about when you learned about this fact? What can you say... But I decided that it was better not to delay, and immediately began to think about the future, because almost all the songs that we have now can only be sung by Achchan.

— So, do you feel like there's no one who can sing the songs you've composed so far?...... In short, they're sealed? Yes. We can play the songs that I can sing. We can slightly change the arrangement here and there, and it'll be something interesting. But we have a lot of songs that can't be played without Achan's vocals. We can't and won't perform them anymore. I wrote those melodies myself, but they're difficult *smile*. I'm sure no one else can sing them.

— Have you thought about playing in sync with Sakurai-san’s vocal recording in the future, like you did at the BUCK-TICK Phenomenon concert at Budokan? We did, but… I’ll try my best to keep it to a minimum. I can’t say anything yet, but I’ve been thinking about doing a live where we play along with Sakurai-san’s vocals. It might be interesting once we get further along. But it’s more of a fan service, a kind of performance. Lives in the future will mainly focus on what the four of us do. I hope everyone will enjoy it.

— Did it ever cross your mind that the band ended with Sakurai-san's death? I never did. Acchan is gone...... The vocalist is gone, and it might be okay to end it there, but I still want to continue, saying, "It's okay!"

— In the spirit of, “I feel like I can do something more interesting”? Yeah. Or, more like, something a little more explicit. I’d like to have an album that kind of captures the true essence of BUCK-TICK.

— The true essence of BUCK-TICK? Yes. For example, until now we couldn’t play instrumental music. There was a vocalist. It’s not about taking advantage of the fact that he was gone, but I wanted to do such things too. Or, for example, melodies without guitars. At live shows we could include melodies from background noises, and the participants wouldn’t necessarily have to be on stage.

— Without participants? Only noise? I thought, shouldn’t we break the format of the Japanese group that we’ve always followed. After the main part, we’d leave, change costumes and come back. I want to try to change that too. Acting by touch, experimenting, I want to do something new.

— I think BUCK-TICK has always been a band that could do anything, including this kind of thing. And what was holding it back was the overwhelming presence of the vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, no matter how you look at it, right? Yeah. And when he was gone, I noticed it. Of course, I was shocked by his departure, and at first I took it negatively and started thinking that something had to be done about it, but when I looked at the minus as a plus, I realized that in this case I could do this too. And when I started thinking like that, the perspective became broader.

— I see. Until now, I thought I was free. I was obsessed with the worldview that Acchan had, and I created within a narrow framework. Acchan told me, "Imai, you can do whatever you like," and I was going to do the same, but I didn't... Because I knew that it would happen someday, and somewhere in my head, there was a thought that Acchan would probably be the first to leave.

— Why did you think so? Sawaki-san from Taiyou Records (Kazuo Sawaki — the head of the label during the band's indie period) is an astrologer. During our collaboration, he told fortunes for the five of us, and even then he said this. "The first one among you to pass away will be Sakurai-kun."

- Wow... to say that before debut.... It was imprinted in my memory. I thought I understood, albeit vaguely, that this day would come one day. But... The image of death is always present in the mind's eye. You see it constantly in front of you, among other things. This is also an experience.

- That day on social media you raised a toast for the repose of his soul. After I learned of his death. After finishing the phone call with the manager, I started drinking in my room, but I didn’t want to be there, so I went to drink on the territory of the nearest temple. At that moment, I couldn’t think of anything.

— Then did you tell the other members that you were going to continue? After the funeral, the four of us went out to dinner and found out who was going to do what. We talked there, and it seemed like everyone was already determined to act. It was decided to continue. We didn’t want to change the name of the band, so we left it as is.

— Were there any options for replacement? I didn’t, but I thought that maybe if we changed it, it would be clearer. But I didn’t want to change it. Because I want to show that the musical character of BUCK-TICK contains something more.

— But on social media, you wrote, “I want to play guitar next to Acchan forever,” and were those words spoken from the heart? Yes. At the same time, I thought being number two suited me. I was comfortable being next to Acchan, and I thought that was my life. But it seems that’s not the case.

— Have you decided that it's time for you to step forward? Yes. It'll be me or hide. When I rethink the role Acchan played and imagine myself doing it... I realize that I would like it. After a while after he passed away, ideas gradually started coming to me.

— You realized how strong your desire to create in a positive way is, right? Yes. I was glad that I had this desire. So when November began, I already sat down at the computer and started composing melodies.

— Up until now, when writing songs, the initial condition was that they would feature Sakurai-san's vocals, right? That won't happen anymore. The melodic, gothic, and dark worldview will disappear. It will be completely different.

— Aren’t you worried about the reaction that everything will be completely different? No. It would be worse if they said that the vocals are different, but the melodies are the same. If they got the impression that I can only write songs like this. No, it will be cool.

— What are you planning to do with the vocals? I will sing. Probably hide too. It will depend on the song, of course, but the first number is me, and the second is hide. This also makes me a little nervous. I couldn’t even think about it before.

— What did you think of the content of BUCK-TICK Phenomenon? Considering that we had little time, we thought it would be best to synchronize Acchan's vocals with the video image, so we tried our best to achieve that. We also wanted it to be as non-gloomy as possible. Hide suggested the set list at the meeting.

— There were a few songs from the setlist that Sakurai-san had made while he was alive. Yes. But if we were to play it now as is, it would have felt too much like a requiem, so we allowed ourselves to slightly adjust the setlist and give it a positive character.

— There was Itoshi no Rock Star. I suggested playing it. I thought that if we didn't play it this time, we might never play it again. And I also wanted to play Namonaki Watashi because Acchan liked that song.

- I see. However, there is no one to take on the role of emcee. You can't just talk about how convenient it is to be number two. I've thought about this a lot. After all, this is not at all what I've always done.

— Will this role remain in the future? Either it will remain, or the live shows will be without a master of ceremonies. We'll figure it out as we go. I don't know.

— After watching the live and talking to you now, I thought that the more I tried to imagine the image of BUCK-TICK with 4 members, the more Sakurai-san’s presence was felt. If I talk about things like this seriously, I’ll be known as someone who’s not quite right in the head *smile*. Acchan’s form of existence has changed. He doesn’t have a body, but I think he still wanted to be in a band, so he probably follows us everywhere. That’s what I think.

— Do you think he still wanted to play in the band? Yes. That's why I always have this feeling that he's standing somewhere and watching. It's unlikely that he'll go to some kind of Heaven while the band exists.

— It looks like you'll need a lot of time this year to give it all a shape. It'll depend on the songs. I don't know yet what will happen, but it looks like I'll be writing all the lyrics. It takes time. This will be the first time I'll be writing lyrics for hide's melodies.

— Do you think that no one else should sing the songs that Sakurai-san performed? Probably. Because... that would be strange, in my opinion.

— Yes. But I want to try different possibilities. Whether it's a guest vocalist or AI — I don't rule anything out. The main thing is that it's interesting. But for now, perhaps, it will be the four of us.

— You are even more positive than I expected. Yes, positive. Because if you are depressed, you will be stuck forever. Yuta was terribly depressed. Everyone is different, there is nothing you can do about it, but when you are depressed to such an extent, people around you can’t even be sad *smile*. Because they are worried [about you]. So you have to look forward and do everything in your power. And I really want no one to suffer.

— Do you remember anything from your communication with Sakurai-san now? He told me many times: “Give yourself free rein!” It seems that from the outside it looked like I couldn’t relax in my melodies and was limiting myself. Although I had no intention of limiting myself, but when he was gone, I realized it. It turns out that I often suppressed myself. So I decided that I wanted to take off this lid, remove this limiter.

— That's why after his death you decided to go freely, without restricting yourself in any way, without considering yourself obligated to follow what had been before. Yes. I understood a lot after he passed away. I regret some things a little, because I can no longer check what would have happened if I had done this and that at the time. That's why I'm going to do everything that seems interesting to me. After all, Acchan probably sees this too. He sees how unrestrained we are, and he smiles.

[tetsunabouquet]

KNB AU: Headcanon

A/N: Today, I will hereby publish my headcanon for which friendgroups would form and what kind of shennanigans would go down if there was an AU where everyone attended the same school (and I literally mean everyone from the Japanese schools). Ignore logistics.

-Kise and Takao would be close friends. Kise would happily oblige whenever Takao wishes to prank Midorima, and these two are the bane of Midorima's existence. -Momoi would be the Gretchen Weiner of the school. She knows everything on everyone which is why people are afraid to mess with her. Yet she's popular because she's such a sweetheart. She'd remain close with Aomine but I definitely feel like she'd develop a strong friendship with Reo Mibuchi too. -Kotaro and Izuki would be the school clowns, generally having fun around the school together and annoying people with their stupid jokes. Every once in a while, Teppei Kiyoshi joins them if he feels like the school could use a more light-hearted atmosphere. -Considering Momoi and Riko would be the coach and manager respectively, all the boys will have banded together to force annual cooking classes on them before those girls get everyone killed. -Mibuchi also recruits Sakurai to his friend group. They love making adorable dishes and sweets together. -Haizaki seldomly gets in trouble at school. Why? Because Hanamiya is on the Disciplinary Comittee and enjoys watching Haizaki's chaos unfold. Why should he get his hands dirty when Haizaki is already doing things for him? -They once held an eating competition between Nebuya and Murasakibara. -Because of his laziness, Aomine gets punished a lot by Riko. -Though Riko trusts Hyuga and Kasamatsu to keep Kise's antics in line. -Takao is a bit more of a smooth talker to get himself out of trouble compared to most of the other mischief makers. -Even after graduation, Kimura continous to supply Riko with fruit to throw at players. -Akashi's original personality actually holds very deep respect for Riko's skill to coach at such a young age and tries to become friends with her. -Himuro often joins Kagami and Kuroko during lunch time, and Kuroko often learns some interesting information about Kagami's childhood he uses for trolling purposes. -Aomine plays with Nigou very often and even gives him little gifts, which makes Kuroko wonder if Aomine is trying to steal his dog. -Midorima hates Nigou almost as much as Kagami does, it surprisingly ended in a few bonding moments. -There's nothing scarier then the day the team get split up in two for practise and Hanamiya and Akashi get to be the respective captains of each team. These two are playing basketball at extreme strategic levels that could make chess masterminds shake in their boots. Their practice competitions are scarier then anything Jabberwock could throw at them. -Wakamatsu developped an addiction to valerian pills, because of their calming nature. His team contains too many personalities that tick him off.

[soo-won]

Akatsuki no Yona chapter 60 magazine vs volume

Hi everyone! I managed to get my hands on the clip out of the magazine version of chapter 60 from Hana to Yume issue 17/2012, and as we don't have much trace from the magazine versions of the chapters from then, i thought it would interesting to share my findings! First, the color page: the editor text says "What will become of Yona and the others? The suspens is agonizing, but?!" (baby trio time!!!!!!) Otherwise it advertizes volume 9 and how well it's been doing. It was the first ever volume to get a special edition and cover with a new drama CD and comments from the seiyuus! Something that I can't help but find a bit ironic is how they really highlight Takuhiro Sakurai as Tae-jun on the bottom right and ah yeah...this didn't age too well.

Behind the color page, it shows that Hana to Yume was (already back then) having a special Yona Crimson Festival campaign. This is when belated Kentaro Miura drew an illustration of the whole main cast that could be win in a lottery, with a reproduction of the special cover of volume 9, autographs of the seiyuus from the drama CD and Kusanagi, and a totebag with Ao that I had never seen before. Miura apparently said that he just ended up drawing the whole cast since it grew a lot (since the time he had only drawn Yona and Hak I assume).

Then to the chapter in itself. I know Kusanagi started really making changes between the magazines and tankoubon(volumes) in relatively recent years so I didn't expect to find any difference here honestly but I found a few! I also find it interesting to see her author's note, the summary of the plot and presentation of the characters etc all around.

So! Page 2 and the first page of the chapter. No change with the manga page from the volume we know of here, but I thought it would be interesting to share for what's below. I honestly am a bit too lazy to translate the whole synopsis as I don't think it says anything novel or specially interesting (I can still do it if someone insist), but I found the characters presentation sweet since it's different from the one we've been getting for every chapter for a while, and it's very cute too since it's specially for this flashback mini-arc.

Yona: Kouka Kingdom's Princess. She is an only child who lost her mother at a young age. She is preciously raised by her father and King Il.

Suwon: Yona's cousin of three years older. He has been gently watching over Yona like a little sister ever since he's little.

Hak: The successor of Mundok, General of the Wind Tribe. Later on, he'll become the servant and bodyguard of his childhood friend Yona.

Now on to page 4: Yona's hair and face were redrawn on the third panel! The movement lines next to her head were erased too. For the text and font, you can also see that the font of the first bubble was changed for the default one, and that they're formated it slightly differently in the last box. We don't often think about the original lettering in manga and how they can also change between raw and volume do we?

Page 7: It's not like this change matter much, but I was so surprised and happy to find out that this iconic page had been modified as well. The third panel that showcases how lively Kuuto is was completely replaced with people playing music. I think the volume version indeed conveys Kuuto's atmosphere much better (like why would Yona be so amazed at two men talking and drinking really), but it's interesting to find out that back then they struggled to find what to put there precisely. From a creative process pov this is so relatable lmao.

Other than these two pages before, I haven't noticed any other change, but I thought I would share Kusanagi's author comment!

"I'm so so happy. I can't believe Miura-sensei drew me an illustration of Yona(and of the whole main cast at that!). This boost me up even more to do my very best! Thank you so much (happiness)."

Nothing special on the last page, but if anyone wondered if there was some editor text here to tease the next chapter...well no there isn't nfjbfhjbg. I so wish I could get my hands on chapter 61 too...

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on much more of those but I also got chapter 24 with this one, and I noticed a couple of things I'd like to share as well so stay tuned for that :)

[aomine-ryo]

Omg omg Ryo, that’s not a request but like, I’m literally so thirsty for some smut with dilf coach Harasawa - GOD THIS MAN IS SO HOT WHO ALLOWED HIM TO BE THIS FINE?

Imagine some sports reporter writing a piece about Too Academy rapid growth to national level and in the end getting steamy with our dilf… 🛐

Harasawa’s so fine I had to write this. It’s a long one asw but I had to for my fav dilf coach <33

Scenario: Harasawa Katsunori getting with fem!sports reporter! reader (nsfw)

Harasawa Katsunori was at his limit. There were certainly ups and downs that come with being a coach for a national-level high school team, but today was definitely one of the downs. Nothing was going right at today’s training. At first, he managed to lose the training schedule for that day, and realised it only five minutes before it started. So of course, training was delayed for about ten minutes as he and Momoi looked for the damn thing.

When they finally found it in one of his desk drawers (he did not remember putting it there), they could at last begin the practice. But when they got back to the court from his office, he was happy to find that the team was warming themselves up with a few practice shots— all of them except Aomine.

“Where the hell is Aomine?” Harasawa’s agitated voice echoed the gym as he asked no one in particular. Everyone stopped what they were doing out of sheer fear as they looked around with clueless shrugs. It was rare to see Harasawa in such a state, he was often calm and collected, so this shift filled the gym with tension.

“Haven’t seen him at all, Coach,” Imayoshi answered for everyone.

Harasawa sighed and looked over at Momoi, “Any idea?”

She shook her head no. “I’ll try looking for him.”

“Thank you, Momoi. Let him know he’s on cleanup duty after practice whenever you do drag him over,” Harasawa said sternly as he stepped on the court to try and get on with his training. “You’d think there would be at least some level of discipline two weeks before the Winter Cup…” he muttered in annoyance.

He carried on with his training schedule for the day, trying to calm himself down with some sort of normalcy, but it seemed like the universe was against him today. The team was forgetting the simplest drills and missing shots they could normally make with their eyes closed. And Sakurai’s constant apologising wasn’t making him feel any less frustrated. And when he finally got them to play somewhat better, Aomine strolled into the gym fifteen minutes late, souring his mood all over again.

“Did Momoi tell you you’re cleaning today?” he asked as soon as he laid eyes on him.

Aomine just nodded his head in response, seemingly afraid to say anything. Momoi must have told him about the nasty mood as well.

“I have half a mind to bench you for the first game against Kaijo if you keep this up,” Harasawa said sternly, rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up.

“My bad, Coach. Won’t happen again,” Aomine said almost immediately. It was rare to see Aomine put down his pride and apologise like this but everyone knew he would hate to miss a match against anyone in the Miracles.

The addition of Aomine to the training disrupted the flow they were beginning to get into. While Aomine’s shots and movements were perfect as usual, the team just wasn’t coordinated at all. About an hour later, Harasawa had just accepted that today just wasn’t a day where he could implement any new tactics. It was just a day to improve their skills and eliminate errors so the training plan for today was just rendered useless.

Harasawa split them into teams and had them play a practice game amongst themselves, watching over them for a bit before heading over to the bench to sit down next to Momoi with an exhausted sigh.

“It’s just an off day, they’ll be better tomorrow,” Momoi said reassuringly.

“I certainly hope so,” Harasawa replied dejectedly, taking a sip out of his coffee cup.

Just then, one of the doors to the gym creaked open, with you entering dressed in a neat white blazer, black slacks and dainty black pumps. Harasawa’s attention was immediately turned to you. He had completely forgotten about the visit you had scheduled for your article about the team. As you approached the bench, Harasawa and Momoi both stood up to greet you.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, the sports reporter for Tokyo Basketball Weekly,” you smiled politely, holding your hand out for Harasawa to shake.

Your hand was soft against Harasawa’s calloused palms. He felt like he needed to be careful not to accidentally crush your fingers given his awful mood. “Harasawa Katsunori,” he introduced curtly.

“Hi I’m Momoi Satsuki, the team’s manager,” Momoi said as she shook your hand.

Based off of introductions alone, you sensed that Harasawa was as cold as his appearance would make him out to seem. It wasn’t the first time you’d dealt with non-chatty interviewees though, so you didn’t think too much of it.

“Before we get into anything, do you mind if I just took a few photos of the team practicing?” you asked holding onto the camera that hung around your neck.

“Of course, go ahead,” Momoi nodded, Harasawa just humming in approval.

The two of them watched as you moved closer to the court to try and get a few pictures. “I completely forgot she was coming today. I don’t know why I even tried to have a proper training— just distraction after distraction,” Harasawa mumbled to Momoi once you were out of earshot. However his dark blue eyes never stopped following your every move. Something about you was very interesting to him, he’d like to think of himself as a man who cares about more than just looks, so he’d convinced himself it was your demeanour. But you had only really uttered two sentences, so that was a bit of a stretch.

You began to make your way back over to the bench, content with the photos you had gotten so far. “I don’t want to interrupt their training, but I’d like to have a few words with the team— namely the captain and the ace, Aomine,” you informed both Harasawa and Momoi.

“That’s okay. You can speak to them. They’re supposed to have a water break now anyways,” Harasawa said, standing up and blowing the whistle to grab everyone’s attention. “Everyone, grab some water. You’ve got ten minutes to rest and then you’re back on it,” he announced before looking over to you, straight-faced. “Is ten minutes enough?”

“Sounds good,” you nodded with a smile. You were too intimidated to budge for more.

“Imayoshi, Aomine, grab your bottles and come over here. This reporter wants to interview you,” Harasawa called out, everyone’s eyes now turning to you as you gave them an awkward wave.

You began to ask them the questions you had prepared earlier, using your phone to get their voices recorded for later and jotting down notes as well. You were aware that Harasawa was listening in on this interview, which you didn’t really mind other than the fact that you could feel his eyes staring into your soul.

Once you had gotten what you needed, you switched the recording off and gave Imayoshi and Aomine a polite smile. “Right that should be about it then, thank you so much, and good luck for the Winter Cup,” you said, the two of them heading back onto the court to continue the rest of their training like they were instructed.

You turned to Momoi, “Could I have a few words with you as well please? I’ve heard you’re quite an important part of this team.”

Momoi immediately got flustered, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Me?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at her sudden nervousness. “Yes, of course you. I need to interview you too, Mr Harasawa. Do you mind if I get to you once I’m done with Momoi?”

Harasawa gave you a small nod, “Go ahead.”

You chatted with Momoi for a bit, going through the questions in your notepad but also just generally having a casual conversation. She was an interesting one, and she definitely knew how to keep a conversation going so you did get quite carried away with her interview in terms of time. Eventually you did realise you had been speaking to her for about twenty whole minutes according to the recording on your phone and you instantly panicked.

“Oh we’ve been talking for a bit too long now,” you said frantically as you looked over at Harasawa. “Do you mind if I keep you here a bit longer, Mr Harasawa? I completely lost track of time.”

“I really don’t want to stay here longer than I need to today,” Harasawa let out an exhausted sigh. “Why don’t we just do this over a couple of drinks somewhere else?”

You checked the time on your watch. It was almost 7 pm and a nice hot tea didn’t sound all that bad. Besides, there was something about Harasawa that you couldn’t say no to. “Are you sure? I can try and wrap it up quickly—“

“Yes I’m sure. You don’t need to rush yourself,” Harasawa said, his tone still agitated even though he was trying to be polite.

“Alright. Where would you like to meet up? I can catch a train or something—“

“A train? Don’t be silly. I’ll drive us there. Let me just grab my coat from my office,” he cut you off once more. He began to walk off, instructing the team to begin packing up as he did so. “And no one help Aomine with the cleanup! It’s all on him today!” Harasawa called out before stepping out through the gym doors.

You watched as Aomine groaned in despair while Wakamatsu began to laugh at him, Aomine shooting him a dirty glare as he did so.

“Right come on, Y/N, let’s go,” Harasawa said when he popped in with his coat a few minutes later. “Momoi, make sure Aomine tidies up properly. If he doesn’t, it’s laps tomorrow,” he said, making sure he was loud enough with the last part so Aomine could hear.

“Yes Coach,” Momoi nodded before looking over at you with a smile. “Nice meeting you, Y/N!”

You waved her goodbye and stepped out with Harasawa, walking over to the parking lot in silence. You don’t know what it was, but you were afraid to say the wrong thing in front of him. Maybe it was his cold gaze? Or the fact that he was 6’2 and towered above you?

“Sorry for taking up so much of your time,” you said, shutting the passenger-side door as he started the engine.

“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s either this or go home to a box of leftovers,” Harasawa said, earning a small giggle from you.

The drive wasn’t too long, but almost no words were exchanged and that made it feel like an eternity. You pretended to go over your notes out of sheer awkwardness as the music from the radio filled the car. You could’ve just asked him the interview questions, but that would leave you with nothing to say when you actually got to the place. Sometimes Harasawa would hum along to the song, which you did find quite endearing given his cold demeanour.

Once he parked the car, you stepped out, pulling your blazer tighter to fight the cold air. You followed Harasawa as he stepped into a warm, intimate pub. It was at this point that the difference in your ages was apparent— this wasn’t what you thought of when he said ‘drinks’. Harasawa walked over to the bar, “Could I get a whiskey neat please?”

“Of course Mr Harasawa. And for the lady?” the bartender asked, both of them looking over at you.

“Um, I’ll get an espresso martini please,” you replied, saying the first drink that popped into your head.

“Coming right up,” the bartender nodded as he got to work.

“Do you come here often?” you questioned as you took in your surroundings. It certainly was a nice place: dim lighting, cute posters and wall decor, rustic furniture.

“Yeah, I live across the street. I’m here every now and again,” he shrugged. “Well actually, I’m here whenever the team drives me up the walls— so yeah, often.”

You giggled in response and a faint smile appeared on his face. The smile definitely brightened up his appearance tenfold. “Well, that’s how it is with teenagers,” you chuckled. “Surely they’re not too bad?”

“They’re an interesting little group. I’d hate to give it to them, but they do have a special little place in my heart,” Harasawa said, the look in his eyes getting softer as he thought about it.

You had to hold back an ‘aww’ in response. You certainly did not peg him for a sentimental type. Moreover, you didn’t peg him to have any emotions at all. “That’s quite sweet actually. I might have to add that you’re a softy in that article,” you joked.

“Please don’t. I wouldn’t hear the end of it if you do,” Harasawa chuckled. The bartender handed you your drinks and the two of you thanked him, Harasawa instructing him to keep a tab open as the two of you took a seat in one of the booths.

Harasawa took his coat off, setting it on his seat before taking a sip of his whiskey. He let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back, seeming to have finally relaxed. “Okay, I’m ready for your interview now.”

“Perfect,” you beamed as you took out your notepad and phone, hitting the record button before asking the first question. The interview went on for a while, Harasawa’s mood seemingly lightening as it went on— perhaps it was the whiskey. Either way, you did begin to grow more comfortable talking to him when he began to throw in some sarcastic comments here and there, making you giggle every time.

Harasawa took a break to order you two a second round of drinks at the bar and you took the time to organise your notes as he did so.

“Here you go,” he said, placing another espresso martini in front of you and taking a sip of his whiskey before sitting back down.

“You know what? I think we’re almost done,” you informed him as you double checked your notes.

“Well that’s good, today’s been absolutely exhausting,” he sighed, brushing the dark curls out of his face as he leaned back in his seat.

“Just one question: are there any teams you’re looking out for in the Winter Cup?” you asked.

“Hm, obviously we’re trying to take it one game at a time, but I think all the teams with the Miracles are certainly worth noting. In particular, Rakuzan— they’re quite a formidable team, I think we’re focused on getting to a position where we can challenge them. Seirin is also always a wildcard, I don’t think anyone in the tournament is underestimating them after last year, so that game should also be quite interesting,” he answered.

“Yeah that’s true, I think Seirin has been a popular answer to that question. They’re definitely a strong team,” you replied, a silence filling the air for a moment as you scribbled notes down before stopping the recording. You let out a sigh, “There we go, all done. Thank you again for taking the extra time to do this.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s nice chatting to someone other than the bartender here,” Harasawa said, not shying away from making eye contact with you.

“Well I don’t want to take up any more of your time, I’m sure your wife must be waiting on you,” you said, taking a big swig of your drink to try and finish it faster.

“There’s no need to rush. And there’s no wife to worry about. You don’t need to chug your drink,” Harasawa chuckled, admiring your concern. You were far too polite, it was almost cute.

Finding out that he was single shouldn’t have excited you. Especially since he was about a decade older than you and someone that was in your field of work. “No wife? That’s a bit of a surprise,” you replied without thinking.

“A surprise? How so?” Harasawa questioned, a smug look taking over his face as he watched you panic in search of the right words to answer with.

“Well, um, I mean, I just didn’t think someone with your looks was single, you know?” you said, avoiding all eye contact as colour rose in your cheeks.

Harasawa grinned widely as he took another sip of his drink, each moment of his silence killing you more and more. “I’m flattered,” he said simply, basking in your embarrassment almost like it was a power trip. “I just haven’t quite had the time to invest in a relationship,” he shrugged.

“Ah right I get that. You know, I got out of a relationship recently. He was way too immature even though we were the same age. He wanted me to focus on my work less so I had to call it quits,” you rambled as you tried to move away from the fact that you called him attractive, except you were now just digging a deeper hole for yourself.

You had Harasawa’s full attention, for better or for worse because your brain was in panic mode. The dark haired man loosened the tie around his neck, noticing you take a nervous gulp as you watched him do so. He didn’t show it, but he was quite pleased to know that you were single too. Maybe it was the drinks, but he finally admitted to himself that it wasn’t just your demeanour that made you attractive— he loved how nervous you were with him. For someone whose job is talking to people, you certainly seemed to be a rambling mess at this moment.

“Too immature, huh?” Harasawa repeated your words. It was almost like you were throwing yourself at him. “Well, someone as beautiful as you deserves to be treated right, so that’s probably for the best,” he said, observing as you grew more and more flustered.

“Stop, you’re too kind,” you giggled nervously. You did your best at avoiding eye contact with him even though you could feel his gaze piercing through you. You took note of his dress shirt. It fit him awfully well. The fabric laid loose on his torso, save for his chest, but hugged his shoulders and biceps perfectly snug. Your eyes trailed down to his toned forearms that were on display, your mind unable to stop itself from picturing what his body looked like underneath all that.

And it wasn’t like Harasawa didn’t notice you looking at him like that. You were practically undressing him with your eyes. Surely you weren’t that much of a lightweight? He checked the time on his watch. It was quite late; the pub was going to close sometime soon. “Do you live around here, Y/N?” he asked, finally changing the topic.

“No, I think I’m a few train stations away. Might have to catch one to get back,” you replied, emptying your glass.

“I think this place is closing soon. You’re welcome to come over to mine to sober up a bit. I can drive you back home after,” Harasawa offered. While the main concern was your safety, he did also want to be with you in a more private space, just to test the waters.

“I really don’t want to impose. I’ve already taken up too much of your time,” you refused politely. You were in a state where you couldn’t trust your own judgement— you had half a mind to rip his shirt off right there, who knows what nonsense would spill out of your mouth when you were in a room alone with him.

“I insist. I haven’t had much to drink, it won’t take too long for me to sober up to safety,” he said as he began to put his coat back on, almost as if he knew that you would say yes— not like he was taking no for an answer anyways.

You sighed. It’s not like you were exactly opposed to the situation, you just didn’t know what you’d do. But you also knew better than to argue with Harasawa, knowing the kind of mood he was in earlier today. You tried to get him to let you pay for the drinks, but he wouldn’t even let you do that. As much as you appreciated how much of a gentleman he was, he was certainly a stubborn one.

The two of you left the pub and walked across the street, entering his apartment complex and taking the elevator up to the top floor. When you entered his apartment, you were rather impressed by how spacious it was— especially for Tokyo. Moreover, it was extremely well kept, practically spotless. The decor was rather minimalistic, it certainly was missing a woman’s touch, but it was nice nonetheless.

“Oh wow, this is such a nice place,” you said, taking your shoes off and walking into the living room.

“Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a glass of water or anything?” Harasawa offered, hanging his coat on the rack by the door.

“A glass of water would be great,” you replied, taking a seat on the dark leather couch.

Harasawa joined you on the couch a minute later, handing you your glass of water as he took a sip out of a glass of his own.

“So how long have you been working at this magazine?” Harasawa asked, interested to know more about you now.

“Well, I got this job immediately after I graduated university and that was about a year ago, I think,” you replied, trying to think back to the exact date.

“You graduated a year ago? So you’re what? 22? 23?”

You nodded, “23.”

You giggled at Harasawa’s baffled expression. “You’re making me feel like a dinosaur.”

“Cut it out, you look like you’re my age,” you laughed, playfully hitting his arm.

“I am well over your age I’ll tell you that for sure,” he said, setting his empty glass down on the coffee table.

“If I saw you at a bar, and I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t be able to tell. In fact, I’d probably even ask you out,” you said without thinking yet again.

“You’ve been awfully bold today, Y/N,” Harasawa chuckled, enjoying how red your face was getting. “I admire the confidence.”

You struggled to find words to respond with. It hadn’t occurred to you how close the two of you were sitting until now. You could smell his strong cologne, the scent somehow drawing you closer to him as you met his deep blue eyes. You saw them dart down to your lips and an overwhelming need to know what he tasted like took over your body.

Almost like he sensed it, Harasawa gently placed a warm hand on your cheek, leaning in to close the gap between your lips. His touch was delicate at first. His movements were deliberate as his tongue slowly slipped into your mouth. You normally hated the taste of whiskey, but the hints of it that were leftover from the pub had you savouring it on his tongue.

You felt a hand slowly trail down your body, eventually gripping your waist as he pulled you closer to him. Your arms instinctively snaked its way to his back, not being shy about having a feel for his firm muscles. Harasawa began to take over the control, his lips getting a little more aggressive as he guided your body down so your back was on the sofa. Without losing contact with your lips, he slid your blazer off, one hand finding its way under your shirt, cupping a breast and giving it a squeeze. You let out a small moan into the kiss and you could feel him smirk against you.

The dark haired man felt you grind against the knee he had between your legs, desperate for some kind of friction. He already had you wrapped around his finger. His lips began to move lower, leaving soft kisses on your neck, your heavy breaths making him ache for more of you. He pulled away for a moment, admiring how pretty you looked underneath him. You were exactly what he needed today.

Harasawa leaned in close to your ear, “How about we continue this in my bedroom?” he whispered, nibbling on your earlobe as he waited for an answer.

“Yes please,” you breathed out almost instantly.

Harasawa took that as his cue to pick you up, your arms wrapped around his neck as you straddled him, leaning in to meet his soft lips once again. He was gentle with the way he set you down on his bed, helping you take your top off and undoing your bra with just one hand. The act alone was enough of an indicator to how experienced this man was. You watched intently as he undid his tie, letting it hang on his neck as he began to unbutton his shirt. He took his time with this, he knew you were enjoying the show. You were so fixated on his movements that you couldn’t even tell he was watching you drool over his body. You couldn’t be blamed for it, as you expected, underneath the shirt was the body of what you could only describe as a Greek god’s. His shoulders were broad and you had never seen collarbones as well defined as his were. As your eyes trailed further south, you noticed a bit of his dark chest hair, another brutal reminder of how much older he was. And you swore you could lick a whole meal clean off his abs.

Harasawa hovered over your chest for a moment before leaving light kisses all over. Eventually taking a nipple into his mouth, sucking on it as a hand began to unbutton your pants. You didn’t even know what to focus on anymore as you felt his hand trace over your panties, earning ragged breaths from you as your hands gripped onto his hair. He couldn’t help but smirk at the feel of the wet fabric as he pulled away from your breast and looked down into your eyes, “Already soaked? You flatter me a bit too much, Y/N,” he said softly, the sound of your name rolling off his tongue sent shivers down your spine.

Harasawa slipped your pants and underwear off in one swift motion. Taking a moment to admire your exposed body before he shuffled down, holding your legs open with either arm as he took a slow lick in between, earning a loud gasp from you.

He slowly began to work his tongue in between your legs, absolutely devouring your taste as teased your entrance. The grip you had on his hair was tighter than ever and the soft moans that escaped your lips was more than enough incentive for him to keep going. He soon brought his fingers into the mix, taking a moment to trace your skin before pushing a finger into you. Harasawa looked up at your heaving chest with contempt, his pants getting tighter with every sound you make. He soon added a second finger, slowly fucking you with them. The mere thought of having you wrap around his length when you’re this tight and dripping was enough to make him groan.

He slipped his fingers out of you, gaining a whine from you for the loss of contact. Harasawa quickly undid his belt, pulling his underwear and pants down just enough to relieve his throbbing member. You perked up at the sight of it, you were now sure he was sent straight from the Gods because on top of his gorgeous body, he also had a cock that was a size that could absolutely ruin you. You sat up and leaned over, your tongue kitten-licking his tip as your hand reached to wrap around his base.

Harasawa’s dark eyes looked down at you in pleasure. He didn’t even have to ask you to do this. He groaned as you licked up and down his length, teasing him before you wrapped your lips around him, bobbing your head as you tried to take more and more of him in. “Oh fuck,” he mumbled, grabbing a fistful of your hair to get it out of your face.

He eventually hit the back of your throat, impressed by your lack of struggle as he slowly rolled his hips back and forth. Your mouth was absolutely divine. If he wanted to, he could easily finish with your throat alone. But he had to sustain himself, with the long day he’s had, he needed much more than this to relieve himself.

He slowly pulled your head away from him, watching as you caught your breath, a trail of spit stringing to your lips. “Look at you. What an absolute mess you are already,” he smirked, staring as you wiped the drool off your chin with the back of your hand. It was no use though, you knew that your mascara was smudged and the drool had dripped down to your chest— you just had to accept the state you were in.

Harasawa flipped you over, your ass pointed in the air towards him as your hands held your weight up. You couldn’t help but look back, watching as he lined his length up with your hole. You felt him brush against your entrance, sliding the length of it along your wetness. You moaned in anticipation, aching to feel him inside of you, but all he kept doing was tease you. “Please,” you begged, pushing your ass up further in search of some kind of relief.

“For someone so polite, you’re rather impatient, Y/N,” Harasawa said simply. He was aching to feel you around him just as much, but there was something so exquisite about watching you squirm with desperation that made his cock twitch.

“I need you so bad, Mr Harasawa,” you pleaded.

You were quickly given exactly what you were asking for upon the words leaving your lips. Harasawa shoving himself into you in one swift motion, eliciting a scream of pleasure from you. He couldn’t resist when you asked him like that. He stilled his hips for a moment when he bottomed out, giving you time to adjust to his size so that the pain would subside. A few seconds later, he couldn’t control himself any longer, he had to move. He began to roll his hips back and forth slowly, his body brimming with pleasure with how tightly you wrapped around him.

The sound of your sinful moans paired with the sloppy sound of your wet hole filled the room as Harasawa began to pick up his pace. You still hadn’t fully adjusted to the sheer size of him, but the feel of him stretching you open like this was absolutely heavenly. You felt his big hands grip onto your waist, holding you still as he fucked your hole, each thrust hitting a spot that was so deep that you didn’t even think it was possible.

Your arms quickly gave out under you, your face burying itself into the mattress as each hand grabbed a fistful of the bedsheets, trying to brace yourself for Harasawa’s relentless pounding. He slowed his thrusts down for a moment as he took a hold of your hands, bringing them behind your back as you felt him bind them in place with a fabric. Upon looking back, you realised he’d tied your hands together with his tie. The inability to grip onto the bedsheets somehow enhanced the sensation tenfold, feeling him drag in and out of your walls, filling you up like you’ve never been before.

“What a good little girl, taking me so well,” Harasawa grinned as he smacked your ass, earning a yelp from you, his deep voice bringing you closer to your edge. The pent up frustration was showing in his movements, each thrust harder than the last.

The dark haired man could feel you trembling underneath him— you were close. If your shaky legs weren’t enough of an indication, he felt your walls begin to clench around him, your pussy somehow feeling even more irresistible than before.

“Cum for me, Y/N,” the words came as a surprise to you. How’d he know you were close? All you’d been doing so far was moaning like a fucking mess. Nevertheless you gave into his instructions, your orgasm hitting you harder than it has ever before, rendering your body completely weak as it washed over you.

Harasawa gripped onto your waist tighter, trying to hold your limp body up as he chased his own high. Your orgasm had you sopping wet— even more so before, and the older man was savouring every moment of it. The squelches, the helpless little moans, the view of your gorgeous body in front of him; presenting itself as a vessel to be used to relieve his frustrations— you were absolutely perfect.

He felt himself near his climax, his movements becoming sloppier as his breathing became ragged. “Fuck I’m gonna cum,” he grunted, his thrusts increasing in pace, eliciting your overstimulated moans.

“C-cum in me, Mr Harasawa,” you squealed as he bottomed out inside you with a groan, his cock twitching as a warmth began to fill you up.

Harasawa brushed the hair out of his eyes as he slowly pulled out of you, watching you collapse onto the mattress without him supporting your weight. It had been a while since he felt this much pleasure from another person. The sight of your pathetically weak body in front of him filled him with a sense of pride, knowing that he was the one that brought you to such a state.

He pulled his pants back up and flipped you back over, lifting you up to rest your head on a pillow while he cleaned you up. He put your panties back on you before settling down in the bed space next to you. You looked up at him with a satisfied smile, your eyes filled with lust for the older man. “That was amazing, Mr Harasawa,” you said breathlessly as he tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear.

He let out a light chuckle in response, “You know, I’d normally tell you to just call me Katsunori at this point, but Mr Harasawa just sounds so good coming out of your mouth,” he grinned, fingers tracing over the skin on your chest.

You hummed in satisfaction upon hearing those words. “I look forward to seeing you at the Winter Cup,” you said as if you weren’t still laying naked on his bed.

“Why wait until then? You’re welcome to drop by here any time,” Harasawa said softly, knowing that he could definitely make use of you for the stress building up to the Winter Cup.

A smile took over your face at the invitation, “I might just take you up on that, Mr Harasawa.”

[deargravity]

all a cat wants to be is a cat

SUMMARY: Aomine is a committed cat dad, and Akashi is a professional cat petter.

word count: 2,577

cw: none, but maybe 2 swear words

a/n: for @vespersposts and also for myself. what it says on the tin. also cross-posted on ao3 HERE, in case you want to give me kudos and comments.

Every life is subject to its own subliminal shifts. Invisible loves, invisible aches and invisible opportunities that chart a course through destiny. It is normal for the ordinary to not realise their destination until they’re already there, wherever it may be. Aomine could consider himself ordinary in this regard. He does not believe in the invisible. That is why he wagers his life on this sport, why his world starts and ends with the court. That is why almost nothing is of any real concern to him. Almost.

(He’s only come close to believing in fate just once but he may just have been grateful to exist at the same time as the rest of his friends. Nothing more, nothing less.)

Once upon a time – because this is how every palatable, easy-to-tell story starts – he’d been walking home in the evening after the match with Seirin. His eyes stinging from the tears he’d shed in secret on his way back, his heart smarting from the loss but his soul raging like every hungry thing does when it’s found something that can finally satiate its ages-old appetite. 

He was being followed that night and he knew it. 

He stopped and turned around, directing a half-hearted glare down at Meteor, who also stopped in her tracks and stared up at him, tilting her head curiously.

She was a perfectly black Ocicat, with beautiful comet-green eyes that were always wide and searching, and paws she was more than willing to put on anything within her reach. He’d never heard her meow or purr or make a single sound, even when he’d found her with other cats. She was quiet as a shadow, but as real as life. 

Aomine recognised her from the patch of white fur over her nose, shaped distinctly like a flame. She also recognised him, evidently, from the smell. 

He had never been able to shake her off since the first time he’d found her draped over his basketball in the front yard, sleepily swaying back and forth in the sun. He hadn’t shooed her away then either. He’d sat on the ground and watched her. She hadn’t moved for a long time and neither had he.

“Leave me alone,” He told her, not as decisively as he would have hoped. When she held his gaze like that, unerring and determined, he found it difficult to harden himself against her charming, curious gaze. 

He continued walking. She followed after him. 

He turned around and threw out his empty hands to show her. “I don’t have any treats for you.” He lifted his arm. “Also, I stink.” He blinked down at her and she blinked back. “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

She moved forward and flopped, belly-first, across his right shoe. He sighed but he obliged, picking her up in his arms and sitting down on the sidewalk, back against a fence. She stayed in his arms through the next tears that leaked out of his eyes, watching him and then pawing at the small smile that hadn’t left his face since he’d walked off the court. 

She’d left, dissolving into the shadows, but only after his tears had dried. But she always managed to find him again. 

Buzz was another lucky find but the moments leading up to that weren’t so lucky. 

Aomine had just suffered another lecture from his mother about the state of his room. They’d had a fervent back and forth upstairs while in the living room, his father was sinking lower and lower into the sofa with his face obscured behind the upside-down newspaper he clearly wasn’t reading. 

“It was exam season!” Aomine protested as she started hurling all the dirty clothes off the bed out of his room and into his arms. She was tearing up the place. He was so thankful he’d snuck all his magazines into Sakurai’s gym locker already. He couldn’t risk her finding those.

She laughed. “You? Studying? You’re still on the same pen from 6 months ago. Don’t make me laugh.” 

“I’m a teenager and…I need to…uh…handle my own space to deal with…things,” He managed.

His mother slid her slipper off and whacked him across the back of his head. “Those Western TV shows are filling your head with individualist propaganda.”

She loomed over him (which was a feat in itself, because he was a foot taller than her), murder written across her face. “You clean your room by lunchtime, or I’ll cut the TV cables and internet.” 

This was no time to be fucking around. She meant business.

He was already halfway down the corridor with his dirty clothes. The last thing to come hurtling out of his room were his favourite Jordans, catching him square in between his shoulders and making him stumble. 

“And clean those too! They smell like shit!” 

Shoe care was serious for Aomine. He loved every pair of his shoes like his own limbs. When he had to wash them, he did it all by hand.

They deserved better than a no-spin cold water cycle in a washing machine. He brushed, soaked and scrubbed his Jordans, pulling out the laces, tugging back the shoe tongue. He left them out to dry. 

The next day, when he went to retrieve them, Buzz was there. Though he hadn’t gotten that name yet. (Akashi identified him later as a domestic shorthair. Buzz seemed to have no known owner in the neighbourhood though.)

Maybe Aomine’s feet were just that huge, or Buzz was just that small, but he’d fit himself snugly into Aomine’s left shoe, curled up with his face tucked neatly under his small paws, his tiny ribs rising and falling peacefully. 

Aomine gently picked up the shoe, holding it steady with both hands and watched for a while. How these cats kept managing to find him was still a mystery to him.

Meteor had invited some of her own friends just the other day and now, intermittently, his garden would be a lounging spot for strays. His mother enjoyed it though, now that she had someone to feed the fish bones to. 

(She’d smiled happily each time, glowing as she watched the crowd of stray cats jostle each other around to get a bite. “At least someone in the world appreciates my food,” She’d sighed wistfully. Behind her, Aomine and his father had shared a glance and winced in unison.)

“Ma,” Aomine whispered. Why was he whispering? 

No response. She must have been drying clothes in the backyard. Clutching the shoe to his chest, he walked through the house to the back, careful not to jerk around too much. 

“Ma,” He said when he found her. 

She hummed as he walked up to her and held out the shoe for her. As expected, her face lit up. “Aw, one more mouth to feed!” 

Aomine ignored the comment. “I don’t know how they keep finding me.” 

“You smell the strongest in this neighbourhood, clearly,” She responded, pointedly clipping up his damp jersey while she held his gaze. 

Aomine’s cheeks flared with embarrassment as he groaned. “Ma!” 

A mewl brought his attention down to the shoe in his hand. Buzz had woken up and was staring out over the rim of the shoes. He flinched as Aomine’s mother cooed and Aomine reflexively brought his hand up to cradle the tiny head to his chest and glare at his mother.

He didn’t realise he’d done so until a moment later but he was already stroking Buzz’s head as the cat blinked sleepily and curled back into himself. 

“We’re keeping him,” His mother declared. 

They tried multiple times over the months, but whenever they were sure Buzz had gotten comfortable, they’d turn around and he would have disappeared. By the time Aomine grew certain he’d never see him again, Buzz would return, curled up asleep on their doormat. 

Some things weren’t meant to stay. Some things were meant to return, against all odds. 

Out of the three, Ankle knew best how to make an impression. She was also the fussiest and neediest of them all. 

He was introduced to her on the tail end of those sweaty weeknights characteristic of thick, unrelenting summers. He’d been shooting baskets all by himself in their neighbourhood court when he’d been joined by some middle schoolers who lived in the nearby houses and he’d played with them for a while, forfeiting victories to them until he’d gotten bored and thrashed them all in a game with his one-man team. They’d gone back home bitching and crying.

He’d hear about this tomorrow while his father answered the door to a hoard of angry mothers, complaining about it. Again. He’d gone three months without stirring up this kind of trouble. New record. Whatever. 

He was lying on the bench after cooling down, towel thrown over his face as the sun was setting, slipping in and out of that lethargic fog that always clung to him. 

He’d been asleep for all of 3 minutes before he was woken up by a weight landing heavily on his chest. He jerked, almost fell off the bench but steadied himself enough to glare at the intruder. 

Ankle (though her name wasn’t Ankle yet) stared down haughtily at him, and with pride reserved for large wild cats who ran the jungles, she lowered herself onto his stomach, tucking her paws under her body as she got comfortable.

Not again. Whatever. This had become a habit by then. He reached out with his hand to scratch her chin but she turned away, glaring at him from the side of her eyes. 

“What?” He asked, irritably, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her. He reached out again, this time scratching his fingers down from the top of her head to her neck. She turned to look at him, winking lazily. 

He laughed. “You flirt.” 

When he went to stroke her back, she rose to her feet, trembling but before he could delight in her receptiveness, it all went wrong. 

She vomited all over the front of his t-shirt. 

“ARGH! FUCK!” 

While Aomine scrambled to take off his t-shirt, she settled down comfortably in his lap again. Even in his haste, he kept his legs steady for her, and she draped herself comfortably over his knees, heedless to his swearing and whining. 

She was probably a longhair. Aomine could hazard a guess now after Akashi had drilled him in identifying cat breeds through a detailed 80-slide PowerPoint presentation.

(He managed to take her to the vet eventually, at his mom’s willing expense, but nothing had been wrong. Thankfully. After informally being elected by all the cats as their caretaker, Aomine had given up resisting their presence in his life. On the way back from the vet, he’d lifted Ankle, looked her in the eye, fighting a smile as he said, “Don’t ever break anyone else’s heart like that again. I’m letting it slide this once.”) 

Ankle lingered. That set her apart from the other two. 

She didn’t stay, exactly, but she made her presence known even when she wasn’t there.

She’d scratched up his basketball once when he’d forgotten to bring it back in after dribbling practice. He’d never been able to scrub out the vomit smell from his t-shirt but when he left it out to dry, he’d find it on the ground wrapped neatly around her as she lounged in the sun. She’d leave her cat hairs all over his bicycle seat. 

She also kept bringing back dead, chewed-up mice. He’d found a hairball in his shoe once. His mother wasn’t so pleased but Aomine found didn’t mind cleaning up after Ankle. (He still somehow never managed to harness this same spirit for his own room.)

Ankle lingered.

She made a mess. She screamed to get his attention. She seemed to know he was near before he’d even made himself visible to her. She’d gotten really chatty over the months he knew her. If she didn’t like the food he left out for her, she’d flip the plate and scream. If he turned away from her even for a moment while he was petting her, she’d scream. 

Then, she’d randomly disappear for a week without warning. 

Aomine was well-practiced by now. He knew she’d return. She always did. 

There were 4 cats in his yard that day.  

Meteor, Buzz and Ankle had all convened in the yard on the fateful day that Aomine had invited Akashi over for lunch and promptly after the meal, Akashi had joined in lounging with the cats.

He’d had to change into Aomine’s clothes because the cats had spent a large part of the afternoon avoiding him, and he’d noted this with such a dejected look in his eyes that Aomine had offered. 

“It’s that expensive cologne you always use. Their noses are really sensitive so even if you haven’t reapplied, they’ll smell it,” Aomine had said, “You can grab a change of clothes from my room. Hopefully, they’ll feel a little better.”

He’d been right, though it had taken another hour of waiting and pspsps-ing from Akashi before Ankle crawled into his lap and got comfortable. 

She didn’t complain. She didn’t scream. She even let Akashi scratch her chin, which she’d never let Aomine do. Aomine tried not to feel jealous. 

Meteor had draped herself around Aomine’s neck like a neck pillow and he’d been careful to keep her steady on his shoulders. She purred, fierce as an engine, right next to his ear.

He scratched her behind the ear. Well, it was okay. He had her. Besides, both of Akashi’s hands were occupied trying to scratch Ankle’s chin and rub Buzz’s belly. Aomine could give Meteor all his attention. 

“They’re lovely,” Akashi whispered, reverently, lowering himself onto his belly and burying his face in Ankle’s furry ribs, his other hand still scratching the top of Buzz’s head. His free hand extended in Aomine’s direction as he said in a muffled voice, “Come. I freed up this hand for her.” 

Aomine had never seen his friend this happy. Akashi was a picture of bliss. Even in all the years Aomine had known him, he’d always had to search for Akashi’s intentions within his unwavering, incisive gaze. Even then, he was afraid he’d brush up gently against his friend and accidentally cut himself. He’d been so wrong. 

Steel façade or not, Akashi was easy to melt. 

Meteor, as if understanding his request, jumped down from Aomine’s shoulder and crawled up against Akashi’s waiting hand. Akashi’s whole body sagged with a delighted sigh. It struck Aomine that he should take a picture but he relented.

This moment felt private, it felt sacred, and Aomine wanted to be the only to ever have seen it like this. His 3 favourite kids and his best friend existing at the same time, within the same space. Nothing could be more beautiful. 

He could almost believe in fate after all. 

“What are their names?” Akashi asked, looking up from Ankle, cat hairs snagged on his fringe and eyebrows. 

Aomine nodded in Buzz’s direction. “That one’s Buzz.” 

Akashi smiled knowingly. “Like Buzz Lightyear?”

Aomine scoffed. “No, I’m not a nerd. Like Buzzer Beater. That one there –”

Akashi’s smile twitched, his brow furrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

Aomine scratched his ear self-consciously. “That one there is Buzzer Beater. That one – Ankle Breaker. And Meteor Jam. Buzz, Ankle and Meteor, for short.” 

Silence. 

“Oh, absolutely not.” 

[ecargmura]

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions Episode 19 Review - Talentnapping

Excuse me? What number did that police car have? 801? In the episode where Ron and Toto go on a date? Diomedea, are you shipping these two as much as the fans? I’m not complaining, though. This was clearly a date episode that was interrupted by work of all things again. Poor RonToto, work will always be the third wheel.

But yeah, a new case means a new situation. Instead of murder, this time, RonToto are dealing with serial kidnappings of talented people. The abductor is known as Hummingbird and they only abduct those with genius talent. Why? Not sure yet… However, the abductor’s target is coincidentally Nyonyon, the singer-songwriter that RonToto go to the concert of with the latter being a fan.

The craziest thing about the case is that we, the viewer, already know who Hummingbird is, if you saw the post-credit scene in the previous episode. Hummingbird is the detective Sanno and also the masked individual Ron spotted by the stairs at the concert venue. This means that the culprit is right next to them, yet Ron and Toto haven’t figured it out yet, which makes sense as they’re in work mode right now and have no idea that Sanno was the guy from earlier. Maybe Ron knows since he did the hair flip? Though, I’m also curious if Sanno is actually a detective or if he’s just posing as one. 

Though, there are a few things bugging me about this case. If Nyonyon is afraid of heights, why is her office at the very top of a clock tower room? Also, is Mitsubashi, the manager, in on the kidnapping scheme or something? She just locked Nyonyon in her composing room while knowing she’s afraid of heights. Having her be alone is like the worst possible thing to happen because someone could easily swoop in from the curtain-shielding window. Or maybe there could be a secret room that Nyonyon was taken into?

New characters mean an influx of voice actors. Although these guys are just characters introduced for this new case, they have quite the well-known voice actors. Nyonyon is voiced by Ayahi Takagaki, who you might know from Durarara as Erika Karisawa. I think she does the singing too. Her manager Mitsubashi is voiced by Ami Koshimizu. Namazu, the newly introduced detective, is voiced by Rikiya Koyama. Sanno, or Hummingbird, is voiced by Takahiro Sakurai which makes me feel conflicted because a minor character like him is voiced by the same voice actor as one of my favorite anime villains Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass and that anime also has Akira Amano doing the character designs. Why must you do this?

It feels like the animation quality has went up a bit in this episode with how Nyonyon’s music video was animated. Though, I don’t really expect too much regarding animation for an anime like this as it’s not really action-focused as it is a mystery/detective story. I was just super happy about the RonToto moments. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what happens next. What could Hummingbird’s motive be for all these abductions? What are your thoughts on the episode?

[lukalnst]

Hellooo :3 can you do Haruka having a crush on fem reader and the prisoners helping him get with her, ask her out and talk to her?

HARUKA SAKURAI TRYING TO TALK TO FEM!READER

Contains: Fem pronouns for reader, Fluff, Haruka just being Haruka

A/N: I swear I'll get to writing my other reqs soon, but I had to prioritize this one bc I love Haruka T,T

Socializing with others was never Haruka's forte.

It took him long enough to talk to Es, and most of the other prisoners had to start conversations with him for him to even talk to them. It was simply safe to say that he wasn't the best at talking.

When he first laid eyes on you, he knew that had to change.

Whenever you'd eat with the other prisoners, he made sure to stay away and simply fidget with his own hands and dig his nails onto his own skin as he cursed himself for not being able to approach you.

If he were to talk to you, he'd surely just disappoint you or bring misfortune to you. But... maybe it didn't hurt to try?

So he knew who to go to: Muu.

Isolating himself and her from the other prisoners — most notably you — he decided to ask her a bunch of questions nervously. Most of them were related to things she probably knew about you, as she had talked to you a few times.

"So, I... Does she like making friends?" Haruka questioned Muu nervously. He didn't let her finish, though. He quickly filled her ears with more questions. "What does she like?" He continued. "Does she... uhm... have any friends? Does she like hugs? Does she—"

"Calm down!"

Muu replied. He was practically overwhelming her with questions, so she decided to bring someone else into the conversation: Yuno.

She wasn't particularly close with Yuno anymore, but she knew more about you than Muu did. After pretty much dragging her into the conversation, Yuno could manage to reply to a few of Haruka's questions.

"She's pretty social. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind it either if you just went and hugged her right now..." Yuno teased Haruka. "So why don't you try to do it?" She asked.

Haruka's face immediately heated up. "I... I can't do that— that's too bold! What if she doesn't like it?" He stuttered out nervously.

"Why are you so worried about those things? Do you like her?" Muu asked.

If Haruka's face was already a soft red, then it was nearly a crimson red now. "If I did... would that be bad?" He asked. "Does she... have a boyfriend...?"

Oh, and someone who was eavesdropping the conversation was Mahiru. She was pretty quick to join in. After all, she had a considerable amount of relationship experience.

"I don't think she's ever mentioned someone else!" Mahiru tried to cheer Haruka up. "She's talking to Mikoto right now. You should go talk to her!" Yuno added into Mahiru's words.

The three female prisoners were telling Haruka many words of reassurance, mostly encouraging him to go talk to you. Finally, Muu gave him a little push towards your direction, and he finally approached you.

Taking a few nervous steps towards you, he decided to talk to you. "Hello, uhm..." He stuttered out your name nervously afterwards. "Muu told me to ask you — to ask you if you wanted to... uhm..." He seemed to be thinking his words carefully. "If you wanted to be my... girlfriend?"

You didn't know him well at all, but the way he seemed to be so nervous while talking to you was nearly adorable. Usually, you wouldn't reply to people who you barely knew...

There would always be exceptions, though.

Behind Haruka, Muu and Mahiru seemed to be cheering for him and motioning him to go on.

"I guess... You're pretty cute, I'd be willing to date you!" You finally replied to him.

His face immediately lit up. He didn't know what 'willing to' meant, but you called him cute, so that was good, right? And you seemed happy, so you had probably agreed onto it.

Without thinking twice, he wrapped his arms around you. This took you by surprise, but it was adorable. You gently ruffled his hair, then kissed the top of his head.

You didn't know him well, but you hoped to get to know him better sometime soon.

[shigayokagayama]

sakurai hato or minegishi :3? my faves

sakurai:

Sexuality Headcanon:

this man is gay

Gender Headcanon:

honestly nothing in specific. cis but in a "never really put much thought into it" kinda way. could he be inclined to question or transition? perhaps, but he is too busy cleaning up the giant comical jar of disgusting orange sauce that spilled all over the floor because a customer insisted they could fit a weeks worth of groceries into one cheap reusable grocery bag and it predictably split open and went everywhere and now the whole store smells like nondescript orange sauce and he has a headache from the smell but the manager will be pissed if he closes the register and moves to one further away so he just has to mop it between customers and the stain remains until they redo the nylon in 30 years.

A ship I have with said character:

koyama. made for each other.

A BROTP I have with said character:

i really like thinking abt post canon 7th division staying friends :] i think they hang out sometimes

A NOTP I have with said character:

none that come to mind? obvious stuff aside i suppose

A random headcanon:

a common theme between all three of these characters is that theyre young enough to fall in the age range where they could have been kidnapped by claw and i choose to believe that's what happened. especially sakurai. this kid screams kidnapped. no one would have looked for him....

General Opinion over said character:

i dont think about the 7th division members all that much just because they all get introduced in my least favorite arc so i dont really have a reason to reread/rewatch unless im doing a full series rewatch, but as a background character enjoyer seeing people have thoughts on them makes me very happy

hatori:

Sexuality Headcanon:

gay asexual seems right for him i think :]

Gender Headcanon:

definitely some flavor of transmasc

A ship I have with said character:

computers. other than that ive seen people ship him with joseph and i see the vision.

A BROTP I have with said character:

similar to above i think he and the rest of the super five are still buddies after everything.

A NOTP I have with said character:

this is a weird question to answer for the more minor/background characters so instead ill say "i used to sorta ship him and minegishi in like a qpp sorta way when i thought they were like the same age but learning minegishi was like 19 and punching the numbers meant that unless they didnt meet until less than a year precanon there's no way to make that not weird so i dropped it". so it goes.

A random headcanon:

ditto to above and also reddit moderator. i know he's a reddit moderator on some tech forum giving the world's most smarmy and least helpful advice

General Opinion over said character:

i like him! i dont think of him too often but im fond of all the super five.

minegishi:

Sexuality Headcanon:

ace aro :]

Gender Headcanon:

transfemme nonbinary <3

A ship I have with said character:

none really. they dont have time for that they have a thankless minimum wage job to work.

A BROTP I have with said character:

super five but also i realized hoshida from the reigen manga is in the age range to have gone to middle school with them before they became a terrorist and the idea of them having been childhood friends who fell out of touch and then him turning on the news to find out the kid who used to make him clover necklaces is wreaking havoc on downtown is REALLY funny

A NOTP I have with said character:

most things honestly at this point. i am so sorry shimamine shippers they took everything from you with the fanbook

A random headcanon:

i feel like post canon theyd become a bug person. like, getting big terrariums with self sustaining ecosystems of invertabrates :]

General Opinion over said character:

i actually like them a lot! i feel like its clear from the answers to these that theyre the one out of these i think about the most frequently lol. i just. how did you join the upper echelon of a terrorist organization at age 16. what happened.

[tobyfoxfacts]

SHOULD TOBY FOX BE PRESIDENT??

Heres the pros and cons

Pros

1. He made a game all about befriending your enemies.

He's a natural at building bridges so he may be able to repair any hard feelings between countries that the US cut off in the past.

2. He's a business man

Toby is self employed and has people who works under him. He started from the bottom. He worked on his first game in someone's basement. He earned his success.

3. He's great at money management and project planning

He made undertale pretty much on his own and organized any assistance he needed. He's great working on teams and had done many collaborations.

4. He likes the girls and the gays!!

Toby would let us all be trans and queer. He has 2 lesbian couples in his games, a non binary main protagonist, and is a total mommas boy. He wouldn't wanna take away her rights.

5. He doesn't hate drag queens

Toby has been seen wearing skirts and dresses as costumes or cosplays. He's worn makeup and dresses for costumes.... so he wouldn't hate someone for doing the same.

6. He supports the environment

Toby has a degree in environmental science. Why would he get a degree in that if he didn't believe in global warming? He would help repair the environment and make our country more echo friendly. As a science major he knows vaccines aren't fake and would be a great role model.

7. He slips under the discrimination radar

This is cynical, but based on Toby's appearance, he has advantages in the political world. "Straight looking," pale skinned, rich, Christian, cisgender man who went to a prestigious college. So, heck... he'd get a chance even if he genuinely sucked because politics are rigged. Even if he thought Hulu was part of Hawaii and they made a streaming service... he would still make it to the finals.

Don't let anyone find out he's a dress wearing autistic furry that makes songs about mpreg.

8. He has a great education

Toby went to a college that focuses on law and business. There's a chance that he took some classes on the side about those subjects.

9. He's a level headed guy and stays out of drama

Toby's never gotten caught up in drama and he's not a trouble starter. He'd never initiate a war.

10. G-n outlaws

We already know that Toby isn't enthusiastic about violence and believes in thinking before hurting. He would totally make more anti g-n proposals

11. He loves animals

He'd totally help prevent animal cruelty and k1ll shelters. Toby literally thinks he's a dog...

12. He hates taxes

He grew up in New Hampshire so moving to Boston must have been a shocker. He might be able to make taxes more reasonable, or do something useful with the money.

13. Japan loves him

His buddies in Japan (zun, sakurai, etc) have said Toby blends right in with the people in Japan. He's very polite. SUPER important.

14. He's young

He's level headed and isn't fucked on dementia medication while making life altering decisions for the next generation. He's involved and up to date with modern culture, and knows what people want.

15. He's a cutie

Must I say more?

16. He's a cultural icon

Gen z would vote for him cause they already know Toby's great. Plus everyone who doesn't care about politics would find it hilarious to see toby in the white house.

Why toby shouldn't be president

1. He's too short to see over the podium

2. He's stage fright

3. He'd eat the declaration of independence

4. He doesn't want to be

5. No more delrarune :(

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Super Smash Bros. Is Not Canon And Is Unreliable For Mario Lore Part 1

So it's fairly common for people to try to use the Super Smash Bros. series for either theory crafting, or to understand the lore of games like Mario. While I have addressed it before this time I want to go more in depth.

So for starters as the characters in Smash Bros. are intended to be toys in the real world. Masahiro Sakurai clarified this in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct 11.1.2018. "In the Super Smash Bros. series the characters are toys in the real world, but they are fighters in the world of the imagination. Returning to the real world is an ongoing theme, in the imagination you can battle impossible combinations of characters." This also further made evident by the introductions to SMB64 and SMBM. This also explains why characters like Ridley and Olimar are not their accurate sizes. But the second reason is the portrayal characters in Smash Bros. especially when reading the descriptions of the trophies. So I'm going to go through the Mario ones. Note I will eventually like examples from other franchises once I address them on my other lore blogs.

Now while not a Trophy Bowser's model in Smash differs from what it is like in game which I talked about in this post. SMBM's Dr. Mario's trophy says "with his dedicated nurse, Princess Peach, at his side, Dr. Mario spends day and night in his laboratory working on new miracle cures. Somehow, he's managed to keep up with all the new viruses that have arisen over the years." Note this one and the next one may seem nitpicky but we'll be addressing more outright contradictions. In the Mario Canon Mario does not spend day and night working on cures for various new viruses. As we know Mario is a plumber and that's he spends day and night working on. SMBM's Coin Trophy says "the Mushroom Kingdom is dotted with these mysterious coins. There seems to be an endless supply hidden in various blocks, and Mario gains an extra life when he manages to collect a hundred of them. No one can confirm whether or not these coins are actually used as the currency of the Mushroom Kingdom, but it's a safe assumption." There is some information while not established at the time it is canonized that specifically the 64sque coins is the Mushroom Kingdom's currency. But these coins aren't the ones found throughout the world. SMBM's Lakitu Trophy says "These airborne menaces used to ride their clouds exclusively as Bowser's henchmen. They typically hover just out of Mario's reach and hurl Spinies with irritating precision. More recently, however, they've been known to take on less evil tasks, such as doing camera work for sports events and even helping Mario on his quests." This is in accurate because not all Lakitus work for Bowser, and the Lakitu Bros and ones that run the sports events don't work for Bowser. I plan to make posts about friendly Lakitus and the Lakitu Bros eventually. Also, in SMBU there is some dialogue that involves Pit as they talk about the Koopalings. "The relationship between Bowser and the Koopalings is a real mystery." This is something that is not a mystery, and the Koopalings have been established to be Bowser's minions for a long time at this point. I have addressed this in a previous post. Continues in Part 2

[xisanamii]

pokemon AU brainrot is real (i can't draw pokemon) i have some thoughts underneath the cut, so you can read them for fun if you'd like. what i will say over it though is that once again rabbit's gigantic sexy galaxy brain gave the pokemon ideas for murasaku, moriliu, and mayukuro. mwah thanks as always you should give your brain more credit (i will force you to)

when SV came out i remember bulldozing for a charcadet cuz i saw ceruledge and was like damn that's cool, and named him "tatsuya" (first name for fun) - then i found out he had a counterpart (armarouge) and i was like wow this is literally kagami and himuro (please see their dex entries for more info). i haven't done much in the way of writing, but just know in my head there's an entire story with the dramatic breakup where they both started off with charcadet, and then stuff happened. emulating canon, basically. alex trained them with her skeledirge.

next, takao's emolga and erika's pancham torment himuro, because why not. hot man suffering or something. himuro's popularity certainly translates over to pokemon (emolga likes midorima better, but they like to tease himuro because takao does).

last of the himuro series, i do have an entire team thought up for himueri - i love ceruledge, but froslass would be THE pokemon for himuro (like, designated partner pokemon... reasons are self-explanatory). and cinccino is THE pokemon for erika (scarf...) - they're just tormenting each other. my favorite thought about this is that froslass very often thinks about making himuro a frozen statue because of how hot he is (she doesn't, because she's trained well, but she has Thoughts). she doesn't really care about erika but grows to tolerate her, and would turn her into a statue if it makes himuro happy (i mean, it wouldn't, but froslass is vibing). on the other hand, cinccino admires himuro's skin and wonders about his skincare routine.

murasakibara and sakurai own their own bakery shop, where they cater to pokemon and humans alike. don't mind the poisonous looking poffins. amoonguss (sakurai's) just chills around the shop a lot and tries to leech off the extra goodies if there are any. alcremie (murasakibara's) helps out with the baking, and is fascinated by how well the two can manage to switch between different types of pastries and bento boxes. savory AND sweet foods offered! i call it a bakery but it's a glorified bakery because they can do a lot of different foods.

moriyama and liu wei definitely start out like how i've written them in my yosen canon lol they bond over wanting to flirt and seduce women, but it creates a whole other can of sexual tension. moriyama's delcatty is often the semi-unwilling captain of moriyama's journey to become popular with women. she does love him but barely manages to tolerate his shenanigans (unfortunately, it sometimes works - girls will come up to pet his delcatty. she enjoys being pampered and the attention, at least). escavalier for liu wei, and to quote rabbit, a knight in shining armor represents his ideals best given his antiquated demeanor. plus, it's pretty swoonworthy to be popular with the ladies. they're all gay though.

mimikyu for mayuzumi and pikachu for kuroko should be self-explanatory. kuroko's pikachu has blue eyes... because why not. i imagine that mayuzumi reads out in the park often to calm mimikyu's sadness. pikachu desperately wants mimikyu to like him. mimikyu ain't having it though. however, much to mayuzumi's disgruntlement, mimikyu does like kuroko more than pikachu. no one is deterred by the other's bitterness - in fact, it's much ammo for teasing.

[dnangelic]

✩ — 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

▸     IS  YOUR  MUSE  TALL  /  SHORT  /  AVERAGE? daisuke's canonically described often as small for his age if not being the smallest in his class, he stands ~5'2/160cm. dark is generally considered tall and always admired for his beautiful long-ass secretary bird legs, standing at ~5'11/180cm.

▸      ARE  THEY  OKAY  WITH  THEIR  HEIGHT ? daisuke isn't; he's still drinking milk every once in a while hoping it'll make him grow taller faster. he hates being small because it makes him seem weak and unreliable, but given he's so stubborn about his own independence and growth, he doesn't usually try to use dark's height to get an edge and lord over anybody either, or at least not on purpose. dark has no opinion on his height aside from the fact that everybody loves him, and always thinks daisuke should actually use it(as in, his form) more, so there's that.

▸      WHAT’S    THEIR    HAIR    LIKE? daisuke's is thick and fluffy, dark's is feathery and fairly light. daisuke's tends to defy gravity just in thickness whereas dark's is simply thin and light enough that it's constantly in the air and in motion: sakurai's lives are a pretty good point of reference for dark, compare it to something like kento's big fluffy hair and you can better grasp the contrast in a real-life context. both of them still have heads that are good for petting though-

▸     DO    THEY    SPEND    A    LOT    OF    TIME    ON    THEIR    HAIR    /    GROOMING? depends on what you consider a lot of time. it's taken daisuke canonically only 0.58 seconds to get dressed out of his pajamas in the morning, but that's not including brushing his hair, which he could probably manage in like another .02 seconds or something lmfao. there's a lot of 'grooming' and makeup work that goes into daisuke disguising himself as dark (if he isn't outright transforming,) but given his training, he can do any of that literally faster than anyone can blink. phantom thief related stuff aside, daisuke doesn't bother with any special routines given he doesn't like to look flashy, it's enough for him to brush his hair and be presentable. dark's 'naturally' perfect, and doesn't even have the freedom to groom himself much, so as long as he passes his own standards there's nothing for him to fuss over.

▸      DOES  YOUR  MUSE  CARE  ABOUT  THEIR  APPEARANCE  /  WHAT  OTHERS  THINK ? dark and daisuke both do in different ways; daisuke generally obsesses somewhat over seeming 'normal' and 'acceptable' around others and usually hates standing out in any way, whereas dark vainly obsesses over the opposite: being accurate to his public 'phantom thief' image and attaching his name and face to everything he possibly can so he becomes as famous (and therefore as remembered and 'existent,') as possible. daisuke is extremely sensitive and receptive to others' opinions about him while dark generally couldn't give any less of a crap over who says what, but this goes hand in hand with the way that daisuke is always terrified of becoming a loathed outcast and being left completely alone especially due to dark, compared to dark who's already given up and accepted his existence as a mistake of a mistake, a monster and a curse and 'something that fundamentally doesn't belong.' basically, be it as boy or live mask, they care immensely about 'who' they're presenting themselves as, alongside what others think of them and that presentation.

✩ — 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒.

▸     INDOORS  OR  OUTDOORS? outdoors / indoors

▸     RAIN  OR  SUNSHINE? sunshine / sunshine

▸     FOREST  OR  BEACH? beach / forest

▸     PRECIOUS  METALS  OR  GEMS? gems / gems

▸     FLOWERS  OR  PERFUMES? flowers / flowers

▸     PERSONALITY  OR  APPEARANCE? personality / personality

▸     BEING  ALONE  OR  BEING  IN  A  CROWD? a crowd / being alone

▸     ORDER  OR  ANARCHY? anarchy / order

▸     PAINFUL  TRUTHS  OR  WHITE  LIES? painful truths / white lies

▸     SCIENCE  OR  MAGIC? magic / magic

▸      PEACE  OR  CONFLICT? peace / peace.

▸     NIGHT  OR  DAY? night / night .

▸     DUSK  OR  DAWN? dusk / dusk .

▸     WARMTH    OR    COLD ? warmth / warmth .

▸     MANY  ACQUAINTANCES  OR  A  FEW  CLOSE  FRIENDS? many acquaintances / few close friends

▸     READING    OR    PLAYING    A    GAME? playing a game / reading

✩ — 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄.

▸      WHAT    ARE    SOME    OF    YOUR    MUSE’S    BAD    HABITS? taking responsibility for things that actually aren't their faults and blaming themselves for things they don't actually have to, or immediately jumping to conclusions and sometimes assuming the worst over others' opinions about themselves. painting themselves as bad people and supervillains when they're really not, or at least the very least nowhere near as bad and malignant as they think they are. daisuke specifically has a tendency to run away from things he's too scared to confront, while something that can be considered a fatal flaw for dark is his tendency to lead on people and then suddenly vanish or backpedal when real intimacy starts to develop- he canonically 'avoids love.'

▸      HAS  YOUR  MUSE  LOST  ANYONE  CLOSE  TO  THEM?  HOW  HAS  IT  AFFECTED   THEM? so much of them is defined by perpetual loss; dark believed he had lost manisumea, an artwork that once saved and helped him and was unjustly punished for it, since he was very 'young,' alongside the cultural revolution destroying so many other artworks due to his birth being considered abhorrent--- this too becoming his penultimate motivation for becoming a phantom thief alongside the death of the very first niwa, whose alias he took. daisuke's first experience with loss was over freedert, a girl who had also merged with an artwork that he failed to save at all, but he's also forced to confront satoshi's short-shrunk lifespan, insomnia's shattering, and post-canon, dark's very own departure from him. death generally makes daisuke (and dark, though usually unspoken,) feel helpless; it motivates him to work faster, harder, to live brighter and better in gratitude and closeness towards all things, but if he ever gets too stressed out, he can end up turning self-destructive and lashing out at himself for being useless and others for trying to stop him even if they're just trying to save him from charging next straight into his doom.

▸      WHAT  ARE  SOME  FOND  MEMORIES  YOUR  MUSE  HAS? dark's go on for a very, very long time about other people. for daisuke, he loves memories of his mother and his grandfather very much- and has a few of himself still being young and being played with or playing with them. more recently, flying over azumano as dark has become a good memory for him, and certain incidents like his heist of the snow queen, the mermaid's tears or the glass slippers and maho's kiss have become very fond for him.

▸     IS  IT  EASY  FOR  YOUR  MUSE  TO  KILL? were it not for the law of this land (daisuke) dark would have killed over and over again. that aside, it's a fundamental of a phantom thief in daisuke's (and, somewhat begrudgingly, dark's,) opinion to be bloodless and never kill. you couldn't push daisuke to kill no matter what, he'd rather, hell he WILL die before he actually ever kills someone.

▸      WHAT’S  IT  LIKE  WHEN  YOUR  MUSE  BREAKS  DOWN? dark literally doesn't, can't cry. he's been breaking down for 2000 years prior to daisuke: in total and complete empty, hollow silence. he carries an enormous miserable weight on him that he never says a single peep of to anybody, but he sometimes imagines himself finally figuring out feelings and being able to have some kind of enormous catharsis; that's where daisuke comes in. daisuke cries all the time, in all kinds of forms, even with dark's face at times. most of the time he only sulks and collapses with his head into his knees, he isolates and refuses to go anywhere. elsewise, a breakdown can range from light tears to loud, angry shouting. he's just a scared little guy most of the time, so he cries like one too.

▸      IS  YOUR  MUSE  CAPABLE  OF  TRUSTING  SOMEONE  WITH  THEIR  LIFE? daisuke can and will even if he doesn't like the thought of it - not because he doesn't trust others but because he wants to be able to hold responsibility and accountability for his own life in his own hands. dark somewhat has trust issues in general, and his life isn't actually his own, it's daisuke's, so that's a firm 'hell no' when it comes to trusting anybody else with their lives. dark and daisuke are more or less at equilibrium and trust each other not to completely reject or consume the other too, at this point- their lives are each other’s.

▸      WHAT’S  YOUR  MUSE  LIKE  WHEN  THEY’RE  IN  LOVE? they become someone else. someone that's 'not like themselves at all---' lol. just kidding, even if that's how the series always describes it. what really happens is, if there's hope for their love being returned, then they're the most embarrassing, romantic and tender-hearted people in the world. if there's no hope for them, then it's tragic and miserable and they're forced to constantly run away and hide themselves. daisuke's curse and dark's existence are entirely born of, made of feelings of love; not necessarily romantic ones, either. love turns a boy into a monster or a monster into a boy, it makes them dramatic and emotional and if they never experience it again then they're stuck, forced to exist in whatever 'form' they're left with. their love is phantom of the opera beauty and the beast goth freaky but when you get down to it, it's still entirely pure and sincere.

[strawberrycamel]

Oh hey I have another one! Smash Bros., the only hyperfixation I have that beats Toonami in how obsessed I am with it. 25 years old as of last January. I will also be talking about the lore. A lot of this stuff will be partially me interpreting the events in my own way. It starts when the og 12 playable fighters...most likely get kidnapped and either get turned into or have their consciousness put into doll version of themselves. Sakurai said it himself that the first game is of toys trying to escape the world they were put in...but everyone interpreted that as them really being toys and that they were trying to escape into our world. So maybe I see it the way I do out of spite? Who knows. Anyways, the toy fighters defeat the one who put them into this situation, rendering them unconscious at the very least...but in the process, returning to inanimate states. Melee is rinse repeat of this situation except now they're trophies/statues and the fight for freedom is much harder. Also there's two final bosses now. At the end, they manage to negotiate with the otherworldly beings into fighting still, but on their terms, cuz yeah, the fighting was pretty fun. Then Brawl happened. We all know what happened in Brawl. Subspace happened. The original being from the first game, who you can probably tell is Master Hand at this point, gets captured by the embodiment of Subspace, Tabuu, in order to fool certain villainous...and very gullible Smashers to being commanders of the Subspace Army. Mr Game and Watch has bugs in him that are used to create the majority of said army and R.O.B., who goes by the Ancient Minister for most of the story, has his people held hostage in order for the enemy to create bombs that suck the world that the story take place in into Subspace...and is one the characters who gets the shortest end of the stick in this story. His home, the Isle of Ancients, doesn't even come back at the end of the story like the other locations that were sucked into Subspace cuz waaay too maby bombs were set of at once and has rendered the former land into nothing but a literal sparkle in the sky. And him no longer haaving this home plus the rest of his people wiped out and still canon in later entries. And then Smash 4 happened...which technically doesn't a story like the last one did. But what it does have is a new boss in the form of Master Core, an entity that comes out of Master hand, I kid you not, when the difficulty is high enough (speaking of! the first time I fought and beat this boss was on accident!) There's no canonical explanation as to just what Master Core is- whatever flavor text we have for it in game is pretty vague. So the way I interpret is that the Swarm, the substance that makes up most of this boss, and the true form, the true Master Core if you will, are intense emotion given form that runs on pure instinct and whatever emotions it spawned from and the...well just put an apostrophe+s in between its name and there you go. It probably showed up now because...well, get captured, literally puppeted, be forced to watch as the world you created gets sucked into the one you're stuck in, most likely be in pain the entire time, nearly die after escaping...and you understand that Master Hand, to say the very least, is fucking traumatized. THen Ultimate happens and we all know what happens here too. Or at least I do. I might be one of the only people out there actually enjoyed playing World of Light. ANyway, both Master and Crazy Hand get captured this, Galeem light beams everyone to death, and renders all non fighters and non boss entities in what's implied to be the multiverse...into spirits. Except Kirby cuz his warp star can warp out this existence for a few seconds. I also personally interpret Galeem and his counterpart, Dharkon as alternate timeline versions of the Hands where went south for everyone after Subspace, to say the very least. ANd that's only what I can think of off the top of my head as explanations for each game. ..You can probably tell I've put a lot of thought into these things.

oh shit smash bros lore my beloved!! i've played all the games (not finished, but played!!!) so this was a treat

master hand going Thru it in these games huh dkjfhgdfjg RIP

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE CHARACTER SONG Vol.3 Tsumetai Chi by Mukami Ruki Mini Drama “Sweet Loyalty”

Original title: 甘い忠誠

Source: Diabolik Lovers CHARACTER SONG Vol. 3 Mini Drama

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Takahiro Sakurai

Translator’s note: Once again, there isn’t anything truly ‘special’ about these mini drama tracks, but I suppose they’ve enjoyable if it’s your bias. I’m not super into the whole Master/Livestock trope they’re going for with Ruki and I’m honestly glad that it’s been less of an emphasis in his more recent routes/content. But whatever floats your boat, I suppose! I’m sure some people really enjoy the dynamic. In which case, this CD is probably quite enjoyable to you. uwu

The two of you are walking outside together. 

“The night has fallen completely. ...I thought we agreed to head home before sunset, so I wonder how this happened?”

You apologize.

“ーー Oh no, I am not blaming you. Right. Even though it is technically your fault for having trouble choosing between accessoiries and getting lost in the crowd. ...When you think about it, I am the one who made the vital mistake of taking you outside with me in the first place. It was naive of me to think that a little stroll around the block couldn’t hurt.”

You apologize once again.

“Once again, please don’t take this as a personal attack. Well, I have to admit I am somewhat disappointed in you.”

You stop walking.

“...Oi. don’t come to a halt. If you truly feel bad, then keep on walking. Don’t stall even more time.”

You suddenly start running.

“...! ...Oi! I know I said to make haste but don’t run too fast! The road’s still wet from this afternoon’s rainfall soーー”

You slip and nearly fall.

“...Ah!”

*Rustle*

Ruki manages to pull your hand just in time to prevent you from falling.

*SPLAT*

“...That’s why I tried to warn you.”

You say sorry.

“If you can apologize now, then perhaps watch your step instead? ...Haah. Take a look. Some of the mud from the water puddle splashed onto my shoes when I prevented your fall. How will you take responsibility for this?”

You apologize again.

“Is saying sorry truly the only thing you can think of? ...Why not try coming up with another way, or is your head simply for show?”

He steps closer.

“I know you might not be the brightest bulb of the bunch, but I am sure that even you know what to do with something which got dirty?”

You answer.

“ーー Exactly. You clean it. Right? ...Very well. I shall take you on your word and I assume that you will personally take care of this. Let’s go. We’re going somewhere else.”

The two of you walk away.

*TIMESKIP*

“You can stop right there.”

You come to a halt.

“...Oi. What are you standing still for? Get down on your knees already. You haven’t forgotten what to do next, have you? And here I thought you could not get any more arrogant after the punishment I imposed on you.”

Ruki approaches you.

“...While I could have very well made you do it right then, right there, I was so kind as to take you to our manor’s living room instead. So you can’t possibly be thinking of not only failing to express your gratitude, but going as far as to talk back instead, right?”

*Rustle*

“...You must be so happy to have such a kind Master, no?”

He leans in close.

“ーー Come on, hurry up. Do you wish to ruin my mood even further?”

You kneel down.

*Rustle*

“Exactly. First you get down on your knees. You are rather obedient for mere Livestock. Heh. I suppose your Master disciplined you well. ...So, is kneeling down all there is to your punishment?”

You start cleaning his shoes.

“Perfect. Do not leave a single trace of mud behind. ...Fufu, what a lovely view. It is clear at first glance that you have surrendered yourself to me completely. ...I do not dislike seeing you like this.”

You frown.

“What’s wrong? You want to protest? You are the one who got mud on your Master. This is the least you can do. Why not feel happy that I was not as cruel as to order you to lick it off instead?”

*Rustle*

“Besides, if you truly wish to fight back...Then looking up at me with that kind of look in your eyes will only yield the opposite result. It only further emphasizes who is the one in charge between us two.”

*Rustle*

“Well...I suppose I do not need to make that clear at this point as you should know that very well already, whether you like it or not.”

*Rustle*

“You do, don’t you? Who your Master is, that is...”

You nod.

“Heh. ...Good.”

*Rustle*

“...Oi. Who said you could stop? It still looks somewhat dirty to me.”

You continue wiping his shoes.

“Rest assured. I’ll make sure to reward you once you’ve cleaned up your mess.”

*Rustle rustle*

“...All done?”

Ruki checks your work.

*Rustle*

“Hmー Well, I suppose I can give you a pass. ...Well then, it’s time for your reward.”

*Rustle*

“I’ll repay you for your hard work. That’s what a good Master does after all. ...I shall give you these fangs you love oh-so much, to your heart’s content.”

Ruki bites you.

*Sluuuuurp*

“Mmh...Nn...Hah. ...Haah.”

*Rustle*

“...Heh. Your body has gone limp? ...You truly are hopeless. Now stand, Livestock. I’ll give you special permission to sit on my lap.”

You seem surprised.

“Just look at what a pretty moonlit night it is. Even if I treat you as Livestock, the idea of having to kiss a woman who’s groveling on the floor is quite off-putting.”

*Rustle*

“Come on. Hurry up and come here.”

You sit down on his lap.

“Don’t get the wrong idea now. While you might be physically on top right now, that doesn’t change the fact that I am still your Master. ...Now part your lips.”

*Rustle*

Ruki kisses you.

“Mm...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Heh. Don’t look at me like that. Can you not tell yourself? ...That passionate gaze as tears well up in the corners of your eyes.”

*Rustle*

"As if you’ve been utterly and thoroughly captivated...That’s fine. Lose yourself in me even more and more...”

ーー THE END ーー