#maybe i should read the manga in the mornings...... but then i'm just too tired to concentrate ugh..........

[t4tbedehopmar]

UGH my mom keeps messing everything up..........

[pareidoliasys]

I love ZZZ and I love Hi3, Part 1 and Part 2, can we please stop comparing them and also stop shitting on Part 2 I'm so tired, I have so many thoughts and I'm tired and sleepy and might! Delete this in the morning who knows, maybe my thoughts will change by then. I'm just. So exhausted of this

Positivity at the end regardless. It's not all hurt and doom and gloom

- A story that is life changing and completely stunning with some of my favourite characters of all time

Things Honkai Impact 3rd is:

- An 8 year old game with a structure originally built to run on the mobile devices of the time which does make it stiff to play at times but still makes it an absolute wonder

- Doing it's best building off the clunky original code base of the game

- Continuing to make great stories with Part 2 while trying to make it's own identity as a new Era of Honkai Impact

Things Honkai Impact 3rd is not:

- Failing to live up to its past with the new part, there's been 3 chapters and most of the people I see complaining about it haven't played more than the first chapter and even if they have they look at it with such a clouded and negative lense, the part 2 story is WONDERFUL and it just gets better with each chapter

- The Worse ZZZ, Honkai Impact is and always has been its own thing in comparison to EVERY Hoyoverse game to come after it, even Honkai Star Rail is not like Honkai Impact at all.

- Deserving of being completely shit on constantly, criticism is fine but I've not seen any good cases of that in months, I actually do have my own criticisms of hi3 part two even if it's been my entire life since it came out but nobody approaches it critically nowadays because they're too stuck in part 1

Things Zenless Zone Zero is:

- The best combat I've played in a while for a gacha game

- Full of really fun characters and designs with amazing and fluid character animation

- A game that came out around two days ago and barely has given us enough to make a proper judgement on the quality of the story.

Things Zenless Zone Zero is not:

- A HONKAI IMPACT 3RD REPLACEMENT

- A GAME THAT SHOULD BE COMPARED TO AN 8 YEAR OLD GAME CONSTANTLY JUST TO CLOWN ON THE OLD GAME

Can we please. Judge ZZZ on its own merits without making people feel shit for enjoying Honkai Impact 3rd and especially for liking Part 2. I don't even want ZZZ to be in the same category of games as the other Hoyoverse games, please, let it be it's own thing so we can just enjoy it for what it is, super ultra fun.

I hate continually seeing people I Look Up To in the Honkai Impact 3rd community using part 2 as a punching bag for not immediately having the most engaging first chapter ever when we ALL know how bad Hi3 was before Chapter 9, so many people go out of their way just to explain to newcomers that it gets good by chapter 9 and how the early chapters suck and you have to read several Manga just for anything to make sense.

Give Part 2 the love it deserves, stick with it for longer that one or two chapters, play through the third chapter and wait with the rest of us for chapter 4 through 6 and beyond, if it continues to disappoint you that's fair but please stop thinking of it like Part 1. It's not Part 1, it's not Part 1.5 and definitely not something like Part 1.5 the second, it's a new story that has its own characters and its own dynamics and its own story to tell with characters who have an incredible amount of depth to them, like Thelema and Songque.

I love Honkai Impact Part 1, I love Honkai Impact Part 2 and I love Zenless Zone Zero. Can we just enjoy our own things without constant negativity with all the comparisons. It's so so so tiring. These are amazing worlds that touch the hearts of so many and that.. Is what should be focused on.

We should focus on the lives that these stories change, the people who were made better by the experiences these games gave them. Focus on the amazing artists in these communities that feed everyone amazing works of all kinds and focus on the passion behind both the people working behind the games and the passion of the people playing them. That's what deserves the focus here, not lashing out with negativity when there's good in the world like this.

I wouldn't be where I am in life without Honkai Impact 3rd. And I am forever grateful that I now get to be here to experience ZZZ with the people I love who I met because of Hi3.

That's what's most important to me in the end.

[parameciam]

i'm so tired of fandom police and people that demands that i justify why i like the things i like / ship the things i ship -.-

CW: mentions of SA, CSA, ableism + long rant incoming about my own experience in fandom as an autistic person

this morning i stumbled on a post (not here) about my fav ship, saying that we should talk about a certain scene (dubcon) and that their shippers never talks about it.

i read the whole thing and ended up so fkn annoyed and spent all day thinking about why i was so mad.

it's not because someone doesn't like my fav ship, btw, i couldn't care less about other people ship preferences. i only care about my own and wish everyone else did the same so i can enjoy my "problematic" things in peace, thank u very much.

it wasn't about the dubcon part either, i know it's triggering, it's complicated, and many people won't ever ship them because of that. no one is required to ship them, or like them at all, btw. (addendum: it's a canon side ship, not fanon) and of course i'm not going to question other people's squicks and triggers, esp since i was sexually abused as a child.

and then it dawned on me that that i was mad because the post wasn't really an invitation for us shippers to share our views on them. it was an invitation for other people to be scandalized with them about shiping something like that, and since they directly mentioned the ship and the characters, i stumbled upon it.

for a moment i contemplated the possibility of actually replying and going meta over my blorbos, but decided against it because i don't have the emotional capacity to participate on discourse without fear of ending up having a meltdown.

but i kept thinking of how this kind of thing has happened all my life: the things i like, the ships i ship, the characters i love, the media i consume, and the ways i enjoy them have always been questioned (for different reasons across time). being autistic equals being perceived as wrong, broken, too much, too little, too weird (long list of misc etc) and people outright tells you that or shows it anyway, even if they think they don't lol so I'm like, extra tired of feeling excluded and/or constantly being made to feel wrong and immoral.

it's not like i don't know that some of the thinks i like/write/read etc are dark, morally wrong, unsafe irl, etc. it's just that i enjoy all that in fiction, i think it's a safe place to explore delicate issues and themes, and esp enjoy finding the nuances that the narrative wants to explore. i love imperfect victims, i love good people making wrong choices, i love the realism of gray characterization.

i don't anyone to tell me shit i already know, i have eyes, i read/watched the same novel/manga/whatever. maybe we have different interpretations, but that's it. i don't think i'm morally superior, nor do i want to be. what i do want are discussions in good faith.

maybe that's why no one mentions that scene either, because we already know how that's going to go (and it's already a small side of fandom, so why bother).

sorry for the looong ramble, i needed to get this out of my system. i don't want to tag the ship/fandom because this was mainly about my own feelings and don't want to bring hate or initiate discourse about them.

in fact, most of my thoughts and feelings about them are going to take the form of a fic relatively soon: i don't feel qualified to write meta about them 😅 but i want to explore so many things about them, and disability, and ableism, autonomy, agency, etc etc etc.

[todayisafridaynight]

CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO REPLY YOU'VE ALREADY FINISHED THE SECOND MOVIE LOL BUT

I LOVE showing The Mole Song to people because it's like, love it or hate it, you can't possibly have a lukewarm reaction to it. I'm thrilled you liked it so much!!! Hong Kong Capriccio definitely has its moments and I'm glad you enjoyed it too; on that note, I haven't seen Final yet, and it doesn't seem to be hardsubbed online, but I was able to find a raw and subs separately. They seem okay from the scene I skipped to twenty minutes in but not positive lol

It really does set the tone early! I love the cutaway gags too The manga has a lot of absurd non-sequiturs and it was a fun way to adapt that to a new medium. As an adaptation as a whole, Undercover Agent Reiji in particular definitely has the tone down and I appreciate that it kept a lot of the Moments I liked.

Hiura had me from the blood oath… one of the guys of all time… despite how I sound from what I just said, I actually didn't even know there was a manga or a sequel when I first watched it, so I was SO relieved he survived the explosion. I was honestly 100% convinced he'd crash the plane at the end though lol, but I guess that ended up happening in Hong Kong Capriccio anyway?

BUT YEAH LIKE THE GUY JUST HAS A HYPERFIXATION AND I HAVE TO RESPECT THAT. Which, you know, in-universe, to have the whole butterfly motif and then dress your man up in florals… I repeat, Reiji was slaying in that dress… I love everyone's costuming in these movies. SPEAKING OF THE AUCTION, the PSP segment onward was insanely RGGcore wasn't it… good god……

It's kind of funny how little Reiji changes--I guess that's how you keep a manga going for like 900 or whatever chapters so far--because he'll pretty much Always have things he needs to figure out. Still very much fun to watch, though!

ALSO the drugs reminded me (I was expecting them to be In The Dogs too lol), shoutout to manga Tsukihara for having the exact same character arc as Mine and ending up an invaluable ally. Also getting to beat up Ryuji Leo (sorry my boy but Mine is overall the stronger combatant to me and I am tired of the Reddit-y discussions on the wiki saying otherwise </3). Living vicariously while Mine's status is still uncertain lol

P.S. I Too Treat Your Blog Like The Morning Paper and it means a lot to me to have the opportunity to write in and talk! I would also love to join a stream if you ever go for it!

P.P.S. NOOOOOOO PLEASE THE SLOW DANCING…….. UNWELL. I've imagined the same thing but at home… in the light of the refrigator… Jo is still tense as hell both because of the situation and it's such a waste of electricity and they really should close the door as soon as possible… but Arakawa insists if it's only for the duration of the song, it's fine……

YEAH THE MOLE SONG MOVIES WERE REALLY FUN thanks again for recommending it to me (I found out it had a manga series the moment I went to look it up, but I haven't read a lick of it. I'd say I'm surprised it's still running but I mean... manga like One Piece have over a thousand chapters at this point, so I shouldn't be too surprised. Maybe I'll give it a read sometime just to check out how the movies and manga compare-and-contrast with each other)!

1.) BIGGEST HONOR I'm glad my blog can entertain a lot of people (and a big part of that is due in part to people writing in and giving me a chance to chat a bit, so of course I always have to thank you and everyone else for sending me asks as frequently as you all do. They're absolutely the highlight of my day whenever I get the time to answer them ^^)!! I've always liked the idea of streaming (I've attempted to years back but I never tried again afterwards), though I always end up getting too anxious about it (plus I tend to get performance anxiety and I end up taking a lot longer to draw whenever people are watching me). I hope to get over that anxiety one day though- I bet it'd be fun to respond to people in real time or take quick doodle requests mid-stream :)

2.) AW THEM DANCING IN THE KITCHEN THOUGH I CAN SEE IT..... Jo being worried about the electric bill though that's so accurate..... I'll definitely think on the concept of Slow Dancing AraSawa with all the apparent enthusiasm around it.. I promise..

YAYA my friend (who made the post) told me a moment after I told her (also PLEASE I was so heinous reading the name- first thing I said to her aside from 'new movie night plan' was 'how many times does this man play a dude named 'Jo' ☠️☠️)! I wasn't able to find any recordings of the actual play (I know a trailer was posted last year so I don't know if they've actually performed live since then) but here's to hoping one day there's a recording of it posted somewhere...

[torilovestowrite]

Dabi x Reader; Try Again pt. 8

Synopsis: Years ago, (Y/n) was left by her villain boyfriend, Dabi after discovering an unexpected news. Ever since then, she never had a lover— focusing on her only son, Yuta. Later on, she meets Todoroki Touya— a new co-worker who seem to be persistent towards winning her heart and attention.

Ship: Dabi x Fem! Reader

❗❗❗Content Warning: Mentions of Abortion, Unplanned Pregnancy, Manga spoilers, Dabi is a Todoroki theory

🖤 » Chapter Navigation « 🖤

"Yuta L/n, you're not going out!" Y/n strictly reprimanded as she tried to keep her son still from his position, lying on bed with a cold towel on his forehead.

It was during a Wednesday when Yuta, y/n's son, had a fever that reached over 41 degrees. Y/n felt threatened about this because her son has never reached this temperature. It's too high— and he also stated something about his body feeling heavy. What could be happening?

"B-but... we're about to watch a movie in school today! I don't want to miss it!" Yuta began bawling his eyes out while Y/n sighed at his dramatic tone. Does it really have to be like this? Yuta has to be emotional and sensitive every time he gets sick? This only reminds her of him— the way he would caress her soft hands every time she would tend his wounds every after a tiring day— the man he used to love, Dabi, would appear to be more gentle and affectionate every time he gets worn out... or ill.

"We're going to watch a movie while you take a rest here at home, okay?" Y/n gently tapped her son's side in an attempt to make him close his eyes and sleep. "For now, take a rest. Or else, it would take longer before you could go outside."

Immediately, Yuta turned his back from his mother in an attempt to be more comfortable; and to have a good sleep. Y/n smiled at his actions. Good thing, her son has always been considerate on her hardwork and the way she disciplines him.

It wasn't too long until she heard a notification from her phone— a message coming from Touya.

touya ❣ : good morning y/n. how's ur pretty face doing?

It's been four months since y/n realized her feelings for Touya. Both of them started dating two months ago and so far, he has been understanding towards her obligations as a mother. Most of their dates included Yuta and there are times when Touya would volunteer to watch over him while she's away during her day shifts. Y/n could never ask for anything— Touya was doing his job greatly; as a boyfriend and as a paternal figure to Yuta.

you : yeah, i'm all good babe. thanks for asking. but yuta's sick rn... i dont really have anyone to take care of him and i need to go for my day shift.

touya ❣ : you want me to go for it? i mean, i only work during nights anyways

Y/n's smile lit up as she read his message. Finally! She thought. She could go to work!

you: sure thing babe 💗✨

Few more minutes, when Yuta has finally travelled to dreamland, Y/n left the house, wearing her thick f/c coat with her hair styled to become more neat-looking. Another day for work, she thought.

It's been two hours since Touya arrived in Y/n's home. Using the spare key under her house's doormat, he decided to enter her house that was silent when he went inside. Until he heard a child's high-pitched scream coming from Yuta's bedroom. His instinct caused him to immediately run towards this direction; but what he saw caused a heavy sensation in his chest. Those familiar blue flames that was once his signature— as Dabi; the heartless villain who claimed 30 innocent lives.

"U-Uncle T-Touya!" Yuta cried in panic while his right hand was burning with blue and heated fire. "W-What should I do?! M-my—"

"Breathe." Touya immediately replied as he kneeled next to him, rubbing his back with his huge and rough hands. "You have to control your breathing and your emotions. You have to control it because the more you panic, the more it will get stronger."

Yuta closed his eyes and focused in calming himself down— taking deep breaths and thinking about things that he liked in life— ice cream, Y/n, Uncle Touya, pro-heroes... all the things that makes him happy. Slowly, the fire became smaller and smaller— until nothing appeared on his hands.

"I-It's gone! The blue flames!" Yuta exclaimed as a grin crept on his face. "Did you see that awesome thing on my hand, Uncle Touya?! That must be my quirk, right?"

"Yes, it's an awesome quirk that you have." Touya smiled sadly as he stared at the young and naive child— as if he was seeing his past self; the pure child who was corrupted by his father's evil desires and deeds. It was all fun and games knowing he has an awesome quirk like that... until his father, Enji Todoroki, decided to ruin everything for him.

But he swore to be someone better than him; to be a man suitable to be called a father.

That afternoon, Y/n arrived at her home with such beautiful sight; Touya and Yuta scooped in each others' arms while the movie was left streaming. She smiled at the sight. It was so cute. For a few seconds, she almost believed that Touya was Yuta's father. The young mother couldn't help it but to take a picture of the two while having their peaceful slumber.

"I saw you," Touya spoke, "Delete it."

Y/n giggled as Touya stood up from his position as he tried to grab the phone away from her hands. It was such a cute sight. She was sticking her tongue out while she was trying to chase him. Y/n couldn't help but to feel as if they were all.. what? 17? Whatever, it felt cute, though.

"Yeah, whatever. Have that pic all you want. You can even make it your wallpaper." Y/n got her cheeks pinched by him as he gave her a light kiss on the nose. "I'm going now, sweet cheeks, I'm attending night shift for tonight."

"Sure, sure." Y/n smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek, as she watched his lean and toned figure leave their house. All that's left is her and Yuta. Slowly, his eyes opened to see his mother watching him sleep.

"Mommy?" Yuta spoke in a drowsy tone.

Y/n responded, hugging her son beside her while his eyes still looked sleepy. Seems that the sleep wasn't enough for him, huh? The young lady laughed at this, ruffling his hair, and deciding to ask him. "How was your day with Uncle Touya? Is it better than it was when you're at school?"

The young lad aggressively nodded and decided to tell Y/n the greatest thing that he discovered today.

"My quirk just manifested, ma! I have blue flames!" Yuta exclaimed as he tried to show it off with the tip of his fingers. Y/n's eyes widened at this— it created a tingling feeling in her heart. It was like a slap on her face. Yuta is really Dabi's son, isn't he?

"T-That's awesome." Y/n replied, trying to stop tears from flowing.

While her son was still busy talking about his day, her hands were able to feel something on the couch. It was... hard. She pulled out to see a black leather wallet. Did Touya forget his stuff here? Y/n sighed at his forgetfulness. Well, he's a person, she thought, so he has flaws too.

"Did Uncle Touya forget that, ma?" Yuta asked in a polite tone. "Bring it back to him tomorrow, okay?"

Y/n smiled at what he said. She really raised her son well. "Sure!"

It was night time. Yuta went back to sleep and Y/n was busy contemplating inside her room— walking back and forth; thinking about whether she should check his stuff or what.

It's not what others would think. It's just that it's been two months since they got together but Touya only says few things about himself. All she knew is that his parents are living overseas and he's left alone here. He has siblings who lived with their parents in abroad. Nothing more, nothing less.

Aside from that, it wouldn't hurt to peek just a little bit, right?

Y/n sighed as she finally came to a conclusion to check his wallet to see if there's something that would tell more about himself. It's not like she was nosy. She just wants to get to know him at a better level. He's quite of a silent and mysterious guy himself, which got the young lady curious about him.

Of course, there was nothing new; just few IDs, bunch of credit cards (which Y/n thought was odd because if he had this much money, why would he work in an old bar as a bartender), and a thin wad of cash. Nothing else— until something that was so unordinary in her eyes— fell.

Her eyes widened as she saw that memoribilia. No words could come out from her mouth. Her vision felt so dark; as if it was slowly fading; and her heart hurt so much. Only tears could come out from her eyes. No scream, no words, no phrases— simply, nothing.

"Y-you..." Her fists clenched tightly as her form started shaking— she didn't know what to feel. Is it anger, sadness, remorse— what should she feel first? She began to wail as she stared and touched at this object from the past. Whatever that happened was too painful for her to bear.

"You fooled me... Dabi."

That night, Touya was looking for his wallet. It was nowhere to be found; not even in his car. Maybe he left it at your place? Well, whatever the circumstances are, he was hoping that none of you would be able to find it. Maybe, he'd drive towards your place again and—

His thoughts were interrupted as his phone rang. The caller ID showed Y/n— and a selfie that she sent him as the profile picture. Immediately, he answered it.

"Hello, bab—"

"Don't you babe me. We have to talk." Y/n's voice sounded cold and harsh. She was angry... and he knew it. Touya knew that tone several years ago; and if he hears that, he knows that hell will break because of her wrath.

"What is it?"

"Stop acting dumb." Y/n scoffed.

"How the hell are you alive, Dabi?"

Taglist [OPEN]: @babayaga67 @marydragneell @xxtrash-kingxx @paranoiac-666 @velvet-kissesss @orenjineki @mermaid-starlet @ikita454 @yo-girl-lunar @pansexual-booknerd @daimiyu

a/n: i kinda did stop updating this but like bnha chapter 290 got me like 😭😭😭😭 dabi can i give u a hug plspslslslsl 😗😗

[bluealmondpie]

oihina is life and no one can change my mind

i am. not over oihina (;-;) it's too much time to october when the rest of s4 comes out and it will b forever before we get to see oikawa again so (;-;) imma watch the movies and then the stage plays again and maybe re read the whole manga/light novels/spinoffs. MY HEART

but anyway here's some extras to tide us thru (this is a revision from an earlier post i deleted cos i wanna b more canon compliant ♪( ´▽｀) )

hcs part 1

* long, long video calls. oikawa likes watching hinata fall asleep.

* oikawa does NOT like hinata playing with kageyama. cue jealousy. doesn't like it even if it's the karasuno gang meeting up and hinata and kageyama are in the same space >:(

* hinata will pay for it later ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

* hinata knows that oikawa is weak for cute things. hinata uses this to his advantage, acting cute to get his way. ( *｀ω´) oikawa knows this but he can't resist (*´ー｀*)

* hinata sends oikawa lots of msby merch. oikawa only keeps the ones with hinata in them.

* volleyball dates. my gosh these volleyball idiots. but they have lots of fun and it's all just games that don't have consequences

* but hinata is overly concerned about oikawa overworking himself or pushing himself too hard. he worries about oikawa's knee.

* so even when they play volleyball hinata will only wanna play beach volleyball cos it's softer.

* and also bc it's just the two of them (〃ω〃) like it's meant to be. just the two of them in their little volleyball world this is such a soft picture in my head ahhhhhh

* pedro is sick of seeing them make out in the house.

* oikawa likes marking hinata. hickeys everywhere in obvious places.

* and also in semi-obvious places. when hinata jumps and his shirt flies up, are those hickeys on his hip?

* when hinata sits down and the hem of his shorts ride up, are those hickeys on his thigh?

* oikawa lets hinata lead sometimes. he likes the switch.

* vers top oikawa. VERS TOP OIKAWA

* when they are together oikawa will block kageyama's number on hinata's phone.

* tbh everyone in brazil alr knew they were gonna get married from the moment they saw the two interact it was a matter of time

* i mean oikawa was hinata's plus one to heitor's wedding i think this is universally accepted in fandom

* but to me i don't think they were tgt yet during the wedding

* oh but but but if you were there you'd see how oikawa was so so jealous at how hinata just attracts people

* people revolve around hinata like he is the sun which he is kuroo voice yanno, gravitational pull and all that

* he would shoot death stares at anyone who was getting too close ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

* hinata knows.

* hinata knows and is pushing oikawa's buttons. bc he thinks it's cute when oikawa is jealous (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

* hinata will act all innocent but damn. damn that chibi-chan, oikawa thinks. does he know his acting is obvious? is it meant to be obvious? is this a green light? does he know what his stupid winking and eye smiles do to me? when he tilts his head asking if i want more drinks, does he know what effect it has on my heart? when he licks his lips, can he see me staring omg i hope he doesn't know i'm staring this is so uncool what do i do he is so fucking hot gah look he's taking off his tie that is unfair what do u mean it's getting hot in here oi hinata DONT LEAN INTO ME OMG U R TOO CLOSE IS ALL OF THIS ON PURPOSE just tell me to bring u home and fuck u alr

* well fuck all that thinking that hahahahahah oikawa will prob throw caution to the wind when he's sufficiently drunk/tipsy

* and cue the sex

* after that hinata is all like ehehehehehe (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ got u where i wanted u oikawa just sighs yes. yes u did you cute little monster

* and it's a "well i guess we r dating now" situation

* and then the morning after, hinata is up early (oikawa is a late riser whenever he can afford it) and making breakfast and oikawa wakes up to the smell of cooking uwahhhhh i love this picture

* that first selfie is their phone wallpaper you cannot change my mind

* but when you unlock the phone it'll be (oikawa's) a sweet picture of them kissing and (hinata) a selfie of them after a volleyball game, with oikawa all tired in the background but so soft and smiley

* they have racy photos of each other too ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) but let's not go too deep into their personal lives

* no one in karasuno believes it. not until oikawa dropped by their gatherings to pass hinata his clothes (left behind after a night of ~fun~) and kissed him on the cheek. Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) even so, kageyama is in shock. oikawa smirks. he's mine

* the third years are immediately possessive and warn oikawa to not hurt their baby crow ＼＼\٩(๑`^´๑)۶//／／daichi especially

* yachi, kiyoko, yamaguchi, kinoshita and narita are sitting in stunned silence.

* tsukki doesn't care.

* ennoshita is taken aback (he doesn't rlly have an opinion of oikawa to begin with) but snaps back to reality to hold tanaka and nishinoya from jumping on oikawa in rage for stealing the sun away from them

* ukai and takeda sigh and give relationship advice (is it from their own experience huehuehue ( *｀ω´) )

* kageyama still doesn't believe it till this day

* bokuto and oikawa get along. akaashi and iwaizumi regret letting them meet. (smol akaashi/iwaizumi interaction here) sakusa avoids them when they are together. the chaotic energy of bokuhinaoi is too much for him. if we add atsumu... who knows where things will go. they are volatile substances.

* and even outside of training iwaizumi dotes on hinata omg. like a true mother in law. will buy him food. will ruffle his hair. will nag at hinata to not eat so fast and chew properly and have some manners but also aggressive care tactics. will send oikawa pics of hinata being cute while they were in separate countries training for olympics and oikawa is so pissed and jealous he literally can't wait to go and kick everyone's butts. i cant deal with how cute this picture is (now i wanna write seijoh!hinata aghhh)

* they do sit down to watch replays of each other's games and analyse their own plays. it's serious talk. volleyball idiots

* they rewatch their olympic match tgt, since they were both there

* oikawa will complain the whole way about being better than kageyama and how he can do better than kageyama (a wild ushijima appears! "u should have stayed in japan") but really oikawa's just saying all of that cos he's jealous and doesn't like it when other people set to hinata.

*******

ah. my life is consumed by oihina. there is no end. i want write atsuhina angst with oihina endgame

requests are open! send me an ask~ rules are pinned

masterlist

[basically-i-write-shit]

sliiiiiides into ur dms with semi-ancient youtube au ideas because I may or may not have reappeared after *checks watch* four years to lurk through your haikyuu tag. Consider: kiyoko being insecure because she hangs out with yacchan and yams and tsukki, all of whom sing and/or play instruments and kiyoko's like "...I'm just pretty and a functional adult, you guys are all so talented". Also consider noya scaring the shit out of asahi who is worried for his boyfriend's health and safety

I haven’t written a thing of substance all summer, and these prompts just SENT me. Some Youtube AU is exactly what I need. 

-

Shimizu Kiyoko is not an actress. This much she’s figured out; after a long day on set of one of Ennoshita’s short skits in which she just couldn’t deliver the lines right, couldn’t emote enough for the camera, and many more mishaps that Ennoshita was so overly patient for, she never wants to look at a camera again. Except, of course, she has to-- because her girlfriend vlogs exciting life moments, and this apparently constituted as an exciting life moment. Kiyoko knows she looks put-off in the background as Yachi vlogs in the back of their Uber, and she feels bad for not looking a little happier, but she can’t find it in her for some reason. 

The thing is, Kiyoko is always at least moderately good at anything she tries-- with a few exceptions, of which she’s known for a while, like anything musical, or riding bike. She can do both, but very shakily. She had thought maybe acting would be one of the things she’s good at, because in theory it sounds easy, but either she’s really bad or Ennoshita is a mean director because what was supposed to be a two hour shoot had turned into five. Dinner had been awkward, with Kiyoko piping up even less than usual as Yachi and Ennoshita talked about anything and everything. 

Kiyoko is so lost in thought that she doesn’t hear Yachi sign off from her vlog, nor does she notice they’ve pulled up in front of their apartment building; Yachi’s hand on her shoulder startles her, and her cheeks flush a bit in embarrassment. 

“Hey, we’re home...You alright?” Yachi asks. Kiyoko smiles and nods stiffly. 

“Just a bit tired, is all.” She says. It’s not entirely a lie; she’s exhausted from the long day she’s had, and just wants to curl up in bed with her girlfriend. “Let’s go.” 

Opening the door on her side of the car, Kiyoko makes her way around the car and onto the pavement in front of their apartment building; she holds a hand out for Yachi when her door opens, which Yachi takes with a smile. They walk to the elevator in silence. Kiyoko uses her free hand to press the button for the 20th floor, and they start the ride up to their apartment. At first, it’s just as quiet as the walk in, and then Yachi starts to hum the same song playing in the elevator, quiet but still there. Kiyoko feels a soft smile tugging on her lips as she listens to her girlfriend. The elevator dings, and the doors open, and once again they’re walking; it’s a short distance down the hall to their apartment, but Yachi hums the elevator music still as they unlock the door and step in. 

There’s no need to call an “I’m home!” as the both of them are coming in together, and the apartment is silent in return. Yachi lets out a tired sigh, her shoulders slumping as she slips her coat and shoes off. “It’s so good to be home~ I love Enno-san, but that shoot when so looooong! I almost fell asleep during dinner!” 

Kiyoko chuckles and shakes her head, trekking up the small set of stairs that separates the entrance from the rest of the apartment. “It was a long day. I think I’m going to shower and go to bed. You going to join me?” 

“That sounds good. I can wait to edit this vlog until tomorrow.” Yachi replies, muffling a yawn behind her hand. She comes up the stairs a moment later, wrapping her arms around Kiyoko, who leads her down the hall to the bedroom. Yachi falls onto the bed with a soft thunk and Kiyoko smiles as she searches the room for her bath towel. She finds it hanging behind the door, and as she’s turning to go back down the hall to the bathroom, Yachi speaks up, “Hey babe?.. Are you really okay? You looked kinda upset in the car.” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kiyoko hums. She leans against the doorframe, looking over at Yachi as she sits back up, The look on Yachi’s face is stern, and Kiyoko hates seeing the worry lines creasing her forehead and between her eyes. “...I suppose I was just a little disappointed in myself today. I couldn’t seem to get my lines right at all.” 

“Hm? That’s all that has you upset? Honey, you did fine.” 

“I know I did fine, it’s just...I had hoped I’d be good at it, is all.” Kiyoko murmurs. She’s embarrassed to say it. Yachi is normally the one that’s insecure, she’s the one that’s supposed to be strong, and here she is embarrassed over one skit. “You and Yamaguchi-kun make it look so easy...Like how you and Yamaguchi-kun or Tsukishima-kun make it look easy to play an instrument...I can’t even read a script and make it sound natural.” 

Yachi frowns, standing up and crossing the small space between them. “You did just fine, dear. And-- And who cares if you’re not good at acting, or singing? There are plenty of other things people like you for.” She says. 

“Yeah, I suppose. I just wish people liked me for more than my looks...All I am is pretty and a little smart.” 

It’s true, even if she doesn’t want to admit it; Kiyoko only posts on her channel once a month, if that, and it’s all educational or how-to videos. She knows her following is mostly people who think she’s attractive, or Yachi’s subscribers who thought she had content similar to her girlfriend’s. How else does she have over a half a million subscribers? She’s not at all talented. 

Yachi lets out an “aww!” and wraps her arms around Kiyoko, who hugs back, although a bit surprised. 

“Wh- What? I said the truth.” 

“That’s not what anyone thinks of you! And if it is, I’ll fight them! All of them!” Yachi says, hugging Kiyoko tight. 

“I--” 

“Your worth is not dependent on your talents. I mean it.” 

“But--” 

“Kiyoko.” Yachi’s voice is strong, probably the most assured she’s ever been, and Kiyoko pauses in her objections. She rests her head on Yachi’s shoulder, hugging her tighter. 

“...How did I get so lucky?” 

“I ask myself the same thing every night. Now go shower, so I can cuddle my wonderful, beautiful girlfriend.” 

Kiyoko smiles as Yachi pulls away, her cheeks flushed. She supposes as long as Yachi loves her, she doesn’t mind if she’s the worst actor in the world. 

-

Mild Manga spoilers for the Asanoya drabble but like very mild. 

Asahi Azumane, despite his affluence in Japanese fashion, does not go on social media often-- that is, unless his boyfriend and avid world-traveller-slash-modern-day-adventurer is involved. Asahi isn’t able to go on every trip Noya goes on, since his days are busy, but he watches Noya’s videos whilst he’s away. 

Even if Noya calls and details his adventures, Asahi finds comfort --and occasional terror-- in Noya’s vlogs. Seeing Noya (and, on occasion, Tanaka) doing wild stunts in a foreign country is terrifying and sends Asahi’s heart racing. 

Asahi isn’t on social media. Which makes him even more concerned when he logs onto twitter and finds a two-day-old tweet from his boyfriend, the caption on a picture of bloody teeth in a hotel room’s bathroom sink saying “Lol @ tana_ryuu_vlog and I tried surfing in the HUGE tub in my hotel room....Didn’t go too great. Vlog where this happened coming sometime this week!” 

Asahi’s heart sinks and he thinks back to when Noya called him from Bali last night-- he hadn’t said anything about losing his teeth, or an accident of any kind. Yet here Asahi is, staring at the tweet with trembling hands. He doesn’t even noticed he’s exited out of his twitter and into his phone dialer until he sees Noya’s name on the screen, the call processing. He holds the phone to his ear, trying to remember to breathe. 

“Hello? Babe, everything alright? You should be working right now.” Noya sounds tired, like he was asleep, and-- right, it’s only nine in the morning where he is right now. 

“I’m-- I’m fine. Are you okay? I saw your tweet.” Asahi asks, his voice quiet. 

“Huh? Which one?” 

“You tried...bathtub surfing...” 

There’s a quiet “Ah!” and Noya laughs, his tone light despite Asahi’s anxiety. “Right! That was so hilarious, babe, Ryuu lost his two front teeth! Ennoshita-san is going to kill him!” 

It takes a moment for Asahi to process. When he finally does, he blinks. Once, twice. “I-- What?” 

“Yeah, we have ‘em in a glass of milk, he’s going to an emergency dentist across town right now to see if they can put ‘em back in, or if he’ll have to get an implant in when we get back to Japan.” 

...Sometimes Asahi wonders why he loves him so much. 

[merakiui]

hey!! i was lucky enough to stumble across your blog, & i'm enjoying your writing!! could i request something for a first date w/ sian? maybe something more casual, like a cafe!

(I’m glad you like it! Hopefully this is what you had in mind with your request! I went for a “friends to lovers” vibe in a modern setting if that’s okay. Please enjoy and thank you for such a fun request!)

Courtesy Coffee (Sian)

You met under unpleasant circumstances. Sian was in a rush to get to his destination, and you were staring down at your phone with a cup of iced coffee in your other hand. Like that banal trope in shoujo manga, the two of you crashed into one another, and your drink spilled all over his outfit. As complete strangers, it was obvious that the one who was drenched would be incredibly frustrated. That was an exact observation, only Sian didn’t feel the need to use a filter that day.

“Are you kidding me? Watch where you’re going!” he had yelled, gripping his soaked shirt and glaring daggers at you. “How am I supposed to show up to work looking like this?!”

Anyone would feel frightened with his exasperated tone of voice and the intimidating aura that surrounded him, but you weren’t one to surrender immediately.

Straightening your shoulders, you met his heated stare. “I’m sorry. At least it wasn’t hot, right?” Hoping to dispel his anger, you smiled a little. “I can buy you a clean shirt if it’ll make you feel better.”

He puffed his cheeks out, suddenly bashful as he avoided your gaze. “It’s the least you could do! Seriously, this is the worst. I smell just like your stupid coffee.”

“Hey, don’t diss my iced coffee. It’s delicious and you know it.”

“If it’s so good, why is it all over me?” he snapped, crossing his arms. “This’ll stain, you know!”

“I offered to get you another shirt.”

“It’s not just on my shirt, you moron! I can’t face my colleagues like this. You have no idea what they’ll say.”

“Suck it up then!”

“No!”

You sighed heavily, gripping your empty coffee cup. “There’s no need to be difficult. Just let me get you a clean polo and slacks. Unless you’d rather parade around in wet, coffee-smelling attire. You’re making a scene with all of your yelling.”

“You were just yelling, too. Fine, whatever. I guess you can do that.”

Even as you spied his blush, you couldn’t ignore your thoughts. Is he seriously embarrassed by the fact that I’m getting him clothes? Anyone would do this to repay the damage. 

“That’s all I needed to hear. Oh, and for the record you’re the one who should watch where you’re going.”

He didn’t take those words too well. Regardless, that was how you met the guy with a loud mouth and an even louder personality. You ran into him twice after that incident, and each time he seemed to stumble over himself. He tried to thank you for the clothes, but all he could manage was a huff and an angry comment about how the fabric was uncomfortable. Weeks later, that same boy just so happened to feel bad about starting a few shouting matches with you during those three times you interacted. He saw you in a café by chance and secretly covered your drink fee, making the barista promise not to reveal his identity. It was a sweet gesture, despite being anonymous and a bit of a shock on your end. You’d never experienced the magic that was receiving your drink for free, but it was great nonetheless.

You enter work that morning with a cheery disposition, passing by coworkers and even engaging in kind banter with those who aren’t the friendliest. You clock in and make your way towards the elevator while scrolling through an online article. Hearing a familiar ping, you glance up, urging whoever’s inside to hold the door. There are four other people crammed within the area, all of whom are silently waiting for the elevator to rise. You push the button for your floor and relax. Momentarily, you glance around the enclosed space to see if you can recognize anyone from your department. Your eyes sweep from one person to the next, and you spot polite Nine at the very back.

You’re compelled to greet him, but someone stands in your way. Someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to the guy who was showered in iced coffee two weeks ago. You gasp and turn away, hoping he won’t notice you.

No way! We work for the same company? What’re the odds? This must be a bad omen! I don’t want to start another fight with him, you think, having done your best to erase those memories.

The elevator pings, and you’re completely distracted. Though you don’t miss the hand that taps your shoulder. Your gaze follows his arm. It’s that guy again.

“Hey. This is your floor, isn’t it?”

The number doesn’t lie, but Sian’s memory might as he struggles to recall your familiar features. It clicks just as you bolt out of the elevator, the doors slipping shut and obscuring your backside for good. Sian blinks rapidly as his face heats up. That was...

Coffee idiot! he thinks. There’s no mistaking that stupid look on their face. He’s thrown into a bad mood at once, internally grumbling as he remembers that day. Even if he changed into new clothes, he still smelled of coffee. It was embarrassing, and his bothersome colleagues wouldn’t leave him alone. And now we work in the same building. Maybe I should just quit so I don’t have to face them.

"Can you believe it, Youssef?” you ask your deskmate, having ranted to him while typing up the progress of this week’s publication. At least that’s a monetary positive for the company. You can’t say the same for your mentality, though. “I do something nice in return and he yells at me. And then we meet again—twice—and he’s still rude.”

Youssef tilts his head, a childish gesture for someone his age. “Are you sure you’re not incorrectly reading his actions?”

“I’m positive. When have I ever been wrong?” You frown as your fingers slow their pace on the keyboard. “I just found out today that we work in the same building. This is totally unfair. Why do I have to bear the burden of knowing this information?”

“I’m sure he means well. What does he look like? I might know him.” You describe him to your helpful colleague, who nods and taps his chin in thought. His expression lights up with recognition. “If I remember correctly, his name is Sian, and he’s in the marketing department. We’ve only talked briefly, but I can assure you he’s quite diligent with his work.”

“Well, everyone’s got their own personality outside of their jobs.”

“I suppose, but it’s not polite to label someone based off of such little knowledge,” he advises lightly, turning his attention back to his computer screen. “Rather than using all of your energy painting a bad image of him, you should spend that time getting to know him. It’ll fix any negative impressions you may have.”

“Something tells me he wouldn’t like that...”

Since then, you haven’t run into Sian once. At first you made it your mission to keep an eye out for him, but now that you’ve been busy with this new project you can’t be bothered to let his image clutter your mind. So you brush him aside like a cobweb, certain you won’t bump into him again. Your floors are far enough apart, so it’s unlikely that that’ll happen. But you’re not always the luckiest, and fate tends to tease those who aren’t on good terms with one another.

You’re close to running late on a rainy day, having missed the train, so now you’re doing everything you can to catch a taxi. Cars speed by on the road, and you fail to flag down a vehicle. Dejected and soaked to the bone, you drag your feet along the slick sidewalk, wishing for your next paycheck so that you can put it towards a used car. Speaking of cars, one slides past you as it makes an effort to park along the walkway. In doing so, the tires kick up a huge puddle, effectively soaking your lower half. As if the day couldn’t have gotten any worse. The car almost moves out of the spot before it halts, and the window steadily rolls down to reveal the face of your greatest enemy.

Well, he’s not technically your greatest enemy, but it really feels like it in that moment.

“Do you need a ride?” As if correcting himself, he quickly adds, “I’m not doing this because it’s you! I’m just sympathizing.”

Does it matter? you wonder, bitter and cold and wet. Karma is so brutal.

“You’re Sian, right?” You approach his car, peering in at the flustered man. “From marketing.”

“Y-Yeah. So what?”

“I’m in publishing.” Awkwardly, you look up at the cloudy sky. “It’s really coming down. The forecast didn’t call for this much rain.”

“Are you getting in or not?”

“But you’re a stranger,” you jest, fixing him with a pout. “I don’t want scary Sian to kidnap me.”

He glowers at your joke. “I’m leaving now. I don’t have time for this.”

You hold back a chuckle, tearing open the door before he can drive off. “Wait! Sorry, I’ll get in. I can’t stand another minute in this rain.”

The window slides up, and he sets the car in motion after you’ve buckled up, easing back into the flow of traffic smoothly. Now that you’re sitting there with the AC blowing cool air at your face, you shudder. Oh, how wonderful it must feel to be in clothes that are warm and untouched by the rain. In his peripheral, Sian catches your shivering form, and he switches the AC from cold air to hot. You might not dry as quick as one would hope, but at least it’s something.

The silence is utterly tense. You almost expect him to bicker with you like he did in the past. Instead, he’s focused on the winding road ahead. Though you don’t miss the pink hue that tints his cheeks and gradually rises to his ears.

“So,” you say, if only to get a conversation going. “How’s work?”

“Fine, I guess. How did you know who I was?”

“My friend Youssef.”

“Oh.”

“You probably don’t know me. I’m (Name).”

“I already know.”

“Really? Stalker.”

“I’m not a stalker!” he exclaims, glaring hard at the windshield. “You’re kind of hard to miss.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re always so loud at our company parties. How can anyone ignore that?” Sian then proceeds to bless your ears with a story from this year’s holiday party. A few departments got together and went out for drinks and karaoke. Naturally, you had a drinking contest with your colleagues, which led to a tipsy night of bad singing and stumbling from one bar to the next. You were surprised Sian remembered that, mainly because you couldn’t recall seeing him there. And it’s been months since that rowdy night. “Do you see my point?”

“Don’t remind me. That hangover hurt my soul.”

He quirks a smile at that. “It’s not flattering when you sing high notes in the wrong key.”

“Like you could do any better.”

“I can because I was sober.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You roll your eyes, gazing out at the scenery that passes by in a blur of dull colors. Without meaning to, you eye Sian’s reflection in the window, taking note of his side profile. He’s actually quite handsome when he’s calm and not acting so stubborn. “I guess we’re even now.”

“Even?”

“I spilled coffee on you, and you splashed me when your tires hit that puddle.”

“Am I supposed to buy you clothes now?”

“If you’re offering...”

“I wasn’t offering!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a spare uniform in my locker.”

I wasn’t worried to begin with, you coffee idiot, Sian thinks, gripping the steering wheel. He keeps track of your occasional trembling, and he can’t help but feel troubled. You’ll catch a cold if you don’t dry off soon. Suddenly, he regrets pulling up beside you and accidentally sending water flying in your direction. This time it was definitely his fault, wasn’t it? Sian wants to make it up to you, but it’s impossible. He’ll die of embarrassment before he succeeds in performing a good deed in front of you.

Truthfully, he’s always noticed you. The very first instance was last year at the company’s drinking party. You were glued to Youssef’s side, engaging in idle chatter with him and another guy he wasn’t too familiar with. At the time, Sian thought your behavior was obnoxious. No one wants their younger coworker clinging to them. It just made you look like an attention-seeking puppy. Although you were definitely upbeat at that party. He had watched you chug an entire pint of beer like it was nothing and then join in on a pointless game of Ten Fingers with enough energy to put a child to shame.

He thought you were annoying at first, and yet there was something captivating about your personality. He’d never had the guts to approach you outright, so when he ran into you that day all of his frustrations just spilled over. He was angry at himself for not having the courage to talk to you at every company party, and now that he had a chance he couldn’t think of what to say. He hadn’t mentally prepared anything! So he said the first thing that came to his mind, which passed through his unfiltered lips in a very abrupt manner.

But you didn’t show any fear. You hardly flinched. Instead you met his words with a few of your own, and that’s what ruffled Sian’s feathers. You were so good at communication, and he was very much unskilled, usually relying on phrases he prepared in his head. It’s not like he couldn’t talk. He could when he was interested in a certain subject or whenever he was reading from a page, but in front of someone he admired... Sian knew he’d make a fool of himself.

Now that you’re sitting in the passenger seat of his car, he has every opportunity to say what he wants. Yet the words scramble in his brain, and he can’t calm his racing heart. Before he can think of anything witty, the building comes into view, and the parking garage has never seemed so dismal. Sian’s kicking himself as he parks, disappointed with how he handled that situation.

“Thanks for this. I’ll go on ahead.” You unbuckle, holding your briefcase and squeezing water from your blazer. “I’m sorry if I got your seat wet.”

“It’s...fine.”

You’re going to walk away and then he’ll become the coffee idiot. He opens his mouth to say something that’ll stop you, but you turn around at the right moment.

“Let’s get coffee sometime in the future. You deserve it after all the trouble I gave you,” you propose, smiling earnestly. And I feel guilty for my initial judgement. Youssef was right.

Sian’s eyes widen, and he struggles to remain stoic. “Oh, uh...”

“That’s okay with you, right?”

“I guess. Whatever works for you.” He shrugs.

“Great!” You retrieve a pen from your case and close the distance between the two of you. Humming, you snatch his hand, spreading his fingers so that his palm is wide open. And then you scribble something on it, grinning in satisfaction. Sian stares at you the entire time, his face blank and head filled with static. “Text me the days you’re available. See you later!” You tuck the pen away, hastily dashing in the direction of the elevator.

Sian stands there for a moment, slack-jawed. He forces himself to look down at his hand. Your number is written on his skin in smudged ink. His face erupts in a flurry of red. That coffee idiot...

------

“It’s not a date,” Sian mutters as he walks to the café. “It’s not. Stop thinking that way.”

But maybe it is a date, the voice in the back of his mind whispers, goading him into believing so. He dressed as casually as possible, but he still hopes it’ll impress you. There are plenty of fears that flood his head, and he almost turns around as soon as he gets to the entrance. But he’s come this far, and he’d regret it forever if he left now. This might be his only chance; he can’t afford to pass it up. So he pushes open the door in search of you. It doesn’t take long to locate your form amongst the few who are inside. Sian’s pulse rushes into overdrive, and he clenches his jaw.

It’s not a date. Act natural.

You look up from your phone just as he slides into the seat across from you. A warm smile blossoms across your face, and you tuck your mobile away. “Sian, you made it! I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

“It’d be rude if I didn’t show up after you made all those plans.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Well, thank you. Now I won’t have to feel bad about Monday morning.”

You had felt bad? Sian’s cheeks must be burning intensely bright now, but there’s nothing he can do. “It’s your fault for being an idiot.”

You chuckle. “That makes two of us. One idiot ignored the forecast, and the other wasn’t watching where he was going.”

“Whatever. Just so we’re clear, I’m not as stupid as you.” He crosses his arms and huffs. “And you don’t have any taste. I mean, iced coffee? Really?”

“It’s good!” you insist. “You’re missing out. Everyone knows iced coffee is better than hot coffee.”

“Is it now? I don’t agree with that statistic.”

“You’re allowed to have your own opinion, Mr. Sian,” you tease. “Give me your drink order. I’ll go get it.”

“What? No way. I’ll pay.”

“As if! I’m treating you.”

“You already bought me clothes.”

“And now I’m going to buy you coffee. It’s to say thanks for picking me up during that storm.”

“I would’ve left you on that sidewalk if I knew you were going to make it a hassle now!”

“Just accept my kindness!”

Sian shuts his mouth, giving into your demand. He grumbles his order, and you’re very happy as you make your way towards the register to get the two of you drinks and pastries. He watches as you pay, releasing a soft sigh. It’s hard to say no to someone you’ve admired for so long. Sian’s not sure when he started to like you, but he’s certain these recent interactions have only added fuel to the burning fire residing in his heart. It’s embarrassing to think he’s even on a romantic outing with you, but it’s not like the two of you are close friends. So then what does that make this?

When you return to the window table, setting down the drinks and a plate with two strawberry bread puddings, he’s shaken from his daydreams. This is actually happening. It’s not just another fantasy he’s imagined while witnessing you drink your sanity away at parties.

“I’m not sure if you like strawberries, but I—“

“I guess it’s okay,” he interrupts, trying to hide the fact that he actually likes it very much.

“Good!” You ease into your chair. “You’re not as bad as I thought you were.”

He raises an eyebrow as he takes a sip from his latte. “Huh.”

“You seemed really upset when I spilled my coffee on you. But anyone would be, so it’s completely understandable. I thought you hated me because of that. When we saw each other again, you were pretty sensitive.”

“I’m not sensitive!” he snaps, proving your point. “That was a white shirt you ruined.”

“Will you feel better if you dump coffee on me?”

“What? Why would I do that? I’m not going to do something as petty as that!”

“Aw, so you do care.”

“I don’t. Get lost.”

You break out into a laughing fit, genuinely amused at his coldness. Even if he doesn’t want to show it, he’s quite nice, and you’re relieved that he didn’t turn out to be a bully seeking revenge. Then again, it’s been weeks since that incident. 

“It’s not funny!”

“Sorry, sorry. You’re just so expressive. It’s hard not to laugh.”

A furious red darkens his face, and he decides to fumble with his fork in order to give his hands something to do. The bread pudding is surprisingly delicious. He fumes in his embarrassment while he eats.

Eventually, the two of you converse about work and that project your department took on. Sian listens to your rambling as you go on and on about how irksome it is when last-minute changes are made to a finalized draft. He enjoys every story you tell him, and by the time the plate is empty he feels as if he’s grown closer with you. Could this be the beginning of a friendship? He’s hit with a sudden wave of inspiration for lyrics that will never be sung. At least they can fester on a page in his notebook, where he’ll return on countless occasions to proofread and debate over the meaning of each line. Oh, how he’d love to share his music with you. It’ll take a while before he does something as bold as that, though.

“I just got an idea! There’s this awesome bar thirty minutes from work. I usually go with my friends because they’ve got a bunch of games you can play. Board games, card games—you name it. We should go one of these days.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah! You seem like a fun guy to hang out with. Card games might sound boring, but they’re actually really fun when you’re playing for money. And when you’ve got a few drinks in your system.”

Sian struggles to hide the giddy smile that threatens to split his lips. “No... It sounds perfect. I’m actually really good at Slapjack, so be prepared to lose miserably!”

“Is that a challenge? What should we wager?”

"How about a meal? Loser has to pay for the winner’s lunch.”

“All right. It’s a deal. I’ll keep you updated on my schedule so that we can choose a weekend to meet up.”

“Sure!” Sian’s face won’t stop heating up and he can’t slow his erratic heartbeat. “I mean, I’ll only do it so I can get a free lunch. It’s not like I’m agreeing for your sake.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever floats your boat.”

His chest feels airy and light, almost as if he’s in a dream. Your words weigh on his conflicted heart. How can anyone make plans so easily? If the roles were reversed, he’d be an absolute mess. It’d be so embarrassing; Sian would probably want to curl up and disappear if he ever tried to ask you out on his own volition. You probably don’t even feel the same way. After all, this is merely two coworkers having a normal conversation. But he can’t get stuck in the friend zone. That’d be the worst outcome to all of this. So in the meantime he’ll do his best to act cordial. He can hide his shy demeanor and fluffy feelings behind a blunt attitude.

“All of this planning makes it seem like we’re a couple,” you muse with flirtatious intent. Leaning back in your chair, you gauge Sian’s reaction. Just as you figured, he’s turning crimson. It’s honestly endearing to see him get so flustered. “What do you think, Sian?”

“I... I don’t know. Don’t say stupid things! It’s really annoying.”

No matter how sharp his words are, you know he doesn’t mean it. After all, his expression clearly refutes those claims.

“Sian and (Name), sitting in a tree—“

“Shut up!”

If this isn’t a date, then what’s with all the flirting?

Sian’s going to have to take a cold shower when he gets home to lower his body temperature. And to scrub away the embarrassment that’s washed over him like rain.

It’s not a date. It’s just coffee with an acquaintance. Yeah. Just courtesy coffee.

He couldn’t be any further from the truth.

[beybladeimagines]

I loved your recent headcanon of the team in their early 20s, thank you so much for that! I have a question Regarding hiwatari corp, I'm currently reading the manga beyblade rising, I'm confused, Kai's parents have been around all along? Voltaire isn't as evil as we thought? Maybe I'm being dim, but are you able to explain what hiwatari corp actually seems to do? And info regarding Kai's parents? I always thought voltaire was evil, so I'm confused why Kai would work for him. It's been years!

Mod Note: Yeah, when the manga revealed that Kai actually has a pretty decent connection with his family, I disassociated for like five minutes, because that lowkey makes no sense and contradicts so much of what we’ve seen. Let’s try to make some sense out of the chaos, shall we?

Let’s start with Hiwatari Enterprise. For the longest time, it’s remained a mystery. I’ve had to do some digging around to figure out what exactly it is. From what I’ve seen based on popular discussion, it’s apparently assumed to be a Japanese military company. But, if you ask me where in the manga it states that… I have absolutely no idea. Even “military company” is rather vague, because that could mean anything. Do they make steel, weapons, chemicals, electronics, etc.? I’m just going to weave together my thoughts.

So, let’s entertain the idea that it is a military company. I would argue that makes a lot of sense, because it explains the whole dynamic between Voltaire and Boris, Boris’ quest for domination, the entire existence of the Abbey, and the militarization and resocialization of young boys to become soldiers. Voltaire may not be serving in the military, but because he often engages with military officials through meetings and deals, he’s already familiar with the process of establishing order, of breaking people down, and of calling the shots from behind the scenes. As for what Voltaire’s company actually makes, I would like to venture a guess that it deals in electronics / devices. This would explain the massive amount of training resources that were found at the Abbey and that many of the boys were subjected to. Hell, I’d even argue that some of those boys were testing out Hiwatari Enterprise’s devices before they were deemed safe for use or even safe for the public. They were actual guinea pigs in a multitude of ways.

Fast forward to when Voltaire gets arrested and Boris manages to escape punishment. Even though Voltaire wasn’t really…doing anything, because of his connections with the military, I imagine his detainment was prioritized. Many would probably argue that Boris was simply “following orders” but in reality, law enforcement would most likely prioritize the man who is literally responsible for making devices for the military (due to that insane amount of prestige) instead of the man who did the physical, mental, and emotional abuse all at once. Gotta love the law’s priorities. 

Now, let’s talk about Kai. Why would he work for him? In a world where Voltaire apparently isn’t arressted, why would Kai go back to his abuser? We’ve got a couple different routes we can go here. Let’s say we’re following the anime’s canon. Here, Kai isn’t working for his grandfather; rather, he full on replaces him. The reason I argue that Kai would return to the company is because he knows that that’s where all of his trauma started. Kai is interested in dismantling the very thing that broke him in the first place. It’s as if he’s stepping back in time and getting a chance to start all over again. He gets to be the one in a position of power and he gets to put things back on track without involving blading. He feels as if he’s righting all of the wrongs he was exposed to. It’s not like Kai really even cares about the business aspect of things, but I do believe he wants to be seen as a real leader by others.

Now, let’s conceptualize the mess that is the manga’s canon. If Voltaire is still around and Kai decides to work for him, I imagine it’s because he wants to distance himself from the Bladebreakers. Kai had essentially embarrassed himself a multitude of times through his acts of betrayal. If we’re conceptualizing things with a dark twist, I’d say this act serves as the last chance for him to regain control or dominance, or to finally be seen as the best. I imagine that the longer someone is around a being as manipulative as Voltaire, they start to embrace the same problematic qualities and justify their desire for destruction. In Kai’s case, maybe he wasn’t so willing? Maybe it’s a case of manipulation. Or, maybe he’s just trying to keep the family together and stable (financially, maybe?) so he decides to do something he wouldn’t normally agree to. 

In this case, I’m going to let ya’ll decide what you want to believe, because it really does depend on the canon you choose to follow and how much you want to focus on the grim reality that is Kai’s life. 

Yo, but let’s talk about Kai’s parents, because they’re confusing too. I wrote headcanons before about Kai’s mom. Essentially, when Kai decided to be as hateful as Voltaire it tore her apart, and yet, we don’t see her standing up to Voltaire when he was telling Kai about how his dad chose blading over him. But, I imagine that moment was confusing and hard for anyone. Her husband just stood up to his father, but his father has made their life pretty stable, but his father is also imposing a problematic rhetoric onto her son, but also…you have no idea where the hell your own husband is even going and what he plans on doing. I imagine she regrets that day and it’s the first thing she thinks about when she wakes up every morning. 

As for Kai’s dad, well… Kai has a hard time swallowing his pride and I believe he gets that from his dad. I think his dad knew he contributed to fucking up his own son’s life by not making many attempts to clear the air. But because so much time has passed, he has no idea if he should even bring the trauma up or act like everything is fine. I imagine he tries to act like everything’s fine and tries his best to win Kai’s affections. He pops back into Kai’s life rather unexpectedly, but Kai is ready to forgive him. He got the truth and although Kai struggles to understand and truly come terms with said truth, I think he just wants his family back, because lord knows his friendships aren’t stable. It takes a while for Kai’s father to actually address their past, but I think everyone in that household is just ready to be a family again. They have missed so many years together. Kai is so fucking tired of being bitter. This doesn’t even involve blading or being the best. This involves having someone to come home to, this involves unconditional love, this involves receiving a form of support that is absent of jealousy. He needs family now more than ever and I think everyone is determined to rebuild as well.

As for Voltaire being portrayed as the strict grandpa that’s suddenly welcomed back into the family, I-… I don’t get it. It’s completely out of character. I mean, my goodness. This entire time we thought Kai didn’t have a family or if we thought that he did, we assumed they were abusive or something… Now that we found out they actually love one another, I can explain that - easy peasy. But Voltaire being reintegrated into the family picture? And not arrested? You got me fucked up. I can’t even conceptualize a rational justification for that nonsense other than they rewrote the canon and in that canon, apparently Voltaire did nothing wrong. I might need some time to think that part through, anon. But I hope everything else made a hell of a lot more sense!

[dailylumi]

Jan 5th

Well looks like I forgot to write the second part for yesterday but oh well we move on and don't think about it.

I think today was a better day overall than the past few days in all honesty. I mean it was still a mixed bag kind of day but the good really carried me through the day to be honest.

To start, I've been really sleep deprived lately and today was no exception. I slept somewhere between 6-7 but I forgot about ember's appt so I had to get up at 9 to take him. Feel like that was my own fault among my other issues with sleep and my avoidance of it. But yeah very off state as usual and while I wasn't grumpy I felt a bit sensitive and just overall dread this morning.

I already feel embarrassed writing this next part cause I know they read this SAKSLDJ

I think the main turn around for the day was a phone call with my bff. I don't know it just meant so much and was just so nice. They're such a grounding person for me and I'm always so grateful with just everything. I dont know just the phone call made me finally feel like time slowed down for a second and forget about everything for a little while. It's kind of ironic since the time went by so fast on the phone LMAO. Really it was the sense of connection for me through the phone call. I know that I am always connected with them and I bother them literally all day but mental illness and boundaries just makes me feel disconnected when I know that isn't it all.

I feel like that left me with a lot of serotonin and feeling of ease like I was okay for the day. I feel like they do that a lot for me :( I tried to make myself sleep but I couldn't really force it so I read manga until I passed out for like 40 minutes. It was really short and I felt more tired when I woke up but I think it's probably good I got a bit more rest.

The rest of today felt slow. I didn't know what to really do but I ended up cutting my hair since it has been a bit. I think I'm always frustrated with my hair. It feels like there is nothing I can do with it and Ive just had the same overall short hair style my whole life. If it grows past a certain point it just becomes too curly to manages and dries out super fast. I wish I could experience a different hairstyle but that feels like a reach both from logical standpoints and from my lack of self esteem on the matters. I feel like id just look weird doing something new. One day I should try dyeing it maybe I wanna try.

Thinking about the future there is just so much that feels overwhelming but at the same time I know I'm not completely alone regarding it. I don't really wanna talk about the things changing in the future but maybe my worries.

Ive been so worried about the future and meeting people. I am someone who is so bad at first impressions and worried about upsetting others. I know that I would try my hardest to get along and not cross lines with people but Ive begun wondering if any of my habits would cause any issues. I just don't want to be hated or do something off putting especially since I can be unaware of things at times.

On a separate but slightly connected note I feel like I should try to be more outgoing and form an actual friendship. I think I am still acting a bit stand offish and shy and thats because I really am but also like what if I am hated lmaoo I usually don't care if others hate me because I am mostly disconnected from people but it feels like I can't be like that right now. It helps nothing and my anxiety won't let me.

Sometimes I really wonder if I ever let myself breathe or am I just someone stuck in an endless loop of mental illness and self deprecation lmao

I'll never really know but I don't think the answer matters as long as I don't cause others to feel suffocated by my issues and presence.

I think tomorrow might be a bit of a better day. I might see a friend in person that I haven't seen in like 7 months. So that might be interesting.

Can't believe I'm on a three day streak of posting. Hopefully I can continue

[mxtchalilies]

omg rimi ur too kind thank you so much! 😭🙏 yes timezones and works rlly sucks fr i’m smh 😔

OMG SAME. for me it’s often when ‘m about to sleep, busy or super tired for some reasons i often got ideas when i’m deep in thoughts and when i’m stressed or tired i often think and worry a lot, also in my sleep so maybe that’s why?? and YES there’s times i got an idea while i’m sleeping but it’s already pretty late so i decided to continue to sleep and tell myself i’ll write it down tmr but the next morning i can’t remember it sobs 😭👹 why in the world ideas must often come in the worse time??? 😩🙁

ikr? my heart went like i’m shookt like what? he he died? no yes? takemitchi can’t save him? why? how? it’s filled with these questions please ToTToTToT ‘m ain’t rlly prepared for his death either, another huge emotional scene i can remember is hina’s future death. oh and also akkun’s, i’m just so shocked it didn’t think they would really die <////3 me too, i just wanna hug ‘em and tell ‘em everything will be alright. (but yes, except kisaki, and for me it’s also hanma —) yes that boy deserves love! and also — do u also read mangas too? if i may ask —

thank you! idk how it’s like for others, but for me it is rlly exhausted. and, even if it’s only wednesday, my science teacher’s already saying we’ll have work on friday. and i’m just sighed no idea qwertyuiopn,, thank you very much still! same for u too bub <33 (FR YES YES WE SHOULD cries 🤧)

hahaha thank you, your kind words really mean a lot. and yes it’s often my style to fin everything first so you can rest and don’t give a damn about anything. some ppl r often confused when they see me doing work i grumble i don’t wanna do it (sometimes cuz i hate it) and when they ask ‘don’t you hate it or r too lazy to do it? then why r u working on it?’ and i’ll just replied, ‘BC i hate it. i need to fin it real quick so i don’t have to do it anymore then i can just go and do whatever i wanna’. (ahh dw bub ‘m sure u’ll manage it out soon!) ooo really? i can’t remember what i said even if i’m the one who said it LMAO and ohhh that’s cool! that’s quite reasonable, ppl have different things to focus / prioritise and musics aren’t necessary to be everyone’s thing anw, also you do sports? :0 that’s amazing!! i’m often to lazy to exercise, plus i hate sports so i almost never tried myself unless it’s p.e. class hahaha —

thank you very much m’love! you too <333

[ STILL CONTAINS TOKYO REV SPOILERS !! ] : more talks with bammie bc i love her (under the cut again <3)

timezones our beloathed </3

the fact i heavily relate to all of what you said makes me really glad i'm not the only one who experiences those. even our thoughts are going through a "right person, wrong time" kind of trope, huh? please, the amount of times i had such nice ideas in my head as i sleep but then forget everything the following day?? fate and timing are ruthless things.

the moment baji was standing and fighting i was like, "maybe he isn't that injured? hopefully?" but then he collapsed and i collapsed with him. the emotional damage is unfixable. hina and akkun's future deaths nooo :( i thought everything was fine and dandy but oh how naïve i was sdkjdfhka. kisaki looks like mammon from obey me and because of my anger towards him, i call him 'mammon wannabe'. hanma, i have mixed feelings towards... neutral grounds with him, but leaning towards dislike? anywho, i haven't read the manga yet but i think i would after i finish demon slayer's manga :0 !

i've heard you have a test today (by the time i'm writing this) </3 and looking at all that you're telling me right now, i'm the one feeling exhausted for you ffff :'0 hope you guys get a health break where it's just a week of breaks or something huhu

i can't believe we have the same mindset woaah !! :0 !!! like, if i hate the work i just look at it and finish it early out of pure hatred towards it haha! sometimes if the project manages to get on too much of my nerves, i have the urge to make the project detailed or pretty out of pure petty spite. i remember hating one of my projects so much that i made it so detailed and passed it early (︶︿︶) there's only one subject i can't do that towards though [it's physics].

i don't know where i saw it?? but i remember you mentioned smth about playing the violin?? :00 ? both our memories are playing with us oh no (ﾟωﾟ；) also yes yes, i do play sports !! ngl i had a whole tsukishima arc with my sport (badminton). i used to do it because i was just "encouraged to" and gave very minimal effort (^^;) but i soon found my love for it and almost even entered a higher level competition for it !! but it does get exhausting (and sweaty...), so i understand where you're coming from !!

have a good day dear <333

[lightsorigins]

Fluctuations

 When he opened his eyes, Malden remained as straight as a board. He stared at the bedroom ceiling for a few seconds before turning his head to the window. The shutters were wide open. Yet he remembered that Kieran had closed them the night before. It didn't matter. He stood up slowly and felt the icy cold of the systemic dawn make him shiver. It was around nine o'clock, the sun was rising. Even slower than he was, he thought. Malden knew that it was not easy to be more phlegmatic than he was.

      - Except you, Mr. Sun," he murmured, still leaning out the window.

      He lost himself in his thoughts for a few minutes. Now that he'd had a good time with his friend, he'd have to think about going home and face his mother's wrath for allowing himself to leave the day before. What an idea to get up so early! He remembered very well that sleep had come late, and fatigue would quickly overcome him during the day. Malden turned and saw Kieran lying on his back, his blanket over part of his body diagonally. He was sleeping with his mouth open and snoring so loudly he could have woken a dragon. The sight made him chuckle.

      Discreetly, he collected his things, put on his shoes, and left the apartment without waking anyone. He put on his headphones and played "How Long Can I Go" by "Sam Celentano". Once outside, several options came to mind. There was a park north of Lausya, where he often went to play sports. He also had a painting he had started and wanted to finish. However, the longer he stayed outside, the more problems he would have to deal with when he returned.

      - It's up to me. I can go to the park and do push-ups. Take up my painting, knowing that I might run into mom. Maybe I can give Sylva a call and see if I can't come over early. I could have stayed at Kieran's, but now that I'm out, I'm not going to wake him up to come back... And seeing as he's asleep, he won't wake up, that's for sure, he concluded by putting his hand on his face.

      Malden suddenly noticed that he had a few unread messages. Naturally, these were from his mother. The most important one was this:

"I don't appreciate your attitude lately. We'll have a discussion as soon as you get home. You know there are rules to follow in this house, and they apply to everyone, even you! »

      The first response that came to mind was "You never liked my attitude, and you never understood me. "But he found it too tiring to get into a conflict with her. It was better not to escalate the situation. Akane, his mother, had been an adventurer during her youth. During certain periods, it happened that she went on adventures for a few weeks with her old group of friends. She is a Gial (Earth) atmologist, focused on the Veltôs (Control) path, and her atmology is an ochre red. At a very young age, Akane received a strict and hard education, and also underwent many hazing which forged her character for sure. She has never been an example of softness. This hard and uncompromising character made communication with Malden particularly complicated over the years.

      It didn't matter in the end. Malden decided to get on his way and go home. He might as well face Mother Dragon as quickly as possible to put out the flames. Unfortunately, it didn't take much for his mood to be affected. These expressions from his mother reminded him how lonely he felt in his family, despite the good relationship he had with his sister Sawako, and his brother Hayate. He always ended up being seen as too intense, too whiny or touchy and moody. When he thought about it, however, Malden knew that factually he lacked nothing. He was a healthy, rather good-looking young man, good at a few subjects, athletic, with a group of sympathetic and understanding friends, a certain amount of freedom in his personal life, and so on. However, it seemed that something was missing.

      It was as if there was a void somewhere. A fear of not living up to his own image, or of failing at what he could do. He was so special that he could be admired for the strangeness of his thoughts and artistic productions, but also stigmatized, and found "weird", or "unapproachable", to use terms he had heard about himself. Yet he longed to be accepted for who he was, without becoming like everyone else.

    When he opened the door to the apartment, he expected to find his mother getting ready for work. Instead, he found Sawako sitting in the kitchen. She was having breakfast: a glass of hot delicatessen milk with a little pethmergale sugar. The whole thing made the milk look dark and creamy. She was reading a manga while smoking a cigarette.

      - Hi! he said. I didn't think you'd be here at this hour. I thought I'd find Mom instead.

 -      Nah, she left pretty early this morning to buy some stuff. I don't think she's gonna be back for a while. Where did you go anyway? Kieran's?

      - Yeah. We wanted to watch "Alvist Wars" quietly, but Isaac had come into my room yesterday to snoop on something. I yelled at her, she got involved and... well, you know mom.

      - Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, she wasn't too happy about it. In fact, she was angry that you broke like that. I understand, but you could have avoided it, or told me about it. I would have tempered the situation a bit, you know how I usually do.

      - I know, but Kieran kind of rushed me, I didn't have much time to make my decision. I've done this plenty of times before, but it seems like yesterday was worse than usual. Why is that?

      - Didn't Mom tell you what we have to do tonight?

      - No?

      - Okay, too weird. Well, actually we're supposed to go to Welliyo with Dad, Mom and Helen to see Melva. Maybe there's some news about her memory, but nothing transcendent you know.

      Malden hiccupped in surprise and recoiled slightly. He felt stupid, but also excluded for not having been kept in the loop.

      - Is she serious? Why didn't she tell me?

      - I think she was going to propose to you yesterday.

      - Suggesting me the day before for the day after? What if I had something to do? Yes, I would have canceled. I would cancel anything to go see Melva, but still.

      - Anyway, chances are that's why she's so upset about your escapade yesterday. You should just apologize and tell her you'll be there tonight, if you want to be safe. I'll cover for you, but do what I say. I mean, I'll figure out how to fix it, I'll improvise.

      - And you think you can get Isaac to stop making my life miserable?

      - Don't worry, I'll work it out by ruining his. There are a few things he and I need to discuss. He's still asleep, but I'm setting him up for a real wake-up call.

      - You're handling it, thanks. I have to go see Sylvania this afternoon. Do you think you can handle that too?

      - Consider it done," Sawako replied, winking at him. 

 Malden knew he could always count on her in many circumstances. At 27 years old, she was the oldest of her siblings, and therefore the one with the authority right after her parents. And fortunately, Sawako had a lot in common with Malden. Both of them were very sensitive and attached to their deepest values, but Sawako tended to be more withdrawn and passive than her brother. She was a specialist in the art of running away and saying nothing, letting go, sleeping and lazing around. Beyond her studies in water atmology, she loved to write poetry, fiction, and play video games with horror, romance, and role-playing themes. At least that's what her mother told her. Malden, on the other hand, was much more active and enjoyed going out, shopping and discovering more about the world around him. With his pocket money, he bought a lot of things like incense, posters and an infinite amount of clothes that he could wear according to his moods. Besides,

    since he would have to go back to Sylvania in the afternoon, he started looking for different clothes to change into after his shower. Leaving his hair down, Malden put a diamond-shaped earring in his left ear, as well as a golden pendant with a small sphere. He put on a gray sweater with "N.O.T.H.I.N.G." in bright green letters. Further down, in small print, it read "Nobody On This Healthiest Irrelevant Narrow-minded Globality. ». Malden liked to wear this sweater when he wasn't sure how he felt. He often hoped that those closest to him would be able to decode this information and understand how he was feeling by carefully observing how he dressed. But it never worked.He went to his room to finish getting ready. After putting on his black shorts and sneakers, the same green as his sweater's typography, he heard his mother coming back to the apartment. Sawako immediately struck up a conversation with her. Malden reached out to listen.

      - Malden is back to the point.

      - Is he in his room?

      - Yeah, but I think it's best to leave it alone for a bit today.

      - Oh no! Have you seen how he's acting right now? I have to talk to him, this is too much. And he doesn't answer the messages I leave! That's not an attitude!

      - I know, I know mom. But he's a teenager, so you have to imagine that he's going to do a few more silly things like that.

      - Sawako, do you defend your brother when he takes the wrong path? Do you think you're helping him to act that way?

      Akane spoke loudly and raised her voice with every sentence. She was panting, exhausted from bringing all the groceries alone from the store. Despite her intensive training as a fighter, she was much less active since she had built her family life, and was therefore much more quickly tired for actions that, in her youth, were just a walk in the park for her.

 -      Plus no one helped me with the groceries today! I have to do everything alone in this house, it's not possible! Call your father for me, so he can come and help me clean up instead of sleeping again!

      - Mom, I'm not defending Malden, but I think you're overreacting a bit. He just went to Kieran's. He wanted to watch "Alvist Wars" and he came home early. He's doing well in school and he doesn't have bad company. Don't you think you should leave him alone for a while and deal with Suzanne and Hayate, who are always provoking him?

      - Yes, yes it's good. Okay, I'll leave it. Let him do. Call your father now. Is Malden coming tonight so we can go visit Melva, yes or no?

      - It will be there.

      Malden smiled broadly and clenched his fist in victory. What could he do without Sawako? He felt himself growing wings. The weekend would probably be much more enjoyable than he had imagined. Grabbing his cell phone, he decided to send a message to Sylvania.

      "Hi Sylva 😊! Do you think we could eat together this lunch? Like, at a snack bar not too far from your place, and then we spend the afternoon together like we said? »

      Every time he took the time to send her a message, Malden's hands were shaking and sweaty. Would he choose the right words? Was he being pushy? Or too weird? Did she realize how he felt about her? And even worse: did he really feel something for her? And this something, was it love? It was so complex for him to understand, so difficult to be totally sure, considering the particular situation. Didn't she just remind him of his sister, who is now in the hospital and he misses her so much? Malden didn't know. He always came to the conclusion that it was probably best to let it go and see where it would take him.

      His phone vibrated. It was her. She had just answered! He hurried to open the message.

      "Hi Malden! That's a really cool proposal. Where do you want to eat? And what do you want to eat? Something usual and not too far away, just to do it quietly? »

      "Noon, at the pizza place across the street from you? »

 "Perfect! See you later! »

      Since everything was already planned, all he had to do was spend the time he had left doing something he liked. So he threw himself into the painting he had started a few days ago. Malden was fond of searching for photographs of various places in the Mysticiën, and recently his attention had been drawn to pictures of the Omaltäb Forests in Almarosa territory to the south. He was busy redrawing the trees with pink, dark blue, green or even black foliage that could be found there. The simple fact of smelling the paint in the room made him feel a certain fullness that nothing else could give him. After taking care to lock the door of his room so as not to be disturbed, he painted for a long time and moved forward on his canvas. If for some reason he couldn't become an alvist or a martial artist, Malden knew he would become a painter and would do everything he could to fulfill that dream. And even if he did become an alvist and a martial artist, he would be a painter too! With his savings, he vowed to buy a high performance camera and take photographs from original angles and then redesign and paint unusual places in the country, giving them a special interpretation with special color schemes. This was how he would communicate to the world the way he perceived and felt the universe. This idea excited him.

      Shortly before the appointment time, Malden rushed to the front door to get going. When he opened it, he passed the kitchen, where he saw his parents preparing dinner. While he was already on the landing, he heard his mother's authoritative voice.

      - Be back by five o'clock, we'll go see Melva. We won't wait for you forever.

      - Uh, yes, Mom. See you tonight!

      - That's it," she said dismissively.

      The sun was shining on Lausya, accompanied by a rather strong wind. A gust of wind blew straight towards Malden, removing his hood and messing up his hair. He who wanted to be elegant for Sylvania, it was from now on lost pain. He sighed discreetly while putting back his hood. That was not going to dry his good mood found. He was now listening to "Apricot" by "Sam Celentano". Malden could already imagine himself with Sylvania teaching him some scales and making him listen to her melodies. Her calmness, her kindness and her rigor were for him like nectar and ambrosia. He admired her terribly, and these sentimental questions about her were very recent. But he had known her for a few years already.

      After a few minutes, Malden reached the main square where Sylvania and her mother lived. There was a fountain in the center, and some stone slabs decorated with flowers tended by the city's gardeners. A few people were there, including groups of children who had come to buy pancakes or ice cream, despite the cold season. Sitting under a white umbrella at one of the many tables of the local pizzeria, Sylvania was waiting patiently, her phone in hand. She had let her long red hair down, was wearing a white dress with blue polka dots and a small silver necklace and a pair of simple earrings of the same complexion. When she saw Malden, she waved at him.

      - Hi! How are you? I'm so hungry! I've already reserved a table for the two of us, so what should we order? Asked she, cheerful.

      - I'll probably have a salad with a slice of pizza. I'm not very hungry, but it'll do for me!

      - Are you sure you'll have enough energy to listen to my news and convince me to join your group if you don't eat enough? She joked.

      - Don't worry about it. I want you to join us enough, I don't need a pizza to help me!

      After they had actually placed their order, the two young people ate together and talked about the rain and the weather. Malden admired the way Sylvania spoke about her extracurricular activities, but also her involvement in various social struggles. She was already very active on Signold - a well-known social network on Elzetarân - and shared many videos about animal causes and ecology. Sylvania already seemed to be a big shot and followed very closely the actions of the Renovators' Guild. It was a group of atmologists and adventurers of all kinds, formed several decades ago. They were in charge of monitoring the development of the ecosystems and biomes of Elzetari after certain confrontations, whose damage could have seriously damaged various places and destroyed the fauna, as well as the flora.

      Time passed without them noticing. Soon enough, they finished their meal and went to Sylvania. Coming from a well-to-do family, they lived in a large residence where the richest inhabitants of Lausanne were to be found. The mayor, Oscar Fanghël, lived nearby with his wife and son. Malden was always impressed when he set foot in Sylvania's house: everything was always so clean! The living room seemed huge and everything he saw seemed to be priceless. The marble walls of a very light and sober

grey were decorated with paintings showing fantastic scenes. One could see atmological warriors fighting carniocs and wild creatures in the skies, unleashing various elemental forces.

      - Every time you come over, you can't help but leave your eyes glued to the picture in the living room. You know I'm going to end up asking my mom if I can give it to you, right?

      Malden flinched and blushed. He had never realized how much these paintings could absorb him. The idea that he might be seen to be lusting after them embarrassed him.

      - Oh no, not at all! It's just... I really wish I had a talent like that. You know, I see how well the color scheme is mastered, it drives me crazy! There is the light, so well reflected, and the contrast between the atmos used by the fighters on the painting, the expression of pain on the creatures, and even the effects of the wind that blows even though we don't see it. It's beautiful. Every time I see it, I feel like it's the first one.

      - I think it was Cleora Stolteïska who made this painting. I would have to see it again with my mother. And it seems to me that she is still alive. Maybe one day, if you meet her, you can ask her how she did it?

 Malden's eyes seemed to light up. He began to do some research on his cell phone and found more of the painter's work.

 -      Wow, she's so good... If I met her, I wouldn't even know how to ask her questions. Well, anyway, I'll deal with that when I get home. For now, I have someone else talented to admire on her compositions, right?

      - Don't overdo it! I'm just getting by on my mom's classes when it comes to reproducing classics. For my creations, it remains to be seen... I'm not very comfortable with the idea of doing new things, that go out of the box, I'm afraid it won't be very pleasant to the ear, also because...

      - Hey, Sylva! he interrupted her. It's not serious, you have to try in life. Let me listen!

      - But if you think it's ugly, you probably won't want me in your group.

      - Does this mean that you want to join our group so badly that I don't actually need to convince you?

      She hiccupped with surprise and put her hands in front of her mouth. Sylvania had tricked herself. She was more interested in the idea of being part of this music group that was forming than anything else, but she didn't want it to be so obvious. She would still be seen as the girl with no friends, who craved acceptance from others.

      - It's true," she sighed. Well, enough wasted time. Sit down on the couch. I'll play you this little piece. I was inspired by "rocking horse" by "Etolica. ».

      Without adding a word, Malden settled comfortably on the black velvet sofa. Sylvania took her turn on the small purple seat where she sat to play the piano. She had her back to him, slowly positioning her fingers on the keys. The girl took a deep breath before starting to play the first notes of her composition. The start was awkward but soon she gained confidence and began to play with more assurance. The notes flowed together with a certain smoothness.

      To Malden, it was as if a beautiful story was being told. He was so impressed by her dexterity that he wanted to get closer to her to better admire her performance. However, for fear of distracting her, he preferred to stay behind and come without making any noise. She was in front of the large window, giving on a great part of the city. He admired the view as he listened to the soft melody played by his friend, while he imagined how these notes would blend with Teano's expertise on the guitar, Kieran's voice and his drumming.

      The listening went on for almost three minutes, during which time Malden was totally transported. He found himself re-admiring the painting by Cleora Stolteïska that hung on the living room wall. This creation and Sylvania's composition went so well together that he imagined one day he would be a painter of masterpieces and she a professional pianist, creating melodies around his world-renowned paintings. An exciting future, from which he exited as soon as Sylvania gave the last note of her essay. A few seconds were necessary for her to come back to reality. She took again a big inspiration, then she got up and turned slowly towards her friend. The window was left open, and a cold breeze crossed the room and shook her long dress as well as her hair. An image that stuck in Malden's mind and he swore to himself that he would paint this scene.

      - There, now you know my little music. I know it's probably too soft for what you're doing, but it's the best I have in stock right now.

 -      Sylvania, it's really beautiful. It's probably silly and simple as an opinion, but I don't know what else to add... Then, I don't play the piano, so I imagine that there are things to be revised, it's possible. But anyway, I really liked it. You know Kieran, he likes it when it moves a little bit more, but then Teano will be over the moon, you can believe me!

      - Do you think so? She asked hesitantly, as she nervously played with her fingers.

      - I don't think so: I know so! Will you show me some other things? Songs you learned with your mother for example, maybe we could rework some of them and see how to create other songs together from that!

      - It's a good idea. So, let's see...

      All afternoon long, Sylvania and Malden discussed and studied in detail different compositions, some of which they took care to select to present to Malden and Teano. Gradually, more than his ambiguous attraction to Sylvania, it was his passion for art and music that took over. He was very curious and concentrated in these tasks, as she was too.

      Since the time for him to be reunited with his family was fast approaching, Malden prepared to leave to avoid being late. But just before he left, Sylvania received a phone call that seemed to puzzle her.

      - An unexpected call? he asked.

      - Well... It's Annabelle. You know, the girl in Sara's class.

      He looked at her with a puzzled look.

      - Maybe it's her mother calling? I think she works with yours, right?

      - Not anymore. They kept in touch but... Well, wait. "Hello?" She says.

      "Yes, Sylvania? It's Annabelle. Sorry, we haven't talked in a while, but I've been trying to reach Sara and even her brother but no one answers! »

      "No worries Anna. But do you need anything? »

      "This will probably sound weird to you, but my grandfather came back from a long trip a few days ago. And you'll never guess: he brought back with him a Phelidus Tenebris! »

      As Sylvania turned on the speaker phone, Malden also heard the news. He struggled to keep his astonishment from being heard. The Pelidus, whatever their nature, were extremely powerful creatures and known to be dangerous.

      "A Phelidus? " Sylvania repeated, worried. "It's still very dangerous! Do the authorities know that this creature is here, in Lausya? What do you want us to do for you? »

      "She's dying and has little ones... six to be exact. That's a bit long, and I don't have much time. Listen, I wish you could come to my house together as soon as possible, you and Sara and the others. Grandpa will be there, he'll be able to explain. »

      "I... well, okay Annabelle. I hope it's nothing serious anyway. I'll see what I can do to keep them updated and get back to you! »

      "Thank you Sylva! »

      She hung up her phone and looked at Malden, stunned.

      - A Pelidus with babies... How often do you hear such stories?

 -      Even the participants of "War of the Alvists" don't have Pelidus! Malden added. The thing I remember is that his grandfather must be really good. Renyu says you can only find them at Failghost Manor. And do you know what they say about that manor?

      - Yeah, that it's haunted or something... We'll talk about it again, I should let you go before your mom gives you a hard time for being late. It's already a miracle my mom wasn't there today and we got to see each other, might as well not ruin the end of the day!

      - You're right, I'm leaving. I forgot one thing! I think you're meeting Teano later on, right?

      - Yes, and he has to spend the night at Renyu's house right after.

      - You can tell him that I did some research the other day, and I found a luthier that might be of interest to him, since he wanted to try his hand at the electric guitar.

      With that, Malden and Sylvania parted ways. He walked through the spacious corridors of the building before finding himself outside, taken by the temperature which seemed to have dropped a few degrees compared to the early afternoon. Happy with this exciting afternoon, he then thought about what he would learn when he arrived at the hospital with his family. If Melva remembered him, at least for a few seconds during the visit, nothing could make him happier. But Malden refused to deny it. With his headphones in, he shuffled along, his imagination conjuring up the worst scenarios about his sister's shattered memory. His mood wavered again.

      When he arrived home, his parents were getting ready to leave. Sawako was already ready, a long dark blue leather coat on her back and her black hair done up in a neat bun. Aware of her brother's difficulty in dealing with this situation, she simply patted him on the shoulder and gave him a hug.

      - Don't worry Maldou, she'll remember us one day. The more we go to see her, the more it will help her.

[nmshostclub]

-Height (155 cm) -Zodiac/Star Sign (Pisces) -Physical Description (mid-length dark brown hair parted at the left side, dark brown eyes, wears glasses) -Personality Description (Kinda like a female version of Shikamaru though I'm not as smart as he is, I'm more interested in listening than participating in conversations, I prefer to be in the sidelines) -Hobbies (listening to music, watching anime/Kdrama, reading novels/manga/webtoon) -Usual outing clothing (jeans, shirt, comfy shoes)

-Senpai: Ai ships you with… Takahiro-senpai!

-A lucky item:

  Matching phone cases with a loved one; technology is fragile, and perhaps you can be at times too. Or maybe you just prefer to be more private? Protect yourself and your phone, but keep your friends and family close.

-First encounter:

      Meeting you wasn't what Takahiro thought it would be. It was very unexpected in his view. Even to this day, he has a bit of a hard time explaining it when others ask about how you two met. Yet, you have a pretty easy time since you tend to shorten the story down.       He was having a bad start to his day. For some odd reason, he overslept due to his alarm not waking him up on time.  The world is ending.  Causing him to come late to a job, and sure enough, that pushed his whole schedule back.       For the first time in his life, everything wasn't going to plan. Until his lunch break. He used half of it to catch up with his schedule. Thankfully, he didn't have any classes that day.  Which gave him extra time to get some orders done and delivered.      Takahiro felt a bit at ease to know he may be able to reach his shift at his next job by the aquarium if he makes it through this last order, which seems to go to his school. A package that was addressed to a small cafe by the library.

    He finally reached the school's cafe and knocked on the door.                                                      No answer.   Maybe they were in the back cleaning up. Takahiro did see some students heading back into class so, the lunch rush had to be over.      He knocked again, and again, however, there still was no answer. Tempted to go to the office and drop off the order there (much like his patience). His eagerness to get to his next job almost got the best of him before he found that the door was open the whole time.      After feeling dumb for a minute, Takahiro reminded himself that at since his mother taught him well about knocking before entering.     When he steps, he notices that the room had a strong lemon scent. Caused by the cleaning supplies and warm baking pans. Takahiro kept calling for the owner, hoping they were somewhere in the cafe to sign the pink order sheet.             Only putting a halt to his calls when he sees the closet door ajar. Takahiro looks in and finds the owner of that very cafe he’s in.        The owner wore a stained apron as she slept with her foot in a bucket. Having her arms wrapped around an old mop while she peacefully slept.

-Interactions:

    Let’s admit, you can be a bit lazy with things.

        Some examples being, forgetting to or not having enough time/energy to order supplies and food.       Getting you in a pickle when you were out of coffee beans. Making you rush off to the phone to put in an order. In return, Takahiro would be there to deliver your order in a quick minute.  If you didn't have enough time to dial their number, you would be forced to run to the nearby corner store to pick up that extra sugar that your sweet tooth customers just needed with their coffee.    Every single time when this happens, Taka would give you the “told-you-so” look (because, well, he told you so). Nagging you like a caring father would about how you should have ordered before that huge lunch rush came in, every single day.       Something you always forgot about.  Or you don't, but secretly pretend to just to see him a little more.    With constant reminders, Takahiro is pretty shy around you. He imagines you like one of those cool kids in old school films. It seems weird to say, but you do. Your laziness would be part of your humor at times and what you claim to add personality to yourself. Your occasional slurs when tired of it was too much or too early for school made you special. Charming in a way, he would say.    Takahiro would always go over and plan on what to say.  Making your interactions short and sweet.   On the sidelines, you try your best to help others. In the sports tournament, you rushed to different tents to help the schools and their needs. Cold drinks for the players/students or extra bandages for Haruka if he running low on them. Everyone knew who to ask for help … just after you were done with your power nap.  Takahiro heard others mention how at times you could be a Level 11 procrastinator. Sleeping in class; not doing the notes the teacher gave. Resulting in asking someone to copy off. You seem to be so careless, but he knew that you were pretty hardworking when it came to the better health of others. Causing that tight feeling in his heart get tighter when you greeted him every morning.

-Confession:

  Takahiro visited the café to deliver that one order you forgot to ask for this day’s service. With how much time the two of you spent with all the run-ins for rushed orders, he pretty much already knows what time he should drop off the package before you hop on the phone to call for them. He would hate for you to get worked up when you find out that you're out of coffee beans or soy milk.       Weirdly enough, he sees you sprawled over one of the tables instead of on the usual blue couch hugging a pillow or in the supplies closet (where you took your secret nap at times).    Under your arms was some sort of schedule, all written in your handwriting.  Takahiro takes a closer look, noticing that most of them are scheduled for supplies and activitiesーa whole plan worked out for the next couple of months.

      All to make sure that Takahiro wouldn’t have to do so much for your rushed deliveries. Then a small smile appeared on his face as he drops the box of supplies to the ground.       Patting your head softly, taking your glasses from your head before you manage to break them in your sleep.    “You’re always doing your best to help everyone,” he whispers as if you were in grade school sharing secrets about something that protected by a pinkie-promise and silly rhythm.       “I just wish that- I want to be able to help you, too,” He confessed. “Maybe by being by your side.” Takahiro softly said as he continues to look down at the list.        Your eyes snap open once you hear that.      Scaring Takahiro, causing him jump five feet in the air, but calming down when he sees the smile on your face. Paired with a light blush. That’s the only thing he needed for an answer to his unexpected confession.

-First date/type of dates frequented:

  Your first date was an impromptu one, considering how both of you have such busy schedules. Dates are nothing too fancy or anything much really for you. Much to Takahiro’s dismay because he thinks that you would deserve the best with how much you help people to the extent of your skills. Also he just really wants to treat you out at times.    Some dates are just. . . . .the both of you on break from work, watching something on your laptop (from romantic Korean sitcoms or some funny seasonal anime) with some tea and biscuits you made just for this occasion.     These lazy dates have become much of a norm for the both of you.       Sometimes, Takahiro would ask you out to watch the opera or a play with him. It somehow ends up with him trying to conceal his laughter rather than a wonderful and ~fancy~ night out. The fact you slur your words so often when commenting at how the opera made you sleepy, made the both of you leave early at times since it was becoming tough to not laugh (You nearly fell asleep at the first song0.  You would protest on how you should have stuck to the opera. Not wanting him to waste those tickets, but he would assure you with a smile that it was for the best anyways. Now you could go get some pizza.     Pizza is always better than a silly opera or dramatic Victorian play, right? After getting some pizza and a Hawaiian pie for the chauffeur, the jet black limousine would go around some gardens in the beautiful city. Letting you talk or look outside as you share a pair of earbuds. Playing songs from your cell phone.  In the end, Takahiro wouldn’t notice you fell asleep till he felt something heavy on his shoulder. He finally turns to see your face. Takahiro’s a mess this point. Trying to stay cool.  But how can he? This dork sat in the limousine, redder than tomato. Which was weird since you fell asleep on him before when watching a movie. So this wasn’t new, yet it was. Only for him later to fall asleep as well due to the fact it was the perfect setting for a nice nap.    When it was time to escorted you back home, the chauffeur opened the door to see what he thought to be the silliest young couple ever to come together. Sleeping in each other arms to the song, "Only You“ playing softly in the background.

FIRST KISS

     Your first kiss with your boyfriend was when we watched a simple rom-com. The main leads finally got together after many many funny and cringe-worthy scenes. There in the rain, they share a kiss after what seems to be the cutest confession ever. It’s just perfect out with couldn't help but get filled with bubbles after that.    “I want to do that,”    “Do what?” Taka would ask. “Kiss in the rain”, you answer back. Collecting the small popcorn bits off the blanket you two were sharing.  “But we’ll get sick. Last time you were out in the rain you nearly caught a cold.” Takahiro mentioned, reminding you how you rushed out in a storm to pick up a bag of sugar last month.     “Fine….How about a- SODA KISS” You challenged.    “W-What? Did you just make that up?” Takahiro asked, holding back his laughter as he set his soda after taking one last sip. The end credits rolled down as in the background played a sweet song.  “.......no”, you blushed, trying to hide the fact that you did just make it up.  “It’s just a kiss you give to someone if they take a sip of their soda after watching a good movie.”      “Wait for wh-”. Before he finishes that sentence, you quickly leaned in. Puffing your lips out to peck his.       Thinking back to how awkward and weird that kiss must have been, you hide under the blanket, that same one you were picking popcorn bits off before.  (You refused to leave the couch after that. You can just live off the crumbs under the pillows as you’re wrapped like a burrito with the blanket.) SHE GOT EmBARRassED    Nevertheless, Takahiro won't let you live like a blanket wrapped burrito forever. He’ll lure you out with your phone that then show you how to properly kiss someone.

-Long-term relationship:

   Takahiro and you don't have that many problems. You may bicker at times about something dumb like an old married couple, but it works out in the end. If it doesn't and the fight goes on a bit long, you both drop it immediately. Both getting a sour mood for the rest of the day, only being solved if one hits the other with a text about it or when Takahiro delivers your order.      Luckily, you both can’t stay mad at each other forever. Plus, you don't have time to sit around and pout about the issue.

  You would approach Taka about taking some breaks when times come to be overwhelming for him, like school and his list of million jobs. He would the same with you, lending a hand if you're in trouble. Since you have a thing where it could be a bit hard to say no sometimes. So with days like that, you're stuck running around school or someone’s house to help with a project.     During the process of working, you manage to lose a lot of energy very quickly. So Takahiro would always leave little energy drink for you. Reminding yourself mentally to thank him later.   With work or school, you're there to comfort your boyfriend if he needs it. Which ends up with taking a nap together since you are pretty warm. Personal Heater. Maybe even watch some movies while we're at it.  Takahiro, at times, would pipe up to say something about what you’re watching and you would listen intently to whatever he has to say. Takahiro would ask about your opinion on things sometimes but won't push knowing that you rather much prefer to listen to others than have them listen to you ramble about something. However, whenever you do open up, Takahiro feels like he did something good to hear your sweet voice and you speak your mind.    This couple also doesn't show too much affection in public. You guys prefer to have a quiet relationship than one that people pressure at times.(Group chanted in the corner to kiss. KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!)  Which goes to the fact you aren't able to see each other much, but after a hard week, it's sweet to see your partner and catch up on shows.

      Heard that in the new episode,  Mary confessions that she loves David’s twin brother more than him. Who is also A HALF CYBORG!!!!!!!! WHO SAVES THE WORLD EVERY FREAKING DAYYY!!! *Cue airhorns*

    After that, you guys, are a pretty chill couple. Takahiro’s father found out that Takahiro takes you with him to all the operas and plays as his date. You guys had become the talk of the company and their business partners overnight. Meaning that the group of women with their fancy and huge pearls aren’t talking about your dress or your white sneakers. Nevertheless the fact they thought you looked cute together. Reminding themselves of their younger days. He would soon ask Taka to go to even more places for him, just to get him to hang out with his girlfriend.  Knowing his son’s busy schedule can get in the way of having fun at times.